From: andy@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Andrew Hackard)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: Drew's Spoile Review: _Imzadi_
Summary: A short piece which hits the high points of a longer one.
Keywords: troi riker sex violence fencing...oops
Date: 23 Jul 92 13:39:35 GMT
Followup-To: rec.arts.startrek.current
Organization: Leapers For a Better Yesterday

[This post contains SPOILERS for the Star Trek:TNG novel _Imzadi_, by Peter
A. David.  Those of you not wishing to have advance knowledge of this book
should make haste to the exits.]



Wow.



WOW.



*   *             *
*   *             *
* * *  **  * * *  *
* * * *  * * * *
 * *   **   * *   *
 ******         **
*      *****      *
 **         ******

OK, so I liked it. :)

Now, I'm not one to blindly gush praise for PAD's novels. (Well OK, so I am.
But pretend I'm not.) However, _Imzadi_ is excellent.  He believably extends
the Federation some 40 years into the future, where Riker is an Admiral
(largely through courtesy, not merit), Data is a Commodore (!) [have we EVER
seen a Commodore on-screen in TNG?], and everyone's favorite annoying ensign
is a starship captain. [To my dying breath, I will claim that the silliest 
thing they ever did with Wes was put him on the command track; he's a far 
better engineer than a leader of men, IMO.  But anyway.]

Some friends who have read the novel have a problem with the center section,
where we find out how Will and Deanna met and fell in love.  I don't see it.
I liked it a lot.  Maybe I'm just a romantic at heart.  In any case, there 
were few characterization problems, and certainly none that ruined my 
enjoyment of the novel. (Although...Roger, are you REALLY that good a soldier?
:) )

Buy this book.  It's worth having in hardback.

Some minor notes:

o  I missed the first mention of "Commodore Data" and automatically read 
   "Commander Data" instead...I was all set to flame Peter for having Data use
   contractions and for calling his uniform green when I realized this was
   40-odd years later.  Oops.  You caught me.

o  My favorite line was NOT "Traction." (I haven't decided what it is; I'm 
   just being obstinate. :) )

o  Nice time travel paradices (paradox, paradicis...oh, never mind).  In a
   related vein, nice flyleaf picture of the Tardis.  Peter's in it, too.

o  I did notice one continuity error: the stardate is incorrect for the first
   meeting of Will and Deanna aboard the big E. (It should be 41xxx.x; anyone
   with EaF on tape care to check for me?)

o  As usual, great job on slipping little references to past episodes in there,
   Peter.  All the way up to TFD and maybe some I missed; I'm impressed.

o  The usual running gags are there, too, and they're funny as ever. ("No, I
   was only joking.")

Again...buy this one.  Support the "Feed the Girls" fund.  And keep the
hankies handy.

  
-- 
| Andrew Hackard IS andy@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu |   The ecologist dream ticket:   |
+-------------------------------------------+  Dan Quayle and Papa Smurf '92  |
| I *wish* UT would let me speak for them.  | "Yellow and blue make green..." |
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