The Sorrows of Empire

The Sorrows of Empire is a Star Trek: Mirror Universe novel by David Mack. Released in, the novel is an expansion of Mack's story "The Sorrows of Empire", published in the first Mirror Universe anthology, Glass Empires.

Summary

 * Solicitation blurb
 * ''One man can shape the future... but at what cost?


 * "In every revolution, there is one man with a vision."


 * Captain James T. Kirk of the United Federation of Planets spoke those prophetic words to Commander $𝜇$ of the Terran Empire, hoping to inspire change. He could not have imagined the impact his counsel would have.


 * Armed with a secret weapon of terrifying power and a vision of the alternate universe's noble Federation, Spock seizes control of the Terran Empire and commits it to the greatest gamble in its history: democratic reform.


 * Rivals within the empire try to stop him; enemies outside unite to destroy it.


 * Only a few people suspect the shocking truth: Spock is knowingly arranging his empire's downfall. But why? Have the burdens of imperial rule driven him mad? Or is this the coldly logical scheme of a man who realizes that freedom must always be paid for in blood?


 * Spock alone knows that the fall of the empire will be the catalyst for a political chain reaction – one that will alter the fate of his universe forever.



Characters
All characters are their mirror universe counterparts.


 * Vulcan first officer and subsequently captain of the, later becomes Emperor. Co-main protagonist.
 * Vulcan first officer and subsequently captain of the, later becomes Emperor. Co-main protagonist.


 * Human Starfleet officer and captain's woman, wife of Spock. Co-main protagonist.
 * Human Starfleet officer and captain's woman, wife of Spock. Co-main protagonist.


 * Sarek
 * Spock's father and chief political counsel.


 * Hoshi Sato III
 * Empress of the Terran Empire, clone of original Empress $𝜇$. Overthrown by Spock.


 * Saavik
 * Half-Vulcan, half-Romulan student, mentored by Spock.


 * Gorkon
 * Regent of the Klingon Empire, one of the first leaders of the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance.

Background information

 * Announcing the release, Mack noted that the novel would "add another 40,000-50,000 words to the story, expanding its scope to reveal more characters' points of view, more of the historical sweep of the 23rd century, and more of $𝜇$'s grand plan."
 * In the mirror universe, several historical or otherwise important events unfold in a similar manner to the primary universe such as the signing of the Treaty of Organia between the Terran and the Klingon Empires in the 2260s, $𝜇$ being accused of murdering three women on Argelius II , the Babel Conference , the marriage-union of Elas and Troyius , the M-5 test , encountering Garth of Izar on Elba II , the refit of the Enterprise , the first two stages of Project Genesis , the negotiations for the Korvat colony (mentioned in ), the destruction of Praxis and the Khitomer Conference.
 * The Sorrows of Empire also adds the mirror universe version of Operation Vanguard, as featured in the Star Trek: Vanguard series, portions of which were also written by David Mack.