The Devil's Heart (Star Trek: The Next Generation) [Hardcover]

Carmen Carter (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Pocket Books (April 1993)
• ISBN-10: 067197758X
• ISBN-13: 978-0671977580
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A true trek story with a theatrical reading, April 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Devil's Heart (Star Trek: The Next Generation) [ABRIDGED] (Audio Cassette)

Well, for those who are into star trek this story is just perfect: vulcans, myths and action. For those who are not it still is due to a fantastic 'performance' by Gates McFadden. The story itself a fantastic one with some scifi violence included comes totally to life with its talented reader. It's worth listening to this audiobook wherever time allows to. And its always worth relistening.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars De Re Rubrica, June 16, 2005

By 

Christopher "chrysaetos" (Wengen-en-esprit) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Devil's Heart (Star Trek: The Next Generation) (Hardcover)

Carmen Carter advances the mysterious galactic voyages of our favorite Star Trek crew, not with an alien species, but with a beautiful gray rock that glows when held by the appointed one.

The Devil's Heart is a gem with a mission. It's powers are beyond comprehension, and it ends up in the hands of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. With what control does he wield the great power of Pagrashtak, the bloodstone, this Devil's Heart that can, and has, created and annihilated civilizations?

Pretty much nothing. Be prepared for a history lesson. Carter's tale isn't so much about what Picard does with the stone but, rather, how Picard learns, through an unrelenting amount of dreams, where the stone has come from, and its destiny. The cover of this book caught my attention: Picard with eyes glowing red. What a fantastic cover! Our beloved starship captain with powers not unlike what Riker once held as a gift from Q!

And, oh sure, Picard uses these powers, once. The possibilities of this book went straight down the drain. I find solace in reading adventures about our humble Federation crew, but this was not at all what I expected. Picard becomes neither demon nor saint, but somnambulist.

Fear not, for those of us who expect good writing get it anyway. Carter's sketches of Data's thought processes is so well-written that, if they still produce ST:TNG books, I hope she does one with Data as the lead. She writes every Enterprise character believably (nearly with the same internal descriptions as she does with Data), which is more than I can say about many other ST authors.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent quest, January 9, 2004

By 

R. Spottiswood (Western Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Devil's Heart (Star Trek: The Next Generation) (Hardcover)

This is a reverse quest in the tradition of the Lord of the Rings: Picard gains possession of an artefact that gives its wielder power over time, but will eventually betray him to his death, and every power in the Quadrant comes after the Enterprise to seize the artefact. In addition, we are shown how Trek ancient history has (supposedly) revolved around this artefact, including the rise and fall of the Iconians, Surak of Vulcan, the Romulan Empire, the Klingon Empire and the great plague on Andor. The tone of this book is quite sombre, but uniquely among Trek authors the book is still a very enjoyable read despite that. The quality of the writing is excellent. The descriptions and characterisations are very good, and the whole Enterprise cast has good roles in this. The book specific characters are well done also. There are many short sequences of people and action beyond the Enterprise and all are well done. The author captures the air of a truly epic quest, both in contemporary scope and through time. This is an excellent and thoroughly enjoyable book.