Library Computer: Review TNG “Losing the Peace” + Preview of Next DS9 books

This week the Library Computer stops in the twenty-fourth century to check in on the newly deployed crew of the Enterprise-E as Captain Picard, Commander Worf, and pretty much all of the Federation begin to see just how shaky their present state is in the wake of the Borg Disaster.

 

 

REVIEW: Star Trek: The Next Generation – Losing the Peace by William Leisner

While a new commitment to exploration is supposed to be indicative of the Federation’s life in the wake of the Borg, reality quickly catches up with the crew of the Enterprise as the ship is placed on special duty in William Leisner’s new Next Generation novel, “Losing the Peace”.

Let me start right off the bat by letting you know that this is not a fast paced book, and it will be best enjoyed by savoring it in bits and chunks – a chapter at a time – particularly in the heart of the story.

“Losing the Peace” gives most of the current Enterprise crew a chance to have at least a few moments in the spotlight, dealing as they need with the physical and emotional impact of the Federation’s darkest day. T’Ryssa Chen draws particular attention and interest as family and professional pressures begin to develop in her life, adding dimension and depth to one of the newest of the Enterprise’s crew. Engineer Taurik is given a fair amount of attention in the wake of the attacks on Vulcan. Geordi has some development as well though, unfortunately, as it often does with LaForge, the development feels somewhat lacking in depth.

Several noteworthy personal matters rise to the forefront as Miranda Kadohata is compelled to confront the conflicts that often rise between career and motherhood while in the midst of a mission where she encounters what any Federation citizen would easily call a frightening sight – not the Borg, nor the aftermath of some failed experiment on a planetary scale, but the mass of sentience that has been displaced in the wake of the attacks. Kadohata is not alone on the trip as she is accompanying Doctor Crusher who is herself facing some very different thoughts – those of impending motherhood, her experiences with Wesley growing up, and the death of her first husband, Jack.

Be forewarned, reader – “Losing the Peace” is not a rip-roaring action adventure. It is a measured character exploration of the current crew of the Enterprise. Phaser fire is minimal, photon torpedoes barely get a mention, and I can’t recall reading about the deflector shields more than once or twice. There are plenty of aliens (including a welcome-but-underused guest from TNG’s 4th Season), and Vanessa Williams makes a bit of a guest appearance (in the form of Arandis from the DS9 episode “Let He Who Is Without Sin…”) which serves to demonstrate the major changes in lifestyle that some in the Federation will have to learn to adjust to.

This outing for the Enterprise crew is really an excuse (and a welcome one) to put some meat on the bones of several new and old hands whose backgrounds were thin or in need of further development. In this respect, Leisner’s book is a success, and worth the time. This would not be the book for someone who has been away from TNG novels for a while to pick up. For that, head back to either “Q&A” or “Greater Than the Sum” and get caught up through the Destiny trilogy, then you can really enjoy “Losing the Peace” for all it can possibly be.

"Losing the the Peace" will begin arriving in book stores soon and can be pre-ordered now from Amazon.


"Losing the Peace" available soon – preorder at Amazon

 

Next Novels – Summer of DS9
Coming up next from Pocket Books are two back to back Deep Space Nine novels, the DS9 books for a year. Next month is Olivia Wood’s "DS9: The Soul Key," which picks up where the June 2008 novel "Fearful Symmetry" left off, focusing on Kira and the mirror universe. Pocket has just put the back cover blurb for the book:

There is a void in the alternate universe that demands to be filled. Iliana Ghemor, the Cardassian operative who years ago was altered in both body and mind to replace Kira Nerys, dreams of fulfilling a prophecy that will mark her as the one true Emissary of that other reality — a messianic figure who could lead her followers into an era of renewed hope…or an age of deepening darkness.

Ghemor’s claim to the mantle of the Emissary is by no means certain, however, as the inexorable pull of providence tugs also at other souls who are swept into the vortex of the Prophets, the remote and timeless beings who have set these strange events in motion.

But the stakes are higher than anyone imagines: for the outcome of this struggle for the fate of one universe will ripple across many others, and become the key to unlocking a future that will prove to be the greatest trial yet for the heroes of station Deep Space 9.


"DS9: Soul Key" (July)

"Soul Key" will be followed in August with "DS9: The Never-Ending Sacrifice," by Una McCormack, which looks at the Cardassians and the aftermath of the Dominion War. There is no cover copy, but here is the early promotional sales copy description:

The fall of the Cardassian Empire, seen from both within and without. Rugal is a young man with a foot in two worlds — a Cardassian, orphaned as a boy and raised by Bajorans to regard Cardassians as oppressors. Reluctantly repatriated to Cardassia as a teenager, Rugal becomes a firsthand living witness to the downfall of the proud people to whom he was born, first at the hands of the invading Klingons, then during Cardassia’s unholy pact with the Dominion – a partnership that culminated in the near-destruction of the Cardassian people. Through it all, Rugal’s singular perspective sheds new light on these tragic events, unflinchingly illuminating the arrogance and folly that brought the Cardassians to their ruin …even as he learns that the Cardassian soul is harder to understand than he imagined.

 


"DS9: The Never-Ending Sacrifice" (August)

COMING SOON
In addition to the reviews of the DS9 books, TrekMovie have more Star Trek book coverage planned for the Summer including previews of the rest of 2009 and 2010, and more.

 

 
 

 

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Will there be new time line books?

any word on that?

How about some post Countdown stories after Romulus is destroyed

I love the TNG/VOY/DS9 era to death, but after Destiny, all that stuff that was thrown out there, I’m kinda hesitant to go back.

Has there been any word on the ENT Romulan War book?

I really enjoyed Destiny and I loved the DS9 books but I just get lost. I never know which book is which.

Last DS9 book I think I read was Rising Son, which ended just as Kasidy was going in to labour. I don’t even know which books follows that.

Same with Destiny, don’t know which book follows the TNG/Titan crew after those books.

They need some kind of guide as to which book follows the other.

anyone notice that Worf and Picard are not wearing communicators on their uniforms on the cover of Losing the Peace?

I thought this book was reveiwed a few weeks ago? Not that I mind reading another review… Not at all, actually… and enjoy the updates on upcoming works as well.

Keep on Trekkin/reading!

AND at it is always nice reading an adventure that is methodical, thought-provoking and heavy on character details… I much prefer this to a steady diet of slam, blam, photon torpedo fire ma’am!

This book was PREviewed but not REviewed
https://trekmovie.com/category/trek-merchandise/trek-books/

just like we do with toys and comics, etc. We announce items, sometimes preview them and then eventually review them.

As for the romulan war and other 2009 items, look for us to put up covers and previews of those. We also will be revealing pocket books 2010 plans here in July. I think fans of all aspects of trek will be happy with their plans

Will that be from Shore Leave next month? That’s where most of the book info comes from this time of year.

I’m all afire for “NEWTREK” novels,in JJ’s Trek universe.Novels would fill the time we have to wait between movies.

I,for one,am ready to move on from the Berman & Braga trek universe,after spending so many hundreds of TV hours & novels there.

I’m SO READY to return to KIRK/SPOCK/McCOY(with ADMIRAL PIKE too!),served up ala J.J. style

““Losing the Peace” is not a rip-roaring action adventure. It is a measured character exploration of the current crew of the Enterprise. Phaser fire is minimal, photon torpedoes barely get a mention, and I can’t recall reading about the deflector shields more than once or twice.”

Is it strange that this makes me want to read this book more?

#1 – No, not yet

#2 – The Pocket Book novels are still catching up to that. It might take until 2011, as most of the 2010 releases will have to do with the Typhon Pact (introduced in A Singular Destiny)

#3 – The Romulan War is due in October

#4 – Try using Memory Beta (http://memory-beta.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page). Search for DS9 Relaunch or TNG Relaunch

#5 – Yes

Sounds like we all have a lot of reading to do. Should be a rip roaring fun time by all.

To be honest, I am waiting for a story where we finally discover the origins of B-4. It’s bad when I am working on a story like that now, and his origins are from an alternate timeline.

Didn’t Janeway die during the destiny series? Why is she showing up in the new Voyager story? I believe it too takes place following Destiny. Please correct me if I’m wrong

I’m trying desperately to stifle my yawns

Hm… The DS9 books like kinda interesting. But I’m reluctant to read the post “What You Leave Behind” books. It just doesn’t feel right without Sisko and Odo there. Then again, I’m partial because Odo is one of my all-time favourite characters in all of Star Trek. xD The Terok Nor series was really good, and I enjoyed that… Bit confusing, but still very good.

I’d like to see more Dominion War-era. Awesome stuff.

Can’t wait for the Pocket ENT novel, The Romulan War!!!! I’ve been waiting in SO MUCH anticipation. :D

#15 Janeway died in TNG Before Dishonor, the new Voyager novel takes place in the current timeline and also during a time a few years before Destiny.

Sounds like the new TNG novel will be a good summer read, although whats with the uniforms on Picard and Worf, there’s no commbadges and not all of the colours are right. I guess not everything can be perfect.

Can’t wait for Voyager Unworthy in the fall.

Hello, I am sorry if I sound like I have missed the boat with this upcoming Star Trek novel titled “The Romulan War”. It is the first time that I have heard about this. Is this novel set in the Enterprise, Classic Trek, or TNG timeline? I would like more information on this particular novel. I would appreciate any help that you can give me. Thanks!

I cannot begin to overstate how truly awesome and wonderful, bold and profound this new-renaissance in Trek fiction is… At least to me. I loved the new flick, of course. But that lull between the much too early, forced end of ENT and the lack of any promise of picking up where NEM left off for all of these crews, frustrated me. My life suddenly had a dark void wherein no BSGs, Stargates or whatever made any kind of fit. I just don’t dig’em. Luckly, SciFi began to air the new Doctor Who, and that made me feel better. Now though, with the talented writers and broad, sweeping strokes of the Destiny trilogy, A Singular Destiny, VOY: Full Circle – which kept me attuned to each and every heartbreaking, thrilling and intriguing page… Vanguard, the ENT books, and it is just ongoing! I’m a writer that fell out of reading, who’s fallen IN love with it again because of these fantastic tomes! If Losing The Peace follows suit, I’ll be very pleased!

Anthony, thank you for the clarification.

You and your site rocks!

@19

It’s set in ENT, about 2155-2160. Ish. From #12, comes out in October.
That’s what I know and can’t wait for it.

In the new timeline won’t most of the Romulans be saved given that they now know over 100 year in advance that their planet will be destroyed.

Or will earth and klingon and Romulas be destroyed due to the fact that there is no red matter due to Vulcan not actually existing?

That’s a story that needs to be resolved.

Call me crazy (you’re crazy!) but the descriptions of those alleged “Deep Space Nine” books which feature exactly one passing reference to a main character from DS9 do absolutely nothing for me, a reader who would be interested in reading a DS9 book about those characters I invested seven years in watching.

Better, one would think, to bill these books as “From the World of Deep Space Nine” … or some other equivocation. I know all about and appreciate the relaunch, and don’t get me wrong, I’m glad these types of “off the beaten Trek path” books exist… but I’m still much more interested in Sisko/Kira/Dax/Odo/O’Brien/Bashir/Quark … than I ever will be in “Iliana Ghemor” or “Rugal.”

Am I alone in this?

I’m, too, waiting for novels from the new alternate timeline, but since what comes next after the movie isn’t exaclty set yet, writing new adventures of the crew would be quite a challenge, and also there’s a high probability of such novels’ inconsistencies with further sequels.

OTOH, they can always publish pre-movie novels, like about the adventures of the Kelvin, or a new Starfleed Academy series, whatever. The possibilities are wide here, and till Nero’s show-up, the canon is already known.
I’d particularly like a novel(s) set in the Federation, Earth in particular, and which would (besides some main plot line) show how the destruction of Kelvin influenced the Federation and Starfleet (like the advance of technology, larger ships etc), which would explain at least some of the differences between the prime and alternate timetines.

Wow – cant wait for this….Nick Meyer has written a book about TWOK and TUC
http://www.amazon.com/View-Bridge-Memories-Star-Hollywood/dp/067002130X?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243807608&sr=1-1

I’m surprised a Countdown novel isn’t on the cards. Maybe when Pocket Books get their novel series up to the same point. That said, they’re on the brink of 24th Century Trek becoming 25th Century and there’s a definite difference in perception where that’s concerned. It might only be a matter of a decade, but the knowledge that it’s a different century means there’ll be a different feel to anything that happens there!

It was never mentioned in ST09, but I assume Nero would have zapped the Hobus star with Red Matter after escaping Rura Penthe and before taking out Vulcan!

# 27
Nero can’t have done that. He has no Red Matter until Spock arrived in the alternate 23rd century (shortly before Vulcan is attacked by Nero). The Hobus star still exists and will go Hyper-Nova in 2387. Romulus will die another time and this time there is no Vulcan where anyone could get some Red Matter from.

28-

Yeah,

Nero isn’t the brightest baddie. But then again, he is a “simple miner,” by his own admission. Though I’m kind of glad he’s just a dumb thug and not the clever, suave Trek villians (Khan, Chang, Dukat, etc.) we usually see. It creates a different dynamic.

#23 – I think in the case of the new timeline, the sky’s the limit so to speak, and there’s going to be no TNG era stories set in it. Remember, the TOS – TNG – DS9 – VOY universe still exists as they’ve presented it. The Alternate Timeline (Neroverse? ALT? What to call it in short?) is in realtime, if you’ll allow the stretch. We don’t know what’ll happen in the TNG era because its’ still 80 or so odd years in the future.

So one can continue to read the TNG/etc universe stories as they’re set in the TOS original timeline. To oversimplify, the ALT universe is unto itself.

And the TOS novels I read — just finished “The Rings of Tautee”, which read like a really good original-5-year-mission episode — are still part of the TOS original (ORG?) timeline.

#19 :: “The Romulan War” is the sequel to “The Good That Men Do” and “Kobayashi Maru”, and will begin the actual Romulan War. It’s an ENT-era novel, taking place probably… I’d bet a year after the events in “Demons” and “Terra Prime”, but way before “These Are the Voyages…”. It takes a different perspective on Cmdr. “Trip” Tucker’s “death” (which was about as bad as Tasha Yar’s) in the series finale. It helps to read the first two books before jumping into TRW. :3

I think it would be interesting to start a series of books set in the alternate timeline. Really, everything could change. Some people could not have even been born, starships never created, First Contacts never acheived… There are so many places to go with this!

I haven’t read a new-ish Trek book in years, and so a little more context for the first review here would have been appreciated. I can quote you full paragraphs from Diane Duane or Vonda McIntyre Trek books, but “Post-Borg Disaster…” wha? I’m assuming that this is post-Nemesis, but a little more background would be nice.
(Glad to see print reviews, though.) Thanks.

#32, the trek fiction world has come on so much that it’s almost hard to explain at this point :-) I think that if you want to catch up, read the Destiny series – they really set one up for the current story arc, which is a bit like jumping into DS9 in the middle of their final two series.

The big gripe I’ve got about the new books is that, apart from a Titan book I just read, there’s very little old star trek, ala TNG episodes. It’s all about war and such.

Also, the character development is really flat in places. Star Trek writers seem to have a current fascination with characters “making love”, kind of the way schoolkids look at it when they’re first introduced to personal relationship and sex ed classes.