Okay, here’s the way I really feel.
I know I often recommend some Star Trek Expanded Universe comics and novels – but I know I am just recommending them to other die hard Trek fanatics. I recommend David Mack’s inaugural entry into the Vanguard novels not only to Trek fans but to lovers of all SF, indeed, to anyone who enjoys a fast-paced yarn.
Vanguard seems to be created for guys just like me. People who love DS9 for its characters and lengthy arcs, but also love the world of the TOS era.
Harbinger introduces you to Starbase 47 – aka Vanguard – when the NCC-1701 docks there. Then we meet a wonderful cast of characters.
Plenty of other sites have summaries and character breakdowns – I’ll only add that David Mack introduces the new characters & setting as if it were the first film in a series. I hope the other novels in the series keep up this level of fun.