Exiles (Star Trek: The Next Generation #14) by Howard Weinstein
Not a bad little TNG book. I rather enjoyed reading the story for the first 100 pages or so, then it got a little too predictable. Felt like Picard was a little out of character, with respect to his sense of humor and actions he was willing to take that jeopardized the entire crew. The story line for this book is:
For three centuries the people of Alaj and the people of Etolos have been bitter enemies. However, when crippling disasters strike both worlds, each planet becomes the others hope for survival.
With time running out, Captain Picard and his crew are called to negotiate a peaceful settlement and begin rescue efforts. But some factions would rather see both planets perish and will stop at nothing to prevent peace.
Soon the U.S.S. Enterprise™ crew is caught up in a web of intrigue and terrorism that culminates with an act of ultimate revenge against bother peoples – revenge that will meant he destruction of two worlds and the Enterprise!
It did a great job keeping the characters intact. I was able to vividly picture Captain Picard mouthing the orders of command, Data curiously questioning every metaphor, and Crusher and Troi adding their usual personality quirks with every word. The novel mostly deals with environmental issues and the preservation of animal species, both subjects still relevant. The story takes us to Alaj, a Federation member world that faces a disaster as it’s overly industrial culture is rendering the planet uninhabitable. The whole story line is interesting to say the least. I’d check it out if you get the change!
Fun little fact:
“The back of this novel bears a quote from Gene Roddenberry congratulating Howard Weinstein on a highly entertaining and socially relevant story” and “. . .Exiles became the only Star Trek novel to feature a cover quote from Gene Roddenberry”
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