Title: The Left Hand of Destiny, Books One and Two
Author: J.G. Hertzler and Jeffrey Lang
Review by Raul M.
of the DS9 Avatar eGroup
Hello, everyone. Back when J.K. Rowling's book Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was released, I attended a wedding reception that weekend, where I spotted two kids seated at separate tables, with their faces virtually buried in their own copies of that book. I couldn't help but grin at the sight, for two reasons: 1) Though I've not cared much for Harry Potter, I must admire how the series has motivated youngsters to keep up their reading skills; 2) The way those two kids were furiously devouring the book made me think of how I myself will likely be acting come November, as I'll be treating the release of the novel Unity like my own personal Harry Potter craze.
In the meantime, I've continued digging into other DS9 novels. In fact, I managed to finish reading the two-part story The Left Hand of Destiny in late July. Initially, the two novels had not caught my interest, as I've personally felt I can take only so much of the Klingons. But upon seeing the Relaunch logo on the covers, and learning that Ezri Dax would play an integral part in the narrative, I gave the story a try. Here's my review, and I tried to keep it as spoiler-free as possible:
The first book required a willingness on my part to stick to it because, if I remember correctly, I had to wait until the second book to finally see some participation by any major non-Klingon characters from DS9. Still, I appreciated the effort the authors invested in offering a believable exposition of Klingon sociology. I was also pleasantly surprised to see the story make use of the Hur'q, last mentioned in the DS9 episode "The Sword of Kahless." While I'd previously imagined the Gamma species as more sentient and less brutish, I must admit such characteristics would not have befitted creatures that could intimidate the Klingons and manage to steal the fabled sword in the first place.
I took some satisfaction out of perceiving, early on, how the usurper Morjod was playing the unwittingly puppet to his own mother, the scheming Gothmara. Their relationship came across to me like a morbid portrayal of the principle, "If the man is the head, the woman is the neck who can turn the head any way she wants" (to paraphrase a line from the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"). In contrast, Sirella wielded a far healthier and more constructive influence over her husband, Martok, alternately chiding and spurring him when the need arose. Their interaction gave testimony to a comment that Martok once made in a DS9 episode, comparing their marriage to combat.
The second book proved sheer joy, a present-day (relatively speaking) battle epic worthy of mythology. One scene involving Ezri Dax was such a thrilling, Arthurian moment. Speaking of which, I got some much-needed laughter out of the banter between Worf and Ezri, the two obviously still knowing how to push each other's buttons long after Jadzia's passing.
I enjoyed how the Kahless clone displayed character and substance, rather than remaining a token religious/political symbol. It was equally satisfying to see Worf's son Alexander manage to grow out of at least some of his awkwardness, becoming more self-confident with a bit of help from Kahless.
Pharh fascinated me more than any other character in the story, first of all because his nonconformity was a breath of fresh air for a Ferengi, and secondly because his name almost matches that of the town where I was born. Acting as Martok's sidekick, Pharh obviously could not suppress what could be considered innate Ferengi traits, such as his drive for acquisition, as well as his penchant for annoying Martok. But it also became clear to me that Pharh could not truly fit in among his kindred, and thus could never return to his homeworld. Perhaps, then, it was for the best that he found his place as he did among the Klingons. Evidently, that's what fate had specially destined for him, though it's a pity to think that we may not see the likes of him in future novels.
There was an equally sad yet romantic quality to the lengths that Sirella went for the sake of her husband's empire in the second book, after all she'd endured in the first book as a result of Martok's own
past. Even as I was reaching the end of the second book, I was still hoping that she'd...well, you know.
There's more I want to share, regarding what else I've been reading since I finished the Klingon story, but perhaps I'll save it for another post.
