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Star Trek: The Next Generation
The Devil's Heart
The Devil's Heart -- a legendary object of unsurpassed power and mystery. Worlds that believe in magic consider it Darkness's mightiest talisman; worlds of science consider it a lost artifact of some ancient and forgotten race. Some say the Heart enables its possessor to control people's minds and to amass wealth enough for a dozen lifetimes, while others thing it capable of raising the dead, perhaps even changing the flow of time itself. But to all, the location of this fabled object has remained a mystery -- until now.
An isolated archaeological outpost has suddenly stopped responding to repeated requests for information. Sent to discover why, the U.S.S. Enterprise crew finds a devastated outpost and a dying scientist, whose last worlds fall on disbelieving ears: the Devil's Heart has been found.
Now, as the quest for the Heart unfolds, Captain Jean-Luc Picard discovers the awful truth behind all the legends and age-old secrets: Whoever holds the Devil's Heart possesses power beyond imagining...
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
August 26, 2023
Fairly well done TNG romp with obvious influences from Lord of the Rinds ("my precious....") and some intriguing tie-ins with the Guardian of Forever and the ancient Iconian civilization, architects of a network of millennia old portals spanning the galaxy.
February 6, 2023
Have you ever wondered what would happen if Capt. Picard suddenly went all Gollum-esque over the Star Trek equivalent of the One Ring? Well, then look no further, for this is the book for you...and I was not a fan.
Firstly, the good. This novel touches upon some Iconian history - which has always fascinated me since "Contagion." I love the dead empires of the Star Trek universe and want to devour everything about them. Where's my T'Kon book? Anyway, I think the best bit was that I've also started watching TNG again and as I was nearing completion of this novel, "Contagion" came up. And, it was nice hearing Data say the names of the three derivative civilizations; the DiWhan, the Dynassians, and the Ikkobars - as they were all in this novel! :) Yay! I'm a nerd!!! :)
Secondly, the bad. Magic doesn't belong in Star Trek. I'm sorry, I know that there are plenty who probably disagree - and I'm sure one can try to argue that Q, or Trelane, or the Guardian of Forever, etc., are magical - but, to me, they've always seemed more "advanced enough to appear as magic," but this eponymous "Devil's Heart" is magic. It can raise the dead, it can make phasers alter their trajectory and turn back around at the firer, it can heal the sick, it can prolong life, it can alter time, it can literally do whatever you want it to do for whatever is convenient for your plot. It even told Picard that it could undo all that it had done throughout history through it's various wielders - with the alterations to the timeline, of course Now, the novel indicates that it is a piece broken off of the Guardian of Forever, thus explaining its numerous abilities and powers...but, um, I don't remember the Guardian being able to do all of those things.
And, Picard, the one who would tell us how incredibly easy it is to be seduced by power, who would tells us how short the road is between freedom and oppression, happily goes along with the powers of the Devil's Heart once he gets it, whilst telling himself that he's not really indulging in it, he's just using it a little bit to understand it so he can solve the mystery...which is what I'm sure a ton of evil people say as they start down the road...you know, good intentions and all that. Picard is not Picard in this book. He loses weight, goes pale, skin pulled tight on his skull...cradles the Heart constantly in his arm...he's two seconds away from saying "the precious."
Also, I have no idea what's going on with the cover here. I mean, sure I get Picard, but I have no idea who the other four people are? I mean, maybe the Romulan is the Vulcan-Romulan possessor of the Heart (oh yes, I forgot to mention, the story is interspersed with chapters telling of the history of the Heart form the perspective of those who possessed it through history in the framework of dreams Picard is having)? And the Klingon could be the first Emperor who wielded it? Or maybe his descendant who sought it ought later? The girl is...um...I have no idea? The only girl wielders mentioned were Klingon or Vulcan...and she's Human (or something very Human-looking)...and the Human guy is...yah, no idea?
Oh, oh, fun fact - the Romulan Warbird, Haakona, and it's Captain, Commander Taris, who are also in "Contagion" make an appearance in this novel - and are destroyed by the Enterprise in combat.
Should you read it? Hmm...maybe, I guess. I don't know. It was...okay. I got heavy, heavy, "Gambit, Part One and Two" vibes from it. Picard acting out of character. Magical stone with Vulcans/Romulans searching for it. Investigating what happened to characters in the beginning. I think I'd just rather watch "Gambit" again. It has that really touching scene between Worf and Data.
Firstly, the good. This novel touches upon some Iconian history - which has always fascinated me since "Contagion." I love the dead empires of the Star Trek universe and want to devour everything about them. Where's my T'Kon book? Anyway, I think the best bit was that I've also started watching TNG again and as I was nearing completion of this novel, "Contagion" came up. And, it was nice hearing Data say the names of the three derivative civilizations; the DiWhan, the Dynassians, and the Ikkobars - as they were all in this novel! :) Yay! I'm a nerd!!! :)
Secondly, the bad. Magic doesn't belong in Star Trek. I'm sorry, I know that there are plenty who probably disagree - and I'm sure one can try to argue that Q, or Trelane, or the Guardian of Forever, etc., are magical - but, to me, they've always seemed more "advanced enough to appear as magic," but this eponymous "Devil's Heart" is magic. It can raise the dead, it can make phasers alter their trajectory and turn back around at the firer, it can heal the sick, it can prolong life, it can alter time, it can literally do whatever you want it to do for whatever is convenient for your plot. It even told Picard that it could undo all that it had done throughout history through it's various wielders - with the alterations to the timeline, of course Now, the novel indicates that it is a piece broken off of the Guardian of Forever, thus explaining its numerous abilities and powers...but, um, I don't remember the Guardian being able to do all of those things.
And, Picard, the one who would tell us how incredibly easy it is to be seduced by power, who would tells us how short the road is between freedom and oppression, happily goes along with the powers of the Devil's Heart once he gets it, whilst telling himself that he's not really indulging in it, he's just using it a little bit to understand it so he can solve the mystery...which is what I'm sure a ton of evil people say as they start down the road...you know, good intentions and all that. Picard is not Picard in this book. He loses weight, goes pale, skin pulled tight on his skull...cradles the Heart constantly in his arm...he's two seconds away from saying "the precious."
Also, I have no idea what's going on with the cover here. I mean, sure I get Picard, but I have no idea who the other four people are? I mean, maybe the Romulan is the Vulcan-Romulan possessor of the Heart (oh yes, I forgot to mention, the story is interspersed with chapters telling of the history of the Heart form the perspective of those who possessed it through history in the framework of dreams Picard is having)? And the Klingon could be the first Emperor who wielded it? Or maybe his descendant who sought it ought later? The girl is...um...I have no idea? The only girl wielders mentioned were Klingon or Vulcan...and she's Human (or something very Human-looking)...and the Human guy is...yah, no idea?
Oh, oh, fun fact - the Romulan Warbird, Haakona, and it's Captain, Commander Taris, who are also in "Contagion" make an appearance in this novel - and are destroyed by the Enterprise in combat.
Should you read it? Hmm...maybe, I guess. I don't know. It was...okay. I got heavy, heavy, "Gambit, Part One and Two" vibes from it. Picard acting out of character. Magical stone with Vulcans/Romulans searching for it. Investigating what happened to characters in the beginning. I think I'd just rather watch "Gambit" again. It has that really touching scene between Worf and Data.
August 17, 2019
It's a long time since I've read any Star Trek tie-ins (though I keep buying interesting-sounding ones* in kindle editions), but a couple of weeks ago I was on a train back from London after visiting my father in hospital, surrounded by football fans and generally feeling too fragile and distracted to concentrate on a boook, so instead I thought I'd knit and listen to a podcast. The podcast I chose was an episode of the delightful Star Trek podcast Antimatter Pod** in which the podcasters discussed their favourite tie-in novels of their formative years, and The Devil's Heart sounded such fun that I couldn't resist hitting up Amazon Marketplace and had ordered a copy before I got to Oxford Parkway.
When the Enterprise is ordered to respond to a distress call from a Vulcan archaeological mission (much to the annoyance of the crew, as it prevents their attendance at the Starfleet poker tournament), Captain Picard finds himself in possession of the Devil's Heart or Ko N'ya, an ancient and reputedly cursed artefact which appears in the legends of many spacefaring races. The Ko N'ya exerts a powerful fascination over its owner and grants visions of the lives of the previous owners, causing Picard to behave increasingly oddly, while its discovery draws members of all of the races which have previously possessed it, desperate to retrieve it and use it to further their aims.
The Devil's Heart was a fun read; possibly there were slightly too many subthreads to the plot and dispensing with a couple of them would have made the book a bit more focused without really sacrificing anything in terms of the overal plot, but I enjoyed it despite that, and remembered that, actually, the thing I really like about tie-ins isn't the plot, but the way they offer a chance to spend more time with familiar characters and get an insight into their thoughts that isn't possible with TV and film depictions***. And The Devil's Heart does that brilliantly; I loved seeing Picard's senior officers becoming increasingly concerned and frustrated by his odd behaviour, and getting more a sense of their relationships and feelings toward each other, and there were also some interesting original characters (I particularly liked the starbase commander Miyakawa and the group of academics who hijack a starship in the most typically academic way ever). It's not deep or serious literature, but it's great entertainment.
*fvo of "interesting-sounding" which largely translate to "by Una McCormack"
**if discussions of fashion, feminism, subtext and subspace are something that float your boat too, go and check it out!
***I would probably not be a Star Trek fan if I hadn't found Vonda N McIntyre's novelisations of the second, third and fourth films in the late 80s, which gave so much more depth to the characters. (I would also probably not be a Doctor Who fan without the Target novelisations, and suspect that if I'd encountered Star Wars novelisations and tie-ins instead of just the films I'd be much more of a fan of that.)
When the Enterprise is ordered to respond to a distress call from a Vulcan archaeological mission (much to the annoyance of the crew, as it prevents their attendance at the Starfleet poker tournament), Captain Picard finds himself in possession of the Devil's Heart or Ko N'ya, an ancient and reputedly cursed artefact which appears in the legends of many spacefaring races. The Ko N'ya exerts a powerful fascination over its owner and grants visions of the lives of the previous owners, causing Picard to behave increasingly oddly, while its discovery draws members of all of the races which have previously possessed it, desperate to retrieve it and use it to further their aims.
The Devil's Heart was a fun read; possibly there were slightly too many subthreads to the plot and dispensing with a couple of them would have made the book a bit more focused without really sacrificing anything in terms of the overal plot, but I enjoyed it despite that, and remembered that, actually, the thing I really like about tie-ins isn't the plot, but the way they offer a chance to spend more time with familiar characters and get an insight into their thoughts that isn't possible with TV and film depictions***. And The Devil's Heart does that brilliantly; I loved seeing Picard's senior officers becoming increasingly concerned and frustrated by his odd behaviour, and getting more a sense of their relationships and feelings toward each other, and there were also some interesting original characters (I particularly liked the starbase commander Miyakawa and the group of academics who hijack a starship in the most typically academic way ever). It's not deep or serious literature, but it's great entertainment.
*fvo of "interesting-sounding" which largely translate to "by Una McCormack"
**if discussions of fashion, feminism, subtext and subspace are something that float your boat too, go and check it out!
***I would probably not be a Star Trek fan if I hadn't found Vonda N McIntyre's novelisations of the second, third and fourth films in the late 80s, which gave so much more depth to the characters. (I would also probably not be a Doctor Who fan without the Target novelisations, and suspect that if I'd encountered Star Wars novelisations and tie-ins instead of just the films I'd be much more of a fan of that.)
February 6, 2017
In the midst of the current political turmoil in the US (re: Trump, the Muslim Ban, and all of the other divisive and heinous acts of his administration) I have really been enjoying the world of Star Trek. I've read this book and plan on reading more and I've started watching TNG on Netflix.
In the world of Star Trek, we seek to understand other cultures, we embrace diversity, gender/race is not a bar to advancement, and differences are celebrated, rather than reviled. It really is a beautiful utopian world we envision ourselves living in. We need to learn from Star Trek and apply it to our current lives.
About this book in particular, I kind of felt the ending was a copout. They didn't really resolve the primary problem, just transferred it to an unexplored (by them) location. What if they just foisted the problem off onto an entirely different inhabited galaxy? Or with the 5000 year timespan of the wormhole, to another time period. Wormholes work both ways, right? So it could come back when the wormhole opens up again? Right? But other than that I rather enjoyed this book.
In the world of Star Trek, we seek to understand other cultures, we embrace diversity, gender/race is not a bar to advancement, and differences are celebrated, rather than reviled. It really is a beautiful utopian world we envision ourselves living in. We need to learn from Star Trek and apply it to our current lives.
About this book in particular, I kind of felt the ending was a copout. They didn't really resolve the primary problem, just transferred it to an unexplored (by them) location. What if they just foisted the problem off onto an entirely different inhabited galaxy? Or with the 5000 year timespan of the wormhole, to another time period. Wormholes work both ways, right? So it could come back when the wormhole opens up again? Right? But other than that I rather enjoyed this book.
July 27, 2025
The idea behind The Devil’s Heart is fine. A mysterious ancient artifact tied to different civilizations and drawing in the Enterprise crew is classic Star Trek. But the story never really came together for me. It moved slowly, jumped around too much, and didn’t build much tension. The emotional impact just wasn’t there. Also, there was some protagonist confusion as happens with certain ensembles. I was excited for it to be a Crusher story but then it teased a possible Worf outlet, but nope, Picard and Data once again. I kept hoping it would take off, but it stayed pretty flat. Cool premise, just not that engaging.
June 5, 2025
Would have made an interesting "cultural" episode, in a sense. Too much going on/flipping backwards and forwards without enough clarity for surprisingly little plot? Addiction-Picard p*ssed me off, just didn't seem like him to not realise that something was wrong and affecting his ability to captain - he would have asked for help in the show. The interaction between Guinan and Camenae may honestly have been the most interesting bit. Overall this book had potential, but just fell a bit short in terms of fleshing out the characters, in my opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2013
Story: 4/5
I have to say, the premise is pretty intriguing, and Carmen Carter seems to make it work rather well. There's really not much else to say other than that.
Writing: 3/5
Though this book has a great storyline, reading it felt a bit lackluster. I finished it, but I had to push myself slightly to do so. Since the Star Trek novels are written by countless different authors, some are bound to be inferior in writing style to others, and this happens to be one of them. Still, it's not as terrible as some other books that I've read.
Moral Content: 4/5
The Star Trek movies aren't as squeaky clean as the Star Wars films--the former usually have more profanity and sexual content than the latter--so, it's only natural that the books would follow suit. Still, compared to some other Trek novels, this one is a bit restrained. No sexual content, just a small amount of blood and gore, and only around ten or so profanities. I'd recommend this to preteens and teens not only because of the content, but because the concepts would be a bit much for younger kids to understand.
Conclusion: It's been a while since I've read a Star Trek novel, but this one did feel slightly lackluster. Still, Trekkies will find plenty to like about this one. If you're looking for an introduction to the Trek novels, though, you should start off with something by Diane Carey, Diane Duane, John Vornholt, or Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, who are--in my opinion--the best writers of Gene Roddenberry's space opera. Experienced Trek readers will enjoy The Devil's Heart.
Score: 3.5/5
I have to say, the premise is pretty intriguing, and Carmen Carter seems to make it work rather well. There's really not much else to say other than that.
Writing: 3/5
Though this book has a great storyline, reading it felt a bit lackluster. I finished it, but I had to push myself slightly to do so. Since the Star Trek novels are written by countless different authors, some are bound to be inferior in writing style to others, and this happens to be one of them. Still, it's not as terrible as some other books that I've read.
Moral Content: 4/5
The Star Trek movies aren't as squeaky clean as the Star Wars films--the former usually have more profanity and sexual content than the latter--so, it's only natural that the books would follow suit. Still, compared to some other Trek novels, this one is a bit restrained. No sexual content, just a small amount of blood and gore, and only around ten or so profanities. I'd recommend this to preteens and teens not only because of the content, but because the concepts would be a bit much for younger kids to understand.
Conclusion: It's been a while since I've read a Star Trek novel, but this one did feel slightly lackluster. Still, Trekkies will find plenty to like about this one. If you're looking for an introduction to the Trek novels, though, you should start off with something by Diane Carey, Diane Duane, John Vornholt, or Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, who are--in my opinion--the best writers of Gene Roddenberry's space opera. Experienced Trek readers will enjoy The Devil's Heart.
Score: 3.5/5
March 27, 2024
Performance (audiobook): ★★★★★
Story: ★★★
From my perspective, the audio adaptation of this book is an unmissable gem, if primarily due to Gates McFadden's extraordinary portrayal. Whether embodying Picard, Riker, Data, or LaForge: she infuses vitality into each of our cherished characters with her astounding mastery of inflections, effectively compensating for the story's relative weakness along the way.
Story: ★★★
From my perspective, the audio adaptation of this book is an unmissable gem, if primarily due to Gates McFadden's extraordinary portrayal. Whether embodying Picard, Riker, Data, or LaForge: she infuses vitality into each of our cherished characters with her astounding mastery of inflections, effectively compensating for the story's relative weakness along the way.
February 10, 2020
I liked this book enough to want read more by the author but I didn't like it enough to recommend it. Basically this book is about a rock that causes trouble--if you're like me, you have to read this on that summary alone!
Unfortunately, while I liked seeing what could be done with such a simple premise--sort of a mashup between Lord of the Rings and Star Trek--in the end, the story didn't really go anywhere.
What I liked:
***Carter's good at writing the crew!
***Carter got me interested in the the various fantasy stories that tell the history of the troublesome rock. Usually, I kind of frown upon fantasy stories in the Star Trek universe. But these were interesting.
***Carter's description of Riker's physicality is pretty funny.
What I didn't like:
***Not enough of the crew!
***The various "tales of the rock" segments and subplots with different fractions mobilizing to steal the rock made me a little confused. At one point, as I was starting to doubt my mental health. I found myself in the middle of the book not knowing who anyone was. DO I NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL? But I was fine. I think.
***Carter jumps around a lot of Star Trek planets with tales of the rock but all these societies seem so similar: Klingons, Pre-Logic Vulcans, Andorians, etc.
***More could be done with the plot. At the end--I didn't feel much happened.
***It could have been funnier--there's hints of humor regarding Picard's obsession with the rock. I think it could have been pumped for some more laughs.
***Also--who are the people on the cover? I have no idea. They don't really correspond to any characters in the book other than Picard and the rock.
Unfortunately, while I liked seeing what could be done with such a simple premise--sort of a mashup between Lord of the Rings and Star Trek--in the end, the story didn't really go anywhere.
What I liked:
***Carter's good at writing the crew!
***Carter got me interested in the the various fantasy stories that tell the history of the troublesome rock. Usually, I kind of frown upon fantasy stories in the Star Trek universe. But these were interesting.
***Carter's description of Riker's physicality is pretty funny.
What I didn't like:
***Not enough of the crew!
***The various "tales of the rock" segments and subplots with different fractions mobilizing to steal the rock made me a little confused. At one point, as I was starting to doubt my mental health. I found myself in the middle of the book not knowing who anyone was. DO I NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL? But I was fine. I think.
***Carter jumps around a lot of Star Trek planets with tales of the rock but all these societies seem so similar: Klingons, Pre-Logic Vulcans, Andorians, etc.
***More could be done with the plot. At the end--I didn't feel much happened.
***It could have been funnier--there's hints of humor regarding Picard's obsession with the rock. I think it could have been pumped for some more laughs.
***Also--who are the people on the cover? I have no idea. They don't really correspond to any characters in the book other than Picard and the rock.
February 26, 2013
I first picked this story up years ago, when I was in middle school, from the school library. So, when I found it on the shelf in the bookstore I went for it almost immediately and I do not regret it.
The story revolves around the mysterious object known as The Devil's Heart. This object has been surrounded by legend after legend by nearly every major race in the galaxy. Surrounded by rumor and myth, this object has traveled through the ages until landing in the hands of our famous heroes.
The characterization is fairly well put together, though slow in the beginning. This makes sense later as a form of contrast between the characters' actions at the beginning and end of the novel. It was interesting to see into the minds of some of the characters I know so well and a majority of it seems spot on.
In terms of events within the novel, there are some that appear to end too quickly. There are many character story lines in this novel that resolve themselves too quickly and one that does not get resolved but rather is left as a "Conversation fades to black" style of ending. While well, executed I am rather uncertain about it.
The action is well described though it does not take a large portion of the story, as it should be within a Star Trek tale.
All in all a rather good tale of intrigue, action, myth and archeology that I would gladly give a second read through. Although not just yet.
The story revolves around the mysterious object known as The Devil's Heart. This object has been surrounded by legend after legend by nearly every major race in the galaxy. Surrounded by rumor and myth, this object has traveled through the ages until landing in the hands of our famous heroes.
The characterization is fairly well put together, though slow in the beginning. This makes sense later as a form of contrast between the characters' actions at the beginning and end of the novel. It was interesting to see into the minds of some of the characters I know so well and a majority of it seems spot on.
In terms of events within the novel, there are some that appear to end too quickly. There are many character story lines in this novel that resolve themselves too quickly and one that does not get resolved but rather is left as a "Conversation fades to black" style of ending. While well, executed I am rather uncertain about it.
The action is well described though it does not take a large portion of the story, as it should be within a Star Trek tale.
All in all a rather good tale of intrigue, action, myth and archeology that I would gladly give a second read through. Although not just yet.
August 8, 2011
This book was so bad I am giving it -5 Stars . I've read alot of Star Trek books and even the mediocre stories I could find somthing I like about them. Not so here.
The story was all over the place and at one point made Picard Act like Golum from Lord of the Rings. Normaly I don't advocate destroying books but this would serve one good purpose....as kindling for a fireplace.
The story was all over the place and at one point made Picard Act like Golum from Lord of the Rings. Normaly I don't advocate destroying books but this would serve one good purpose....as kindling for a fireplace.
January 8, 2022
brilliant story i liked when every single alien race wanted the heart and would do anything to get it. also i liked when the enterprise was being chased by all the alien races and it was good the way Carmen Carter had written Picard to be very possessive when the heart controlled him. and that he had to complete T'Saras journey. the history element was good as was all the different alien races and their reasons for owning the devil's heart.
August 4, 2020
This is actually a somewhat enjoyable book, I just got bored half way through. I might pick it up again later.
August 15, 2025
~3.5 stars rounded to 4~
The Devil's Heart is a Star Trek: The Next Generation novel, set sometime after Picard get borgified. Preface for this review, I took like almost a 3 month break from reading this book in the middle so some details are hazy...
But anyway, the book opens with the Enterprise answering a distress call from T'Sara, a Vulcan archeologist that Picard is obsessed with. However, when they arrive at the planet, T'Sara and her entire crew are found to have been brutally murdered. The cause for the murder is unclear, until Picard and his crew begin to find clues that T'Sara may have fought a highly sought after relic of intense power, the Devil's Heart.
Leaving the planet for Vulcan investigators, the Enterprise has more questions than answers; until they come across a Ferengi vessel dead in the water. Picard finds the mythical gem clutched in the hands of the ship's dead captain. Once in possession of the Heart, Picard joins a long line of Gem-Bearer's, whose history he learns in intense dreams and visions projected by the Heart. Many chapters are spent reflecting on the journey of the gem, which has played a role in the legends of many alien races, including Klingons, Romulans, and three races of aliens that were once one, who had been saved from destruction by the gem opening three gates for each faction to colonize new worlds. I enjoyed this departure from the Enterprise story, and I think creativity like this is a prime example of the potential for story telling that can only be executed in Trek books, when compared to the show.
In fact, we get more storylines, including the crew of a Romulan ship, a starbase captain and her queer-coded fortune teller scoundrel friend (the same race as Guinan I think?), some Iconians trying to join the Federation (one of the 3 races), the un-Di-Wahns trying to unify their race (2 out of 3), and a young boy who is the last of the Ikkabar (3 out of 3). This book is longer than the average Trek novel, but this is a lot of ground to cover in one book. I think the only storyline I really could care less about was the lost alien boy, who's chapter POVs were few and far between, and unlike the rest of these characters, didn't play a role in the final fate of the Heart.
Speaking of, much like the One Ring, the Heart corrupts (because of course), and even though Picard sees the grizzly fates of every past Gem-Bearer, he is resistant to giving up the Heart, much to the chagrin of his senior officers. Crusher, Troi, and Riker are the crew who get the most page time, and I enjoyed the inclusion of Crusher and Picard's relationship, and how the death of her husband affected it. As Picard gets more and more obsessive, the Enterprise has to dodge enemies trying to take the stone for themselves, even causing their allies to turn on them. The starbase I mentioned gets blown up by Romulans, only for their bird-of-prey to be sabotaged for a member of their own crew (I'm still confused who he is; I think he's implied to be a descendent of the Romulan gem-bearer, and thus knew the danger of its power).
In the finale of the book, we learn that the gem is a "seed" of the Guardian of Forever, who was introduced in TOS, but most recently was featured on an episode of Discovery. Picard comes to view the gem as sentient, a piece of the Guardian, and its journey should be helped and not stopped, ending the centuries of bloodshed the Heart has brought to its bearers. Through a vision, Picard finds the gem's destination, apparently a wormhole brought about every 5,000 year. O'Brien transports the gem into the wormhole, and everybody who was about to blast the Enterprise to pieces backs of, knowing that its journey is complete.
Overall, I think if some of the less rewarding plotlines had been dropped (maybe even the lesbians on the starbase, as much as it pains me to say), this book would have been much more readable. There were many times I forgot who was who, especially adding in the lore of 3 different races. I think spending more time on this and less time on alien races we get to see all the time, would have been interesting. I rated it 3.5 stars because it's truly crazy to me how solid the writing of this book was, like how come in 2025 I read a book that's like not a spinoff of a Star Trek tv show and the writing is noticeably worse than this? Let's throwback to the 90's and get our shit together.
The Devil's Heart is a Star Trek: The Next Generation novel, set sometime after Picard get borgified. Preface for this review, I took like almost a 3 month break from reading this book in the middle so some details are hazy...
But anyway, the book opens with the Enterprise answering a distress call from T'Sara, a Vulcan archeologist that Picard is obsessed with. However, when they arrive at the planet, T'Sara and her entire crew are found to have been brutally murdered. The cause for the murder is unclear, until Picard and his crew begin to find clues that T'Sara may have fought a highly sought after relic of intense power, the Devil's Heart.
Leaving the planet for Vulcan investigators, the Enterprise has more questions than answers; until they come across a Ferengi vessel dead in the water. Picard finds the mythical gem clutched in the hands of the ship's dead captain. Once in possession of the Heart, Picard joins a long line of Gem-Bearer's, whose history he learns in intense dreams and visions projected by the Heart. Many chapters are spent reflecting on the journey of the gem, which has played a role in the legends of many alien races, including Klingons, Romulans, and three races of aliens that were once one, who had been saved from destruction by the gem opening three gates for each faction to colonize new worlds. I enjoyed this departure from the Enterprise story, and I think creativity like this is a prime example of the potential for story telling that can only be executed in Trek books, when compared to the show.
In fact, we get more storylines, including the crew of a Romulan ship, a starbase captain and her queer-coded fortune teller scoundrel friend (the same race as Guinan I think?), some Iconians trying to join the Federation (one of the 3 races), the un-Di-Wahns trying to unify their race (2 out of 3), and a young boy who is the last of the Ikkabar (3 out of 3). This book is longer than the average Trek novel, but this is a lot of ground to cover in one book. I think the only storyline I really could care less about was the lost alien boy, who's chapter POVs were few and far between, and unlike the rest of these characters, didn't play a role in the final fate of the Heart.
Speaking of, much like the One Ring, the Heart corrupts (because of course), and even though Picard sees the grizzly fates of every past Gem-Bearer, he is resistant to giving up the Heart, much to the chagrin of his senior officers. Crusher, Troi, and Riker are the crew who get the most page time, and I enjoyed the inclusion of Crusher and Picard's relationship, and how the death of her husband affected it. As Picard gets more and more obsessive, the Enterprise has to dodge enemies trying to take the stone for themselves, even causing their allies to turn on them. The starbase I mentioned gets blown up by Romulans, only for their bird-of-prey to be sabotaged for a member of their own crew (I'm still confused who he is; I think he's implied to be a descendent of the Romulan gem-bearer, and thus knew the danger of its power).
In the finale of the book, we learn that the gem is a "seed" of the Guardian of Forever, who was introduced in TOS, but most recently was featured on an episode of Discovery. Picard comes to view the gem as sentient, a piece of the Guardian, and its journey should be helped and not stopped, ending the centuries of bloodshed the Heart has brought to its bearers. Through a vision, Picard finds the gem's destination, apparently a wormhole brought about every 5,000 year. O'Brien transports the gem into the wormhole, and everybody who was about to blast the Enterprise to pieces backs of, knowing that its journey is complete.
Overall, I think if some of the less rewarding plotlines had been dropped (maybe even the lesbians on the starbase, as much as it pains me to say), this book would have been much more readable. There were many times I forgot who was who, especially adding in the lore of 3 different races. I think spending more time on this and less time on alien races we get to see all the time, would have been interesting. I rated it 3.5 stars because it's truly crazy to me how solid the writing of this book was, like how come in 2025 I read a book that's like not a spinoff of a Star Trek tv show and the writing is noticeably worse than this? Let's throwback to the 90's and get our shit together.
January 27, 2020
I started watching “Star Trek: The Next Generation” when I was 8 or 9 years old. It had been on for a couple of years by that point. It was my first brush with Star Trek, and I found an almost immediate kinship with Captain Picard over his love of history and archaeology. Because ‘catching up’ with a series in a time before high speed internet wasn’t an easy task, I spent my summers scouring the shelves of my local library for Star Trek novels. “The Devil’s Heart” was my favourite of these ‘tie-ins’. The one I continued to come back to time and again, 27 years later.
The plot is complex to say the least. Multiple races across the entire galaxy appear to all be interconnected to each other through a seemingly normal stone object. It gives the barer power, and dreams. Has built empires and broken them. And now, the Enterprise gets involved when a Vulcan archaeological dig reaches out for medical assistance. Unknown to them, this simple request starts a vicious race for the MacGuffin dramatically known by some as ‘The Devil’s Heart’, which slowly gives up its secrets to the Captain.
The novel ties in one of the more interesting plot devices of the original series and expands on the story of several alien races only briefly discussed or hinted about. There’s something whimsical about the deep dive that may not be canon, yet for me kind of always will be an alternative history. It shows Picard in all his history loving glory. And with the arrival of the “Picard” series, I find the novel has lost nothing of its charm.
The plot is complex to say the least. Multiple races across the entire galaxy appear to all be interconnected to each other through a seemingly normal stone object. It gives the barer power, and dreams. Has built empires and broken them. And now, the Enterprise gets involved when a Vulcan archaeological dig reaches out for medical assistance. Unknown to them, this simple request starts a vicious race for the MacGuffin dramatically known by some as ‘The Devil’s Heart’, which slowly gives up its secrets to the Captain.
The novel ties in one of the more interesting plot devices of the original series and expands on the story of several alien races only briefly discussed or hinted about. There’s something whimsical about the deep dive that may not be canon, yet for me kind of always will be an alternative history. It shows Picard in all his history loving glory. And with the arrival of the “Picard” series, I find the novel has lost nothing of its charm.
June 22, 2021
I’m not a Star Trek aficionado. I’ve never been a fan of the series. Oh, I’ve watched the various shows. But I’m not a die-hard Trekkie. That being stated, I approached this story purely on a literal basis because it tells one of the oldest tales in the book: what happens when we are tempted with forbidden fruit. From the juicy piece dangled before Eve and Adam to Gollum’s ring, majestic stories rife with caution and danger arise.
Carmen Carpenter has concocted a tale epic in scope, sweeping through space and time, about a mystical artifact that fulfills dreams and compels people, that seduces, tantalizes and destroys in equal measure. It spans galaxies and millenia, combines wired action with vibrant dialogue.
The vignettes of unfamiliar characters, swirling in and out of Captain Picard’s dreams are just as gripping as the familiar creations from the show. The final denouement is one of grand theater, melodramatic, forceful and masterfully adept, just as stunning as any episode from the television show.
Ms. Carpenter proves her worth as a devoted fan and nimble storyteller. Whether you’re a fan of the series or not, this novel stands solidly on its own and soars to the stars.
Carmen Carpenter has concocted a tale epic in scope, sweeping through space and time, about a mystical artifact that fulfills dreams and compels people, that seduces, tantalizes and destroys in equal measure. It spans galaxies and millenia, combines wired action with vibrant dialogue.
The vignettes of unfamiliar characters, swirling in and out of Captain Picard’s dreams are just as gripping as the familiar creations from the show. The final denouement is one of grand theater, melodramatic, forceful and masterfully adept, just as stunning as any episode from the television show.
Ms. Carpenter proves her worth as a devoted fan and nimble storyteller. Whether you’re a fan of the series or not, this novel stands solidly on its own and soars to the stars.
February 1, 2021
Overall, this felt like an average episode of TNG - not one of the standout episodes of the season, but also not one of the ones you skip when re-watching.
The plot is pretty simple and moves well enough. The MacGuffin, the Heart, follows a pretty standard trope of powerful and mysterious object that slowly corrupts or bends the wielder to its dark will, reminiscent of the One Ring of LoTR or Loc-Nar of Heavy Metal. Carter does a decent job of keeping it interesting with the mystery aspect of its origins and goals. The stories of it passing through many species hands, and connection to the Iconians makes a lot of sense, though I am generally sick to death of every novel needing to find a way to shoe-horn in a TOS reference. In this case, it makes a bit more since as it at least touches on the Iconians and archeology, both of which are at least established as part of Picard’s wheelhouse.
The characterization is decent, though there isn’t a lot of development to be had. The only major weakness of the book is the ending. While I do like that they kept the Heart a bit of a mystery, there is a distinct lack of resolution. The story didn’t END it just STOPPED.
The plot is pretty simple and moves well enough. The MacGuffin, the Heart, follows a pretty standard trope of powerful and mysterious object that slowly corrupts or bends the wielder to its dark will, reminiscent of the One Ring of LoTR or Loc-Nar of Heavy Metal. Carter does a decent job of keeping it interesting with the mystery aspect of its origins and goals. The stories of it passing through many species hands, and connection to the Iconians makes a lot of sense, though I am generally sick to death of every novel needing to find a way to shoe-horn in a TOS reference. In this case, it makes a bit more since as it at least touches on the Iconians and archeology, both of which are at least established as part of Picard’s wheelhouse.
The characterization is decent, though there isn’t a lot of development to be had. The only major weakness of the book is the ending. While I do like that they kept the Heart a bit of a mystery, there is a distinct lack of resolution. The story didn’t END it just STOPPED.
December 14, 2024
Es mi primera novela de Star Trek. Amé TNG, amé TOS, super amé VOY, y estoy amando DS9. Me gustan las demás, como DIS, y LD. Es la primera vez que me enfrento a una novela donde ya conozco a todos los personajes, sé cómo se ven, como hablan, cómo son, que los motiva y qué no, siendo la primera vez que leo sobre ellos. Eso fue raro, pero no presenta ninguna dificultad ya que la autora nos mete a la historia como si esto fuera así. Si no me equivoco esta historia pasa después del evento de Locutus. No hay mucho que explicar al respecto. Carter lo hace genial.
Ahora bien, esperaba un poco mas de acción por parte de los tripulantes de la Enterprise. Esperaba mas arranques violentos de Picard, poseído por la piedra, esperaba que esta fuera un disparador para escenas impactantes. Las hay, pero a cuenta gotas. Los tripulantes de la Enterprise casi no ven acción aquí. Y lo que es los personajes originales de la novela, las otras razas, no me interesó nada, Ni los Diwahn, no los UnDiwahn. Solo quería leer sobre mis héroes. Aun así estuvo bien. Recomendable.
Aclaración: La leí en inglés, no sé si está traducida al español...
Ahora bien, esperaba un poco mas de acción por parte de los tripulantes de la Enterprise. Esperaba mas arranques violentos de Picard, poseído por la piedra, esperaba que esta fuera un disparador para escenas impactantes. Las hay, pero a cuenta gotas. Los tripulantes de la Enterprise casi no ven acción aquí. Y lo que es los personajes originales de la novela, las otras razas, no me interesó nada, Ni los Diwahn, no los UnDiwahn. Solo quería leer sobre mis héroes. Aun así estuvo bien. Recomendable.
Aclaración: La leí en inglés, no sé si está traducida al español...
January 12, 2026
The impulse to write a story into someone else's world is curious. This Star Trek: the Next Generation novel is described in Wikipedia as a 'non-canon' novel, but that's not for lack of attention in the writing. Carmen Carter took enormous care to fit her plot into the history of at least five different core Star Trek species - the Vulcans, the Romulans, the Klingons, the Ferengi, and the Andorians.
The premise is: imagine the One Ring (from the Lord of the Rings), but not crafted by a Dark Lord and not inherently evil - just incredibly powerful and therefore potentially corrupting. After millennia of travel among cultures, it falls into the hands of Jean-Luc Picard, Captain of the Enterprise, while representatives of most of the major races try to track it down and obtain it. Bounded drama ensues. The various signature Next Generation characters act more or less in keeping with their on-screen personalities, and exemplify the conflicts and values for which the series is known - duty, compassion, and appreciation for the dignity of each sentient being. It may not be canon, but it could have been without much difficulty when it was published.
The premise is: imagine the One Ring (from the Lord of the Rings), but not crafted by a Dark Lord and not inherently evil - just incredibly powerful and therefore potentially corrupting. After millennia of travel among cultures, it falls into the hands of Jean-Luc Picard, Captain of the Enterprise, while representatives of most of the major races try to track it down and obtain it. Bounded drama ensues. The various signature Next Generation characters act more or less in keeping with their on-screen personalities, and exemplify the conflicts and values for which the series is known - duty, compassion, and appreciation for the dignity of each sentient being. It may not be canon, but it could have been without much difficulty when it was published.
November 8, 2017
Well I have to admit that the cover always kind of creeped me out a bit when I was a kid but I was always interested in what the book was about but never committed to reading it until now. I have to say I was a bit disappointed, with all the extra characters and dream sequences I found the plot hard to follow until about 2/3 of the way through the book. By that point the characters that were sticking around I was still confused about and was annoyed with the delays of dream sequences. I had one part of the book I REALLY enjoyed but for the most part I was frustrated with Captain Picard's behavior and the crews' lack of ability to do anything about it (plus Jack Crusher's history and Data being at the Helm instead of Ops also bugged me every time it came up).
January 15, 2021
Well written in that it draws you in and keeps you reading, and allows you to use your imagination rather than overwhelm you with needless details. It also cleverly bounces around, bringing several different viewpoints to one common ending, which is entertaining. Because of that, however, I found it difficult to remember each path, and often had to flip back to refresh my memory. This is a book that really needs to be read twice in quick succession to shine.
As I approached the conclusion, I realized there were still a couple plots left unfinished. Clearly the author also realized this, as there is an epilogue that ties them off; however, I get the feeling this was not the original plan, but rather a necessary step after the rest of the book was finished.
As I approached the conclusion, I realized there were still a couple plots left unfinished. Clearly the author also realized this, as there is an epilogue that ties them off; however, I get the feeling this was not the original plan, but rather a necessary step after the rest of the book was finished.
December 28, 2023
The story was good. I had a hard time getting through the book because of how many narrative perspectives it has--it's like 30 short stories interspersed with 30 other short stories, which are all part of the history of this fancy rock. It's probably a personal problem related to cognitive switching costs, but with all the different characters, races, and events that cover vast stretches of time, I couldn't entirely keep track of who was trying to do what for what reason. You do get an interesting tour of the ancient history of various Alpha Quadrant races, as well as some interesting crew dynamics as they attempt to figure out what to do about the captain's growing obsession with this rock.
October 14, 2018
I have only seen a season or so of Star Trek Enterprise, but it really didn't matter while reading this novel! It does reference some major story arcs that could be spoilers for people who haven't watched the entire series, but I was pleasantly surprised about how easy it was to follow regardless. I read this book in 2 days, I literally couldn't put it down as cliche as that sounds. The story never lulled, there were never any moments where I felt like the author was just filling in minutiae and unnecessary plot lines. I loved this book, honestly I wish more sci-fi writers made such complete story lines!
June 17, 2019
This one I had a hard time getting into... at least with the abridged audio, they didn't really seem to explain why the devil's heart was acting as it did on Picard, no real try at a scientific explanation kind of thing. So to me, it sounded like it could have fit in more as a Star Wars story with obvious changing of the details. But yet another go at the Guardian of Forever - at least this one was a little different were it wasn't going to different places in space *and* time, just in space. Still, like another one I listened to today, I haven't hit a whole lot of the older books just yet, but the Guardian sure seems to show up a lot in the handfuls that I have gotten a hold of...
September 27, 2022
Truly epic. You'll want to do better than I did, and take notes about the character's names and homeworlds, and a timeline if you can figure it out. Maybe if I had done so I would have rounded up my 3.5 star rating.
I like the suggestion for meditation of cupping the hands you create in your mind's eye in turn over your ears and over your eyes, to close out distractions.
And I love the schtick as Data and Worf discuss human frailties and whether it's actually a good idea to have a counselor (Troi) aboard a starship or not. (One guess who's in favor, and who disagrees!)
Good entry into the series. And now, onward!
I like the suggestion for meditation of cupping the hands you create in your mind's eye in turn over your ears and over your eyes, to close out distractions.
And I love the schtick as Data and Worf discuss human frailties and whether it's actually a good idea to have a counselor (Troi) aboard a starship or not. (One guess who's in favor, and who disagrees!)
Good entry into the series. And now, onward!
February 16, 2025
3.5 stars. This was overall an enjoyable novel. I liked how all the seemingly very disparate parts of the story slowly coalesced into the whole. The handling of Picard's obsession was just disturbing enough to be good - road to Hell, good intentions and all that - and the dive into Iconian history was intriguing.
It had an unusual feel to it for a Star Trek novel, more historical flashbacks than anything else, but I didn't mind it. I wouldn't want all my Star Trek to read like this, but it was a nice change of pace.
I think this one would be worth a reread some day.
It had an unusual feel to it for a Star Trek novel, more historical flashbacks than anything else, but I didn't mind it. I wouldn't want all my Star Trek to read like this, but it was a nice change of pace.
I think this one would be worth a reread some day.
September 22, 2022
I really enjoyed this Star Trek book. It was a very interesting plotline. I did see that some people felt it was a little out of character, but I think that was also a big point in the story (though I won't spoil things).
I listened to the audiobook version, and having Gates McFadden read it only made it better!
I listened to the audiobook version, and having Gates McFadden read it only made it better!
March 11, 2021
You know, I'd say this comes pretty close to an episode of TNG with it's story arc. Might actually get into a few more of these star trek pocket books after this one. Nothing spectacular, but entertaining none the less.
July 25, 2021
I had read this book because I watched the t.v. series. I enjoyed reading this book because of the drama and adventure. I loved the story because it was fast paced and entertaining. I thought the novel was well written. It is a must read.
April 23, 2023
Very rare do I rate a book this low. It's the poor characterization that ruined this one for me. everyone just felt wrong. I got a third of the way into this book and couldn't do it. First Star Trek book I ever put down.
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