Rating: Summary: Peter David's Latest Work is Out of Balance Review: Five years ago, I read the first IMZADI, and I was blown away by the raw intensity and emotion of the story and its characters. Now, the sequel has been released in which the author explores the relationship between Lt. Worf and Counselor Troi. Fans may recall that the two characters started an affair late into the seventh and final season. This book explores the relationship further, including an engagement that is interrupted by Romulans, Klingons, Cardassians, Betazoids, Humans... and just about everyone else. Even Troi doesn't think it's perfect, but in the absence of anyone else in the picture, especially her imzadi, Will Riker, and since Worf's son, Alexander, needs a mother figure, she accepts the proposal.I don't know about anyone else, but there are way too many factors that prevented me from enjoying or believing this romance, especially since Worf just lost Jadzia Dax on DS9. Too many factors that interfered with the "triangle" left me unsatisfied and full of questions. Why not Worf and Dax? Or Worf and K'Ehyler? Or Troi and Riker? The only rationale I can determine is revealed in the final chapter of the book, and without spoiling what happens, I can safely say that it is also the book's ONLY saving grace, a truly genuine and lovely moment for one character. Unfortunately, it's not enough to save this book from gratutitous sprinklings of Trek characters and bad guys, references to previous episodes and/or books, subplots, lessons, etc. I was so disappointed, I'm going back to reread the original IMZADI because that's the first and best of Peter David's work. Better luck next time.
Rating: Summary: A dream come true--almost Review: Since I am not a fan of the original series, I didn't understand the Guardian of Forever plot line in IMZADI but that book was mindblowing in it's insights on Will and Deanna's relationship. Their relationship became 3 dimensional to me and I am now a Riker/Troi fan to the nth degree (no pun intended). IMZADI II was a different perspective. I'm glad Worf realized that Deanna wasn't right for him. That whole Worf/Troi plot line was ill conceived to begin with but this book explored the love triangle in a humorous and heartrending way. Peter David writes in such a way that I could imagine the actors saying the lines--the whole book came alive in my mind as a movie. I felt like I was watching it on the big screen. If an author can capture your imagination and hold your attention with his gift of narration and knowledge of the characters, then the book was well worth the read. Fortunately, I didn't have to wait too long after reading IMZADI II to see "Insurrection" which seems to promise great things for Will and Deanna's future.
Rating: Summary: A very good read. Review: I for one enjoyed the book. A fascinating read. Although it is not as good as the first one but a definite purchase. I really like how Peter David explored the relationship between Worf and Deanna Troi. Something that wasn't truly explained in the TV series. The reason I gave it four stars (and it might be me just nit picking). There was reference to money or purchases of things on Earth. If anyone can correct me on this be my guest. But in the ST universe I had thought money and finances on earth was no more. I had thought people on earth gave up money for the pursuit of higher knowledge and to better man kind. There was no need for money because everything was plentiful on earth and that no one ever starved and had shelter for all. But that point is minor. It's a fantastic read with twist and turns. I for one could not put it down. I especially liked the last chapter about Worf in an emotional side I have never thought was capable (for a Klingon). I hate to admit it but it left me kind of choked up for the guy. That alone was worth getting this book. So pick it up.
Rating: Summary: VERY ENJOYABLE--Better Than the First Imzadi Review: This novel is about the brief romance between Worf & Deanna Troi and the causes of its dissolution. It also features Tom Riker (William Riker's double), Sela (Tasha's bitter Romulan daughter), Alexander (Worf's 3/4 Klingon son), and Lwaxana Troi (Deanna's "eccentric" Betazoid mother), among others. I love and watch the shows, but I won't claim to be an expert on the Star Trek universe. I've only read a handful of Star Trek novels, but chronological purity in a series never worries me anyway. That said, I really enjoyed this novel. And it wasn't because I was enamored of David's prose style. He has a habit of quantifying emotional states, with "somewhat mad" and "majorly upset" and "not particularly happy" etc. What I loved about this book was that it featured men probing their emotions and questioning their own inner lives. There was also a lot of action to keep the pace moving. Yet, much of the text consisted of conversation, keeping it firmly rooted in characterization. The nuances of Deanna's romance with Worf were more interesting to me than that of hers with Riker. Their differences kept the story crackling and alive. In the case of Worf & Deanna, there are the cross-cultural conflicts of custom and philosophy. There is also Alexander to be considered, a possible stepchild. For me, these elements were more interesting than whether Johnny Rocket/Riker would ever manage to appreciate Deanna and look beyond his ego long enough to commit to her. Riker is a woman's cheesy self-help book waiting to happen. I can't say I agree with the author's ultimate explanation of what true love is, but I certainly enjoyed the exploration, the journey getting there. Thanks, Mr. David.
Rating: Summary: Good. Amusing. Interesting. But not great. Review: I've always been a big fan of Peter David's writing, and I seem to recall saying of the first "Imzadi" novel something along the lines of, "In spite of the fact that I've never been that fond of these characters, the novel was wonderful; Peter David could make a recipe for tapioca interesting." I can't say that about this novel. I'm not entirely sure why; the style is unmistakably Peter David's usual style, which I've always maintained was the optimal style for a Star Trek novel: plenty of action, plenty of drama, but still managing to inject more than a bit of wry humor into the story. His style is reminiscent of some of the best episodes from the original series: "Trouble With Tribbles", "A Piece of the Action", "Shore Leave", "I, Mudd". This story fits that mold perfectly. Yet somehow, it just didn't connect. There are two possibilities as to "why": either there are some stories that just don't lend themselves to this style, that need to be told straight, without the sly and ironic bits of humor (can you see the third movie, "Search For Spock", being told in this style? I can't) or else his style simply gets tiresome if one is overexposed to it, and needs to be rationed. After all, the above-mentioned episodes were fun, but the series really wouldn't have been as good if ALL of the episodes were in that style. Perhaps I've just been reading too much of Mr. David's work, and need to cut back for a while. I don't think so, though. I'm inclined to believe the first explanation. There are some stories that simply do not lend themselves to humor. This was one of them.
Rating: Summary: Pleasing read but not as much as the first IMZADI..... Review: I love Peter David's writing style and always enjoy his TREK novels. His use of back history, humor and characterization make for a truly pleasing read. I always found the Deanna Troi/Worf relationship on the TV series to be not being very convincing so I was glad to see it resolved. I was surprised to see the return of Tom Riker and Sela because I found them to be useless characters but not the way they are written up in this story. David uses them extensively with much more personality than they have ever been portrayed with before. Other bits I enjoyed were the inclusion of Dickens' A Christmas Carol with Capt Picard (since Patrick Stewart played Scrooge on stage), the surprise appearance of another Deep Space 9 character (read the book if you want to know who it is!!) and Worf mourning his lost loves K'helyr and Jadzia. A good novel but not as great as the first IMZADI but then again a Peter David Trek adventure is always an excellent read.
Rating: Summary: VERY ENJOYABLE--Better Than the First Imzadi Review: This novel is about the brief romance between Worf & Deanna Troi and the causes of its dissolution. It also features Tom Riker (William Riker's double), Sela (Tasha's bitter Romulan daughter), Alexander (Worf's 3/4 Klingon son), and Lwaxana Troi (Deanna's "eccentric" Betazoid mother), among others. I love and watch the shows, but I won't claim to be an expert on the Star Trek universe. I've only read a handful of Star Trek novels, but chronological purity in a series never worries me anyway. That said, I really enjoyed this novel. And it wasn't because I was enamored of David's prose style. He has a habit of quantifying emotional states, with "somewhat mad" and "majorly upset" and "not particularly happy" etc. What I loved about this book was that it featured men probing their emotions and questioning their own inner lives. There was also a lot of action to keep the pace moving. Yet, much of the text consisted of conversation, keeping it firmly rooted in characterization. The nuances of Deanna's romance with Worf were more interesting to me than that of hers with Riker. Their differences kept the story crackling and alive. In the case of Worf & Deanna, there are the cross-cultural conflicts of custom and philosophy. There is also Alexander to be considered, a possible stepchild. For me, these elements were more interesting than whether Johnny Rocket/Riker would ever manage to appreciate Deanna and look beyond his ego long enough to commit to her. Riker is a woman's cheesy self-help book waiting to happen. I can't say I agree with the author's ultimate explanation of what true love is, but I certainly enjoyed the exploration, the journey getting there. Thanks, Mr. David.
Rating: Summary: Good. Amusing. Interesting. But not great. Review: I've always been a big fan of Peter David's writing, and I seem to recall saying of the first "Imzadi" novel something along the lines of, "In spite of the fact that I've never been that fond of these characters, the novel was wonderful; Peter David could make a recipe for tapioca interesting." I can't say that about this novel. I'm not entirely sure why; the style is unmistakably Peter David's usual style, which I've always maintained was the optimal style for a Star Trek novel: plenty of action, plenty of drama, but still managing to inject more than a bit of wry humor into the story. His style is reminiscent of some of the best episodes from the original series: "Trouble With Tribbles", "A Piece of the Action", "Shore Leave", "I, Mudd". This story fits that mold perfectly. Yet somehow, it just didn't connect. There are two possibilities as to "why": either there are some stories that just don't lend themselves to this style, that need to be told straight, without the sly and ironic bits of humor (can you see the third movie, "Search For Spock", being told in this style? I can't) or else his style simply gets tiresome if one is overexposed to it, and needs to be rationed. After all, the above-mentioned episodes were fun, but the series really wouldn't have been as good if ALL of the episodes were in that style. Perhaps I've just been reading too much of Mr. David's work, and need to cut back for a while. I don't think so, though. I'm inclined to believe the first explanation. There are some stories that simply do not lend themselves to humor. This was one of them.
Rating: Summary: The first Imzadi was by far better Review: I read Imzadi in one day, loving every bit of it. It was by far the best ST:TNG book I've read. And while Imzadi II captures the characters perfectly to their TV series portrayals.. the plot is disapointing, and the ending even more so. I found myself saying "What the heck?" and "You gotta be kidding me" at the ending. It was ridiculous and made Riker and Troi seem impulsive, indecisive, immature, selfish, when their relationship aboard the Enterprise (during the TV series) was much more secure and understood between them both than in this book. The ONLY part of the book I found thoughtful of the author was the part about Picard trying to get Will's "twin" back on the moral track by using a Dicken's book (which was actually a shape shifter..bad plot there). So 2 stars for the effort of trying to follow an amzing book, I would still read an Imzadi III in hopes it would live up to the first Imzadi.
Rating: Summary: ST-TNG: Triangle, Imzadi II Review: Star Trek-The Next Generation: Triangle, Imzadi II written by Peter David is a book devoted to the love triangle between Deanna Troi, William Riker and Worf. The book starts out with Worf holding his love and wife Jadzia Dax and bellowing into the heavens for her arrival. This book is one of the better Star Trek books in that, the author, Peter David does a really good job of character development and fills in a lot of loose threads, making the fabric of this book richly appointed. This book has three major characters and the interwoven plot that takes all three on an action-packed adventure, but also, an exploration into their relationship between themselves. As you know, the term Imzadi to the planet of Betazed means beloved and denotes a special affection, a closeness, a compassion that is only felt between two. As with all good stories, a love triangle can be fatal for one of the parties involved, but this isn't an Earth love triangle... it's far greater than just that. This love triangle is between Wolf a part Klingon/Human, Riker all human and Deanna Troi Betazed/Human. There are good storylines and the relationship between these three can get a little strained, but all in all, quite civil. Nevertheless, the narrative flows with relatively no incumberments. Fast paced and never lost for words, the author, makes this story come alive as you get genuine feeling for the characters. The resolution of this love triangle works out, but that is all I'm going to tell you about, the whole relationship and how it affects the characters... otherwise I'd reveal too much and it would not be a good read for you. Peter David caputures the character's personality and it is true to form with the Star Trek genre.
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