Friedman wraps up the My Brother’s Keeper trilogy with Enterprise. Captain James Kirk and his crew have returned to Earth for the funeral of Gary Mitchell. Kirk is still struggling with his role in Mitchell’s death, and is struggling with how he’ll present it to Gary’s parents.

He goes to see them, while also welcoming new crew aboard, including a young communications officer, and recruits his friend McCoy as his new CMO with the retirement of Dr. Piper.

When he goes to see them, he finds himself caught up in a memory of early days aboard the Enterprise when he and the crew find themselves investigating the mystery that has popped up in Kirk and Gary’s lives before.

Friedman tells a great story, and like the preceding books, he makes sure to tie everything in with the established continuity at the time. I mention that because there’s something interesting going on with the Klingons in this one that is later changed in canon during the run of Star Trek: Enterprise.

The story moves along quickly, and gives some nice depth to Kirk as he realizes that he should pay more attention to his first officer, Spock, instead of relying on Mitchell all the time. And there begins a friendship that we know will last.

Friedman has a great handle on the characters, and obviously loves Trek. And it ties in lots of things that changed between Where No Man Has Gone Before and everything that followed it.

I do like that we see Kirk really suffering here, and that he hasn’t quite become the captain we know yet. But he’s in there. And it’s because of his relationship with Gary, and Spock, and the rest of his friends.

Friedman not only ties in his story with established Trek canon, but with the story threads he’s established in the two other entries in the series, bringing back characters and having wonderful little payoffs.

Friedman tells a great Trek story, and I can’t wait to read more from him ASAP. He may be my favorite The Original Series authors. I’m looking forward to continuing to explore strange new worlds with Kirk and company because the human adventure is just beginning.