Considering how long the editors for the Trek book line planned out the arc that culminated in the “Destiny” trilogy, a rather ambitious “reboot” of the novel version of the Trek continuity, it’s good to see that the very next book managed to set the stage for the next big event. In fact, this book is all about weaving the fallout of the Borg invasion into the next big thing on a more personal level.
I can definitely see why this wasn’t received particularly well by the masses. This is very similar to “Articles of the Federation” in style, and that was a definitely “love it or hate it” novel. I, for one, loved that book, so the similarities were much appreciated. I’m a sucker for character, so after a massive trilogy focused mostly on plot and continuity, a character-driven novel hit the spot.
Sonek Pran is the main character, and he uses his political connections from involvement in previous administrations to grease the wheels with foreign powers when the cleanup from the Borg invasion starts to break down. Sonek is a bit of an insufferable character, a bit of a know-it-all, until it becomes clear that he comes from that classic literature mold of the “expert who can’t fix his personal relationships”. That humanizes Sonek just enough to keep him interesting.
This book actually made me think about the differences between the Star Wars and Star Trek novel lines. The Star Wars line has been fairly consistent, especially in recent years, with the intention of putting together a cohesive novel continuity. They extend the story in large chunks with an overreaching arc, usually building out of the previous event. But as the recent “Legacy of the Force” demonstrated, the writers seem to be caught in a bit of a rut. They’ve all but played out the reasonable opponents to struggle against, even if the books are still readable.
Star Trek, on the other hand, is blessed with more sources of conflict than one can count (which is ironic, if one thinks about it). Yet they’ve struggled the most when they try to introduce massive and transcendent enemies like the Borg. Those threats begin as overwhelming and awe-inspiring as a result, but over time, the only way to keep them at bay for any period of time is to weaken them, bringing them down to size. And in turn, that sense of awe is lost.
It’s far more interesting when the enemy is more subtle, more relatable from the beginning. That’s what makes the Typhon Pact so intriguing. It’s logical within the context of the Trek universe as a whole, and also logical in terms of the fallout of the Borg invasion. It actually reminds me of the best elements of the Dominion War. There’s a reason why “Deep Space Nine” was my favorite modern Trek series, and I see the same potential in the Typhon Pact.
As the novel that starts the ramp-up to the Typhon Pact, this sets the tone for something a little more political, a more little personal, and a lot more complicated than invasion by an overwhelming power. This is also a step away from overused villains like the Borg, which I personally wanted to see.
Rating: 8/10
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