Star Trek: The Next Generation
A Time to Heal
On the cusp of their epic battle with Shinzon, many of Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s long time crew were heading for new assignments and new challenges. Among the changes were William Riker’s promotion to captain and his new command, Riker’s marriage to Counselor Deanna Troi, and Dr. Beverly Crusher’s new career at Starfleet Medical. But the story of what set them on a path away from the Starship Enterprise™ has never been told.
A cataclysmic war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire has been miraculously averted, and a new government is finally in place on the planet Tezwa. But deadly secrets still threaten the fragile peace accord.
Rebels still loyal to the old Tezwa regime have captured Commander Riker and are willing to kill to achieve their goals … the Orion Syndicate is interfering in the rebuilding — and may also be involved in much more than that. But the most devastating revelation of all threatens the very foundations of the Federation itself — leaving Captain Picard to possibly face the very conflict that he labored so hard to prevent….
Reviewers' Comments
"[Mack] introduces characters with colorful, imaginative incidents that make their inevitable deaths more of an illustration of the waste of war than the wholesale mowing down of mere cannon-fodder supernumeraries would accomplish. … [He] explores their weaknesses and their bravery, and allows them to be both heroes on the field of battle and victims to the selfish, reckless motives and schemes of the powerful. … Mack delivers a punch to the Federation as a whole that shows how even in Paradise power and ambition can corrupt.
"A Time to Heal ranks among the very best Star Trek fiction, and certainly the best of this particular series of books."
—Killian Melloy, Wigglefish.com
"A hard-hitting and riveting story that doesn't let up. … Mack brilliantly captures all of the emotions in each character. … This novel could have easily come from the pen of Tom Clancy or James Cameron, it's that brilliant."
"David Mack clearly has his finger on the pulse of Star Trek as we once knew it and as we know it now, elevating him into the top echelon of expert storytellers in both Star Trek and in the world of literature."
—Bill Williams, TrekWeb.com
"[A Time to Heal] is a tightly written, riveting book. A fast read that offers believable intrigue, stunning war descriptions, striking character struggles and nemesis confrontations.
"If [it] were the score for an opera, it would obviously be the crescendo to the curtain drop."
—Kathy LaFollett, The Lincoln Heights Literary Society
"It [A Time to Heal] is powerful stuff, which makes no attempt to pretend that it isn't referring directly to current-day events. The skill of author David Mack's plotting shines through as you realize that the multiple commando raids of the previous book [A Time to Kill] have established a dozen Enterprise officers who he can place in the front line, then kill with casual brutality, to real emotional effect. This is Trek with no easy answers … and an unsettling ending."
"It's dark, it's effective."
—Anthony Brown, Starburst Magazine, Issue 316
"Full of shocking surprises. … Mack continuously ratchets up the intensity."
"Chillingly effective."
"A very enjoyable, if not downright frightening, journey to the center of the Federation.
My favorite Star Trek novel of the year."
—Robert Lyons
“A Time to Heal is an excellent novel, showing the true difficulty and associated horrors of a prolonged military occupation. David Mack pulls no punches with this one, subjecting our heroes to a quagmire that was clearly inspired by real-life events in our very recent cultural memory. While the subject matter is certainly dark, Mack never loses sight of the humanity of the characters, presenting us with a story that will, sadly, be relevant for a long time to come.”
