It's extraordinarily rare that I can't finish a Star Trek novel. Heck, I even managed to get through Black Fire. But my tolerance for bad literature may have been higher 20+ years ago, and - in Ms. Cooper's defense - her story was so ludicrous it was like watching "Plan 9 from Outer Space" or "Cave Dwellers" or "Eegah." So bad it's good.The most egregious fault in Plagues of Night is that it's boring! Endless chapters that sound like synopses of a TV episode, and that keep cycling through a variety of POVs. There's no action, just a lot of people hanging out and talking to each other (about the action that had gone on behind the scenes). I was only able to get about half-way through before my better sense convinced me that I shouldn't be wasting my time here.
The second quality that sank it for me was what I have called in other reviews "The Star Wars Syndrome." This is an illness that strikes writers in the Star Wars and Star Trek franchises (and I'm sure in others that I haven't read) where they feel compelled to include every character from the respective series no matter how peripherally. A less serious version of the virus is excessive references to episodes from the TV series and/or other books in the franchise.
I'm glad this is a library loan and will soon be leaving the apartment forever.
It may not be readily apparent but I'm not recommending this one, not even to Trekkies.
