The Left Hand of Destiny, Book 1 (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) (Mass Market Paperback)

by J. G. Hertzler (Author), Jeffrey Lang (Author) "The general dreamt..." (more)
Key Phrases: hooded warrior, hooded one, First City, Great Hall, Defense Force (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"The Klingon Empire is dying...and I think it deserves to die."

With those words, Lieutenant Ezri Dax propelled Lieutenant Commander Worf to the most fateful decision of his life -- to vanquish Klingon leader Gowron in honorable combat and install in his place a low-born, one-eyed soldier of the empire who might lead their people back to the path of honor.

Under the weighty mantle of chancellor, General Martok led the forces of the empire to victory in the final Allied assault against the Dominion. Now, with Worf at his side as the newly appointed Federation ambassador to Qo'noS, Martok at last is coming home, bringing with him the hope of a bright new future for his people.

But the new chancellor's triumphant return to the Klingon homeworld is met by treachery and upheaval. As the demons of the general's past rise up, so too does a usurper to the Imperial Throne, one who knows exactly how to crush Martok and all who stand with him -- and who won't be satisfied until they are ashes under the foundation of a new Klingon Empire.

About the Author
J.G. Hertzler is the actor who played the Klingon General Martok on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Jeffrey Lang's Star Trek books include the top sellers Section 31: Abyss and Star Trek The Next Generation: Immortal Coil.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 294 pages
• Publisher: Star Trek (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671784935
• ISBN-13: 978-0671784935
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #160,791 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #10 in

  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Media > Star Trek > Deep Space Nine

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ST-DS9: The Left Hand of Destiny: Book One, June 29, 2003

By	Joe Zika "Khemprof" (Cincinnati, Ohio) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Star Trek - Deep Space Nine: The Left Hand of Destiny: Book One written by J.G. Hertzler and Jeffrey Lang is a book about Klingons and their vengence. This book is a very well-written novel giving the reader a good look into one character known as General Martok. The character development is excellent starting out with a dream sequence and working its way to the set-up for book two.

I found this book to be an enjoyable read with plenty of action-adventure, mystery and intrigue... only Klingon style to keep the readers interest engrossed to the ending. If you like books about Klingons, and their ways of life, this is the book for you. You will love this book if for nothing else. As Martok returns to the Klingon homeworld things aren't as they should be and this is where the adventure kicks into full throttle and doesn't disappoint the reader.

There is great character development with General Martok and his life as a Klingon soldier, also, we get a glimpse into Martok's family both present and past. This is where the revenge takes off and doesn't end as Martok seeks to rectify the situation the only way he can... by himself. But, Martok has an ally on the planet in Lieutenant Commander Worf and together they take on Martok's bastard son who is in temporary control of the government and wants to see his father fail.

This is solid 5 star TREK adventure albeit Klingon style but nevertheless, this is a great look into one of the greatest war heros of the Klingon Empire... General Martok. Action-adventure is high, mystery and intrigue is high, readability excellent... this is an adventure that is told well, a must enjoyable read.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Klingon action!, October 5, 2003

By	"luckylynx" (La Mesa CA) - See all my reviews

Wouldn't it be great if the next Star Trek incarnation was a Klingon series, and the premier episode this story! This is great Klingon action. One of the best things I liked about it, the Klingon women get a lot more respect than on the past TV series. Besides the evil Gothmara, Martok's wife is much better written here than the TV script. On DS9, she was such a, LOL, how do you say "female targ" in klingonase? IThe novel is a two part, and the second one is great too. I deduct a point, because parts of it seem a copy of John Ford's "The Final Reflection", and others seem word for word out of Kat Ramo's "Citizen Of The Empire". Not that that would be a disappointment to true fans of the Klingons! I recommend this highly!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Empire of Ashes, July 31, 2003

By	David Roy (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

The Left Hand of Destiny: Book 1 is the first book of a two-part story about the new Klingon Chancellor, Martok. If you have seen Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, you have seen Martok as a general. At the end of the series, Martok was raised to Chancellor of the Klingon Empire. This is the story of his journey home from Deep Space Nine, and what awaits him when he gets there. It is very well-written for a first-time author and the book packs quite a punch for any Trek fan.

J.G. Hertzler played Martok on the television show, so you can tell that this story is near to his heart. Usually when an actor decides to write a book, it doesn't turn out to be very good. The success rate is a little better when the book is about the character they've played. Trek has a good track record in this, though. Andy Robinson wrote the wonderful Stitch in Time and Armin Shimmerman co-wrote The 34th Rule about his Ferengi character. Both of those books were wonderful.

Hertzler adds another one to the pile. If you're a Trek fan and an admirer of Martok, this is definitely the book for you. It is well-written (with a couple of missteps detailed below) and very interesting. It brings back many familiar characters from the television show, but none of them feel forced. They all serve a purpose and are appropriate for this story. Not only that, but Hertzler captures their characterization really well. I don't know if that's Lang's influence or if Hertzler picked it all up while being on the show, but there are no out of character moments in this book. Worf and his son Alexander are the most recognizable of the bunch, but characters from Martok's family also show up and are perfectly captured from the one episode that featured them. Emperor Kahless is almost a brand new character, since he didn't really get a lot of characterization in the one episode that featured him. In addition to that, he has changed a great deal since that time. He adds a bit of colour to everything.

The original characters are also interesting, though the villains are a bit one-note and moustache-twirling to suit my taste. There are very few scenes from their viewpoint, but it still felt a little off. The other main original character, Pharh the Ferengi, is priceless though. He provides a lot of the comic relief in the novel, but he's also an intelligent character. He's not like most Ferengi. While commerce and money are still everything to him, he's not as mercenary as most of the members of his race. Instead, he's a three dimensional character who is a joy to read about. The interaction between Martok and him not only adds to Martok's character but also makes the story more entertaining as a whole.

Of course, the tour de force is Martok himself. Hertzler shows that he truly understood the character he played on the show. Martok is deep, brooding, and hesitant to assume this role that has been thrust upon him. He loves his people and the Empire, but he does not see himself as the savior that they need. He feels he is simply a man, not a symbol. He would dearly love to put down the mantle of responsibility that he has been given when the usurper shows up, but he knows he can't. I could hear Hertzler's characteristic growl whenever Martok spoke in the book, and that's a tribute to the authors. The good thing about these Deep Space Nine books is that the characters can grow and change. We learn a lot about Martok in this book, even as he learns a lot about himself and his limits. We get a history for him that he never had on the show. I think it produced an even more well-rounded character (though he was wonderful in the show as well). Kudos to Hertzler for this one.

There are a couple of missteps that bring the level of the book down a little bit. These missteps are something any first-time author could do, though you would hope the editors would catch it. First, in a couple of scenes, characters appear (or at least they're thoughts do) even when they aren't actually in the scene. For example, a scene is told from Alexander's point of view, and there is one instance in that scene where we also get Martok's impressions of what's going on. He is watching the same thing from elsewhere, so we really shouldn't be getting his thoughts at this time. The fact that his name only appears once in the scene makes me think that the authors just lost track for a moment. Secondly, some of the action is just impossible as it's described. In one scene, one of the characters does a back-flip through somebody's legs. I had to do a double-take for a moment. These and other small problems plague the book and bring it down from a 5-star effort. All of them could have been fixed with a quick re-reading, and I would have thought Lang would know better.

Still, this is a wonderful book from a new writer. Book 2 sounds like a roller-coaster ride as well. I hope we get some more Martok stories from Hertzler in the future. If you're a DS9 fan, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.

David Roy