Star Trek

Dark Passions Book One by Susan Wright

Synopsis: Klingons and Cardassians rule the Alpha Quadrant in an uneasy alliance that hides a viper's nest of backstabbing plots and counterplots. Annika Hansen has become a trained operative for the Obsidian Order. Her latest target: Kira Nerys, the duplicitous Intendant of Bajor, whose ruthless ambition has brought her to a position of power second only to the Regent himself, the fierce Klingon warrior known as Worf. To get close to her prey, Annika must worm her way into the Intendant's notoriously fickle affections. Easy enough to accomplish, perhaps, but it remains to be seen who is truly manipulating whom...

Review: I think the most best part of reading this series is seeing how the different women from Star Trek could have turned out. It was interesting to see the darker side of usually ethical and well-loved characters.

Dark Passions Book Two by Susan Wright

Synopsis: Intendant Kira, now Overseer for the entire Klingon-Cardassian Alliance, has entered into a dangerous liaison with Annika Hansen, unaware that Hansen is actually an agent of the Obsidian Order who has orders to kill Kira when the time is right. But her treacherous alliance is not the only danger the Intendant faces. Both Deanna Troi, the power-hungry consort of Regent Worf, and B'Elanna Torres, the half-human Intendant of the Sol System, are threatened by Kira's unquenchable ambition, and would be glad to see her deposed-or worse. As four powerful women scheme for control of the Alliance, who will survive? And who will claim the ultimate prize?

Review: I also enjoyed the second part of this series although I wished that Janeway and Dr. Crusher had bigger parts to play. It was also interesting to see a slightly more vulnerable side of B'Elanna and how she interacted with Worf.

Imzadi II by Peter David

Synopsis: This book reveals the full story of Troi's romance with Lt. Commander Worf and whether their future lies together. This is the sequel to Imzadi which explored the special bond between Troi and Commander Riker. Which man will Troi ultimately end up with?

Review: It's hard for me to decide whether I liked this one better than the first Imzadi since it's been so long since I've read that. I did like reading more about the relationship between Deanna and Worf. I was pretty surprised when they got together on the TV series. And it also resolved nicely who Deanna, Will and Worf finally end up with.

Star Trek: The Next Generation- Dark Mirror by Diane Duane

Synopsis: What if the Enterprise's present course never took place. Dark Mirror takes place in a universe in which humanity's darkest impulses have triumphed. One hundred years ago, Captain Kirk and 3 other crew members crossed the barrier into this universe. Now the brutal people of this universe has found a way to willingly cross the threshold and think they have found new people to conquer. Can the crew of the Enterprise stop them when faced with their own darker halves?

Review: I just reread this book again after reading the Dark Passions series. Like I mentioned for that series it was a refreshing change to see the darker halves of the Enterprise crew. Deanna was an especially interesting character!

Star Trek: TNG- Intellivore by Diane Duane

Synopsis: The Great Rift lies between the Sagittarius and Orion arms of the galaxy. Stars are scarce there, beyond the authority of the Federation, and legends abound of lost civilizations and of ancient monsters that prey upon those who dare to venture into the vast darkness between the stars. When several ships and colonies mysteriously disappear into the Rift, the U.S.S. Enterprise leads an expedition to investigate various disturbing reports. Accompanied by two other Federation starships, Picard and his fellow captains discover a bizarre menace of unimaginable power. And the only way to trap this destructive entity is to use the Enterprise as bait.

Review: This book really captured my imagination. The idea of vanished civilizations and what happened to them always interested me. So to see a futuristic take on this concept was really cool. Recommended.

Star Trek: TNG-Possesion by J.M. Dillard and Kathleen O'Malley

Synopsis: Eighty years ago, bodiless entities brought a plague of violence and bloodshed to the planet Vulcan. The nightmare ended only when the entities were trapped inside special containers. Now, on the eve of a galaxy-scale scientific exposition, the containers have been opened, freeing the malevolent entities to posses the minds and bodies of all they encounter, including the crew of the Starship Enterprise. Friends turn into foes, and no one can be trusted, as Captain Picard faces a deadly and insidious threat. Unless the entities can be stopped once more, they will spread their madness throughout the entire Federation.

Review: This is one of my favorite Next Generation books. I always enjoyed reading stories centered on Deanna and the concept was a new one to me. I think Next Generation fans will really enjoy this book.

Star Trek Voyager #16: Seven of Nine

Synopsis: Once she was Annika Hansen, an innocent child assimilated by the fearsome, all-conquering Borg. Now she is Seven of Nine, a unique mixture of human biology and Borg Technology. Cut off from the collective that has been her only reality for most of her existence, and forced to join the crew of the Starship Voyager, she must come to grips with her surprising new environment and her own lost individuality.

Review: I thought this book was pretty good but not great. You do learn more about Seven's past but that wasn't really the focus. Most Seven fans will enjoy reading this just to read another story that focuses about her but don't expect to learn a lot more about her.

Star Trek Voyager: Pathways by Jeri Taylor

Synopsis: A deadly encounter with hostile aliens has left Captain Janeway's crew separated from the Voyager and slowly starving to death in a disease-ridden alien prison camp. To keep their determination as they plot their escape, the crew shares with each other the unlikely paths that brought them all to the U.S.S. Voyager and the Delta Quadrant.

Review: This Voyager book is different from most that I've read but it was still enjoyable. You learn a lot about the crew members of Voyager in a creative manner rather than simple bios. Recommended for Voyager fans.

Star Trek: TNG-Maximum Warp Book One by Dave Galanter and Greg Brodeur

Synopsis: Interstellar civilization depends on the twin blessings of warp travel and subspace communications. But now an unknown force is disrupting subspace throughout the galaxy, creating "dead zones" in which advanced technology will not function. Ships are stranded in space, unable to communicate. Colonies are losing life support. Governments can no longer negotiate with their allies-or their enemies. Worse yet, the dead zones are proliferating at a geometric rate. Unless a solution is found, the entire Alpha Quadrant may be doomed to a new dark age. In the wake of the Dominion War, a tenuous peace exists between teh Federation and the Romulan Empre. The uneasy alliance is strained to the breaking point, however, by the enigma that is destroying subspace. Now Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Ambassador Spock must join forces with an infamous Romulan war criminal in a desperate attempt to find the source of the disruption-even if it means sacrificing the very peace they hope to save.

Review: This has been my first TNG book in a long while. I stopped reading those books early on in the series. A lot has changed since then...Data has emotions, Worf is no longer aboard the Enterprise and Geordi now has eyes. Despite all the changes I have enjoyed this first book of the two part series. The idea of these dead spots in space is intriguing and it's nice to see Spock again. I can't wait to find out how this story will end.

Star Trek: TNG-Maximum Warp Book Two by Dave Glanter and Greg Brodeur

Synopsis: A mysterious cosmic force is destroying the very fabric of subspace, rendering warp travel and interstellar communication impossible throughout scattered regions of the galaxy. Even worse, these "dead zones" are spreading rapidly, bringing the entire Alpha Quadrant to the brink of a new dark age. Only Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise stand a chance of reversing the decay by tracking teh disruption to its ultimate origin. Beyond the boundaries of the Federation, deep in unchartered space, Picard and his treacherous Romulan allies have discovered the source of the crisis: a vast alien mechanism suspended between a black hole and a nearby inhabited planet. The ancient device is all that prevents the imperiled planet from disappearing into the voracious black hole, but its cataclysmic effects are eroding subspace at speeds faster than light. Now Picard faces a wrenching dilemma: must he sacrifice an entire world to save the galaxy.

Review: This book was okay but not great. I didn't like the ending and it was sort of a let down after the first book in this series.

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