ST New Frontier: Treason review (spoilers)

[Crazedwraith]

Ok, I know I'm not the only New Frontier fan on the board so I thought I'd put up a thread for the latest novel in the New Frontier series. I've put a warning n the title so I'm not going to tag the spoilers.

I quite like this book. In basic its mainly a continuation of the Burgoyne/Selar/Xy arc although we hear little from Xy and almost nothing from Burgy (a meaningful conversation with Calhoun is actually offscreen) its also continues the subplot of Morgan in the computer and why this is becoming not a good thing at all.

So a Summary:
After the Excalibur finds a radiation poisoned hermat adrift in space, Selar becomes obsessed with him; thinking his condition will allow her to cure her son Xy’s extremely rapid ageing. When she tries to mind meld with him she comes under the influence of some unknown entity that likes talking in italics and bold a lot, which promises that it can save her son if she kidnaps Lefler’s new born son and brings it to them.

Lefler, thanks to the continued douchebaggery of the Protectorate Government has had to flee to Bravo Station. (which despite being run by Admiral Elizabeth Shelby is apparently a civilian base)

Meanwhile Soleta’s partner Lucius receives similar italicised messages informing them that if he helps get Selar and the baby to a certain planet he will become Praetor of the Romulan Empire. So he resolves to betray Soleta and do just that.

On Bravo Station, Selar knocks out Robin during a medical exam in her quarters and after a brief scrap with Soleta escapes on the Spectre with Lucius and the hermat.

Thanks to the fact Kallinda has been poccessed by Ci Swan’s ghost they are able to track the Spectre despite its near perfect cloak. They extrapolate where its going and get the Trident to get there first to head of the spectre but just when the Trident is about the disable the spectre when it drops out of warp, a horde of invincible uber troopers appear aboard the Trident and pretty much beat the shit out of everyone killing numerous redshirts as well as name characters Mike Gold and Doctor Villers as well as blowing off one of Arex’s arms. Carnage continues until the Excalibur shows with Kebron to help drive them off. Turns out it was just a distraction to let the Spectre get to the planetside base.

Excalibur beams up Selar (who has since snapped out of her Vulcan space crazys) from her commbadge and then they send her and Soleta back down to rescue Lefler’s son Cwansi. They manage to find Cwansi but can’t beam out until Selar overloads a couple of phasers next to the power generators. Blowing herself up and blowing a hole in the roof to escape from. Also she mind rapes Burgy before leaving so he doesn’t feel the pain of their relationship anymore, plus they actually find a cure for Xy in the wreckage of the alien base. So Selar actually wins, posthumously.


Analysis.
New Frontier is always pretty good but this tale was a little odd for me. The villains for example, described as a sort of anti-borg that improve species whether they like it or not are ridiculously over powerful. Appearing through shields with near invincible foot soldiers with strange aims that involve species hybrids. Still it had the trade mark New Frontier quirky dialogue and quirky characters and shout outs. This time the most obvious is one is to Galaxy Quest. Kat quotes "Never Give Up, Never Surrender" as one of her principles. She also continues her habit of revenge stabbing people with knifes. Killing the trooper who killed Gold with a stiletto to their one weak spot.

Still I can't help to think its quite a flawed novel for example, early one we find out that the new Hermat was actually an old friend of Burgeyone's and yet despite establishing this they never have a scene together in the book. Even when Rulan returns to the Excalibur near the end and is quite conscious.

Plus I don't know whether I missed a story down the line somewhere but at the end of the last novel Missing In Action, weren't Shelby and Kat Mueller supposed to be in deep deep shit with Starfleet over trying the rescue Mac? As in Court Martial trouble? That was not referred to once over the course of the novel which lead to me being quite confused. Plus I don't think there was really enough dealing with the aftermath of the incident. Its implied a not insignificant portion of the crew of Trident were killed in the book as well as the two named characters Gold and Villers, who have reoccurred since the Captain's Table novel , although I somewhat cynically note they were probably the two least devoloped of the crew, all we really know about Gold is is one quirk that he doesn't wait for a captain to say 'engage' before setting the ship in motion and Viller's was really only important in Once Burned owing to her connection to Captain Kenyon. Hell the two character's imported from TAS are better developed.

[consequences]

You missed the big spoiler at the end, that there is something seriously not right in Starfleetville.
Spoiler

As in Nechayev thinking that Mac knows too much and will need to be dealt with.

I find myself vaguely pining for the days of the reset button. PAD's gotten harsh lately.

[Crazedwraith]

Yeah, the first time I read that line. I thought it was in reference to Morgan being a big problem since Jellico was supposed to be ringing her up about it earlier in the book but the line does make more sense being a starfleet conspiracy. Once again PAD manages to end a book by making me really really want to read the next one.

Still am I wrong about the end of Missing In Action? Shelby and Mueller were pretty much supposed to be in the cacky and yet there's no sign of that in either this novel or the latest graphic novel. (Which I was surprised when I got it that it was an Excalibur-A adventure I thought I was getting the old "Turnabout" graphic novel)