Death in Winter - Star Trek Next Generation

Product Review

Long before Captain Jean-Luc Picard took command of the legendary Starship Enterprise,™ he fell deeply and hopelessly in love with Doctor Beverly Crusher. Though, for one reason or another, Picard never acted on his feelings, he found a measure of contentment as Beverly's close friend, colleague, and daily breakfast partner.

But when Doctor Crusher leaves her position on the Enterprise to become the chief medical officer of Starfleet, the brightest light in Picard's life is taken from him. And he has hardly resigned himself to his loss when he learns that Beverly has been declared missing in action on a distant planet -- and presumed dead.

Kevratas is a bleak, frozen world on the far side of the Romulan Neutral Zone where the Federation has become the plague-ravaged natives' only real hope of survival and freedom. Starfleet has no recourse but to send in another team to try to save the Kevrata -- and Picard is the natural choice. Critical to the success of his mission are two colleagues who served under him when he commanded the Starship Stargazer -- Pug Joseph, a man with a past to live down, and Doctor Carter Greyhorse, who has served time for attempted murder -- as well as a Romulan who left his people years earlier and never expected to return. Together, they follow the trail of Beverly Crusher to Kevratas, determined to succeed where the doctor failed.

On the Romulan homeworld, meanwhile, the political vacuum created by the demise of Praetor Shinzon has been filled by his staunchest supporter, Senator Tal'aura. But there are those who oppose her, including Commander Donatra and the warbird fleets under her command, because of the way Tal'aura has mishandled rebellions on the Empire's subject worlds.

And one rebellion in particular; the movement for self-determination on frigid Kevratas.

So begins a desperate struggle -- not only for the freedom of the long-oppressed Kevrata but also for the soul of the Romulan Empire. Before it's over, destinies will be forged and shattered, the Empire will be shaken to its ancient foundations, and Jean-Luc Picard's life will be changed...forever.

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review

(44 customer reviews)

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

It took you *this* long to do something, Picard?, December 3, 2005

David Roy (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death in Winter (Star Trek Next Generation (Unnumbered)) (Hardcover)

Star Trek fans' reactions to the last movie (Nemesis) were overwhelmingly negative (and the box office showed it). However, it has been the springboard to some wonderful Star Trek books (not to mention the fact that I, basically, enjoyed the movie anyway). The A Time to... book series, the Titan series, as well as the wonderful Articles of the Federation. But what happens to the Next Generation crew after the movie? Death in Winter, by Michael Jan Friedman, begins to answer that question. Whether it does it well is yet another question.

The Enterprise E is in drydock, being repaired after the horrible battle with Shinzon in Nemesis. But Captain Picard has more on his mind than just his ship. Doctor Beverly Crusher, the woman whom he has loved since he first met her when she was marrying his best friend Jack, has left her position on his ship and is now head of Starfleet Medical. He is pining, but he begins to pine even more when he is informed that she was on a...Read more

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful

Hmm, Well I Really Liked This, November 15, 2005

George Buttner "Agent0042" (Dayton, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death in Winter (Star Trek Next Generation (Unnumbered)) (Hardcover)

The story of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" continues in "Death in Winter." Michael Jan Friedman weaves a powerful and emotional tale of suspense, love and dedication.

As the Enterprise E is being retrofitted, Beverly Crusher has accepted once again the role of head of Starfleet Medical. Picard thinks he can with it, thinks he'll be okay --- after all, she's really not all that far away. But he finds himself longing for her and regretting what he's let slip away. Then, things all change when Beverly is declared lost, and possibly dead on a secret mission that Picard had no idea about.

Beverly had gone to help the people of Kevrata, a Romulan subject-world, find a cure for a plague that's afflicting them. It's something with which she's quite familiar, as the plague had affected the colony she lived in when she was young, but she managed to survive. But with the Kevratans and other of their subjects revolting, the Romulans want to see to it that the Kevratans do...Read more

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

Too much and not enough, October 11, 2005

B.A. Lopez "Dinda" (Galveston, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Death in Winter (Star Trek Next Generation (Unnumbered)) (Hardcover)

This book had more plot lines than three books and yet there were more gaps and a rushed ending that stole the drama of the final scene. Overall, the book left me wanting more. More TNG characters, more exporation of both Picard and Crusher's thoughts as they moved through the plot and more of an explanation for the sudden turnaround at the end.

I found the various Romulan characters and sordid power plays to be a bit confusing and often times it seemed to detract from the prime or rather more prime storylines. Friedman did a great job of winding them all together in the end to create some great drama as the final scenes began to unfold. However, just as we catch our breath and the hero finds the girl, nothing. She rejects him for no good reason!

This is a good Beverly Crusher story, in that it explores some of her background and gives her a strong role in her own survival. For Picard, we see his somewhat blank, if determined, efforts to rescue her but we...Read more