Imzadi (Star Trek: The Next Generation Series) by Peter David
Simon & Schuster, 1992
During peace negotiations on board the U.S.S. Enterprise with an alien race called the Sindareen, the ship’s counselor Deanna Troi mysteriously falls ill and dies. Still seeking answers forty years later, Admiral William Riker begins an adventure that will take him across time, pit him against one of his closest friends, and force him to choose between Starfleet’s strictest rule and the one true love of his life.
Wait. Did I just read a book about alien warriors, unexplored planets, and time travel?
Yes, and I could not stop turning pages. It turns out that romance can be snugged into science fiction just like it can be with other genres!
In Peter David’s Imzadi, space travel and “non-humanoid life forms” (I can’t believe I’m using that term in a book review!) serve as a backdrop to the extraordinary love story between Counselor Deanna Troi and Commander William Riker. If you have ever watched the Star Trek: The Next Generation television series, you know that episodes hint at Riker and Troi’s passionate past. But how on earth (or any other planet) did Riker and Troi become so close? Peter David gives us the first moments of their enduring love in glowing detail, and Imzadi is such an ardent romance that at times I peeked over my shoulder before turning a page. Just what exactly was I in for here? I’m happy to report that I can recommend Imzadi without reservation.
Sometimes the quickest path to a mini vacation is to pull a book off a different bookshelf than the one you usually visit. The only question now is, which science fiction book do I read next?
How about you, reader? Have you found romance tucked into a story where you weren’t expecting it?
