Customer Reviews

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Losing the Peace

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Losing the Peace continues the newfound tradition of rich character development and taking the time to delve into the intricacies of a situation rather than having an engineer rewire the ship with one button and solve the problem.

The latest TNG novel takes place between the events of the Destiny trilogy and the events of A Singular Destiny. So we're not finding out anything about the threat from the Typhon Pact. We are, however, delving deeply into the Federation's efforts to deal with the devastation wrought by the war with the Borg.

Among the larger picture, we see bits of Beverly Crusher's past which offer a surprising and pleasing amount of insight into her character. We see members of the Enterprise crew beginning to deal with the fallout of lost loved ones and a war torn home. In a personal favorite scene, Picard takes the time to apologize to Geordi for a horrendous lapse in judgement. It's also wonderful to see Worf being given his due as more than a growling Klingon that attacks everything as he settles into his role as first officer, fully drawing on years of experience on the Enterprise, DS9 and as an ambassador.

While I would have enjoyed more information on the Typhon Pact, I thoroughly enjoyed this Trek novel, which seemed to finally take the time to deal with the details and aftermath of events that so often seem to get glossed over in the Star Trek universe. While it may not move events along on a galactic scale, it certainly does on a character driven, personal scale and should be considered a must read.

Following the events in the Destiny Trilogy, the Federation is trying to pick up the pieces after the recent Borg invasion. Numerous people are dead, missing, or homeless. And while Dr. Beverly Crusher is asked to help with a relief effort, Captain Picard and the rest of the Enterprise crew must deal with a political nightmare.

The previous Star Trek installments have been very dark, dealing with the Borg invasion and the loss of so many. But thankfully, even in the midst of struggling for survival, there remains hope and an overall positive outlook that I've been missing.

Leisner has a firm grasp of the characters; Beverly's flashbacks are especially moving. And Chen has become a new favorite of mine with her family situation. I'm looking forward to seeing not only what the future holds for the Federation, but also with the individuals' lives aboard the Enterprise. Change is certainly the constant among the Enterprise crew since the Shinzon disaster.

While the action and adventure aren't the main focus in this story, it's more about the individuals and how the fallout has affected them and their families. But the story is never slow. In fact, it was a captivating and enjoyable read. Make sure to pick this one up, after you've read the Destiny Trilogy.

This Star Trek novel is an interesting aftermath novel. This is the sequel the 3 part Destiny trilogy. Capt Picard and the Enterprise crew are tasked with providing relief for a Federation that has been devastated by a Borg annihilation effort.

What I liked most: minor characters such as Donald Wheeler, Arandis, and Peggy are brought to life. You know that before the Borg invasion they probably considered 20th Century Earth akin to the Dark Ages. They are having to grapple with the lack of food, potable water, and even antibiotics. The novel also illustrates that idealism is easy in prosperity. Picard must contend with planetary governments that want to secede from the Federation or fence in refugees.

What needs to improve: it didn't go far enough. I know I'm spoiled by nuBSGBattlestar Galactica: The Complete Series [Blu-ray]The novel did not really show the very best or worst that could be brought out in these situations. The dilemmas seemed to be too tied up in neat little bows(daughter wants to reach out to estranged father, colonists are happy with new planet, rebellious planetary governor sees the light, etc...) To give credit the writer did come up with a problem at the end with the Typhon Pact. This was a good enough teaser to make you want to read any sequels.

I am on the fence with "Losing the Peace." It is the first 'The Next Generation' novel to follow 2008's big 'Destiny' trilogy. It, in a nutshell, deals with the Picard and crew dealing with the aftermath of the novel 'Star Trek: Lost Souls'. Off hand, it would help if you've read the 'Destiny' trilogy, and while not necessary, the novel 'A Singular Destiny'. The Federation, to say the least, has seen better days and things are not as we've been accustomed to through all the television shows and novels - things are outright bad for the Federation, even worse than they were during the Dominion War. This novel does well to craft a true 'The Next Generation' novel; you have a conflict, a planet (or planets) and people in distress, the Enterprise is in the middle and Picard must figure out how to play by the rules while saving the day. There's not really a lesson or moral to the story, but in the end, there's a feeling of optimism that many 'Next Generation' stories have lacked over the past few years. Until the Epilogue, which casts a dark shadow over things and hints that the situation is going to get worse for Picard and the Enterprise before they get better.

The Good: Unlike many recent 'Next Generation' novels, this one really tones down on the big battles, the action, the Borg and big looming end-of-the-world threats and focuses more on the characters and how they're coping with this changed universe. This is what I enjoyed most about the novel. After so many novels that seemed, to be frank, out-of-character for 'The Next Generation' and like some fan-boy's wet dream, this one seemed more down-to-earth, dealing with character reflections and issues easily to relate to that didn't seem far fetched or science-fiction. The start of the novel felt a lot like the episode 'Family', with the crew back on Earth, dealing with family, loss, change and trying to move forward. The character of Commander Miranda Kadohata also really got to shine in the spotlight, giving a unique perspective to those serving and honoring their duties while struggling with their family obligations. Surprisingly, this was also a big novel for revealing the past of Beverly Crusher, who finally stands out and is given a proper novel and storyline.

The Bad: The novel lost my attention half-way through. After the start, the plot feels as if it's meandering and wandering. The Picard/Enterprise plot is simply dull and unengaging, while the Crusher/Pacifica plot is far more interesting and unique. I'd rather the novel had been more about Beverly Crusher and the present situation revealing parts of her past that we haven't seen than to see the focus split and spread too thin. By the end, it felt as if the Crusher focus waned and fizzled just as it was getting interesting. At the start, I thought La Forge was also going to finally get a great development moment, but he also is lost in the shuffle. What bore me as well was the return of the plot point we've seen in TNG novels of the past 2-3 years: Picard thinks he's right, he does what he wants, defies orders and evades consequences. We've seen this in 'Insurrection.' We've read this in all of the 'A Time To...' novels, in addition to the past 3-4 TNG novels dealing with the Borg. Enough. The Pacifica plot started out somewhat interesting until it turned into a watered-down abbreviated version of Star Trek: Insurrection. Also, I did not like that one of the main TNG-relaunch characters are (apparently) written out far too soon, just as they are getting interesting. By the end of the novel, I went from being engaged in the plot to disappointed and let down by it.

In all, average novel. I'd give it 2.5 stars if I could. It's not bad, but it's not as great as many are making it out to be. Having read a great deal of 'Star Trek' fiction, including TNG, this novel, as with the previous ones, leaves me missing the old days. The quality of the novels have gone from being episdoe/tv worthy, gripping, 'i can't believe no one thought of this before' to simply feeling like fan-fiction gone horribly wrong. I miss the dynamic 'TNG' used to have, even in the novels. I'm tired of these plots attempting to make Picard out to be another Kirk, always defying rules and orders. I dislike the 'common man' characters like Chen and some of the Pacifica characters that, I think, are supposed to be down-to-earth and relatable but just come off as annoying and seem entirely out of place. "Losing the Peace", along with many other TNG novels, have made 'The Next Generation' feel more like a running joke or fan-fiction experiment than something truly attention grabbing and gripping. Buy at your own discretion.

After "The Best of Both Worlds" there was "Family" and after "Destiny" there was "Losing the Peace." Like the episode "Family", this book gave you the aftereffects of a monumental disaster. Full of ethical dilemmas, moments of intense loss, and moments of peaceful resolution. The book is what you would expect in the aftermath of war. It shouldn't be read without reading Destiny and though it isn't the most gripping, it is extremely memorable. The kind of soul stirring, thought provoking story that got you into Star Trek.

I see other reviewers have spared me the need to be wordy. That said, I loved the story, mainly because it contained a gritty realism that made perfect sense in the aftermath of the Borg invasion. Federation citizens living in refugee camps is not something you normally expect to read about in a Star Trek novel, and I appreciated the fact that the author was unfraid to tackle the kinds of problems the Federation HAD to have been experiencing after this invasion.

And, yes, well, I liked the P/C. Sue me. We never got it in the series; I'm glad we're finally getting it in the books!

And, yes, well, I got to meet the author at Shore Leave this year. He's very nice to his fans, *and* he autographed my book. That counts for me.

Oh, and yes, well, I liked the cover. I especially liked the look on Worf's face. Credit for "cover art" was given to John Blackford; "cover design" to Alan Dingman. Not sure why such a distinction, but kudos to both for whatever their contributions.

I don't usually leave reviews - in fact, this is the first review I've ever written for Amazon - but I'm writing this to counteract the completely unjustified one star review left by another fellow.

Losing the Peace and the Destiny trilogy are by far the best written of the TNG relaunch novels, which gives me great hope for the direction of the series. It seems The Powers That Be have learned from their earlier mistakes *cough cough, Resistance, Before Dishonor, Greater than the Sum cough cough** and are now paying greater attention to the quality of writing. Leisner, as well as being a capable writer, also displays a competent grasp of the characters, none of whom behave in bizarre or OOC ways, as was common in some of the earlier relaunch books. Picard in particular, I'm happy to report, is very much himself in this novel. I quite enjoyed seeing him happy and relaxed and eager to enjoy his life with his wife and soon-to-be-born son.

And speaking of Beverly Crusher, she finally gets her due after having been all but ignored in the 4 TNG feature films. She had a decent part in Resistance and Greater than the Sum, but here she gets a whole subplot to herself, and it's refreshing to see an author really delve into her history and explore her as a character. I would've rather read her musings about her unborn son and her relationship with Picard than flashbacks about Jack, however, since almost all of the novels that have dealt with their relationship and marriage have done so from Picard's POV.

The refugee camp scenes were very well done, and I'm glad Leisner had the courage to portray a less "perfect" side of the Trek universe. Trek's idealism has far too often come across as naive and childish, and Losing the Peace strikes a good balance between a hopeful vision of humanity's good nature and a realistic depiction of a universe in which, inevitably, tragedy and evil occurs. In tone, it resembles a mix of a character-driven episode like "Family" and the political bickering and grim realities of a DS9 episode.

I would recommend this book to any TNG fan, although you might want to read Destiny first, or else it might seem a bit confusing at first.

Losing the Peace by William Leisner is the follow-up book to David Mack's epic (and galaxy-changing) Destiny trilogy. Read that series before picking up this book.

Most of this book was very down and depressing. The refugee crisis is at the forefront of the novel, along with the associated political fighting. This is to be expected since numerous worlds were destroyed and billions were killed by the Borg.

For a while it seemed like the book would just be a compilation of bad things happening in the Federation, but around page 250 things start to pick up. Picard finds a plan to partially mitigate the political fallout, while Crusher and her team stay committed to doing what little they can to make a bad situation brighter. By the end I was no longer regretting starting a dark and dreary novel. In some ways this book is similar to Kirsten Beyer's Full Circle, which deals with the effects of Destiny through the Voyager crew.

After this book I skipped A Singular Destiny and jumped into Typhon Pact Book 1: Zero Sum Game. You don't need to read Losing the Peace to understand or enjoy Zero Sum Game. But, this book will give you more of a sense of closure with the tragedies of Destiny. The Federation is not a coalition of blissful, peaceful planets anymore.

I did have a few minor nit-picks. First, on the cover page, Picard and Worf have their rank pips on the wrong side of their collars. Second, the "Historian's Note" lists a date of 2361, which should actually be 2381 (immediately after the Destiny trilogy, not 20 years before it).

This book almost brought me to tears on a few occasions. It's very well-written, and deals with a lot of issues that Trek doesn't normally have to deal with - hunger, want, sorrow. A lot of the time, if I wished the author would deal with an event in a certain way, he did it that way or did it in a better way I hadn't even thought of. Fantastic read, overall, with just a few negatives as noted below.

Negatives - pretty sure the historian's note is just wrong (placing this post-Destiny story in 2361, 20 years or so after Enterprise-D launched, but Enterprise-D was launched in 2363); an unusual number of typos for a book (bad editing, I guess); and ends very abruptly with a too-happy ending that's a little contrived (everyone will be happy now!) after such a depressing but well-laid-out "this isn't going to be that easy" middle of the book.

I was generally bored by this book. I did find the back-story interesting about Dr. Crusher and her on-again, off-again involvement with Starfleet. I enjoyed some of the new characters, especially the emotionally-charged Vulcan female. Finally, the scope of the devastating aftermath of the Borg defeat and re-assimilation into the Caliear (sp?) collective makes for interesting reading at times. But overall I was not terribly interested while reading. There are probably other, better choices out there for those who are not die-hard Trek readers.