Showing posts with label A Time To. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A Time To. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

A Time for War, A Time for Peace

Star Trek: The Next Generation
A Time for War, A Time for Peace by Keith R.A. DeCandido
Published October 2004
Read November 30th 2018

Previous book (A Time To): A Time to Heal
Next book (The Next Generation): The Sky's the Limit (anthology)
Purchase:
Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for A Time for War, A Time for Peace!

 From the back cover:
Following the scandalous Tezwa affair, the Federation president's resignation forces an election, with the future of the United Federation of Planets to be determined by who emerges victorious from a hotly contested vote. But it is the fate of the entire galaxy that may actually be decided on Qo'noS, as the Federation embassy is seized by terrorists whose actions expose intrigue reaching the highest levels of Klingon government -- and it will take all of Ambassador Worf's skills to keep the fragile Federation-Klingon alliance from collapsing. And while this potential intergalactic chaos looms, Commander Riker finds his plans for command and marriage soured by a brutal, high-level inspection of the ship from which the crew may not escape unscathed....

 The epic miniseries comes to a shocking conclusion -- one that will leave the Star Trek universe changed forever.

 My thoughts:

A Time for War, A Time for Peace is the ninth and final novel in the A Time To series. Unlike other entries in the series, this novel is not a part of a duology, and is the only book in the series penned by author Keith R.A. DeCandido.

After Picard's "fall from grace" in the first novel of the series, A Time to Be Born, the time has finally come for the Enterprise's performance over the past few novels to be assessed. To that end, Starfleet dispatches a team to conduct an inspection, consisting of Captain Wai-Lin Go, Dr. Toby Russell, and Sabin Genestra. Dr. Russell you may remember from the TNG episode "Ethics"; she came aboard the Enterprise to assist in treating Worf for injuries sustained in an accident, and butted heads with Dr. Crusher which led to a pretty nasty professional falling-out. Sabin Genestra was the assistant to retired Admiral Norah Satie during her witch-hunt aboard the Enterprise in the episode "The Drumhead." And Captain Go was a close personal friend of Captain Leeden of the U.S.S. Juno, the starship that was destroyed in the Rashanar Battle Site, seemingly due to the actions of Captain Picard earlier in this miniseries. Needless to say, the odds appear to be stacked against a fair ruling for Picard and his crew. Montgomery Scott, head of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers, seeing this bias, volunteers to be a part of the inspection team as well.

Included in the inspection team that will evaluate the Enterprise and her crew is Dr. Toby Russell, one of a number of team members who seem to have a bias against Picard and his crew.

Meanwhile, following the surprise resignation of Federation President Min Zife in the previous novel, the race to replace him has been heating up, with two candidates at the forefront: Fel Pagro and Nan Bacco. Pagro's campaign is marked by an agressive stance towards the Klingon Empire, while Bacco's campaign espouses a preservation of the Klingon/Federation alliance and an emphasis on peace making. I really enjoyed this focus on the politics of the Federation, and following a presidential campaign was a fun way to get a look at the nuts and bolts of the political process in the Federation. I still have not read Articles of the Federation, so I am very much looking forward to more storytelling in this rich arena.

While all of this is going on, a crisis is brewing on the Klingon homeworld. The Emperor, Kahless, has gone missing, replaced by a hologram. Seizing upon this, a group of radicals capture the Federation embassy on Qo'noS, trapping the embassy staff along with Alexander, Worf's son. Worf himself has managed to elude capture, and finds himself having to take on the terrorists himself and recapture the embassy. This was a really fun part of the novel, with Worf acting as a sort of John McClane figure, or perhaps Jack Bauer. It really did feel like Die Hard but with Klingons. How does that elevator pitch NOT sound amazing?

Ambassador Worf gets to flex his muscles as a counter-terrorist prowling the halls of the Federation embassy on Qo'noS in the pages of this novel.

The result of all of these stories running in tandem is a novel with a perfect balance between action, story, and character. Keith DeCandido has such a strong feel for these characters that the voices of the actors can easily be heard while reading A Time for War, A Time for Peace. Even a character such as Alexander Rozhenko gets some great moments as he subtly manipulates the Klingons holding the Federation embassy staff hostage. This novel is a collection of truly terrific character moments held together by a plot that was a lot of fun, and topped off with a fascinating exploration of the politics of the Federation. It's as though Keith DeCandido sat down and asked himself, "what sort of novel would Dan Gunther *really* enjoy?"

As a coda for the A Time To series, this novel succeeds on nearly every level. It brings to a satisfying close all of the outstanding story elements from throughout the previous eight books, while transitioning very well into the events of Star Trek Nemesis. The end of the book actually features some events that occur after the end of Nemesis, which allows the author to deal with some of the fallout from that film while setting up the novels that follow it, in what has come to be known as the post-Nemesis novel continuity. This came as a bit of a surprise as I did not realize that this novel would deal so directly with some of the events of Nemesis.

 Final thoughts:

Another excellent novel from Keith DeCandido, A Time for War, A Time for Peace puts a very excellent cap on the A Time To series and sets everything up nicely for Star Trek Nemesis and the myriad changes that occur following that film. A major turning point in the lives of many of the characters, this novel puts a great deal of humanity into the story that was sorely lacking in Nemesis.

 More about A Time for War, A Time for Peace:

Also by Keith R.A. DeCandido:

A Time To...

My next read:

Next up is an older novel set during The Original Series: Star Trek #12: Mutiny on the Enterprise by Robert E. Vardeman.


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Friday, March 1, 2019

A Time to Heal

Star Trek: The Next Generation
A Time to Heal by David Mack
Published September 2004
Read November 13th 2018

Previous book (A Time To): A Time to Kill
Next book (A Time To): A Time for War, A Time for Peace
Purchase:
Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for A Time to Heal!

 From the back cover:
A cataclysmic war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire has been miraculously averted, and a new government is finally in place on the planet Tezwa. But deadly secrets still threaten the fragile peace accord. 
Rebels still loyal to the old Tezwa regime have captured Commander Riker and are willing to kill to achieve their goals...the Orion Syndicate is interfering in the rebuilding -- and may also be involved in much more than that. But the most devastating revelation of all threatens the very foundations of the Federation itself -- leaving Captain Picard to possibly face the very conflict that he labored so hard to prevent....

 My thoughts:

 A Time to Heal is the eighth book of the A Time To series, and the conclusion of a duology consisting of this book and the previous one, A Time to Kill.

While I have enjoyed the A Time To series overall, there is one aspect of the format that has been bugging me. The stories themselves are interesting and engaging, but in previous duologies, the stopping point between books one and two have seemed arbitrary. Usually, there's some sort of cliffhanger, and it feels like "Part I" and "Part II" of a Star Trek television episode. This may indeed have been what the authors were going for, but it irks me when a book doesn't feel like a complete story, even when it's an installment in a series.

However, A Time to Kill and A Time to Heal do not exhibit this issue. The story in this novel is very different from A Time to Kill. While the story does indeed continue in Heal, the pacing and atmosphere of both books are very different. And each novel feels like a complete story, which I was very appreciative of.

From the very start, A Time to Heal distinguishes itself from the previous book. While A Time to Kill was a fast-paced action/adventure, A Time to Heal is much more contemplative. If the first book is the story of the invasion and capture of Tezwa, the second is the story of the long slog of occupation. Reviews I've seen online say that the novel is "slow going," and comparing it to A Time to Kill, that's certainly true. But it's telling a very different story, and I felt that the pacing was entirely appropriate for the events of the novel. Starfleet forces, now occupying Tezwa, are trying to bring aid and support to the population, all the while under constant attack by forces loyal to deposed leader Kinshawn. As David Mack said in Literary Treks 250, if A Time to Kill is the 2003 invasion of Iraq, A Time to Heal is the long, brutal, and bloody 8-year occupation that followed.

Deanna Troi faces her demons in A Time to Heal.

Commander Riker, who was captured by Kinshawn's forces at the end of the last novel, is imprisoned and tortured for information. On the Enterprise, Deanna Troi questions one of Kinshawn's generals, who has been captured by Starfleet. This section of the story was certainly difficult to read, but it comes with some hard lessons, both for Deanna and for the reader. Deanna, desperate to get Riker back, ends up resorting to interrogation methods that push the boundary of the definition of "torture." These methods, of course, turn out to be ineffectual, proving that torture is designed not to get information but simply to inflict pain. At the end of the novel, Deanna has to come to terms with her feelings and what she has done.

A Time to Heal isn't, by any stretch, a light tale. There are some heavy themes being explored in its pages, but David Mack does an excellent job of crafting an engaging story that explores these issues in a mature and thoughtful way. War is never pretty, but Star Trek has tended to present a fairly sanitized version of war. Not so in this novel; men and women whom we have come to know well in the A Time To series are senselessly killed, and horrors are visited upon the crew and the people of Tezwa that would look very familiar to anyone who has been in armed combat.

War is stupid, senseless, and bloody. A Time to Heal presents that awful truth in a stark and uncompromising way.

Star Trek's vision of warfare tends to be very sanitized. Not so in A Time to Heal.

The fallout from these events continue into the next novel, A Time for War, A Time for Peace by Keith R.A. DeCandido. The conflict on Tezwa and the resulting suffering stems from actions taken by President Min Zife of the Federation, and his decision to cover them up rather than face the consequences. And the consequences that result from those decisions affect the Star Trek literary universe, even up to the present releases.

A Time to Heal also has a lot of great character work for the rest of the TNG cast as well. Geordi gets some interesting stuff to play with as he slowly pieces together the basis of the conspiracy that the Federation president has been party to; Picard and Crusher face the fact that their relationship has deteriorated as Beverly decides to move on to Starfleet Medical; and in a bit that I loved in particular, Riker acknowledges that his hesitation to move on to his own captaincy has had a detrimental effect on not only his own career, but that of Data, who deserves to move up into the first officer position at long last. Tragically, us fans who have seen Star Trek Nemesis know that he will not have the chance to take that promotion.

 Final thoughts:

Overall, A Time to Heal is an excellent novel, showing the true difficulty and associated horrors of a prolonged military occupation. David Mack pulls no punches with this one, subjecting our heroes to a quagmire that was clearly inspired by real-life events in our very recent cultural memory. While the subject matter is certainly dark, Mack never loses sight of the humanity of the characters, presenting us with a story that will, sadly, be relevant for a long time to come.

 More about A Time to Heal:

Also by David Mack:

A Time To...

My next read:

Next up is my review of the second book in the I.K.S. Gorkon series: Honor Bound by Keith R.A. DeCandido.


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Wednesday, February 6, 2019

A Time to Kill

Star Trek: The Next Generation
A Time to Kill by David Mack
Published August 2004
Read October 12th 2018

Previous book (A Time To): A Time to Hate
Next book (A Time To): A Time to Heal
Purchase:
Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for A Time to Kill!

 From the back cover:
At the height of the Dominion War and unknown to all save those in the highest levels of command, the Federation secretly armed the neutral planet Tezwa with devastating weapons -- part of a contingency plan against the Dominion if the front lines collapsed. But Tezwa also lies near the border of the Klingon Empire...making the Federation's covert strategy in direct violation of their fragile peace treaties, and creating the potential threat of scandal and all-out war. 

 Now Tezwa's power-hungry prime minister is all too eager to flex his newfound military muscle, menacing a nearby Klingon border world. Sent on an urgent diplomatic mission, Captain Picard and the Enterprise crew are caught in the crossfire as the crisis quickly escalates. With time running out and billions of lives at stake, only one man can avert the looming disaster -- Ambassador Worf, who must choose between his oath to the Federation and his loyalty to Martok, Chancellor of the Klingon Empire....

 My thoughts:

A Time to Kill is the seventh book in the nine-book A Time To series, and the first in a duology by David Mack. This novel also has the honor of being the first novel-length work by David Mack, a fact I had a hard time believing when I was finished it. The writing, pacing, and structure of this novel is so incredibly well-done, that it's no wonder Mack would go on to write dozens of Star Trek novels.

The story involves a power grab by a rogue leader of the planet Tezwa. During the Dominion War, the Federation had entered into a secret agreement with Tezwa to station devastating weapons on the planet as a last-ditch option to counter Dominion forces, should the war force the Federation's hand. However, the proximity of the world to Klingon space meant that the placement of these weapons violated the Khitomer Accords, the foundation of peace between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Now, the Tezwan leader, Kinshawn, is flexing his muscles and provoking the Klingons by claiming a Klingon colony near Tezwa's borders. When he uses the powerful cannons to destroy a Klingon fleet accompanied by the Enterprise, the Federation president, Min Zife, orders Picard to send teams to take the cannons out of commission.

Federation President Min Zife's choices come back to haunt him in this novel.

What follows is a fast-paced, intense account of the various teams assigned to take out each of the fearsome nadion pulse cannons on the surface of Tezwa. In many ways, A Time to Kill feels like a modern political thriller in the vein of the best of Tom Clancy. While the action quotient has been dialed up significantly by David Mack, other aspects of the story are also done quite well. The world-building of Tezwa and its people was of particular note, and I liked the depiction of the two major political factions as well as the individual members of the society. Additionally, the political machinations within the Federation government were similarly fascinating. President Zife's Chief of Staff, Koll Azernall, is particularly compelling. A Zakdorn (a race noted for their highly strategic minds), it seems that Azernall is the "brains" behind much of the administration's shenanigans.

Worf's role as ambassador is used to great effect in A Time to Kill.

I also loved Worf's inclusion in the story. In order to stall an impending attack by another Klingon fleet, Picard uses Worf's position as ambassador to gain access to the command codes for the fleet, halting them in their tracks. Worf's part in the story was a great deal of fun as he schemes to get access to the codes from a particularly dishonorable member of the High Council. The use of Worf in the story felt completely organic and not at all forced. I was happy to finally see the Son of Mogh play a role in this series!

I feel that A Time to Kill marks a distinct shift in the course of the A Time To series. It feels like we are now in the real meat of the story. The previous duologies do certainly do their jobs in adding elements to the whole, but A Time to Kill really feels like we are getting to events that truly matter on the galactic stage. I have always liked far-reaching stories in the Star Trek universe, and the involvement of the Federation presidency along with diplomatic tensions with the Klingon Empire make this story feel much larger than the previous ones. Additionally, the way the story ends feels like a much better way to approach a duology within this larger series than the previous stories. While there are still hanging threads that will be followed up on in the next book, A Time to Kill feels like a complete chapter of the overall story with a distinct beginning, middle, and end.

 Final thoughts:

Very fast-paced and thrilling, A Time to Kill is a departure from a typical Star Trek novel. David Mack has his pulse on what makes a compelling story, and I found myself racing through the novel in a couple of afternoons. While the action is very well-done, it is not the only thing that A Time to Kill has going for it: the world-building and character work are similarly top-notch. The fact that this was David Mack's first novel-length Star Trek story is nothing short of amazing given the quality of the work. There are hanging plot elements leading into the next book, A Time to Heal, but A Time to Kill still feels like a complete story and more than capable of standing on its own. Superb!

 More about A Time to Kill:

Also by David Mack:

A Time To...

My next read:

A TNG novel from back in the numbered days: #32: Requiem by Michael Jan Friedman & Kevin Ryan.


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Thursday, December 20, 2018

A Time to Hate

Star Trek: The Next Generation
A Time to Hate by Robert Greenberger
Published June 2004
Read September 12th 2018

Previous book (A Time To): A Time to Love
Next book (A Time To): A Time to Kill
Purchase:
Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for A Time to Hate!

 From the back cover:
The recurring blood feuds between the Bader and the Dorset ended mysteriously a century ago when both races colonized the planet Delta Sigma IV. But, unknown until now, it was a reaction to a naturally occurring gas that led to their harmonious existence... a reaction that would eventually mean certain death for the planet's inhabitants. What the Enterprise crew believed was a cure for the population -- a treatment introduced into Delta Sigma IV's environment by Kyle Riker, a man at odds with his son, Commander William Riker -- has instead triggered worldwide carnage, as long-suppressed aggression and hostility are suddenly and violently unleashed. 
Caught in a world on the brink of self-destruction, Captain Picard -- a man still waging his own personal battle for redemption in the eyes of his commanding officers -- must somehow find a way to resolve this catastrophic event and save his crew, even as the implications of his actions may ultimately doom an entire race... 

 My thoughts:

Sometimes, all of the options to solve a particular situation are bad, and the person making the decision must choose the lesser of two evils. This is the dilemma facing Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise in A Time to Hate, the conclusion to Robert Greenberger's duology that started in A Time to Love, and the sixth book overall in the A Time To series.

On planet Delta Sigma IV, the violence gripping the two species who live there is worsening. The Bader and the Dorset, historically enemies, came together a century earlier on this colony world and flourished, exhibiting a level of cooperation unprecedented among the two races. Unfortunately, Dr. Crusher has discovered the alarming truth: the cooperation between the Bader and the Dorset was brought about by exposure to a gas that occurs in the atmosphere of Delta Sigma IV, a gas that is also unfortunately responsible for a shortening of both species' lifespans. Captain Picard must decide whether or not to allow both species to revert to their "natural" state, the likely result of which would be the two sides wiping each other out, or engineer the gas so that the life-shortening effects are eliminated while retaining the "sedative" effects that led to the peace between the Bader and the Dorset. In the end, Picard orders Crusher to reformulate the gas so that it retains the sedative effects but no longer kills the inhabitants of Delta Sigma IV, a decision that is obviously a difficult one.

Kyle and Will Riker spend much of this novel together, adding much depth to their relationship as father and son.

The strength of this story lies with the characters, rather than the plot elements, in my opinion. We get to see Will Riker interacting with his father and trying to come to terms with the kind of man that Kyle Riker is. Sadly, we don't get to see how that relationship will progress in the future as Kyle is killed while saving Will's life towards the end of the novel. This has a profound effect on Will, and I have to admit that it was something I did not see coming. This part of the story was very well-written, and I found myself experiencing shock that Greenberger took this step.

At the end of the novel, we see Riker proposing to Deanna Troi, setting up the marriage we see in Star Trek Nemesis. It was nice to have the dots connected and see where this development came from. During their whirlwind tour of Delta Sigma IV, the Rikers were apparently in a place where Will was able to purchase an engagement ring. It seems odd to me that during this crisis he would be able to go into an alien jewelry store and buy a ring for Deanna while accompanying his father (who is a fugitive from the Delta Sigma IV government) without arousing any kind of suspicion, but sure. I'll go with it.

The other major character development we see in A Time to Hate is the deepening of a rift between Picard and Crusher. Beverly has been offered a position as head of Starfleet Medical, and while she has discussed it with other members of the crew, she hasn't brought it to Jean-Luc at any point. Picard has, of course, learned of the offer, and is frustrated that Crusher hasn't seen fit to confide in him. This was frustrating to read, as this breakdown of communication will obviously lead to greater problems between the two of them. While it was sad to read about, it struck me as eminently realistic and, sadly, something that happens often in the real world. Healthy communication is important, people, in any relationship!

While I was slightly disappointed in A Time to Love, I found myself enjoying A Time to Hate much more. In the former novel, I felt that too much time was dedicated to setting things up and treading water, seemingly to stretch the story out. Things are paced much better in this novel, and I found myself much more invested in both the main plot and the character work in A Time to Hate.

 Final thoughts:

An improvement over the previous novel, A Time to Hate does some much-needed character advancement, both between Will and his father, and among the rest of the crew. The overall plot with Delta Sigma IV still felt somewhat rote, but the dilemma that faced Picard added a compelling element to that story. I'm interested to see if there will be any fallout from his decision in the remaining novels in the A Time To series. 3.5/5.

 More about A Time to Hate:


 Also by Robert Greenberger:

A Time To...

My next read:

My much-delayed video review of Star Trek: Discovery: Fear Itself by James Swallow is up next!


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Wednesday, November 14, 2018

A Time to Love

Star Trek: The Next Generation
A Time to Love by Robert Greenberger
Published May 2004
Read August 17th 2018

Previous book (The Next Generation): A Time to Harvest
Next book (The Next Generation): A Time to Hate
Purchase:
Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for A Time to Love!

 From the back cover:
A century ago the long-running conflict between two alien civilizations ended when both of them colonised the same distant planet, becoming instead a shining example of inter-species cooperation and coexistence. Now an investigation headed by Kyle Riker -- estranged father of Commander William Riker -- has revealed how fragile their hard-won paradise is. Within a few generations, a virus indigenous to their colony planet of Delta Sigma IV will wipe out all its inhabitants. Faced with this threat the delicate shell of harmony starts to crumble... Jean-Luc Picard and his crew, still reeling from the events which have tarnished the career of one of Starfleet's most decorated captains, must come to the aid of a world which once knew only peace, but now faces violence and chaos. Riker, meantime, must face the fact that his own father may be responsible for the anarchy into which Delta Sigma IV is descending.

About this novel:

One hundred years earlier, the planet Delta Sigma IV was colonized by two races: the Bader and the Dorset. Long-time rivals, their homeworlds remained in a state of conflict with one another, while on Delta Sigma IV, the settlements experienced unprecedented peace between the two peoples. Eventually, the planet was united under one government, and applied for Federation membership, which was granted. However, a medical crisis soon developed; the population of Delta Sigma IV displayed much shorter lifespans than was typical for their species. The Federation stepped in to assist, and a cure was found. Unfortunately, one of the five test subjects murdered one of his fellow subjects upon returning to the planet, the first such crime committed in a century. Blaming the Federation for unleashing this violence upon them, the citizens of Delta Sigma IV seemed to be descending further and further into violent tendencies. At the center of all of this is Kyle Riker, Will Riker's father, who disappeared along with the murderer, El Bison El. Starfleet has assigned the Enterprise to investigate, locate Kyle Riker, and bring the situation under control.

 My thoughts:

 A Time to Love, which is the fifth book in the A Time To series, kicks off a duology by author Robert Greenberger. The events of the previous novels, in which the luster of the Enterprise has dulled somewhat, are taking their toll on the ship and crew. In fact, a number of crewmembers have requested transfer off of the Enterprise, while the new personnel who have recently transferred in are not of the same caliber that the Enterprise crew is used to. One such crewmember is Anh Hoang, a new addition to the Enterprise's engineering staff. We learn that she lost her entire family in the Breen attack on Earth (in the Deep Space Nine episode "The Changing Face of Evil"), and that due to this trauma, she has had a difficult time socializing with other people, an issue that Troi attempts to tackle in her role as ship's counselor. Because this is just the first book of two, we don't see this part of the story pay off right away, which led me to dismiss it as unrelated to the overall narrative. However, we do return to it in the next book, and ultimately Hoang's story is resolved.

This leads me to the main issue I had with this novel, and indeed, many of the stories in the A Time To series. It really does feel like these duologies should have been presented as one novel each rather than being split into two parts. The point at which the story ends with "to be continued" feels arbitrary, especially in the case of this story. This leads to much of this book feeling like it's "treading water." The bulk of the story is taken up by Riker's search for his father, a search that feels quite meandering. He and his guide travel from town to town trying to pick up Kyle Riker's trail, and the process continually repeats itself. It isn't until the very end of the novel that Kyle is finally discovered just in time for the book to end.

The central mystery in A Time to Love is the disappearance of Kyle Riker, and the attempt by his son, Will, to locate him.

That's not to say there aren't good aspects of A Time to Love. Even though the plot feels thin at times, much room is given for some terrific character moments. In addition to Troi's work with Hoang, there is some tension building between Beverly Crusher and Captain Picard. The former has been offered a position as head of Starfleet Medical, but hasn't confided in Picard about it. The two seem to have been drifting apart for some time, and Crusher is seriously contemplating moving on from her position on the Enterprise. This is a story that will continue to play out over the next few books as we close in on Star Trek Nemesis.

One part of the story that frustrated me was the seeming inability of the characters to close in on the cause of the problems on Delta Sigma IV. There is a gas that is naturally present in the atmosphere of the planet called liscom. Reading this story, I was certain partway through that the gas was not only responsible for the shortening of the inhabitants' lifespans, but also for the peace that had endured on the planet. When the "cure" was introduced, which inhibited the effects of the gas, the "natural" tendency of the two races to fight each other was once again unleashed. However, it takes forever for Beverly to come to this conclusion which I felt was somewhat telegraphed. Thankfully she discovers this before the end of this novel; I was concerned that the revelation would be held until the next book, A Time to Hate!

Data and Geordi have an interesting B-plot in A Time to Love.

There is also an interesting B-plot, in which Geordi organizes a program of bartering in order to acquire needed parts to repair the Enterprise. Using a Ferengi merchant, Geordi is able to set up a system whereby various starships throughout the sector can trade for parts they need, paying the Ferengi merchant with dilithium. At first, this struck me as quite odd, akin to a U.S. Navy warship employing sport fishermen to barter supplies, but eventually I warmed to this part of the story. Highlighting the dire circumstances following the costly Dominion War, Federation resources aren't what they once were, and a more fitting analogy might be sailing ships in the Age of Discovery bartering for supplies and resources with groups along their journey.

 Final thoughts:

For much of this story, it feels like the plot is treading water. This may be because the story had to be stretched over two books, but I can't say for certain. There are moments where I feel like the characters should be able to figure out problems easily, but the resolution is stretched and delayed. However, there are some nice character moments, and a few interesting ideas that move the plot forward. It is also difficult to review this novel as it is only half of the complete story and feels like it was split in two at a fairly arbitrary point. Not a bad read, but definitely a bit of a step down from the previous two novels in the series. Good character moments and Greenberger's obvious familiarity with the characters and the world they inhabit bump the score up a bit.

 More about A Time to Love:

 Also by Robert Greenberger:

A Time To...

My next read:

Next up is a video review of Star Trek: Lost Scenes by David Tilotta & Curt McAloney. Look for that soon!


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Friday, November 2, 2018

A Time to Harvest

Star Trek: The Next Generation
A Time to Harvest by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore
Published April 2004
Read July 23rd 2018

Previous book (The Next Generation): A Time to Sow
Next book (The Next Generation): A Time to Love
Purchase:
Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for A Time to Harvest!

 From the back cover:
Still reeling from the disastrous events that have rocked all of Starfleet and tarnished the career of one of the Federation's most decorated captains, Picard and his crew must now endure the unthinkable: scandal, ostracism, and an uncertain future. But despite all that has occurred, none aboard the Enterprise have forgotten their duty as Starfleet officers… 
Assigned to assist the imperiled Dokaalan – a small colony of refugees who maintain a precarious existence in a rapidly disintegrating asteroid mining complex – the Enterprise crew must somehow aid this alien race in terraforming a nearby planet so that it might someday provide a new home for their kind. But violent acts of sabotage soon turn a humanitarian crisis into a deadly confrontation. To save the Dokaalan from extinction, Picard must uncover the presence of an old adversary – and prevent a disaster of catastrophic proportions!

My thoughts:

A Time to Harvest is the fourth book in the A Time To series, bridging the gap between Star Trek: Insurrection and Star Trek Nemesis. It is also the conclusion to a duology by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore, consisting of this novel and the previous one, A Time to Sow.

In A Time to Sow, the crew of the Enterprise-E made first contact with the Dokaalan, survivors of a planetary cataclysm who have taken refuge in their system's asteroid belt. This species, with surprising amounts of ingenuity and resilience, has undertaken a project to terraform another planet in their system, Ijuuka. However, there are elements that have invaded Dokaalan society to subvert their plans and prevent the Dokaalans from realizing their dream of a new home. In this novel, we learn the identity of this alien force and their ultimate plans for Ijuuka.

It turns out that the antagonists are the Satarrans, who TNG fans might remember as the aliens who wiped the memories of the Enterprise crew and set them against their enemies, the Lysians, in the episode "Conundrum." In that episode, an undercover Satarran operative posed as Kieran MacDuff, the supposed first officer of the Enterprise. Similarly, Satarran operatives have infiltrated both the Enterprise and the Dokaalan government in this novel. In a typical case of "small universe syndrome," one of the infiltrators of the Enterprise turns out to be the brother of the operative who posed as MacDuff.

The primary antagonists in A Time to Harvest turn out to be the Satarrans, a species who co-opted the Enterprise crew to serve in their war against the Lysians in the TNG episode "Conundrum."

In their long war with the Lysians, the Satarrans' homeworld was heavily damaged and rendered incapable to supporting the Satarran civilization. The changes that were made to the Dokaalans' plans for Ijuuka were designed to change that planet's conditions to be more favorable to the Satarrans, and useless to the Dokaalans. Because the Dokaalan science minister, Creij, was replaced by a Satarran, they are in the perfect position to subvert the terraforming project. In fact, one of the Enterprise's attempts to aid the Dokaalan effort serves to accelerate the sabotage.

It is this subversion of the Enterprise crew's plan that leads to one of the only big problems I have with this novel. Why on earth (or Ijuuka) is the crew rushing this attempt to aid the Dokaalans? The plan is formulated by Data, who only just recently recovered from a nearly-fatal attack by a Satarran operative (and in fact, he is not fully recovered at all). Captain Picard knows that there are undercover operatives among his crew and among the Dokaalans, and they are aware (thanks to Deanna Troi's empathic sense) that something is hinky with the Dokaalans themselves. So why rush headlong into this plan that involves firing torpedoes loaded with material that will drastically change the atmosphere of Ijuuka without running more tests and delaying the process by, potentially, years? The Dokaalans have waited this long, after all! I know, I know, because then we wouldn't have a plot, but still! There's no need to rush!

That one issue aside, I very much enjoyed A Time to Harvest. In the previous duology of A Time to Be Born and A Time to Die, I felt that the first book was quite strong while the second kind of dropped the ball on the story. Thankfully, that doesn't happen here, and Ward and Dilmore stick the landing. In fact, the very end of the story, in which Picard demonstrates the high-minded ideals of the Federation by offering aid to the Satarrans despite what they have done to the Dokaalans was quite touching, and very much in the spirit of what I think Star Trek is all about. There are also some strong character moments as our crew wrestles with the thought that they may have done more harm than good for the Dokaalans, as well as dealing with the changes that are on the horizon as we get closer to Star Trek Nemesis.

 Final thoughts:

A strong follow-up and conclusion of Ward and Dilmore's part in the A Time To series. Great world-building with the Dokaalans and their society, as well as an unexpected use of an adversary from back in the TNG on television days. Great character work with only a few minor nitpicks with regards to some of the actions undertaken by our heroes. Plus, a terrific re-affirmation of the ideals of Starfleet and the Federation, and for what Star Trek itself espouses. For the most part, A Time to Harvest was a great addition to this nine-book series and the Star Trek lit-verse as a whole. 4/5.

 More about A Time to Harvest:

Also by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore:

A Time To...

My next read:

Next is my long-overdue review of Voyager: The Farther Shore by Christie Golden, the follow-up to Homecoming!

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Friday, October 19, 2018

A Time to Sow

Star Trek: The Next Generation
A Time to Sow by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore
Published April 2004
Read June 25th 2018

 Previous book (The Next Generation): A Time to Die
Next book (The Next Generation): A Time to Harvest
Purchase:
Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for A Time to Sow and the rest of the A Time to... series!

 From the back cover:
More than two centuries ago, the Dokaalan sent an unmanned probe into the void, bearing a distress call for anyone who could save their doomed world. But the message reached Federation space too late to save the planet or its people. Or so it was believed...
Generations later, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-E are stunned to discover the last of the Dokaalan -- now only a colony fighting to stay alive in a decrepit asteroid mining complex. Although their home planet was destroyed long ago, the survivors hope to someday transform a nearby planet into a new home for their people. But bitter divisions exist among the Dokaalan, sowing the seeds of sabotage and terrorism -- and placing Picard and the Enterprise in the middle of an escalating crisis that can only lead to total destruction!

My thoughts:

 A Time to Sow is the third book in the A Time To series, bridging the films Star Trek: Insurrection and Star Trek Nemesis, and the first book in a duology by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore, made up of this novel and its followup, A Time to Harvest.

I had initially intended to read and review these novels some time ago, but the need to keep up with the reading for the Literary Treks podcast was too great. I only got around to the first two novels, A Time to Be Born and A Time to Die by John Vornholt before having to set them aside in favor of reading other Star Trek novels. Now, we are finally covering these novels on Literary Treks, and I can once again get back to them!

A Time to Sow starts with the Enterprise-E being assigned a "milk run," investigating a distress call from a probe first detected back in the 21st century, during Captain Jonathan Archer's first year as captain of the Enterprise NX-01. I appreciated the use of the Enterprise-era elements in this novel. I remember when Enterprise first aired, and the complaints of a small segment of "hardcore" Trek fans who felt that the new series didn't have a place in Star Trek canon (a sentiment, by the way, that is echoed by a similarly-small segment of fandom today with regards to Star Trek: Discovery). The fact that Ward and Dilmore used Enterprise elements in this story serves to further tie that series to the rest of Trek continuity, efforts that I hope continue in the novels yet to come when it comes to including Discovery elements as well. I like a fully-realized, cohesive universe!

A Time to Sow used elements from Enterprise, furthering the idea of a cohesive Star Trek universe linking all of the series, past and present.

Although the mission starts out as "low priority," it quickly becomes a first contact mission when, unexpectedly, survivors are found. The initial distress call had been sent when it became apparent that the Dokallans' homeworld would soon destroy itself, and it was determined by Starfleet and the Vulcan High Command that survivors would be extremely unlikely. However, a hardy group of survivors have made a home in the Dokallan system's asteroid belt, and against all odds have thrived there. Unfortunately, it soon becomes apparent that there are mysterious forces at work that are attempting to thwart the Dokallans' plans for the next phase of their civilization.

The tenacious asteroid-dwellers have undertaken an ambitious plan to terraform one of the other planets in their system, hoping to make it habitable for their civilization in the future. However, the Enterprise crew soon discovers that there are small variations being introduced into the Dokallans' plans; minute alterations that, over a long period of time, will make their new home useless to them. We learn that there is much more to the situation than meets the eye, and it is apparent that there are enemy agents among the Dokallans who are working towards their own goals. They soon are able to infiltrate the Enterprise as well, and manage to incapacitate Data.

Data is incapacitated by an enemy agent operating aboard the Enterprise.

If I have one major complaint about A Time to Sow, it's that it isn't a complete story and merely part one of two. However, that criteria is built into the entire A Time To series, so it doesn't seem like a completely fair complaint to lob at this novel. I suppose I'm just a little frustrated that not having a complete story makes this a difficult novel to review before having read the second part.

Quality-wise, however, A Time to Sow rises far above the previous novel. The characters are all on point, and I also really appreciated the world-building that went into the creation of the Dokallans and their unorthodox way of life. The individual characters among the Dokallan were quite interesting as well, raising them above the usual "alien of the week" fare. While I didn't really appreciate the lack of a complete story here, I can't fault the compelling cliffhanger we are given at the end. Alien agents in disguise aboard the Enterprise, having nearly succeeded in killing Data, while Geordi and Taurik run for their lives in a hazardous asteroid field? Sign me up for part two; I can't wait to see how this all concludes!

 Final thoughts:

A big improvement over the first duology in the A Time To series. A Time to Sow sets us up nicely for part two with a fascinating alien race and a menacing threat that hides in plain sight. I found myself really curious about who exactly the "big bad" is, but unfortunately that will have to wait for book two of this duology, A Time to Harvest. Definitely a strong start here, however, with great character work and an exciting mystery.

 More about A Time to Sow:

Also by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore:

A Time To...

My next read:

Next on the list is an Enterprise novel: Surak's Soul by J.M. Dillard.

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