Pawns and Symbols

If this were fanfiction, someone would say it was a Mary Sue: it's a woman who gets caught up in the highest of Klingon politics, basically. I'm not sure it's a great book, but I did enjoy it a lot - the author's a strong enough writer to keep me going along with it, even when I felt like "aw, c'mon, this is a lot of id candy." And the Klingons, while not my preferred version, had some real worldbuilding behind them, unlike many books.

Well-done, as in, not casual pulp. However, a little sub-mystery was mostly a convenience, and the clues dropped for it were annoying distractions. I'm not sure how much of what was revealed about Kingons here became part of the 'official history' that other authors are expected to honor - for example, these Klingons apparently don't have brow ridges, as Czerny is sometimes briefly mistaken for being Klingon.

Anyway, the main thing I actually need to share with potential readers is this: there is a relationship dynamic that includes a kind of sexual aggression that makes it seem as if the author believes that rape is erotic. If you are a survivor, you know that it is not. And you're probably better off not reading this book.

ETA - read show more some of the other reviews. The sub-plot actually is necessary, I see - as it takes some of the gloss off the 'Mary-Sue-ness' of Czerny. show less

This book took surprising liberties with characters. Besides the focus on Kang, the book extrapolates some not-even-fanon "facts" about Klingons. For example, the name of their home planet, that they cannot see the colour red, are polygamous, and an attempt at explaining The Foreheads. It also featured some surprisingly "adult" diplomatic/hostage compromises on the part of the female hostage protagonist. Standing alone, apart from canon (not to mention fanon), it's an enjoyable novel.

Reads as cold war era peace propaganda. This isn't a bad thing.

One of the weaker Star Trek novels. The Klingon's are all wrong. They're too nice.

F/SF