I went to this movie expecting to like it. Several friends recommended it t. They said it was the best Star Trek movie ever. I like all things Star Trek, so I expected to like this. Just before I went, though, someone mentioned Romulans. That concerned me, made me wonder if maybe this movie wouldn’t live up to the hype. After all, as any Trek follower knows, the Romulans were first encountered in the original series. So even though I expected to enjoy the movie, I was on the alert for inconsistencies.

          I’m pleased to say the movie covered all the inconsistencies. I’m not so pleased to say I didn’t really get the story I expected to get. Supposedly I was going to see the younger Dr. McCoy, James Kirk and Spock, among others, meet and experience their first adventure. I didn’t really get that. I got an adventure, a wonderfully cinematic one. I didn’t get an introduction to the early years of the characters as I expected. They had the same names. They had the burgeoning versions of the same quirks. (The actors were superb! I forgot immediately that these people were actors. They became the characters.) They had the glimmerings of the same character chemistry and conflicts. But they weren’t the same. From the first moment we saw them on the screen, their lives had been subtly or not so subtly changed by a timeline invasion.

         I am of two minds about this movie. On the one hand, it was an excellent movie, with great acting, an interesting storyline and a set-up for many more adventures. On the other hand, though, it was NOT a movie chronicling the early years of Spock, McCoy, and Kirk. Yes it was enjoyable. Yes, the actors did an amazing job in portraying these younger counterparts. Yes, the story was compelling. But it was not the story of “my” characters, the characters I knew in my childhood and teens. In the words of young Kirk to old Spock, “coming back in time, changing history . . . that’s cheating.” That’s what it feels like . . .cheating.

          But if I can lay all that aside (and I can) to see this story without all those generational expectations, I am impressed. This is a superb movie. The acting is fantastic, the characters believable and the plot, while extraordinary is at least plausible. Add to that the potential of numerous more new on-screen adventures, and you have a movie worthy to be listed in the Star Trek library.

         There are the usual “red flags” many Christians (me included) object to, cursing, double entredres and outright physical encounters. This is to be expected. Unfortunately. However, they are few and almost inoffensive. Even the physical encounters are brief and not too explicit. I would have preferred not to see a scantily clad Kirk and alien cadet or Uhura strip down to her underwear for the camera, but those encounters were brief. There was no lingering on the scenes with the seeming intent to arouse (unlike Uhura’s distracting display in “The Search for Spock”). And, if you wait for the DVD and you have/buy a ClearPlay DVD player, you can easily filter out those offensive scenes without losing any of the major plot points.

          Overall, I liked this movie. It was an enjoyable 2 hours. It just wasn’t the Star Trek experience that I expected. It was the creation of a new Star Trek experience. As with the Next Gen, DS9, and Voyager stories, this one is full of possibilities. Once I’m past the disappointment of not seeing “my” Star Trek beginnings, I’m sure I will enjoy this new timeline as much as all the others.

          As for Christian merit, I can’t really cite anything memorable for or against. This movie was faith-neutral. Unlike many of the episodes, spiritually was not ridiculed or debunked, controversial social issues were not cast in a light at odds with traditional Christian thought. In fact, those issues were not explored at all. This was purely an action-adventure movie. There is no social commentary that is so prevalent in the TV shows. There was none of the evolutionary theoretical science presented as fact that is prevalent in the multiple Trek series. The only objectionable parts of the movie are the already-mentioned minor cursings and an aborted bedroom scene.

          I’m not sure I actually recommend it. That would imply that I see something that encourages and uplifts a Christian who chooses to watch it. I can’t really say that. While there is little that is objectionable, this is in essence just a fun ride. Possibly a bit more so for those already fond of the Star Trek universe. And fun rides are . . . fun. So go enjoy it if you want.

          For a more detailed review and analysis (compatible with the Christian perspective, of course), Focus on the Family’s Plugged in does a good job.

          IMDB has a full synopsis of the story.

         Fortune”s Fool by Mercedes Lackey (ISBN-13: 978-0-373-80266-1 or ISBN-10 0-373-80266-8) is another story from the 500 Kingdoms and is published by Luna, an imprint of Harlequin in 2007.

         Like the previous 500 Kingdom stories (one of which I reviewed), Fortune’s Fool is set in a fantasy land that has a magical force called The Tradition that nudges (or pushes) people toward well-known story-paths. The hero and heroine of Fortune’s Fool both come from families who have learned to, if not manipulate The Tradition, at least to influence it to the benefit of their respective kingdoms.

         Sasha’s great-grandfather, while he was still a Prince, procured the help of a Godmother to teach him, made a bargain with a dragon for the needed dragon blood and set about learning all he could about The Tradition. He taught his family that there always needed to be a Scholar, one who studied The Tradition and could predict and guide the family so that they and the kingdom prospered.

         Katya and her Sea-King family also knew of and used The Tradition to aid their kingdom. As magical creatures, mer-people were even more at the mercy of The Tradition. Katya’s father, while still a Prince, determined that they would instead control The Tradition. One such tradition he changed was the one that mermaids would sing sailors to their death. He sent out bards singing songs depicting an alternate story for mermaids, that said sailors merely forgot their One True Loves, at least until the One True Love managed to break the spell. And, soon, because of “seeding” The Tradition this way, that story became prominent.

         Both Katya and Sasha are the youngest in their families, seventh daughter and seventh son. According to The Tradition this was the position of Fool. Both families used this to their advantage. Sasha appeared foolish on the surface, but in reality went about singing songs that manipulated The Tradition and bringing prosperity to his kingdom. Katya, seemingly insignificant to those who bothered to notice her, slipped in and out of the Drylanders and the Sea Kingdoms, watching and listening and bringing reports back to her father, the Sea King of one of the most prosperous and benevolent sea kingdoms.

         Katya and Sasha meet and fall in love while on their many wanderings. Unlike many romances, this is really just the beginning of the story. When Katya is kidnapped by a djinn intent on gathering magical power and taking over neighboring kingdoms, Sasha begins his search. Both face many perils as they struggle to defeat the rising evil surrounding them.

         Mercedes Lackey creates a wonderfully detailed and believable fantasyscape. Her stories are a joy to read, with one exception. Physical intimacy is, while not casual is at least common in the land of the 500 Kingdoms. Sasha and Katya indulge in several explicit encounters. It is refreshing to learn that Sasha is a virgin, but both Katya’s and Sasha’s attitudes in that area are off-center of what is considered moral to a practicing Christian. Fortunately, the bulk of the intimate encounters occur in one short section, about halfway through the story. If you are so inclined, you could easily skip over those scenes. The rest of the story is an enchanting adventure and romance that you might well enjoy. I did.

ISBN: 0-373-80202-1; published in 2004 by Luna (www.luna-books.com).

         Elena Klovis, is a Cinderella-like character in the land of Five Hundred Kingdoms. Instead of a prince and a happily-ever-after, though, she is recruited as a Fairy Godmother Apprentice. As she learns to use magic, and when to use ingenuity and hard work, she also learns of The Tradition. The Tradition is a sort of magical force that is attracted to and influences people whose lives resemble a “tale.” If that “tale” doesn’t happen, as in Elena’s case, where her “prince” was only 10 years old, magic accumulates around that person, continually nudging them toward another suitable “tale.” It will continue to do so unless used or siphoned off by a magical being, preferably a good one, like a Godmother.

         Elena has so much magic around her as a result of her thwarted “happily-ever-after,” she attracts the attention of the current Fairy Godmother, who has been searching for an Apprentice for years. Madame Bella takes Elena as her Apprentice. Elena’s confidence and skill blossoms under Bella’s tutelage. In far too short a time, at least in Elena’s mind, Bella deems Elena ready to Godmother alone. She leaves, to wherever it is retired Godmothers go, and Elena takes over the task of watching and guiding and protecting the people of her kingdoms under her authority. And that is when the story gets really interesting.

         This is an good story, full of likable characters, real struggles and life lessons learned amid a truly unique world. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I really only have one objection. It is one that I find in many modern romances. Too much intimacy. It is the current “acceptable standard” and one I find particularly undesirable. There are multiple scenes of extended petting with detailed accounts of the participants’ reactions. To the author’s credit, there is not the usual insinuation that if they are feeling passion, it must be love. Elena and her lover become friends first and it is obvious the relationship is built on more than passion. Even so, the explicit nature of the intimate scenes is disappointing.

         Given that objection, you might wonder why I still give this book a positive recommendation. It is because of the story. The story and the characters. The characters come alive on the page. They are real, some with glaring faults and inadequacies. They learn life lessons and change (or not) while still retaining their own personality. The romance between Elena and her lover, while important to the story, is not the only focus of the story. Overall, this story is about living honorably, even (especially?) in one’s daily life and how that prepares that person if/when supreme and heroic action is warranted. This message is one completely compatible with Christian principles. Ancillary messages, such as “struggles and hardship create character” or “great power is best used in service” or “there is merit in helping others overcome life-muddles” further illustrate and support Christian values.

         This is an uplifting and entertaining story. Just be aware of the intimacy scenes, which are clustered in a couple of chapters in the last third of the book. If you can skip or otherwise not be offended by them, you will probably enjoy reading this as much as I did.

          “Sabriel”, ISBN 0-06-27322-4, was written by Garth Nix and published by Harper Collins Publisher, Australia in 1995. Nix has published at least two other titles in this series, “Lariel” and “Abhorsen.”

         “Sabriel” is a story of a young girl, just graduating from a boarding school in Ancelstierre, a fantasy land similar to ours, but with some major differences. At the beginning of the book, Sabriel is confronted by the disappearance of her father. In order to save him, she must venture into the Old Kingdom, a land totally different from Ancelstierre, ruled by magic and rampant fear. The two kingdoms are separated by The Wall, a border guarded and protected by soldiers and magicians.

         As a citizen of the Old Kingdom, Sabriel crosses The Wall and is thrust into a life and death struggle with forces almost beyond her understanding. Although trained by her father in the lessons of an Abhorsen, she is largely unaware of what that title means. In fact, until well into the story, she thought the title was actually her father’s name. In the course of searching for her father, Sabriel uncovers an ancient mystery, gathers allies and confronts an evil bent on such total destruction it even threatens Ancelstierre.

         Sabriel’s father, Abhorsen, is sort of a reverse-necromancer. An Abhorsen’s most important task in to bind to death those souls who would attempt to leave Death, usually by inhabiting a dead body. When a soul enters Death, it must past through seven gates to The Other Side. A necromancer can contact a soul before it passes the last gate. (This is useful for determining cause of death or when other information is needed from the dead.) Sometimes a soul refuses to walk the path through the seven gates. Sometimes evil necromancers force souls out of the Realm of the Dead to animate corpses or effect other tasks. An Abhorsen’s job is to stop these things from happening.

         At first glance, this would seem a story no Christian should read. Scripture clearly forbids trying to contact the dead. While each person must make his own decision, there are some things that a Christian could find interesting, even intriguing in this story. The writing is good, with character and places coming alive as the story progresses at a fast clip through lots of action and adventure. The struggle to do right and to protect the innocent is clear. The danger of experimenting with forbidden arts is brought out in the development of the main villain. The battle between good and evil is obvious.

         One exception to that would be the Abhorsen’s enchanted imprisonment of an evil being. From the context of the story, it seems this is the only way a creature such as this can be confined. However, in its enchanted state it is a helper-companion of the Abhorsen. As long as the collar remains on the creature, this helper-companion remains controlled, even friendly and helpful. Even when the collar is removed, as is done when the extreme power of the creature is needed for some task, the possession of a ring ensures the creature will be confined immediately after the task is finished. This seems to be a blurring of the lines between good and evil. This creature is malevolent evil, but under the enchantment, transforms into an almost kind creature who perhaps regrets its evilness. There is no sign of that regret, though, when the enchantment is lifted, even after centuries. For those predisposed to see underlying truths in stories, this could be seen as an object lesson on the power of sin over a person. Sin is our master. No matter how much we regret what we do, we are controlled by sin unless we have the power of the Holy Spirit (an enchantment, if you will) confining and destroying the power of our sinful nature.

         As with all books, each Christian must determine and chose for himself to read or reject this story.

         In appearance “Till We Have Faces” is a letter of accusation written by Orual, the unattractive eldest daughter of a selfish king in a barbaric land. This “letter” chronicles her life and the seeming injustices of it. She accuses “the gods” of being cruel and capricious; of taking profane glee in giving then destroying love and happiness. As she reaches the end of the letter, and her solitary life, she is brought face to face with the awareness that much of her bitterness stems from choices of her own making.

         This story is set in a pagan society, using pagan rituals and symbolism. In that sense it is not even remotely Christian. C. S. Lewis wrote “Til We Have Faces” as a rewrite of a Greek myth. As such, attributing Christian themes to it is probably not wise. It is, however, a compelling illustration of the twisted mess a life of angst and bitterness can become. Orual believes it is the gods who have betrayed her, when in actuality, her own selfishness and fear of abandonment have brought about the loneliness of her life.

         Although “Til We Have Faces” was not written until later in his life, he mentally rewrote this myth several times. It is worthy of note that, by his own admission, the ending changed after his conversion to Christianity. Before his conversion to Christianity, he was certain the gods would be condemned and Orual stand justified. In the end, though, Orual discovers truth and honesty. A truth and honesty that is consistent with Christianity, even though it is presented amongst the trappings of paganism.

         How can we really come before God until we are honest with ourselves, ie til we have faces? And once we see ourselves in true honesty, our “complaint against God” is silenced. The struggles Orual went through taught her honesty, but at a great price. The thing that made her bitter and compelled her to “protect” herself, was the very thing that should have wooed her to “the god.” Had she made different choices at numerous times throughout her history, her life would have been radically different.

         This is certainly not a story for children, like his Narnia tales, nor a treatise of the Christian faith, as in Mere Christianity, or even a Christian adult fiction, such as his space trilogy (“Out of the Silent Planet,” “Perelandra,” and “That Hideous Strength”). The fact that Lewis uses the pagan setting, with its references to gods and sacrifices and its disdainful, but twisted love for that way of life might turn away some Christians. After all, we know there is one true God, not multiple gods. We know He is merciful and righteous, not capricious and cruel. We know He will be found by any who seek Him, not hide from them and trick them, as Orual accuses. It is, however, this very use of what Christians would call profane that illustrates the irrefutable truths of the story. If you can look past the pagan trappings and see a greater truth, you might enjoy this book. If you just want an entertaining read, however, this is certainly not a book for you.