Sometimes I think Star Trek is written with loop holes in the timeline so that fans can fill up those gaps with the fuel of their imaginations. And sometimes those imaginations are famous authors that can turn those into great books. The Lost Era series goes back to explore some of the ends left open by the Star Trek franchise. This particular book is about now Captain William T. Riker's past involving his father indirectly. His Academy career was spotted with some interesting incidents that probably wouldn't have made sense to him at the time, but if he had read this Jeff Mariotte book and learned all his father had went through it would have made sense. Although later the son and father would put their differences aside and start getting along during "The Next Generation", this explores a time when Riker didn't even know where his father, Kyle Riker, was. Kyle Riker is the sole survivor of the attacked Starbase 311, on which he was pretty sure that illegal experiments were going on. But as a civilian, Kyle was more concerned with making sure he got his work done and kept Starfleet off his case. A good amount of time has passed, but Kyle is still having nightmares from his experience on Starbase 311 with Kate Pulaski not only as his doctor, but his girlfriend. He's a strategist for Starfleet and has made friends at the top like Admiral Owen Paris. Kyle thought he was healing and moving on, but someone wants Kyle dead. Several Starfleet Security officers have tried to kill him in his own apartment and in desperation Kyle flees to Cyre, a world promised to not become a member of the Federation any time soon. Kyle's going to discover that hiding doesn't mean you can hide from who you are though. His son, William Riker, is in Starfleet Academy during this time and keeps telling anyone and whoever asks that he doesn't know his father these days. He shrugs it off and concentrates on friendships, relationships, but most importantly his career. Will Riker's reputation of putting his career first starts here when he breaks up with a girl and loses a friend over his grades in the Academy. He graduates the famous eighth in his class and takes his first tour on the U.S.S. Pegasus with Captain Erik Pressman before the famous mutiny that would later plague Riker. Only the Pegasus finds itself in a desperate situation and Starfleet turns to their just returned strategist. Suddenly all the pieces fall into place and Kyle realizes that whoever is trying to kill him after all those years of him being gone has suddenly turned their attention on his son. If Will's ship is destroyed it'll all be because of Kyle. This book was interesting, because I liked how Mariotte showed us a little more of Kyle Riker. I've been a Riker fan and kind of intrigued with his relationship or non-existent one with his father. You do a sense of what Riker would have been like as that "Ensign Babyface" though. His time in the Academy I think was a little off, because I'd always heard he was pretty much a lady's man as he always was on the Enterprise, but Mariotte didn't portray him as that. Other then that and some parts seemed to drag out way too long, it was a decent book. I was kind of disappointed in the ending though, because the two never met up and I know they aren't suppose to until TNG, but that doesn't mean I couldn't wish they snuck something in there without killing the timeline too much.
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Title: Deny Thy Father
Author: Jeff Mariotte
Review by: CL6 Amanda Sielu Paris
2-17-05
