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Star Trek: New Frontier #16
Missing in Action
In this New Frontier novel, the crew of the U.S.S. Excalibur find themselves thrust into another universe—and must find a way home by any means. Following the dramatic events of After the Fall, Captain Mackenzie Calhoun and the crew of the U.S.S. Excalibur find themselves catapulted headlong into another universe, far from the New Thallonian Protectorate and Sector 221-G...a place where an ancient war rages between two powerful alien races. But Calhoun has no intention of staying here for very long and, adopting the time-honored philosophy of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend," takes it upon himself to somehow (and by any means necessary) persuade one side or the other to help him and his crew get back home. Meanwhile, the shadow of war has fallen over the New Thallonian Protectorate, and an embattled Si Cwan faces growing treachery as he attempts to maintain his tenuous hold on power. With Starfleet and the Federation declaring Sector 221-G temporarily off-limits, Admiral Elizabeth Shelby and Captain Kat Mueller decide to take matters into their own hands, ignoring orders by trying to find some way of getting to the Excalibur, presuming there is any Excalibur to get to. But they never count on the most unexpected of allies—an old friend whose shifting loyalties are about to be put to the ultimate test even as a growing cataclysm looms....
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 5, 2006
22 people are currently reading
420 people want to read
About the author
Peter David
3,561 books1,358 followersaka David Peters
Peter Allen David, often abbreviated PAD, was an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games. His notable comic book work includes an award-winning 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, as well as runs on Aquaman, Young Justice, SpyBoy, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Captain Marvel, and X-Factor.
His Star Trek work included comic books and novels such as the New Frontier book series. His other novels included film adaptations, media tie-ins, and original works, such as the Apropos of Nothing and Knight Life series. His television work includes series such as Babylon 5, Young Justice, Ben 10: Alien Force and Nickelodeon's Space Cases, which he co-created with Bill Mumy.
David often jokingly described his occupation as "Writer of Stuff", and he was noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its mingling of real-world issues with humor and references to popular culture, as well as elements of metafiction and self-reference.
David earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992 Eisner Award, a 1993 Wizard Fan Award, a 1996 Haxtur Award, a 2007 Julie Award and a 2011 GLAAD Media Award.
Peter Allen David, often abbreviated PAD, was an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games. His notable comic book work includes an award-winning 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, as well as runs on Aquaman, Young Justice, SpyBoy, Supergirl, Fallen Angel, Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2099, Captain Marvel, and X-Factor.
His Star Trek work included comic books and novels such as the New Frontier book series. His other novels included film adaptations, media tie-ins, and original works, such as the Apropos of Nothing and Knight Life series. His television work includes series such as Babylon 5, Young Justice, Ben 10: Alien Force and Nickelodeon's Space Cases, which he co-created with Bill Mumy.
David often jokingly described his occupation as "Writer of Stuff", and he was noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its mingling of real-world issues with humor and references to popular culture, as well as elements of metafiction and self-reference.
David earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992 Eisner Award, a 1993 Wizard Fan Award, a 1996 Haxtur Award, a 2007 Julie Award and a 2011 GLAAD Media Award.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 10, 2011
I've been ploughing through the last several New Frontier novels to get to the most recent three -- ones that I've bought but never got around to reading (because I hadn't had a chance to plough through the previous books recently). This is the first of those, a sequel to the "only okay"
After the Fall
.
Somebody dies in this one. Somebody major to the series. And, ironically (and intentionally), it happens completely offstage, making for a particularly gruesome reveal.
I offer that up in as non-spoilery a fashion as I can because it points out an ongoing difficulty or two of the series. It's become so complex and character-ridden that it's practically impossible to deal adequately with the secondary characters, while at the same time, the leads (including Mackenzie Calhoun himself) are forced to spend increasing time outside of the limelight. The fact is, I'm much more interested in some folks (Calhoun, Shelby, Burgoyne, Soleta, Cwan) than others (Mueller, Lefler, Xyon/Xyon/Moke, Kalinda) (and we'll leave the New, Improved Zak Kebron aside), but with the tale including so many folks onstage, plus incidental characters from the immediate plotlines themselves, nobody here gets enough stage time (save, perhaps, Soleta) to satisfy me.
The New Frontier series has drifted from being highly personal tales to being "merely" intricate plots, with motivations presented in a sketchy fashion so we can quickly move on to the next scene, the next ship / base / planet. Enjoyable, but not as much as earlier. And it turns that death I mentioned above into a simple dramatic trick, designed to impel some future actions and close out another story line.
While this book resolves the second half of the tale started with After the Fall, and sets up the potential for some future conflicts, it's not as much fun (or as interesting) as it feels like it should be. Still looking forward to the next.
Recommended for Peter David and New Frontier completists. Not a good hopping-on point. But still more enjoyment (for the long-time series reader) than a lot of books out there.
===================
Review from July 2007:
Peter David’s Star Trek: New Frontier series is a guilty pleasure of mine. It’s vaguely embarrassing to be caught reading Star Trek stuff, but David’s wit, his great ear for characters (many of the originally secondaries from TNG) and love of using the plot elements of the STU makes each new installment a joy.
The latest (and don’t ask me what number it is — #17, I think) of the series finds things in media res, its laundry list of characters scattered to the four winds (and multiple empires, not to mention dimensions), continuing plot lines from the previous After the Fall. Alas, this is not one of the better chapters in the long series.
Missing in Action (Star Trek: New Frontier) by Peter David (2006)
Overall 3/5
Story 3/5
Re-Readability 4/5
Characters 3/5
Story: David tends to write multi-volume arcs in his series — essential, given a cast that keeps growing. By coming right in on the unexpected conclusion of the previous book (don’t worry, no spoilers here), David runs the risk of confusing folks. And, honestly, that’s what happened to me. Who was this? Ah, I remember that happening, vaguely. But where was — oh, okay, I guess I recall that.
The story arc here — the creation of the New Thallonian Name-TBD and the intervention of some Mysterious Nasties in same — is not one of the better ones of the series, especially as it drags the characters in a multitude of different directions. Like most of David’s work, a lot of the best parts of the story come in-between the action sequences, with folks talking. Unfortunately, here the PoV shifts around so often, we lose a lot of those moments. In fact, a couple of key scenes are rushed through, mentioned in retrospect, and given an odd short shrift — including the death of a key, long-term character. It’s an strange, underplayed moment in a very busy book.
By the time the novel is over, the current loose ends are fairly cleaned up, with the setup of some elements for the next book. Which is fine, but in the course of doing so, this book feels way too much like we came in on the last act, and one that was a bit hurried, even at 400 pages.
Characters: This is where David’s strengths usually lie, with spot-on (yet witty) dialog for his various characters. But he’s managed to build something of a monster here, with all of the normal cast of dozens, and more – the crew of two starships (present and past), the crew of another ship, some alien leaders, a shapeshifter or two, various other major alien antagonists, etc. That means most of the characters are liable to be noteworthy just for a few quips and the like. Unfortunately, David spreads things even thinner, giving us very little to chew on with the vast majority of the characters. It’s still rollicking fun and action, but anyone who picked this bookup as their first volume would be completely lost as to who these people are, why they’re doing what they’re doing, or why others are reacting the way they are.
Re-Readability: It’s a fast read and tolerably entertaining. At such time as I do my beginning-to-end series reread I’ll include this volume — but I won’t go out of my way to pick it up just to read it on its own.
Overall: I think the above pretty much says it all. Missing in Action is too fast, too full, too middle-of-the-action to showcase David’s strengths with character, and the plot is, if not poor, not as inspired as many of his other arcs.
I was jazzed to see the book on the shelves. I was less jazzed by the time it was over. But … I’m looking forward to the next. ‘Nuff said.
Somebody dies in this one. Somebody major to the series. And, ironically (and intentionally), it happens completely offstage, making for a particularly gruesome reveal.
I offer that up in as non-spoilery a fashion as I can because it points out an ongoing difficulty or two of the series. It's become so complex and character-ridden that it's practically impossible to deal adequately with the secondary characters, while at the same time, the leads (including Mackenzie Calhoun himself) are forced to spend increasing time outside of the limelight. The fact is, I'm much more interested in some folks (Calhoun, Shelby, Burgoyne, Soleta, Cwan) than others (Mueller, Lefler, Xyon/Xyon/Moke, Kalinda) (and we'll leave the New, Improved Zak Kebron aside), but with the tale including so many folks onstage, plus incidental characters from the immediate plotlines themselves, nobody here gets enough stage time (save, perhaps, Soleta) to satisfy me.
The New Frontier series has drifted from being highly personal tales to being "merely" intricate plots, with motivations presented in a sketchy fashion so we can quickly move on to the next scene, the next ship / base / planet. Enjoyable, but not as much as earlier. And it turns that death I mentioned above into a simple dramatic trick, designed to impel some future actions and close out another story line.
While this book resolves the second half of the tale started with After the Fall, and sets up the potential for some future conflicts, it's not as much fun (or as interesting) as it feels like it should be. Still looking forward to the next.
Recommended for Peter David and New Frontier completists. Not a good hopping-on point. But still more enjoyment (for the long-time series reader) than a lot of books out there.
===================
Review from July 2007:
Peter David’s Star Trek: New Frontier series is a guilty pleasure of mine. It’s vaguely embarrassing to be caught reading Star Trek stuff, but David’s wit, his great ear for characters (many of the originally secondaries from TNG) and love of using the plot elements of the STU makes each new installment a joy.
The latest (and don’t ask me what number it is — #17, I think) of the series finds things in media res, its laundry list of characters scattered to the four winds (and multiple empires, not to mention dimensions), continuing plot lines from the previous After the Fall. Alas, this is not one of the better chapters in the long series.
Missing in Action (Star Trek: New Frontier) by Peter David (2006)
Overall 3/5
Story 3/5
Re-Readability 4/5
Characters 3/5
Story: David tends to write multi-volume arcs in his series — essential, given a cast that keeps growing. By coming right in on the unexpected conclusion of the previous book (don’t worry, no spoilers here), David runs the risk of confusing folks. And, honestly, that’s what happened to me. Who was this? Ah, I remember that happening, vaguely. But where was — oh, okay, I guess I recall that.
The story arc here — the creation of the New Thallonian Name-TBD and the intervention of some Mysterious Nasties in same — is not one of the better ones of the series, especially as it drags the characters in a multitude of different directions. Like most of David’s work, a lot of the best parts of the story come in-between the action sequences, with folks talking. Unfortunately, here the PoV shifts around so often, we lose a lot of those moments. In fact, a couple of key scenes are rushed through, mentioned in retrospect, and given an odd short shrift — including the death of a key, long-term character. It’s an strange, underplayed moment in a very busy book.
By the time the novel is over, the current loose ends are fairly cleaned up, with the setup of some elements for the next book. Which is fine, but in the course of doing so, this book feels way too much like we came in on the last act, and one that was a bit hurried, even at 400 pages.
Characters: This is where David’s strengths usually lie, with spot-on (yet witty) dialog for his various characters. But he’s managed to build something of a monster here, with all of the normal cast of dozens, and more – the crew of two starships (present and past), the crew of another ship, some alien leaders, a shapeshifter or two, various other major alien antagonists, etc. That means most of the characters are liable to be noteworthy just for a few quips and the like. Unfortunately, David spreads things even thinner, giving us very little to chew on with the vast majority of the characters. It’s still rollicking fun and action, but anyone who picked this bookup as their first volume would be completely lost as to who these people are, why they’re doing what they’re doing, or why others are reacting the way they are.
Re-Readability: It’s a fast read and tolerably entertaining. At such time as I do my beginning-to-end series reread I’ll include this volume — but I won’t go out of my way to pick it up just to read it on its own.
Overall: I think the above pretty much says it all. Missing in Action is too fast, too full, too middle-of-the-action to showcase David’s strengths with character, and the plot is, if not poor, not as inspired as many of his other arcs.
I was jazzed to see the book on the shelves. I was less jazzed by the time it was over. But … I’m looking forward to the next. ‘Nuff said.
April 2, 2024
Missing in Action is a story that kind of reminds me of The Return, which we're rapidly coming up on. The premise is that there's two giant alien races locked in a genocidal war with one another that Mac attempts to prevent the destruction of but who, ultimately, fails to do so (one eliminating the other before Q annihilates other) that actually does a pretty good homage to "Let this be our last Battlefield" without probably being directly a reference to it. It also might literally take place in a universe that exists in a jellyfish. Sort of like the galaxy that exists in a marble in Men in Black or the Discworld--we're completely off the rails now.
Yeah, this is a pretty wild storyline and I wouldn't say Peter David had run out of ideas at this point so much that he maybe had too many ideas? I dunno, because there's a lot going on in this story and it goes in even wilder directions than is typical. That isn't a bad thing necessarily but describing this particular book's plot and what goes on in it is harder than normal.
I mean, I haven't even gotten to the fact that Si Cwan dies ignobly in this book and his killer is promptly killed by Robin Lefler (actually, Kat Mueller but this reminds me of a scene where Wesley Crusher was supposed to wipe out a bunch of awful people with his Traveler powers but they were told that they couldn't do that despite it being absolutely what the character would have done in that situation).
The loss of Si Cwan continues the trend of the "Dark Period." It's not that I don't believe in killing off characters at the end of their story arc is something that has a place in a series like New Frontier, it's just its starting to come more rapid and grizzly too. Si Cwan finally achieves some measure of success with the Thallonian Protectorate and it ends in a civil war followed by his execution while his wife his pregnant with his son. Yeah.
To get back to the primary storyline, I also feel like the Dark Period is also made explicit by the failure of the "Star Trek Way." Mac goes to elaborate lengths to try to prevent the Bolgar and the Teuthis from destroying one another. This includes giving himself and their two leaders a fatal disease. It also ends, again, in our hero failing.
Which, again, is something that is okay in moderation but has the Bolgar wiped out by the Q in the end in something that seems wholly mean spirited. I guess because their leadership wanted the Teuthis dead (who are objectively evil colonialists consisting of a dozen or so people), they all deserved to die. The whole "genocide is the best solution" will start appearing in not only this book but subsequent books. Which...really, Peter?
I will give Soleta credit here, I absolutely loved how she turned the tables on her rebellious Romulan crew. Peter David's subversion of the idea of her winning over their loyalty and Lucius' speech about how the old Praetor had wanted her as his successor (when he was just buttering Soleta up) was all handled very cleverily.
Yeah, this is a pretty wild storyline and I wouldn't say Peter David had run out of ideas at this point so much that he maybe had too many ideas? I dunno, because there's a lot going on in this story and it goes in even wilder directions than is typical. That isn't a bad thing necessarily but describing this particular book's plot and what goes on in it is harder than normal.
I mean, I haven't even gotten to the fact that Si Cwan dies ignobly in this book and his killer is promptly killed by Robin Lefler (actually, Kat Mueller but this reminds me of a scene where Wesley Crusher was supposed to wipe out a bunch of awful people with his Traveler powers but they were told that they couldn't do that despite it being absolutely what the character would have done in that situation).
The loss of Si Cwan continues the trend of the "Dark Period." It's not that I don't believe in killing off characters at the end of their story arc is something that has a place in a series like New Frontier, it's just its starting to come more rapid and grizzly too. Si Cwan finally achieves some measure of success with the Thallonian Protectorate and it ends in a civil war followed by his execution while his wife his pregnant with his son. Yeah.
To get back to the primary storyline, I also feel like the Dark Period is also made explicit by the failure of the "Star Trek Way." Mac goes to elaborate lengths to try to prevent the Bolgar and the Teuthis from destroying one another. This includes giving himself and their two leaders a fatal disease. It also ends, again, in our hero failing.
Which, again, is something that is okay in moderation but has the Bolgar wiped out by the Q in the end in something that seems wholly mean spirited. I guess because their leadership wanted the Teuthis dead (who are objectively evil colonialists consisting of a dozen or so people), they all deserved to die. The whole "genocide is the best solution" will start appearing in not only this book but subsequent books. Which...really, Peter?
I will give Soleta credit here, I absolutely loved how she turned the tables on her rebellious Romulan crew. Peter David's subversion of the idea of her winning over their loyalty and Lucius' speech about how the old Praetor had wanted her as his successor (when he was just buttering Soleta up) was all handled very cleverily.
August 23, 2017
Peter David läuft in diesem ST-New Frontiers-Roman wieder zu großer Form auf; gespickt mit köstlichen Wortgefechten mit einem trockenen Humor, spannungsgeladene Action und nachdenklichen Phasen, in denen seine Protagonisten auf ihr vergangenes Leben zurückblicken, treibt er die Handlung in eine auswegslose Situation, aus der sie wieder mit ausgelügelten Aktionen wieder herauskommen;... köstlich !
Captain Calhoun wird mit der EXCALIBUR in einem Kampf mit einem riesigen Raumschiff verwickelt, der sie in ein anderes Universum schleudert, wo unsere Naturgesetze anders funktionieren.
Dieses Geschehen beobachtet seine abtrünnige ehemalige Wissenschaft-Offizierin Soleta an Bord ihres romulanischen Warbirds, die diese Nachricht in den Förderationsraum verbreitet. Dies sind nur 2 Handlungsschienen des Romans, die anderen sind die Admiralin und Calhouns Ehefrau Liz Shelby und deren ehemalige 1. Offizierin an Bord der TRIDENT Kat Müller, der andere Handlungsort ist das Thallonanische Imperium bei Si Cwan und Robin Lefler, die sich einer Rebellion gegenübersehen.
Alles viele Handlungsorte, die aber alle miteinander zusammenhängen, die sich am Schluß auch harmonisch auflösen. Wie gesagt, ein humorvoller Roman mit viel Action, leider stirbt in diesen Roman eine wichtige Figur, die von Anfang an bei der Serie dabei war.
Auch die Handlungszeit wurde hier offenbar, es ist nämlich die Zeit in der ST-Nemesis spielt, als der remanische Umsturz auf Romulus stattfand, das war auch der Grund, warum Soleta plötzlich isoliert vom romulanischen Imperium operieren musste.
Ich kann es kaum erwarten, den nächsten ST-New Frontiers-Roman in den Händen zu halten...
Captain Calhoun wird mit der EXCALIBUR in einem Kampf mit einem riesigen Raumschiff verwickelt, der sie in ein anderes Universum schleudert, wo unsere Naturgesetze anders funktionieren.
Dieses Geschehen beobachtet seine abtrünnige ehemalige Wissenschaft-Offizierin Soleta an Bord ihres romulanischen Warbirds, die diese Nachricht in den Förderationsraum verbreitet. Dies sind nur 2 Handlungsschienen des Romans, die anderen sind die Admiralin und Calhouns Ehefrau Liz Shelby und deren ehemalige 1. Offizierin an Bord der TRIDENT Kat Müller, der andere Handlungsort ist das Thallonanische Imperium bei Si Cwan und Robin Lefler, die sich einer Rebellion gegenübersehen.
Alles viele Handlungsorte, die aber alle miteinander zusammenhängen, die sich am Schluß auch harmonisch auflösen. Wie gesagt, ein humorvoller Roman mit viel Action, leider stirbt in diesen Roman eine wichtige Figur, die von Anfang an bei der Serie dabei war.
Auch die Handlungszeit wurde hier offenbar, es ist nämlich die Zeit in der ST-Nemesis spielt, als der remanische Umsturz auf Romulus stattfand, das war auch der Grund, warum Soleta plötzlich isoliert vom romulanischen Imperium operieren musste.
Ich kann es kaum erwarten, den nächsten ST-New Frontiers-Roman in den Händen zu halten...
October 30, 2020
I spoke too soon about the minimization of Soleta in the last book, as she has a bigger role to play here. However, her personal arc got dark as hell and I'm revising my opinion of her as a favorite character now unfortunately. Another annoying-but-amusing character also had their storyline get rather dark.
The plot itself picks up right after the events of After the Fall, and Peter David does a good job juggling all the different players as it all comes together at the end. No actual cliffhanger this time, but the political landscape is sufficiently changed that I have no idea what's in store next.
The plot itself picks up right after the events of After the Fall, and Peter David does a good job juggling all the different players as it all comes together at the end. No actual cliffhanger this time, but the political landscape is sufficiently changed that I have no idea what's in store next.
October 12, 2022
oh my gosh I knew Soleta was the best character in this series and I loved her and Lucius in this book. Appropriately GoT-style brutal and epic.
I was tiring of Si Cwan and his whole act so I was happy they've retired him and moved into a Robin-led (or Kalinda-led?) Thallonian Protectorate.
The rest of the book didn't hold my interest much, but I always enjoy these characters, and any post-Nemesis world is fascinating to me.
I was tiring of Si Cwan and his whole act so I was happy they've retired him and moved into a Robin-led (or Kalinda-led?) Thallonian Protectorate.
The rest of the book didn't hold my interest much, but I always enjoy these characters, and any post-Nemesis world is fascinating to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 8, 2023
A very good entry in the series finds Calhoun and the Excalibur thrown into another universe. In the meantime the Thallonian Protectorate is on the verge of civil war after interference from the super race the Wanderers. Part of their plan is kidnapping Cwan’s sister and putting an imposter in her place to put the final knife in the Protectorate. Help from a heretofore absent former Excalibur crew member turns the tide in the end. Definitely recommended.
October 11, 2024
A lot happening in this one. Following on the previous book, Calhoun and crew have been sent to another dimension. War is imminent in the New Thallonian Protectorate. The events in the movie Star Trek Nemesis affect Soleta's standing in the Romulan Empire. Also, the Trident crew are doing stuff.
This feels like there's only a loose grip on the status quo, so I felt a bit of excitement at not knowing what was going to happen.
This feels like there's only a loose grip on the status quo, so I felt a bit of excitement at not knowing what was going to happen.
August 11, 2025
Great story with interesting twists!
This is a review of both books. 1&2: It was fascinating. The final ending was sad to an extent, with one of the main characters being exterminated. The 2nd book did keep you on the edge of your seat with so much action. The Q twist in the finally was unexpected and sort of brought justice. Very well written!
This is a review of both books. 1&2: It was fascinating. The final ending was sad to an extent, with one of the main characters being exterminated. The 2nd book did keep you on the edge of your seat with so much action. The Q twist in the finally was unexpected and sort of brought justice. Very well written!
October 14, 2022
Picks up right after the last one and revisits some old friends in other dimensions, while also making new ones.
4/5 So, uh...you really just woke up one morning and decided you were gonna break my heart, huh, Mr. David?
4/5 So, uh...you really just woke up one morning and decided you were gonna break my heart, huh, Mr. David?
April 11, 2019
Overall, it was pretty good with strong characterizations. There seemed to be too many stories going on at one time though.
April 18, 2020
Read this without knowing that it was#16 in a series.it was VERY GOOD!!
March 25, 2023
I really like how Soleta developed.
November 13, 2013
Star Trek: The New Frontier: Missing in Action by Peter David is the 16th novel of the New Frontier series proper and the 23rd chapter of what I like to call Star Trek: The Prime Time Soap. This book picks up right where the previous book, STTNF: After the Fall left off: the USS Excalibur seemingly destroyed at the hands of a mysterious race known only as the Wanderers, the former Lt Soleta of Starfleet now Cmdr Soleta of the Romulan Star Empire being placed in charge of her own ship the Spectre, the possibly permanent fracturing of the New Thallonian Protectorate thanks in part to the efforts of an impostor disguised as the Lady Kallinda , sister of Prime Minister Si Cwan--who was placed by a race called the Priatians who believe themselves descendants of the Wanderers for this purpose--and the possible dissolution of the marriage of Cwan and Lt Cmdr Robin Lefler. It should be noted that events in this novel also follow closely on the heels of the movie Star Trek: Nemesis.
The Excalibur has not been destroyed but shunted into a weird dimension with some funky laws of physics and the fueding races the Teuthis and the Bolgar. Capt Mackenzie Calhoun spends most of the novel getting back to normal space and dealing with the emotional problems of his adopted son Moke and the revelation that his biological son Xyon is still alive. It is also revevealed that the Teuthis is the proper name of the Wanderers.
After the events of Nemesis, the Romulan Star Empire lies in shambles and an uneasy truce with the Federation has been forged. Soleta and the crew of the Spectre run afoul of one faction vying for control, and ultimately have to seek aid for repairs from Capt Kat Mueller and the USS Trident. This eventually leads to trouble in paradise on the Trident as certain members of the crew feel that Soleta is a traitor and should have been arrested instead of helped. Meanwhile Soleta herself has her own troubles as the issues created by the fracturing of the Empire lead to a mutiny among her crew.
Over at the New Thallonian Protectorate things have gone straight to hell. Fhermus of the House of Fhermus quickly gains the upper hand in the civil war between himself and Si Cwan, in part due to the actions of the impostor of Lady Kallinda. Lt Cmdr Robin Lefler slowly becomes suspicious of Kallinda but fails to convince Cwan of the situation. Eventually, Cwan has Robin exiled to Federation space "for her protection," but Robin takes it as the possible final nail in the coffin of their marriage. Shortly afterwards, Cwan loses the civil war and is taken prisoner.
At Space Station Bravo, Adm Elizabeth Shelby, Capt Mueller and Lt Cmdr Lefler engage in some soul searching and decide to ignore standing orders and run back to Sector 221-G aka Thallonian space on a three pronged mission: To determine the true fate of the Excalibur and to rescue Si Cwan and Kallinda. They arrive just before the Excalibur's return to normal space but in the ensuing conflicts with Fhermus and the Priatians not everyone survives...
Peter David has written a bit of a game changer in both Missing in Action and After the Fall--which are really one bigger novel split in two. By a judicious and unexpected application of the philosophy of "Kill Your Darlings" he sets up New Frontier with new tensions new characters and new possible story directions. Was there still life in the the old setting for this series? Yes, but the frequency of publication of late for New Frontier argues a need for a rejuvenation, a new jumping on point. Did David go to far? Too early to tell yet, but I am eager for what comes next.
Next up a short story set in the mirror universe published in the anthology Obsidian Alliances.
The Excalibur has not been destroyed but shunted into a weird dimension with some funky laws of physics and the fueding races the Teuthis and the Bolgar. Capt Mackenzie Calhoun spends most of the novel getting back to normal space and dealing with the emotional problems of his adopted son Moke and the revelation that his biological son Xyon is still alive. It is also revevealed that the Teuthis is the proper name of the Wanderers.
After the events of Nemesis, the Romulan Star Empire lies in shambles and an uneasy truce with the Federation has been forged. Soleta and the crew of the Spectre run afoul of one faction vying for control, and ultimately have to seek aid for repairs from Capt Kat Mueller and the USS Trident. This eventually leads to trouble in paradise on the Trident as certain members of the crew feel that Soleta is a traitor and should have been arrested instead of helped. Meanwhile Soleta herself has her own troubles as the issues created by the fracturing of the Empire lead to a mutiny among her crew.
Over at the New Thallonian Protectorate things have gone straight to hell. Fhermus of the House of Fhermus quickly gains the upper hand in the civil war between himself and Si Cwan, in part due to the actions of the impostor of Lady Kallinda. Lt Cmdr Robin Lefler slowly becomes suspicious of Kallinda but fails to convince Cwan of the situation. Eventually, Cwan has Robin exiled to Federation space "for her protection," but Robin takes it as the possible final nail in the coffin of their marriage. Shortly afterwards, Cwan loses the civil war and is taken prisoner.
At Space Station Bravo, Adm Elizabeth Shelby, Capt Mueller and Lt Cmdr Lefler engage in some soul searching and decide to ignore standing orders and run back to Sector 221-G aka Thallonian space on a three pronged mission: To determine the true fate of the Excalibur and to rescue Si Cwan and Kallinda. They arrive just before the Excalibur's return to normal space but in the ensuing conflicts with Fhermus and the Priatians not everyone survives...
Peter David has written a bit of a game changer in both Missing in Action and After the Fall--which are really one bigger novel split in two. By a judicious and unexpected application of the philosophy of "Kill Your Darlings" he sets up New Frontier with new tensions new characters and new possible story directions. Was there still life in the the old setting for this series? Yes, but the frequency of publication of late for New Frontier argues a need for a rejuvenation, a new jumping on point. Did David go to far? Too early to tell yet, but I am eager for what comes next.
Next up a short story set in the mirror universe published in the anthology Obsidian Alliances.
April 8, 2010
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!
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!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2012
The events of After the Fall left the Excalibur stranded in some kind of universal pocket, similar to fluidic space. And they have no idea how to get home.
Soleta tries to return to Romulus but the Praetor is dead (after the events of Nemesis) and her ship is attacked, causing her and the crew to go on the run with no idea what to do or where to turn.
New Thallon is embroiled in a civil war with Si Cwan on one side and Fhermus on the other. Cwan begins to suspect Kallinda and sends Robin Lefler away so she isn't hurt.
Shelby's not sure how to deal with Mac's disappearance and the fact that Sector 221-G is off limits isn't helping her or Captain Mueller of the Trident find out where he went or how to get him back.
I don't think I like the plot line as much as I liked the previous book but it's not horrible.
Soleta tries to return to Romulus but the Praetor is dead (after the events of Nemesis) and her ship is attacked, causing her and the crew to go on the run with no idea what to do or where to turn.
New Thallon is embroiled in a civil war with Si Cwan on one side and Fhermus on the other. Cwan begins to suspect Kallinda and sends Robin Lefler away so she isn't hurt.
Shelby's not sure how to deal with Mac's disappearance and the fact that Sector 221-G is off limits isn't helping her or Captain Mueller of the Trident find out where he went or how to get him back.
I don't think I like the plot line as much as I liked the previous book but it's not horrible.
June 1, 2020
Another good installment in the series, although probably not the best book to start with; you really need to read After the Fall first.
There's quite a large cast in this book (including three ships), but PAD does a good job of balancing all the characters. There are various plot twists, including some that still surprised me when I re-read the book after a year. More importantly, the ones I remembered still make sense when you know about them in advance, i.e. the author has played fair by making the plot fit together.
There's quite a large cast in this book (including three ships), but PAD does a good job of balancing all the characters. There are various plot twists, including some that still surprised me when I re-read the book after a year. More importantly, the ones I remembered still make sense when you know about them in advance, i.e. the author has played fair by making the plot fit together.
June 11, 2020
I am a huge Star Trek fan, & I don't care who thinks I'm a geek, including my fiance. The Star Trek novels, are in many ways better than the TV series & movies. Many decent authors of sci-fi have written countless Star Trek books. Peter David is the best. It would be amazing if Paramount aired a tv series based on the New Frontier book series. The most fascinating characters, intensely gripping story lines, the way he incorporates characters from ST:TNG into the books. McKenzie Calhoun should take his place alongside Kirk, Picard, Janeway, Sisko, & Archer. Any and all Star Trek fans should read this book series.
June 22, 2017
Continuing the events in "After The Fall" this one is no disappointment. The characters' lives intersect in fascinating ways and the action continues. One thing the author does a lot in the latter books of this series is makes the exposition happen between installments and between the pages, which serves to keep the action going and makes readers desperate for the new information which is scattered throughout. Very well done.
July 28, 2011
Well, that's it for Star Trek: New Frontier. I just finished reading this, the last one in the series, and like all of the others, an excellent book. I see on Peter David's web site that he has written another one, which won't be published until next year. Oh well, at least "Missing in Action" didn't end with a cliffhanger like many of the other New Frontier novels!
September 27, 2009
Well, imagine that - 2 races at war with Calhoun in the middle. Sensing somethin' of a theme here. The Romulan stuff was first class, though, and I must say the whole thing with Cwan was fairly gripping. The Q angle got on my nerves, though.
March 17, 2011
I wish Peter David would write more of Star Trek New Frontier books. Captain Mackenzie Calhoun and his crew find themselves in another universe. Meanwhile the New Thallonia Proteactorate is trying avoid a war. Will Captian Calhoun reach the planet in time??
June 11, 2014
An easy four. David ups the ante. It's a sequel to 'After the Fall' with a half dozen plots whizzing high and a saga of epic proportions. I really enjoyed this. Some great character humour, mystery and surprise. Four point nine.
November 2, 2016
Being a Star Trek nut, I liked the book. It probably wasn't my favorite book, but it was full of interesting plot twists and the good guys win, which is always the reason I keep reading. I really like the characters and I'll keep reading this sequence of Star Trek adventures.
January 13, 2011
On my brand new Kindle 3rd Generation!
April 17, 2013
A good continuation of the lack-luster previous book, with some great Soleta bits and a pretty shocking ending.
May 7, 2014
An enjoyable romp. Very stress free reading.
September 20, 2016
slow start.
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