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Star Trek: Mirror Universe (Relaunch Continuity) #7
The Sorrows of Empire
One man can shape the future...but at what cost?
"In every revolution, there is one man with a vision."
Captain James T. Kirk of the United Federation of Planets spoke those prophetic words to Commander Spock of the Terran Empire, hoping to inspire change. He could not have imagined the impact his counsel would have.
Armed with a secret weapon of terrifying power and a vision of the alternate universe's noble Federation, Spock seizes control of the Terran Empire and commits it to the greatest gamble in its history: democratic reform.
Rivals within the empire try to stop him; enemies outside unite to destroy it.
Only a few people suspect the shocking truth: Spock is knowingly arranging his empire's downfall. But why? Have the burdens of imperial rule driven him mad? Or is this the coldly logical scheme of a man who realizes that freedom must always be paid for in blood?
Spock alone knows that the fall of the empire will be the catalyst for a political chain reaction -- one that will alter the fate of his universe forever.
"In every revolution, there is one man with a vision."
Captain James T. Kirk of the United Federation of Planets spoke those prophetic words to Commander Spock of the Terran Empire, hoping to inspire change. He could not have imagined the impact his counsel would have.
Armed with a secret weapon of terrifying power and a vision of the alternate universe's noble Federation, Spock seizes control of the Terran Empire and commits it to the greatest gamble in its history: democratic reform.
Rivals within the empire try to stop him; enemies outside unite to destroy it.
Only a few people suspect the shocking truth: Spock is knowingly arranging his empire's downfall. But why? Have the burdens of imperial rule driven him mad? Or is this the coldly logical scheme of a man who realizes that freedom must always be paid for in blood?
Spock alone knows that the fall of the empire will be the catalyst for a political chain reaction -- one that will alter the fate of his universe forever.
448 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
47 people are currently reading
404 people want to read
About the author
David Mack
117 books671 followersDavid Mack is the New York Times bestselling author of 39 novels of science-fiction, fantasy, and adventure, including the Star Trek Destiny and Cold Equations trilogies.
Beyond novels, Mack's writing credits span several media, including television (for produced episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), games, and comic books.
Follow him on Twitter @davidalanmack or like his Facebook page.
Beyond novels, Mack's writing credits span several media, including television (for produced episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), games, and comic books.
Follow him on Twitter @davidalanmack or like his Facebook page.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
February 21, 2010
4.0 to 4.5 stars. Among the best Star Trek books I have ever read (along with several great ones by Peter David). I have not read a lot of Star trek books but have always been a big fan of the "Mirror Universe" and so this book was a great find. Well written, well plotted and highly entertaining. Recommended!!
November 3, 2019
This is definitely darker than usual for Star Trek. Right from the get-go, Spock kills Kirk and takes over the Enterprise, and it gets even more disturbing from there; one scene even implies that the half-Vulcan, half-human orchestrates the death of his own mother. This is definitely not your father's Starship Enterprise. Still, I have to hand it to the author for spinning a great--if upsetting--space opera yarn, and the added Latin phrases were a nice touch, even if I did have to Google them. (Hey, I took Spanish in high school!)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2022
I devoured this like a starving man. If Lance Parkin is Doctor Who's king of fanwank, then I believe David Mack may have usurped the crown among Star Trek writers with this epic-to-end-all-epics. In one single novel, he tells the untold story of the mirror universe that began at the end of the TOS episode "Mirror Mirror" and leads to its revealed consequences in the DS9 episode "Crossover". But to be king of fanwank means to be able to use continuity in a tale that will take one's breath away...and this novel leaps over that bar easily. I couldn't get enough of mirror-Spock's single-minded goal of creating the future. The price he pays is astronomical; the emotional beats of this story are exhausting, but you'll beg for more. It's so good that you could tweak it slightly to include the recent revelations about the mirror universe in Star Trek Discovery without affecting the plot or the quality of its storytelling in any way. This is a positive triumph. I have looked forward to reading this novel for a very long time...and I was not disappointed.
December 29, 2013
I really enjoyed this. At the end of the Mirror, Mirror episode, our Kirk tells the Mirror Universe Spock that his empire is illogical and cannot survive. This story is what happens when that Spock takes Kirk's words seriously and he tries to change his universe. Very good characterization for the mirror universe I thought, although there are a few things that don't quite match. The story had heart, though, which I liked very much. Powerful ending. This book could have easily been pushed out to a duology or even trilogy length and I thank the writer for not doing that. I've not read Mack's stuff before but will definitely be looking for it now.
January 20, 2014
Author David Mack gives a tale in the mIrror, Mirror universe where their Spock takes our Kirk's advice that one man can make a difference.
We get a story interspersed with snippets of their version of some of TOS episodes, the movies, other seris, even bringin in some of the book series(the Vanguard chunks were one though I haven't read them).
Spock uses the Tantalus device after killing Kirk and marches up the ranks. His long range plan is to get the Empire on a democratic footing. Foolhardy Marlena Moreau, his wife thinks, but his plans encompas more than anyone knows.
Quite enjoyed this one.
We get a story interspersed with snippets of their version of some of TOS episodes, the movies, other seris, even bringin in some of the book series(the Vanguard chunks were one though I haven't read them).
Spock uses the Tantalus device after killing Kirk and marches up the ranks. His long range plan is to get the Empire on a democratic footing. Foolhardy Marlena Moreau, his wife thinks, but his plans encompas more than anyone knows.
Quite enjoyed this one.
April 26, 2010
I still haven't gotten Harbinger from my library yet so if Mack proves unworthy of my attention, this may drop from the list, but I was at the bookstore yesterday and found myself leafing through this book, which opens with the Mirror Universe Spock strangling the Mirror Universe Kirk while the Mirror Universe Marlena Moreau looks on - looked like good, solid pulp SF.
Definitely a candidate for my brain-candy shelf.
__________________________________________________
I had hoped to get Harbinger Star Trek Vanguard 1 before Sorrows of Empire but circumstances conspired to make that impossible. It’s odd, really, I checked on the status of my holds and found that both Harbinger and T.F. Powys’ Unclay have disappeared from the catalog. Yet, the only way I could have placed a hold is if they had been present.
“Tis a puzzlement,” as Yul Brynner said.
Sorrows of Empire did not disappoint. Make no mistake. This is pure brain candy. Highly processed corn fructose for the mind. If you were to subsist on a literature diet made up wholly of similar fare your brain would turn into a fine, pinkish-grey gruel that would dribble out of every orifice until you had become a mental vegetable. But in measured proportions, the body can tolerate it.
One of the things that attracted me (guilty confession?) to Harbinger was the promise of Vulcan/Klingon lesbian sex (see review here - http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...). While Sorrows does not have V/K lesbian sex, it does have Vulcan/Vulcan lesbian sex, which I quote here in full (for the prudish, don’t worry, it doesn’t go much beyond the initial kiss; for the prurient – well, it doesn’t go much beyond the initial kiss):
On a more serious note, one of the best episodes of the original Star Trek series is “Mirror, Mirror.” Kirk, Scott, McCoy and Uhura are beaming up from Halka as a magnetic storm rages and are transposed with their counterparts from an alternate universe where Enterprise is the flagship of the Empire, officers maintain private mafias and promote themselves through assassination, and Kirk’s mission is to annihilate the Halkans if they refuse to surrender their dilithium crystals. In both universes, fortunately, Mr. Spock is a man of integrity. Before he transports back to his Enterprise, Kirk argues that Spock’s support of the Empire is illogical since it cannot endure and calls upon him to replace it with something that can. Mr. Spock promises, “I will consider it.”
Sorrows of Empire is the chronicle of the alternate Spock’s campaign to become emperor and ultimately engineer the downfall of the Empire, having planted the seeds of a future “federation.” And, for what it is, Sorrows succeeds. David Mack is a good writer who keeps things moving along, and maintains the integrity of the series’ main characters, albeit through the mirror universe’s lenses.
The chief flaw of the novel is that it tends to become too episodic. Many of Mack’s chapters cover but a single year in Spock’s plans, and that only in a few pages, so there’s no opportunity to get into the characters’ heads or explain their actions or motivations. For example, after Spock kills Kirk, he mind-melds with Marlena and they fall in love. I was willing to suspend belief for the duration of the novel but with post-peruse reflection, it becomes an increasingly unsatisfactory plot device. There’s also an interesting subplot concerning Spock’s mother Amanda and her opposition to what she suspects her son and husband are up to that is abruptly severed when Spock has her shuttle explode, killing her. However, whenever Mack gives himself a few chapters to play around in, he proves that he can handle action and story development, so I continue to look forward to Harbinger, which promises to be a more conventional novel.
Another flaw, though not Mack’s fault, is the unfortunate presence of the Tantalus Device. Devotees will know that this is the “magic” device from the original episode that allowed Kirk to eliminate all of his enemies. What it is, is the product of lazy writers, unconcerned to come up with a more realistic story line.
In truth, like Spock’s and Marlena’s relationship and the Tantalus Device, the mirror universe doesn’t bear too intense a scrutiny. For example, where did the alternate universe begin to “go wrong”? I never followed the post TOS Star Trek incarnations too closely but I recently watched the “Enterprise” episodes “Through a Mirror Darkly…” and gathered that the Empire predated warp drive and had been in existence for several centuries.*! In Diane Duane’s Dark Mirror Star Trek The Next Generation the entire universe is skewed evil. There’s a scene where our Picard has an opportunity to look at his counterpart’s library and finds many familiar authors but their contents are subtlely altered to reflect all of the worst instincts in humans. The version I’ve always leaned toward is the one found in Mike Barr’s Star Trek The Mirror Universe Saga Star Trek DC Comics: The Romulans win the Earth-Romulan War and occupy Terra for a decade. The leaders of the subsequent revolt vow never to allow Earth to be conquered again, and thus the Empire is born.
And how would all of the myriad series episodes play out? How would the alternate Kirk have handled the Gorn and Metrons? Or Miri? Or the Guardian of Forever? And, from the very episode that spawned these musings, what would have happened had the alternate Marlena beamed back with our universe’s landing party? Would our Marlena have been transposed?
And the really big question: Why don’t clothes transpose? How did our Kirk et al. wind up in their counterparts’ uniforms and vice versa?
Well, I wouldn’t recommend this to my non-ST GR Friends but to those who are, I do.
* It was fun watching the opening scene of the “Enterprise” episode where Zefrem Cochrane makes First Contact with the Vulcan captain. In the movie “First Contact,” they shake hands. In the alternate universe, Cochrane blows him away with a sawed-off shotgun and the humans storm the ship.
! The opening credits of the Mirror Universe episodes hints at a possible origin for the Empire – the fascists won WW2.
** I strongly suggested that this is pure pablum but like all of the better ST tales, this one does reflect the better impulses and philosophies of humanity. In this case, in an afterward, Mack mentions Chalmers Johnson’s The Sorrows of Empire Militarism Secrecy and the End of the Republic – the burdens of empire are inevitably more expensive than their benefits (if any). Ultimately, freedom, cooperation and peace produce more enduring and meaningful outcomes.
Definitely a candidate for my brain-candy shelf.
__________________________________________________
I had hoped to get Harbinger Star Trek Vanguard 1 before Sorrows of Empire but circumstances conspired to make that impossible. It’s odd, really, I checked on the status of my holds and found that both Harbinger and T.F. Powys’ Unclay have disappeared from the catalog. Yet, the only way I could have placed a hold is if they had been present.
“Tis a puzzlement,” as Yul Brynner said.
Sorrows of Empire did not disappoint. Make no mistake. This is pure brain candy. Highly processed corn fructose for the mind. If you were to subsist on a literature diet made up wholly of similar fare your brain would turn into a fine, pinkish-grey gruel that would dribble out of every orifice until you had become a mental vegetable. But in measured proportions, the body can tolerate it.
One of the things that attracted me (guilty confession?) to Harbinger was the promise of Vulcan/Klingon lesbian sex (see review here - http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...). While Sorrows does not have V/K lesbian sex, it does have Vulcan/Vulcan lesbian sex, which I quote here in full (for the prudish, don’t worry, it doesn’t go much beyond the initial kiss; for the prurient – well, it doesn’t go much beyond the initial kiss):
“T’Meri opens her eyes and finds her face and T’Prynn’s only a few centimeters apart. Their lips are parted and trembling with anticipation. The sensations are a mystery to T’Meri, whose next pon farr is still four years away – until she realizes T’Prynn is hiding the fires of her own desire, and that some of that ardor has been transferred in the mind-meld.
The urge to kiss the older woman is overpowering. T’Meri searches her thoughts. She realizes T’Prynn desires her. Burns for her.
She feels the heat of T’Prynn’s breath inside her mouth, mingling with her own, but all she can think about is the fact that, despite Governor Sarek’s attempts at liberal social reforms, Vulcan’s laws – preserved for thousands of years by the Council of Elders at Mount Seleya – forbid her and T’Prynn from succumbing to their true natures.
T’Prynn’s lips graze T’Meri’s.
Surrendering to the swell of passion lingering from their mind-meld, T’Meri returns T’Prynn’s kiss and gives herself over to a woman more than three times her age. T’Prynn is voracious in her desire, primal in her way of touching, almost savage in the way she removes T’Meri’s garments.
We are already conspiring to help destroy the Empire, T’Meri rationalizes between desperate, fumbling gropes as T’Prynn pulls her toward a bed. We are already criminals. (pp. 302-303)
On a more serious note, one of the best episodes of the original Star Trek series is “Mirror, Mirror.” Kirk, Scott, McCoy and Uhura are beaming up from Halka as a magnetic storm rages and are transposed with their counterparts from an alternate universe where Enterprise is the flagship of the Empire, officers maintain private mafias and promote themselves through assassination, and Kirk’s mission is to annihilate the Halkans if they refuse to surrender their dilithium crystals. In both universes, fortunately, Mr. Spock is a man of integrity. Before he transports back to his Enterprise, Kirk argues that Spock’s support of the Empire is illogical since it cannot endure and calls upon him to replace it with something that can. Mr. Spock promises, “I will consider it.”
Sorrows of Empire is the chronicle of the alternate Spock’s campaign to become emperor and ultimately engineer the downfall of the Empire, having planted the seeds of a future “federation.” And, for what it is, Sorrows succeeds. David Mack is a good writer who keeps things moving along, and maintains the integrity of the series’ main characters, albeit through the mirror universe’s lenses.
The chief flaw of the novel is that it tends to become too episodic. Many of Mack’s chapters cover but a single year in Spock’s plans, and that only in a few pages, so there’s no opportunity to get into the characters’ heads or explain their actions or motivations. For example, after Spock kills Kirk, he mind-melds with Marlena and they fall in love. I was willing to suspend belief for the duration of the novel but with post-peruse reflection, it becomes an increasingly unsatisfactory plot device. There’s also an interesting subplot concerning Spock’s mother Amanda and her opposition to what she suspects her son and husband are up to that is abruptly severed when Spock has her shuttle explode, killing her. However, whenever Mack gives himself a few chapters to play around in, he proves that he can handle action and story development, so I continue to look forward to Harbinger, which promises to be a more conventional novel.
Another flaw, though not Mack’s fault, is the unfortunate presence of the Tantalus Device. Devotees will know that this is the “magic” device from the original episode that allowed Kirk to eliminate all of his enemies. What it is, is the product of lazy writers, unconcerned to come up with a more realistic story line.
In truth, like Spock’s and Marlena’s relationship and the Tantalus Device, the mirror universe doesn’t bear too intense a scrutiny. For example, where did the alternate universe begin to “go wrong”? I never followed the post TOS Star Trek incarnations too closely but I recently watched the “Enterprise” episodes “Through a Mirror Darkly…” and gathered that the Empire predated warp drive and had been in existence for several centuries.*! In Diane Duane’s Dark Mirror Star Trek The Next Generation the entire universe is skewed evil. There’s a scene where our Picard has an opportunity to look at his counterpart’s library and finds many familiar authors but their contents are subtlely altered to reflect all of the worst instincts in humans. The version I’ve always leaned toward is the one found in Mike Barr’s Star Trek The Mirror Universe Saga Star Trek DC Comics: The Romulans win the Earth-Romulan War and occupy Terra for a decade. The leaders of the subsequent revolt vow never to allow Earth to be conquered again, and thus the Empire is born.
And how would all of the myriad series episodes play out? How would the alternate Kirk have handled the Gorn and Metrons? Or Miri? Or the Guardian of Forever? And, from the very episode that spawned these musings, what would have happened had the alternate Marlena beamed back with our universe’s landing party? Would our Marlena have been transposed?
And the really big question: Why don’t clothes transpose? How did our Kirk et al. wind up in their counterparts’ uniforms and vice versa?
Well, I wouldn’t recommend this to my non-ST GR Friends but to those who are, I do.
* It was fun watching the opening scene of the “Enterprise” episode where Zefrem Cochrane makes First Contact with the Vulcan captain. In the movie “First Contact,” they shake hands. In the alternate universe, Cochrane blows him away with a sawed-off shotgun and the humans storm the ship.
! The opening credits of the Mirror Universe episodes hints at a possible origin for the Empire – the fascists won WW2.
** I strongly suggested that this is pure pablum but like all of the better ST tales, this one does reflect the better impulses and philosophies of humanity. In this case, in an afterward, Mack mentions Chalmers Johnson’s The Sorrows of Empire Militarism Secrecy and the End of the Republic – the burdens of empire are inevitably more expensive than their benefits (if any). Ultimately, freedom, cooperation and peace produce more enduring and meaningful outcomes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2020
This was an enjoyable take on what happened to the Mirror, Mirror alternate universe after Kirk made a speech to encourage a revolution. I did watch both the original series episode as well as Enterprise’s two part mirror episodes and three of the mirror episodes from Deep Space Nine to prepare for it. Spock in this novel is more like Asimov’s Hari Seldon, forecasting the death of his own Empire and how it can be turned into a Republic. Marlena from the original Mirror episode is an important character here. The beginning part of this is quite exciting, as you see Spock deal with threats from the original series or movies in a very ruthless way. Some things come a little too easily for Spock, which makes it seem too perfect, after all, Kirk won with a mixture of logic and emotion. It is fun to see the alternate universe versions of Decker or Saavik. I would say this isn’t the best ST novel I’ve read but it was fun.
July 4, 2018
It was treat to experience more of Mirror Universe Spock and the Mirror universe in general. A harder version of his alternate counterpart, he does what must be done, be it good or bad. He isn't all-knowing however, and this kept him grounded. Fascinating to see him operating in a tyranical environment.
I was worried the story would become boring after Spock seizes power for himself, as is usually the case in stories of rebellion and ascension - the journey is more enjoyable than the destination. This is only partly the case. The first half was the more engaging, but the story managed to keep some gravitas for the second half.
I recommend that readers be familiar with the Original Series and the original cast films for maximum enjoyment, as there are many (literal) parallels which added a wealth of depth to the story. I like to imagine the mirror counterparts of many of the classic Star trek adventure. All in all, a great read.
I was worried the story would become boring after Spock seizes power for himself, as is usually the case in stories of rebellion and ascension - the journey is more enjoyable than the destination. This is only partly the case. The first half was the more engaging, but the story managed to keep some gravitas for the second half.
I recommend that readers be familiar with the Original Series and the original cast films for maximum enjoyment, as there are many (literal) parallels which added a wealth of depth to the story. I like to imagine the mirror counterparts of many of the classic Star trek adventure. All in all, a great read.
July 21, 2011
This story takes place in the alternate universe as portrayed in one of the original series episodes, where the "bad" version of the Enterprise crew plotted. However only Spock is significant in this story.
While Spock is an interesting character he's not able to carry a story on his back. It's analagous to Jerry Garcia playing in the Jerry Garcia Band. Just not as interesting as The Grateful Dead.
Anyway, there are obscure characters from the original series (remember Lt. Kevin Riley?) that make appearences, fodder for the cogniscenti I guess. It wasn't a bad book, but nothing special.
While Spock is an interesting character he's not able to carry a story on his back. It's analagous to Jerry Garcia playing in the Jerry Garcia Band. Just not as interesting as The Grateful Dead.
Anyway, there are obscure characters from the original series (remember Lt. Kevin Riley?) that make appearences, fodder for the cogniscenti I guess. It wasn't a bad book, but nothing special.
May 14, 2016
This book tells the overview of the story of how the Mirror Universe Spock acted after meeting the "normal" universe Kirk and being challenged to put an end to the waste of the evils of the Empire that he was a part of, how he succeeded and at what cost. A very balanced look at the question, "Does the end justify the means?" His goal, which he succeeded in accomplishing, was a very laudable one, but in order to reach it, he needed to "fight fire with fire", and become, in many ways, even more evil than any of those he was trying to defeat.
February 5, 2015
An expanded version of the short novel from the "Mirror Universe: Glass Empires" anthology.
August 2, 2025
Spock's rise to ultimate power in the Terran Empire is outlined
There is no concrete canon in the Star Trek universe. As a rule, canon causes divisions within a fanbase. This was not what Mr. Roddenberry had in mind; he even speculated that there is no such thing as canon in Star Trek because anything and everything is possible due to the presence of multiple realities. This is what differentiates Star Trek from the Star Wars fanbase. Star Wars has always been a singular timeline in a singular acknowledged universe. This is not the case with Star Trek. Star Trek gleefully acknowledges the multiverse in which any deviation is possible. Thus is the case with the mirror universe, where an established chronology of events is heavily debated. With each foray into the mirror universe depicted on screen, more print sources are reduced to these alternate possibilities.
In The Sorrows of Empire, author David Mack sets the scene for Spock's rise to power. While most of the narrative has been retconned out of existence by newer television shows, it is still a well-written story, with detailed expository information that informs character development. The plot branches off into several subplots that are easy to follow and make for a fascinating glimpse into the nature of Spock’s plan for the future of the Terran Empire and its people. It does, however, take massive liberties with the psionic powers of the Vulcan race which creates a literary rabbit hole that seems all too convenient.
The Sorrows of Empire takes place between the years 2267 and 2295. It begins with Spock taking over command of the ISS Enterprise. He rises through the ranks to become Grand Admiral of the Imperial Starfleet. In 2277, he becomes Emperor of the Terran Empire. Once firmly in power, he lays the groundwork for his plan to undermine and eventually weaken the Terran Empire to the point where it will be easily conquered by surrounding hostile powers. Rather than seem a foolish reformer, the author elevates Spock to genocidal mastermind. His goal was not to reform the empire for the better, but to reform it to the point where it was so weakened it would be conquered and its people enslaved.
David Mack makes Spock a villain. His master plan is to undermine the tyranny of the empire through the introduction of reforms and a program of disarmament. In 2293, he declares the Terran Empire dissolved and establishes the Terran Republic. Key power players come together to form the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance and subsequently launch a massive invasion. In 2295, the Terran Republic is destroyed and its people carried into slavery. Moments before his execution, Spock taunts his captors with the knowledge that their own empires will end in fire once his plan comes to fruition. The author credits Spock with the foresight to know that tyranny cannot stand. By dismantling the Terran Empire and establishing a short-lived democracy, Spock guaranteed that the overpowering need for freedom would inspire generations.
As a narrative, The Sorrows of Empire is compelling and concise. The author takes the time to build the world and establish the series of intricate subplots as they pertain to future events. There are moments where extreme artistic license is deployed to sharpen the plot. The idea of millions of telepathic Vulcans safely ensconced on dozens of Alliance worlds as sleeper agents is one such example. Mack turns Spock into a protagonist but not a hero. He is a clear villain, and his plans will come at the cost of everything he is entrusted to protect. His motivations are pure in a sense, but the universe in which he lives is not one for the pure of heart. As a singular experience, the narrative is strongly written but lacks gravitas.
This book comes from my collection, but I am leaving a professional review
There is no concrete canon in the Star Trek universe. As a rule, canon causes divisions within a fanbase. This was not what Mr. Roddenberry had in mind; he even speculated that there is no such thing as canon in Star Trek because anything and everything is possible due to the presence of multiple realities. This is what differentiates Star Trek from the Star Wars fanbase. Star Wars has always been a singular timeline in a singular acknowledged universe. This is not the case with Star Trek. Star Trek gleefully acknowledges the multiverse in which any deviation is possible. Thus is the case with the mirror universe, where an established chronology of events is heavily debated. With each foray into the mirror universe depicted on screen, more print sources are reduced to these alternate possibilities.
In The Sorrows of Empire, author David Mack sets the scene for Spock's rise to power. While most of the narrative has been retconned out of existence by newer television shows, it is still a well-written story, with detailed expository information that informs character development. The plot branches off into several subplots that are easy to follow and make for a fascinating glimpse into the nature of Spock’s plan for the future of the Terran Empire and its people. It does, however, take massive liberties with the psionic powers of the Vulcan race which creates a literary rabbit hole that seems all too convenient.
The Sorrows of Empire takes place between the years 2267 and 2295. It begins with Spock taking over command of the ISS Enterprise. He rises through the ranks to become Grand Admiral of the Imperial Starfleet. In 2277, he becomes Emperor of the Terran Empire. Once firmly in power, he lays the groundwork for his plan to undermine and eventually weaken the Terran Empire to the point where it will be easily conquered by surrounding hostile powers. Rather than seem a foolish reformer, the author elevates Spock to genocidal mastermind. His goal was not to reform the empire for the better, but to reform it to the point where it was so weakened it would be conquered and its people enslaved.
David Mack makes Spock a villain. His master plan is to undermine the tyranny of the empire through the introduction of reforms and a program of disarmament. In 2293, he declares the Terran Empire dissolved and establishes the Terran Republic. Key power players come together to form the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance and subsequently launch a massive invasion. In 2295, the Terran Republic is destroyed and its people carried into slavery. Moments before his execution, Spock taunts his captors with the knowledge that their own empires will end in fire once his plan comes to fruition. The author credits Spock with the foresight to know that tyranny cannot stand. By dismantling the Terran Empire and establishing a short-lived democracy, Spock guaranteed that the overpowering need for freedom would inspire generations.
As a narrative, The Sorrows of Empire is compelling and concise. The author takes the time to build the world and establish the series of intricate subplots as they pertain to future events. There are moments where extreme artistic license is deployed to sharpen the plot. The idea of millions of telepathic Vulcans safely ensconced on dozens of Alliance worlds as sleeper agents is one such example. Mack turns Spock into a protagonist but not a hero. He is a clear villain, and his plans will come at the cost of everything he is entrusted to protect. His motivations are pure in a sense, but the universe in which he lives is not one for the pure of heart. As a singular experience, the narrative is strongly written but lacks gravitas.
This book comes from my collection, but I am leaving a professional review
March 8, 2018
An entertaining story, but I'd pay Mack to stop the smirking
When I saw this book and realized that it was another offering from David Mack, I almost passed it up. Mack is without question a gifted writer, but some of his quirks are decidedly off-putting. I gave this book a chance in the hope that it would have fewer of those, and ultimately it did. Mainly I'm referring to his obnoxious (and usually incorrect) use of forms of the word smirk. It wasn't as bad as it was in Destiny: The Complete Saga: Gods of Night, Mere Mortals, and Lost Souls, but the tendency was still present. (I counted fewer than a dozen instances in this book, though just when I thought I was past them all, Mack found a way to include some in the last few chapters—at one point, twice within the same paragraph.) That's why I must dock this book's rating. Mack is probably a really nice guy. He seems like the delightfully nerdy type I'd enjoy having a long talk with. I'm not trying to pick on him overmuch here. I just wish that his editors would rein him in so that some of his bloated language (it sometimes seems as though he plugs every word into a thesaurus just to find something longer and more obscure) and other linguistic tics might be toned down.
And yet this story captured me in a way that many of the modern Star Trek novels don't. I always enjoyed the mirror universe, and "Mirror, Mirror" was one of the first episodes of the original series that I ever saw back in 1984, during my initiation into Star Trek. I particularly enjoyed how the book featured and explored Marlena Moreau, who on the show was a memorable one-off character. Her emotional states and long-term plans figure prominently in the novel, and it was worth reading just for that. The book also features the return of characters from across the Trek spectrum, including Carol Marcus (another favorite) and Saavik. Mack knows how to incorporate diverse elements of the Trek universe and synthesize them into a cohesive tale. And I was pleased that, unlike in some of his other books, Mack here did not exhaustively include what felt like all the guest stars who ever played in the show just to give those people significant, and frankly space-wasting, backstory. The characters all seemed relevant to the story.
Mack seems to have mostly adopted the Star Trek: Enterprise–based habit of referring to the Enterprise (and other starships) without the definite article the, e.g., "We have to get back to Enterprise." I realize that's a minor point, but because this book is rooted in the original series, I'd have preferred saying "the Enterprise" (or whatever vessel is in question), as was the standard practice then. Who knows? Maybe the Enterprise series was following Voyager's model, which never bothered me.
And although Mack acknowledges the various sources he consulted in writing this book, some of which may have themselves contained wrong information, I was nevertheless disappointed to see "Andoria" referred to, when the planet's correct name is Andor. Star Trek: Voyager made that same error with Talax and Talaxia; this is what happens when unthinking writers unwittingly rename a planet through a back-formation of its citizens' names (Andor, Andorian, Andoria, or Talax, Talaxian, Talaxia). Details matter, even if incorrect forms get retconned or canonized.
When I saw this book and realized that it was another offering from David Mack, I almost passed it up. Mack is without question a gifted writer, but some of his quirks are decidedly off-putting. I gave this book a chance in the hope that it would have fewer of those, and ultimately it did. Mainly I'm referring to his obnoxious (and usually incorrect) use of forms of the word smirk. It wasn't as bad as it was in Destiny: The Complete Saga: Gods of Night, Mere Mortals, and Lost Souls, but the tendency was still present. (I counted fewer than a dozen instances in this book, though just when I thought I was past them all, Mack found a way to include some in the last few chapters—at one point, twice within the same paragraph.) That's why I must dock this book's rating. Mack is probably a really nice guy. He seems like the delightfully nerdy type I'd enjoy having a long talk with. I'm not trying to pick on him overmuch here. I just wish that his editors would rein him in so that some of his bloated language (it sometimes seems as though he plugs every word into a thesaurus just to find something longer and more obscure) and other linguistic tics might be toned down.
And yet this story captured me in a way that many of the modern Star Trek novels don't. I always enjoyed the mirror universe, and "Mirror, Mirror" was one of the first episodes of the original series that I ever saw back in 1984, during my initiation into Star Trek. I particularly enjoyed how the book featured and explored Marlena Moreau, who on the show was a memorable one-off character. Her emotional states and long-term plans figure prominently in the novel, and it was worth reading just for that. The book also features the return of characters from across the Trek spectrum, including Carol Marcus (another favorite) and Saavik. Mack knows how to incorporate diverse elements of the Trek universe and synthesize them into a cohesive tale. And I was pleased that, unlike in some of his other books, Mack here did not exhaustively include what felt like all the guest stars who ever played in the show just to give those people significant, and frankly space-wasting, backstory. The characters all seemed relevant to the story.
Mack seems to have mostly adopted the Star Trek: Enterprise–based habit of referring to the Enterprise (and other starships) without the definite article the, e.g., "We have to get back to Enterprise." I realize that's a minor point, but because this book is rooted in the original series, I'd have preferred saying "the Enterprise" (or whatever vessel is in question), as was the standard practice then. Who knows? Maybe the Enterprise series was following Voyager's model, which never bothered me.
And although Mack acknowledges the various sources he consulted in writing this book, some of which may have themselves contained wrong information, I was nevertheless disappointed to see "Andoria" referred to, when the planet's correct name is Andor. Star Trek: Voyager made that same error with Talax and Talaxia; this is what happens when unthinking writers unwittingly rename a planet through a back-formation of its citizens' names (Andor, Andorian, Andoria, or Talax, Talaxian, Talaxia). Details matter, even if incorrect forms get retconned or canonized.
March 16, 2021
It works for several reasons, and in the end is held back for several others.
The quick-fire structure could've been distracting or frustrating, but I found it really compelling. It's a novel in which the protagonist is essentially an idea, which any writing book would tell you wouldn't work, but in this case it does. You're watching the rise and fall of something, not the adventures of one specific character, and you also see some false starts or potential redirections. The whole thing is essentially resting on the strength of that final Kirk/Spock conversation from "Mirror, Mirror," and fortunately that conversation is strong enough to sustain it.
It's not for casual fans, but for the Trekkies who thrive on details and fanon. I loved seeing all the references to other characters and where they might end up in the mirror universe, and how the timeline lines up. It was clearly constructed with great care, and attention to the HUGE body of references that Star Trek has accumulated.
I think the plot decisions that were made are what they are for reasons, and I understand why they were made, but I personally would've made a few different ones. I don't think that Mirror Spock would take it upon himself to become Emperor and do all these things. I think he'd rather be a behind-the-scenes architect. So, as time wore on, it seemed less and less like a dark or inverse or otherwise-alternate Spock and more like just some other character, one with an improbable ability to find out astro-political secrets ahead of time when in the original episodes and storylines everyone was caught by surprise. The extremely sudden love between him and Marlena also seemed very unlikely -- a marriage of co-conspirators, certainly, but madly in love from moment one? And Marlena got a bit of a short shrift after that, in my opinion. Her story kind of devolved to her wanting children and having no other personality, when she'd started off as a more complex person.
So, for me it wasn't a raving 5-star read, but still. It's got some really interesting stuff in it, it's a carefully-crafted ode to Trek, and I as a raving Trekkie was perfectly happy to read a whole book about "One man cannot summon the future, but one man can change the present."
The quick-fire structure could've been distracting or frustrating, but I found it really compelling. It's a novel in which the protagonist is essentially an idea, which any writing book would tell you wouldn't work, but in this case it does. You're watching the rise and fall of something, not the adventures of one specific character, and you also see some false starts or potential redirections. The whole thing is essentially resting on the strength of that final Kirk/Spock conversation from "Mirror, Mirror," and fortunately that conversation is strong enough to sustain it.
It's not for casual fans, but for the Trekkies who thrive on details and fanon. I loved seeing all the references to other characters and where they might end up in the mirror universe, and how the timeline lines up. It was clearly constructed with great care, and attention to the HUGE body of references that Star Trek has accumulated.
I think the plot decisions that were made are what they are for reasons, and I understand why they were made, but I personally would've made a few different ones. I don't think that Mirror Spock would take it upon himself to become Emperor and do all these things. I think he'd rather be a behind-the-scenes architect. So, as time wore on, it seemed less and less like a dark or inverse or otherwise-alternate Spock and more like just some other character, one with an improbable ability to find out astro-political secrets ahead of time when in the original episodes and storylines everyone was caught by surprise. The extremely sudden love between him and Marlena also seemed very unlikely -- a marriage of co-conspirators, certainly, but madly in love from moment one? And Marlena got a bit of a short shrift after that, in my opinion. Her story kind of devolved to her wanting children and having no other personality, when she'd started off as a more complex person.
So, for me it wasn't a raving 5-star read, but still. It's got some really interesting stuff in it, it's a carefully-crafted ode to Trek, and I as a raving Trekkie was perfectly happy to read a whole book about "One man cannot summon the future, but one man can change the present."
August 19, 2018
This is the 3rd book in the Mirror Universe series. I I found it an improvement over the first two volumes primarily because it tells a single story rather than being a collection of related novellas that occur in different time frames.
If you read the first book in the series you already know the broad outlines of this novel. It is it is really an expansion of the first novella in that book - a fact acknowledged by the author in free afterword. Given that, the this novel could itself have been expanded to two or three full-length novels fat would have provided a richer reading experience. The story moves at breakneck pace through decades covering the period roughly from the time of Mirror Mirror to some time after The Undiscovered Country. Scenes flash by that are worth more than the couple provided pages.
Mr. Mack seemed driven to provide as much 'fan service' as possible. Hames of familiar characters from the original series are dropped left and right even when those characters play no part in the story. I personally found this irritating. But I'm sure some fans will appreciate it.
The 3 stars I gave the book is a bit stingy. It probably should be 3.5 stars. David Mack writes well and tells a decent story. And he is certainly well steeped in Trek Canon. And nobody should pick up a Trek novel expecting it to read like Tolstoy.
Recommended only to those who love reading Star Trek novels.
If you read the first book in the series you already know the broad outlines of this novel. It is it is really an expansion of the first novella in that book - a fact acknowledged by the author in free afterword. Given that, the this novel could itself have been expanded to two or three full-length novels fat would have provided a richer reading experience. The story moves at breakneck pace through decades covering the period roughly from the time of Mirror Mirror to some time after The Undiscovered Country. Scenes flash by that are worth more than the couple provided pages.
Mr. Mack seemed driven to provide as much 'fan service' as possible. Hames of familiar characters from the original series are dropped left and right even when those characters play no part in the story. I personally found this irritating. But I'm sure some fans will appreciate it.
The 3 stars I gave the book is a bit stingy. It probably should be 3.5 stars. David Mack writes well and tells a decent story. And he is certainly well steeped in Trek Canon. And nobody should pick up a Trek novel expecting it to read like Tolstoy.
Recommended only to those who love reading Star Trek novels.
May 7, 2018
All I ask of licensed books is that they hold up as a good episode or movie of the series. In that regard 'The Sorrorws of Empire' would make a good 3-4 seasons set over the course of about 25 years. However, it looses points for two small things.
1. Mirror Spock comes off as more of an evil Hari Seldon than the bearded vulcan we saw in Mirror, Mirror. I mean it works but if you've already read most of Asimov's Foundation it is a little been there, done that.
2. Those of us who read the Mirror Universe novella collections feel a little ripped off since this takes the novella The Sorrows of Empire and expands. One quarter to maybe a third of the book had already seen print there.
The saving grace is that it doesn't just expand David Mack's TOS story. It expands on Star Trek Vanguard. A novels only series that I just loved. Yes, some of the material was recycled to but this format allows the reader to see how the stories (from two different volumes of the Mirror Universe Novellas) interconnect.
1. Mirror Spock comes off as more of an evil Hari Seldon than the bearded vulcan we saw in Mirror, Mirror. I mean it works but if you've already read most of Asimov's Foundation it is a little been there, done that.
2. Those of us who read the Mirror Universe novella collections feel a little ripped off since this takes the novella The Sorrows of Empire and expands. One quarter to maybe a third of the book had already seen print there.
The saving grace is that it doesn't just expand David Mack's TOS story. It expands on Star Trek Vanguard. A novels only series that I just loved. Yes, some of the material was recycled to but this format allows the reader to see how the stories (from two different volumes of the Mirror Universe Novellas) interconnect.
May 16, 2018
This novel is a tour de force of the Star Trek universe. Set in the Mirror Mirror alternate universe, it explores how the alternate Spock might have taken up Captain Kirk’s challenge to start a revolution that brings down the Empire and establishes a Federation-like Republic. Every chapter is filled with cameo appearances of figures from the original series and the movies. In the early chapters, Spock has to solve problems that confronted the Enterprise crew in the original series. Later he has to outmaneuver Star Trek personalities as he accumulates the power necessary to break the Empire and reform it. I found the most surprising and interesting character to be Lieutenant Marlena Moreau, the “Captain’s Woman” from the original episode. She becomes Spock’s strong right hand, covering his back, and making the whole revolution possible at great personal cost. This is a very well thought out, totally intriguing, alternate Star Trek history that is well worth your time.
May 10, 2022
Great addition to any Star Trek fan’s bookshelf, especially if you’re interested in the mirror universe. When combining logic and ruthlessness, Spock is unstoppable in his quest for achieving the idea that Kirk put forth to him at the end of the original episode ‘Mirror, Mirror’.
Kirk - ‘...How long before the Halkan prediction of galactic revolt is realized?’
Mirror Spock - ‘Approximately two hundred and forty years.’
Kirk - ‘The inevitable outcome?’
Mirror Spock - ‘The Empire shall be overthrown, of course.’
Kirk - ‘The illogic of waste, Mr. Spock. A waste of lives, potential, resources, time. I submit to you, that your Empire is illogical because it cannot endure. I submit that *you* are illogical to be a willing part of it.’
Mirror Spock - ‘Captain Kirk, I shall consider it!’
And as this book begins, consider it he does!
Kirk - ‘...How long before the Halkan prediction of galactic revolt is realized?’
Mirror Spock - ‘Approximately two hundred and forty years.’
Kirk - ‘The inevitable outcome?’
Mirror Spock - ‘The Empire shall be overthrown, of course.’
Kirk - ‘The illogic of waste, Mr. Spock. A waste of lives, potential, resources, time. I submit to you, that your Empire is illogical because it cannot endure. I submit that *you* are illogical to be a willing part of it.’
Mirror Spock - ‘Captain Kirk, I shall consider it!’
And as this book begins, consider it he does!
September 23, 2018
I read the short novella that's published in the Mirror Universe Anthology, Glass Empires and was excited to learn that David Mack had expanded the story and filled in a lot of the gaps. This story takes place after TOS: "Mirror, Mirror" when Mirror!Spock actually takes Kirk's words to heart that one man can start a revolution. I enjoyed the appearance of other characters from the Trek-verse and felt they contributed to the story in a way that made sense to their character and the Terran Empire. It was a little slower paced at times, but I enjoyed it a lot.
February 11, 2025
Mirror Spock kills his captain. He takes his woman Marlena as his wife and empress I found that strange. He declares later that he does love her. He uses Kirk’s tantalus device to kill everyone in his way. Including his own mother Amanda. As emperor he works to get them to stop being so violent. Agonizers are gone…he goes up the ranks. He works with Sarak and makes his governor of Vulcan. It’s sad because Spock knows the empire will fall and he will die. And finally he does. His hope for a republic and less violent population at the end is interesting. Odd book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2020
Excellent craftsmanship by David Mack. He has a deep understanding of Star Trek lore, characters, and their motivations. I suspect he had twice the material in his mind and had to cut it to fit Pocket Books requirements. I highly recommend this speculative development of the climax scenes of Mirror, Mirror (Episode 33 of the original series). What did Spock do in the Mirror Universe after that episode? The Sorrows of Empire lays this out in brilliant storytelling form.
October 18, 2021
As I finished the book, I sat in stunned silence for a moment. A powerful book on corruption and change. In the end it is a book about mirror Spock & how is logically able to make deductions about the future & how to best being to pass a republic instead of an empire. However, it is also about the people he influence & was able to convince to bring to his side. As Kirk said to Spock, “If change is inevitable, predictable, beneficial, doesn't logic demand that you be a part of it?”
March 17, 2022
The Mirror Universe is inherently kind of campy, but this was a really enjoyable read. Definitely requires the reader to be pretty well versed in Star Trek lore, and the pace is lighting quick, covering decades of manipulation and scheming in quick succession. It's a bleak ending but it provides a really interesting connection between the Mirror Universe we see in ENT and TOS and what we end up with in DS9.
December 30, 2017
An absolutely captivating vision of the mirrorverse, filled with cameos of characters and events throughout the series. It's a slow burn with more political maneuvering than exciting space battles, but it makes those motivations accessible even to a layperson like me. I really loved this book.
March 27, 2019
Only a pacifist can commit genocide.
I both loved and hated this book. It's a good story, solid and well written. At the same time there is a bleak fatalism to it. No spoilers, but you may just learn to hate Spock.
I both loved and hated this book. It's a good story, solid and well written. At the same time there is a bleak fatalism to it. No spoilers, but you may just learn to hate Spock.
December 12, 2023
Just not an interesting or well written mirror universe story, filled mostly with short callbacks to other characters it does a very poor job of trying to harmonize the mirror universe. Mack appears to not be a top caliber writer.
February 8, 2025
This is genuinely a great concept for a novel, and it’s perfectly executed. Watching the slow machinations of an empire being slowly revolutionized to a republic by the hands of one man is super interesting, and it would be just as interesting even if it wasn’t Trek. Just a great novel overall
March 11, 2019
A great read. One thing I love about Star Trek is the answers to the "whatever happened" questions just keep rolling in.
December 4, 2019
"In every revolution, there is one man with a vision."
Only 10 years late to the party. An excellent read.
Only 10 years late to the party. An excellent read.
November 7, 2021
it wasn't bad plenty of action and a few twists. I rated this book at 3 starts average.
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