"New Frontier: Missing in Action” Peter David
2007 kicked off well with a mass market reprint of Peter David's latest "New Frontier" story, "Missing in Action." As ever, David doesn't pull his punches, with Calhoun dealing with various situations in his own inimitable way.

"New Frontier" was a breath of fresh air when it started 10 years ago, and it continues to push the boundaries of the Star Trek universe. "Missing in Action" is the second part of a trilogy, so knowledge of its predecessor "After the Fall" helps, but if you've not jumped on board the U.S.S. Excalibur yet, get there now!

"Star Trek: Demands of Honor" Kevin Ryan
February saw another trilogy reach its middle part, with Kevin Ryan's "Demands of Honor." Set during the early years of Jim Kirk's original five-year mission, with an emphasis on the crew below decks on the U.S.S. Enterprise, Ryan successfully creates an atmosphere of increasing tension between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. It's all the stuff that was obviously happening behind the scenes when you think about it but hasn't really been gone into before. There's some great action descriptions and the feel that the Enterprise adventures are only part of a greater picture.

"Star Trek Mirror Universe: Glass Empires" Various
"Glass Empires," the first volume of the "Mirror Universe" novels, doesn't really boost your faith in human nature. Michael Sussman, Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore chart events in the 22nd Century as Empress Sato tries to maintain control; David Mack follows Spock's plans after the original "Mirror, Mirror" episode, while Greg Cox jumps forward another century to track what Jean-Luc Picard was up to instead of being in charge of the Enterprise. Part of the fun is in spotting the minor characters in their new guises, and discovering how much of our favorite characters comes from their natures rather than their environments. Highly recommended.

"Star Trek Mirror Universe: Obsidian Alliances" Various
The second volume doesn't disappoint either with "Obsidian Alliances" following alternate characters from Star Trek: Voyager, "New Frontier" and Deep Space Nine. While the DS9 story has to fill in the gaps between the last TV episode and David Mack's novel "Warpath," there aren't such constraints on the other stories. Peter David once again lets rip with a very different path for Mackenzie Calhoun, incorporating events from all the 24th Century films and TV series while we see a very different side to Mr. Neelix in Keith DeCandido's Voyager tale. Let's hope that we get back through the looking glass very soon.


"Crucible" Trilogy David R. George III
March also saw the final novel in David R. George III's "Crucible" trilogy. Put very simply, if you buy one Star Trek novel from the last 12 months, then get the first volume, "Crucible: McCoy," possibly the best piece of Trek fiction ever written in prose form. "Crucible: Kirk" is very different from the other two novels: it's far more plot-driven than George's books normally are, for a start, but it's a satisfying end to the 40th anniversary celebration novels. Those who are frightened by the idea that J.J. Abrams and his team may be reinventing the 23rd Century should take heart from what George has presented here; he ignores everything that has grown up around the core characters and presents a new take that really works.

"Star Trek: Enterprise - The Good That Men Do" Andy Mangels & Michael A. Martin
And if you felt cheated by the events of "These Are the Voyages…," the final episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, then pick up "The Good That Men Do," which begins the publishing program's masterplan to reinvent the history of the 22nd Century in a rather more acceptable form! [SPOILER ALERT] Trip Tucker's death was simply a ruse by Section 31 to free him up to go undercover in the Romulan Empire … Ignore the slightly unnecessary 25th Century bookending with Jake Sisko and Nog and concentrate on the interstellar politics as war approaches for the nascent Starfleet.

"Star Trek - Vulcan's Soul Book 3 - Epiphany" Josepha Sherman & Susan Shwartz
Yet another trilogy came to an end in May with the publication of "Epiphany," the third volume of Josepha Sherman and Susan Shwartz's epic tale. All three novels have combined a 24th Century plotline, with a race known as the Watraii threatening Romulus requiring Admiral Uhura to call on various of her friends and colleagues to help, with an account of the exile of the Vulcans who would grow to become the Romulans many centuries earlier. Frankly, the historical bits work a lot better, even though the authors have to jump through hoops to try to explain the Romulans and Remans, after "Star Trek Nemesis" altered our perceptions of Romulans in a major way. There are too many living Original Series characters appearing in the 24th Century: about the only person who's not there is Hikaru Sulu. Even the Romulan Commander from "The Enterprise Incident" features heavily! The trilogy is quite heavy going, but if you're into the epic sweep of Trek history, and seeing how the pieces fit together, this is for you.

"Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Twist of Faith" Various
There was also a chance to catch up with the start of the Deep Space Nine relaunch with the omnibus "Twist of Faith," which reprints the two "Avatar" volumes, and the entries in the "Section 31" and "Gateways" miniseries of novels. If you've been daunted by the density of the story in the recent DS9 novels, and felt there was too much that was unfamiliar, then this is a great chance to find where it all started. Probably the most layered series of novels Pocket are producing in the 24th Century, all the DS9 novels benefit from rereading.

"Star Trek: Vanguard - Reap the Whirlwind" David Mack
June brought the third volume of the "Star Trek: Vanguard" series. Like the "Errand of Fury" trilogy, this is set simultaneously with early Star Trek episodes, although this series concentrates on events elsewhere in the galaxy. Author David Mack ensures that no-one will feel alienated by the book, with cleverly constructed exposition reminding regular readers what's gone before while informing the newcomers of the various plot strands. There's love, death, sex, violence, first encounters, alien worlds and at long last, the first hints as to what the secrets of the Taurus Reach might be with the introduction of a certain character from the Trek movies… If you've not visited Vanguard yet, then head there this summer.

"Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Space Between" Various
If you prefer visual tales, then IDW have been producing their six-issue miniseries based on Star Trek: The Next Generation. The early issues tell stand-alone stories that we are promised will tie up together in the final issue, but at the moment, they all seem a little insubstantial. If you like your comics artwork to be photo realistic, then this isn't for you, although it has improved with subsequent issues. For the moment this gets two phasers but that may increase when the final issue comes out.

"Star Trek: Klingons - Blood Will Tell" Various
On the other hand, IDW's Klingon miniseries started off with a bang, and is continuing to impress. Telling the Klingons' side of classic episodes is a neat idea, and there are some spectacular recreations of scenes from The Original Series. This will be one to collect when it comes out in trade paperback.

Sitting at the airport, and wondering what to read – well, Pocket Books are continuing to produce their eBook series of original Star Trek adventures. The pattern seems to be settling down into half a dozen adventures for the "Corps of Engineers" a year, and six special tales. So far this year, we've seen the concluding half of the "Mere Anarchy" miniseries, created to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Original Series. The early stories were set during the original five-year mission, with the others picking up the story from soon after "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" to the immediate aftermath of Jim Kirk's death in "Star Trek Generations." The shortened word count means that there isn't room for flabby storytelling, and under the guidance of editor Keith DeCandido, all the authors have achieved this. With no trade paperback reprint in sight, don't miss out on this special tale just because you're not used to reading books on your computer.

And what's coming up over the next few months? We're going to find out what Jean-Luc Picard has been doing with the return of the Borg in J.M. Dillard's "Resistance," and a certain extra-dimensional nuisance in Keith DeCandido's "Q & A" while Will Riker is off exploring the galaxy in the U.S.S. Titan in Geoffrey Thorne's "Sword of Damocles." And for yet another take on Kirk's early life, William Shatner takes us back to Starfleet Academy in the hardback "Collision Course."

Until next time ... happy reading!