Rating: 
Summary: Some random comments on "New Frontier #10: Renaissance"
Review: On the plus side, this book is, for the most part, well-written, as are most of Peter David's books. The characterizations are compelling, the pacing excellent, the plots, if somewhat far-fetched, interesting.
On the down side, this is not a novel. It is, similar to the previous book in the series, two subplots in search of a plot. We are simply following the serialized adventures of the characters who were established back whent there actually WAS an overriding plot that tied the stories together; there no longer is. One half of this book is a novella involving the continuing romantic conficts inherent in the relationship between Burgoyne and Selar; at least THIS subplot, while having its beginnings earlier in the series, could possibly be followed by a reader who hadn't read all the previous books, and an "ending" at a satisfactory break-point in the story. The other half of the book, however, (told in alternating chapters with the previously mentioned half) isn't even a self-contained novella; while it starts at a reasonable point, it continues David's extremely annoying habit in this series of having almost EVERY book end with a cliffhanger, as though he doesn't trust us to be interested enough to buy the next installment unless he leaves us hanging. This half of the book follows Robin Lefler and her mother, Morgan Primus, who we've previously established is actually an immortal, a genetic freak who doesn't age and who instantly heals almost any injury.
On the plus side, at least to a fan of the original series like me, we have a somewhat more than cameo appearance by Scotty.
On the down side, much to my surprise, David doesn'tr seem to do a very good job of writing Scotty's brogue; he generally transcribes "my" as "muh" rather than "m'", among other flaws. It's a tiny thing, but annoying, and I expect better of a writer of David's abilities.
Also on the down side, there is VERY heavy hinting that Morgan Primus was once actually Christine Chapel; Scotty recognizes her, and she him, although she's able to convince him that he must be mistaking her for someone else. Sorry, I just don't buy it. That strains my ability to suspend disbelief WAY past the breaking point, for a number of reasons.
All in all, the plusses ALMOST match the minuses, and certainly, if one has read this far in the series, it would be a shame to stop now. But I certainly wouldn't advise anyone who HASN'T read the rest of the series to start with this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Why Kill the Captain?
Review: Personally I read Trek novels simply for entertainment, not for any deep or hidden meanings. This 'new' series of characters I can honestly say have gone straight to my heart and I look forward to each new story.To begin book 9 with the death of the Captain was a shock, however Peter David is a great storyteller and for me, he managed to keep my totally engrossed in the various storylines right until the end of each book. Previous reviewer's have given the basic storylines, so I won't repeat them, suffice to say that if you have read and enjoyed any of the previous books in the series, you might find having to wait for more after book No 10 is far from easy! I just hope that, if this is the last in this present series, the writer gives fuller explanations of why the ship blows up and the Captain is killed (?) (I have a feeling I am not the only reader who hopes that there is something else going on and all is not as we are lead to believe!) Time will tell - roll on the issue of the next book!
Rating:
Summary: Why Kill the Captain?
Review: Personally I read Trek novels simply for entertainment, not for any deep or hidden meanings. This 'new' series of characters I can honestly say have gone straight to my heart and I look forward to each new story. To begin book 9 with the death of the Captain was a shock, however Peter David is a great storyteller and for me, he managed to keep my totally engrossed in the various storylines right until the end of each book. Previous reviewer's have given the basic storylines, so I won't repeat them, suffice to say that if you have read and enjoyed any of the previous books in the series, you might find having to wait for more after book No 10 is far from easy! I just hope that, if this is the last in this present series, the writer gives fuller explanations of why the ship blows up and the Captain is killed (?) (I have a feeling I am not the only reader who hopes that there is something else going on and all is not as we are lead to believe!) Time will tell - roll on the issue of the next book!
Rating:
Summary: Another, in a good series.
Review: Peter David does another fine job in book 10 of the New Frontier series. The characters are as strong as always, and with every new book, I get more attached to them. I think the fact that David was given his own Star Trek series is a testament to how well respected he is as a Star Trek writer. Where book 9 mainly focused on Kebron, McHenry, Soleta, Si Cwan, and Kalinda, this book focuses on Lefler, Morgan, Selar, and Burgoyne 172. Si Cwan and Kanlinda do manage to make a quick appearance at the end though. This book digs deeper into the relationship between Selar and Burgoyne. Burgoyne and the reader find that there is much more to hirself than just a sex craved Hermat. Robin and her mother Morgan run off to the planet Risa for a bonding vacation. Surprisingly enough they run into Scotty. Unfortunately, since this is a series, any new reader would be pretty lost if they just started with this book. I would strongly recommend that anyone new to New Frontier start from book one. To me, few of the books can stand alone, and you would be missing much is you didn't start from the beginning. As I side note. I don't understand why Zak Kebron and McHenry show up on the cover, considering they aren't even in the book. I definitely recommend this book to any New Frontier fan.
Rating:
Summary: A little more revealed....
Review: Spoiler alert!!! Well, Peter David does give a good hint in this book as to why the Excaliber was destroyed, but still doesn't tell the whole story. Anyway, this book focuses on the post Excaliber-destruction adventures of Selar, Burgy, Robin Lefler and her Mom. The portions of the story dealing with Burgy and Selar do finally bring an acceptable end to the tensions that have been mounting between the two since the birth of their child. And the bits with Lefler and her mother... Well, lets just say there are a lot of plot points to be wrapped up in the next book. I guess that's why they made it a hardback book....
Rating: 
Summary: Adventures of the Excalibur Crew, Part 2
Review: This book, second of three, chronicles the struggle between Dr. Selar and Burgoyne, the Hermat, over the right to care for their son, Xyon. Selar wants to bring him up on Vulcan as a Vulcan, while Burgoyne just wants to remain a part of his life. Meanwhile, Robin Leffler & her mother, Morgan Primus, have gone to Risa, the pleasure planet, for some rest and relaxation and a chance to spend time together. From the beginning, the reader knows that there's more to Morgan than meets the eye. But just who she is is an excellent question. I read this book in just a couple of hours. It's a fast read and, like its predecessor, very hard to put down! Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Exploring the Family Frontier...
Review: This particular "episode" of the New Frontier series focuses very much on the ties of family. While Robin Lefler and her mother attempt to "reconnect" on Risa, Burgoyne and Selar struggle with what their roles should be in regards to Xyon, their son. The most interesting (and often moving) passages of this book revolve around the relationship between Selar and Xyon (and, to a degree, Burgoyne). While Lefler's life always adds a bit of comic relief (I swear, she's written like the bad-luck faerie), it wasn't so over-the-top this time, and her constant talking to herself didn't come off as forced in this book. Likely, this is because I've gotten used to her character now, and she just seems to be acting normally. There is a lot of good stuff about Vulcan culture and their passions (anti-passions?) and Burgoyne's navigation through Vulcan culture is a must-read, as is Selar's "Logical" conclusions on how Xyon should be raised. Now, the quibbles I have with this book are the cameos. I imagine I was likely one of the only people who didn't like the TNG Episode "Relics," so you can imagine how flat the entrance of Scotty was into this book for me. Spock also makes an appearance, as does T'Pau. It was a bit much. Any one of them would have been okay. You will not regret this book, but gosh will you hate the cliffhanger (yet again).
Rating:
Summary: Exploring the Family Frontier...
Review: This particular "episode" of the New Frontier series focuses very much on the ties of family. While Robin Lefler and her mother attempt to "reconnect" on Risa, Burgoyne and Selar struggle with what their roles should be in regards to Xyon, their son. The most interesting (and often moving) passages of this book revolve around the relationship between Selar and Xyon (and, to a degree, Burgoyne). While Lefler's life always adds a bit of comic relief (I swear, she's written like the bad-luck faerie), it wasn't so over-the-top this time, and her constant talking to herself didn't come off as forced in this book. Likely, this is because I've gotten used to her character now, and she just seems to be acting normally. There is a lot of good stuff about Vulcan culture and their passions (anti-passions?) and Burgoyne's navigation through Vulcan culture is a must-read, as is Selar's "Logical" conclusions on how Xyon should be raised. Now, the quibbles I have with this book are the cameos. I imagine I was likely one of the only people who didn't like the TNG Episode "Relics," so you can imagine how flat the entrance of Scotty was into this book for me. Spock also makes an appearance, as does T'Pau. It was a bit much. Any one of them would have been okay. You will not regret this book, but gosh will you hate the cliffhanger (yet again).
Rating:
Summary: Exploring the Family Frontier...
Review: This particular "episode" of the New Frontier series focuses very much on the ties of family. While Robin Lefler and her mother attempt to "reconnect" on Risa, Burgoyne and Selar struggle with what their roles should be in regards to Xyon, their son. The most interesting (and often moving) passages of this book revolve around the relationship between Selar and Xyon (and, to a degree, Burgoyne). While Lefler's life always adds a bit of comic relief (I swear, she's written like the bad-luck faerie), it wasn't so over-the-top this time, and her constant talking to herself didn't come off as forced in this book. Likely, this is because I've gotten used to her character now, and she just seems to be acting normally. There is a lot of good stuff about Vulcan culture and their passions (anti-passions?) and Burgoyne's navigation through Vulcan culture is a must-read, as is Selar's "Logical" conclusions on how Xyon should be raised. Now, the quibbles I have with this book are the cameos. I imagine I was likely one of the only people who didn't like the TNG Episode "Relics," so you can imagine how flat the entrance of Scotty was into this book for me. Spock also makes an appearance, as does T'Pau. It was a bit much. Any one of them would have been okay. You will not regret this book, but gosh will you hate the cliffhanger (yet again).
Rating: 
Summary: Like Sands Through The Hourglass
Review: This second book in Peter David's post-Excalibur trilogy was even worse than the first. I understand that David is trying to show us the personal lives of these characters as they deal with the loss of their ship and their captain, but was it so necessary to stoop to the level of a Harlequin romance? This entire book, once you removed the un-necessary Danielle Steel plots, could have comprised of four, maybe five, chapters of real material. The whole Selar/Burgoyne issue bordered on the absurd. The only redeeming quality of that plot was the introduction of Selar "interesting" brother and the appearance of the classic Trek character. The Robin/Morgan plotline was useless until the last chapter and the classic Trek character that appears in their story is badly written and poorly used. I look forward to finishing this trilogy. Maybe then, we can return to some real writing.
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