For some reason, enjoying Imzadi didn't mean I had read the sequel. I don't think I even knew about it until I saw this signature edition, which is a bit poor of me given my appreciation of both the Trekverse and PAD as an author.

So yes, it's contrived. Peter's written a story into an era already lapsed onscreen, so we know what happens afterward. Of course he knows that we know this, but we know that he knows we know too, so the story has to be careful. and it works, it's a clever series of contretemps based on the Rikers, a cleverly circumnavigated ménage à Deanna, with plenty of backreferences to good Next Generation stuff and a sprinkling of Peter's original trek work. as an opener to a new year, it is somehow very satisfying to pull something out from the solidity of Classic Star Trek.