"A Time for War, a Time for Peace"
by Keith R.A. DeCandido

The eagerly-anticipated finale to the critically acclaimed A Time To... miniseries is Keith R.A. DeCandido's A Time for War, a Time for Peace -- and, like most of DeCandido's many Trek works, it goes above and beyond all expectations.

From start to end, War/Peace is a fascinating and thrilling look at the Federation, the Enterprise, and the family that fans have followed for so many years. But most importantly, it looks at how that family was finally broken up.

With some of the most powerful people in the UFP removed from their posts after the recent crisis on Tezwa, a presidential election is to be held; whilst Starfleet representatives, who all have connections to the Star Trek: The Next Generation crew, carry out a meticulously thorough and potentially damaging inspection of the Enterprise-E. And as if that wasn't problematic enough, Riker and Troi finally work on their wedding plans, only to be interrupted by the control-addicted eccentric, Lwaxana Troi.

Any ST:TNG fan worth their credit chips will know the fates of the characters here, so it's great news that DeCandido's book is an essential one for the journey, too: the preparation for the long-awaited Riker/Troi wedding that didn't receive nearly enough screentime in Nemesis is great fun in particular, bringing favorite characters back and explaining the absences and changes in others. The fantastic Christine Vale is given some amazing stuff in War/Peace, and her plot is one that's particularly engaging right up until the final cliffhanger.

Certainly one to read again, and a novel that will be a perfect starter for the upcoming post-Nemesis TNG and Titan series. More valuable even than latinum!