The Lost Era: Catalyst of Sorrows, by Margaret Wander Bonanno
Book Review by Jason Garza
Have you read this book?
The last time the galaxy faced an epidemic, we were treated to a six-book arc that contained few highs and several lows. But, we've come a long way since the days of "Double Helix," and Catalyst of Sorrows has two things going for it that are definitely worth cover price: an amalgam of fine characters and Margaret Wander Bonanno.
So, Romulans, Vulcans, Rigelians, and other assorted humanoids are dropping like flies due to a particularly nasty virus known as the "Gnawing." With genetic roots stretching back to the days of The Sundering, the Gnawing was thought to be long quashed, but like all tenacious diseases, it comes back with something of a vengeance. In order to combat this threat, Admiral Uhura assembles a team to infiltrate the Neutral Zone; Lieutenant Sisko is captain of Albatross, his team of operatives Tuvok, Selar, and a Romulan urchin/would-be Tal Shiar operative, Zetha. The team is charged with finding a potential patient zero, a potential cure, and escaping with their lives and prototype ship intact.
But, as with all things involving Romulans, matters grow complex. Senator Cretak questions her relationship with Uhura; the friendship is at the very least treason. Colonel Koval schemes, Admiral Tal tries to live through another command, and Dax seeks to advise his young protégé from afar. And there is the matter of the evolved Gnawing—and the architects behind the germ warfare. At stake is more than a cure; the delicate neutrality existing between Romulus and the Federation is ready to explode into open war.
Catalyst of Sorrows is not an easy read by any means. But that should not be a deterrent. If anything, it requires the reader to think, and it shows that the author knows how to tell an intelligent, compelling, riveting story with Admiral Uhura acting as our unspoken inquisitor; there is a lot of medical terminology coming from Doctors Selar, McCoy, and Crusher, but Uhura, the medical layperson, seeks clarification when most needed. A fitting epilogue to the Lost Era series, Catalyst of Sorrows will please fans of every generation—unless you want to see an Enterprise character. If that's the case, you're out of luck.
So, Romulans, Vulcans, Rigelians, and other assorted humanoids are dropping like flies due to a particularly nasty virus known as the "Gnawing." With genetic roots stretching back to the days of The Sundering, the Gnawing was thought to be long quashed, but like all tenacious diseases, it comes back with something of a vengeance. In order to combat this threat, Admiral Uhura assembles a team to infiltrate the Neutral Zone; Lieutenant Sisko is captain of Albatross, his team of operatives Tuvok, Selar, and a Romulan urchin/would-be Tal Shiar operative, Zetha. The team is charged with finding a potential patient zero, a potential cure, and escaping with their lives and prototype ship intact.
But, as with all things involving Romulans, matters grow complex. Senator Cretak questions her relationship with Uhura; the friendship is at the very least treason. Colonel Koval schemes, Admiral Tal tries to live through another command, and Dax seeks to advise his young protégé from afar. And there is the matter of the evolved Gnawing—and the architects behind the germ warfare. At stake is more than a cure; the delicate neutrality existing between Romulus and the Federation is ready to explode into open war.
Catalyst of Sorrows is not an easy read by any means. But that should not be a deterrent. If anything, it requires the reader to think, and it shows that the author knows how to tell an intelligent, compelling, riveting story with Admiral Uhura acting as our unspoken inquisitor; there is a lot of medical terminology coming from Doctors Selar, McCoy, and Crusher, but Uhura, the medical layperson, seeks clarification when most needed. A fitting epilogue to the Lost Era series, Catalyst of Sorrows will please fans of every generation—unless you want to see an Enterprise character. If that's the case, you're out of luck.
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