I liked it too. For the TrekLit being written at that particular time, it was quote good. And I think I've already mentioned that this was one of the books I upgraded to a used copy of the book club hardcover, and it's one on which I've even fitted a Mylar dust-jacket sleeve. I was about to make a comment about the whole "Internally Metered PULSE" drive thing, but when I looked, I realized that that groaner was from Diane Carey, in FF.
Seek and ye shall wish you never bothered (Star trek Seekers books 1 and 2) Don't piss off the little green men (Uncertain logic) Baby Daddy (Yesterday's Son) Can I have fries with that planet? (Before dishonor) Cardessia 90210 (The never ending sacrifice) Sorry Kirk you had to die (Engines of destiny) Can't we all just get along? (The Romulan war) Trip of a lifetime (All Romulan war novels)
I didn't care for it outside of some character bits, but at the time I was comparing it to the Mike W. Barr/David Ross version of Kirk's first mission on the Enterprise for DC's Star Trek Annual #1 was found the novel quite wanting in comparison. Maybe I'll give my copy another read someday. But as I recall, it doesn't really jibe with TOS in a lot of details -- McIntyre has Sulu starting as the Enterprise's helmsman instead of a physicist, for instance.
Lwaxana Troi, Barclay and Ro get together to play the new version of Battletoads! (Thinking Of You from The Sky's The Limit)
Racist paranoia grips an interspecies colony, after it becomes infected with Klingon AIDS. And the cure turns out to be in Klingon blood (but only Quch'Ha blood!). (The IDIC Epidemic)
Geekette almost saves the day . . . only to have the bad guys ruin it. Twice, with two different geekettes. (Hearts and Minds)
Ha!!!!!!!!! An eighteen-year incident in search of a protagonist they never find. (The Art of the Impossible) The Klingons versus the wolf people. (A Good Day to Die) The Klingons team up with the wolf people. (Honor Bound) Worf negotiates with the polar-bear people. (Diplomatic Implausibility) Author uses Gateways concept as feeble excuse to contrive a Jem'Hadar/Hirogen swordfight. (Demons of Air and Darkness) Author desperately tries to make people care about non-main-cast crews. (The Brave and the Bold) Action-packed multibook series ends with -- an inspection team and wedding planning? Really? (A Time for War, a Time for Peace) An entire book filled with people sitting in rooms talking to each other. (Articles of the Federation) Guy figures out the Typhon Pact is happening by having jam sessions on Ezri's ship. (A Singular Destiny)
Yak Yak Yak Yak Yak. (Tower of Babel) Okay, now here's how we do a really gripping war story: Skip over half of it. (ENT's Romulan War novels) "Foreheads suck!" "No, RIDGES suck!" (The Unhappy Ones) SOMEBODY WRITE THIS DAMMIT!!! (The sequel to Time for Yesterday)
We skip all the important stuff, to get to the dull part, then..after we recap some stuff...something actually happens. No one will really care in about a year. (The first book of The Fall...I forget its name...) Or, if by badly, you mean inaccurately... A rip roaring adventure full of action and beautiful character moments featuring the beloved cast of your favourite space station! Intrigue! Action! Mystery! A riveting plot you have never seen before, with the very future of the Federation in the balance! (The same book. None of these things are true of it.) For some others.... A bored doctor, gets in trouble, probably with the ex-Dominion powers involved, involved somewhere...and his current girlfriend again. There's a shootout, a last minute rescue, and at some point you will remember Metal Gear Solid or an eighties action film. Something will screw with characters just because...someone else will figure out where to go with it all later. (This is more than one book.)