Customer Reviews

A Burning House (Star Trek: Klingon Empire)

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What is amazing about Star Trek books is that just when you think everything has been exhausted in books about The Original Series or The Next Generation, a whole series of books can illuminate a portion of the Star Trek universe. "A Burning House" is the fourth book in a series about the adventures of the captain and crew of the I.K.S. Gorkon, a Klingon Defense Force ship, and as such is relatively peripheral to the rest of Star Trek. But all the books in the series have been fascinating.

This latest epic would seem to start on a weak premise, the Gorkon is being repaired at the Klingon home world, and we follow the adventures of various members of the crew during their leave. So there are four or five different stories playing out here, but rather than giving the impression of being unfocused, instead they illuminate a number of different aspects of Klingon life, and do converge in some ways.

Two of the stories take us to places we haven't seen before, the lives of rural farmers and urban poor Klingons. Not every Klingon is a warrior and these commoners have very different lives, and often very different values, than those we have experienced before.

One danger in Star Trek books is that if authors make major changes in the lives of key characters, following books have to include those changes. So they better be worthwhile. This book takes up the case Worf's brother Kurn, who willingly surrendered his memories and took a new identity in a episode of "Deep Space Nine", and who has figured in the earlier three Gorkon books in his new identity. In this volume he gradually recovers the identity of Kurn, and the treatment of that process not only works in with the Gorkon story, it also fits well into the development of the Star Trek universe.

The secret planet Carraya, which Worf visited in two episodes of "The Next Generation", also plays a key role in this book, as do some of the people Worf found there.

Perhaps the highlight is a look at the Federation embassy on Qo'noS, and Worf as ambassador. Plus there's a nice scene on Deep Space 9 where Kurn confronts Dr. Bashir about the operation that removed his memory.

This book moves the Star Trek canon and is a fun read. The previous Gorkon book was published three years ago. Hopefully, if enough people buy this one, we won't have to wait quite so long for the next.

I have always in the past viewed Klingons as ruthless, and extremely violent to such an extent that the violence is all-encompassing. Well, I have to say that I have changed my mind, as Keith DeCandido has written an excellent account of many of the crew members of the I.K.S. Gorkon as their ship is in orbit around the Klingon homeworld of Qo'noS undergoing repairs. These crew members, on leave, travel to various places and their activites really highlight Klingon society as a rational and compassionate civilization. Some are unpretentious farmers, some are higher ranking Klingon warriors, and some from the lowest ranks, all have great stories to share on leave.

I have to admit that when I bought this novel I did not realize that this is the fifth tale of the I.K.S. Gorkon, the first four were DIPLOMATIC IMPLAUSABILITY, A GOOD DAY TO DIE, HONOR BOUND, and ENEMY TERRITORY. I must find time to read them all!

KRAD has truly created the Klingon Culture. This is the most realistic Klingon story ever in book or TV form. The book is about the crew of the I.K.S Gorkon while on Leave on Qronos. the book fineshes some of the story lines while creating new ones. The storys in the book are great from Klag, Toq, Rodek and Wol plus more with apperance from Worf and Martok. If you love Klingons you need to get this book.

This recent book is a follow-up of sorts or an addition to I.K.S. Gorkon series of books: A Good Day To Die (2003), Honor Bound (2003), and Enemy Territory (2005) by the same author. Most would know that, but some may not.

Early STAR TREK: maybe producers felt these strange, rough, people just kept "clinging on" so the Klingons became permanent residents. Their dress and portrayal was very much uncertain in most early STAR TREK shows, with the Klingons looking much different, especially in costume, than now. But with this book, we are afforded as never before, a chance to meet and view these vibrant people up close as never before.

We see them collectively and individually, and not broken down into the aristocratic houses as usual, no, we see both the aristocrats who are officers in the defense force and those less elevated, the common folk as well. Or to paraphrase the book, both the "echelons of power" and the "lowest castes". We also get a chance to view their cities, with an eye on their architecture, while receiving a history lesson at the same time. One example, "most Klingon cities were built around a system of roads that could accomodate pedestrians and people astride a mount", we also see that some of their buildings while monumental, can also be small, and box like.

When viewing the various people of this book we are allowed a view of not only the military and political, but also the farmers with their smaller communities, learning also that many Vulcans live here as well. We see the Klingons and hear them in a more personal way than ever before: while the Klingons may value honor highly, wishing to die well, they also can love and laugh just as any other group of people. And as the book relates, though the Houses yet battle with one another, it is much tamer than in the past.

The Klingons have always been one of my favorites, and anyone else enjoying these Klingons as a race, or as individuals in their customs and beliefs, will need peruse this latest book on them. True in some spots the book meanders abit slowly, but at the same time, I have not enjoyed a STAR TREK book as much in a long time.

Included in this book is glossary of Klingon words and expressions as used by the author throughout his book, this not only adds 'fun' to the reading experience but also helps one understand the less than understandable present in the Klingon dialect.

Best in reading, and Qapla!

Semper Fi.

Well, this isn't your typical Klingon but its still fun. It is a little surprising that the publishers let him write a 400 page book about back story. The whole book is about shore leave for the Gorkon. There is the guy who tries to go home again, the beks that goes to the harvest festival, the doctor who no one listens to, and Klag trying to sort out his screwed up family. That last bit is the more interesting as it deals with Klag/Worf's brother and has a brief detour to DS9. All in all, its a good book and after four books I am starting to be able to keep track of all of the blasted characters on the Gorkon.

While others may have originated the Klingons and have written about them Keith's Klingon novels give a heart and soul to their culture. In his novels the characters come alive. No longer are they just sterotypes as has been the case in many of the Star Trek TV episodes. This book follows the crew of the Gorkon while on leave as their ship is repaired. This particular story is a character driven work that gives us more insite into our players and the workings of Klingon society. This is one of those stories you start reading and dont want to put down until you are finished. You really care about what happens to the characters as the story unfolds. What will become of Rodek? Will Worf once again find love? Will Klingon medicine really improve? Buy this book! Read it! Encourage others to do the same, they will not be disappointed.

Very good book. I loved the way the story told about Klingon every day life, politics and government, and there was still some action. This book was a new insight to the Star Trek world and worth the read for the dedicated Trekker.

Keith R.A. DeCandido brings fans of the IKS Gorkon series deep into the lives of Klingons in "A Burning House." Picking up after the events of the third IKS Gorkon novel ("Enemy Territory") left off, "Empire" finds Captain Klag and the crew of his Chancellor-class ship returning home for a bit of shore leave while the ship is being repaired.

It gives the reader a very unique look into the lives of an alien race that has almost always been seen as nothing more than barbaric, feudal warriors. From poverty to local celebrations, DeCandido covers it all. Sound boring, right? But as he always does, KRAD makes the story work.

He makes the story work by splitting up members of the Gorkon's crew and putting them into what might appear to be mundane situations. Of course, this is Qo'noS, so nothing is truly mundane.

Klag spends most of this story in the background until the last quarter of the book. His family problems are addressed once again (fans of the series know what I'm talking about already). The Gorkon's doctor, B'Oraq, faces her contemporaries at a Klingon medical summit where she defends her grafting of Klag's father's arm onto Klag's body. Members of the proud Fifteenth Squad are also placed into tough situations. G'joth visits his old community in the Kenta district, and finds that it isn't necessarily the same as he remembers. In his tale, we get a glimpse at poverty and the Klingon opera. Wol and Goran show us Klingon farm life when they accompany Kagak to his old home on Pheben III. Rodek seeks out a cure (or at least an explanation) for his dreams in which he recalls memories that shouldn't be his.

Klag's story is intertwined with Rodek's. In fact, Rodek's story is the meatiest of the bunch, revealing a number of secrets in the Klingon empire that include such recognizable characters as Worf, Dr. Bashir, and Ezri Dax. B'Oraq's tale is essentially a look into political power plays in Klingon culture. It includes a subplot that involves Leskit and Kurak. G'joth's adventure shows the relationship between the haves and the have-nots. Goran, Kagak, and Wol's story is primarily used as a light interlude between the tougher stories of Rodek and Klag.

Fans of the IKS Gorkon series will recognize all of these characters. Fans of Star Trek in general, in particular Deep Space Nine, will recognize many of the key characters in this book as well.

As always, DeCandido builds his characters with solid descriptions. It is very easy to visualize not only the characters who have made appearances on television, but those who have only appeared in the books as well.

Once again, Goran is my favorite despite have a somewhat smaller role in this book than he had in some of the others. Wol and G'joth stand out as well.

If you haven't read any of the other IKS Gorkon books, you'll be able to grasp most of what's going on by the end of the first few chapters. With just a few words, DeCandido catches up readers new and old alike on what happened before this book.

A Klingon dictionary is provided in the back of the book to give the reader a bit of assistance on the many Klingon words used in the book.

Overall, "A Burning House" is a wonderful addition to the Klingon world of KRAD. He has expanded and developed the Klingon culture to an extent not even touched upon by other authors or any of the television shows.

Highly recommended.

Even with the success of 2009's "Star Trek", I continue to believe that if the franchise had a future, it lay within the novels. This sentiment remains true. The novels continue to retain their respective advantages over the live-action episodes and films: no budgetary issues, no cast availability, etc. If Paramount returns to the television market, they should take a, heh, page or two from the novels, especially on one particular matter: shift away from the Starfleet/human-centric POV that's dominated the franchise for so long. Why not focus upon an entirely non-Starfleet or alien crew, as Pocket Books as has done with the I.K.S. Gorkon?

Introduced by Keith R.A. deCandido (KRAD) in his 2001 breakout novel "Diplomatic Implausibility", the Gorkon, like the Excalibur in "New Frontier", consisted of a combination of original characters and TNG/DS9 guest stars. They proved to be a hit and KRAD brought them back for the 2003 "The Brave and the Bold" duology before they got their own ongoing novel series. "A Burning House" is their fourth solo novel, though it has been rebranded for plot reasons as well as economic reasons.

This newest installment picks up about a month after the events of their last outing, the 2005 nobel "Enemy Territory". The damage inflicted by the Elabrej Hegemony has forced the Gorkon to return to the Q'on'os shipyards. As the ship undergoes the necessary repairs, the crew in turn takes some much needed R&R. One of the joys of the series is that it's given us not just the standard senior-crew POV, but also a grunt's eye view of the Klingon military courtesy of Leader Wol and the 15th Squad.

The Gorkon crewmember's shore leave is no different. While we get the expected perspective/interaction with the high offices and institutions of the Chancellorship and Imperial Intelligence, we're also treated to lower rungs of Klingon society, from a farming community to an opera company of all places. Along the way, the personal character arcs of both the senior staff and the 15th Squad continue to develop as subplots going all the way back to "Diplomatic Implausibility" finally come to a head.

Throughout it all, KRAD retains the usual sense of fun that marked the previous adventures coupled with an understanding of the familiar and original characters and the complex culture they inhabit. He also manages to continue, tie-in, or set-up elements of his previous novels. If you've enjoyed the series thus far, you'll love the newest installment. I only hope we don't have to wait another three years for the next outing of Captain Klag and his merry band.

This is an excellent installment to the I.K.S. Gorkon series, its a little bit softer then he other books, showing a more in depth look at how klingons behave when there not trying to kill you. It had tons of information but managed to keep me enthralled with an inticing plot. I would recommend this book to any trekkie.