content: Call me sentimental but I really liked this story. Spock and McCoy work together to protect and facilitate the ascension of a young woman to the throne of her war torn world. Part adventure story, part coming of age story, and not a bad commentary on the subject of leadership, this story held my attention throughout and may even warrant additional readings. Even staunch fans of the venerable Captain James T. Kirk will be pleased to see that the team of Spock and McCoy are themselves capable of not only saving the day - but also carrying a storyline through the majority of the novel. Recommended.