Nerds That Geek Book Review - 'Star Trek: Destiny' #1 - 'Gods of Night'

Written by John Edward Betancourt

A great villain can make a big difference in the quality of a story and in some cases, the more vile and evil they are, the more they captivate us. The idea that something or someone so awful can exist is truly fascinating and in the Star Trek universe no villain fits the bill of evil 'perfection' better than the omnipotent Borg. They first appeared in The Next Generation and the impact of their arrival was felt throughout all aspects of the Trek franchise, especially TNG and Voyager.  

They were and continue to be a chilling nemesis for the Federation. Half man, half machine, united to a cause by one hive mind and hungry to assimilate new technology and cultures into their collective, but as the franchise continued on, the Borg lost their proverbial teeth, becoming more of a nuisance on Voyager than the death sentence they appeared to be on The Next Generation. Thankfully, the Borg are a force to be reckoned with once again, courtesy of author David Mack and his trilogy of novels: Star Trek Destiny.

The first book in the Destiny series; Gods of Night, takes place a little over a year after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis and unfortunately for the United Federation of Planets, the Borg have returned. Somehow, they have managed to evade all of Starfleet’s defenses and appear without warning before conducting devastating surgical strikes. The attacks are escalating, Starfleet’s casualties are mounting and other cultures in the Alpha and Beta quadrants are quickly being threatened. But as the Federation scrambles to repel the Borg once more, the discovery of the wreckage of the long lost U.S.S. Columbia, will set in motion a series of events that will bring together the past and the present and help decide the fate of the galaxy.

It is an epic and ambitious setup that David Mack has put together in this novel, and what makes the book so ambitious for starters, is the fact that it spans across several eras of the Trek universe, and also because it involves a slew of important captains/characters to help tell this sweeping tale. We are of course reunited with Picard and Riker and their respective ships the U.S.S. Enterprise and U.S.S. Titan but a few new captains appear here as well, and they are equally as important to the story. The final fate of Captain Erika Hernandez and the crew of the U.S.S. Columbia is a big part of this tale, and I simply cannot leave out the newly commissioned Captain Ezri Dax of Deep Space Nine fame as she takes the conn of the U.S.S. Aventine. 

If that seems like a lot of characters and stories to keep track of, it is. But David Mack handles it with ease, and makes it easy for the reader to follow along. There is a purpose for everything in this story and for assembling so many characters and it is difficult to discuss much more without unloading spoilers upon you. But know that the story is kept at a break neck pace, which for a setup novel, is an unexpected and pleasant surprise, and David does a phenomenal job of weaving a powerful tapestry here that feels like a Star Trek movie and there is also plenty of action and starship combat courtesy of the Borg. But the bottom line is; this is a good read that quickly reels you in and keeps you snared by giving us spot on characterizations and by providing incredible tension, but most importantly this book sets up so many fascinating questions that you're compelled to pick up the next entry in the series to learn more and to see where this rich story will take you next...

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