Stone and Anvil (Star Trek: New Frontier)

Rating:
Summary: Solid entertainment from a great author
Review: I have greatly enjoyed Peter David's New Frontier series, and this latest entry certainly does not disappoint. It is a mystery story in some regards, so I won't say much about the plot. I will say that hindsight is 20/20; the book makes perfect sense once you're done reading it, but you won't predict everything that is going on.

If you've finished Being Human and Gods Above, you should definitely give this a read. It's got action, suspense, romance, humor, and just about everything else you'd want in a nice 300 page package.

Speaking of packages, this book is actually a great deal. You get the entire series (minus Gods Above and No Limits) for the price of a hardcover book. 17 stories for the price of one? Yup. Can you imagine if other Trek series were put onto CD-ROM? With the proper cooperation from the authors, you could put "Season 8" of DS9 onto a CD-ROM and package it with the first book of "Season 9."

The only downside of Stone and Anvil is that there is no hint as to where the series will go after this. However, knowing Peter David, the next book will be both inventive and shockingly silly.

Rating:
Summary: Why isn't New Frontier a Movie Series?
Review: I have really enjoyed all these books, but this book may be the best yet. The story alternates between Mackenzie and Shelby during their academy days and the investigation of Lt. Gleau's death on the USS Trident.

The academy days were outstanding, not only do we find out how Mackenzie met Shelby, but we also find out why Jellico dislikes him, and how Calhoun handles the Kobayashi Maru test.

I was hesitant about this novel because I dislike Star Trek "detective" stories. Fortunately, this isn't the case (at least not mainly). Instead the story flows naturally and ends with an ending...not a cliffhanger.

In fact, the only small item that irritated me was a couple of lines said by Ambassador Spock that included a bit too much colloquialism.

This is a excellent novel, and it should be a movie. Better yet, Peter David could revitalize Star Trek series from the Voyager and Enterprise disasters.

Rating:
Summary: Fleshing out of Calhoun
Review: I love Peter David, and especially his spin on the Star Trek universe. All of his plots are fresh, and never the same recycled space opera ideas we've read so many time before. But where Mr. David really shines is in his character development.

After reading only a few of his novels, you feel as if you really know the characters on a personal basis in his corner of the ST universe, and 'Stone & Anvil' is no exception.

The overall theme of the book, which may not be apparent at first is the deeper origin of Capt. Mackenzie Calhoun. Think of this novel as Calhoun: Year One. We get to see Mac's first days in the academy, more on his home planet, how he first met 'Eppie', and how he became the new James T. Kirk of his era.

However, all this back-story feeds into the more crucial, upfront story: the murder of shipmate Gleau as was the cliffhanger in the previous novel. Is Ensign Janos involved? As the murder mystery unravels, as is so with any Peter David novel, all is not what it seems, and there are some very original plot twists that will have ST fans ecstatic at past references.

The only issue I had with this novel, and I can understand the method in which it was used, was that every other chapter bounced between 'Now' & 'Then'. Meaning, chapter one takes place in the present Next Generation timeline, while chapter 2 find a young Calhoun entering Starfleet Academy. And thus for the remaining of the book the reader must shift gears between past and present.

Why this was a hardcover, and not a soft, I don't understand. While a good book, there was no 'earth-shattering' events that are usually reserved for hard covers. And I seemed to have missed any cliffhanger. I guess the next novel will start a new storyline altogether, something that seems out of place for a Peter David ST novel.

Rating:
Summary: Stone and Anvil (Star Trek New Frontier)
Review: Ok so we have new frontier a good take on the Star Trek universe. Funny characters good plot lines and fairly easy to read. Peter David does a good job of keeping the book moveing and keeping the charaters fun. Some of the things that the characters say are really funny and I found myself laughing. The story in this book is done in both events of the now and events of the past. The past deals with Captain Calhoun's acadamy days, and they tie so nicely into the main plot line. Also with cameos from Picard and Spock you can't go wrong.

Rating:
Summary: ST- New Frontier: Stone and Anvil
Review: Star Trek-New Frontier: Stone and Anvil written by Peter David is an action-packed mystery book that answers a lot of questions. This book takes off from where "Gods Above" left off and the murder of Lieutenant Commander Gleau a Selelvian crewmember of the U.S.S. Trident.

This book features Captain Mackenzie Calhoun and Captain Elizabeth Shelby and their respective crews of the U.S.S. Excalibur and Trident as they begin an action adventure into their lives past and present. The past story is background information on Calhoun and Shelby as they go through Starfleet Acadamy and snipits of past as it relates to the present situation. Ensign Janos is accused of murdering Gleau and Zac Kebron is sent to investigate to see if his friend really did the murder as the evidence suggests.

This is a well-written story where the character interplay and development is outstanding. The story is fast-paced and Peter David uses his powerful mastery of the English language to open our eyes as we read on in the New Frontier genre. I thouroughly enjoyed this newest addition to the on going tales of the New Frontier.

There is personal dilemma written into the story and witty dialogue to keep you interested. I gave this story a solid 5 stars and it is worth the money to own... the only drawback is that it is a hardback book, so use you library card and check it out and read it or wait for the paperback edition which I'm sure can't be too far away. This book wraps up a lot of loose ends and gives the reader some solid background into the main characters.

Rating:
Summary: Rushed and a disappointment
Review: Usually, Peter David's books in the New Frontier series are funny, entertaining and a pleasure to read. However, this storyline seems rushed. In previous books, Janos is introduced as a Mugato. Now, we are expected to forget anything we have read about Janos as a new background is written about him that seems, even in the Star Trek realm, hard to digest. I won't give away the details, but, this book is a disappointment, unusual considering the breadth of David's writing.