Star Trek: More Beautiful Than Death
by David Mack
Synopsis:
Captain James T. Kirk and the Enterprise crew escort Spock’s father, Ambassador Sarek of Vulcan, to a dilithium-rich planet called Akiron. They arrive to find this world under siege by creatures that some of the planet’s denizens believe are demons. Sarek orders Kirk to abandon the mission, but the young captain won’t turn his back on people in danger. After a harrowing encounter with the dark-energy “demons,” Kirk’s belief in a rational universe is challenged by a mystic who insists that it wasn’t coincidence that brought Kirk to Akiron, but the alien equivalent of a Karmic debt.
Meanwhile, aboard the Enterprise, Sarek’s young Vulcan aide L’Nel has a sinister agenda—and its chief objective appears to be the cold-blooded murder of Spock!
Review:
More Beautiful Than Death is a fast-paced, quick read. If you enjoyed the Kelvin timeline movies, this is a fantastic story from the alternate timeline. Mack does a great job of bringing the movie-version characters and distinguishing them from the Original Series counterparts. L’Nel is a wonderful, anger-inducing villain. And the mystery on Akiron is suspenseful and unique. I loved the fun, surprising twists along the way. With engaging characters and an exciting plot, I read this highly enjoyable book in just a couple sittings. The next in the series can’t come soon enough – as well as the next Trek book from David Mack as well.