Harbinger introduced us to the Vanguard Starbase, a Star Fleet outpost remote from the main areas of Federation space. We met its characters and learned of its role in Federation plans.

Its location is near the Taurus Reach, a disputed region of space near Tholian space – who, whilst avoiding the region due to long held superstition believe it is theirs by right and resent the intrusion of other species. The area is also of interest to the Klingons and so the Vanguard's commanding officer, Commodore Reyes has the difficult and unenviable job of uncovering the secrets of the Reach whilst maintaining a level of secrecy around the project, even from other Star Fleet officers – and preventing war between three mutually suspicious races.

Add into the mix Klingon spies, criminal syndicates and a disgraced reporter intent on discovering the secret of the reach, the reason for the death of his lover and for his being fed false documents that lead to his career being ruined - and this is a complex tale of intrigue and espionage Star Trek style.

This is a story that fits into the era of the original Star Trek series, although no one from that series appear in its pages. That doesn't matter though. This story has enough to grip the reader without having to rely on our liking for the characters of Kirk, Spock, Bones et al.

That we know what is meant by Klingons, Starbase is enough for this to be a Star Trek book through and through? But does that make it a good read? Well the simple answer is yes. Since the relaunching of the many Trek book series the tales have become longer multi-dimensional and of a higher quality than before. Not to say that the older books were bad, although some of them were a little uninspired. But there is no longer a feeling that they are aiming for the equivalent of a single episode. These books are packed full of action and multiple plot threads, and in many instances tell tales that would be un-filmable on a TV show budget.

This is what TV tie in books should be. Now I want the final book in the story of the Vanguard Station.

Synopsis
The Taurus Reach: a remote interstellar expanse that holds a very old and potentially cataclysmic secret, the truth of which is feared by the Tholians, coveted by the Klingons, and dubiously guarded by the Federation. At the centre of this intrigue is Vanguard, a Federation starbase populated by an eclectic mix of Starfleet officers and civilians whose lives are forever altered as they explore the layers of mystery surrounding the Reach and steadily peel them away...But deep within the Taurus Reach, an ancient and powerful alien mind has awakened prematurely from aeons of hibernation, alerted to the upstart civilisations now daring to encroach upon the worlds in her care. With the stakes for all sides escalating rapidly, the alien lashes out with deadly force against the interlopers, propelling the Vanguard crew on a desperate race to understand the nature of the attacker and to prevent the Taurus Reach from becoming a war zone.