"'You can go to hell,' McCoy told him, 'on your own time.'"
Review
LOVED this one; had an absolute excellent time reading it. Not only another spectacular example of a really interesting alien encounter, but a wonderful character study of Leonard McCoy as well. The backstory and characterization both felt absolutely on point, and it provided such wonderful context and conflict for the character in a way I really love to see.
The flashback middle section of the book was hands down my favorite. I loved the sections dedicated to the younger McCoy's dialogue with the assassin Ssara he'd saved the life of - that kind of dissection of alien culture and philosophy is always so much fun to me. It's so interesting to ask the kinds of questions that the book and its characters pose to you -- if a people perceives death as a right (sacred, even, moreso than life), does your morality weigh more than theirs does? It would have been extremely interesting if the book had been given the time to really dwell there in that space, especially with a character like McCoy.
This book is set after the events of the film series, almost immediately after the events of The Undiscovered Country. McCoy's backstory wherein he'd assisted with his father's suicide has already been established -- it would have been extremely interesting if the novel had allowed that fact to drag weight in McCoy's conversation with the Ssanian assassin. I would say that it's somewhat a disappointment that this piece of McCoy's history hadn't been needled at during the course of their conversations, but it is equally possible that the events that took place during McCoy's residency at Ssana happened before McCoy's father got sick. If that is the case, it also would have been interesting to have McCoy reflect on it -- whether the philosophical conversation about this 'right to die' had influenced his acquiescence with his father's request. Interesting, but I don't perceive the lack of it as any kind of Flaw in the novel; it's possible the inclusion would have been jarring or clunky in a way that was detrimental, who's to say?
But I loved it. I also loved the deeper implications of McCoy's choice to participate in these conversations. Without spoiling this book too much (it's one I'd absoultely recommend checking out if you're a fan of McCoy), his decision to participate in these discussions is made with the hope that the assassin would slip up and reveal some information about his comrades that could lead to the Federation being able to prevent another large-scale attack. Beyond the ethical subject of their debates, the conversations themselves are an ehtical quandry -- McCoy has the opportunity to save lives if he's able to manipulate the answers out of his patients, but is he violating the boundaries/ethics as his position of a Doctor in doing so?
It's a compelling quandry! One that resolves in a way that not only helps to solidify the core of McCoy's character, but also provides some interesting context to some of McCoy's responses to Spock's use of 'logic' in some of their arguments and debates.
In addition to McCoy, we had some lovely moments from Kirk and Spock as well - both with Bones and with one another. Kirk and Spock reflecting on their relationship: "You know me too well, Spock," remarked Kirk. / "Perhaps you are right," the Vulcan agreed amiably. "And vice versa. However, it is too late to alter that situation now."; Kirk commenting on Spock and McCoy's relationship: "Mind you, they don't exactly go around slapping each other on the back. To listen to them, you'd probably think they were bitter enemies. But when push comes to shove -- and believe me, it has -- there's a bond of affection between Spock and McCoy that even I can't quite fathom. Nor do I try." He could have said more, about how the doctor carried the Vulcan's katra in him for a time, or how Spock had given up a life of bliss with Zarabeth to return Bones to his rightful time and place. But that was between the two of them and no one else.; Spock reflecting that "After all these years, the chief medical officer knew how to get to him as few others could."; especially fond of Spock reflecting how the events of the film series have changed him and the way he thinks about certain scenarios :3c It's good stuff!
All in all, dude, 10/10. Absolutely going to read this one more than one time, and definitely recommend it that others read it at least once!