Star Trek: Mirror Universe
The Sorrows of Empire
Expanded Edition
One man can shape the future … but at what cost?
“In every revolution, there is one man with a vision.”
Captain James T. Kirk of the United Federation of Planets spoke those prophetic words to Commander Spock of the Terran Empire, hoping to inspire change. He could not have imagined the impact his counsel would have.
Armed with a secret weapon of terrifying power and a vision of the alternate universe’s noble Federation, Spock seizes control of the Terran Empire and commits it to the greatest gamble in its history: democratic reform.
Rivals within Spock’s empire try to stop him; enemies outside his empire unite to destroy it.
Only a few people suspect the shocking truth: Spock is knowingly arranging his empire’s downfall. But why? Have the burdens of imperial rule driven him mad? Or is this the coldly logical scheme of a man who knows that freedom must always be paid for in blood?
Spock alone knows that the fall of his empire will be the catalyst for a political chain reaction — one that will alter the fate of his universe forever.
Reviewers' Comments
"Mack has done a wonderful job of showing us an expanded Mirror Universe … It's a gripping story, full of suspense, danger and intrigue."
"The characters … are well written…"
"There's not a dull moment to be found and the pacing is excellent. It's one of those 'so damn good I couldn't stop reading it' stories."
"This is the kind of book that can convince anyone that Star Trek is alive and well."
—Keith Brown, Reviews for Kicks
"Expanding on the previous edition, there's much more characterization in this version of Sorrows, with more for characters such as Spock's wife, Marlena, and better explanation of just how Spock is able to turn an antagonistic Empire into a Republic in under 30 years."
"Mack has carefully added in several new elements, incorporating recent developments such as the Vanguard storyline into the Mirror Universe timeline with his usual deft hand. If you didn't read the original short novel then there's plenty here to savour, and for those that did, more than enough on offer to tempt you to buy this edition, too."
—John Freeman, Star Trek Magazine #123
"…a real winner."
"I love Mr. Mack's conceit of casting Spock as the [Hari Seldon] of the Mirror Universe. … Spock is presented here as the ultimate tactician — always prepared for his adversaries' moves, and thinking decades and even centuries ahead into the future. It's a wonderfully compelling and heroic depiction of this familiar character."
"The Sorrows of Empire is a true Star Trek epic. It's exactly the type of story that the very best of Pocket Books' Star Trek novels are capable of delivering. … This is a can't-miss novel for all Trek fans."