A Good Day To Die (Book I)
Honor Bound (Book II)
Star Trek IKS Gorkon Series
By Keith R A DeCandido

   The IKS Gorkon has been sent, along with several other ships, by Chancellor Martok to chart a new area of space. Captain Klag and several others have just been inducted into the prestigious Order of the Bat’leth, a society devoted to the teachings of Kahless and hope to bring the empire back to the path of honor under Kahless’ clone. Planets conquered by the Klingons cannot hope for a great future, but the one the Gorkon finds is rather an exception. The native inhabitants--the wolflike San-Tarah--are such fearsome warriors the crew is impressed. Several contests are staged and the winner will leave the other in peace…but will the other ships in the fleet feel like leaving the mineral-rich planet if they lose?

   I confess to being impressed that DeCandido has fulfilled his promise of delivering a new strain of tales set aboard a Klingon ship. There are no Federation people apart from Worf in a brief cameo appearance in sight. He has managed to fill two volumes (albeit not very thick ones) with what is chiefly a linear story--no mean feat for anybody. Throughout, there is plenty of action, both on board ships and down on the planet, and we get to see the Klingon empire divided as to Kahless’ philosophy of honor at all costs. I’ve read Star Trek stories with more plot strands, but this is not everything, and DeCandido introduces the reader to some engaging new characters (and a few old ones) and by the end of the books I was looking forward to reading more of the IKS Gorkon’s adventures. This is a stirring brew of conflicting notions of honor, thrilling set scenes and somehow those Klingons always steal the show anyway, don’t they? More please.