Customer Reviews

Dark Allies (Star Trek New Frontier, No 8)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Book 8 in the series begins shortly after 'The Quiet Place' left off. In this novel, we see the return of all our favorite Excalibur characters and plot lines that had been started early in the series.

Again, I commend Peter David for writing a fascinating Star Trek novel, this time packed with science, action, humor, and above all more character development. The science aspect was ingenious, something that you can only expect in the Trek universe.

We learn much more about the inner-workings of Calhoun, Selar, McHenry, Kalinda, Xyon, and especially Si-Cwan. Si-Cwan is written expertly and many of his internal/emotional dealings are very common for us 'humans'. There is also the constant fun-barbing between Si-Cwan and Kebron a futuristic odd-couple.

There were a few surprises (don't wanna give 'em away).....always fun. And the cliffhanger demands the new novel arrive shortly. Overall, this installment was much more fast paced than the last, and the result was a 'fun' Trek novel.

Great book...great series...but please don't let this be the end of Mackenzie Calhoun and the Excalibur crew...Just when the characters were well rounded and interesting, I would hate to see this series end. Hopefully, this is a cliffhanger to beat all cliffhangers. Grozit!

Now this more along the lines of what the New Frontiers books should be about--an interesting dilemma and some great character interaction. After the step in the difference direction with the Quiet Place, David makes Dark Allies one of the fastest paced but most densely plotted New Frontier books yet.

The Redeemers have their backs to the wall and are forced to ask Calhoune and company to help them fend off a force of creatures that are going to destroy their homeworld. However, as in the NF universe, nothing is ever what it seems. The Redeemers are going to make darn sure that Calhoune will help. Double crosses and triple crosses abound in a book that unfolds at great pace and has a nicely done resolution.

But what unfolds onboard the Excaliber is even more interesting. The characters we've come to know and love are gloriously alive and jump off the page. Everything in the first seven (well, nine actually) books is a set-up for a great payoff here..and you get the feeling it will only get better with each passing book.

The only bad part...David ends on one hell of a cliffhanger. It makes me want the next book NOW and not next year when it does come out.

A must read.

A totally fun, exciting and hilarious read. An all-out riot. Great characters and action, as well as plenty of inside jokes, like Burgoyne fighting the 'Purple People Eater'. I'd have to say that Peter David has done a great job with the New Frontier series. They are honestly some of the best Trek books I've read in a long time.

When I saw the first novel of the "New Frontier" series, I didn't really know what it was all about. "What? No Picard or Kirk? Can't be!" I thought. Nevertheless I bought the book (it was, as far as I remember, "House of Cards") and found it much better than the usual Picard or Kirk stuff. After that I got all other NF-novels. Now I am so far to admit that Peter David is doing great work with the series. "Dark Allies" is no exception. It is Star Trek at its best, and it goes further than most normal Star Trek fiction. Star Wars and B5 fans who ignore Star Trek because of some stupid principles should really read this book. The only negative point about it(and other NF-books) is the cliffhanger at the end...

I think what I like about these books are that they allow Mr. David to do things that neither the writers of traditional Trek novels, or the TV series cannot do. Characters come and go with ease. On the TV series, you add a character, and you now have to hire another regular actor. In the New Frontier, David creates groups of characters that would never work in other formats. In many ways, these books feel much like the comic book teams that Mr. David has written. Before long, we may see the bridge crew engaged in BlackAdder riffs. Better action, and it's clear that David enjoys putting his characters through the wringer. These should be enjoyable reads as this unique voice continues to add to the familiar turf that is Trek.

I have to admit I haven't been reading any Star Trek novels. On the whole I find them pretty much the same, predictable, story. But David has turned me around with his New Frontier series. I enjoyed the book's wit as well as the action. The interplay between characters was a treat, a real sense of cameraderie you don't see that much of in Trek anymore. I would've given in 5 stars, but the ending! Argh! Write quickly Mr. David.

At the end of Star Trek New Frontier #7 "The Quiet Place" the Overlord of the Redeemers learns that the Black Mass is headed towards Tulane IV, the home world of the Redeemers. He quickly surmises that the only prospect he has of stopping the destruction of his home world is to enlist the aid of Captain Calhoun and the USS Excalibur, hence the title "Dark Allies," considering the previously established animosity between them.

In "Dark Allies," we are treated to another finely crafted furtherance of the New Frontier series and the goings on aboard the USS Excalibur. As I've stated in previous reviews of these novels, one of the things I like about how Peter David sets the story up is how he starts them off with, more or less, a historical chapter. "Dark Allies" is no different in this aspect... "Twenty years earlier" - Dark Allies begins on Rolisa, a small out of the way planet which is subjugated by the Thallonian Empire. We are introduced to the Black Mass that had been eluded to somewhere in one of the first four books, and brought to the forefront at the end of "The Quiet Place". The Black Mass is in the process of destroying Rolisa and aboard a Thallonian war vessel, a young Si Cwan is with his uncle, Sedi Cwan who is in command of the fleet. Sedi Cwan and the Thallonian fleet quickly discover that they can't even get the attention of the Black Mass and watch in horror as it devours an entire solar system. Imagine the impression this put on a young Si Cwan.

"Now" - The continuing saga of the USS Excalibur unfolds. The plotline of Ensign Lefler's desire for Si Cwan; the continued pregnancy of Dr. Selar; the interaction between Captain Calhoun and Commander Shelby; a very good scene with Commander Katerina Mueller, a great character from "Once Burned," carried over to the Excalibur; Ensign Janos gets a really good and funny scene; the story line between Xyon, Captain Calhoun's son and Kalinda is really well written, and finally Si Cwan gets some very good lines in this one.

One of the great things about the New Frontier series and Peter David's excellent writing is the fact that he's allowed a lot of freedom with this series. In reading these great books, you will encounter character interactions that are simply not possible with other stand alone Star Trek novels. Peter David also does a good job of writing humor into these books, even in situations where you wouldn't think there should be humor, you find yourself laughing through and saying, "that was a good scene." One final note, the cover art for "Dark Allies" and its predecessor, "The Quiet Place" is outstanding. Thank you once again to Peter David for another great read.

New Frontier fans are in for something better this time around on the New Frontier novels. "Quiet Place" was a bit weak in places, but the follow-up, "Dark Allies," is much more on par with Peter David's earlier works.

The Redeemers, the greatest enemy that the Excalibur crew have faced so far, come to Calhoun with a request to save their people. Caught in the impossible decision, "Dark Allies" plays quite a bit on the notion of a moral decision, and brings us a space-born entity that reminds us of the Amoeba and the Crystalline Entity.

The real joy of this book, however, is a return to the characters of the Excalibur. Everyone gets a little time - it's more of a troupe novel than one that focuses on any one character, and it is quite a good read on that front. There is something a bit overdone in the romantic entangles of this book, and one hopes that they'll start to unravel soon, before the good ship Excalibur starts to come off like a soap opera. Exploring Si Cwan's sister and Captain Calhoun's son was also some well-written prose and character.

What does frustrate is yet another cliffhanger ending, likely the biggest one yet, which will drive you nuts. Those few minor quibbles aside, this book itself was definately worth the read.

Star Trek - New Frontier... Dark Allies... Interesting and catchy title. Well, kinda, that is, if you haven't been paying attention to the seven previous books... But anyway, this book presents a not-so-new frontier to those devoted Trek fans familiar with TNG(The Next Generation...) The story line, character involvement and the element to the forced cooperation of the Excalibur's crew in this situation present new and interesting twists on an old TNG enemy. Does not the Black Mass seem an awful lot like the Crystalline entity? Consuming entire worlds, a creature of mystery, capable of warp travel... Granted, the Crystalline entity was somewhat less invulnerable... But they did kill it off in a similar fashion, if you recall the episode... I'm not putting off the book as a whole, David does some great things here... but, please, dig deeper for a less-common enemy in the Trek universe.... If one were to look back through the history of episodes and the number of enemies encountered capable of destroying worlds, one would find a number of parallels. 'Tis true, there are few villains more daunting than a single creature capable of destroying an entire world, and few things more real to the human race, i.e. nuclear weapons. In Conclusion, David did a good job, better than I could for the most part... But the villain leaves something to be desired.