Books I Like: The Romulan Way by Diane Duane and Peter Morwood

Blurb:

They are a race of warriors, a noble people to whom honor is all. They are cousin to the Vulcan, ally to the Klingon, and Starfleet's most feared and cunning adversary. They are the Romulans – and for eight years, Federation Agent Terise LoBrutto has hidden in their midst. 
Now the presence of a captured Starfleet officer forces her to make a fateful choice between exposure and escape. Between maintaining her cover – and saving the life of Dr. Leonard McCoy. 
Here, in a startlingly different adventure, is the truth behind one of the most fascinating alien races ever created in Star Trek – the Romulans.

Not only is this a good Star Trek book, from a time when Trek novels were allowed to go off on their own threads, and be their own thing - Its a highly enjoyable Sci-fi read.



The Romulan Way is unusual, in that all its major action does not take place on the Enterprise, and in fact only one Enterprise 1701 crew member figures into the plot. Dr. Leonard McCoy.

The major action takes place on Romulus, and in flashbacks, which recount The Sundering from Vulcan. And the story mainly focuses on its protagonist Arrhae ir-Mnaeha t'Khellian aka Terise Haleakala-LoBrutto, a servant in House Khellian.

This was my first experience of Diane Duane's "Rihannsu", and it, more so than any depiction of Romulans on screen, cemented my notion of those brethren to the Vulcans. In truth, on screen depictions of Romulans in The Next Generation era failed to live up to what I got out of Diane Duane's writing - Someways, this also would later apply to the Vulcan's in the Enterprise era, which attempted to tactile some of the same historical material related to both species.

It was not however the story alone, which impacted me. The writing style, and presentation of information was unusual for a Star Trek book. That is to say, it felt more like an original Sci-Fi novel, rather than mere media tie-in. A book that could stand on its own, beyond the property it was part of.

As a writer I can say, this book certainly had an impact on me, and my own work in a positive manner.

You would do yourself a favor by reading this book. When you do, you are better off putting aside almost everything on screen, post-TOS out of your mind regarding Romulans. It helps.