R- Imzadi (v,x), Imzadi II (v,x), Q-Squared (v,b), "New Frontiers" series (v,x)
PG16- Q-in-Law (mild v, some x)
Peter David writes for the Star Trek series, but he is not your run of the mill series writer. While the speed of his production (apparently 1 book per 3 months or so) does reduce the quality of some of his regular series contributions, they are still quite good in some ways. David's skill with plot and his excellent sense of humor and characterization (or sometimes characaturization...) make his novels the sort you would read for fun on vacation- mostly.
There are a couple of exceptions that you should be aware of. The two Imzadis, while light-hearted in spots, are quite full of angst and psychology. They are neither short nor simple. They are eloquent and often convoluted love stories. Don't expect them to be series material.
Second, Q-Squared should not ever be read on vacation unless you want to spend the rest of the time disturbed and pondering the nature of space, time, and the role of nurture in people's psychology. It's a brain-twister, and it could not possibly have been written in 3 months.
David has also written for several comic book series, but none of us have read these.
Imzadi: I am a Star Trek fan, I will admit, and I have always had a soft spot for the relationship between Deanna Troi and William T. Riker. I loved this book simply for the idea. Peter David tells the tale of the relationship between Deanna and Riker before their meeting on the Enterprise, giving readers insight on everything from first Deanna/Riker meeting on Betazed at the Betazoid wedding of Deanna's best friend to a stormy adventure in the jungle. It also delves into the possible future of their relationship, expanding what was presented in the Next Generation series. It is not highly scientific, nor highly technical. Its focus is on the people in the story.
Peter David has a unique perspective on many of the standard Next Generation characters that brings wit, humor and understanding to this story. It is above all, however, a tale of romance and love. I will admit, it is not the best work of literature in the world; it does not pretend to be. It might even qualify as a supermarket romance, although I would classify it slightly higher than that. It is, however, particularly as Star Trek novels go, an amusing and romantic read. This novel works well for those days when you just want to curl good old fashioned romance.
Imzadi II: This sequel to Imzadi was not as good as the original work. It is, however, highly amusing reading (picture Worf on Betazed). Peter David clearly shares my view of the Riker-Deanna-Worf triangle that the last season of Next Generation brought up. This work has some of the great romance that was seen is Imzadi but has a bit more action and overall movement as it works through the love triangle set up between Riker, Deann, and Worf. This novel works well as light entertaining literature as long as you are not expecting a great work of art.
Q-Squared: The first word that comes to mind with this book is mindblowing. It is one of the most mindwarping books I have read in a long time. Space, time, and reality become intermingled as a young member of the Q Continuum wreaks havoc with "what ifs" and the Enterprise crew. This book offers a very different perspective on the Star Trek universe; it also reflects a great deal of Star Trek knowledge on Peter David's part. He clearly knows what he is talking about. This is not light reading as it at times works its way into a much darker side than is normally seen in a Star Trek novel. It is a complex work that demands complete attention while reading; it is, however, well worth the effort.
Q-in-Law: This book can be summed up in three words: Q meets Lawaxana. Peter David takes two of the most powerful side characters in the Next Generation and pits them head to head against each other. Once again, Peter David demonstrates a unique understanding of Star Trek characters and their interactions with each other. He clearly loves both characters and enjoys seeing what they can do to each other. One of the more humorous books I have ever read, it is one of those novels that you can easily quote specific scenes from and get a laugh. A great book to share with friends!
I have read the first six books in the "New Frontiers" series that David has begun writing. I suspect that if another tv series of Star Trek is launched in the next decade or so (other than the currently proposed Star Fleet Academy idea), it will be at least loosely based on these ideas. Here, David has revived two earlier characters from TNG, Robin Lefler (from "The Game") and Shelby, the blond Commander who gave Riker so much trouble. True to David's style, he has made the other characters just as interesting and confused as these two. The major appeal of this series lies in its new setting (in a region called "Thallonian space", which is a collapsing empire), and its use of conflicting personalities on the ship to create an atmosphere of tension and humor.
These books also explore some issues that are unexpected in a mainstream SciFi series like Star Trek; for example, the chief engineer is a hermaphrodite and proud of it. Some new races are also introduced: the head of security is a Brikar (a race even more thick-skinned than the Klingons); a stowaway just happens to be Thallonian (the former ruling race); and the Captain, Mackenzie, is from a planet the Thallonians attempted to conquer when he was a teenager. Together with David's enthusiastc sense of humor and his well-paced style, these elements create a pleasant, mostly light-hearted read (except for those necessary nasty bits that keep the plot going...).
House of Cards: Introducing M'k'n'zy (aka Mackenzie Calhoun), a cowboy-style captain in the tradition of Kirk, but much less annoying. For one thing, he doesn't have women problems, he has woman problems. And he can actually fight for himself- without using his fists gratuitously. Then there's Soleta, a half-Vulcan half-Romulan wandering the galaxy who meets a familiar old face. And Selar, a Vulcan with a history so brutal that to this day she cannot stand to even set foot on her homeworld. Mostly this is background for the series, with random entrances of TNG and Original characters to keep the sympathy level up. It helps if you've read other Star Trek books or watched some of the series, but it's not absolutely necessary, since the setting is completely new.
Into the Void begins with the Excaliber, captained by Calhoun. The familiar Commander Shelby, a woman with an unfortunate past with Mackenzie, gets signed on as First Officer. This book also introduces Si Cwan, the (former) Thallonian prince in search of his little sister with a little help from Soleta. Also introduced is Chief Engineer Burgoyne 172, a hermaphrodite with a cat-like appearance and tendency to fall into bed with anything willing. The crew's first rather uneventful-seeming mission is to rescue a ship full of refugees that was damaged while fleeing a war zone. Then another distress call comes in- listing Si Cwan's sister as a passenger....
The Two-Front War: So the ship's main pilot is a genius who never seems to be paying attention to anything. Still, McHenry is not exactly Data, or Spock, or Odo, or 7 of 9, though he resembles them. For the first time, the resident genius is completely human. He just doesn't act like it or seem to care. To counter him, there's Robin Lefler, the chipper, bright-eyed Leutenant with 100+ memorized rules for life and a tendency to be transparent to the rest of the world. But McHenry and Lefler get along great. It's Zak Kebron, the Brikar security agent with no sense of humor, and Si Cwan who hate each other. But they are ordered to chase after Si Cwan's sister together, so perhaps they can keep from killing each other before they get there.
End Game: The refugees that were so recently offered a home have become hostages in a strange power play. Shelby and Captain Mackenzie, as usual, have completely opposite views on how it should be handled. The only thing they can agree on is that when they find nothing but wreckage where Si Cwan and Kebron should have been, somebody's going to pay. But somewhere else in the galaxy, people are already paying, as Thallon literally falls apart around them. This book starts turning up the heat, giving a real sense of purpose to the series, rather than just background information.
The first book to follow an individual plot, Martyr describes the divided people of Zondar who have been killing each other for as long as anyone can remember. Their greatest prophet, Ontear, began a new cycle of wars 500 years ago when he predicted that one race would surrender to the other- and that a martyr would come from the sky to save them all. That martyr would bear a scar. When Mackenzie, with his scarred cheek, appears on the world with his crew, he becomes caught up in the tangled web of prophecy. Did Ontear merely predict the future, or did he create it through the act of prediction?
Fire on High also has its own plot, while trying to wrap up some of those from earlier books. Finally, here is the conclusion to the strange courtship Burgoyne 172 has been paying to Selar, and a kind of balance is reached between Mackenzie and Shelby, though both still refuse to admit the other is right about anything. But the main star here is Lefler, the starfleet orphan whose mother died years ago- supposedly. But the Excaliber receives a call from a planet that claims to have Lefler's mother as a prisoner, evoking all of the old pain Robin never wanted to face. She isn't the only one with a difficult past, though- Mackenzie's return to Thallonian space has been noted by at least one person who remembers him (and wants to kill him).
Captain Mackenzie Calhoun stars in a book from the "Captain's Table" series, which I have not yet read. I'm waiting rather impatiently for additions to the series, if they will ever be forthcoming....
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