Star Trek: The Fall
Book III: A Ceremony of Losses
THE NEEDS OF THE MANY
Despite heroic efforts by Thirishar ch’Thane, the Andorian species is headed for extinction. Its slow march toward oblivion has reached a tipping point, one from which there will be no hope of return.
THE NEEDS OF THE FEW
With countless lives at stake, the leaders of Andor, the Federation, and the Typhon Pact all scheme to twist the crisis to their political gain — at any price.
THE NEEDS OF THE ONE
Unwilling to be a mere bystander to tragedy, Doctor Julian Bashir risks everything to find a cure for the Andorians. But his courage will come at a terrible cost: his career, his freedom … and maybe his life.
Reviewers' Comments
“…One of the best [Star Trek]
books I have read.”“At the heart of this book is a question: Would you follow lawful orders, if breaking them could save lives? It’s a question that Trek has tackled before, because Trek has tackled most problems before, but rarely have the stakes been as high as this. or the storytelling so fiercely tense.”
“It’s brilliantly written, and utterly compelling from start to finish. … A Cermeony of Losses may only be a smaller part of a larger series, but it is full of consequence. An undoubted high point of the Star Trek saga.”
“a beautiful, thrilling novel”
“This is a beautiful, thrilling novel that has quickly become not only a relaunch favorite of mine, but one of my all-time Trek favorites. Its construction around a poignant ethical dilemma with far-reaching consequences—do you follow lawful orders, even when those orders will lead to the extinction of a recently allied sentient species that you could possibly save?—makes it quintessential Trek, and its sense of pacing, character development, continuity and worldbuilding, not to mention realpolitik, add a sophisticated science fictional texture.”
“A Ceremony of Losses … delivers every step of the way.”
“Mack’s novel expertly shifts between different story modes. … Never a dull beat—Mack proves a maestro of the form.”
“Orb factor: A ceremony of losses it may be, but it’s also a splendid return to form worth celebrating with 10 orbs.”
"David Mack handles the characters in his book as expertly as he does the grand, epic plots."
"Mack remains secure in his position as one of my favorite Trek-lit authors of all time. Another winner! 4/5 stars."
"[W]ith a mixture of politics, suspense, scientific mystery, and Section 31, A Ceremony of Losses is … exciting and engaging."
"David Mack has crafted a political thriller that not only entertains, but like all good Trek, asks tough questions."
"Mack's book strikes a chord that reverberates long after the last page is turned."
"With the skill of the best thriller authors, Mack leaves you saying 'one more page' until there are no more."
—Matthew Rushing, Trek.fm
"A Ceremony of Losses is an excellent book, one that not only presents one of our heroes with a meaty moral dilemma, but that also, in the book's second half, turns into an edge-of-your-seat thriller."
"… a really ripping, page-turner of a yarn that is full of complex plots-within-plots and sci-fi strategies. Great stuff."