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Star Trek: The Brave And The Bold Book One/Two by Keith RA DeCandido
01/03/2003 . Source: Sue Davies 
pub: Pocket Books/Simon and Schuster. 292 page paperback. Price: £ 5.99 (UK), $ 6.99 (US) and $10.50 (CAN). ISBN: 0-7434-1922-7 and ISBN: 0-7434-1023-5. Buy from Amazon US - Buy from Amazon UK
nb: US titles may only be available from Amazon US, and UK titles from Amazon UK. check out website: www.simonsays.co.uk and www.startrek.com
A two-part 'Star Trek' universe adventure featuring the main characters from all the original TV series.
The immortal Malkus the Mighty looks undefeatable with four extremely powerful weapons or artefacts.
Each weapon has a distinctive power - one causes plague, one controls the weather, one has a death-ray and the final one allows mind control on a vast scale. Eventually, even he is brought down, but the weapons are impossible to destroy and are buried on outlying worlds to prevent their re-use.
Wishing to punish Malkus further the victors bury his consciousness with one of the weapons and so he begins the long wait until they are found again. Thousands of years later as the Alpha Quadrant is colonised the weapons are discovered one by one.
Captain Archer on one of his first missions is present at an archaeological dig that uncovers a Chronicle warning about the weapons. The general order placed on Starfleet's computer is triggered one hundred years later when someone with a grudge uncovers the first weapon and uses it to start a plague.
A certain Captain Kirk intervenes.
Again one hundred years later, Kira encounters the Bajoran terrorist Orta. Embittered by the years of conflict, Orta is already plotting to take over the starship Odyssey when he finds the next weapon that has a powerful death-ray. Killing both allies and enemies, Orta takes hostages to secure his aim of revenge on the Cardassians.
In the second novel, Tuvok infiltrates the Maquis following their discovery of one of the artefacts. The relationships formed go some way to explain how deep his cover is at the start of 'Voyager' and leaves a little bit of uncertainty about his loyalty to Starfleet.
The encounter between Spock and Worf in the final part of Book 2 is also well-crafted and the Klingon/Vulcan mind-meld is as inspired as the best TV episode.
There are four distinct sections making up two novels and linked by each artefact's discovery. As each weapon is uncovered there is a resolution of sorts and the mysterious Aidulac tries to intervene. She is also immortal and has been seeking out Malkus. Aidulac created the four weapons and wishes now to destroy them.
Keith DeCandido is steeped in the lore of 'Star Trek' and the populace of that universe sits comfortably in the narrative. The plot inventively draws many of the well-loved characters from the individual TV series into a story where they can interact with each other.
As a two-parter it probably could have been squeezed into one but that's what marketing is all about folks!
Sue Davies
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