Review: 'Star Trek: Echoes in Eternity" by David Mack

I feel disheartened by how the "powers that be" have orchestrated the 60th Anniversary of Star Trek. The celebration has been lackluster at best, but one half-shining beacon amid this cosmic dusk is David Mack's latest novel for Gallery Books, Star Trek: Echoes of Eternity. Mack isn’t a novice in the Star Trek realm; he’s carved out a respectable niche, and I genuinely hope this isn’t his last sojourn into the Trek universe. He stands out as one of the better modern Trek writers, though I hesitate to call him the best.

Why do I reserve that honor? Mack has a penchant for indulging in Trek techno-babble, occasionally meandering into hard science fiction territories. At times, it feels as if I’ve slipped into a different franchise altogether, leaving me grappling with the unsettling sense of having read something intended for an audience with a PhD in astrophysics. Still, there’s an undeniable creativity in his plots, complex enough to hold my attention without descending into the abyss of incomprehensibility.

There’s an alarming trend in recent Star Trek novels: the rampant overuse of multiple timelines and settings. My disdain for this narrative device runs deep, unless, of course, the author has a damn good reason. Enter Echoes of Eternity. When I discovered it was set in three distinct eras, I braced for the chaos of back-and-forth timelines. However, to my surprise, Mack organizes the novel into three coherent sections. Part One, 2266: The Valley of Dying Stars, swings into action following the classic Enterprise clash against a cloaked Romulan bird-of-prey in the unforgettable TOS episode, Balance of Terror. Part Two, 2277: Death’s Dream Kingdom, captures the end of James Kirk’s second five-year mission aboard the newly refit Motion Picture-era Enterprise, while Part Three, 2292: The Memory of Time, unfolds aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701-A, set six years past Kirk’s son David’s death and one year before the assassination of Klingon Chancellor Gorkon from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. All three eras orbit the desolate KX-1, a mysterious world accessible only during brief intervals across years, caught in the gravitational embrace of two black holes. Thus, Kirk and his crew stumble upon a derelict starship, a quest tangled with urgency as Romulans close in to lay claim to its secrets.

Yet not all is stellar in this tapestry of time. Enter Commander Tovek, a Romulan “nepo-baby” commanding the bird-of-prey Hastakel in Part One, who gets stripped of his command post-battle, only to be whisked into the shadowy embrace of the Tal Shiar in Part Two. Tovek’s arc drags the plot into a cosmic mire; his character and numerous subplots are suffocatingly dull. Perhaps it’s simply me, but Tovek’s name rings a little too much like the Vulcan "Tuvok" from Star Trek: Voyager.

Then there’s Rao’s daughter, Saanvi, whose misguided intentions clash spectacularly with logic by Part Three. Her character borders on sheer stupidity, especially when clarity could have been but a conversation away with Kirk or Spock. Yes, Starfleet regulations dictate decorum, but if anyone should get a pass, it’s certainly Rao’s daughter. Alas, this conveniently keeps her in the plot to stir up chaos, though one can’t help but cringe at her decision-making process.

Ultimately, Star Trek: Echoes in Eternity presents a duality that dances between brilliance and muddled mediocrity. The storyline surrounding KX-1, rich with potential and spanning three decades, is a delight. Mack showcases his skill with engaging Trek vernacular and vivid descriptions that paint the backdrop beautifully. However, the characterization leaves something to be desired. Tovek and Saanvi feel like hollow vessels, walking clichés of nepotism that grow tiresome, their arcs dragging like a starship caught in a gravitational pull with no escape in sight.

This novel isn’t the worst that Star Trek has to offer; it would be unfair to dismiss it entirely. However, despite its engaging narrative, it suffers from uneven pacing. This serves as a reminder that even the stars can dim when the writing falls short, leaving us yearning for the brilliance of true Trek storytelling... if it still exists out there in the cosmos. ╌★★★✰✰

Please consider supporting future reviews on this blog by purchasing Star Trek: Echoes in Eternity in hardcover ^[*] or a Kindle eBook ^[*].

〜B.J. Burgess

Disclosure: I received a free review copy from the publisher. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. [*]