A Good Day to Die

Star Trek: I.K.S. Gorkon #1

by Keith R.A. DeCandido

BEGINNING AN ALL-NEW SERIES OF KLINGON(TM) ADVENTURES!These are the voyages of the Klingon Defense Force vessel "I.K.S. Gorkon, " part of the mighty new Chancellor class. Its mission: to explore strange new worlds...to seek out new life and new civilizations...

...and to conquer them for the greater glory of the Klingon Empire!

Newly inducted into the prestigious Order of the "Bat'leth, " Captain Klag, son of M'Raq, leads the crew of the "Gorkon" into the unexplored Kavrot Sector to find new planets on which to plant the Klingon flag. There, they discover the Children of San-Tarah, a species with a warrior culture that rivals -- and perhaps exceeds -- the Klingons' own, living on a planet that would be a great addition to the Empire. Klag could call in General Talak's fleet to bring the world under the Klingons' heel -- but the San-Tarah offer Klag a challenge he cannot refuse. The "Gorkon" crew and the San-Tarah will engage in several martial contests. If the Klingons lose, they will go and never trouble the planet again -- but if they are victorious, the San-Tarah will cede themselves to the Empire, and Klag will have singlehandedly conquered an entire world!

The first tale in a glorious adventure that will be remembered in song and story throughout the Empire!

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Fiction, Ebooks

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 28, 2003

Reviews

[Jonathan Koan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star Trek: A Good Day to Die is the first book in the IKS Gorkon series by Keith R A DeCandido. It was published by Pocket Books from Simon and Schuster and was released in November 2003.

This is a very entertaining and unique book! Normally, Star Trek books follow the Federation and Starfleet. We are on a ship that is on a mission to seek out new life forms and new civilizations. We usually only get short chapters from the other civilizations, and never a whole book from their perspective.

However, this book follows the Klingons exclusively, and it follows their ship the IKS Gorkon as it is tasked with adding new planets to the Klingon Empire.

This book provides excellent similarities and differences between Starfleet and the Klingons. Both are seeki by new life and new civilizations. Both have motley crews that have to work together to build their future. However, the Federation comes in peace. The Klingons come to conquer.

The Klingons intend to conquer the San-Tarah, a warrior species that challenges the Klingons to 5 challenges. It provides nice stakes, even though most of it is fairly predictable.

The main character that we follow is Captain Klag. However, there is an excellent supporting cast, including Wol, Toq, B’Oraq, and Kursk. They each were able to have unique personalities and character development.

DeCandido does an excellent job of naturally infusing Klingon words into the book, and I was able to figure out what they meant based on context clues without them being explained. Something very difficult to do in Fantasy/Sci-Fi books.

There are themes about honor and duty, as you’d expect in a Klingon focused book, but there are also themes about revenge, pettiness, and sacrifice. I thought DeCandido handled these themes well.

Overall, this is an incredibly well written and exciting book. It’s definitely part 1 of an overarching story, and I’m excited to see where it goes. 4.5 out of 5

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Good Day to Die is an excellent start to the I.K.S. Gorkon/Klingon Empire series of novels. While we did get previous adventures of Klag and the Gorkon crew in Diplomatic Implausibility and The Brave and the Bold, it's great to see this eclectic group of Klingon warriors get their own novel series. It's unfortunate that the series was so short-lived, as Keith DeCandido's excellent writing is the perfect match for this terrific cast of characters.

Full review: https://www.treklit.com/2019/01/AGDtD...

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

STAR TREK: IKS GORKON: A GOOD DAY TO DIE by Keith R.A. Decandido is a book which is impossible for me to dislike. I actually have complaints about the book and a few criticisms (which aren't quite the same thing) but they aren't going to keep from giving it five stars because KLINGONS. Geeks are genetically engineered to like Klingons. Even more so than Star Trek as a whole, everyone loves the honorable and dishonorable warriors of Kahless.

Honestly, I'm stunned I didn't start this series earlier but my love of Star Trek is mitigated by my love of Star Wars so I spent my first twenty years only reading its Expanded Universe and only got into the post-Star Trek: Nemesis novels five years ago. I also tend to mostly just read the works of Christopher Bennet--which is no excuse for not picking up this entire series when it first came out in 2003. Bah, but what is 15 years! *random Klingon phrase*

The premise for IKS Gorkon is it follows the crew of the titular ship introduced in Diplomatic Implausibility (A TNG book) with a number of original as well as extremely minor characters from Star Trek fandom. There's Captain Klag who is a warrior and experimentee arm transplant donar (the technology having never been developed on Oo'noS), Kurnak the prickly engineer, Lestik the randy bridge officer, and Top the ambitious young up and commer. These are characters we've seen before (or at least their archetypes) but that helps make the unfamiliar more familiar--which is part of Star Trek's appeal.

The IKS Gorkon is a new ship with a new mission now that the Klingons have redeemed their warrior credentials by defeating the Dominion as well as Cardassians. They are to seek out new life, to boldly go where no Klingon has gone before, and kill them before taking their stuff. I have some problems with this premise as I'll get into below but I like this as a sort of anti Star Trek: Titan as the books having the ship actually explore things helps make up for the fact we've been off that mission since ENT season 3.

The book follows Klang visiting a newly discovered hunter-gatherer society world which is full of mining deposits. The Children of San-Tarah are a race of humanoid tigers (at least that's how I imagine them) are incredibly vicious but honorable warriors. Klang, eager to earn glory by outshining his brother, allows them the chance to keep their world free from conquest by winning a series of events in a Olympics-style contest. He promises the Klingons will leave and never return if they lose--which is perhaps the only time such a promise would be binding.

My biggest issue with the IKS Gorkon is it doesn't quite fit my conception of the time period and cultures involved. If it was set during the Original Series, yes, certainly, I could see this story happening. The Klingons were as conquest happy then as Genghis Khan. The thing is, I can't actually buy a Alexander the Great-style crusade of conquest by the Klingons is something the Federation would not be throwing an enormous fit over. This is almost certainly something which would have been covered in the Khitomer Accords since I can't imagine it reads, "You can conquer anyone you want as long as it's not us."

Another small issue I have is one of my favorite characters, Kurak, should be dead. Basically, Kurak hates being in the military as she was conscripted by her father and wants to be working at Klingon DARPA again so she continuously half-asses her job. This puts the crew, the ship, and their efforts always at risk. Given she was demoted in the last book because of this and shows no sign of changing, I see no reason why they wouldn't have gutted her like a fish by now. Its frustrating for what is an otherwise intriguing and fascinating character.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed this book and immediately bought the sequel. The book ends on a cliffhanger and while I would have preferred a complete story, I'm guilty of this myself. I also like how all the various Klingon characters come together (except for Kurak--but she's always a problem). I recommend it to all fans of the empire who wish to see it crush the Federation and rule the Alpha and Beta Quadrants!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story. Follows the I K S Gorkon as they are sent to find new worlds to conquer for the Klingon Empire. When the inhabitants offer to surrender if the crew beats them in four tests (if the Klingons lose they must leave the planet never to return), Captain Klag agrees. The story is told from multiple characters perspectives which provides a view of life aboard the ship from the bridge down to the average soldier. When Klag loses the final contest, he agrees to leave the planet unconquered. He faces a dilemna (to be addressed in the next book) when General Talak (who never liked Klag anyway) orders him to taken the planet anyway. Klag decides to defy Talak and calls on his fellow members of the Order of the Bat'leth to come to his aid

[Graff Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Star Trek: I.K.S. Gorkon series 01 A Good Day to Die by Keith R.A. DeCandido

adventurous challenging informative inspiring reflective sad tense

Medium-paced

Plot or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters are a main focus? It's complicated

4.25 Stars

I love Klingon stories, but I was a little apprehensive...that a primary Klingon story would suck me into the story or not. Well, it did.

I am not a Klingon, nor do I glory in the Klingon way of life. I like certain Klingon characters, but most of them are ones that have been influenced by The Federation. Obviously.

This story has a sprinkling of Worf (my favourite Klingon), but it is more focused on Captain Klag and his fellow shipmates on the IKS Gorkon.

The idea of searching out for a planet, or people to enslave is not what I would say is a good prospect for the people in this area of space. Think back to The Original Series (on TV) when Klingons were doing the same thing. We would not approve of these actions.

In this story, we (the readers) are put into a situation where we (like others in the story) grow to respect their "enemies", and the HONOUR of the Klingons is something that most everyone can get behind. 

Loved the little stories and interactions on this ship and on this planet. 

I'm ready to pick up the second book in the IKS Gorkon series 02 Honor Bound. Qapla'.

[Frank Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished this one last Friday and I'm about a third into the next one already so I better write something down before I forget to.

This finished strong but had a slow build and a quirky middle. I was a little bored with the initial formalities and then found the actual "mission" or main conflict a bit unlikely... but it sets up a good ending and I was so keen that I immediately started the next book.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Star Trek book from the Klingon perspective! The IKS Gorkon is on an exploration mission to increase the size of the Empire. I loved seeing the difference in how they interact with the aliens that they find. This is the first in a trilogy and leaves off with a hell of a cliffhanger! Can't wait to see what happens next.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you like Klingons you will like this book. It's one of the better Star Trek novels but this is damning with faint praise.
I liked it but it was a bit rough around the edges and the Klingon vocabulary while adding to the atmosphere made it a bit tough to read at times. Still a fun little book.

[Alex MacKenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A far better book than I was expecting. A bit difficult at first due to an entirely new cast, and Klingon names. But a great storyline, with the Klingons meeting a new race that is as warrior-focussed as they are.

[Patrick Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first of four books that focus on a Klingon crew set shortly after the events of the Dominion War. There are no Federation characters in this novel, and I loved it. I wish that someone at Paramount had kept this book series in mind when crafting new television series.

The crew of the Gorkon is commanded, along with other ships, to check out unknown space and find new worlds to conquer. Sadly, other ships have no problem doing this quickly in the areas assigned them, but the Gorkon goes for months encountering no one and nothing. Finally, they find a world that is inhabited by a species armed only with knives (think Ewoks but bigger and more aggressive) that don't want their planet taken. There is a brief clash between both sides where each learns the other is not as weak as they thought. A challenge is issued where the winner of four tasks gets the planet.

You would read this book because you like Star Trek or you want to learn more about Klingons. There are several characters in the crew that get focused on and all are fantastic. They don't just get bits, all are developed and evolving characters. I wasn't too thrilled with the competition, which seemed simplistic, and the lack of an ending also didn't sit well with me--it comes in the next book.

However, even with my minor grousing, I enjoyed this book. De Candido is an outstanding Trek writer and fans should read everything he creates.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great start to this series but after reading DeCandido's other Star Trek works I expected nothing less.

If I had one gripe it would be the massive character dump near the start of the book but they eventually start dying off so it's all good. Ha ha!

The characters of the Gorkon are a great group of Klingons and one of the best attributes of Klingons on Star Trek is that they didn't let them stay confined to a few character attributes and let each character grow and you see that here.

The situation they get themselves into is nothing new and has some humorous moments along with some sad ones as well. How they react and deal with this situation is what makes this situation unique along with the planet they try to subdue.

Well I enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next one.

[Neema · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely incredible way to start a series. I definitely recommend reading this after TNG novel #61: Diplomatic Implausibility.

I am such a huge Klingon fan, and I already love the crew dynamics that DeCandido has going onboard the Gorkon. I think he has a really good grasp of the Klingons as a race and is able to portray their mannerisms and speech really well through text.

The plot to this was something I could see happening, and reminded me a lot of the old TOS klingon episodes. This book sets up the series very well and I am very excited to start the next one.

[Spike faery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star Trek series "IKS Gorkon" should be a huge hit with the klingon fandom. Here is the most epic Klingon adventure. A great read! I couldn't put it down. This is not just another book. It is the ultimate Star Trek Novel, and a perplexing read. A Must have for your collection.

[doowopapocalypse · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took a while for the plot to pick up, and reading the synopsis for the second one, I wonder if the two couldn't have been trimmed and combined. So it goes. It's a fine enough book once it gets going.

[John Lars · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am Jorn. To listen to my podcast on this book, check out KAG.org/series/bound-by-honor/

[Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was written well enough but waswatered down for a Klingon story. Klingons gone should be like Vikings. Disappointing.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe I’m just not much of a Klingon guy.

[Mike (HistoryBuff) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good. If you love Klingons and their lore, you will love this book. Worf , General Martok Klag(TNG),
it draws characters from TNG and DS9, so know your Star Trek.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the vast majority of this book. I'm a pretty big fan of the author after reading 4 or 5 of his other books, and I was certain when I decided to start this one that I would be satisfied beyond my expectations. However, the beginning of the book threw me and made me waver.

The beginning of the book was very slow. When starting a new series about Klingons (although technically this is book 4 in the series) I expected some action up front to hold my interest. Instead there was about 5 chapters of character introductions and setting up the plot for the next 3 books. It got to a point that I considered putting the book down and starting something else. However, once chapter 6 started the book took a fantastic turn towards action and didn't waver all the way to the last page.

Normally, I would punish a book heavily for having a very slow start, especially a Star Trek book, which is suppose to be a light read, but the author showcased his talents to his full extent in character development and plot twists. One of the greatest assets of a novel series, like this, based on side characters in the Star Trek universe is that they can be killed, and that adds so much more tension and surprise to the story in comparison to a typical Star Trek book, where you know deep down that "everything will work out by the end of the book." DeCandido seems well aware of this, and does a great job of utilizing his characters. Furthermore, all of his characters have a good sense of depth to them, and I find myself very much interested in what happens to them, or how they die.

I can't wait to start book 2 (or is it 5?)

While reading the book, I did wish that I had a small bio page of characters, but maybe that's just me. There were quite a few characters to keep track of, and a few of them had similar names that I tended to confuse, like Lokor and Leskit, or Kurak and Kornan. I did make my own little cheat sheet, but it would have been nice if there was one in the back of the book. This didn't affect my rating, however.

[Todd R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series directly follows the Brave and Bold duology by the same author. It also focuses on the Klingon crew from that previous series and is why I chose to read it.
It is pretty good...an inside look at how a Klingon vessel runs and how the hierarchy functions. Very interesting read for Klingon fans.
This is post Dominion war.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the very best kind of fanfiction. DeCandido takes all of our favorite minor Klingon characters and explores life in the Klingon service as they go out to conquer new worlds. Remember Worf's forgotten brother? or the Klingon boy Toq from the planet where Klingons and Romulans were living together peacefully in dishonor? And a half dozen other Klingons who I would probably know more about if I had seen all of DS9? Well they're all serving on this ship together! And fighting battles for glory and honor and awesome. They're totally going to bring an awesome world into the Empire and then eat blood pie and stab one another with painsticks for fun.

Q'plah!

[Gary Whitfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good start to the series.

As long as you are aware of this race from the "Star Trek" series of shows, you should find more detail on them here. Their generally strong code of honour is paramount in their history, but as with any species there are members of the race that see things from a different viewpoint.

I am really looking forward to finishing the tale with "A Burning House" - the title based on the Klingon proverb "Only a fool fights in a burning house".

[Luis dejesus · Rating 5 out of 5]

a well written story adding to the complexities of the kilngon empire with a great crew as it is. a great start for the trilogy when one reads all books connecting to and fro. if one follows a PATH OF HONOR this book and the others that follow are an interesting way of viewing honor and it's meaning. or as a sci-fi books go it's still a great stand alone story.

[Jonathon Laudinsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first "offical" IKS Gorkon book. Captain Klag leads a new class of Klingon Ship into Kavrot sector to bring planets into the Empire. In the after math of the Dominion war, the Klingon Empire is looking to expand, and conquer.

[Vakil · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent story from the Klingon perspective. I like that it shows the Klingons as more than just a warrior culture, providing some of the depth that an advanced culture requires, even one that is as violent as theirs.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This follows the crew of an all Klingon ship the IKS Gorkon. Very fun adventure that ends on a bit of a cliff hanger. I really liked that we are on a Klingon ship and it has no Federation or Star Fleet characters in it (except for some very quick mentions). Looking forward to the sequel.

[SFReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://www.sfreader.com/read_review.a...

[Nichelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just love reading this book.

[Judith Paterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was OK - a bit patchy but will give the next one a read - It felt a bit like the writer wast setting up a series rather than getting on with the current story in places.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay. It had a few entertaining bits but didn't really delve deep into Klingon culture or offer anything new.