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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #21
St Ds9 #21 Trial By Error
When Quark brokers a lucrative deal to trade trellium crystals from the Gamma Quadrant for gold-pressed latinum, the potential for profit seems too good to be true. It is. Pretty soon, Deep Space Nine is under fire from at least three different alien races, each accusing the others of theft, piracy, and worse. Then, angry Klingons get involved, and so do the Ferengi... Odo wouldn't mind seeing one of Quark's schemes backfire, but not when it places the entire station in the middle of a shooting war that might consume them all!
194 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 13, 2022
Trial by Error is an amusement park map with locations out of proportion.
December 31, 2020
This book played out like a fun one-and-done episode of the television series. I mean that in the best way. I could easily see the storyline in syndication.
However, at the same time, it was a fairly rote story. There was an "A" storyline involving ghost ships, Sisko and O'Brien, and Jake and a new girlfriend, as well as a "B" storyline involving Kira, Dax, Worf, Quark, and some very shady characters.
As usual, I had the most fun reading about Quark's machinations in the story, and the subplot with Jake was surprisingly well done. However, the entire plot was fairly simple and seemed to revert to the general characterizations of the main cast during their earlier appearances on the show. Kira, for example, was ready to blow up at any moment. Dax was mischievous. Sisko was stern. So on and so forth.
This was a fun "romp" through the stars, but not anything I would probably give a second reading.
However, at the same time, it was a fairly rote story. There was an "A" storyline involving ghost ships, Sisko and O'Brien, and Jake and a new girlfriend, as well as a "B" storyline involving Kira, Dax, Worf, Quark, and some very shady characters.
As usual, I had the most fun reading about Quark's machinations in the story, and the subplot with Jake was surprisingly well done. However, the entire plot was fairly simple and seemed to revert to the general characterizations of the main cast during their earlier appearances on the show. Kira, for example, was ready to blow up at any moment. Dax was mischievous. Sisko was stern. So on and so forth.
This was a fun "romp" through the stars, but not anything I would probably give a second reading.
June 25, 2017
This DS9 Tie in weaves together two seemingly unrelated at first plot strands. 1) Quark brokers a deal for some crystals - the shipment is destroyed by a rival race who claim the crystals were stolen. A third race claim that the crystals were actually theirs and to cap it all the Fergengi Quark was going to sell them too turns up demanding his merchandise. 2) A Klingon vessel is destroyed by another identical Klingon ship - a firefight ensues and Jake and his Bajoran girlfriend out for a jaunt in a runabout get sucked into the wormhole. Sisko goes after him.
The plot to this is solid, if suffering from terrible pacing - the ghost ships idea takes an age to become clear and the resolution is far too quick. Plus the tying up of the two plot strands leaves much to be desired. My main issue with the plot though is that it's simply not that interesting - the alien races are all new - OK there's a Ferengi and a Klingon but the Rylep, Aulep, Beshiel and unnamed Gamma Quadrant aliens are all original to this novel - constant bickering doesn't endear them and it's hard to envisage aliens you haven't seen before.
The crew are also woefully flat - there's little witty interaction and we don't get a sense of personal relationships - Worf and Dax flirting, Odo and Kira or indeed ANY of the crew sharing jokes and displaying character that made me like the show in the first place.
The writing is functional - the technical terms are there and the crew are all where they should be performing their roles but it just feels quite flat and uninteresting. Other than Cardassians appearing on the station when they shouldn't be there at one point, I couldn't find to many errors but it's just a lacklustre story with a poorly developed crew depiction. I've read far worse TV SF tie ins but I'm sorry, I expect more from Star Trek.
The plot to this is solid, if suffering from terrible pacing - the ghost ships idea takes an age to become clear and the resolution is far too quick. Plus the tying up of the two plot strands leaves much to be desired. My main issue with the plot though is that it's simply not that interesting - the alien races are all new - OK there's a Ferengi and a Klingon but the Rylep, Aulep, Beshiel and unnamed Gamma Quadrant aliens are all original to this novel - constant bickering doesn't endear them and it's hard to envisage aliens you haven't seen before.
The crew are also woefully flat - there's little witty interaction and we don't get a sense of personal relationships - Worf and Dax flirting, Odo and Kira or indeed ANY of the crew sharing jokes and displaying character that made me like the show in the first place.
The writing is functional - the technical terms are there and the crew are all where they should be performing their roles but it just feels quite flat and uninteresting. Other than Cardassians appearing on the station when they shouldn't be there at one point, I couldn't find to many errors but it's just a lacklustre story with a poorly developed crew depiction. I've read far worse TV SF tie ins but I'm sorry, I expect more from Star Trek.
May 31, 2017
Primary plot elements of this story: Ferengi-induced annoyances, Klingons, and a Jake-centric sidestory. Plot elements in DS9 novels that I tend to find terribly tedious: Ferengi-induced annoyances, Klingons, and Jake-centric sidestories. In addition to that not very promising assortment of ingredients stirred into a rather bland plot, the writing is equally bland and the characters are entirely flat, making this rather a chore to get through. Moving on - hopefully the next one will be less disappointing.
April 20, 2018
This was not the story I was expecting with the cover and title. I thought it was going to be another O'Brien on trial episode but it wasn't so that pleasantly surprised me. Both main plots were interesting though the solution for one was kind of weaker and thrown together in my opinion. However, I enjoyed pretty much everything else. Mostly everyone's characters were on point with the exception of Quark who seemed a little too grovel-y and weasle-y for my tastes. Overall, this was an enjoyable novel with a funny ending.
July 5, 2024
When Quark brokers a lucrative deal to trade trellium crystals from the Gamma Quadrant for gold-pressed latinum, the potential for profit seems too good to be true. It is. Pretty soon, Deep Space Nine is under fire from at least three different alien races, each accusing the others of theft, piracy, and worse. Then, angry Klingons get involved, and so do the Ferengi... Odo wouldn't mind seeing one of Quark's schemes backfire, but not when it places the entire station in the middle of a shooting war that might consume them all!
A really good DS9 book. All parts were well done.
A really good DS9 book. All parts were well done.
November 9, 2018
A tale of suspense, intrigue and action. Entertaining DS9 story that doesn't disappoint.
There was a good element of mystery and suspense. The story was well written and featured a lot of narrative-telling dialogue between the renowned characters. The new characters divulged a lot as well.
The story had a considerable amount of action and paced itself nicely. I definitely 'got into this book' and consider this a good investment of my money. A pat on the back to Mark Garland.
There was a good element of mystery and suspense. The story was well written and featured a lot of narrative-telling dialogue between the renowned characters. The new characters divulged a lot as well.
The story had a considerable amount of action and paced itself nicely. I definitely 'got into this book' and consider this a good investment of my money. A pat on the back to Mark Garland.
August 6, 2024
Excellent, as usual for Trek books
Excellent story, with a nice twist at the end. Nice, fast paced read (which is often the case with Trek books). While this does not affect my rating, I feel it worth noting that this fits my preference for chapter length, which is that the average length of the chapters takes me about 10-15 minutes to read.
Excellent story, with a nice twist at the end. Nice, fast paced read (which is often the case with Trek books). While this does not affect my rating, I feel it worth noting that this fits my preference for chapter length, which is that the average length of the chapters takes me about 10-15 minutes to read.
February 7, 2018
Decent Book. Felt like an episode. Ending was blah!
September 27, 2020
Too many spelling mistakes and missing words in sentences
February 3, 2021
This was pretty good. You've got Quark causing trouble. Jake growing up. The station as the centre of a multi species confrontation. And it all comes off as you'd expect from a DS9 episode.
April 16, 2022
An excellent episode
More fun and adventure from the group at Deep Space Nine. The wonderful thing about Trek is the story never really ends.
More fun and adventure from the group at Deep Space Nine. The wonderful thing about Trek is the story never really ends.
September 1, 2023
Kinda fun being with the characters, but this will surely be forgettable in the long run.
March 2, 2013
I'd have to say that Deep Space Nine was my favorite of the Star Trek franchises, although I pretty much like them all. I thought this incarnation was a little darker, took more risks, and had bigger, bolder plot arcs. So I go into these books expecting something more. I have to say I was a little disappointed with this book.
The main premise is promising. Quark has made a deal with a visiting race from the other side of the wormhole, without really knowing anything about them. They show up at Deep Space Nine ready to deal . . . but another race has followed them and instant hositilities break out between the two, heavy enough to threaten the station. Before anyone can get any real answers from the two races, a Klingon freighter set to explore some of the Gamma Quadrant comes through the wormhole, followed by a second freighter, and is destroyed on DS9's doorstep by the second freighter before it mysteriously vanishes. And then a third race appears from the other side intent on destroying the first two races AND anyone they've been dealing with. And throughout all of this, there are hints of something else going on, with mysterious "doppelganger" ships appearing, creating problems, disappearing, etc.
The book is well written and easy to read. I have no problems with the writing. What I found a little disappointing was the final resolution of the main plot. I was expecting this to amount to something . . . more. It's hard to explain without ruining what the book is about and the final mystery, but it wasn't satisfactory to me as a reader. Honestly, what this felt like was a stand-alone episode of the TV series that wasn't approved, with a few plot threads that were loosely tied together with the main thread I described above. (There's a nice subplot dealing with Jake Sisco, and another that deals more with the Klingons.)
In the end, I was thinking the resolution would involve something more substantial, and the fact that it wasn't made the book fall a little short for me.
The main premise is promising. Quark has made a deal with a visiting race from the other side of the wormhole, without really knowing anything about them. They show up at Deep Space Nine ready to deal . . . but another race has followed them and instant hositilities break out between the two, heavy enough to threaten the station. Before anyone can get any real answers from the two races, a Klingon freighter set to explore some of the Gamma Quadrant comes through the wormhole, followed by a second freighter, and is destroyed on DS9's doorstep by the second freighter before it mysteriously vanishes. And then a third race appears from the other side intent on destroying the first two races AND anyone they've been dealing with. And throughout all of this, there are hints of something else going on, with mysterious "doppelganger" ships appearing, creating problems, disappearing, etc.
The book is well written and easy to read. I have no problems with the writing. What I found a little disappointing was the final resolution of the main plot. I was expecting this to amount to something . . . more. It's hard to explain without ruining what the book is about and the final mystery, but it wasn't satisfactory to me as a reader. Honestly, what this felt like was a stand-alone episode of the TV series that wasn't approved, with a few plot threads that were loosely tied together with the main thread I described above. (There's a nice subplot dealing with Jake Sisco, and another that deals more with the Klingons.)
In the end, I was thinking the resolution would involve something more substantial, and the fact that it wasn't made the book fall a little short for me.
July 25, 2016
Trial by Error is a Star Trek paperback, set in the Deep Space Nine series. The setting is Deep Space Nine, near the planet Bajor and stationed near the Alpha Quadrant wormhole, a tunnel through time and space that allows ships to travel from one end of the galaxy to the other in a relatively short period of time. Trial by Error is set during either seasons four or five: Commander Worf is present (and living in the Defiant, which I could use to narrow down the location further -- but that's not really necessary.), but the Federation is not yet at war with the Dominion, who control the Gamma Quadrant and who try to expand their dominion to include the Alpha quadrant.
The book is written much like an actual episode in that there's a clear A-story and a clear B-story. There's much more to it than that, however, and the author brings the two stories together in a way that's pretty well done, I think. The story itself begin with a trade deal of Quark's gone wrong: Quark is a Ferengi bartender on the station and one who is constantly involved in business deals of one form or another -- shady or otherwise. The book's back cover indicates that the deal goes south and that Deep Space Nine is suddenly the center of attention for three groups of aliens, all of which are accusing the other of thievery, murder, deception, etc -- but that's not the end of it. Klingons and more of Quark's business partners also show up, equally furious. This launches the B-story, which will as the book goes on prove to be more important than originally suspected -- but then again that often happens with DS9 episodes.
So how was the book? The story was interesting and I didn't notice any canon gaffes. My only gripe is that Odo's dialogues with Quark seem a little weak, especially in the beginning. On the whole, enjoyable..
The book is written much like an actual episode in that there's a clear A-story and a clear B-story. There's much more to it than that, however, and the author brings the two stories together in a way that's pretty well done, I think. The story itself begin with a trade deal of Quark's gone wrong: Quark is a Ferengi bartender on the station and one who is constantly involved in business deals of one form or another -- shady or otherwise. The book's back cover indicates that the deal goes south and that Deep Space Nine is suddenly the center of attention for three groups of aliens, all of which are accusing the other of thievery, murder, deception, etc -- but that's not the end of it. Klingons and more of Quark's business partners also show up, equally furious. This launches the B-story, which will as the book goes on prove to be more important than originally suspected -- but then again that often happens with DS9 episodes.
So how was the book? The story was interesting and I didn't notice any canon gaffes. My only gripe is that Odo's dialogues with Quark seem a little weak, especially in the beginning. On the whole, enjoyable..
January 31, 2012
I don't usually read Star Trek books (non-canon!), but I decided to grab one random one for each series and read. In actuality, DS9 is not my favorite incarnation (TNG, VOY, TOS/DS9, ENT), but this is the best book so far. I'll admit I have a low bar to ST novels: 1) Are the characterizations correct? and 2) Is it an actual good ST story? The answer is "yes" to both on this book. The book also has an almost A and B storyline, just likes an episode. So, this book does the job. It's not a great story, but a good one.
February 3, 2012
I'll give it two stars for having an engaging opening few chapters, and some interesting plot possibilities. But that said, this is one of the blandest "Star Trek" books ever written. It's as beige as the most beige wallpaper -- lining a beige house -- that one could imagine. The characters are 100% cardboard, and the story tries desperately to showcase an exciting season four setting...even though everything in the text screams season two...with Worf thrown in as an afterthought. One of the most disappointing and disposable "Star Trek" novels in the entire range.
September 27, 2013
The A and B plots weren't bad, although the "phantom ship" plot took its merry time moving along. I do appreciate that the author attempted to tie them together at the end, but Garland probably should have taken a bit more time doing so to make the tie-up seem less...convenient.
My biggest gripe about the book is this: Either the copy editors at Pocketbooks were really lazy or someone else was lazy because there are some spelling/style errors that should *not* have appeared in a book published at least by the show's fourth season. "DuKat"? Really?
My biggest gripe about the book is this: Either the copy editors at Pocketbooks were really lazy or someone else was lazy because there are some spelling/style errors that should *not* have appeared in a book published at least by the show's fourth season. "DuKat"? Really?
July 25, 2010
Quark is trying to arrange a business deal with some Gamma Quadrant aliens while a Klingon ship is under fire by a mysterious attacker. I didn’t like this one at all, but to be fair, I was reading a digital copy with some serious formatting issues that made it even more annoying than it already was. The story was boring and the original characters uninteresting. I ended up skimming large sections because I just couldn't find the motivation to care.
June 16, 2011
Deep Space Nine is my favorite of the Trek series incarnations in the visual world. When it comes to books though Star Trek is hit or miss with little bias to any particular series. Actually the original series novels may be the closest to authentic SF.
This one was bland and uninteresting. Only a month or so since I read it and I remember blessed little.
This one was bland and uninteresting. Only a month or so since I read it and I remember blessed little.
September 24, 2012
There's a strange planet that's moving about, and new alien races who love arguing with each other. The first part is really good, and all the characters act like they should. My main problem with this book is the ending, its very cheesey and the reader feels cheated. It's like, it that it? After all that had gone on. Shame really.
July 30, 2014
Okay DS9 book, the author captured the essence a few of the characters well such as Quark and Odo. I would have liked to see more details about Quark's scheme, as it had potential, but seem to fizzle out towards the middle of the book. 3.25/5
April 15, 2012
Kind of boring, ho-hum Deep Space Nine novel. I like for Trek novels to hae a grand movie feeling. Nope. Felt like a boring episode.
April 25, 2019
A fun book that has a lot going on. I wasn't too psyched about the ending though.
June 17, 2015
Boring book,probably would have been a filler episode if they ever made into the TV series.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews