The Heart of the Warrior

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #17

by John Gregory Betancourt

While a crucial peace conference fills Deep Space NineTM with rumors of intrigue and conspiracy, Major Kira and Lt. Commander Worf embark on a dangerous undercover mission deep into the heart of the Gamma Quadrant. Their to find the secret of the addictive substance that the Changelings use to control their Jem'Hadar warriors. But how long can Worf and Kira remain undetected in the midst of the Dominion? Odo may be their only hope; but to save them, he'll have to stand against his own people.

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Star Trek Deep Space Nine, Fiction, Tv, Novels, Ebooks

274 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 1996

About the author

John Gregory Betancourt is a writer of science fiction, fantasy and mystery novels as well as short stories. He has worked as an assistant editor at Amazing Stories and editor of Horror: The Newsmagazine of the Horror Field, the revived Weird Tales magazine, the first issue of H. P. Lovecraft's Magazine of Horror (which he subsequently hired Marvin Kaye to edit), Cat Tales magazine (which he subsequently hired George H. Scithers to edit), and Adventure Tales magazine. He worked as a Senior Editor for Byron Preiss Visual Publications (1989-1996) and iBooks. He is the writer of four Star Trek novels and the new Chronicles of Amber prequel series, as well as a dozen original novels. His essays, articles, and reviews have appeared in such diverse publications as Writer's Digest and The Washington Post.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had no memory whatsoever of this book even though I know I read it, and I understand why: It's not worth remembering. The storytelling is skeletal and undeveloped, for we move from event to event to event without much detail as if the author had the book outline right beside the keyboard and were merely ticking off each story moment as he went along, like an overly ambitious tourist ticking off an itinerary jam-packed with major attractions but not really taking the time to experience them. (I'm reminded of Clark Griswold in *National Lampoon's European Vacation*, particularly the Louvre montage.)

I also found I quickly got annoyed with the book for three reasons:

(1) The author didn't know the material. The book was written at the very least after the development of fourth season's "Homefront"/"Paradise Lost" mid-seasonish two-parter (don't know if the book writers are privy to forthcoming episode scripts or have to wait like the rest of us for the episodes to air) and possibly even after the development of the fourth season's finale (what with all the references to Odo being the only Changling ever to harm another Changling, which became tiresome for its repetitiveness). That means the author had a fair amount of source material to draw from to at least make the characters ring true, but that just doesn't happen. The characters seem stuck in their early first-season incarnations, and Worf seems like he's just making a special guest appearance. And it's not just the "good guys" who don't ring true: For example, at one point in the story there's a bit about a group of Jem'Hadar walking down a corridor joking amongst one another. Jem'Hadar joking? Really? But yet the author knows the Jem'Hadar don't eat.

(2) Almost every chapter ends with a hackneyed cliffhanger. I felt like I was watching old, cheaply made movie serials: Oh no! How ever will our hero escape from this latest jam! The peril! The suspense! Gimme a break.

(3) The multiple references to TNG. Ugh. To some degree, it seems only natural that Worf would draw on his experiences on the *Enterprise*, but Kira at one point compares the ships in a giant docking bay to the *Enterprise*, something's just not right, like very obsequious, unsubtle product placement in movies. Or hanging out with someone yet continually talking about that person's purportedly more enlightened, outstanding older sibling. Low blow, especially at this point in DS9's history.

Also, the author manages to work in another Trek novel franchise, Peter David's "New Frontier" line with Captain Calhoun and the *Excalibur*, but this is limited (thankfully) to some name-dropping 'o the intrepid *Excalibur*. It's so empty and pointless yet by doing so, by reminding the reader of this *other* franchise, the author diminishes the franchise with which he's working.

Yup, a totally forgettable book. When your heroes on a very important, super-stealthy mission into the heart of enemy territory spend a *lot* of time hiding in various janitor's closets, you know you're not going to get much out of the reading experience.

[Patrick Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This 1996 novel is fantastic. I cannot think of a better DS9 book I've read as I go back and reread all the novels. One interesting point is that the title of this novel has nothing to do with this book. What makes this interesting is that the Historian's Note states "The Trojan Spaceship" takes place during the fourth season of Deep Space Nine. That's a more appropriate title for this book, and was evidently the original title.

The premise is slick: Worf, Kira, and Odo are on a mission to retrieve a scientist from inside the Dominion who has discovered how to break the Jem'Hadar from their addiction to Ketracel White. If true, it would destroy the Dominion's armies. As this is occurring, there is a peace conference scheduled on DS9 which could end hostilities between the Cardassians and the Marquis. Naturally things do not go smoothly.

Every character has got something to do in relation to the story and all sound spot-on accurate for their voices and actions. Even Quark and Nog contribute.

This book has a fast pace but doesn't lose any of its authenticity to Trek. This book earns my highest possible recommendation.

[Ashly Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 Stars

Something unsettling is happening on the Deep Space Nine space station. A peace conference is being held, but is that what everyone wants? As Commander Benjamin Sisko is working to keep peace on the space station, Major Kira, Lt. Commander Worf, and Odo take off on a secret mission to discover the secret, addictive substance changelings use to control their Jem’Hadar warriors. Will Deep Space Nine remain peaceful? Will Kira and Worf accomplish their mission? Will they even make it back alive?

I don’t have a whole lot to say about this book, so, unlike yesterday, today’s review should be pretty brief. You can see that the copy I read of this book was pretty worse for the wear. That’s because I picked it up for 25¢ at the thrift store. It’s super easy to find cheap Star Trek books lying around second hand shops. (At least around me it is.)

The next thing I’ll say is that it’s been awhile since I’ve watched Deep Space Nine and I haven’t watched much of it, so I can’t tell you exactly how well this book does justice to the characters.

I guess that’s where I’ll start my review then, too. I liked the characters, but they were a little shallow. I’m not too sure if the author was relying on his reader knowing the characters already or was relying on the 16 previous books for understanding, but it felt like there was something missing. I’m really not trying to be nit-picky or wishing for Betancourt to have reintroduced all the characters or anything like that. I simply wanted a bit more depth to what was written on the page. We get inside a few heads, but I still felt like I wasn’t really inside them. Does that make sense? Probably not. So, even though the characters were fun to read about, there was nothing about any of them that really struck or stuck with me.

I felt the same way about the plot. It was a decent plot, but there was always something missing. Like the characters, it lacked depth. Still, I did find the plot interesting and propelling. I wasn’t dying to pick this up, but it kept me entertained while I was at the gym and trudging my way through my cardio workouts. I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen next even if there was a bit of tension lacking. The only other thing that did actually bother me about the plot was how the 2 separate ones going on never fully converged, and that was a bit disappointing. The happenings were a bit hollow, some sections were dull and uninteresting, but overall the story was decent and fun to read through.

Like the characters and the plot, I also felt the writing was merely okay. There weren’t any grammatical errors or any of the alike that made the writing dull; it was more the fact of something lacking again. There was too much explaining and not enough imagining. The writing may be one of the main reasons I didn’t really connect with the characters. It was always reserved, un-embellished, and flat. Even so, it was easy to get lost in the story, even if I couldn’t fully lose myself in the writing.

Overall, this book was just okay. I’ve only read 2 Star Trek books, so I can’t say anything like “not the best but not the worst” here. However, I think I still can say that this is a book that Star Trek fans don’t have to read, but it’s not one fans have to avoid either. Nowhere near a must read, but a decent read (if you can pick it up for cheap…like me!).

Review originally published on my Wordpress blog Dreaming Through Literature.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I forced myself to finish this book...but not because it was a difficult read. It's just so generic and ordinary an adventure, without any great inspiration; virtually no evidence of that unique essence so intrinsic to DS9 and its universe. The A-plot and B-plot take paths that have been tread many times before, and with more imagination. The characterization of the regular cast is either bland or out of place (especially Bashir, stuck in season one mode). Everything about the novel feels like stock situations and stock characters, pulled out in a rush to make a book set in the aftermath of Worf's arrival. I don't understand why it was so hard to write DS9 novels during Pocket Books' initial run. I can only think of half a dozen that managed to capture the magic of the series, prior to its renaissance in the post-"What You Leave Behind" era. There is potential here for something interesting, but it's left unharnessed.

[Stephen Brayton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot

While a crucial peace conference fills Deep Space NineTM with rumors of intrigue and conspiracy, Major Kira and Lt. Commander Worf embark on a dangerous undercover mission deep into the heart of the Gamma Quadrant. Their mission: to find the secret of the addictive substance that the Changelings use to control their Jem’Hadar warriors. But how long can Worf and Kira remain undetected in the midst of the Dominion? Odo may be their only hope; but to save them, he’ll have to stand against his own people.

My Analysis

So, the problem with some of these Trek books is that you know that there is going to be victory and failure. I don’t think I’m playing spoiler by saying that the mission Work, Kira, and Odo undertake was not successful in obtaining the secret to reverse the genetics of the Jem’Hadar. If you boo at me for revealing this, then you didn’t watch the television series. I’m not saying they didn’t achieve a goal, just not the goal.

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A disappointment I had was that the book made a big deal about Bashir’s new invention to ferret out changelings. All of the peace negotiations attendees had to undergo this test. It was even given to one of the Bajoran religious leaders. Yes, it eventually did ferret out the bad guys (as it had to have done at one point, but I thought it would play a bigger role. Yet, in the end, in a literal matter of life and death, the test didn’t even come into play. I thought that was a little off considering how much attention it had received. Instead, Bashir relied upon an old Mission Impossible tactic.

This book seemed rushed. I think it could have been fleshed out a lot more with a lot more danger, intrigue, and adventure. The mission into the Gamma Quadrant was fine in and of itself. It just seemed rushed, especially at the end when they’re making their getaway.

The peace negotiations seemed off and I was almost bored by the proceedings. Nothing seemed to happen. Only after the meetings ended did something happen. But again, this part was near the end and it seemed rushed.

I understand that ST novels have to be within a small range of length. You’re not getting 100.000 words or a 600 page ST novel. However, I think the story could have been better fashioned, perhaps even as a two-parter to fill in the hurried areas.

My Rank:

Green Belt

[Christian Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this wasn’t a bad DS9 book by any means, but it wasn’t particularly special, too. It’s interesting to note that this book is the first to feature Worf in the Pocket DS9 series. The title is a direct reference to a quote from the text. What’s ironic is that Worf ends up being a minor character compared to Kira and Odo, who he undertakes a mission to the Gamma Quadrant with. It’s almost as if the author felt more comfortable utilizing the regular DS9 cast, but editorial forced him to use Worf and have the title directly reference him.

As far as the story goes, there was a fun bit of espionage by Odo, Kira, and Worf. It was certainly exciting to see Odo play Founder amongst all the Jem’Hadar. However, I thought the B plot involving Sisko, a peace conference, and a potential Cardassian mass murderer was a far more enjoyable plot. We even got to see Garak make a fun appearance.

Overall, it was a decent read. Nothing memorable, but certainly not bad.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really did enjoy this book. To my recollection this was the first one to deal with the Dominion outside of episode novelizations so I applaud the effort and was a great story. I was at one point even considering ranking it 5 stars but the Maquis plot that went nowhere, the many errors (the biggest of which is the cover - Kira and Sisko were the main characters over Worf and Odo plus an Oberth class ship never showed up...spoilers I guess) and the title doesn't really fit the book - the only time "Heart of the Warrior" is mentioned is with Worf referring to discipline and this book doesn't really deal with that topic. It's a spy and political story and the cover and name make it seem like it was going to be a big battle or something. Anyway, due to all the letdowns this one couldn't reach 5 stars but it's still a great book and a good Deep Space Nine story.

[Tomislav · Rating 2 out of 5]

28 December 2007 - This novel is set in the time of the later Deep Space Nine episodes. Kira, Worf, and Odo are sent on a undercover mission into the Dominion of the Gamma Quadrant, meanwhile back at DS9, there is a 4-way peace conference between the Federation, the Cardassians, the Maquis, and Valtusia. There is a lot of action, a few plot twists, but not much to advance our understanding of the Star Trek universe. The novel is on a par with one of the series episodes.

[Stephen Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad at all. The dual parallel storylines are both equally entertaining and the characterisations seem accurate enough, although I remember Bashir as having more self-confidence in season 4. Security in the Dominion is extraordinarily lax, which seems unrealistic, but overall this is a decent DS9 novel with a satisfying conclusion and zero influence on the TV series storylines.

[nx74defiant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kira, Worf and Odo go on a mission to recover someone who has the secret of the addictive substance the Changelings use to control the Jem'Hadar. Mean while Sisko tries to conduct a peace conference.

This is a pretty good Deep Space Nine book. Kira, Worf and Odo face a lot of danger. Of course the peace conference falls apart.

[Nabil Hussain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping and Scintillaiting read!!

This book is dramatic, original and exciting to read. The story was very interesting to follow and kept the reader hooked. It was written well and composed in an impressive manner. Well worth reading for any Star Trek Deep Space Nine fan!!

[J. Filip Pulaski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent DS9 book

I enjoyed much of this book. The character interplay was good (a must for these books). I will note that I had read it expecting an Orion Syndicate angle but there was not one mention about them. Overall if you enjoyed DS9 this is not the best but ok.

[Jonathan Lee B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Heart of the Warrior is dropping ice cream after one bite.

[John Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good grief.

[Kosar7480 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hoping this one would be better than it was. The description promised an exciting mission involving the Jem Hadar... a rarity since comparatively few of the DS9 books included Worf and the later seasons of the show. What the book provided instead was two storylines that never really amounted to much individually or in conjunction with each other. The was an ok plot involving a peace conference between Cardassians and Maquis on the station... which had the makings of an interesting political struggle, but instead unfolded quite predictably. Meanwhile, Kira and Odo (and Worf) undertake a dangerous mission... that didn't even get the characters anywhere close to what their goal was. It was rare to see the crew "fail" in their mission, so this one was kind of unique in that sense, but forgettable overall.

[Dianah · Rating 2 out of 5]

While a peace negotiation takes place on DS-Nine, Odo, Kira, and Worf go on a top secret mission in the Gamma Quadrant.

The two plots never converge and are completely separate making it feel more like two short stories than a novel. The author characterizes Bashir as a bumbling idiot in parts which always annoys me. The peace conference story wraps up with a giant leap that isn't logical or in character. The Gamma Quadrant mission features an annoying original character.

On the plus side, it's short.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Neither among the best nor among the worst of the DS9 novels, this one follows two distinct storylines: Kira, Odo and Worf are sent on a secret mission in the Gamma quadrant while the rest of the team deal with a peace conference on DS9. I was vastly more interested in the storyline set on the station, so I'd have liked more time spent on that rather than what was going on with the secret mission.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very much like a TV episode. Worf, Kir and Odo go on a mission to the Gamma Quadrant, meanwhile Sisko has to conduct a peace conference with the Marquis. Still not sure why this book is called 'The heart of the warrior', yes Worf is in it, but he doesn't feature that much. A good read.

[Phillip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a good DS9 tale. I liked the A and B stories, and all the use of characters (O'Brien and Dax doesn't get a lot, but you can't have everyone!). But this is a great Star Trek book, and I think all the characterizations are done well. I recommend this to any Trek-afficianados.

[Don Incognito · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book came off very much as a discarded story for either the comics or the television series. The dialogue is extremely imitative of the television series in a way more embarrassing than skillful or impressive; and the plot events are unimaginative and uninteresting.

Not recommended.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another Star Trek novel. A lot of the ones I've been reading lately haven't been as great as the ones I remember from my childhood, but with this one I could picture it as if it were an actual episode. Very nice!