Book Review: "Star Trek: A Time to Kill" by David Mack
I have to say that this is the best Star Trek book I've ever read. I haven't read all of them, but I've read quite a few.
The premise is that during the Dominion War, the Federation armed the non-aligned planet Tezwa, on the Klingon border, with new weapons as a possible last-resort trap for the Founders and their army. Unfortunately, this arming violated the treaty with the Klingons, so it must be kept secret at all costs. But one of the political parties on Tezwa decides to use the weapons to challenge the Klingons for an adjacent world, what could be the start of a conflict that will expose the armaments and spark a war between the Federation and the Klingons, one that neither side can afford in the aftermath of the Dominion War. The Enterprise is sent initially to help negotiations in the hopes that it will prevent any conflict at all. But when the Tezwans destroy the Klingon ships in orbit, killing 6000, diplomacy is no longer an option. The Klingons amass a much larger army with the intent to conquer the planet, leaving Picard and the Enterprise crew mere hours to find a way to disarm the Tezwans using Federation weapons and stop the Klingons from attacking.
This is simply book one of two for this story (and book 7 of 9 [HA!]) of the story arc before the movie Nemesis. And I loved it. The set-up was excellent. The genesis of the situation made total sense, and it created a situation that seemed impossible to solve and yet what Picard and crew do to solve it make total sense. And their plan doesn't go as expected, racheting up the tension as they fight to stop the oncoming slaughter. I have to say that I didn't quite believe that everything that happened could have occurred in the time given, but that's a minor detail. The entire crew was needed for this, and the action kept me riveted. But it wasn't all just action either. There were emotional and relationship conflicts, the ones that this 9 book series are supposed to address (such as how Dr. Crusher, Riker, and Troi end up stationed somewhere besides the Enterprise). David Mack handles all of the various aspects--high-stakes plot, high-stakes emotional turmoil, and real-life motivations and actions--excellently. And the writing is excellent as well. Easy to read and flowing easily off the page. I think I've found a new favorite Star Trek writer.
In any case, a great story, a great writer, and a great book. I'm certain the follow-up novel will be as spectacular.
The premise is that during the Dominion War, the Federation armed the non-aligned planet Tezwa, on the Klingon border, with new weapons as a possible last-resort trap for the Founders and their army. Unfortunately, this arming violated the treaty with the Klingons, so it must be kept secret at all costs. But one of the political parties on Tezwa decides to use the weapons to challenge the Klingons for an adjacent world, what could be the start of a conflict that will expose the armaments and spark a war between the Federation and the Klingons, one that neither side can afford in the aftermath of the Dominion War. The Enterprise is sent initially to help negotiations in the hopes that it will prevent any conflict at all. But when the Tezwans destroy the Klingon ships in orbit, killing 6000, diplomacy is no longer an option. The Klingons amass a much larger army with the intent to conquer the planet, leaving Picard and the Enterprise crew mere hours to find a way to disarm the Tezwans using Federation weapons and stop the Klingons from attacking.
This is simply book one of two for this story (and book 7 of 9 [HA!]) of the story arc before the movie Nemesis. And I loved it. The set-up was excellent. The genesis of the situation made total sense, and it created a situation that seemed impossible to solve and yet what Picard and crew do to solve it make total sense. And their plan doesn't go as expected, racheting up the tension as they fight to stop the oncoming slaughter. I have to say that I didn't quite believe that everything that happened could have occurred in the time given, but that's a minor detail. The entire crew was needed for this, and the action kept me riveted. But it wasn't all just action either. There were emotional and relationship conflicts, the ones that this 9 book series are supposed to address (such as how Dr. Crusher, Riker, and Troi end up stationed somewhere besides the Enterprise). David Mack handles all of the various aspects--high-stakes plot, high-stakes emotional turmoil, and real-life motivations and actions--excellently. And the writing is excellent as well. Easy to read and flowing easily off the page. I think I've found a new favorite Star Trek writer.
In any case, a great story, a great writer, and a great book. I'm certain the follow-up novel will be as spectacular.
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