Showing posts with label new frontier. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new frontier. Show all posts

Sunday, September 13, 2015

The Returned, Part 3

Star Trek: New Frontier
The Returned, Part 3 by Peter David
An e-book exclusive novella
Release date: September 7th 2015
Read September 9th 2015

Previous book (New Frontier): The Returned, Part 2
Next book (New Frontier):
Kindle: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

 Spoilers ahead for The Returned and Star Trek: New Frontier!

 Publisher's Description:
Captain Mackenzie Calhoun and the crew of the U.S.S. Excalibur are back, picking up three months after the stunning events depicted in New Frontier: Blind Man’s Bluff. Calhoun's search of Xenex has failed to find any survivors, and now he is bound and determined to track down the race that killed them—the D'myurj and their associates, the Brethren—and exact vengeance upon them. His search will take the Excalibur crew into a pocket universe, where he discovers not only the homeworld of the D’myurj, but another race that shares Calhoun's determination to obliterate his opponents. But is this new race truly an ally…or an even greater threat?

My thoughts:

Here it is: the conclusion to the e-book trilogy The Returned. Calhoun and crew witness the near-total destruction of the D'Myurj species and now find themselves leading an even greater threat back to our own galaxy. The Dayan, bent on the destruction of all life everywhere, are using Calhoun and the Excalibur to access the wormhole to bring them to the Milky Way Galaxy, where they will presumably systematically wipe out all life.

Meanwhile, on New Thallon, Mark McHenry faces off against Q who is posing as "The Awesome," the god of the Thallonians. Q is keeping his cards close to his chest, not revealing why he is showing such interest in the Thallonian line of succession and aiding Shintar Han in his desire to kill Robin Lefler and her son, Cwansi.

The Returned, Part 3 does an adequate job in resolving the various storylines that came out of parts one and two. The story was generally engaging, and it kept my interest throughout. The typical Peter David whimsy is definitely present, as is his tendency to go to dark places from time to time. However, I felt that something was missing. Some parts felt very "paint by numbers," almost as though the author was kind of bored with writing these characters. The final act of the story is wrapped up at a breakneck pace, with a crazy, soap opera-ish ending. I suppose that is par for the course for New Frontier, but it still felt a little cheap.

As I mentioned above, there are a few "dark" moments in the story, most notably when Q assaults two of the characters by removing their lungs and allows them to suffer in order to force Mark McHenry to go along with his plan. And there is also a very unexpected sexual assault perpetrated on Captain Calhoun by Soleta. I would have been interested to see where this story might go, but the assault itself is dealt with just a little too flippantly for my tastes.

This happens a couple of times in the story. Ideas such as consent, lack of control, all-power beings, and even genocide aren't quite given the depth that they need. I enjoy exploring these ideas, and I feel that literature should force us to examine our beliefs and worldview, but this story doesn't quite get there for me.

Still, I don't want to say to skip this story. If you are a fan of New Frontier, you will enjoy seeing the characters back in their element, with a huge, over-the-top galactic threat, facing off with the usual irreverence of the New Frontier gang. Just take everything with a grain of salt and try not to worry too much when the story gets pretty far off the rails.

 Final thoughts:

New Frontier fans will be happy to see the gang back together, and the story features Peter David's usual whimsy and dabbling in darker story ideas. I would have liked to have seen a deeper exploration of some of the issues at the heart of the story, but that is not to be. Still, I don't think you should skip this if you enjoy New Frontier. There are some developments that are important going forward, and I do truly hope that New Frontier continues to go forward.

The "Next book (New Frontier)" space above remains open, hopeful that someday I will have a title to type in there again.

 More about The Returned, Part 3:

Also by Peter David:

Next time on Trek Lit Reviews:

I continue to review the TOS Mere Anarchy series with book two: The Centre Cannot Hold by Mike W. Barr.

DFTBA!


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Saturday, August 15, 2015

The Returned, Part 2

Star Trek: New Frontier
The Returned, Part 2 by Peter David
An e-book exclusive novella
Release date: August 3rd 2015
Read August 5th 2015

Previous book (New Frontier): The Returned, Part 1
Next book (New Frontier): The Returned, Part 3
Kindle: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

 Spoilers ahead for The Returned and Star Trek: New Frontier!

 Publisher's Description:
Captain Mackenzie Calhoun and the crew of the U.S.S. Excalibur are back, picking up three months after the stunning events depicted in New Frontier: Blind Man’s Bluff. Calhoun's search of Xenex has failed to find any survivors, and now he is bound and determined to track down the race that killed them—the D'myurj and their associates, the Brethren—and exact vengeance upon them. His search will take the Excalibur crew into a pocket universe, where he discovers not only the homeworld of the D’myurj, but another race that shares Calhoun's determination to obliterate his opponents. But is this new race truly an ally…or an even greater threat?

My thoughts:

Continuing directly from Book 1, The Returned Part 2 finds Captain Calhoun and his crew in the pocket universe, seeking out the D'myurj homeworld on a mission to rescue the Federation captives being held there. Having found a D'myurj ship with nearly the entire crew murdered, Calhoun discovers their attackers: the Dayan. A single D'myurj survivor is found aboard the disabled vessel and brought to the Excalibur. After agreeing to help the Dayan seek out and destroy the D'myurj, Calhoun learns from the rescued alien that the Dayan may be an even greater threat.

The underlying themes of this book are much more complex than it would seem at first blush. It wasn't until discussing the book with Matthew Rushing on episode 115 of Literary Treks that I came to really appreciate the depth of the story that Peter David is telling here. In many ways, the issue faced by Calhoun with regards to the D'myurj is similar to a classic Star Trek trope: the idea that the motivations of aliens are more complex than we humans (or people of the Federation) give them credit for. In the classic episode "Arena," the Gorn seemingly commit a wanton act of mass murder in their attack on the Federation colony on Cestus III. At the end of that episode, we learn that the Gorn thought that the Federation was the invader, and they were merely protecting their own people from what they perceived as the violent encroachment of the colonists. Similarly, it seems that the D'myurj attacked the Xenexians in order to preserve their own species, which is in danger of being wiped out by the Dayan. While still a horrible crime, Calhoun finds that their motivations may not have been what he thought they were.

Mark McHenry
As usual, the quirkiness of the New Frontier universe is present on every page of this novella. Peter David's prose is always a pleasure to read, and I definitely enjoyed the juxtaposition of the harsh nature of the Dayan and their almost soft-spoken manner when dealing with Calhoun and his crew.

Robin Lefler and Mark McHenry's story on New Thallon continues here as well, with McHenry gaining planetary fame due to his seemingly god-like powers. There is also a surprise guest star who makes his identity known at the end of the book. Those of you who have read the story will know why I'm excited to see this mystery character and Mark McHenry come together...

 Final thoughts:

In some ways, The Returned, Part 2 suffers from what Matthew Rushing and I have termed "middle book purgatory." It's difficult to give a solid rating to a story that is incomplete. There are a lot of interesting themes and ideas up in the air, and I am looking forward to seeing how they are resolved in Part 3. Part 2 was definitely enough to hold my interest, and I once again find myself wishing I had the third part already downloaded. September can't come fast enough!

 More about The Returned, Part 2:

Also by Peter David:

My next read:

Next week, my review of #13 of the S.C.E. series: No Surrender by Jeff Mariotte.


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Saturday, July 18, 2015

The Returned, Part 1

Star Trek: New Frontier
The Returned, Part I by Peter David
An e-book exclusive novella
Release date: July 6th 2015
Read July 7th 2015

Previous book (New Frontier): Blind Man's Bluff
Next book (New Frontier): The Returned, Part II
Kindle: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

 Spoilers ahead for The Returned and Star Trek: New Frontier!

 Publisher's Description:
Captain Mackenzie Calhoun and the crew of the U.S.S. Excalibur are back, picking up three months after the stunning events depicted in New Frontier: Blind Man’s Bluff. Calhoun's search of Xenex has failed to find any survivors, and now he is bound and determined to track down the race that killed them—the D'myurj and their associates, the Brethren—and exact vengeance upon them. His search will take the Excalibur crew into a pocket universe, where he discovers not only the homeworld of the D’myurj, but another race that shares Calhoun's determination to obliterate his opponents. But is this new race truly an ally…or an even greater threat?

My thoughts:

When I started this review site back in 2011, the newest New Frontier novel was soon to be released: Blind Man's Bluff. While I didn't enjoy that story as much as I had the previous novels, I considered myself a fan of New Frontier. I first started reading Peter David's ground-breaking Trek novel series back when it began in 1997. As much as I enjoyed the ongoing stories of Kirk, Picard, Sisko, and Janeway, the prospect of an all-new novel-only series was too tempting to pass up. Luckily, New Frontier proved the be a success, and the series paved the way for more original Trek lit such as Stargazer, Corps of Engineers, Vanguard, and Seekers.

Calhoun and his crew are back!
Imagine my surprise when it seemed that 2011's Blind Man's Bluff might be the last New Frontier story. What's worse, the story had a cliffhanger ending, with Captain Calhoun's people being wiped out and Starfleet itself the victim of infiltration by an enemy called the D'myurj. Thankfully, a new New Frontier story has been released: The Returned, presented in three parts by way of e-book exclusive novellas.

I wound up enjoying this story more than the previous one. Peter David is in top form here with the New Frontier characters' trademark wit and charm on full display. Calhoun, of course, comes across as larger-than-life in his typically heroic fashion. I like how far the characters have come: Admirals Jellico and Shelby seemingly "manipulate" Calhoun into taking a course of action that he probably would have taken anyway, while he is all the while completely aware of how his wife and commanding officer think they are guiding the events. Meanwhile, we get Soleta back on the bridge of the Excalibur, and even Mark McHenry returns, bringing his "godlike" powers to bear in the defense of Robin Lefler and her child.

There are a few small issues with the story, but nothing that negatively impacts the experience of the return of one of my favorite series. The cliffhanger ending is, of course, frustrating. Were this a complete trade paperback or mass-market paperback release like previous stories, it would simply be a tense chapter break. However, in this three-part iteration, the ending comes just as I want desperately to read more. This is, of course, the point, but it is frustrating nonetheless!

Finally, I do have to make a comment about the cover of this story. The current U.S.S. Excalibur is a Galaxy-class starship, replacing the Ambassador-class Excalibur lost in a previous novel. Unfortunately, the cover features the older Excalibur for apparently no reason that is revealed in the narrative. Sadly, it just seems to be an oversight on the part of the cover artist. Again, it has no impact on my enjoyment of this story, but it is a little unfortunate. Regardless, the cover is beautiful!

*This* is the Excalibur that should be on the cover!

 Final thoughts:

A great start to the next chapter of New Frontier! The story is, of course, difficult to rate without the rest of it to read, but I'm excited for the return of some of my favorite characters, and I very much look forward to the continuation and resolution. Here's to much more New Frontier to come, if the Great Bird of the Galaxy wills it!

 More about The Returned, Part 1:

Also by Peter David:

 My next read:

Next week, look for my review of the first story in the TOS mini-series, Mere Anarchy. It's Things Fall Apart by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore!


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Sunday, April 15, 2012

What Lay Beyond

Gateways: Book Seven of Seven: What Lay Beyond by Diane Carey, Peter David, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Christie Golden, Robert Greenberger, and Susan Wright
Published November 2001
Read March 15th, 2012

Previous book (Gateways): Book 6 of 7: Star Trek: New Frontier: Cold Wars
Next book (Gateways): S.C.E. #10: Here There Be Monsters


Spoilers ahead for What Lay Beyond and the rest of the Gateways miniseries!


From the back cover:
Created by the incalculably ancient Iconians, whose transcendent technology is quantum levels beyond that of the Federation and its allies, the Gateways offer instantaneous transport across unimaginable distances.  Throughout the known galaxy, from Deep Space Nine to the New Frontier, from the Delta Quadrant to the bridge of the Starship Enterprise, the sudden reactivation of the Gateways has destabilized interstellar relations between planets and cultures previously separated by countless light-years.  Starfleet's finest have coped with the crisis as best they can, but circumstances have forced several valiant commanders to leap through separate Gateways into the unknown.
Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise
Captain Jean-Luc Picard of The Next Generation
Colonel Kira Nerys of Deep Space Nine
Captain Kathryn Janeway of the USS Voyager
Captains Calhoun and Shelby of New Frontier
Commander Nick Keller of the USS Challenger
All of these heroes, for their own reasons, have taken the ultimate gamble: hurling themselves personally through a Gateway without any knowledge or forewarning of what lay beyond.  Each must face their own unique challenge, struggling to find a way back to the ships and homes they left behind.
And waiting behind at least one of the Gateways are the ageless Iconians themselves, the primordial architects of the mysterious portals causing chaos throughout the Milky Way galaxy.
Where did they disappear to, many long eons ago, and what do they want now?  The answer lies on the other side...
What Lay Beyond brings the Gateways saga to a spectacular finish, in an all-star collaboration by six popular, bestselling Star Trek authors.
Among them, Diane Carey, Peter David, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Christie Golden, Robert Greenberger, and Susan Wright have written dozens of Star Trek novels.  This is their first mega-collaboration.


"One Giant Leap" by Susan Wright (TOS):

"One Giant Leap" tells of the aftermath of Captain Kirk's journey through the Kalandan Gateway at the end of One Small Step.  On the other side, he finds himself on the "birthing world" of Tasm and Luz's "pod."  There, both Captain Kirk and Luz are on the run from the rest of Petraw society.  Eventually, they work together, Luz in order to escape, and Captain Kirk in order to thwart the Petraw's attempts to build a working Gateway.

I felt that "One Giant Leap" was more of the same from One Small Step.  Nothing really wowed me, and the both the plot and the writing felt fairly pedestrian and generally un-engaging.  The descriptions of the setting were fairly dry with not a lot of depth.  I felt that as readers, we were "told" as opposed to "shown."  The text makes references to many days going by, but the story was so rushed that it didn't really come across.  The story as a whole felt rushed and not genuine at all.

Kind of uninspiring, and really made me skeptical of this whole "final chapter in a separate volume" thing.  I have to give "One Giant Leap" the same score as its parent story: 4/10.

Also by Susan Wright:


"Exodus" by Diane Carey (Challenger):

"Exodus" continues off from Chainmail, chronicling Commander Nick Keller's experiences on the other side of the Gateway.  He encounters the world of the Living, and attempts to convince them that the time has come for them to leave through the Gateway and rejoin the rest of the galaxy.  Because of the time differential between the two universes, Keller spends months living and working with the Living, while mere hours pass on "our" side of the Gateway.

Complicating matters is the arrival of a member of the "Living" through the Gateway.  Entering the "regular" universe was traumatizing to him in particular, and he wishes his people to remain on the harsh metallic world inside the Gateway.  Hoping to get people to rally to his cause, he opposes Keller, telling the people that those on the other side have abandoned him.

I thought that "Exodus" was an excellent conclusion to the Challenger entry in the Gateways series.  Diane Carey does an amazing job at making the metallic planet seem real and alien.  The plight of the Living is made real, and through Nick Keller, the reader gets a good idea of how alien and strange this world is.  The characters come across as real and, even though none of them are "canon" characters, I truly felt for them and was invested in the outcome of the story.

"Exodus" earns a 9/10 rating.  An excellent conclusion, and even though the story has absolutely no bearing on the rest of the Gateways tale, it was a must-read for me.

 Also by Diane Carey:

"Horn and Ivory" by Keith R.A. DeCandido (DS9):

"Horn and Ivory" is definitely an enigma in the Gateways series.  At the end of Demons of Air and Darkness, Colonel Kira finds herself going through one of the Iconian gateways.  Rather than merely through space, the gateway that Colonel Kira steps through seemingly takes her through time as well.  Finding herself in Bajor's distant past, Kira becomes an influential figure in the history of one of her planet's ancient nation-states.

However, all may not be as it seems.  There is some doubt in the story as to whether or not Kira's experiences are genuine, or a vision from the Prophets, or perhaps even simply a delusion.  Her experiences, however, help her to take charge of the situation once again.  Upon meeting an Iconian whose job is to monitor the gateway network, Kira is able to find her way back home and resolve the crisis developing at Europa Nova.

This was a very interesting conclusion to the Deep Space Nine portion of the Gateways series.  The story does take an abrupt left turn, but I feel that it works well.  Some great character development for Kira and an interesting narrative put this story in the positive column for me.  "Horn and Ivory" is a solid 8/10.

Previous book (Deep Space Nine relaunch): Demons of Air and Darkness
Next book (Deep Space Nine relaunch): Mission Gamma, Book One of Four: Twilight

More about "Horn and Ivory":

Also by Keith R.A. DeCandido:

"In the Queue" by Christie Golden (Voyager):

In the opening pages of "In the Queue," my long-sought after coordination between the Voyager story and the rest of the Gateways series seemed to finally manifest itself (see my review of No Man's Land).  However, my hopes were once again dashed as Captain Janeway's emergence from the gateway onto the bridge of the Enterprise-E turns out to be nothing more than an illusion.  The captain passes from one illusory scenario to another before she, and we, discover who is behind the tricks and deception.  We also find out the reason so many vessels were converging on Voyager's position through the gateways: it turns out that Q, seeing the dangers faced by the various crews, decided that Janeway would be a good choice to shepherd them to safety.  Q also reveals the source of the gateway technology used by the Iconians millennia ago, and the answer is certainly surprising.  With some help from Q, Janeway is returned to Voyager, where the perpetrator of the recent violence is dealt with.  Soon, the vessels in the ad hoc fleet are sent on their way home.

An interesting conclusion to No Man's Land, but in some ways, "In the Queue" was a little unsatisfying.  For one thing, Q is often used as the answer to anything strange or out of the ordinary.  Generally speaking, the television series didn't overuse him, as his awesome power is simply too easy to use as an out.  However, he appears in many novels and other media to a startling degree at times.  Sometimes his powers just seem like too much of a cop-out, a deus ex machina to the plot.  In this case, also, his motivations are suspect to me.  Q saving all of the ships so that Janeway and the Voyager crew could "look after them" and shepherd them to safety seems far too altruistic for the Q we know.  Sure, he has a special fascination for Picard and Janeway, but these always seemed like exceptions to his general disdain or lack of empathy for "lower" lifeforms.

The resolution to the problems in the fleet were the highlight of the story, with an interesting conclusion to the violent escapades.  This part of the story saves the rest from failing due to the "Q solution."  Overall, I would have to give "In the Queue" a score of 6/10.  Satisfactory, but in some ways, a disappointing way out for Janeway.

Also by Christie Golden:

"Death After Life" by Peter David (New Frontier):

New Frontier's "Death After Life" is an interesting departure from the rest of the Gateways series.  Like in DS9's "Horn and Ivory," the gateway that Calhoun and Shelby go through at the end of Cold Wars doesn't seem to be typical of the rest of the Gateway network.  The two captains find themselves in a bizarre world that seems to follow the pattern of Calhoun's beliefs in the Xenexian afterlife.  There, they are continually faced with mortal situations.  When they die, they automatically restart their journey until they are able to get past the obstacle in question without perishing.  Xenexian belief holds that if they outlast the day, they will live forever in this afterlife, continually doing battle with others in this realm.  Needless to say, the prospect is very appealing to Calhoun, who is even given a chance at a reunion with his father.

"Death After Life" was a very interesting story that gives us some more insight into the character of Calhoun.  Of particular interest is his relationship with his father, and what made him the man he is today.  The strength of the bond between him and Shelby is also explored, and we are able to see what the usually-inscrutable Calhoun's feelings truly are.

This conclusion felt like a very strange departure from the beginning of the story, and it certainly does take a left-turn from what I was expecting when I started this series.  Nevertheless, it is very well-written, and for the insights it gives us into the characters of Shelby and Calhoun, I have to give "Death After Life" a score of 8/10.  An excellent read, although it doesn't factor much into the rest of the Gateways stories at all.

Previous book (New Frontier): Gateways, Book Six: New Frontier: Cold Wars
Next book (New Frontier): Being Human
Also by Peter David:




 "The Other Side" by Robert Greenberger (TNG):

In Robert Greenberger's conclusion, "The Other Side," we finally get to meet the elusive Iconians.  However, rather than being the impressive, god-like enigmas that Picard expected, the Iconians are somewhat of a disappointment.  They seem to have stagnated as a culture, and they don't even know how to operate their own equipment.  They consult their records about how to shut down the Gateway network, and send Picard on his way.  His journey leads him to a planet which supports a pre-industrial population surrounded by the ruins of the formerly-great Iconian civilization.  There, Picard must find the devices that control the Gateway network and find a way to shut it down.  On the way, he meets a number of people who help and hinder his attempt.

"The Other Side" was an interesting conclusion to The Next Generation's portion of the story arc, Doors Into Chaos, and indeed, to the Gateways saga as a whole.  During Picard's time on the planet with the controls to the Gateways, he does a lot of moralizing and a limited amount of "interfering" in the lives of the people he encounters.  I would be somewhat interested in some sort of follow-up to the influence that Picard has on the people of the planet, especially since nearly everyone he encounters refers to him as a "young god."  The solution to the Gateway problem as a whole is interesting, as is the knowledge and power that Picard retains at the end, a fact he keeps to himself.

A satisfying conclusion, if a little pat.  The brief involvement of the New Frontier crew, along with the impacts of the other Alpha Quadrant stories in the conclusion ties the entire series together well.  "The Other Side" earns a 7/10 rating from me.  Not too bad!

Also by Robert Greenberger:

The Gateways series as a whole:

I have very mixed feelings about this series.  As a whole, this is a collection of very disparate stories held together very loosely by a central plot element.  In particular, the Challenger and Voyager stories are very separate from the rest.  The Original Series story sets up the Petraw deception, while in TNG and DS9 we see the outcome of their attempt to co-opt the gateway technology.  However, even within this framework, I felt that there was not much collaboration on creating a cohesive narrative.  While the stories started out as a joint effort, it felt like the authors all had very different ideas about who the Petraw are and what their end goals were.  This is, of course, inevitable when organizing a large-scale crossover event such as this.  Still, I feel that the cohesiveness could have been achieved a little more substantially than what we got here.  Also, I would be remiss in not expressing frustration at the withholding of the final chapters of each story released together in a final volume.  Years ago, I was reading only the Deep Space Nine relaunch and the New Frontier series.  Not wanting to miss these stories, I read Demons of Air and Darkness and Cold Wars.  Even though I had no interest in the stories from the other series, I had to buy a completely separate hardcover, What Lay Beyond, just to get the conclusions to the two stories I was interested in.  This was definitely frustrating, and felt like nothing more than a cheap money-grab.  

For the most part, Gateways is a mixed bag.  Some great storytelling is presented here, but there are certainly also some duds.  The completist in me is glad I read them, and if I were not compiling the entire series for a review, I might have skipped the Challenger story.  This would have been a mistake, as I discovered that particular entry to be a hidden gem.  The lesson here is that you never know where you might find a great story.  Sometimes you have to give something new a try!


My next read:

Next up is a classic Star Trek novel from years past, Peter David's The Rift.

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Friday, April 13, 2012

Cold Wars

Gateways: Book Six of Seven: Star Trek: New Frontier: Cold Wars by Peter David
Published October 2001
Read March 14th, 2012

Previous book (Gateways): Book 5 of 7: Star Trek: Voyager - No Man's Land
Next book (Gateways): Book 7 of 7: What Lay Beyond

 Previous book (New Frontier): Excalibur, Book Three: Restoration
Next story (New Frontier): "Death After Life," in Gateways, Book 7: What Lay Beyond

Spoilers ahead for Cold Wars, the New Frontier series, and the Gateways miniseries!


From the back cover:
Missing for two hundred millennia, the legendary Iconians have returned, bringing with them the secret of interdimensional teleportation across vast interstellar distances.  Awakened once more, their ancient Gateways are rewriting the map of the galaxy, and nowhere more than in the New Frontier...
A century ago, the imperial Thallonians separated two feuding alien races, depositing each of them on a new world safely distant from that of their ancestral enemies.  Now, however, the Gateways have made it possible for the long dormant blood feud to begin anew.  Captain Mackenzie Calhoun of the USS Excalibur-A and his partner, Captain Elizabeth Shelby of the USS Trident, find themselves fighting a losing battle to keep the horrific violence from escalating, even as they gradually realize the catastrophic danger posed by the Gateways themselves!

About the Novel:

Cold Wars introduces us to the Gateways dilemma through the eyes of Captains Calhoun and Shelby of the Excalibur-A and Trident, respectively.  Ordered by Admiral Ross to investigate a group of gateway signatures deep in Sector 221-G, the two crews set out.  Soon, they become embroiled in a dispute between two alien races, separated long ago by the Thallonian Empire.  Gateway technology has allowed a strike team to bridge the gulf of space between them, killing nearly the entire royal family of their enemy.  Now, both sides are pushing for war against the other.  Caught in the middle are the crews of the Excalibur and Trident, as well as a little girl, the only surviving member of the aforementioned royal family.  The experience of seeing her entire family murdered has left her in a catatonic state, and even if Dr. Selar is able to get her to respond, it is uncertain if her people will accept her leadership and avoid genocide between the two warring civilizations.


My Thoughts:

Cold Wars takes place during what, to my mind, was the heyday of the New Frontier series.  The stories were fresh and the characters were vibrant and alive.  Much like the Deep Space Nine story Demons of Air and Darkness, I initially read Cold Wars years ago not as part of the Gateways miniseries, but as a part of the larger narrative of the New Frontier series.  Reading it as tied into the other stories has allowed me to appreciate it more, but I still like it primarily for the continuation of the story of New Frontier.

I really enjoyed Peter David's characters during this period.  Mac Calhoun, as captain, is definitely not like any Starfleet captain we've seen previously.  He's not afraid of flouting the rules of Starfleet, but because he is usually in complete control of any situation he is in, it tends to work out for the best.  The crew of Excalibur is in top form here, with Burgoyne 172 promoted to first officer and the ensuing hilarity that results.

Many people I've talked to have grown a little tired of the particular brand of humour that Peter David injects into his Star Trek stories.  Indeed, I found it somewhat tiresome in later volumes such as his latest New Frontier story, Blind Man's Bluff.  However, here it seems to work.  A particular part of this story that had me laughing out loud at times was the introduction of Ensign Pheytus (pronounced as "fetus") to the engineering staff of Excalibur.  There are many who say that puns are the lowest form of humour, but I challenge anyone to not at least crack a smile while reading the jokes exchanged by the crewmembers in engineering.

Cold Wars also marks the introduction of two crewmembers from Captain Kirk's crew, displaced in time, into the New Frontier series.  Originally introduced in the 1970s animated series, Lieutenant M'Ress and Lieutenant Commander Arex both join the crew of the USS Trident in this novel.  M'Ress's frustration and difficulty in coping with her new circumstances are very well-written, and contrast nicely with Arex's seeming ease with his new surroundings.  Peter David has a good handle on his characters, and Cold Wars was a pleasure to read.  Of course, as with all the previous entries in the Gateways series, Cold Wars ends on a cliff-hanger, resolved in the final volume, What Lay Beyond.
New crewmembers: Lt. M'Ress ...
... and Lt. Commander Arex




Final Thoughts:

From a good period in the New Frontier series, Cold Wars is a nicely-written addition to the Gateways saga.  It doesn't necessarily mesh well with the other stories in the series, but then again, that seems to be the hallmark of this particular miniseries.  For example, the Petraw, the species behind this quadrant-wide swindle, are nowhere to be found and are not even mentioned.  As far as the story itself goes, Peter David has a solid handle on his characters at this point, and Cold Wars comes across honestly and true to the characters that have been established previously.

Final score for Cold Wars: 8/10.  I've always been a fan of New Frontier, and this novel carries on the grand tradition of that series quite well.

Also by Peter David:

My next read:

The next novel to be reviewed is the finale to the Gateways series, the final volume that resolves all of the storylines from the previous six novels: What Lay Beyond.


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