The Empty Chair

Star Trek: The Empty Chair by Diane Duane

Rihannsu #5

Published December 2006
Read December 28th, 2011

Previous book (Rihannsu): Honor Blade

Previous book (The Original Series): Provenance of Shadows - Crucible: McCoy
Next book (The Original Series): The Fire and the Rose - Crucible: Spock

Click the cover to purchase The Empty Chair from Amazon.com!

Spoilers ahead for The Empty Chair and the Rihannsu saga!

From the back cover:

THE CULMINATION OF A SAGA TWENTY-TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING.

They call themselves the Rihannsu -- the Declared.  To the Federation, they are the Romulans.  By any name they are adversaries as formidable as they are inscrutable.  Self-exiled from Vulcan in ages past, they retain an ancient martial philosophy and a code of conduct that has sustained them through centuries of hardship, warfare, and thwarted ambition.

Now their empire is gearing for war once again.  Armed with the revolutionary Sunseed technology, which can destabilize entire stars, a Romulan vessel is warping toward the heart of the Federation.  Its target: Earth's sun.

But this offensive comes at a perilous time, as a growing number of Romulan worlds are joining a revolution -- one led by the renegade Commander Ael t'Rllaillieu of the warbird Bloodwing, with the aid of Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise and the Hamalki physicist K's't'lk, the Federation's foremost authority on Sunseed technology.  As the threat to Earth looms ever larger, Bloodwing and Enterprise lead an armada toward the Romulan homeworld for a final reckoning that will decide the future of the Rihannsu people.    

About the Novel:

The Empty Chair is the fifth and final installment of Diane Duane's Rihannsu saga.  In a direct continuation from the previous novel, Honor Blade, the Enterprise "pursues" Commander Ael's ship, the Bloodwing, deeper and deeper into Romulan space.  The vessels arrive at Artaleirh, a planet that has declared itself a member of the "Free Rihanssu."  Artaleirh, like a number of other worlds in the Romulan Star Empire, is in a state of open rebellion.  Having already captured a number of Romulan vessels which had been sent to pacify the world, Artaleirh is in a position to openly defy the will of the Romulan Praetors. Captain Kirk and Commander Ael assist the Free Rihannsu in fending off a Romulan attack, and a subsequent Klingon attempt to capitalize on the instability in the region.

Pledged to follow Commander Ael's leadership, the Free Rihannsu mount a full-scale insurrection against the Romulan Star Empire, with Captain Kirk and the Enterprise along to assist.  Meanwhile, the praetors of the Romulan Empire have deployed a devastating weapon to destroy Earth's sun, and it is up to Spock, Scotty, and a Hamalki physicist named K's't'lk (see Diane Duane's earlier novel, The Wounded Sky) to figure out a way to stop it.  In the end, for good or ill, the Romulan Empire will be changed forever.

My Thoughts:

An excellent conclusion to a very entertaining series.  I had been told that the Rihannsu novels were a particular gem in the Trek lit library, and they certainly did not disappoint.  If you have read my reviews of the previous novels in the series, you know that the large gaps of time in between the publications of the various novels caused a number of continuity issues, but if you can overlook these, the five novels are a very good read, one that you will not regret putting the time into.  (Alternatively, you can read the omnibus collection The Bloodwing Voyages which has "corrected" versions of the first four novels, and then move on to The Empty Chair.)

The quadrant-rocking Empire-changing events of The Empty Chair feel very grand and epic in scope, and are accorded the necessary weight in the book.  Much like during the V'Ger crisis of Star Trek: The Motion Picture or saving Earth in The Voyage Home, the events of the final installment of the Rihannsu saga feel like history being made.  The epic quality of the story adds to the drama, as it feels more "important" than other run-of-the-mill "planet of the week" stories.

One interesting element of the story was the depiction of Kirk becoming used to being an admiral in the true sense of the word: commanding a large fleet of vessels.  Because the Rihannsu saga had been moved to a point after The Motion Picture, Kirk had obviously already been an admiral, but The Empty Chair points out that his position had been more along the lines of commanding a desk rather than a fleet.  It was interesting to see Kirk struggle with his own self-doubts as to how he would perform as a commander of an armada, and his efforts to draw inspiration from historical figures who have led men into battle.

Because of the large gaps between publication of various parts of the story, one might expect that the Rihannsu saga wouldn't hold together well as a cohesive narrative.  With the exception of the shifts in the time period in which it is set, this is not the case.  Diane Duane is definitely a writer who has no problem finding the "voices" of her characters, and the story holds together quite well.

Final Thoughts:

Reading the Rihannsu saga has been a special treat.  Diane Duane shows herself to be a master of "world building," and the Rihannsu culture is very well fleshed-out, much moreso than the Romulans of televised Star Trek.  Of course, much of this is due to the freedom that the medium of novels allows.  Putting together an hour-long program doesn't allow a writer to delve into the culture of a race of aliens quite as deeply as a novel hundreds of pages long does.  For creating such an interesting and vibrant culture, as well as telling a hell of a good story while doing so, I highly recommend the Rihannsu saga to any reader of Trek fiction.

Final rating for The Empty Chair and the Rihannsu saga as a whole: 9/10.

Previous novels in the Rihannsu series: #1: My Enemy, My Ally; #2: The Romulan Way; #3: Swordhunt; #4: Honor Blade

Also by Diane Duane:

• Star Trek #13: The Wounded Sky (1983)
• Star Trek #18: Rihannsu #1: My Enemy, My Ally (1984)
• Star Trek #25: Rihannsu #2: The Romulan Way with Peter Morwood (1987)
• Star Trek: Spock's World (1988)
• Star Trek #50: Doctor's Orders (1990)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation: Dark Mirror (1993)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation #45: Intellivore (1997)
• Star Trek #95: Rihannsu #3: Swordhunt (2000)
• Star Trek #96: Rihannsu #4: Honor Blade (2000)

My next read:

I'm finally reading William Shatner's tale of Captain Kirk's resurrection following the events of Star Trek: Generations, entitled The Return, in response to a friend's request.  Look for that review in the coming weeks!

Honor Blade

Star Trek #96: Honor Blade by Diane Duane

Rihannsu #4

Published October 2000
Read December 15th, 2011

Previous book (Rihannsu): Swordhunt

Next book (Rihannsu): The Empty Chair

Previous book (The Original Series): Rihannsu #3: Swordhunt
Next book (The Original Series - Production Order): The Eugenics Wars: The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh: Book One
Next book (The Original Series - Numbered Novels): In the Name of Honor

Click the cover to purchase Honor Blade from Amazon.com!

Spoilers ahead for Honor Blade and the Rihannsu saga!

From the back cover:

At last, the United Federation of Planets and the Romulan Star Empire have agreed to meet on neutral ground to attempt to resolve the tangle of intrigue and conspiracy that began with the hijacking of the U.S.S. Intrepid many years ago -- but the meeting may be as dangerous as the war they hope to avoid.

As a show of good faith, the crew of the legendary Starship Enterprise has been ordered to attend the talks.  In their informal charge is Romulan renegade Ael, the wanted fugitive who, with Kirk, served as a catalyst of the current troubles.  Kirk must represent the interests of the Federation first and foremost, but the best approach to an agreement remains muddled in the ever-shifting Romulan order.

And the visiting Romulan party is as fractious and divided as their troubled world.  Among the Romulan nobles in attendance are the hero and popular Senator Arrhae, who secretly helped rescue Dr. Leonard McCoy from a Romulan execution, and the very men and women who put McCoy on trial for treason -- and tried to carry out the sentence.

As Kirk and crew attempt to renegotiate a delicate peace, and Romulans attempt to restore their tarnished honor, it becomes increasingly apparent that their only course of action is to prepare for war!

About the Novel:

Honor Blade picks up immediately after the events of Swordhunt.  The Federation and Romulan diplomatic parties arrive at the meeting place, while Commander Ael and the Bloodwing remain hidden away from the sensitive negotiations.  The talks are to take place aboard a neutral starship, and joining the negotiations are several familiar faces.  On the Federation side, both Ambassador Robert Fox ("A Taste of Armageddon") and Samuel T. Cogley, Attorney at Law ("Court Martial") are in attendance.  On the Romulan delegation is Senator Arrhae, who in actual fact is a Lt. Commander in Starfleet, deep undercover in the Romulan Empire (see a prior Rihannsu novel, The Romulan Way).

As the negotiations get underway, it soon becomes apparent that they are just a front for the Romulans to capture or destroy Commander Ael and the sword and begin a war with the Federation.  Determined not to let that happen, Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise intervene in their machinations and attempt to sway the situation in the Federation's favor.

My Thoughts:

As usual with Diane Duane's work, the writing and story-telling are superb.  She has a particular talent for writing Commander Ael and Captain Kirk in a very compelling manner.  There is much to like in the Rihannsu novels, not the least of which is the depth that Duane gives the Romulan culture, an element that was unfortunately missing in the on-screen incarnations of Star Trek.

One particular aspect of the story that I loved was Captain Kirk's (and, by extension, the Enterprise's) reputation and relationship with the rest of Starfleet.  The idea that the Enterprise's exploits have become so famous and numerous that the rest of the fleet would take her and her crew for granted is a very interesting idea.  The Enterprise coming under attack by Romulan vessels in Federation space is no big deal, because everyone knows that Jim Kirk will, as usual, pull a rabbit out of his hat and escape unscathed.  Naturally, this attitude grates on Kirk, who doesn't like to be taken for granted.  An interesting angle on the "larger than life" reputation the Enterprise has that I had not considered before.

As mentioned in the previous review of Swordhunt, Honor Blade is simply part two of three, and the story won't be concluded until the final novel, The Empty Chair.  However, I feel that Swordhunt and Honor Blade together make one fairly cohesive story, with a definite turning point at the end.  Therefore, I have no problem making a full review of these stories, while still finishing reading the final book. 

Final Thoughts:

Great plot and characterizations, the Rihannsu saga has done much to hold my interest.  I am a huge admirer of Diane Duane's writing talents, and look forward to reading more by her.  Already in the queue to be read at some future point are her novels Doctor's Orders and The Wounded Sky.

Final rating for Swordhunt and Honor Blade together: 8.5/10.

Also by Diane Duane:

• Star Trek #13: The Wounded Sky (1983)
• Star Trek #18: Rihannsu #1: My Enemy, My Ally (1984)
• Star Trek #35: Rihannsu #2: The Romulan Way with Peter Morwood (1987)
• Star Trek: Spock's World (1988)
• Star Trek #50: Doctor's Orders (1990)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation: Dark Mirror (1993)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation #45: Intellivore (1997)
• Star Trek #95: Rihannsu #3: Swordhunt (2000)
• Star Trek: Rihannsu #5: The Empty Chair (2006)

My next read:

I am (of course!) reading the final novel in Diane Duane's Rihannsu saga, The Empty Chair.  I can't wait to see how this all ends!

Swordhunt

Star Trek #95: Swordhunt by Diane Duane

Rihannsu #3

Published August 2000
Read December 11, 2011 

Previous book (Rihannsu): The Romulan Way

Next book (Rihannsu): Honor Blade

Previous book (The Original Series): New Earth #6: Challenger
Next book (The Original Series): Rihannsu #4: Honor Blade

Click the cover to purchase Swordhunt from Amazon.com!

Spoilers ahead for Swordhunt and the Rihannsu saga!

From the back cover:

The sword was the ultimate symbol of Romulan power, tradition, and pride.  It lay in the senate chamber of the Romulan Star Empire, revered and untouched for centuries, until the day Dr. Leonard McCoy was tried for treason -- and both were stolen during a daring attack on Romulus itself.

Now, to avenge that insult and save face in eyes of their deadly enemies, the Empire must recover the sword at any cost.  Their envoys to the Federation demand the return of the sword and the extradition of the Romulan renegades who aided the Starship Enterprise in McCoy's escape.  If diplomacy fails, the Romulans will trap the Klingons and the Federation in open war.

In such dangerous times, the Starship Enterprise is assigned the most valuable -- and volatile -- element of all: the fugitive Ael, her stolen bird-of-prey, Bloodwing, and the sword they carry.  Ael will undoubtedly attempt to use ship and sword to foil her enemies and play her hand in the dangerous game that she's begun.  But she will do it all under the watchful eyes of Captain James T. Kirk, the Federation starship captain who knows her dangerously well...

About the Novel:

The Romulan Empire is incensed over the escape of Commander Ael with Dr. McCoy and, more grievously, the Sword of S'Task in the previous Rihannsu novel, The Romulan Way.  The sword, which traditionally sat in the "Empty Chair" of the Romulan Senate, reserved for S'Task, the man who led the Romulan exodus from Vulcan, is a beloved symbol of the honor of the Rihannsu (Romulan) people.  Honor which Commander Ael believes no longer exists in the current Romulan government.

In a bid to get Ael and the sword back, the Romulan government decides to open negotiations with the Federation.  However, the negotiations appear to be largely a pretense to begin a war.  Assigned to the Romulan delegation is Arrhae, former housekeeper and now a Senator in the Romulan Senate.  Unknown to the rest of Romulus, however, is the fact that Arrhae is a deep-cover Federation operative, assigned to cultural studies of the Romulan Empire.  In the preceding novel, The Romulan Way, Arrhae elected to remain behind on Romulus rather than be "rescued" by Dr. McCoy.

My Thoughts:

Rather than feeling like a complete novel, Swordhunt ended abruptly and is continued in the next Rihannsu entry, Honor Blade.  Because I was reading on an e-reader rather than a "dead tree" copy, the end was completely unexpected.  The novel seemed to meander for quite awhile.  There is a lot of setup for the diplomatic mission, but by the end of the book, it has not yet begun.  I love character development, and Commander Ael is a fascinating character, but I kept wanting the story to commence.  Instead, the action never really takes off for our heroes, and the novel ends just as things start to happen.  This is not necessarily a bad thing, as the next book obviously picks up immediately after.  However, I am curious as to why the novel was split into two parts to begin with.  This entry isn't particularly long, and I think both books in one volume would have made more sense.  Although, I suppose, the financial aspect of it means that Pocket Books can sell two volumes as opposed to only one.

I'd like to make a small note about the continuity of the Rihannsu series.  A staggering thirteen years pass between the publication of this novel, Swordhunt, in 2000, and the publication of the last entry in 1987.  In that time, many changes occurred in the Star Trek universe.  The first two novels in the Rihannsu series, My Enemy, My Ally and The Romulan Way take place during a supposed second five-year mission between the events of the original Star Trek television series and Star Trek: The Motion Picture.  However, by the time Swordhunt was written, the timeline had been revised and the second five-year mission had never happened.  So, the decision was made to place Swordhunt and its follow-up, Honor Blade, during the original five-year mission of the original television series.  However, this means that references to various details between this novel and the previous ones don't match up perfectly.  Muddying the issue even more is the sequel, The Empty Chair, which again revises the timeline of the Rihannsu series to a post-Star Trek: The Motion Picture period.  Confused yet?

The good news is that a revised edition of the Rihannsu saga has been published in the form of an anthology comprising the first four books.  Rihannsu: The Bloodwing Voyages corrects many of these small continuity errors into a cohesive narrative that is internally consistent for the most part.  The small discontinuities in the books are a little distracting, but don't impact the overall enjoyment much for me.  However, readers who are bothered by these issues have another option!  In addition, Swordhunt and Honor Blade are presented as a single story in The Bloodwing Voyages, solving one of my issues with these novels.

Rihannsu: The Bloodwing Voyages was published in 2006, fixing
many of the niggling continuity errors in the Rihannsu series.
Click to order from Amazon.com!

Final Thoughts:

I feel that Swordhunt does not stand sufficiently on its own to warrant full consideration.  Therefore, I think I will reserve final judgement until I've had a chance to finish the follow-up story, Honor Blade.  While I have been informed that Honor Blade doesn't complete the story, I would still like to chime in with my thoughts at that point.  To get the entire story, I will have to read The Empty Chair.  I will, of course, post a review of the entire story once I have done so.  What I have read thus far I have very much enjoyed, as I have enjoyed most of Diane Duane's work.  While the story seems to be meandering a bit, what action there has been has been exciting, and I hope the payoff will make up for the lengthy setup.

Also by Diane Duane:

• Star Trek #13: The Wounded Sky (1983)
• Star Trek #18: Rihannsu #1: My Enemy, My Ally (1984)
• Star Trek #35: Rihannsu #2: The Romulan Way with Peter Morwood (1987)
• Star Trek: Spock's World (1988)
• Star Trek #50: Doctor's Orders (1990)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation: Dark Mirror (1993)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation #45: Intellivore (1997)
• Star Trek #96: Rihannsu #4: Honor Blade (2000)
• Star Trek: Rihannsu #5: The Empty Chair (2006)

My next read:

I am, of course, reading the next novel in the Rihannsu saga, the continuation of Swordhunt, entitled Honor Blade.  Full review coming soon!

The Romulan Way

Star Trek #35: The Romulan Way by Diane Duane and Peter Morwood

Rihannsu #2

Published August 1987
Read: November 16th, 2011

Previous book (Rihannsu): My Enemy, My Ally

Next book (Rihannsu): Swordhunt

Previous book (The Original Series): Dreams of the Raven
Next book (The Original Series): How Much for Just the Planet?

Click the cover to purchase The Romulan Way from Amazon.com!

Spoilers ahead for The Romulan Way and the Rihannsu saga!

From the back cover:

They are a race of warriors, a noble people to whom honor is all.  They are cousin to the Vulcan, ally to the Klingon, and Starfleet's most feared and cunning adversary.  They are the Romulans - and for eight years, Federation agent Terise LoBrutto has hidden in their midst. 

Now the presence of a captured Starfleet officer forces her to make a fateful choice - between exposure and escape; between maintaining her cover - and saving the life of Dr. Leonard McCoy.

Here, in a startlingly different adventure, is the truth behind one of the most fascinating alien races ever created in Star Trek:

The Romulans.

About the Novel:

The Romulan Way is the second novel in Diane Duane's Rihannsu mini-series.  Dr. McCoy is apprehended aboard a transport craft by the Romulan military and sent to the home of a Romulan noble to await trial and execution.  The head of the serving staff, Arrhae, is actually a Federation deep-cover operative, Lt. Commander Terise LoBrutto, who has been living on Romulus gathering sociological information about the Romulans.  It turns out that McCoy's capture was not accidental, and he has specifically sought out this operative on behalf of Starfleet Intelligence to determine why she has not filed a report in nearly two years.  The fear at Starfleet is that Terise has become too enamoured with Romulan society and is beginning to forget who she is and where she is from.  McCoy has a pre-arranged rescue planned -- will Terise go with him, or will she choose to remain behind?

The novel also tells us of the history of the Romulan people since the "sundering" -- the division of the Romulans and the Vulcans two thousand years ago.  Every second chapter gives us a little more of the history, including Diane Duane's take on The Romulan War between Earth and the Romulan Star Empire.

My Thoughts:

The Romulan Way was initially published as a stand-alone novel, with some elements that could qualify it as a sequel to My Enemy, My Ally.  With the publication of Swordhunt and Honor Blade in 2000, My Enemy, My Ally and The Romulan Way were re-branded as books one and two of the Rihannsu saga.  A fifth book, The Empty Chair, was published in 2006.

In the tradition of John M. Ford's Klingon novel, The Final Reflection, The Romulan Way seems to be a definitive telling of the history and customs of the Romulan people.  We learn much about Romulan ideology (like we did in My Enemy, My Ally), and also a great deal about the history of the Romulan people, who call themselves the Rihannsu.  Of course, a lot of this information has since been contradicted by what has become known as "canon" Star Trek; for example, events such as the Earth/Romulan War, the date the Federation was established as a political entity, and first contact with the Vulcans are all presented much differently in The Romulan Way than in televised Trek.  This is obviously completely forgivable as this novel was published years before Star Trek: First Contact or the television series Star Trek: Enterprise were produced.  Another small issue is with Romulus' sister planet, Remus.  Described as lush and beautiful in The Romulan Way, 2002's Star Trek Nemesis paints a much different picture.

The Romulan Way mentions that first contact with the Vulcans
was with the Federation, rather than with the post-apocalyptic
Earth as depicted in 1996's Star Trek: First Contact.

The harsh, arid surface of Remus as seen in Star Trek Nemesis.

The Romulan Way gives us a great insight into the codes of honor and "face-saving" traditions of the Romulan people.  This especially struck a chord with me, as I am currently living in South Korea teaching English.  As a Canadian, I was unprepared for how big a deal the concept of "saving face" is here.  Much like in Romulan society, it is important in Korea to remember that embarrassing someone higher in the social strata than you should be avoided at all costs (in the case of Korea, that is anyone who is older than you).

We see the return of many characters from Diane Duane's previous Rihannsu novel: Ensign (now Lieutenant) Nahraht, the Horta; also, Commander Ael and the crew of the Bloodwing make another appearance.  Not as heavily featured as they were in My Enemy, My Ally, they nonetheless play a crucial role in the plot.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Romulan Way, both for the intrigue and suspense of the plot and for the anthropological exploration of Romulan society.  Of special interest was Duane's depiction of the early days of Surak's reformation on Vulcan, and what led to the exodus of the Romulans.

Final Thoughts:

Very enjoyable and a fascinating read.  The Romulan Way has made me very excited to read the remaining books in the Rihannsu saga!  A few continuity issues briefly took me out of the story, but that is, of course, due to no fault of the author.

Final rating for The Romulan Way: 9/10.

Also by Diane Duane:

• Star Trek #13: The Wounded Sky (1983)
• Star Trek #18: Rihannsu #1: My Enemy, My Ally (1984)
• Star Trek: Spock's World (1988)
• Star Trek #50: Doctor's Orders (1990)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation: Dark Mirror (1993)
• Star Trek: The Next Generation #45: Intellivore (1997)
• Star Trek #95: Rihannsu #3: Swordhunt (2000)
• Star Trek #96: Rihannsu #4: Honor Blade (2000)
• Star Trek: Rihannsu #5: The Empty Chair (2006)

My next read:

I've started reading one of the classic hardcovers from my library: The Lost Years by J.M. Dillard, dealing with the years between the end of Captain Kirk's five-year mission and the feature film Star Trek: The Motion Picture.