My Enemy, My Ally [Paperback]

MY ENEMY MY ALLY on the other hand is okay. Just okay, in my opinion. Not Wow, Great or Amazing. Perhaps because it did not reveal much on how and why the Romulans think and behave they way they do. It does offer a brief glimpse of their political structure though. A structure based on cronyism, favours and mutual interests and not one based on merit. In other words, just like 20th century Earth! Also, author Diane Duane breathes life into the Romulan language which is perhaps far more taxing on the tounge than Klingon. D. Duane's talent has always been character development and it shows here.

The characterisations of the Kirk and co. are also spot on. The cunning Kirk, grouchy Bones, unflappable Spock. Its all there. There is a particularly amusing scene where the good Doctor beat Spock in 4D chess. The Vulcan was so surprised he almost showed an expression. Almost. The scenes featuring the Horta ensign were nicely written as well.

The plot itself comes in second after the interesting vignettes one gets to read in both the Romulan and Federation chapters. It is basically about an out of favour Romulan commander who decides to turn traitor because she is disgusted with the Empire's new secret project:- harnessing the mind powers of the Vulcans. Imagine a secretive race like the Romulans with strong almost psychic capabilities of the Vulcans. They could rule the Alpha quadrant in no time. With the help of Kirk, the Romulan commander intends to foil the project.

If you like Trek, you will no doubt like MY ENEMY MY ALLY. Its a quick fast read. If you have never read Trek but would like to start somewhere, this book is good place to start.

Once again, we are treated to the inner workings of the Starship Enterprise, and are priviliged to see how the main characters interact with each other when they are away from the Bridge. Each of the characters are treated as real people, with real backgrounds, interests and personalities -- something that the original TV seried was unable to demonstrate. It makes the book highly enjoyable, and interesting to both die hard Star Trek fans and those who may have never seen the original show.

Originally published back in the early eighties, this book established a completely different Romulan-Federation relationship than would ultimately unfold through Star Trek: The Next Generation. However, I find Ms. Duane's portrayal of the "Rihannsu" as she calls them to be every bit as dramatic, if not far more interesting and complicated. (Someone else must agree with me on that: recently, Ms. Duane has written two more novels that roughly serve as sequels to the action in this novel. If you want to read those, you'll really need to have this one first in order to follow the action!)

Looking for a real page turner, filled with twists and turns that will keep you guessing until almost the very end? This will fit your needs quite nicely.