S P O I L E R
I have been a big fan of the Gorkon series from the very beginning and had been looking forward to this book for a long time. It is the continuation of previous books but also a new beginning. Therefore, also people who never read a Gorkon book should have no trouble to start with this first Klingon Empire book. Throughout the book the author does a good job to refresh my memory but within the flow of the story. I was never bored when past events were mentioned. Often such flashbacks were combined with new events which made these parts more interesting or combined with humour.
The new series title Klingon Empire should be much more obvious especially to the casual book reader and Trek fan than Gorkon. It also reflects the much more comprehensive look at Klingon culture than just what is happening on one Klingon ship. I enjoyed this book very much and to me it is important that this new start of the series sells well. I want to point out again that fans who might think that this book is just about Klingon battles, narrow minded Klingon honour (like the Worf stories in late DS9) and male bonding are mostly wrong. Of course you find these aspects in “A Burning House” too but not within such limited clichés. Klingon Empire shows Klingons who are very much individuals. It also shows a wide variety of the complex society within the Klingon Empire, also some aspects that have never been explored before. Star Trek is about exploring new worlds and civilizations and I think “A Burning House” definitely does that. It often invites us human readers to think within Klingon values and compare them with ours. It is an excellent combination of action, character developments and a thought provoking look at the strengths but also the weaknesses of this alien culture.
“A Burning House” is not just building on previous Gorkon books but also certain TV episodes. One of them is the controversial DS9 episode “The Sons of Mogh” in which Kurn asked his brother Worf to kill him in a Klingon ritual because he couldn`t deal with his dishonour. Instead of doing that Kurn`s memory was wiped and he was given a new identity. Kurn was never asked. Bashir performed the operation on DS9 with the approval of Sisko and Dax. In essence, Kurn died in a death of personality operation (like the penalty for murder in the series Babylon 5) and was reborn as Rodek. Since that episode I wondered what would happen if the truth will be revealed.
For the most part, I am very happy with it how the author dealt with that part of the book. I just wonder why he seemed to have been so cautious not to criticize what happened. Worf was just saying that he did what he thought was best at that time. This is certainly true but I wasn`t satisfied. In hindsight, would Worf do something like this again? Is he sorry about the choice he made and not just because he lost his brother? Towards the end of the book Rodek`s conversation with Worf explained a lot why Kurn had reached such a bad state. I understand and I felt with Rodek but again, I felt that something was missing. I would have liked it to read if Rodek still felt it was right to ask his brother to kill him or if he despised what he became, being drunk and weak, unable to stand up for himself and fight against the dishonour imposed on him.
The discussion between Bashir and Ezri Dax about what happened was very interesting but again, it was a balancing act I found unsatisfactory. On one page it was mentioned that Kurn tried to kill himself on a number of occasions and the next page mentioned that the procedure was the only alternative to killing him. This leaves out the most important aspect, that Kurn was robbed of his own free will and that the procedure was forced on him. Nobody HAD to kill Kurn. This was about Kurn`s will to live or lack of it. I am still amazed and very disappointed that Dax suggested this procedure and am even more amazed and disappointed that Bashir committed this crime. I think it should also have been mentioned that Sisko supported this decision as well to do this operation on DS9. At least on Klingon territory, it would have been done according to Klingon law and maybe be more acceptable from that perspective. Me, as a human being, would still think this is wrong and even from the Klingon perspective, I think it would be more honourable to live and die as a warrior instead of asking someone else to kill you.
I expected some remorse on Bashir`s side, but nothing. The contrary, he first of all blamed Dax and Worf because they made such good arguments. This made him only more guilty in my book. I can understand that Klingons have trouble to understand the concept of mental health and there is no doubt in my mind that Kurn suffered from serious mental health issues. What Bashir, a human doctor, did to him is unforgivable. By the way, I indeed have trouble to see Ezri agreeing to the procedure. On the other hand, if someone had told me before “The Sons of Mogh” aired that Bashir would do something like that, I wouldn`t have thought him capable of it.
Putting that part of the Rodek story aside, I think KRAD handled the continuation very well. I was hoping that Rodek would stay on the Gorkon but I had the gut feeling from early on that this is not going to happen. I can understand very well that Rodek had trouble to deal with the sudden impact of discovering the truth and that it was easy for Dorrek to manipulate him. Klag`s reaction was very Klingon and although I very much feel for Rodek, I can understand his point of view. Nevertheless, I think he made a bad mistake by getting rid of him. His reaction and also that of most of his crew shows again that Klingons see mental health issues not as wounds, as invisible injuries that can be treated and healed but just dismissed Rodek as a traitor, a liability. I am sure, after the cruel lesson Rodek learned, he would have been even more loyal, an even better crew member than before and therefore getting rid of him is not only Rodek`s loss but his as well.
What I liked very much is that Rodek reacted very differently to when he was Kurn. He accepted the consequences of his actions, learn the lessons from what happened and move on with his life. One of my favourite scenes in the book is the good-bye scene between Rodek and Leskit. I always liked Leskit and he is also one of my favourite characters of this series. I am hoping, too, that Rodek will regain his honour. Well, in my book he never lost it but I mean in the eyes of other Klingons. Who knows, one day Klag might respect Rodek again. I would welcome that very much. I think the Rodek story is the most powerful, most moving part of the book and I hope Rodek will play an important part in future Klingon Empire books.
Speaking of Leskit, I also enjoyed his other appearances in the book very much. I love his great sense of humour and in general, I was happy for him. I am very pleased about his promotion but mainly that Leskit and Kurak finally managed to become a couple. I was very pleased for Kurak, too, keeping in mind the state she was in at the beginning of the Gorkon/Klingon Empire series. They should be an interesting couple, not only because of their contrasts but also because Kurak is the leader of her own house. Karreka, Leskit`s ex-wife and who has now a powerful position in the house his wife is leading, will add an interesting element, I am sure. There is a lot of potential here. I like it a lot.
It is interesting that also captain Klag now has a mate. B`Oraq has developed into a valuable voice of reason that has quite an influence on her captain. Both of them are certainly passionate people and I am curious how this relationship will develop. B`Oraq`s personal crusade to improve Klingon medicine was in many ways predictable but not in all. That Martok is fully supporting her shows among other things presented in this novel that he is one of the better Klingon leaders. B`Oraq`s frustrations were very understandable and I couldn`t help it, sometimes it was so bad that it was funny at the same time. At least thanks to B`Oraq`s stubbornness and persistence, there is a start. In the process she found allies but also gained enemies. How this will develop is another topic with a lot of potential.
Klag`s family problems were much less interesting to me than the other topics in the book. From the Klingon point of view, his brother got what he deserved and I see no reason to care what happens to his manipulative mother.
Something else: I think it should be mentioned in the next book what B`Oraq thinks about Rodek now. Is she agreeing with the decision her captain and mate made?
I have never been a fan of the TNG story dealing with the secret colony Worf discovered, the colony in which Toq grew up. Although I felt for Toq, in a way I was glad that this storyline is over and done with now. Ba`el is not a character I am keen on meeting again. I am no fan of childlike, overly innocent and naïve characters like this woman who very much behaved like an immature girl. I really hope she won`t become Worf`s next love interest! Her behaviour feels like an immature girlish crush, something I had little sympathy with. I am glad that Robin Lefler finally grew up in NF (at least she made progress) and I am not interested to read something like that again in Klingon Empire.
What I also enjoyed is to learn more about the more lower decks characters the series is focusing on, Leader Wol and her team. On that occasion it was interesting and also fun to read about the farming family. On another occasion it was interesting and at the same time depressing to read about one of the areas in the Empire that very much felt like a slum to me. Martok mentioned, if I remember correctly, how bad it is there. I am hoping he is doing something about it because allowing such worlds to deteriorate, such slums to develop, harms the overall Empire. At the same time, the part giving us some insights into the world of Klingon Opera was hilarious! I loved that.
The last chapter gives some interesting hints of things to come. I am looking forward to find out what Imperial Intelligence, what Lorgh is planning concerning Worf and Rodek. At the moment I can only hope that I will get the chance to meet these characters again.
I have been a big fan of the Gorkon series from the very beginning and had been looking forward to this book for a long time. It is the continuation of previous books but also a new beginning. Therefore, also people who never read a Gorkon book should have no trouble to start with this first Klingon Empire book. Throughout the book the author does a good job to refresh my memory but within the flow of the story. I was never bored when past events were mentioned. Often such flashbacks were combined with new events which made these parts more interesting or combined with humour.
The new series title Klingon Empire should be much more obvious especially to the casual book reader and Trek fan than Gorkon. It also reflects the much more comprehensive look at Klingon culture than just what is happening on one Klingon ship. I enjoyed this book very much and to me it is important that this new start of the series sells well. I want to point out again that fans who might think that this book is just about Klingon battles, narrow minded Klingon honour (like the Worf stories in late DS9) and male bonding are mostly wrong. Of course you find these aspects in “A Burning House” too but not within such limited clichés. Klingon Empire shows Klingons who are very much individuals. It also shows a wide variety of the complex society within the Klingon Empire, also some aspects that have never been explored before. Star Trek is about exploring new worlds and civilizations and I think “A Burning House” definitely does that. It often invites us human readers to think within Klingon values and compare them with ours. It is an excellent combination of action, character developments and a thought provoking look at the strengths but also the weaknesses of this alien culture.
“A Burning House” is not just building on previous Gorkon books but also certain TV episodes. One of them is the controversial DS9 episode “The Sons of Mogh” in which Kurn asked his brother Worf to kill him in a Klingon ritual because he couldn`t deal with his dishonour. Instead of doing that Kurn`s memory was wiped and he was given a new identity. Kurn was never asked. Bashir performed the operation on DS9 with the approval of Sisko and Dax. In essence, Kurn died in a death of personality operation (like the penalty for murder in the series Babylon 5) and was reborn as Rodek. Since that episode I wondered what would happen if the truth will be revealed.
For the most part, I am very happy with it how the author dealt with that part of the book. I just wonder why he seemed to have been so cautious not to criticize what happened. Worf was just saying that he did what he thought was best at that time. This is certainly true but I wasn`t satisfied. In hindsight, would Worf do something like this again? Is he sorry about the choice he made and not just because he lost his brother? Towards the end of the book Rodek`s conversation with Worf explained a lot why Kurn had reached such a bad state. I understand and I felt with Rodek but again, I felt that something was missing. I would have liked it to read if Rodek still felt it was right to ask his brother to kill him or if he despised what he became, being drunk and weak, unable to stand up for himself and fight against the dishonour imposed on him.
The discussion between Bashir and Ezri Dax about what happened was very interesting but again, it was a balancing act I found unsatisfactory. On one page it was mentioned that Kurn tried to kill himself on a number of occasions and the next page mentioned that the procedure was the only alternative to killing him. This leaves out the most important aspect, that Kurn was robbed of his own free will and that the procedure was forced on him. Nobody HAD to kill Kurn. This was about Kurn`s will to live or lack of it. I am still amazed and very disappointed that Dax suggested this procedure and am even more amazed and disappointed that Bashir committed this crime. I think it should also have been mentioned that Sisko supported this decision as well to do this operation on DS9. At least on Klingon territory, it would have been done according to Klingon law and maybe be more acceptable from that perspective. Me, as a human being, would still think this is wrong and even from the Klingon perspective, I think it would be more honourable to live and die as a warrior instead of asking someone else to kill you.
I expected some remorse on Bashir`s side, but nothing. The contrary, he first of all blamed Dax and Worf because they made such good arguments. This made him only more guilty in my book. I can understand that Klingons have trouble to understand the concept of mental health and there is no doubt in my mind that Kurn suffered from serious mental health issues. What Bashir, a human doctor, did to him is unforgivable. By the way, I indeed have trouble to see Ezri agreeing to the procedure. On the other hand, if someone had told me before “The Sons of Mogh” aired that Bashir would do something like that, I wouldn`t have thought him capable of it.
Putting that part of the Rodek story aside, I think KRAD handled the continuation very well. I was hoping that Rodek would stay on the Gorkon but I had the gut feeling from early on that this is not going to happen. I can understand very well that Rodek had trouble to deal with the sudden impact of discovering the truth and that it was easy for Dorrek to manipulate him. Klag`s reaction was very Klingon and although I very much feel for Rodek, I can understand his point of view. Nevertheless, I think he made a bad mistake by getting rid of him. His reaction and also that of most of his crew shows again that Klingons see mental health issues not as wounds, as invisible injuries that can be treated and healed but just dismissed Rodek as a traitor, a liability. I am sure, after the cruel lesson Rodek learned, he would have been even more loyal, an even better crew member than before and therefore getting rid of him is not only Rodek`s loss but his as well.
What I liked very much is that Rodek reacted very differently to when he was Kurn. He accepted the consequences of his actions, learn the lessons from what happened and move on with his life. One of my favourite scenes in the book is the good-bye scene between Rodek and Leskit. I always liked Leskit and he is also one of my favourite characters of this series. I am hoping, too, that Rodek will regain his honour. Well, in my book he never lost it but I mean in the eyes of other Klingons. Who knows, one day Klag might respect Rodek again. I would welcome that very much. I think the Rodek story is the most powerful, most moving part of the book and I hope Rodek will play an important part in future Klingon Empire books.
Speaking of Leskit, I also enjoyed his other appearances in the book very much. I love his great sense of humour and in general, I was happy for him. I am very pleased about his promotion but mainly that Leskit and Kurak finally managed to become a couple. I was very pleased for Kurak, too, keeping in mind the state she was in at the beginning of the Gorkon/Klingon Empire series. They should be an interesting couple, not only because of their contrasts but also because Kurak is the leader of her own house. Karreka, Leskit`s ex-wife and who has now a powerful position in the house his wife is leading, will add an interesting element, I am sure. There is a lot of potential here. I like it a lot.
It is interesting that also captain Klag now has a mate. B`Oraq has developed into a valuable voice of reason that has quite an influence on her captain. Both of them are certainly passionate people and I am curious how this relationship will develop. B`Oraq`s personal crusade to improve Klingon medicine was in many ways predictable but not in all. That Martok is fully supporting her shows among other things presented in this novel that he is one of the better Klingon leaders. B`Oraq`s frustrations were very understandable and I couldn`t help it, sometimes it was so bad that it was funny at the same time. At least thanks to B`Oraq`s stubbornness and persistence, there is a start. In the process she found allies but also gained enemies. How this will develop is another topic with a lot of potential.
Klag`s family problems were much less interesting to me than the other topics in the book. From the Klingon point of view, his brother got what he deserved and I see no reason to care what happens to his manipulative mother.
Something else: I think it should be mentioned in the next book what B`Oraq thinks about Rodek now. Is she agreeing with the decision her captain and mate made?
I have never been a fan of the TNG story dealing with the secret colony Worf discovered, the colony in which Toq grew up. Although I felt for Toq, in a way I was glad that this storyline is over and done with now. Ba`el is not a character I am keen on meeting again. I am no fan of childlike, overly innocent and naïve characters like this woman who very much behaved like an immature girl. I really hope she won`t become Worf`s next love interest! Her behaviour feels like an immature girlish crush, something I had little sympathy with. I am glad that Robin Lefler finally grew up in NF (at least she made progress) and I am not interested to read something like that again in Klingon Empire.
What I also enjoyed is to learn more about the more lower decks characters the series is focusing on, Leader Wol and her team. On that occasion it was interesting and also fun to read about the farming family. On another occasion it was interesting and at the same time depressing to read about one of the areas in the Empire that very much felt like a slum to me. Martok mentioned, if I remember correctly, how bad it is there. I am hoping he is doing something about it because allowing such worlds to deteriorate, such slums to develop, harms the overall Empire. At the same time, the part giving us some insights into the world of Klingon Opera was hilarious! I loved that.
The last chapter gives some interesting hints of things to come. I am looking forward to find out what Imperial Intelligence, what Lorgh is planning concerning Worf and Rodek. At the moment I can only hope that I will get the chance to meet these characters again.
) this book since I love KRAD's Klingon novels since Diplomatic Implausability. I look at it like this. Klag did take what happened to Kurn/Rodek into consideration. If he didn't, Klag would have killed him outright. On another note, the novel showed that Kurn/Rodek's foster father Noggra being killed by Klag's dishonored brother. As this novel came out, the actor who played Noggra, Robert DoQui died in real life.
