Here There Be Dragons

This was the first Star Trek TNG novel I read when I was younger and it felt like the right time to read it again, having forgotten most of the story details by this point. The structure of this story felt more expansive than what a tv budget or time constraints could do properly and showcased to me personally what Trek books have the ability to strive towards.

Having read it now, my brain kept characterizing it as a slightly (There's still quite a bit of violence) toned down “Star Trek as Game of Thrones” kinda story, with a super corrupt and wicked duke, a devious advisor, etc etc.

The unfortunate aspect of the story though is most of the conflict the characters deal with arises due to their own naivety, which seems out of place when you're talking about characters like Picard, Riker, or Ro.