The Devil's Heart

[Saratoga NX-3842]

I'm thinking about reading The Devil's Heart by Carmen Carter. What are people's thoughts on this?

Is it worth the read?

 

[Smiley]

It's one of the only TNG hardcovers that I have felt no desire to reread. Since I read it early in my Trekking days, any continuity references would have been lost on me, but I don't remember liking it as a TNG story.

 

[Dayton3]

Like most trek hardcovers, it is a disappointment.

Just a bigger disappointment than most.

 

[William Leisner]

I'm thinking about reading The Devil's Heart by Carmen Carter. What are people's thoughts on this?

Is it worth the read?

I enjoyed it, though it's been so long that I remember very little about it.

 

[greenmystik]

I was also thinking about reading this book as well. Did it ever come out in Mass Market form?

 

[Defcon]

With all the stories within the story it's a bit of a mixed bunch. But overall it's rather average in my opinion.

 

[HoundDog]

I read it some years ago. It is an interesting novel, but I think it just doesn't work that well as a Trek story. The TNG characters seemed a bit off.

 

[Geoff]

Did it ever come out in Mass Market form?

Yep.

 

[Trent Roman]

It's been ages since I read it, but I recall being seriously let down. The TNG part of the story is static, the 'history' of the heart scattershot, and as I recall there were some plotlines that essentially amounted to nothing. It took me several attempts to get through it.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I'm thinking about reading The Devil's Heart by Carmen Carter. What are people's thoughts on this? Is it worth the read?

I'm going to be different, and say, "Yes, it's worth reading."

It's atypical of its era, and that might be why some of the other posters are saying, "The Devil's Heart -- it's meh." If you enjoy the wider-focus storytelling that's the norm today, The Devil's Heart is much in that vein. Read at the time, though, in an era of "Planet of the Month" novels that could be read in a vacuum, it probably wasn't remembered fondly.

It's a quest story -- in retrospect, not too dissimilar to "The Chase" or "Gambit" -- but one in which the TNG characters aren't really center stage. Yes, the TNG plotline is what carries the novel forward, but the rest of the story -- the search for an Iconian artifact -- is where the real interest is.

I found the book interesting as, essentially, a Star Trekian Grail Quest. Not only does the history of the Devil's Heart in the novel support such a reading, but much of the story's plot parallels Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival.

I think The Devil's Heart is worthwhile.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Like most trek hardcovers, it is a disappointment.
Just a bigger disappointment than most.

I was reading all the ST hardcovers in order, as each was released. Being in Australia, I was often paying triple the cover price as American ST fans, when you factor in exchange rates and air freight.

My experience with "giant" MMPBs and the hardcovers, up till "The Devil's Heart", had been overwhelmingly positive. TDH was disappointing to me at the time - I wondered why it had been selected as a hardcover - but I've since read numerous reviews from people who loved its premise and scope, and saw so much more in it that I seemingly missed. Even Carmen Carter's comments makes me feel that I should give it another go. (But when will i ever find the time to re-read a ST book these days?)

 

[DarKush]

I liked it. I thought it was a nice, big sweeping TNG adventure. More epic than just about any TNG movie.

 

[SiorX]

I remember liking it, but thinking some of the of the writing in it was pretty dodgy. I recall being thrown right out of the story (and into fits of giggles) by images like Picard "pivoting" off the bridge.

 

[elaithin]

I think it's an absolutely brilliant book, exactly as Therin noted above - Star Trek's version of the Grail quest. I highly, highly recommend it.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I think it's an absolutely brilliant book, exactly as Therin noted above - Star Trek's version of the Grail quest.

Err, you mean "Allyn."

Ian -- Therin -- called it "disappointing."

 

[elaithin]

I think it's an absolutely brilliant book, exactly as Therin noted above - Star Trek's version of the Grail quest.

Err, you mean "Allyn."

Ian -- Therin -- called it "disappointing."

I did, I did.

That's what happens when one is up too damn early...

 

[Amaris]

It is, without a doubt, one of my most favorite Star Trek novels, right after Vendetta. Great book, great story.

J.

 

[Stevil2001]

I remember really liking it, though I'll admit it's been years and years and years.