Sarek

This is the story of Sarek, Vulcan Ambassador, his marriage with Amanda Grayson, and his complicated relationship with his son, Spock.

We also follow Sarek's investigation of a plot he first began to suspect years ago, which seems to be coming to fruition now--but he doesn't yet have solid proof.

The Keep Earth Human League, which wants to expel all nonhumans from Earth, but especially Vulcans, has crept along as a minor fringe group for years. Suddenly it has become larger, more active, more visible, and better-funded. Part of Sarek's diplomatic duties has been meeting periodically with a representative of the intensely private Freelans, who reside on a planet in the region otherwise controlled by the Romulans. For some reason, the Romulans have never claimed this world.

The Freelans garb themselves in all-encompassing robes that conceal even their faces. That pinged my "yeah, right" response, and apparently it bothered Sarek, too. He is stepping up his efforts to gather real proof that he can present to the Federation without simply fueling the KEHL conspiracy theories about Vulcans.

Meanwhile, James Kirk's nephew, Peter Kirk, is preparing for his final exams at Starfleet Academy, feeling the pressure of being the nephew of his famous uncle, and realizing he'd really rather be a diplomat. He accidentally finds himself caught up on the edges of a KEHL riot, and turns it into an opportunity to infiltrate and see what information he can retrieve that authorities might find useful. After all, it's what a real Kirk would do, right?

If that's not enough for you, Amanda is dying. Sarek and Spock have both come home, and their fragile rapprochement is holding well--until an emergency on the Klingon Neutral Zone results in Sarek being called back to duty. Amanda doesn't want him to go, but recognizes his strong sense of duty. For Spock, though, Sarek is just once again ignoring Amanda and himself in favor of duty--while Amanda is dying, and unlikely to live to see Sarek again.

All of these plot lines become entangled, with interesting consequences that enlighten our understanding of all the major characters. It's rich and satisfying, for anyone who cares about any of these characters.

Recommended.

I bought this book.

I've always liked A.C. Crispin as a Star Trek writer. I liked how she fleshed out Sarek and Amanda. I didn't care for the heavy-handed treatment of the instant love story between the Klingon and Kirk's nephew. It had an interesting plot and was, overall, pretty good.

I always like the Spock background stories best.

This is a MUST READ for any Star Trek Fan!