Dwellers in the Crucible

One of the first three Star Trek novels I read, this one's a heavy hitter in terms of how reasoning behind a variety of ethical sets go. Coming from this, I found the later fluff showing up in Star Trek to be very strange.

This book does an outstanding job of addressing, "What would someone from this background and mindset do?" Which is pretty much the primary thing I ask of any book. Probably the most serious addressing of consent breach I've seen in Star Trek.

I really like that this book tried to tackle the th'y'la relationship, but I don't think it totally succeeded. I respect the attempt, but there's just so much rape and attempted rape, so much struggling with sexuality, and so little recognition that WOMEN SOMETIMES BANG WOMEN, for lord's sake, that it was really undermined for me. I'm not saying that the th'y'la bond is sexual, but only that the possibility of sexuality today would need to be addressed at least from the human side, y'know?

A Romulan plot to sabotage the Federation's new peace-keeping plan, the Warrantors of Peace - each warrantor is hostage for the government of his native world, and is instantly killed if that world breaks the peace. The central characters are a human and Vulcan female, who are held prisoner together, and form an uneasy alliance that eventually leads to deep friendship, a la Kirk and Spock. Sulu eventually infiltrates Romulan territory and brings home the hostages, but not before events that threaten to shatter their new found friendship. An excellent tale of interspecies relations, one which brings new light to the natures of both humans and Vulcans.

This is one of my favorite Star Trek books!