Behind Enemy Lines: The Dominion War, Book 1 (Star Trek: The Next Generation) (Paperback)

~ John Vornholt (Author) "RO LAREN LOOKED UP at the yellowing clouds, which rested uneasily upon the jagged teeth of the olive-hued mountains in the distance..." (more)
Key Phrases: mining probe, antimatter tanker, artificial wormhole, Orb of Peace, Captain Picard, Eye of Talek (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

From the Gamma quadrant they came -- hordes of fierce Jem'Hadar warriors commanded by the mysterious Changelings, who will stop at nothing to achieve victory over both the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon™ Empire. Now that the Dominion has entered into an unholy alliance with the Cardassian military regime and seized control of Deep Space Nine™, Starfleet finds itself fighting a losing war against unbeatable odds. As mighty fleets clash in the deadly battleground of space, the fate of the entire Alpha Quadrant hangs in the balance.

The Enterprise-E is patrolling the Cardassian border, bracing for the joint Dominion-Cardassian offensive that Starfleet knows will come soon, when Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew are reunited with a former crewmate, friend, and enemy: Ro Laren. The onetime officer, who defected from Starfleet to join the rebel Maquis, brings disturbing news. Deep behind enemy lines, the Dominion is attempting to build an artificial wormhole that will allow them to bypass the mined Bajoran wormhole and bring fresh reinforcements into the Alpha Quadrant, altering the balance of power irrevocably. If Captain Picard cannot stop the project, the new wormhole will guarantee the ultimate victory of the Dominion!

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Star Trek; First Thus edition (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 067102499X
• ISBN-13: 978-0671024994
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #417,599 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Decent but not exactly what I wanted, March 13, 2001

By	David W. Richards (Plymouth, Mi United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I read this book mainly to see the Enterprise crew get involved in the grand Dominion War plot line from Deep Space 9 (My favorite Trek show). I was hoping for large scale starship combat and front line hand-to-hand duels, and phaser battles with Jem Hadar. I got very little of that. True there were some nice action scenes of what I wanted, but they were very brief and did not come that often. I wanted to see the Enterprise in combat, which it is in the beginning but it spend the latter half of the book at a starbase getting repairs. Also there is some action with Data, but come the latter half of the book he to is left to sit on the side lines The scenes the author chooses to concentrate on are interesting at times, but they also tend to drag. The espionage mission with Ro, Picard, and Geordi could have been speeded up a bit. The scenes focusing on the minor characters are probably the weakest and unfourtunately they are the majority of the book. The author really doesn't make us care enough about the crew of prisoners assinged to the anti-matter tanker. I think they were not strong enough characters to be focused on that much. So there is enough action in Behind Enemy Lines to keep me interested in the rest of the books in The Dominion War series. but I hope they are better than the first book in the series.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Picard and Ro reunited? It worked for me., December 24, 2003

By	The Professor (Canada) - See all my reviews

First, books 1 and 3 should really be part 1 of the Dominion War, and books 2 and 4, part 2 (or vice-versa) since there is no overlap between the two whatsoever. I agree that it was a little questionable of Picard to let Ro off so easily and 'welcome' her back, but it is understandable given the context of the Dominion War and the Federation losing thus far. Crusher and Troi are virtually ignored. Riker is his typical self, macking on a woman. Data kicks ass alone, though I wish more of his inner thoughts were explored. Geordi is good, but Ro and Picard and Sam Lavelle steal the show. Grof's character is well written and evokes an emotional response. Picard is his usual brilliant self and Ro evokes the same strong character as on the series. The cover of the books (all four) are rather misleading (esp. the 4th), but I don't agree that books 1 and 3 are lacking when viewed in the context of the Dominion War. Books 2 and 4 are where the gusto is, where we see some of the Federation Fleet attack some of the Dominion fleet. Books 1 and 3 are the small scale level of undercover ops about what has to be done to save the quadrant. Both series (1&3, 2&4) are essential turning points in the War, and I'm very glad to see that Picard was his usual brilliant self saving the entire Quadrant... yet again. If either Sisko or Picard had failed, while the other succeeded, it would all be for nought, which makes this 4 part series somewhat intertwined. Personally I prefered books 1&3 to 2&4 since 2&4 were for the most part taken straight from the TV show. My only complaint, why does the Enterprise drop shields to fire her quantum torpedoes? Answer: she doesn't, or at least she shouldn't!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars In For A Penny..., August 3, 2003

By	B. Everett "branicxerosea" (Pacifc Northwest) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As one of the first novels by John Vornholt, I really enjoyed the start of this adventure. This is the first review I will write after completing this book, but will come back and revise it after I have completed the series.

I was overjoyed to see the return of some of my favorite minor characters. The return of Sam Lavelle and Taurik from the Next Generation Episode "Lower Decks" as prisoners of war fighting for their lives and their freedom. We also see Ro Laren return to the Federation to continue on with the good fight.

The development of Data and Riker in this novel showed unexpected twists and turns. The loneliness of duty and the personal losses people suffer during tragic times played a wonderful but somber reprieve from the action filled development of Picard and Ro.

Going back after the completion of the Next Generation movies, the finale of Deep Space Nine, and the re-launch of the Deep Space Nine novels, I question where the development of characters should be. The expansion of the Ro character in this story arc has been well done but I reserve how well the transition from the end of this arc to the beginning of Avatar by S.D. Perry. To read my final say on the matter, jump over to the review of the final novel in this arc.