I, The Constable

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
I, The Constable by Paula M. Block & Terry J. Erdmann
An e-book exclusive novella
Release date: November 13^rd 2017
Read November 23^rd 2017

Previous book (Deep Space Nine): Gamma: Original Sin
Next book (Deep Space Nine): 

Purchase:
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Publisher's description:

With his Starfleet assignment temporarily on hold, Odo needs a distraction. He welcomes Chief O’Brien’s offer to loan him some of the action-packed books that both men relish: tales about hard-boiled private eyes, threatening thugs, and duplicitous dames. Then Quark suddenly goes missing during a hastily planned trip to Ferenginar. His concerned friends on Deep Space Nine feel that Odo, as the station’s former chief of security, is uniquely suited to track Quark down. But once on Ferenginar, Odo learns that Quark is trapped in the seamy underbelly of a criminal enterprise that could have been ripped from the pages of one of O’Brien’s novels. To find the bartender, Odo discovers that he must rely not only on his law enforcement background, but his knowledge of all things noir….

My thoughts:

Click here to watch my video review of Deep Space Nine: I, The Constable, or click play on the embedded video below!

Final thoughts:

A fun read involving some great character writing by Paula Block and Terry Erdmann. These two do an excellent job capturing the voices of Quark, Rom, and Odo, and continue the arc of these characters in a fun and interesting way, especially Quark. Highly recommend for fans of Deep Space Nine!

More about I, The Constable:

• TrekBBS Review and Discussion Thread
• Podcast: Literary Treks 212: Slips, Strips, Bars, and Bricks - Exclusive interview with Paula M. Block & Terry J. Erdmann

Also by Paula M. Block & Terry J. Erdmann:

• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Lust's Latinum Lost (and Found) (2014)
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Rules of Accusation (2016)

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

Next review: The first original novel in the Pocket Books Star Trek line: The Entropy Effect by Vonda N. McIntyre!

Rules of Accusation

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Rules of Accusation by Paula M. Block & Terry J. Erdmann
An e-book exclusive novella
Release date: July 4^th 2016
Read July 16^th 2016

Previous book (Deep Space Nine): Force and Motion
Next book (Deep Space Nine): The Long Mirage

E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for Rules of Accusation!

Publisher's description:

An original eNovella set in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine universe!

On the space station Deep Space 9, Quark’s Public House, Café, Gaming Emporium, Holosuite Arcade, and Ferengi Embassy can’t legitimately be called an embassy until the Grand Nagus—namely, Quark’s brother Rom—dedicates it as such. Not that Quark really cares about Ferengi protocol, but a well-publicized dedication ceremony will naturally draw people to the bar. Everybody loves a good open house—free appetizers, half-price drinks, door prizes, etc.—all of which Quark can write off as Embassy expenses. It’s a win-win situation, with him on both sides of the win. There’s even a plan to display the original scroll of the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition—which no one has seen for decades given that it’s been held in protective storage—and charge patrons by the minute to look at it up close. Nothing, of course, could possibly go wrong with this big plan. Absolutely nothing at all…

My thoughts:

In general, the post-series shared continuity stories of the 24th century Star Trek novels have been a treasure of the Trek book line. We've been able to witness the continued adventures of our heroes long after their respective series have ended, and in many cases, we have seen those crews evolve in new and unexpected ways. The Deep Space Nine book series is no exception. In recent years, various characters have moved on to new assignments, new characters have arrived to take their place, and even the station itself has been replaced with a new, state-of-the-art facility.

However, sometimes it's nice to return to a more familiar situation, and that's what writers Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdmann endeavored to do with Rules of Accusation. Because of where in the timeline they set the story, Block and Erdmann took advantage of the fact that some familiar faces were visiting the station. Odo is aboard, temporarily stranded on this side of the currently-closed Bajoran wormhole, leaving him free to interact with a whole host of familiar Ferengi faces who have arrived on DS9 to celebrate the dedication of the Ferengi Embassy to Bajor, also known as Quark's Bar.

Grand Nagus Rom visits the new Deep Space Nine in order to dedicate the Ferengi Embassy to Bajor.

In order to properly celebrate and lure high-paying customers to the event, Quark decides that a public display of the original Ferengi Rules of Acquisition is just what is needed. However, it is soon discovered that the supposed original on display is a forgery. Shenanigans ensue as the characters attempt to discover what happened to the original Rules of Acquisition, a search that ends up in some unlikely places around the quadrant.

This story was a tremendously fun read! It was a special treat to see so many of the characters we love in familiar roles, interacting in ways we haven't seen since Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was on the air. There are a couple of moments that stand out to me in particular: first, when taking on the assignment of investigating the alleged theft of the Rules of Acquisition, Odo changes his form into his old Bajoran uniform and goes into investigator mode. Finally, near the end of the story, Rom temporarily resumes his old duties in Quark's Bar, and he and his brother share a look of fond remembrance that was actually quite touching.

Odo steps back into his investigator role to aid in the recovery of the stolen Rules of Acquisition.

Final thoughts:

I really do enjoy the expanded continuity of the current Star Trek novels, but there are times I yearn for stories that feel like the episodes of the shows did. In that respect, Rules of Accusation succeeds. It is a lot of fun to see these characters back in familiar roles, and the story itself is a lot of fun with a resolution that I did not see coming. A definite highlight of the e-book exclusive line from Simon & Schuster, and Rules of Accusation earns five stars from me!

More about Rules of Accusation:

• TrekBBS Discussion Thread
• Podcast: Literary Treks 156: Back in the Saddle Again - featuring an exclusive interview with authors Paula M. Block & Terry J. Erdmann!

Also by Paula M. Block & Terry J. Erdmann:

• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Lust's Latinum Lost (and Found) (2014)
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: I, The Constable (2017)

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

Book two of the Legacies trilogy: Best Defense by veteran Trek author David Mack!

Lust's Latinum Lost (and Found)

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Lust's Latinum Lost (and Found) by Paula M. Block & Terry J. Erdmann
E-book exclusive novella
Release date: September 1^st 2014
Read September 7^th 2014

Previous book (Deep Space Nine): The Never-Ending Sacrifice
Previous book (24th century continuity): The Next Generation: The Light Fantastic
Next book (Deep Space Nine): The Missing

Next book (24th century continuity): Section 31: Disavowed

Kindle E-Book: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for Lust's Latinum Lost (and Found) and the current state of Deep Space Nine!

From the back cover:

Business is down at Quark’s Public House, Café, Gaming Emporium, Holosuite Arcade, and Ferengi Embassy to Bajor. Way down. Lower level of hell down. The station is bustling, but residents and visitors are spending more time (and latinum) at the new Deep Space 9's park, sports fields, theater, swimming complex, and who knows what else, than they are at Quark’s establishment. All of Quark's misfortunes just could be reversed, however, when he finds out that one of the steamiest holonovels to hit the Alpha Quadrant in years is up for grabs. And he has an inroad to acquiring it before anyone else. Or does he?

My thoughts:

Lust's Latinum Lost (and Found) marks the first story released since The Never-Ending Sacrifice back in 2009 to carry the Deep Space Nine title. Granted, we've had stories that focused on the station and its characters since then, but they were all branded under alternative titles such as Typhon Pact or The Fall. This return to Deep Space Nine-titled stories is very welcome, and I look forward to seeing the trend continue!

This novella features a small, simple story that focuses on Quark and his efforts to obtain the newest entry in the Vulcan Love Slave series for his struggling business. While the "Ferengi episodes" weren't my favorite aspect of Deep Space Nine, there were some very good ones such as "Rules of Acquisition" and "The Magnificent Ferengi." Lust's Latinum Lost (and Found) plays out much like one those Ferengi-centric episodes, and I for one am very glad we get the opportunity to explore these smaller stories. It is very unlikely that this sort of story could be told if Pocket Books had to dedicate an entire full-size novel to it. Instead, because the costs of producing an e-book novella are so much lower, we are able to get a story such as this.

Pel, from "Rules of Acquisition."

The story itself is a lot of fun, as Quark is thwarted at nearly every turn in his attempts to obtain the new holonovel. I especially enjoyed the character of Shmenge, a young Ferengi sent to Quark to become his apprentice. While reading the opening chapters, Shmenge began to remind me of someone, but I couldn't initially think of who it was. Finally, I realized that he reminded me of Pel, a female Ferengi who posed as a male to become Quark's waiter and business partner in a second season DS9 episode, the aforementioned "Rules of Acquisition." I was later pleasantly surprised when Pel shows up in this story! I had always wondered what became of her, as she was one of my favorite Ferengi characters in Deep Space Nine.

The writing team of Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdmann are probably best known for their reference books (such as the amazing Deep Space Nine Companion). Beyond that, however, Paula Block also oversees all licensed Star Trek publishing and therefore has intimate knowledge of that side of the Trek business. That knowledge comes through clearly when, in the course of trying to track down the new Vulcan Love Slave program, Quark and Shmenge attend a holo-entertainment convention. I've been to a few Star Trek conventions and other events such as VidCon, and I'm very familiar with the type of environment that is showcased in this story. The novella lightly pokes fun at the culture of conventions and expos. Particularly amusing were the armloads of "swag" that Shmenge managed to acquire, as was his wide-eyed enthusiasm that you often see in the faces of first-time convention goers.

The vendors' room at a Star Trek convention. The convention featured in this novella felt very familiar...

Finally, I liked the idea of Vulcan Love Slave embracing a wider audience. I'm reminded of the well-publicized success of 50 Shades of Grey among female audiences. I love that Vulcan Love Slave has female authors and that this new version is more egalitarian in the "adventures" it provides to the users!

Final thoughts:

Another glowing example of the type of story that is perfect for this shorter, e-book novella format! Lust's Latinum Lost (and Found) was a fun romp in the style of the old Ferengi episodes of DS9. I would enjoy seeing more e-book releases in this vein in the future. Perhaps another Ferengi story from Paula and Terry?


Further resources:

• TrekBBS discussion and review thread for Lust's Latinum Lost (and Found)
• PODCAST: Literary Treks 77: Some Sort of Erotic Milliways - Discussion of Lust's Latinum Lost (and Found)

Also by Paula M. Block & Terry J. Erdmann:

• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Rules of Accusation (2016)
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: I, The Constable (2017)

My next read:

The second book of the These Are the Voyages trilogy of reference books by Marc Cushman, this one dealing with season two of Star Trek: The Original Series.