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Star Trek: I.K.S. Gorkon #3
Enemy Territory
The Elabrej Hegemony For centuries, the Elabrej firmly believed that they were alone in the universe, and that no sentient life existed outside their home star system. But their beliefs are shattered when a controversial exploration vessel of their own making encounters -- and fires upon -- an alien ship. The aliens return fire and destroy them -- then come to Elabrej to investigate.... The Klingon Empire While exploring the uncharted Kavrot Sector, the crew of the I.K.S. Gorkon learn that their brother ship, the I.K.S. Kravokh, was fired on by an alien vessel and subsequently destroyed it. After setting course to investigate this new people, the Kravokh disappears -- but a massive alien fleet is gathering at their last known location. Captain Klag must determine what has happened to the Kravokh, and who this new foe of the empire is.... As two civilizations prepare for war, the secret agendas of both the Elabrej oligarchs and Klingon Imperial Intelligence may serve only to deepen the conflict -- and Captain Klag may also face a mutiny.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
June 17, 2025
Star Trek: I.K.S. Gorkon 03 Enemy Territory by Keith R.A. DeCandido
adventurous challenging emotional hopeful 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? Yes
4.25 Stars
This third installment of the I.K.S. Gorkon was good, but slightly (slightly) less than the second novel in this series. I see there is a fourth...that came out later, but I know will be as good (hopefully better) than the previous. It's a lot of fun reading about the adventures of this crew.
I wasn't as impressed with the new villains (or foes). They just seemed to fall flat. They were not mindless bugs, but they were'nt all together, either. If it had been a "bug hunt", there would still have been tension. On the other hand, because they had a society and semblance of order, the tension was more interior to their society, that effected their effectiveness in battle and against the Klingons...as adversaries. It was an interesting concept, but I felt it lacked the complexity, to stand up to scrutiny (or the outsiders...like the Klingons, OR the readership...in my opinion).
I am truly enjoying getting to know this crew. The captain, the engineer, the security head, the grunts in fifteen, the love interests, and how these Klingons interact on each level...for it is a caste system of sorts.
The I.I. agent was a tad bit messy, but it reminds me of the Soviet Union, and Political Officer in The Hunt for Red October.
All-in-all, it was a fun read.
On to the next one in the trilogy, which is actually the fourth book.
Star Trek: TNG: The Klingon Empire 04 A Burning House.
adventurous challenging emotional hopeful 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? Yes
4.25 Stars
This third installment of the I.K.S. Gorkon was good, but slightly (slightly) less than the second novel in this series. I see there is a fourth...that came out later, but I know will be as good (hopefully better) than the previous. It's a lot of fun reading about the adventures of this crew.
I wasn't as impressed with the new villains (or foes). They just seemed to fall flat. They were not mindless bugs, but they were'nt all together, either. If it had been a "bug hunt", there would still have been tension. On the other hand, because they had a society and semblance of order, the tension was more interior to their society, that effected their effectiveness in battle and against the Klingons...as adversaries. It was an interesting concept, but I felt it lacked the complexity, to stand up to scrutiny (or the outsiders...like the Klingons, OR the readership...in my opinion).
I am truly enjoying getting to know this crew. The captain, the engineer, the security head, the grunts in fifteen, the love interests, and how these Klingons interact on each level...for it is a caste system of sorts.
The I.I. agent was a tad bit messy, but it reminds me of the Soviet Union, and Political Officer in The Hunt for Red October.
All-in-all, it was a fun read.
On to the next one in the trilogy, which is actually the fourth book.
Star Trek: TNG: The Klingon Empire 04 A Burning House.
December 9, 2017
This whole series is excellent.
October 12, 2017
I love the Klingon Empire series by Keith R.A. Candido. The crew of the I.K.S Gorkon is one of the most entertaining collection of people in Star Trek's Expanded Universe. For those unfamiliar with the series, it's about a group of Klingons on board a starship sent to go forth and conquer the various undiscovered races of the galaxy.
The Elabrej Hegemony is a planetary confederation which has never had contact with other races but is ruled by a tyrannical theocratic dictatorship. Basically looking like "Iran in Space" or a stereotypical version of Iran, they are a nonhumanoid species which I tend to imagine looking like Cousin It with a bunch of arms. Encounters with the Klingon Empire goes poorly as they manage to blow up one of their vessels but not before said vessel signals the Gorkon for REVENGE.
I confess to not being a huge fan of "alien" aliens in Star Trek. With the exception of the horta, I prefer to think of Star Trek's aliens as metaphors for humans dealing with each other. While the novels are free from the budget of television shows, I tend to think there's no reason the Elabrej couldn't have been a race of "rubber forehead aliens" of the kind which I do love. Then again, I suppose there isn't any reason they couldn't have been either.
I think this book actually works somewhat as a decent satire of your typical Federation story as we have the space invaders arrive and talk to the pacifist natives (or mostly pacifist) about the glories of war as well as how you'll never make any changes without violence. It's kind of a grossly anti-Trek message but that's the point.
There were a few curious moments like the fact the Elabrej have a poisoned ocean and I'm not sure how life could be sustained on their planet if that were true. Nevertheless, I found this to be an enjoyable book from beginning to end. Having our antiheroes versus an entire planet and teaming up with the local resistance worked well for me.
Character development wise, Kurak still remains an enormous pain in the butt with her refusing to do anything but the bare minimum her job requires. She's also become a suicidal drunk who is actually suffering liver failure despite the fact that's almost impossible for a Klingon. It's a surprising revelation of just how deep her hatred of the Klingon Defense Force runs.
I'm not sure I agree with the hatred the Klingons bare for their Imperial Intelligence counterparts either. Yes, spies are designed to be liars but the Klingons in TOS were clever, sneaky, and did all manner of subterfuge based plans. You'd think any talented warrior would appreciate knowledge of his enemies' positions and plans. However, the agents in this book are treated pretty shabby and that's a shame.
In conclusion, I didn't like this book as much as I liked the first two but it's a measure in meters not miles. I'm saddened "A Burning House" is the last volume of the series and I wish this had lasted for as long as the New Frontier series. They should totally have had Keith making these every year.
8/10
The Elabrej Hegemony is a planetary confederation which has never had contact with other races but is ruled by a tyrannical theocratic dictatorship. Basically looking like "Iran in Space" or a stereotypical version of Iran, they are a nonhumanoid species which I tend to imagine looking like Cousin It with a bunch of arms. Encounters with the Klingon Empire goes poorly as they manage to blow up one of their vessels but not before said vessel signals the Gorkon for REVENGE.
I confess to not being a huge fan of "alien" aliens in Star Trek. With the exception of the horta, I prefer to think of Star Trek's aliens as metaphors for humans dealing with each other. While the novels are free from the budget of television shows, I tend to think there's no reason the Elabrej couldn't have been a race of "rubber forehead aliens" of the kind which I do love. Then again, I suppose there isn't any reason they couldn't have been either.
I think this book actually works somewhat as a decent satire of your typical Federation story as we have the space invaders arrive and talk to the pacifist natives (or mostly pacifist) about the glories of war as well as how you'll never make any changes without violence. It's kind of a grossly anti-Trek message but that's the point.
There were a few curious moments like the fact the Elabrej have a poisoned ocean and I'm not sure how life could be sustained on their planet if that were true. Nevertheless, I found this to be an enjoyable book from beginning to end. Having our antiheroes versus an entire planet and teaming up with the local resistance worked well for me.
Character development wise, Kurak still remains an enormous pain in the butt with her refusing to do anything but the bare minimum her job requires. She's also become a suicidal drunk who is actually suffering liver failure despite the fact that's almost impossible for a Klingon. It's a surprising revelation of just how deep her hatred of the Klingon Defense Force runs.
I'm not sure I agree with the hatred the Klingons bare for their Imperial Intelligence counterparts either. Yes, spies are designed to be liars but the Klingons in TOS were clever, sneaky, and did all manner of subterfuge based plans. You'd think any talented warrior would appreciate knowledge of his enemies' positions and plans. However, the agents in this book are treated pretty shabby and that's a shame.
In conclusion, I didn't like this book as much as I liked the first two but it's a measure in meters not miles. I'm saddened "A Burning House" is the last volume of the series and I wish this had lasted for as long as the New Frontier series. They should totally have had Keith making these every year.
8/10
April 3, 2019
Enemy Territory continues the excellent I.K.S. Gorkon series with terrific character development for this crew of Klingons whom I have come to love as much (if not more) than any of the Starfleet crews of other novel series. Keith DeCandido has managed to imbue these characters with a life of their own, and I find myself truly invested in the outcome of the lives of the crew of the Gorkon. Add to that the truly fascinating world-building and the story of cultures clashing, and Enemy Territory ends up hitting all the right notes for me. I.K.S. Gorkon continues to be one of my favorite corners of the Star Trek literary universe!
Full review: https://www.treklit.com/2019/04/Enemy...
Full review: https://www.treklit.com/2019/04/Enemy...
June 25, 2020
While this wasn't the most thrilling book in this series, I found it very entertaining & a quick read after the first third of the book was finished. Sometimes I have difficulty when starting a book "getting into reading it" & that's what happened in this case.
The first third of the book goes from the Klingon characters to just the alien species, called Elabrej. Mr. DeCandido gave this species their own words for minutes, days, weeks, & years & that threw me out of the book & back into the real world every time. While I usually enjoy this type of writing to "build a world," it didn't work for me this time. The chapters from the Elabrej prospective /with just them speaking among themselves was like wading the molasses for me.
Having to keep Klingon words & an alien term for something was very difficult. The Klingon words I was mostly familiar with from watch Star Trek, but some terms used in only books threw me too. Also I couldn't get my head around seeing the Elabrej species, despite the author's description. I kept thinking spiders without a head.
After getting through the set up chapters of describing the aliens & have the crew of the I.K.S Gorkan interact with them, I really enjoyed this book. I wonder if the character of Rodek will regain his memory or go mad before the end of this series, A Burning House? The below decks characters of the 15th are very interesting & I would like to sit in the Gorkan's mess hall & get to know them, as well.
I believe I'll start reading the last book in this series, perhaps straight Klingon interaction will be a better read this time around.
The first third of the book goes from the Klingon characters to just the alien species, called Elabrej. Mr. DeCandido gave this species their own words for minutes, days, weeks, & years & that threw me out of the book & back into the real world every time. While I usually enjoy this type of writing to "build a world," it didn't work for me this time. The chapters from the Elabrej prospective /with just them speaking among themselves was like wading the molasses for me.
Having to keep Klingon words & an alien term for something was very difficult. The Klingon words I was mostly familiar with from watch Star Trek, but some terms used in only books threw me too. Also I couldn't get my head around seeing the Elabrej species, despite the author's description. I kept thinking spiders without a head.
After getting through the set up chapters of describing the aliens & have the crew of the I.K.S Gorkan interact with them, I really enjoyed this book. I wonder if the character of Rodek will regain his memory or go mad before the end of this series, A Burning House? The below decks characters of the 15th are very interesting & I would like to sit in the Gorkan's mess hall & get to know them, as well.
I believe I'll start reading the last book in this series, perhaps straight Klingon interaction will be a better read this time around.
Read
December 14, 2025This is the third book in a four book series and is absolutely fantastic. I had read this book and the others in this series when they were first published in 2005 and I rediscovered that I had them when going through all my Trek novels. I obviously reread this out of order, but the enjoyment of this book does not require reading them. However, I will be going to them when I rediscover them (I have so many Trek novels).
The premise is outstanding: a Klingon ship encounters a new species. They fire on the Klingons and the Klingons (unsurprisingly) fire back, destroying the new species' ship. The Klingons are able to track where the alien ship came from and set out to go to their home world. However, they are intercepted and their ship destroyed, but not before they send out a message to the Klingon home world about their status. Captain Klag, commanding the I.K.S. Gorkon are assigned to investigate the ship's disappearance and things begin to move quickly.
If a reader has watched any episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation or Deep Space, or read their original novels, many of the Klingon characters will be familiar. Their interactions are fantastic, with them having all the personalities and conflicts one would expect to find in a Federation crew. There is considerable tension among the crew for a variety of reasons, but all are absolutely believable.
Once near the alien world the action really takes over with several characters split up, each doing what they can to fulfill their missions, which I won't reveal to keep one's reading spoiler free.
DeCandido is one of the better Trek writers and his Klingon novels hold great memories for me. Rereading this book has only solidified my opinion of his skills and I eagerly look forward to rereading the other books.
This book is absolutely recommended for Star Trek fans.
The premise is outstanding: a Klingon ship encounters a new species. They fire on the Klingons and the Klingons (unsurprisingly) fire back, destroying the new species' ship. The Klingons are able to track where the alien ship came from and set out to go to their home world. However, they are intercepted and their ship destroyed, but not before they send out a message to the Klingon home world about their status. Captain Klag, commanding the I.K.S. Gorkon are assigned to investigate the ship's disappearance and things begin to move quickly.
If a reader has watched any episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation or Deep Space, or read their original novels, many of the Klingon characters will be familiar. Their interactions are fantastic, with them having all the personalities and conflicts one would expect to find in a Federation crew. There is considerable tension among the crew for a variety of reasons, but all are absolutely believable.
Once near the alien world the action really takes over with several characters split up, each doing what they can to fulfill their missions, which I won't reveal to keep one's reading spoiler free.
DeCandido is one of the better Trek writers and his Klingon novels hold great memories for me. Rereading this book has only solidified my opinion of his skills and I eagerly look forward to rereading the other books.
This book is absolutely recommended for Star Trek fans.
March 24, 2024
Keith R. A. DeCandido continues his run of excellent Klingon focused books with the third entry in the IKS Gorkon series. Despite being the weakest of the series, it is still an incredibly entertaining story!
This book has excellent action. I was hooked in the various battles and sequences of the Klingons vs the Elaborej. The juxtaposition of the Klingons having to deal with their own revolutionaries (who are viewed as bad) vs the Elabrej having their own revolutionaries (who are viewed as good) was fascinating.
I was really happy to see the story of Kurak in this book. I found her to be somewhat annoyong in her appearances in books 1` and 2, but here she had interesting character growth.
Unfortunately, this book didn't feel as tight as the other books, and the main conflict takes about half of the book to get started. Likewise, I didn't find that this book had as good themes as the previous entries. As a result, while it is still very entertaining, it does lose a few points.
Wol continues to be the heart and soul of this series, and her story was only ok for the most part, but her part of the story near the end was just so well executed.
Overall, this is an enjoyable book, but the IKS Gorkon series hit its heights with books 1 and 2. I'll give this one a 7 out of 10.
This book has excellent action. I was hooked in the various battles and sequences of the Klingons vs the Elaborej. The juxtaposition of the Klingons having to deal with their own revolutionaries (who are viewed as bad) vs the Elabrej having their own revolutionaries (who are viewed as good) was fascinating.
I was really happy to see the story of Kurak in this book. I found her to be somewhat annoyong in her appearances in books 1` and 2, but here she had interesting character growth.
Unfortunately, this book didn't feel as tight as the other books, and the main conflict takes about half of the book to get started. Likewise, I didn't find that this book had as good themes as the previous entries. As a result, while it is still very entertaining, it does lose a few points.
Wol continues to be the heart and soul of this series, and her story was only ok for the most part, but her part of the story near the end was just so well executed.
Overall, this is an enjoyable book, but the IKS Gorkon series hit its heights with books 1 and 2. I'll give this one a 7 out of 10.
June 12, 2024
Wow, really have enjoyed this series. Although I think the first one is probably the best this one is still excellent and holds up.
The hegemony they are fighting are interesting and I have enjoyed DeCandido's efforts that he puts into each race that the Gorkon fights to bring them alive.
I have enjoyed all these characters Wol, Klag, Toq, Leskit, B'Oraq (although her part in this is not as prominent as in the first two books), Rodek and others throughout this entire series. Kurak's arc in this was a highlight and the mutiny story arc was another added bonus in a jam packed book. Battles, intrigue, redemption, humour, the proper course of revolts and did I mention battle? are all in here.
This whole series has been excellent.
The hegemony they are fighting are interesting and I have enjoyed DeCandido's efforts that he puts into each race that the Gorkon fights to bring them alive.
I have enjoyed all these characters Wol, Klag, Toq, Leskit, B'Oraq (although her part in this is not as prominent as in the first two books), Rodek and others throughout this entire series. Kurak's arc in this was a highlight and the mutiny story arc was another added bonus in a jam packed book. Battles, intrigue, redemption, humour, the proper course of revolts and did I mention battle? are all in here.
This whole series has been excellent.
August 7, 2024
The pinnacle of the trilogy, this was definitely the best storyline. I thought the ending seemed abrupt but I did enjoy all of the lead up to it.
It's fun taking the idea of a typical Starfleet exploration story and reshaping it to fit a plot about an Imperial Klingon conquest. In that respect, this book finally makes up for the promise in the first book of the trilogy. I guess books 1 & 2 did also deal with the new discovery of a populated planet but the aliens in this story are much more fascinatingly different.
I feel like the trilogy could have sparked a longer series following the IKS Gorkon on this mission. There is at least one more book that I'm aware of ('A Burning House') in the same timeline and I'm about to go find out if that one also follows the Gorkon.
It's fun taking the idea of a typical Starfleet exploration story and reshaping it to fit a plot about an Imperial Klingon conquest. In that respect, this book finally makes up for the promise in the first book of the trilogy. I guess books 1 & 2 did also deal with the new discovery of a populated planet but the aliens in this story are much more fascinatingly different.
I feel like the trilogy could have sparked a longer series following the IKS Gorkon on this mission. There is at least one more book that I'm aware of ('A Burning House') in the same timeline and I'm about to go find out if that one also follows the Gorkon.
February 15, 2019
Really liked this one! Especially enjoyed the way each alien race (Elabrej and Klingons) thought the other was ugly. I was nervous starting this one, as I don't own the 1st 2 in the series, but I needn't have worried. It works as a stand-alone book just fine (but I am looking forward to finding the first two at my local used book store, asap). I appreciated the list of Klingon Chancellors at the end of the book, as well. (There was a woman Chancellor? I did not know that!) It was also fun to read a book in which there are only Klingons and Elabrej present, no humans at all. A nice change, and it allowed me to immerse myself in Klingon culture. Nicely done!
August 18, 2022
I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, but this entry was mostly a miss for me. I think a lot of the interesting exploration that could've been utilized was squandered by the fact the first race they encountered was the klingons.
The story was so interesting and had so much potential, but I just don't think the Gorkon is cut out to handle a situation like this.
Luckily, DeCandido is a master at writing klingons and I found his portrayel to be incredible as always, I just didn't vibe with the story as much.
The story was so interesting and had so much potential, but I just don't think the Gorkon is cut out to handle a situation like this.
Luckily, DeCandido is a master at writing klingons and I found his portrayel to be incredible as always, I just didn't vibe with the story as much.
June 24, 2022
It couldn't catch me. Maybe the problem was that I started with a later book in the series, but I didn't understand the characters. Interesting aliens from the beginning disappeared and the book seemed to evolve into the bickering among the crew, which didn't seem realistic. Seems like the author didn't even think for real about how would Klingon society work with Klingons. Instead, his characters are more like immature, impulsive humans.
August 14, 2025
Overall this series was very good. This third volume however lost a bit of the luster found in the previous books in the series.
I skipped most of the alien segments and focused my reading on the Klingons, and was disappointed that the crew didn't get more time in the spotlight.
This series really begins with the Brave and Bold duology, start there if you want the full Gorkon experience.
I skipped most of the alien segments and focused my reading on the Klingons, and was disappointed that the crew didn't get more time in the spotlight.
This series really begins with the Brave and Bold duology, start there if you want the full Gorkon experience.
January 22, 2019
[3.5/5] Not quite as good as the previous novels in the series, but the cast of characters are just so much fun to follow. I particularly like the way we've seen Wol grow and thrive in her position.
October 31, 2020
I am Jorn. To listen to my podcast on this book, check out KAG.org/series/bound-by-honor/
January 27, 2021
Very good. Highly recommend. I love the adventures of this crew of Klingons! It has adventure, honor and humor.
October 29, 2016
Another entertaining book in a fantastic series. I feel bad only giving the book 4 stars, but in comparison to all of the rest of the books, I felt that this one was the weakest. Don't get me wrong, it was still enjoyable from beginning to end, it just lacked something the others had in spades.
The aliens seemed extremely strange and refreshing. I really enjoy the creativity put into making a culture so alien to what we're use to in the ST universe. However, after the initial impression, they were not nearly as interesting as the Gorkon crew. There were many scenes from their perspective, and I never really felt like I cared about them or their culture, and at the end of the book I felt that those scenes came at the expense of developing, or simply representing, many of the Gorkon crew members.
The author has a gift for creating compelling characters, and I enjoyed the ones he decided to focus on in this novel. However, I felt that the majority of characters built up in the previous books were pushed to the background, or entirely absent. When I finished the book, I grazed over my little card of characters, and it felt a bit disappointing that most of them were overlooked in favor for strange aliens that were rather indistinguishable besides the fact that they were being attacked by Klingons (and their strange biology).
As I think back to the previous books, another thing crossed my mind. The overall "feeling" of the book is a bit off in comparison, and I think it is mostly due to a lack of tension that the others had in abundance. In the previous book, each and every chapter ended with so much tension, and I ate it up. Enemy Territory kind of just flops between different POVs, and transitions between chapters more casually. This gave me the feeling that the book was a bit more rushed than the previous ones.
Still, these are mostly minor gripes. The book as a whole is still very entertaining. It's just easier to critique something that's mostly good by looking at it's blemishes (or perhaps I'm a pessimist). If you want to know more about what makes the book good, then you should read it.
The aliens seemed extremely strange and refreshing. I really enjoy the creativity put into making a culture so alien to what we're use to in the ST universe. However, after the initial impression, they were not nearly as interesting as the Gorkon crew. There were many scenes from their perspective, and I never really felt like I cared about them or their culture, and at the end of the book I felt that those scenes came at the expense of developing, or simply representing, many of the Gorkon crew members.
The author has a gift for creating compelling characters, and I enjoyed the ones he decided to focus on in this novel. However, I felt that the majority of characters built up in the previous books were pushed to the background, or entirely absent. When I finished the book, I grazed over my little card of characters, and it felt a bit disappointing that most of them were overlooked in favor for strange aliens that were rather indistinguishable besides the fact that they were being attacked by Klingons (and their strange biology).
As I think back to the previous books, another thing crossed my mind. The overall "feeling" of the book is a bit off in comparison, and I think it is mostly due to a lack of tension that the others had in abundance. In the previous book, each and every chapter ended with so much tension, and I ate it up. Enemy Territory kind of just flops between different POVs, and transitions between chapters more casually. This gave me the feeling that the book was a bit more rushed than the previous ones.
Still, these are mostly minor gripes. The book as a whole is still very entertaining. It's just easier to critique something that's mostly good by looking at it's blemishes (or perhaps I'm a pessimist). If you want to know more about what makes the book good, then you should read it.
December 13, 2009
I love that the aliens in this book are so completely alien. They see in all directions, but because of the third person limited viewpoint, the audience never gets a hard-scifi explanation for their physiology. I don't always like that, but in this case it was so well done, and so perfect for a minor plot point, that I loved it.
Other things I loved included: Toq, as always; Kurak deciding to be happy; Leskit, who has stopped boring me; and captured klingon angst. These are great books. The people love narratives from the klingon perspective.
Other things I loved included: Toq, as always; Kurak deciding to be happy; Leskit, who has stopped boring me; and captured klingon angst. These are great books. The people love narratives from the klingon perspective.
July 10, 2015
A different perspective on the Star Trek Universe is interesting and I've enjoyed the trilogy. I think a list of all the characters at the beginning of book 2 & 3 would be helpful as there are a lot of unfamiliar Klingon names which I have difficulty linking up with the characters!
February 12, 2013
Wonderful ending to a great trilogy. Even leaves things set up for more.
August 8, 2012
A delightful look into the workings of a Klingon starship, going where no Klingon has gone before.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews