Star Trek: Discovery: Die Standing
by John Jackson Miller
Synopsis:
No one in the history of histories has lost more than Philippa Georgiou, ruler of the Terran Empire. Forced to take refuge in the Federation’s universe, she bides her time until Section 31, a rogue spy force within Starfleet, offers her a chance to work as their agent. She has no intention of serving under anyone else, of course; her only interest is escape.
But when a young Trill, Emony Dax, discovers a powerful interstellar menace, Georgiou recognizes it as a superweapon that escaped her grasp in her own universe. Escorted by a team sent by an untrusting Federation to watch over her, the emperor journeys to a region forbidden to travelers. But will what she finds there end the threat—or give “Agent Georgiou” the means to create her old empire anew?
Review:
Emperor Georgiou from the Mirror Universe is a fantastically complex character in Discovery. She’s ruthless and unexpected – perfect for Section 31. This is one of her adventures while working with Section 31, set in between the 1st and 2nd seasons of Discovery.
This mission involves Georgiou, Emony Dax (a precursor of Jadzia and Ezri), and Sean Finnegan (shown briefly in the Original Series episode “Shore Leave”). Emony Dax has a secret to keep, but has altruistic motives. Sean is a bit unbalanced and provides a bit of humor to the story.
This standalone story is a lot of fun. Full of intrigue, suspense, new and unique aliens, and vivid characters – this was a fast-paced novel that was hard to put down. And the wonderfully-written Emony Dax made me want to go re-read The Lives of Dax, which is a collection of short stories from the lives of Dax, including Emony’s earlier career. This is a must-read for Georgiou fans. She is thrilling, oozes dark humor, and you can never predict what she’ll do. And I hope to see more of Georgiou’s escapades during her short time with Section 31.