Rate this book

Rough Beasts Of Empire (2010)

by David R. George III(Favorite Author)

3.54 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

1439160813 (ISBN13: 9781439160817)

languge

English

genre

Science Fiction

publisher

Star Trek

series

Star Trek: Typhon Pact

review 1: Rough Beasts of Empire, the third book in Star Trek's Typhon Pact series, really made me start questioning what the point of the Typhon Pact mini-series really is. The story deals with Spock on Romulus where he's still trying to reunite the Romulan and Vulcan societies and Ben Sisko who decides to leave his family (!) and re-enlists with Starfleet.Both stories fail to work. The Romulan political intrigue is dull, plodding and clichéd. There is backstabbing, backroom dealing and infighting on such a level that the reader starts to wonder how the Romulan government is supposed to function in the first place. Nowhere does it become interesting or exciting and when the story has come to a close a lot of interesting development regarding the Romulans from previous books has be... moreen undone.The Sisko storyline is just terrible. Some reviewers on Goodreads have called it outright character assasination and I can't disagree. Weirdly this part of the book almost stands alone since Sisko's story almost never intersects with the main plot. In the book, Sisko goes through some profound changes and these changes make him unlikeable in the extreme. Sisko never was my favorite Trek character but I can imagine what DS9 fans made of the story. I suspect that some might've ripped the pages out in pure frustration. As a reading experience, the novel also falls short. David George's story is dull and repetitive. There are pages and pages of exposition but no plot to drive the story forward. The story is so anemic, that Geroge throws in two flasback sequences that serve absolutely no purpose to the story whatsoever. In short, this story is a failure and makes me seriously question if I want to read the other Typhon Pact books. Especially the other two written by David George. Skip this one!
review 2: Not the best Typhon Pact book, and certainly not the best story. Spock serves as cypher and observer and Sisko could've been anyone in starfleet for all he did. The real meat of this book is the Romulan politics, which are delightful as usual. There's also a plot around the Tzenkethi, but while important, little time is given to fully develop. Essentially this novel is mostly setup...the Romulan parts are great and its a quick read, so give it a chance. less

Download links for: Rough Beasts of Empire

Advertising