I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/12389237 ( )

A really nice, solid book, which had plenty of grey areas (Thiopa, the planet they're referring to, is caught between a dictator and an equally ugly revolution) and made good use of the entire ensemble crew. I wouldn't say it was highly memorable, but it definitely felt like a good TNG episode, which is pretty much what I want from a Star Trek novel!

“Pico review” written for the SF fanzine OtherRealms (SF review zine by Chuq Von Rospach, Dec. 1989): Average Trek story with an extra star for not taking the easy way out at the ending and points for a Federation official that is not a bumbling idiot or an overconfident windbag. This is a cautionary tale with an obvious moral (typical ST). Good character scenes - can Riker's jazz band really use a Klingon ChuS'ugh (heavy noise), no matter how well Worf plays it? ("Humans wouldn't know good music if it knocked them over.") The main plot involves delivering food and farming supplies to a drought-stricken, polluted planet. Two local political factions each have demands to make of the Federation, which wants to keep the planet from the Ferengi and the hostile Nuarans. More realistic than this sort of book usually is - both sides have moderates wishing to compromise and hard-liners trying to wipe out any opposition. Picard tries to intercede but the result is not a happy ending for either side. A few more loose ends could have been tied up however. Characters are introduced and seem important for a chapter and then get forgotten, the Nuarans fired on the Enterprise a few times and then vanish. ( )