Star Trek Destiny
Mere Mortals
On Earth, Federation President Nanietta Bacco gathers allies and adversaries to form a desperate last line of defense against an impending Borg invasion. In deep space, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Captain Ezri Dax join together to cut off the Collective’s route to the Alpha Quadrant.
Half a galaxy away, Captain William Riker and the crew of the Starship Titan have made contact with the reclusive Caeliar — survivors of a stellar cataclysm that, two hundred years ago, drove fissures through the structure of space and time, creating a loop of inevitability and consigning another captain and crew to a purgatory from which they could never escape.
Now the supremely advanced Caeliar will brook no further intrusion upon their isolation, or against the sanctity of their Great Work … For the small, finite lives of mere mortals carry little weight in the calculations of gods.
But even gods may come to understand that they underestimate humans at their peril.
Reviewers' Comments
“…sweeping in scale…”
“I am astounded by David Mack’s ability to balance so many plates in the air without breaking anything. … Mere Mortals is another excellent book in an epic trilogy, and solidifies Destiny‘s place in the history of Star Trek canon.”
“Verdict: 5/5”
"[Captain Erika Hernandez's] long and fateful encounter with the intensely private race called the Caeliar is both involving and compelling — even though it's a far cry from Trek as know it."
—John Donnelly, SFX Magazine (March 2009)
"David Mack juggles a cast of thousands and a dozen major and minor plot threads as he tells one of the most ambitious, far-reaching, potentially universe-changing stories of the Star Trek setting."
"From massive starship fleets, to technobabble, from cute character moments to visceral combat scenes, from strange new worlds to alien civilizations, this book has all of those things which make Star Trek what it is. A fan can't ask for much more."
"In Mere Mortals, Mack cranks up the pace still further … Once again, Mack delivers a powereful tale echoing many facets of the Star Trek shows, not least the desire for humans to be free, established from the saga's earliest days, through to events of a far more personal dilemma faced by Will Riker firmly on a par with the first episode of 'The Best of Both Worlds.'"
"Star Trek Destiny measures up to its promise throughout, delivering a story that encompasses all that Star Trek stands for and giving the reader a gripping adventure reveling, ultimately, in the very best of human nature. With a superb plot, powerful storytelling and well rounded characters throughout — from the lowliest MACO to the most senior commander — Mack, and all those involved in its creation, should be congratulated wholeheartedly for giving readers a page-turning adventure of truly epic proportions."
—John Freeman, Star Trek Magazine (Jan/Feb 2009)
"Mack's writing style draws you in, and really leaves the reader hungry for more."
"Of all the stories that call out for attention in Mere Mortals, though, it is Hernandez's that truly steals the show. It is poetic, and in some ways evokes within me memories of the best moments of the sequels in [Arthur C. Clarke's] Rama series … [T]he author's ability to conjure up a story out of thin air and tell it in such breathtaking sweeps is amazing, enjoyable, and makes for a vitalizing reading experience."
"David Mack succeeds in … creating another rip-roaring action stunner"
—Jeff Ayers, TrekWeb.com
"This trilogy combines everything that's great about the last few years' worth of Star Trek novels … It's a mature and powerful work that would surprise the hell out of people who are dismissive of Star Trek novels, if they'd give it a chance."
"Mere Mortals ends on a major cliffhanger that left me on the edge of my seat. … Star Trek fans, don't miss this crossover trilogy!"
"Once again, Mack intersperses the large scale events with some smaller moments which bring a "human" touch to what could otherwise simply be an impersonal battle."
—Patrick Holm, DWscifi.com
"Mack captures the very voice and nuance of all these familiar characters and takes the reader on a rollercoaster ride of excitement, adventure, mystery, and scientific discovery that covers nearly 800 years of human history."
"Star Trek Destiny … is an astounding achievement in Trek storytelling that could have been accomplished only by a sci-fi author of Mack's caliber."
"Mack tells a ripping yarn, no question. … [R]ecent Trek authors have made some dramatic changes to the characters and to the status quo — but none moreso than Mack, who really turns over the apple cart with this trilogy."
"I wish they were making huge, epic Star Trek stories like this for TV or the movies! David Mack's Destiny trilogy is a major achievement."
"[Mere Mortals] starts out steady and builds with more action and suspense with each page."
"Talk about a shakeup of the Trek universe! … It fuses the complex story of a multi-episode arc with the action and suspense of a movie."
—Keith Brown, Reviews for Kicks