The Empty Chair

Star Trek: The Original Series

by Diane Duane

An electrifying thriller from bestselling author Diane Duane set in the Star The Original Series universe.The culmination of a saga twenty-two years in the making… They call themselves Rihannsu—the Declared. To the Federation, they are the Romulans. By any name they are adversaries as formidable as they are inscrutable. Self-exiled from Vulcan in ages past, they retain an ancient martial philosophy and a code of conduct that has sustained them through centuries of hardship, warfare, and thwarted ambition. Now their empire is gearing for war once again. Armed with the revolutionary Sunseed technology, which can destabilize entire stars, a Romulan vessel is warping toward the heart of the Federation. Its Earth’s sun. But this offensive comes at a perilous time, as a growing number of Romulan worlds are joining a revolution—one led by the renegade Commander Ael t'Rllaillieu of the warbird Bloodwing, with the aid of Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise™ and the Hamalki physicist K’s’t’lk, the Federation’s foremost authority on Sunseed technology. As the threat to Earth looms ever larger, Bloodwing and Enterprise lead an armada toward the Romulan homeworld for a final reckoning that will decide the future of the Rihannsu people.

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Fiction, Space, Star Trek Original Series, Ebooks, Science Fiction Fantasy

432 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2006

About the author

Diane Duane has been a writer of science fiction, fantasy, TV and film for more than forty years.

Besides the 1980's creation of the Young Wizards fantasy series for which she's best known, the "Middle Kingdoms" epic fantasy series, and numerous stand-alone fantasy or science fiction novels, her career has included extensive work in the Star Trek TM universe, and many scripts for live-action and animated TV series on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as work in comics and computer games. She has spent a fair amount of time on the New York Times Bestseller List, and has picked up various awards and award nominations here and there.

She lives in County Wicklow, in Ireland, with her husband of more than thirty years, the screenwriter and novelist Peter Morwood.

Her favorite color is blue, her favorite food is a weird kind of Swiss scrambled-potato dish called maluns, she was born in a Year of the Dragon, and her sign is "Runway 24 Left, Hold For Clearance."

(From her official website)

Reviews

[Heylin Le · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel is not an awful read, but it is strangely disappointing despite being last installment of a promising saga. I understand that Duane wanted it to go beyond the formulaic and trite stories that constitute the majority of Trek novels. So instead of presenting the usual single battle engagement, this book offers an interweaving of political intrigue and long-term war plan that immediately raises the stake. However, the effort falls flat because there are so many elements that I think just would not work in the larger universe. In fact, the premise of the novel is so ludicrous that I struggled to suspend my disbelief.

Duane fails to convince me that these characters can be at the center of the momentous historical changes in the Rihannsu Empire. Despite his reputation and prestige, Kirk is ill-suited as the Admiral of the Free Rihannsu Fleet because he is not only an outsider, but also widely regarded by the Rihannsu as an enemy of the state. While he may have proven his loyalty to Ael, the Rihannsu insurgents have no reasons to trust him except for the word of whom many of them still consider a traitor. I’m surprised that no one suspects that Kirk was an agent sent by the Federation to manipulate the war in their favor (which he is). Given the Rihannsu’s long held xenophobia and Kirk’s notoriety as a cunning warrior, the question of Kirk’s allegiance should have been the foremost concern for the Rihannsu rebels, and his offer to join their cause should have been further scrutinized and invoked strong and long lasting suspicion. Instead, there are only a few throwaway lines about the Rihannsu’s distrust of Kirk, and then the issue is never visited again. Nothing comes out of it, nothing to further address a serious and legitimate issue.

In addition, I doubt that Kirk is the only person qualified for leading the Fleet. Kirk may be good, but it is highly unlikely that he could have possessed adequate tactical knowledge to swiftly devise an effective strategy. The Rihannsu should have had misgivings about sharing their military intelligence with a member of a hostile state, who could then deliver it into the hands of his master. Even if Kirk relies on the information provided Starfleet, it cannot be completely accurate given the Federation’s limited contact with the Rihannsu. Kirk already has so little time to prepare for the incursion; there must have been Rihannsu commanders who are at least as capable as, or more well informed about their territories than an starship captain bound to a government that recently declared war against them. At most, Kirk can serve as a military advisor, but it is inconceivable that the Rihannsu would permit him to be more involved in their conflict any more than he should, which leads up to my next point: Kirk should have assumed no central role in the revolution at all.

The focus of the story should have been the Rihannsu dissidents who stood up against a corrupt system and fought for their freedom. As an outsider, unfamiliar with Rihannsu culture and disconnected from the reality of the oppressed, Kirk should have had no place in the conflict. His presence in the novel only diminishes the agency of the Rihannsu rebels who have the right to lead and organize their own revolution. The assertion that Kirk is somehow indispensable to their cause is asinine, and it deprives us of the opportunity to explore the Rihannsu culture from more interesting points of view.

Furthermore, while Kirk is proficient at engaging in close combat, the show gives no indication that he is adept at long term strategy. He has a knack for improvising and working on the fly, which makes him an excellent combat tactician but not necessarily an accomplished strategist. Kirk’s tendency to neglect the big picture is also inconsistent with the long term thinking that is characteristic of a skilled military strategist.

Unlike Kirk, who is shoehorned into places that he has no right to be, Ael should have received the spotlight because this is her and her people’s fight. However, despite all that chatter about how indispensable she is to the cause, how she becomes a central figure of the Rihannsu’s movement for liberation, I never got the sense that she is as important as the book claims to be. Duane offers very little insight into Ael’s thoughts and feelings during the incursion, and most of the character’s concern has to do with personal matters rather than the big picture - such as the precarious fate of the Rihannsu people.

Ironic enough, the Rihannsu perspective available in a book ostensibly centered on a Rihannsu uprising by the destitute and marginalized is dominated by the Three, the most wealthy and powerful. Most of their scenes could have been removed, and it would not have had significant impact on the story. I would say the same thing about Aarhae and her role in the revolution. While Aarhae’s viewpoint is necessary to shed light on Rihannsu society in the previous novel, her participation here is contrived and superfluous. We spend too much time mulling over her anxiety and fear about being discovered, but the novel could have made it that any intelligence about the Imperial Fleet comes from an anonymous source. Furthermore, I’m surprised that Ael permits Aarhae to remain in Rihannsu after the insurgence is over. Aarhae has risked her life to help them, but she’s also a Federation spy. While Ael may recognize Aaehae as a useful asset, she has no reason to trust her, and enabling a foreign agent to assume a powerful position in the government is always a liability, if not an outright threat to its stability and security.

Despite the sheer ambition of the novel about depicting an epic resistance to tyranny, the story is shallow and trite. It overstates Kirk and the Enterprise’s role and overestimates foreign influence on the internal transformation of a nation. (How typical to think you can get a positive outcome by meddling in the internal affairs of other countries). Instead of diving into the complex political fallout of the Rihannsu government and its enormous implication on the oppressed population, the book limits itself to the safer realm of cheap lip service about revolutionary cause and the soporific and overly complicated technicalities of war. At most, it is an entertaining story, but like most Star Trek literary works, it is familiar, predictable, and hardly subversive.

[rivka · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

When this first came out in 2006, I bought the ebook -- one of the only ebooks I ever bought, and certainly the first I paid for. Unfortunately, I had the same issue then that I still have with ebooks. Most of my reading is done on Shabbos, when I can't do ebooks. So I was making very slow (although fairly steady) progress through it when my purse was stolen. In it were the Palm which was my ebook reader, and my credit cards. Both were replaced in short order, and I was able to re-upload the ebook to my new Palm. Trouble was, the unlock code was the number of the now-replaced credit card, and I didn't have that number any more . . .

I don't remember what all I tried, but I never was able to re-access that ebook. And so I never quite finished this book (although I think I was close) -- until now.

Worth the wait. :) All my favorite Duane characters (well, those from the ST:TOS universe, at least). Only problem: Not enough Arrhae! I enjoy Ael, but I adore Arrhae. (Even more than I adore Nita Callahan, and she's on my top five fictional characters I'd like to have dinner with list. But that's a different Duane universe.)

At least with the unmasking of Ffairrl, we know that Arrhae may actually have a possible future that includes spouse and family. But making that explicit instead of barely hinted at would have been nice too.

But those are merely nitpicks. Overall, this was a marvelous ending to a series that started with two of my favorite ST books of all time.

[Thom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid ending, bringing a lot of threads together. While not part of the current canon, an attempt has been made to match it with the "Next Generation" Romulans, and this didn't work for me.

Stories of the main characters from the series are nicely wrapped up. McCoy (and Arrhae), Kirk and Ael. Most of the reasons for the civil war are also given solutions - why does this feel close to current America at times?

The rather big gun of star seeding is wrapped up, though not all of Scotty's shenanigans are solved. Hexaphasic shields and transporter interdiction are absolutely cool trek-nology, but also canon breaking.

The Klingons, a viable threat in the previous two books, have all but vanished, and this feels like an oversight. My only other (minor) complaint is that the very strong Ael doesn't show her superior tactics.

Overall rating for books 3 through 5 is somewhere close to 4 stars, and the rating for the series is definitely above a 3. Very glad I read it!

[Excel Lifestyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Federation and Romulan Star Empire has gone to war and Captain Kirk has joined the controversial Romulan Captain Ael in her revolution.

Bafflingly the Romulan revolutionaries make Captain Kirk their leader and he leads an entire civil war involving hundreds of thousands. Add to this an extremely light tone, and you have an oddity of a Star Trek adventure.

Star Trek has always been about the smaller scale. Looking at one ship instead of a fleet. A captain instead of an admiral. Even in Deep Space Nine when there is a war going on for several seasons, the audience still follows the crew of the Space Station instead of the Federation as a whole. So, the authors choice to place our hero as the commander and chief of an entire army is very out of place.

As a result the story comes off as self indulgent, with Kirk and Ael’s crews functioning as the center of the universe. There were many interesting plot threads introduced in previous books, especially surrounding the spy Arrhae, that are tragically underutilized. I believe the author wanted to tell a grand story of civil war and upheaval but then had to do it in a single book, so, she has Kirk single handedly plan and command the whole war.

Overall an anticlimactic ending to a good series. The point of this series was to flesh out Romulan culture and society but this book has lost sight of that. Instead we see the author make her introduced character Ael into the most important person in the universe. The author wanted to make a Star Trek novel where big changes are made instead of the usual episodic fare. However, the scope is too large and strains the credulity of the reader.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the most dense Trek texts ever: the culmination of years of Diane Duane's past catalogue of novels and characters, attempting a final tie-up of all the plot elements. I think it only partially succeeds in that respect, and I don't think the Romulans end up being quite as interesting as they think they are. I also find the attempts to tie-it into future TNG continuity awkward. That said, the character work with the Enterprise and the original crew remains first rate, and the book sings every time they converse & interact. That alone is worth the read...but there's no sense in coming into this cold if you don't have even a passing familiarity with Diane Duane's previous novels.

[Rindis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm glad I came to the later part of Duane's Rihannsu series late, as there was a six-year publication gap between the middle part (the previous pair of books) and this one, with it picking up just as things get dangerous with a state of war being declared between the Federation and the Romulan Empire. It's also ~400 pages and allowed to be one book, thankfully.

There's plenty of action this time, with several large actions as the war escalates. In fact, this novel is unusual for Star Trek (especially original series) in depicting fleet battles instead of smaller engagements. Kirk gets to actually act as more of an admiral for once, managing things instead of charging straight into the middle of the action. There's a fair number of macguffins around some of this, more that I prefer to see thrown around in one novel, but at least they all fit with each other.

At the same time, the plot more revolves around finding a true way forward. Oppression and rebellion are coming even without a war, and in fact, war with the Federation is a distant thing for most of the book, which concentrates on the internal troubles. The large cast of character really shines in this type of story, as there's no real way to present all the important facets without them. The conclusion follows very naturally from much of what has come before, and is the satisfactory ending all of this has has deserved.

There's an attempt to paper things over at the end, to give an out to The Next Generation's bit where the Romulans have cut themselves off from the rest of galactic society for decades. It feels forced, and is a squaring of the circle that just wasn't needed. But that's a minor problem in a strong conclusion to a series that does a great job with its material.

[Emelie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ahh, well, spaceships and military strategy's always kinda nice, I think.

I picked this book up not acknowledging that it's not the first of the series. I've also never seen Star Trek; though the series is one of many of my series to watch (eventually). While it's hard to miss out on Spock and Kirk when you read and watch sci-fi I didn't know anything about them our their world besides their names.

All these factors didn't make the enjoyment of this book any less. While it was a bit difficult orientaiong in the beginning with unfamiliar names and places, the plot and story I was able to follow and enjoy and after a little while the characters were able to stand out and be separated.

The writing was okay, it wasn't overdramatic but plain in a good way. The story had a good pace to it, with a mixture of action and waring, strategy, talking tech and plans and politics and some downtime playing games and the normal life stuff happening.

There were some small plot twists and overall an enjoyable read.

[Robin Winter · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book of Ael, My Enemy, My Ally was a brilliant piece, taut, expressive, characters masterfully realized, and a bittersweet end that hit exactly the right note. This book which ends Ael's story is clunky, comfortable like an old worn shoe, self-indulgent, and contrived. I enjoyed some sections, but this is a book for fans who will overlook or outright forgive meandering thoughts, repeated ruminations and a stretched plot line. I feel Ael is ill-represented as having lost her edge, the vicious insight and ruthless energy for which I loved the character My Enemy, My Ally gave us..

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book picks up where the last one left off, and is *still* building the story -- which is a little surprising, given it's the fifth book, and then moves onto a well-written, anticipated and long climax. I was quite disappointed with the resolution of the series, would have liked to seen more of it, as opposed to the few paragraphs we got about the salient points, and would have much preferred to see concrete justice for the villains of the piece.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a long-time fan of Diane Duane, it's almost shocking that I hadn't read The Empty Chair before, especially given that it's the final book in the Rihannsu series, which I dearly love. I think I know what happened - when it came out, there was also a book that collected earlier entries in the Rihannsu series, and I've never been great at remembering titles, so I could never figure out which book I needed to buy, if any. The same thing happened in reverse with Duane's Door Into Fire series, which is why I own multiple copies of each of the first two Door books.

Whatever the case, I finally got my hands on The Empty Chair, and devoured it. It's a wonderful book, and a fitting end to the series. My only quibble is that some of the long-standing supporting characters (mostly original ones introduced by Duane) barely get more than cameos, but that's understandably - it's a thick book, and all of that space is taken up by the main narrative. There was just no room for anything else. Given the quality of what we got, that's fine by me.

Look, it's a great book, but it's probably not a great place to start. Read the first Rihannsu book first - it's called My Enemy, My Ally, and it's wonderful. It's got something for every Star Trek fan, and it's practically required reading for anyone who wants more from the Trek universe than the shows.

[Two-fisted History · Rating 5 out of 5]

I *loved* this book! The Romulans have long been my favourite race in Trek, and this whole five-part series has been an incredible look into them and an amazing ride for me. It also nicely ties together the reason for the withdrawal of the Rhiannsu (Romulans) from galactic politics between The Motion Picture Era and The Next Generation. The technobabble physics of Scotty, et. al. was a bit thick to read through, but other than that, a spectacular conclusion to the Rhiannsu Series.

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[Matthew WK · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. What a great culmination to an excellent TOS series! This one is definitely centered around political intrigue & strategic maneuvering and espionage more than outright action, but that for the benefit of the reader. The layers of complexity and moral gray areas for leaders is laid bare and driven to a wonderful conclusion. I hesitate to say you can see the maturity in Diane Duane as a writers as I don't mean it to knock her earlier work in the series, but as a compliment. Her ability to capture the voices of well established TOS characters while also giving well rounded development to new figures in the Trek universe is outstanding. I'm going to miss Ael - Duane really created a wonderful character, someone willing to bear the weight of Empire while being aware & hesitant of unchecked power. Definitely a series worthy of a read for any Trek fan!

[Frank Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elements help us! I have mixed feelings at the end of this saga. The scale of world building in the Rihannsu series is grand and is handled very well by Duane. The story is persistently interesting, with a perfect execution of intrigue, wit and humour.

I think that Duane gave Spock and the Romulans a unique and believable sense of humour. I also loved the horta as a character with its own cheeky brand of humour.

I don't think the end was an anticlimax. It was at times quite dramatic and tense. I would enjoy more stories that have this cast meeting again in the future. But not right now. I'm after a light read after such an intense series.

[Peter Rydén · Rating 5 out of 5]

Det här blev en riktigt mäktig avslutning på Rihannsu-serien. Man märker att Diane Duane har utvecklats under åren. Även om redan den första boken var riktigt bra skriven är det nu ett ännu mer djup i karaktärer och berättelse. Jag är verkligen glad över att ha läst hela denna serie och den sista boken är verkligen inget undantag! Jag har haft förmånen att träffa Diane när hon var i Stockholm 2008 och hon förmedlade verkligen hur mycket hon (och maken Peter Morwood, delvis) arbetat på bokserien.

[Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, long-awaited conclusion to this series

A truly inspiring ending to the long saga of the Rihannsu history, once much more satisfying than that which was portrayed in The Next Generation episodes. After the frustrating “to be continued” endings of Swordhunt and Honor Blade, this book wrapped up the loose ends very nicely. Action, science, treachery, humor and genuine respect for the other blended together into a thoroughly absorbing tale.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hoped for more of out of Diane Duane. There seemed to be hundreds of pages of build-up for a rather tepid finish. She waited a long time to finish the series so I expected super fabulous instead I got just ok. All that planning by Kirk made the ending come neatly together.

[Diana S Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read! Read! Read!

VERY thrilling ride!!! I HAD to finish it in one sitting. Too bad it's not canon. I really wish it were. I'm the eternal optimist though. This was a great way to spend a day when I should have been doing something less satisfying. Too bad!

[Nevins Memorial · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great and fitting end to the Rhinnasu saga (and a literally lighter book since I didn't read it in any sort of Omnibus like the first four!) And no browser autocorrect, I do not mean Rhinos, I really really don't mean Rhinos.

[Anne Schelhorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good warp up to the Rihannsu (Romulan) series by Diane Duane.

[Doc · Rating 4 out of 5]

A satisfying ending to Duane's Romulan series.

[Karina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little bit disappointed in this ending to the series that I otherwise love.

[Paschalis]

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[David Friedman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very satisfying conclusion, that yet leaves me wanting more.

[Melvin Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent conclusion to a fine series!

This concluded a series involving the Romulans, a new technology threatening the Federation and the Enterprise crew at their best. I thought this and the entire Rihannsu series was excellent and my only disappointment was that it came to an end.

[Curtis McConnell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tough to get through. But get through I did. Just ok. Nothing special


Here is my rating system. Of course this is all subjective

5 star exceptional. Must read book
4 star excellent book. I enjoyed it
3 star. Average. Take it or leave it. Just ok
2 star. Bad. I finished it but didn’t enjoy it
1 star. Did not finish or so bad I wouldn’t recommend it

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This is the fifth book in Diane Duane's twenty-two year long tale of the Romulans. The first four books ( My Enemy, My Ally , The Romulan Way , Swordhunt , and Honor Blade ) have been collected and published in an omnibus entitled Rihannsu: The Bloodwing Voyages which was released last month along with The Empty Chair. I have been eager to read this final book ever since I finished the cliffhanger Honor Blade in 2005, and I was quite frustrated with my local bookstores for not carrying it. However, I was able to pick up a copy during my holiday travels....more"

[John Carter McKnight · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the setup chapters were ripoff-published under separate cover, making this volume incoherent on its own, The Empty Chair is a hefty, substantial, engaging and satisfying conclusion to Duane's 20 year long non-canon Romulan tale.

Espionage, high-level political intrigue, deep cover agents, assassinations, credible space-warfare strategy, solid speculative science, genuine tension, excellent character development - this is a terrific - not book, because it really can't be read alone - but back third or so of an omnibus tale.

It's only short 5 stars because your mileage may vary as to taste for a completely alternate version of the classic TNG characters: if you'd like a smarter, richer, more whimsical, more grounded in daily practice of their jobs take on Kirk et. al, this is terrific. If you want the voices and limitations of the canon characters, you'll definitely find this off in tone. I quite liked this alternate take, and the secondary characters picked up by other authors in the 1980s, but it's definitely a matter of taste.

[Chris Szitovszky · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final book in the Rihannsu (Romulans) series of Star Trek tie-in books. The series is in general good, but this book was not as satisfying as I was hoping it would be. Many of the elements that contributed to the ending seemed haphazardly thought up, such as the stunning success of the rebel forces. This was the shortest rebellion in sci-fi history, and also the most successful since it seems to start and end in at most a week, with the rebels never losing a single battle and having access to supplies and huge starships that own all the 'loyalist' faction's ships effortlessly.

Still, this is much better than a lot of Canon Trek, so I give it a pass on that basis. That might be seen as damning with faint praise though. In any event, it is clear that Diane Duane made a lot of effort in fleshing out this aspect of the Trek universe, which only makes it worse that people like her weren't invited to write episodes for the TV shows.

[Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pre-reading: I'd been waiting for this one for years. I loved the first two of this series, awaaay back when I was in college (or high school?) The second two were a pleasant surprise a few years back, and they definitely left it open for a 5th. As a Star Fleet Battles player, Romulan fiction is a welcome change of pace. I've kind of fallen away from reading all of the Trek that comes out, but I will continue to make exceptions for this series and maybe this author.

Post-reading: Meh. I felt it fell victim to the "another week, another scientific breakthrough!" syndrome. Each and every battle had a technological surprise by one or both sides, something that really strains my credulity. Also, each and every battle sequence had a "woe-is-me, heavy-is-the-burden-of-command" internal monologue by Kirk. Was he always this mopey, and I never noticed?

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading the Rihannsu saga has been a special treat. Diane Duane shows herself to be a master of "world building," and the Rihannsu culture is very well fleshed-out, much moreso than the Romulans of televised Star Trek. Of course, much of this is due to the freedom that the medium of novels allows. Putting together an hour-long program doesn't allow a writer to delve into the culture of a race of aliens quite as deeply as a novel hundreds of pages long does. For creating such an interesting and vibrant culture, as well as telling a hell of a good story while doing so, I highly recommend the Rihannsu saga to any reader of Trek fiction.

Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2011/12/e...