The Two-Front War

Star Trek: New Frontier #3

by Peter David

Roll Call: The Crew of the USS Excalibur

Dr. Selar: The Excalibur's Vulcan doctor is all business. If you want to know what's wrong with you, she's the one to go to, but not if you're expecting someone to hold your hand. As calm and logical as the rest of her people, Dr. Selar has a secret as shocking to her as it will be to the rest of the crew.

Si Cwan: A prince exiled from the Thallonian empire, he is beloved by some and targeted for death by others. But Si Cwan has his own agenda: a search for the one woman who means the world to him.

Zak Kebron: The bronze-skinned Brikar is the security chief of the Excalibur. When he walks, the decks shake, and if he's coming your way, you'd better pray that you're on his good side.

Two mysteries vie for the attention of the crew of the Excalibur: Is the hospitality of the people of Nelkar too good to be true? And does a stranded spaceship truly hold the object of Si Cwan's quest... or is it instead an all-too-deadly trap?

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Fiction, Media Tie In, Ebooks, Science Fiction Fantasy, Novella

152 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 1997

About the author

aka 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.

Reviews

[Alejandro · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the hands full of threats!


ALONE AGAINST THE WHOLE SECTOR

Captain Mackenzie Calhoun, in command of the USS Excalibur, isn't your usual type of Starfleet captain, he isn't Terran, he is from the planet Xenex, where he was known as, M'k'n'zy of Calhoun there, and he liberated his whole homeworld from alien oppression, before he'd become adult...

...Captain Picard sees something in him, obviously he was an impressive person, being a planetary hero, but beyond his freedom fighter skills, Picard knew that M'k'n'zy would waste his real potential if he'd remain on Xenex, so Picard supported his admission into the Starfleet Academy, where he changed his name into Mackenzie Calhoun to fit better there...

...and while his early phase of his Starfleet career wasn't a regular one neither...

...he was getting a second chance taking command of the USS Excalibur.

The political turmoil of Space Sector 221-G isn't something for the usual Starfleet captain, so it's good that Mackenzie isn't one...

...he is facing two threats at once...

...the USS Excalibur rescued a group of aliens without any world and now he needs to decide if an opportunity for them is really what it seems like...

...and also an emergency call seems to be what Ambassador Si Cwan was hoping for...

...the chance of meeting again with his lost sister, Kalinda.

However, in the perilous Space Sector 221-g (formerly Thallonian Empire), rarely things are what it seems at first sight.

A new frontier, new crew, new threats!!!

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very solid. I love how Peter David isn't afraid to really shake things up here with some very surprising developments that I didn't see coming.

[Lexxi Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

A better more coherent entry in this series - a more complete novel, though it is still obvious that David wrote a 1000 page book and then broke it down into four parts (what with the 'set up' in first book, the second that didn't have much occur but for flying towards then initial events in the 'space in conflict', and then this one here, more complete story but still ended abruptly on a cliffhanger; plus the individual books appear one month apart way back in 1997).

There's a good chance that, if the fourth book holds up well (whenever I get around to reading it), the entire four part book might end up being rated higher than the individual parts (as these breaks and cliffhangers really are hard to overcome - I've been taking breaks (reading other things) between 'parts/books' because, hey, there are breaks between the parts).

um. Wow, boring review. But what can I say? The spaceship is interrupted in it's rescue mission by being fired upon by another spaceship. Excalibur gets them to stop firing on them long enough to have a conversation. Meanwhile the royal dude who stowed away on Excalibur heads off in a shuttlecraft with a mountain of a man to 'save his sister'. Events and ships might not be what they seem.

Then . . . CLIFFHANGER! End.

Rating: 4.22

May 18 2017

[Jdetrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series continues as it began...entertaining, but not knocking me out. I generally like the characters assembled, although I'm finding it hard to warm to Cap. Calhoun. The plotting is fine, but the continuing serial aspect of the series may cause me to drop it soon.

[Jason Pettus · Rating 5 out of 5]

[One of my long-term reading projects is the 134 titles in Simon & Schuster’s “Star Trek Relaunch” series that ran from 2001 to 2021, in which the publishing company was given permission from Paramount to create a persistent “canon” universe for the books, where events have permanent repercussions and characters die for good without ever coming back. I’m reading them in the order they were originally released; here’s a Google Doc of the entire run, including links to all the reviews I’ve so far written.]

2026 reads, #23-27. We’ve reached the point of the Star Trek “Relaunch” history where the book-only series “New Frontier” is finally getting enfolded into this persistent storyline (which, to be specific, happened in September 2003 with book #13, Gods Above); but since I wasn’t familiar yet with this particular series, its characters, or its milieu, I thought I’d start by reading the very first book in the series, which is a little tricky because it was actually first released not as one big 600-page book (which is how it’s now sold) but rather as four 150-page novellas over the course of summer 1997, almost exactly one year after Stephen King briefly made this serial publishing format popular again with the six-part original release of The Green Mile. That’s why you’re seeing me do multiple posts of this review not only at that compilation’s book page, but at the book pages of all four original novellas as well.

“New Frontier” represents a fascinating moment in the history of Trek supplemental media, in that it’s a sneak preview of what the larger “Relaunch” series would become as well; originally envisioned about halfway through the run of television’s Deep Space Nine, the first show in Trek’s history to be written in a serial style instead of as interchangeable standalone episodes, it originally came about because of a frustration we’ve talked about here several times, of how unsatisfying it is amongst not only certain audience members but also certain writers that supplemental “non-canon” books like these essentially aren’t allowed to change the Star Trek universe whatsoever, meaning that the universe they’re set in is frozen in amber and the only adventures authors are allowed to add to it are ones that supposedly happened one week when the TV cameras weren’t around, or in other words are treated as supplemental episodes to the original series in which the status quo of the TV version is perfect and intact both before the story begins and after it ends.

The pre-“Relaunch” staff at Simon & Schuster, especially franchise head John J. Ordover, were feeling hemmed in by this back in the ‘90s when DS9 showed a fascinating new way to tell Trek stories; so they asked Paramount for, and received, permission to create a brand-new Trek series that exists only as books, the very first Trek series in history to not start life as a TV show, which ended up lasting a total of 23 books that were unusually all written by a single author, the late Peter David (who was actually better known in the comics world, and was also a staff writer on the similar serialized sci-fi show Babylon 5). The two set up a really interesting milieu for the series to take place -- it’s set in a sector of the Milky Way Galaxy that for centuries was ruled by an all-powerful empire, one that has recently fallen apart because of a violent revolution by one of their former colony worlds, and Starfleet has decided to add a permanent presence in the sector because of the chaos and anarchy that has erupted in the face of the massive power vacuum, guaranteeing an unending amount of opportunities for crazy action-packed stories.

Even more smartly, the captain of the USS Excalibur that Starfleet assigns to the sector is none other than the man who first fomented and then led the rebellion in his early twenties, a Xenexian whose “Earthified” name (long story) is Mackenzie Calhoun, who became disillusioned after the rebellion as he saw his countrymen become the exact corrupt elite they had been fighting against, and who joined Starfleet in order to regain a sense of purpose in life again. At the start of the series, he’s actually been out of commission for a while, with it being heavily hinted that he’s actually been working “off the books” for the controversial CIA dirty-tricks wing of Starfleet first invented by the writers of DS9 (expressly against the wishes of franchise creator Gene Roddenberry), the nefarious Section 31; needless to say, neither his compatriots nor the shattered ex-empire of their former oppressors are happy to see him put in charge of Starfleet’s first-ever permanent presence in the region, which opens up a tremendous amount of opportunities for story conflict (of which we see plenty in just this first book).

David and Ordover then fill out the rest of the cast with an intriguing series of brand-new races -- there are the Brikar, for example, a sort of humanoid version of thick-skinned, hulking rhinos or elephants, and there are also the Hermat, which in trendy ‘90s fashion is an entire race of gender-fluid individuals, impressively progressive in a pre-Woke age even if David gets a few of the details wrong. (Instead of using the special pronoun “ze” that most non-binary people now do, for example, David uses the pronoun “s/he,” pronounced out loud as “suh-he,” which seems kind of silly if the whole point is to avoid saying the word “he;” he also makes the race name uncomfortably similar to the outdated medical term “hermaphrodite,” and he unfortunately also makes the race’s main defining trait as being horny all the time and wanting to have sex with everyone they meet, a bad stereotype about trans people back in these ‘90s years.)

On the other hand, one thing Paramount insisted on was that the series incorporate a number of existing Trek characters, because they were convinced that audiences wouldn’t want to read a bunch of Trek novels featuring characters they’ve never heard of (they were ultimately wrong -- the original run of these books were in fact hugely popular); so that’s how it is that the Excalibur’s first officer is none other than Elizabeth Shelby from the infamous Next Generation Borg episodes, and their chief operations officer is Next Generation minor character Roblin Lefler (most famous now for being played in the TV show by a pre-famous teenaged Ashley Judd), among other familiar faces.

Ultimately none of this is much different than the other Star Trek novels -- the DS9 “Relaunch” books, for example, feature half a dozen new characters themselves -- but there’s something about it all being brand-new that simply hits differently here, or at least it did with me. Like its original ‘90s fans, I found something really exciting about this being a brand-new milieu that could go in literally any direction, without being saddled by seven years of “Data would never act that way” or “Worf only owns a bat’leth, not a d’k tahg too” narrative baggage. Befitting the genre veteran he is, David does an excellent job with it all, turning in an introductory volume here that both has a lot of expository moving parts and is also a fast-paced and exciting adventure, and by the end of the 600 pages these people were as real and concrete in my head as any Trek character seen on television, extra impressive because of there being no visual element to the story in this case.

In fact, I liked this debut so much, I’ve made a major new decision about this “Relaunch” reading project I’m in the middle of, and have decided to just burn through the other eight “New Frontier” novels that exist between this first one and book #13’s Gods Above. After all, the whole point of this project is merely to be entertained by Trek stories again, in a period of history where no more Roddenberry-era shows are being made, and where the newest round of Trek shows (the Woke-heavy “NuTrek” era) leave me cold and disappointed; so if I’m being entertained by the “New Frontier” books (and to be clear, I was highly entertained by this debut), I think the world can handle me taking a detour for a while into the rest of this series’ titles, before they finally catch up with the main “Relaunch” storyline I’m currently now 21 books into. (Just 113 more to go!) So, for the rest of this year you’re going to see me outputting lots of “New Frontier” titles, which I will try to get to in a more timely basis; coming next month, for example, will be 1998’s Martyr, the crew’s first “regular” adventure after this extra-long title setting everything up. I hope you’ll have a chance to join me here again then.

[Octavia Cade · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not quite as awful as the previous volume, Into the Void, but still not very good either. The thing that's making it marginally more tolerable is that there's a lot less focus on Calhoun, who remains remarkably eyeroll-worthy. There's one point where he even refers to himself as "childish" and I thought, "Yep, that's you" - except it isn't really, and that's when I realised the bottom of the many, many reasons I don't like him. He's not childish. He is, however, a childish perception of what a Starfleet captain should be. If a 14 year old boy were to write Star Trek fanfiction, this is what I would expect to result. Perhaps the New Frontier series is targeted at adolescents, I don't really know, but all of it - from the edgy, unlikeable captain, to the supposedly UST relationships between some of the crew (which in one case frankly seems like it borders on harassment) to the one-note snarky tone, to the fridging of a younger sister... everything about it screams juvenile. Including the editing. God knows who signed off on this, but a single example should suffice to show why they shouldn't have. Following an attack on his ship, Si Cwan damages him arm so severely that he screams in agony when another character simply touches it. In his next scene he's in the middle of a fight and literally swinging from gratings and there's absolutely no mention of the arm. In the scene after that, the damage is back, but at a much milder level. It's sloppy, absolutely sloppy.

I think what most irritates me here, though, is that while Calhoun is shoved off centre stage, what we get instead is a series of aliens who are pretty much presented as lurid spectacle for the reader. There are two Vulcan women aboard, and you know, I would love to have seen the beginnings of a friendship between two individuals who simply don't relate to other people as humans do. How challenging would it be to build an interesting relationship between characters who both deliberately eschew emotion? But we can't have that, because one is going through Pon Farr (which, of course she is), and the other is weeping to her about being the result of sexual assault. It's low-hanging fruit, all of it. And this is not even to mention the gender neutral character Burgoyne, who comes out with this piece of thoughtlessness: "We Hermats have our … unusual anatomical quirks" (which David is quick to exploit, with one of the Vulcan women essentially having a wet dream about Burgoyne in an outfit which clearly outlines their female breasts and male genitalia), but why would a Hermat think themselves unusual? For them, raised in a society where everyone is this way, such a thing would be the norm. They wouldn't go around thinking of themselves as having unusual anatomical quirks... that is the perspective of an outside observer, not a Hermat individual themselves. Again, it's sloppy - sloppy, thoughtless characterisation, in a series that never moves beyond it.

You know, I'm really beginning to regret giving myself the bucket list challenge of reading through all the Star Trek novels. Some have been great, but this particular run is a disaster from start to finish. Still, three more of New Frontier and I can move onto the Captain's Table books. They can't come soon enough.

[Paul Riches · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star Trek New Frontier Boldly Goes!!!!


Back in the 1997, the Star Trek books editors wanted to try something different.

They were tired of how the books couldn’t really change the characters, they were just allowed to tell what they considered routine adventures. Some fans, like me, were fine with that, but other fans, like me, wanted epic scale and massive changes all the time.

So the concept of Star Trek New Frontier was born, with editor John J. Ordover and writer Peter David being the proud parents.

New Frontier takes place in the time of Next Generation in the movies era after First Contact. The expansive dictatorial and secretive Thallonian Empire has collapsed and chaos seems to be thriving inside this far flung area. The Federation wants to help, but is not sure how to, so a decision is made to send a single Starship in to render aid and assess the situation internally. It is risky, but as one Captain stated, risk is our business.

Soon a ship, Captain and crew are picked and head out, and immediately run into issues galore in the once powerful Empire, subjects that tax their moral dilemmas. They also face numerous personal issues, that tax themselves and their relationships. This is just the sort of drama Peter David excels at, making this book series a perfect fit for him.

David populates the Excalibur with his own creation, Captain Mackenzie Calhoun, a strong willed man who led a revolution as a teen on his planet and then was recruited into Starfleet by Captain Picard and his First Officer Jack Crusher. He becomes a Captain, faces trouble, does some dirty work for the Federation, and is now back in charge. Part of me thinks this was originally supposed to be Commander Quentin Stone from David’s A Rock And A Hard Place Next Gen novel.

The rest of the crew is a mix of characters David created in his excellent Starfleet Academy trilogy of Young Readers novels starring Cadet Worf. This includes Security Chief toughie Zak Kebron, Vulcan Science Officer Soleta, and odd genius Navigator Mark McHenry. Others are minor recurring characters from various Next Gen episodes, like Commander Shelby from the famous Best Of Both Worlds cliffhanger, the Vulcan Dr Selar, and Robin Lefler who quotes her own unique set of life rules. Completely new are Engineer Burgoyne 172, who is from a race of she/he beings who are unafraid to explore their sexuality, which leads to David really getting into gender issues and language amongst other topics, and also new is Prince Si Cwan from the former Empire. He knew it was troubled and tried to reform it but to no avail, so now he serves as “Ambassador” and guide while he searches for his sister.

With this cast, David explores a zillion subplots, including the previous romantic relationship between Calhoun and Shelby, the purely sexual dating of McHenry and Burgoyne 172, Dr Selar having PTSD because her husband died during wedding night Pon Farr, Dr Selar’s hormones sending signals to Burgoyne 172, and Soleta dealing with a shocking family secret. As you can tell, David does not shy away from tackling controversial stories, and with the premise of New Frontier being that things can evolve, you can tell things are going to move forward in very fascinating ways. Which, by the way, they do. New Frontier goes on with twenty something books, and I know that characters get married and have children and leave the ship, and alot of not so nice things happen as well.

The setup for New Frontier is spread over four slim paperbacks, which I think were originally designed to be a hardcover. The scope of the story is big enough, and the richness of the crew personalities, do warrant this. And besides Picard and Crusher, we also get cameos from Riker, now Admiral Jellico who is still an ass, and the awesome Ambassador Spock! At one point, a certain Engineer from Kirk’s Enterprise is maybe possibly mentioned. Was he supposed to be a part of this as well?

David is creating a great tapestry in New Frontier, one worthy of a modern day streaming service and would be definitely be an award-winning hit. That would be awesome.

Scoopriches

[Kyle Berry · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Two-Front War, the third installment in the Star Trek: New Frontier series, continues the enthralling saga set in the vast and captivating universe of Star Trek. With its gripping narrative and well-developed characters, this book takes readers on an exhilarating journey through uncharted frontiers.

One of the standout aspects of The Two-Front War is its meticulous attention to character development. Author Peter David skillfully brings a diverse ensemble cast to life, each with their own unique motivations, strengths, and flaws. From the unyielding Captain Mackenzie Calhoun to the charismatic and resourceful Lieutenant Shelby, the characters shine brightly throughout the story. Their interactions are filled with depth, wit, and surprising emotional resonance, making them feel like genuine members of the Star Trek universe.

Moreover, David's storytelling prowess shines as he weaves an intricate and engaging plot. The Two-Front War delves into the complex political landscape of the Star Trek universe, as different factions vie for power and resources. The narrative is filled with political intrigue, high-stakes conflicts, and unexpected twists, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. The pacing is well-balanced, allowing for both intense action sequences and quieter, introspective moments.

What truly sets this book apart is its ability to explore thought-provoking themes. The Two-Front War delves into issues such as morality, sacrifice, and the consequences of one's actions. As the characters navigate treacherous situations, readers are prompted to ponder the complex ethical dilemmas they face and consider the impact of their choices. This philosophical depth adds a layer of richness to the story and elevates it beyond a mere space adventure.

Furthermore, fans of Star Trek will appreciate the book's adherence to the core principles of the franchise. The Two-Front War embodies the spirit of exploration, diplomacy, and the pursuit of understanding that has made Star Trek so beloved. It seamlessly integrates familiar elements from the Star Trek universe while introducing new concepts and worlds that expand the franchise's lore.

While The Two-Front War may not be without its minor flaws, such as occasional pacing lulls, they are overshadowed by the overall strength of the story and its captivating characters. Fans of the Star Trek: New Frontier series will find themselves thoroughly engrossed in this installment, and newcomers to the series will discover an exciting entry point into a rich and vibrant universe.

In conclusion, The Two-Front War is an enthralling and thought-provoking addition to the Star Trek: New Frontier series. With its well-developed characters, intricate plot, and adherence to the core principles of the franchise, this book offers an enjoyable journey into uncharted frontiers.

[David Agranoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

( Same Review for the first 4 Serialized Books..)

We need to get back into the wayback machine to talk about these books and why I wanted to re-read them. I didn't live through the golden age of science fiction, but I did experience the golden age of Star Trek fiction. On TV, we can look back at the 90s as a great era of ST, but in print, it was truly under the editorship of John J Ordover. I am a fan of John, whom I interviewed a couple of times on podcasts, and, best of all, he showed up in his robe to do a panel about Picard Season 3 -> Watch it here...

Under his editorship, Star Trek hardcovers were often bestsellers, and organized as tie-ins for the TV shows, several as big events during the year. At the same time, Pocket Books was releasing two paperbacks a month based on various shows in the franchise, and sometimes series like Day of Honor, which featured a story set in each show (TOS, TNG, DS9, and VOY) on the Klingon holiday. Voyager even did a Tie-in episode.

I was one of the Trek fans who bought the new paperbacks each month, sometimes skipping authors or concepts that I didn’t like, but those were rare. LA Graf was the pen name for two authors whose Trek novels I found dense, for example. Still, I might as well have had a subscription. I set aside money for the books. I went to the Borders at the Carousel Center in Syracuse every month to pick up the new books; they were my bus and break at work reads, as at home I was reading for school and activism.

The one problem these books had was that the stakes for the main characters couldn't be threatened outside the show's canon. So often ST novels like Diane Careyś Dreadnought worked because it created original characters that were engaging. One of the smartest moves an editor (at the time)John J.Ordover did was to put the year's titles inside the cover of the paperbacks. You saw all the titles for the year, it would build anticipation, and give a collect them all feeling.

In 1997, I was excited for months about a new title, Star Trek New Frontiers. What was that? Basically a Star Trek show, built in books instead of TV. Ordover got Paramount to okay this idea, but they wanted a few characters from TNG, assuming that readers needed an anchor. Smartly, the first book brought in Spock and the Enterprise-D itself. Picard in many ways, chooses our new Captain for the mission.

ST had a deep bench at the time of the authors, including Greg Cox, who is the only still active Trek author from that era. Peter David was a great choice; he got his start writing comics, but by this point, he had many, many Star Trek novels. He was one of the most popular who was very smart at typing TOS and TNG together. Peter David was the first to suggest (in Qpid) that Trelane from the Squire of Gothos was a Q (made canon by Strange New Worlds), and in the novel Vendetta, played with the notion that Spinrad’s Doomsday Machine was built as a weapon to fight the Borg.

Peter David played with the canon, was a great storyteller, and a solid writer, so he was perfect to create his own series. The first novel was serialized (like Stephen King’s The Green Mile) over two months. June and July of 1997. While serious Trek fans were digging DS9’s growth into the final seasons, getting used to Voyager, and enjoying the TNG movies, we got a new series.

Spock and Picard assigning this mission to the Captain was a similar hand-off we got in the TV series, and a smart way to bridge the gap. New Frontier was the story of a volatile region of space left in chaos as an empire falls. Starfleet is worried about this region that borders Federation space.

They want to send a ship, but who will command. Riker and Lt. Commander Shelby renewed their rivalry from the classic TNG episode Best of Both Worlds, but Picard thinks it should be a local. Mackenzie Cahloun (a humanized name he took), on the surface, is a disgraced officer, but has been acting as a spy. The rough around the edges captain grew up a revolutionary on his home world, but Starfleet only smoothed some of his edges.

Shelby was a character who was in two very important episodes of TNG. We get a crew member, Robin Lefler (who was in two episodes played by a pre-stardom Ashley Judd), but mostly a new crew. This makes the stakes higher off the bat. We learn that Shelby (who is the first officer) on the new ship is the Excalibur. The crew and the setting is perfect for expanding the ST universe.

I wanted to re-read this one because I was thinking about what a cool thing was to have a ST series that was originally created for prose. This is something I would like to see the franchise do again, maybe with a writers' room (SW High Republic style). I mean, give me a call S and S.

ST: NF holds up nicely, with excellent characters and settings. The serial style made each book fly by and feel like an episode. Each of the four holds up and feels like the Berman era, I mean that as a compliment (although I am a fan of most of Kurtzman era Trek)

I will have to slowly make my way through the ST NF books, which I didn’t keep up with. I admit I burned out on ST novels a bit at the end of the 90s. Thanks to excellent new novels by Greg Cox, Dayton Ward, and David Mack, I am back. I really enjoyed revisiting this classic.

[Graff Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Star Trek: New Frontier 03 The Two-front War by Peter David

4.25 Stars

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense

Fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

These four novellas are actually one story. This third one ratchets up the tension...by putting our new favourite characters in true peril.

Si Cwan and Kebron are polar opposites, but I think that they will become "fast friends" as they go through this difficult time (if they live through it).

Soleta and Selar had a profoundly interesting, and delicate situation that they both participated in...which will change the dynamics of their relationship (aboard the USS Excaliber). Both being Vulcan is one thing, but each has a secret...that makes their lives separately complicated. It was interesting experiencing their collective time spent together, and how that is going to impact what happens next. Very interesting.

The planet authorities...that Captain Mackenzie has (against his will) deposited the refugees...has turned out to be funky (not a technical term, but one obliquely enough for non-spoilers). Not sure what's going to happen next.

On to the next novella: Star Trek: New Frontier 04 Endgame by Peter David.

[Steven Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the context of the whole series, it's an ok read. The book suffers from and issue it took me a while to work out. The book isn't a story, it's an episode. So a short wee episode that follows the same kind of format and structure.

From looking at the back of the book advertising future books to come out it's apparent these books were written to come out in pairs every few months and you need to keep this in mind when reading. As a standalone story....... meh it's pretty forgettable but as part of a larger whole, it does well to expand upon some of the characters referenced previously. There's nothing inherently BAD about the story and you can read it so quick if it was bad it would hardly matter, but I feel with a bit of work a few of these novellas could have been structured together in a larger book and it would have been the better of it.

[Carol Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled some to get through this. It felt disjointed and ended on another bloody cliffhanger. Like a lot of readers it is obvious that Peter David wrote one big novel and it was separated into four books. If it was one novel I might rated higher.

I enjoy the characters on the ship. I know a lot of fans hated Shelby when she was going after Riker position, but I loved her she was competent. ballsy and knew what she wanted. I am glad she is in this series so we get to explore more of what makes her tick.

Calhoun though often makes me roll my eyes. He needs to grow up and stop acting like a man child.

[Joe Praska · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this just a bit more than book 2, but not by that much. Calhoun didn't bother me as much (but that might be because his presence was a bit lessened in favor of a few other characters, all of whom I'm finding that I like quite a bit more than our stalwart captain). Towards the end of this, the plot definitely started heating up a bit which I enjoyed. All that being said, however, I'm noticing more and more that these first 4 books should have been one large book. Ultimately, this just feels like one part (the third part) of a larger story and as such it's hard to fully judge it on it's own.

[Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picking up exactly where Into the Void left off, The Two-Front War doesn't really lie - the U.S.S Excalibur is fighting two "wars".

Well done.

The Nelkar people are willing to take in the refugees, but their offer seems slightly superficial, the Kayven Ryin is still doing its whole standstill with Kebron and Si Cwan, and personal tensions unfurl with Selar, Burgoyne and Si Cwan as well. More backstory is revealed for Soleta.

It's a quick read, ending with a cliffhanger once more to lead on to book 4.

[Marth · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Two-Front War (Star Trek: New Frontier, #3) - 3/5

Deals with the harrowing affects of rape better than Saga does.

This is undermined by Burgoyne's incredibly date rapist vibes that they give off towards Selar and how the book treats that like its alright because secretly Selar's into it. I'm knocking off a star for that.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man this was a great story. I loved getting to see the shift between Cwan and Kebron, what a terrible end to their characters. The savage nature of Laheera and how she nonchalantly murders Captain Huffmin to goat Captain Calhoun into giving them weapons and tech is very Pakled in nature. It ends with such a cliffhanger Captain Calhoun is not your typical Starfleet captain and I guess we’re about to see just how much so in the next book.

[Arco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started book 3 after a long pause. A short but pleasant read. I really like Peter David's writing style. Even though it was almost a year ago, it took no effort to get back into the story. That is a sign of good writing and this being a reread. This feels more like a middle chapter (which probably was the case) and it ends with a cliffhanger. Onto book four.

p.s Calhoun is a badass captain.

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this was the lowest point in this series thus far. Pretty much nothing happened until the end with the cliffhangers on both main story threads. The pool scene pretty much made me throw up in my mouth. Overall this story was pretty thin here and I thought it could have been better.

[Vic Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*
The story is beginngng to heat up here. I enjoyed the twist regarding the Nelkarites. I also enjoyed the reveals and our further understanding of Selar and Soleta. McHenry seems pretty cool too, hopefully we can learn more about him.

[Ryk Stanton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book when it first came out, but they never did anything with Mackenzie Calhoun and it didn’t really resonate anymore. It is at best three stars from me now, but I added one for it being written so long ago and still holding true.

[Christopher Lutz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continues to have the feel of a Star Trek serialized tv show. Just the right amount of characters all dealing with an overarching storyline combined with a different “adventure of the week” in each book. I’m impressed so far.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of a four book set, all together it is a good story, By itself it feels not quite a complete book. This was a Good Read. but do read them all.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving this series. Most fun I've had reading all year.

[Igor]

Shit got real towards the end of this one. Also, Peter David does the "show, don't tell" well, especially with Calhoun.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still good series

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vulcans and hermapedites!! Something I would not have seen coming in a Star Trek book, but Peter David makes it work.

[David]

The story line gets somewhat convoluted at this point with so many characters and so many sub-plots.

[David Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an awesome series. Best Trek I've read in a long time.

[Les Hopper · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not one I enjoyed, but short.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things are moving right along in this the 3rd installment in the series. The crew is starting to get to know each other better. There is the threat of war on a couple of fronts. There are a number of twists that show up at their appointed spots along the way. Definitely recommended