Q & A

I honestly didn't really have expectations for this book going in, so I was pleasantly blown away by it. The best of the (so far) three books in the "TNG relaunch" by a long shot. Keith, as usual, nails all of the show's regular characters perfectly, and all of the new characters are intriguing in their own rights as well. I look forward to hearing more from all of them. As everyone has said, the best part of the novel is Q himself-- Keith gets De Lancie's portrayal down on the page perfectly, a feat that only Peter David has also managed, and he also manages to make a coherent story out of everything that Q has ever done to annoy the Heroes of our various shows. If there's any flaw, it's that nothing happens for half the book, but I show more admit I did not even notice this until I was doing a mental recap of the "story so far". An easy candidate for the best Trek novel of the year. (originally written November 2007) show less

I read this book in a single 3-hour session. You know from Page 1 exactly how the book is going to end, and yet you can't put it down -- this book is the Gold Standard by which all other non-epic Star Trek books should be judged. Period.

This book reads like it was written by the ultimate Star Trek book fan. DeCandido researched every last detail of the book, as enumerated in a pages-long appendix, and it shows. I've read a majority of the Q-related books, every last one of which is referenced and tied in with the plot in this one. Yes, even the Lwaxana tryst from "Q-in-Law" is mentioned.

Flashbacks to each of Q's television appearances are interwoven with the primary narrative, each putting a little spin on what you thought had been Q's show more true motives. Better yet, unlike some retconning jobs which shoehorn themselves barbarically into established canon just for a hope of legitimacy, none of the additions in this book feel forced or ridiculous.

Okay, yeah, the plot about the universe ending is goofy and, as I said, you'll know how it is going to end, but you won't care -- the adventure along the way is excellent and worth every minute.

But the best thing? There's just about zero "deus ex technobabble". show less

This book hit a number of sour notes with me, and while I read it out-of-order with others in the series, I don't believe that was the cause.

This novel felt like one of the series' "clip" episodes, the ones that try and weave footage from episodes past into the current narrative frame. You know, the ones that show up when they've run out of budget and the ones that everyone hates.

By rehashing all of Q's appearances throughout the different storylines, this particular plot brought nothing new to the table; once again, Picard is tossed from ship to ship as in the last episode of the TV series, and must deal with an unknown rift and multiple Enterprises from multiple universes.

The omnipotent being called "Q" has been testing and meddling with the Enterprise and her crew since their first mission. When Q shows up again while the Enterprise is investigating the planet Gorsach, the Captain Picard tells the crew to simply ignore Q. But Q is there to tell them that the end of the whole universe is approaching. And that they're the cause.

Bouncing back and forth between post-Nemesis timeframe and different times amongst the Q Continuum began a bit confusingly. But we soon discover that the scenes with the Q are instances just before each time Q visits the Enterprise, starting with Encounter at Farpoint and leading up to the "present day."

The majority of the novel is a lot of build up to "the end of the universe" show more that was somewhat anti-climatic. And the whole mystery behind Gorsach wasn't explained enough to my liking. But we do get a deeper look into the Q Continuum and the background behind each of Q's encounters, leading up to this cataclysmic event. And as Q is one of my all-time favorite characters from the Star Trek universe, I thoroughly enjoyed reading a Trek novel that revolved around Q rather than the seemingly ever-present Borg. Q&A is humorous, fun and a refreshingly light-hearted break from some of the latest darker and heavier Trek novels. show less

Q.

One simple letter, a name that evokes feelings of trepidation and dread in any Starfleet captain.

He's back. And he wants to bug Jean-Luc yet again.

DeCandido does a wonderful job tying certain parts of Next Generation Q lore together (including some of the Q novels) and brings Q to life inside.

Intended as a grand event book, the culmination of all the Q encounters of the past (across TNG, VOY, and DS9), the novel succeeds in being readable but not especially rewarding or great.
The 20th anniversary novel for TNG (not mentioned anywhere on the cover, but remarked upon in the Afterward).
What Q&A does best is focus on Miranda Kadohata and Zelik Leybenzon as the new CO and security chief. I'm looking forward to them growing on me, but the start they're given here isn't all-too remarkable, either (introduction of T'Lana as Counselor in the previous novel was memorably handled).
The villain of this piece, the giant threat to not only the universe but the Q Continuum as well, is barely described, and present for about two paragraphs.

If you are a fan of Star Trek, this book is the ultimate “Q” saga. Not only does this book tie together all of the Star Trek Q TV episodes, it expands them into one grand story. Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise have been harassed by Q since they first encountered him during their mission to Farpoint. But that was then and this is now: new crew, new ship and a new adventure but with a far more serious Q.