Once I realized Lwaxana was going to be in this novel, I really worried that she was going to be the butt of every joke. But - lo and behold - she is not! She is used in the way I like best: Deanna is overly embarrassed by her, everyone else finds her strong personality rather a lot to handle, but she is fundamentally aware of her own value and way more self reflective than anyone would give her credit for...she just doesn't let that get in the way of doing what she wants. MAN I love Lwaxana Troi. And I love Q, too, because he's so deliciously awful, and also because it's completely true that the only person with the mental fortitude to completely destroy him is Lwaxana. There is a bit of weirdness where people (!) are gifted (!) to other people and I'm not sure it's as well handled as it could be - but given the comedic context it's easy to give it a pass.

“Q-In-Law” by Peter David was an entertaining read… The Enterprise and Captain Picard are chosen to host a wedding of two young people from rival interstellar merchant clans. Various guests arrive from all the planets the clans do business with, including an ambassador from Betazed, Lwaxan Troi.

The final guest to arrive is the self-invited “ambassador” from the Q Continuum, Q.

Picard tries to throw him off the ship, but the heads of the clans insist that he remain as their guest.

Q insists his intentions are benign and he just wants to take part in the festivities, but the crew of the Enterprise is sure he’s up to something, they just can’t figure out what. Despite their entreaties to Mrs. Troi to stay well away from Q, he succeeds in thoroughly charming her and sweeping her off her feet…

As tensions flair between the young couple about to get married as well as their clans, Mrs. Toi continues to get deeper and deeper involved with Q. And the Enterprise crew gets more sure they’re missing whatever it is that Q is up to…

By the end, we get a showdown to see whose will is stronger, an omniscient Q or a daughter of the Fifth House of Betazed, Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Rixx and Heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed…

The story was okay. The writing was fairly simplistic and despite having watched the whole Star Trek: The Next Generation TV series recently, it often wasn’t easy to imagine the characters actually saying the dialogue as written.

I won’t avoid other books by Peter David in this series, but I’m not in a tearing rush to follow up on this one yet. ( )

Okay, see, what happened was this: I read a random essay on io9 on how great this book was, and then, not too much later, I saw this book used at the bookstore. So of course I had to buy it.

Reading it I was immediately struck by how dated the Star Trek TNG universe is. So there was a little bit of working my way past that (in particular some eyeroll-worthy heteronormativity) before I could get back into the mindset of nostalgia for how much I loved this show as a teen. And then, on that level, it was SO MUCH FUN. I always had an intense love for Lwaxana, and the premise of her having Q-type powers and using them to vengefully smite the smug Q himself was a thing of beauty well worth the price of admission. I agree with the original essay that it is a tragedy that this was never filmed as an episode.

In short, this book was everything I'd been promised. ( )

The Star Trek expanded universe is like a large sandbox. There's room for everyone to play and the sky's the limit as to what kinds of stories can be told. Q-In-Law by Peter David is one of those gems that exists because of a die-hard fan playing in the sandbox. It's a story that's too complex for TV but not action-y enough for a Star Trek movie.

Peter David brings together two beloved and diametrically opposed NextGen characters, Q and Lwaxana Troi, and still manages that delicate Star Trek balance of action, adventure, humor and wonder. The quick summary on the cover sums up the tone perfectly, "Two of the most powerful forces in the galaxy are about to collide..."

Of all the Star Trek novels in print, this one should be on most Top 5 lists. Yes, it's that good. If you love NextGen and haven't read this one, go get a copy now. ( )

Picard is pleased when the Enterprise plays host to a Tizarin wedding between the children of two of the rival houses of the race. However, he is somewhat less pleased when Lwaxana Troi is sent as the Ambassador for Betazed. When Q decides to pop in for the festivities as well, Picard and the entire crew are suddenly on edge anticipating the potential havoc the onmipotent being could potentially wreak. Everyone gets even more alarmed when Lwaxana finds herself attracted to Q and the potential for chaos escalates.

When I was 11 I went through a phase where I read every ST:TNG novel I could get my hands on. The show itself had been off the air for several years (let's put it this way, the show started when I was just shy of 1 year old) and I knew it mostly through re-runs but I was very obsessed for a while and Peter David's novels were always my favourites and I bought copies of several of them, including this one. The novel is definitely more light-hearted with the craziness that is Lwaxana and Q and the Romeo & Juliet type romance going on in the background with the Tizarin wedding. My 11 year old self and let's face it, my present self too, also really enjoyed some of the Riker and Troi moments that will make any shippers squee a little bit. Funny and a quick read, this is definitely only for TNG fans but it hits the spot. ( )