Missing in Action

When I closed the cover of Missing in Action, I said to myself- literally outloud- "Now that's good storytelling." I've come to expect that with PAD's Star Trek New Frontier series, but MIA is the best one yet. Slight SPOILERS to follow: In MIA, Calhoun finds himself and the crew of his ship, The Excalibur, sucked into a distant universe where the laws of physics are not what we are accustomed to. Space is gelatinous rather than a vacuum and the creatures that inhabit it are just as bizarre. While there, he must end a centuries long feud between two warring races- a feud that has wiped out the entirity of the inhabitants of their universe, except for their own races of course. Back home, Calhoun's wife, Admiral Elizabeth Shelby, must decide whether to defy Star Fleet and go after him or sit back and wait- as she was ordered too. Always a strict adherent to regulations, she's naturally torn, but in the end makes a decision based on her instincts, much like her cowboy husband always does. (Well, instincts and ALOT of whiskey!) Before she can reach her husband, she finds herself in the middle of a war at it's breaking point on the Planet of Priatia, in the part of space where Calhoun and The Excalibur disappeared. Old friends, Lt. Commander Robin Lefler and Captain Kat Mueller, join her- and by this time I was reading fast because the action was so intense. The climax comes together with Calhoun expertly manipulating his way out of a morass of "peace" negotiations between the warring peoples- a peace negotiation that could have been "do this or die" if it had been any other man- and Shelby, Lefler, and Mueller discovering just how connected the planet of Priatia is to Calhoun's disappearance- and vice versa. A big surprise hits at this point and since I've probably spoilered too much as it is- I leave it for you to discover. The book concludes with a few excellent little denouements- one with an ironic twist reminiscent of the old The Twilight Zone, and the other, a fable-like scene featuring Q, that lets us know where we measure up in the scheme of things. MIA is a continuation and finale of a story arch advanced in the previous book, After the Fall. Where as it might be helpful to read the books before MIA, it really wouldn't be necessary to enjoy this story. PAD writes with a sense of humor that makes me laugh out loud like no other author can. I have yet to read his other books, outside of the Star Trek universe, but I will eventually get to them, of that you can be sure of!

Star Trek: New Frontier Missing in Action written by Peter David is a wonderfully entertaining book and most likely the best so far in the New Frontier series. David developes his charters to the fullist and there is action-adventure, comedy and tragedy. David developes a sound stand alone book that takes the characters on a ride of their respective lives. As this book starts MacKenzie Calhoun is on a routine patrol in the New Thallonian Protectorate and Sector 221-G when all hell breaks loose. The story is riviting, intriguing, interesting, and mind-blowing as the U.S.S. Excalibur gets sucked into another demension and universe where things take off from there. MacKenzie Calhoun works his magic as he trys to settle an ancient war between some very unusal alien races. Also, he is trying to work his way back to his own time-space and universe. Calhoun uses all means available to him to accomplish this goal. But there are two stories within the pages of this book as the New Thallonian Protectorate has fallen due to the treachery that Si Cwan has sowen. The stories are interwoven and compliment each other and the worst has happened and David spins his yarn to make interesting reading. Those who love to read David's work will not be disappointed as David bring the stories to boiling and then a simmer where action takes over and the authors rewards the reader with very interesting reading till the end. The characters are strong without being over bearingAnd when you think about the book you can see David's lively humor evolve in this book. I gave this book a solid five stars for the action-adventure, stong and well developed characters, a fine interwoven plot, and a very interesting story line. You won't be diappointed by this book it has all of the right stuff to make an intriguing read. I enjoyed this book and hope that you do too.

A New Frontier novel by Peter David is, in general, a good bet. My only problem with them-we only get a new installment once a year and I find myself having to slow down and savor the book, instead of consuming it all in one gulp like I'd love to do. The story picks up right after After the Fall left off. It's still three years later and we're slowly filling in details of what happened during those three years. David deftly balanced four separate plot threads, bringing each of the stories together in a satisfying way in the last third of the book. Along the way, David makes some stunning changes to the New Frontier universe. I won't say exactly what they are, but I will hint there are stunning, jaw-dropping and series changing. And the ending while not a literal cliffhanger did leave me looking around, hoping there was more book hidden in the last few blank pages before the binding. Peppered with David's typical humor and off-beat characters, After the Fall shows exactly why the New Frontier series is the best thing happening in Trek publishing today. Every book is great and worth the wait. But Mr. David, could you please have the next one come out, oh, let's say tomorrow. I'll be first in line for the next one.

This entire series is, I think, the best in the Star Trek collection. I've loved every book related to the New Frontier saga. I can't say enough about it. It's very well written and supports the story line.

Peter David is without a doubt the best Star Trek novelist and one of the best Science Fiction writers out there. With his New Frontier series, he has created a captain even more outrageous than Captain Kirk-- Mackenzie Calhoun who, although unconventional, to say the least, is extremely likable. David has peppered the series with minor characters from Star Trek: The Next Generation and, unlike other Star Trek writers, is able to have his characters live real lives. They change allegiances, accept promotions, get married, have children, and even die. In this book, we find Soleta in command of a Romulan intelligence ship, Leffler involved in a Civil War on SiCwan's home world, and the Excalibur trapped inside a strange type of space, unable to escape unless Calhoun can manage to make two sworn enemies work together, while Admiral Shelby defies Star Trek orders to go out and try to rescue her husband. The characters undergo some major changes in this book- and I don't want to do any spoilers, but I will say that the ending does not leave everything tied up in a neat little package. There are some unexpected twists, and one major death that still leaves me reeling. David has made it pretty clear that this character is dead so I have to believe that he is not going to pull one of the usual Star Trek rabbit tricks out of his hat and tell us in the next book that it was actually a clone that was killed. This is a great book in a great series by a great author. An easy 5-star read.