Jedi Master Nate Lightray's Reviews > Zero Sum Game

I'm very torn on this book. On the one hand, it's David Mack doing what he does best, which is writing this pulp-throw-away fiction that is so much fun. He has come to stand out amongst his peers as a Star Trek writer. On the other hand, well, it's been mis-labeled. This is a Section 31 novel, and I was coming in thinking this was going to extend what we read when we read the Destiny Trilogy (which was so, so, so good). I like it, a lot, but was ready for more about the Typhon Pact.

I love that Mack brought back the Jack Pack. That group is lovably silly, in that '90s Star Trek way. I think this is something that Discovery is sorely missing, which is those random standalone episodes that advance other aspects of the ST universe. The surprise ending, which is truly a twist of the knife, was great. However, I really do miss the other characters of DS9. This is my favorite ST series, and I enjoy coming back to it when I can, but since so many of those characters have moved on since the end of the TV run, it feels like a hollow return.

I couldn't go any lower than 4 stars, since Mack is good at writing ST. However, and it may not be his fault, it feels like an empty version of the ST I know and love. Maybe I'll enjoy the Section 31 novels I have found, since I know exactly what I'm getting with those. Hopefully, the rest of the Typhon Pact books will deal with the politics of having a new enemy, and not just one small aspect of it.