I.K.S. Gorkon, Book 3: Enemy Territory (Star Trek) (Bk. 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Keith R. A. DeCandido (Author) "The salty taste of gagh blood filled Toq's tongue as he bit down on the serpent worm that wrigg1ed in his mouth..." (more)
Key Phrases: Captain Klag, Defense Force, Vor Ellis (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
For centuries, the Elabrej believed that they were alone in the universe, and that no sentient life existed outside their home star system. But their certainty is shattered when a controversial exploration vessel of their own making encounters - and fires upon - an alien ship. The aliens return fire and destroy them - and then come to Elabrej to investigate. Meanwhile the crew of the I.K.S. Gorkon, exploring the uncharted Kavrot sector, learn that their brother ship, the I.K.S. Kravokh, was attacked by an unknown alien vessel and subsequently destroyed it. After setting a course to investigate this new people, the Kravokh disappears - but a massive alien fleet is gathering at its last known location. Captain Klag must find out what happened to the Kravokh, and who this unknown foe of the Empire may be...

About the Author
Keith R.A. Decandido is a top genre author whose tie-in novels for Pocket include several Star Trek titles across all series as well as Buffy the Vampire Slayer novelizations. He is also known for his Star Trek: The Next Generation comicbook miniseries Perchance to Dream, and is the editor of several science-fiction and fantasy anthologies.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Star Trek (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416500146
• ISBN-13: 978-1416500148
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #470,823 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Alien aliens- a nice change, March 5, 2005

By	Brendan Moody "Rulan Allwine" (Providence, RI, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Like the Borg, the Klingons have long seemed to me to be among the most-overused alien races in Trek. The problem is exacerbated by the tendency of the televised product to treat the Klingons as one-note aliens, blathering about "honor!" and "loyalty!" and "a good day to die!" Such flat portrayals can only work for so long.

Fortunately, Keith R.A. DeCandido's I.K.S. Gorkon novels face no such flaws. His Klingons feel like real, fully-developed members of an alien race- an entertaining one. And in the latest entry, Enemy Territory, which is easily the best Gorkon book yet, he creates a new alien race, the Elabrej Hegemony, who are equally well-rendered.

One of the highlights of this ongoing series is the opportunity to watch the arcs of various characters, from chief engineer Kurak to squad leader Wol to Captain Klag. To see such continuity and change in a Star Trek story in an era when the televised product cultivates a bland sameness is especially rewarding.

The overall plotline of the book also features some surprises that the reader won't be expecting- DeCandido continues his penchant for killing off key characters, and another ongoing story reaches what may well be a major turning point. It'll be interesting to see how the promised fourth book in the saga plays out.

Coming as it does more than a year after the release of the most recent Gorkon book, this one is a little difficult to get into at first. The sheer amount of Klingon names is difficult to handle, as is the shifting membership of Wol's squad. However, the author does provide enough information to jog the reader's memory eventually, and by 1/3 of the way through everything was clear.

The standout aspect of Enemy Territory for me remains the presentation of these two societies, which are both alien and somehow familiar. The biological makeup of the Elabrej has a true strangeness that makes full use of the benefits of print, and their lack of cultural richness is almost bizarre, but the state of their political system and the various responses to it have a certain relevance in the modern world. And while the Klingons remain an aggressive, violent people (a truth brought home in a pair of rather graphic scenes), their similarities to humanity are clear, and one character's attitude to an old Klingon TV show provides a moment of fascinating insight.

Full of action and humor and rich with characterization, Enemy Territory is another strong installment in the thriving Star Trek fiction line. 4 stars, or 8.5/10.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enemy Territory, I.K.S. Gorkon Book 3, April 28, 2008

By	a.c. english - See all my reviews

Another good Star Trek book.
The Klingon language is used throughout, adding authenticity to the story.. The female characters actually are more important, with much stronger roles than usually seen in TV Trek.
The author has done a very good job not only with the Klingon race in describing it, and all their peculiarities, but also has rounded out an alien race that the Klingons have found. A race that firmly believes it is the only race in the galaxy, which of course leads to trouble between the two. This is the third book in this series and each seems to be better than the last.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is called creativity, February 4, 2009

By	ksk21 (Hyderabad, India) - See all my reviews

Leave it to Keith R.A. DeCandido to create an entirely new species and civilization that we have not seen before, that is unique in it's characteristics from everything else in Star Trek but still believable and weave in a very interesting story.

This story contains a civil war, mutiny, space battles, klingons, aliens, social commentary all in one beautiful and interesting story.

The story and the elabrej hegemony, so beautifully described and containing some disturbing similarities with some of our present day societies, make this a fantastic read. I thought the Books 1 & 2 were good, but the author matches those and, dare I say, overtakes them with this one.