The Left Hand of Destiny (Star Trek Book 2- Deep Space Nine) (Mass Market Paperback)

Martok, the new chancellor of the Klingon Empire, has been deposed and is on the run. The secret behind the usurper has been revealed to be a woman from Martok’s past, a woman who Martok spurned when she tried to get him to join her and her father in their genetic manipulation schemes. Using her genetic talents, she has reincarnated the Hur’q, the bane of the Klingon existence hundreds of years ago. Now that she and the usurper have gained control of the Empire, what’s next? Is there a more personal slant to all of this?

Ezri Dax goes on personal leave from space station Deep Space 9 in order to help, and finds herself caught in a the middle of a lot of Klingon claptrap that she spoke out against earlier. She does her duty to the Martok family anyway, aiding Worf and the crew of the Rotarran find an ancient Klingon weapon that will give Martok the power to wrest control of the Empire back from its thief.

Culminating in a final battle on the monastery planet Boreth, Martok’s victory or defeat will result in major changes to the Empire. Martok will have to win if he wants to guide the new Empire during its first baby steps. If he doesn’t, the Empire will crumble.

The writing in this book is almost better than the first book, as none of the mishaps that occurred in the first book present themselves. There are no continuity errors (whether Trek-related or internal) and the prose seems to be tightened considerably. The pacing at the start is very nice. However, when things get to Boreth, the book takes a major nosedive.

The main problem with the book is the overpowering mysticism. I do not have any problem with visions, dreams, fantasy figures, etc. There has always been a small mystic undercurrent in some Trek stories that doesn’t detract from them at all. However, this time it drags the book to a screeching halt as Martok has yet more visions. I have to admit I started losing track of things at this point, and just wanted the book to get moving again. This mainly becomes a problem on Boreth, as I have no problems with the few times it happens to Martok before.

The mysticism, combined with the seemingly endless battle on the snow-clad plains makes the last third of the book a real struggle to get through. Every time it seemed like the battle was going to end, something else happened to continue it. It got very monotonous very quickly, and turned me right off. The climax was is stunning yet a little too abrupt. After the monotony of the final sequence, the climax suddenly happens and then it’s over, with just a small epilogue taking place two months later. While the pacing of earlier sections of the book is fine, the pacing of the ending really stinks.

All is not lost, however. The fact that the television show is over gives Hertzler and Lang free reign with most of the characters, and some surprising fates await them. I liked the fact that, for the most part, the reader has no idea whether or not danger will be fatal for a character. It makes the book more suspenseful and it does help make the final battle a little more palatable. If none of the characters were in any danger, this sequence would have been even more boring. What’s even better is that the fates of the characters are logical and believable.

The characterization is still strong and is one of the high points of the book (and its predecessor). Martok has visibly grown into his role and he slowly begins to accept that he is what the Empire needs. Kahless, the cloned Klingon emperor, also comes full circle and realizes what his place is in Klingon society. Worf, Dax, and Worf’s son Alexander are also in character, and interesting characters to boot. The characterization of the villains isn’t quite as good, but it’s not as bad as the first book, where they were ciphers. There were a few “I’m so evil” moments, especially for the female villain, but they weren’t too bad. I found the usurper extremely dull, though. He gets more face-time in the book, but in this case it’s a bad thing. He rarely does anything but rant about his mother or Martok.

Pharh, though, is the breakthrough original character. He grows away from his Ferengi heritage of commerce and business to become a very well-rounded character, so much so that Martok comes to respect him as he never would any other Ferengi. Unfortunately, his is the one fate that is most predictable, but he’s still interesting to read about. While one would expect Hertzler to have Martok’s characterization down pat (since he played Martok on the show), it’s Pharh who shows that Hertzler is a very talented writer.

It’s just the pacing that needs work. If that improves, Hertzler will continue to be a fine Trek writer (assuming that’s what he wants to do). Still, this opening 2-book series is a wonderful step in the right direction and shows a lot of promise. I wish I knew who was responsible for what in the book, because if it’s Lang’s fault, I’ll apologize to Hertzler. The problems just strike me as “new-writer syndrome” that will hopefully go away in time. If you’re a DS9 fan, you owe it to yourself to check out these two books. Just try not to fall asleep getting to the end of the second one.

David Roy