NF: The Returned, Part I by Peter David Review Thread (Spoilers)

Discussion in 'Trek Literature' started by Defcon, Jul 3, 2015.

?

Rate The Returned, Part I

  1. Outstanding

    6 vote(s)
    37.5%

  2. Above Average

    6 vote(s)
    37.5%

  3. Average

    4 vote(s)
    25.0%

  4. Below Average

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%

  5. Poor

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
Page 2 of 2
  1. RoJoHen

    RoJoHen Awesome Admiral

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2000
    Location:
    QC, IL, USA
    I haven't read this new one yet, but I couldn't imagine reading an NF story without reading the whole series first.
     
    RoJoHen, Jul 9, 2015
    #21
  2. ATimson

    ATimson Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2003
    Location:
    Andrew Timson
    Some would definitely make better jumping-on points than others.

    Then again, as someone who started watching Farscape with part two of a two-parter in the middle of their third season, catching up on heavily-serialized tales is not impossible. ;)
     
    ATimson, Jul 9, 2015
    #22
  3. Deranged Nasat

    Deranged Nasat Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2009
    Location:
    ...But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it compl
    But you missed out on the best character, since she leaves early in season three!
     
    Deranged Nasat, Jul 9, 2015
    #23
  4. borgboy

    borgboy Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2005
    To anyone joining the New Frontier series now, I strongly recommend reading the series in order. It's a fantastic series and the series does grow and develop. While you may be able to jump in and follow the story, there are deeper rewards for following the whole story.
     
    borgboy, Jul 10, 2015
    #24
  5. Klaus

    Klaus Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Sep 14, 2003
    Location:
    Beach condo, Bay of Eldamar
    *contented sigh*

    So happy to have NF back again... it's what got me into modern Treklit way back when, and it's definitely like hanging out with old friends.
     
    Klaus, Jul 10, 2015
    #25
  6. ATimson

    ATimson Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2003
    Location:
    Andrew Timson
    Not true, I started with her last episode. ;)

    Don't worry, once it came out on DVD I bought it and caught up!
     
    ATimson, Jul 10, 2015
    #26
  7. Akiraprise

    Akiraprise To Ꝏ & BEYOND! Moderator

    Joined:
    Mar 4, 2004
    Location:
    Hell's North Pole
    Thought it was outstanding. Have missed PAD's writing and this crew. It's definitely been too long since the last book was published.
     
    Akiraprise, Jul 10, 2015
    #27
  8. Enterpriserules

    Enterpriserules Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2005
    Location:
    On the Andorian Atlire-class escort vessel Mat-Rus
    Enterpriserules, Jul 12, 2015
    #28
  9. Avro Arrow

    Avro Arrow Vice Admiral Moderator

    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2003
    Location:
    Canada
    When I downloaded this, I told myself that parts two and three were coming out soon enough that I was just going to wait for all three to be released, then read them all together as one continuous story.

    Apparently, I was mistaken. :)

    As others have mentioned, it was actually really nice to sit down and read a new adventure with the NF crew. I didn't even realize I missed them, but it was really gratifying to see them again.

    This is the spoiler thread, so uncoded spoilers ahead! You've been warned...

    That was an interesting psyche-out PAD did with the Guardian at the beginning. I will admit, I seem to recall after reading BMB that I assumed that PAD wouldn't *really* genocide (yeah, OK, not really a verb) all the Xenexians. So once Calhoun took off for the Guardian, I assumed, OK, yeah, this is how he's going to undo it. And then the 180. I am actually fairly surprised that PAD let the genocide stand, and in fact established that there are only two Xenexians left in the galaxy. That's... fairly dark. (I know, the Redeemers did this kind of thing routinely in NF, so the series is no stranger to wiping out an entire species, but still...)

    I believe someone upthread mentioned this, but I'm thinking I probably should have reread BMB before starting this, even though it was one of my least favourite NF entries. Except for the cliffhanger, I had pretty much forgotten where everyone "was". Granted, this book did establish everything fairly well. The one thing that I felt I was missing, though, was why Calhoun blamed himself for the genocide. Except for reiterating many times that he *did* blame himself, the only mention that was made to "why" was that he "underestimated" the D'myurj. But I have no recollection around the circumstances of that underestimation.

    I remember when BMB came out, that everyone was concerned about the Nechayev issue, and how that meant BMB could tie into the current continuity. So it was nice to see this book reference that the real Nechayev was suspected to be still alive and held prisoner. Granted, there's still time for PAD to turn this on its head, but if Nechayev can be found alive and rescued, then it makes things easier to reconcile.

    I'm not sure what to make of the Moke/Thor thing. I sense it's a joke that I'm not getting.

    I don't know for sure, but his one seemed to be a bit longer than the other eBook exclusives we've gotten recently. (Haven't done an actual comparison, though.) Because this is the first of a three-parter, it didn't seem to suffer the "rushed" feeling that you sometimes get with the eBook exclusives. However, there was one point I recall where the narrative voice seemed to change oddly, and I wonder if it's because PAD had to cut back his word count?

    I'm going to spoiler-code this next paragraph, since it's more about speculation on where the story may be going...

    Does anyone else get the sense that this trilogy may be leading to Calhoun's death (for realz)? There were little things, such as the talk about him losing his edge somewhat, but the really big one that jumped out at me was when they were having the conference, and Burgy says something like "You lead and we follow. That's the way it's always been.", and Kebron says something like "and the way it always will be." It just seems like when a character says something like that, then the story usually makes the statement untrue. Perhaps it's cliché, and perhaps PAD's not actually going there, but that's just where my mind went.

    All in all, I enjoyed this one... probably a lot more than I enjoyed BMB, but I don't know if that's because it's a better story, or just because it's been so long and absence makes the heart grow fonder. At any rate, I'm greatly looking forward to the next two parts!

    I know that the ship on the cover is probably supposed to be the Excalibur, regardless of the fact that it's not the right class for the time the story is set in. However, using the hi-res version of the cover found at the beginning of the thread, and tweaking the contrast a bit in GIMP, I'm almost certain the name written under the shuttlebay does not in fact say EXCALIBUR. It actually looks to me that it might say INDIANAPOLIS, but it is entirely possible that I'm reading too much into blotchy squiggles. (Sadly, I am no Chloe O'Brian, so my ability to magnify and enhance grainy images leaves much to be desired! ;))

    [​IMG]

    As I said, I know the ship is supposed to be the Excalibur, and we're not even supposed to be able to make out that detail. And even if I'm reading it right, there's no ship named Indianapolis in the story anyway... the only other Federation ship I recall is the "transport ship" that brought Shelby to Xenex, and its name was never mentioned.

    Doug Drexler is credited with the cover art, so maybe someone who is on Facebook could ask him what the name was on the CGI Ambassador Class model that he used? Not that it particularly matters, but I am curious. :)
     
    Avro Arrow, Jul 13, 2015
    #29
  10. Kertrats47

    Kertrats47 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    May 3, 2010
    Location:
    Alberta, Canada
    Just posted my review. Really enjoyed this one, can't wait to read the rest of the story!
     
    Kertrats47, Jul 18, 2015
    #30
  11. Steve Roby

    Steve Roby Rear Admiral Premium Member

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2002
    Location:
    Ottawa, ON Canada
    This story seems engineered to get longtime hardcore New Frontier fans excited and happy. Too bad I'm not that much of an NF fan. Here's an expanded version of the review I posted on Netgalley in exchange for a free advance copy:

    New Frontier fans will love this. Others may wonder what the fuss is all about.

    There's no denying the importance of New Frontier in the world of Star Trek fiction. It was the first books-only series and it was a hit with readers. Things have changed over the years, including the editorial staff at Pocket, and it's been a while since the last New Frontier novel. That may be part of the inspiration for the title, but there are plenty of returns in the story, as well. Longtime New Frontier fans will be glad to see many of the old gang, who scattered somewhat over the course of the series, back together in action. And there are other returns, including various characters in the storyline set on New Thallon. So I expect fans will be very happy with this new installment.

    Me, I'm not so sure. This is Star Trek written as Marvel comic, complete with superheroes. The dialogue tends to be wisecracking banter or portentous and stilted. And a lot of stupid setups are required to let the regulars get their buttkicking highlights. One of the most important planets in the Federation is guarded only by a dozen Starfleet marines, instead of ships, satellites, force fields, automatic weapons arrays, sensors, and other 24th century tech. Why? So Mackenzie Calhoun can kick butt and almost do something he shouldn't. Characters consistently make dumb decisions so they can blow up in their faces later. Characters who should be able to think of obvious solutions to technical issues fail to, so that other characters can reveal their brilliance. It gets tiresome. But it's short and it moves quickly.

    I stopped reading several times because characters went through catastrophic IQ drops in order to let other characters looks smart or to move the plot forward or add complications. "How will we know if the cloaking device works?" "By having someone outside watch and let us know if we disappear." "OMFG that is the most brilliant idea ever!" "How will we find the silly named bad guys on this side of the wormhole? I keep looking at planets and not finding them!" "Well, this is where their ships come out of the wormhole. Have you tried looking for ships instead of planets?" "Holy moly on toast you're a genius! There they are!"<-- not exact quotes. Bonus from part 2: "We scanned this ship for life forms before we beamed over. Now somebody else is beaming over here. What do we do?" "Hide in a closet! No one else could possibly think of scanning for life forms!" Also not an exact quote. But a lot of Star Trek has similar problems because some writers just do not think through the ramifications of the tech available. Many episodes and novels depend on all the characters forgetting about all the tech they use on a daily basis.

    This is not a good jumping on point for new readers, because it basically picks up in the middle of a few storylines. But I'd be surprised if anyone who's already a New Frontier fan is anything other than thrilled. Those of us who are a bit tired of the whole thing may continue to be.

    FWIW, I expect most people to disagree with me on a lot of this. If you're a fan of NF you'll probably love The Returned.
     
    Steve Roby, Jul 18, 2015
    #31
  12. Thrawn

    Thrawn Rear Admiral Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2008
    Location:
    Washington, DC
    I didn't like BMB, and my problem was that the book seemed like exactly the same sets of conflicts the series had played with many times before, only turned WAY TOO LOUD. Like, Calhoun has frequently had his decisions result in unintended negative consequences that Haunt Him Forever, but THIS time, he's responsible for HIS WHOLE SPECIES DYING! That kind of thing.

    If that book was the same song turned up to 11, this book is the same song turned back down to 8. It feels much better than BMB did, because the stakes and character arcs and pacing are back to about where they used to be, with the same tone and less overwhelming insanity. But on the other hand, this story is certainly not breaking any new ground. (Oh, Lefler has issues with Thallon? The Excalibur is on its own in some weird part of the multiverse confronting an overwhelming threat? Lots of characters are unexpectedly having sex or almost having sex with each other even though they're in love with other people? Calhoun has a complicated relationship with Jellico? No way!) I reserve judgement until the rest of the story is published, but this is at best Average so far.

    Don't get me wrong - it's been a long time since the last NF, and even longer since a NF felt right in the way this does. It was pleasant being around these people again, I like them and they're certainly back in character. Especially McHenry! But this wasn't tight, inventive, funny, or surprising enough to be impressive in the way that Stone & Anvil or Once Burned or the other series highlights have been.
     
    Thrawn, Jul 19, 2015
    #32
  13. Sto-Vo-Kory

    Sto-Vo-Kory Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2008
    Location:
    Battle Creek
    Thrawn, Steve Roby: excellent points.

    It was fun having the band back together (however briefly) but I think my enjoyment of this eNovella was fueled more by nostalgia than by its actual content.
     
    Sto-Vo-Kory, Jul 19, 2015
    #33
  14. E-DUB

    E-DUB Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Oct 28, 2011
    It's a beautiful shot, though.
     
    E-DUB, Jul 19, 2015
    #34
  15. ryan123450

    ryan123450 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2005
    Location:
    Woodward, OK
    I've only gotten as far as Stone and Anvil in New Frontier, but I'm trying to place this story in the timeline. I know it's 3 months after Blind Man's Bluff. I once read the theory that you could explain away some of Blind Man's Bluff continuity hiccups with the rest of TrekLit by placing it after the Borg attacks in Before Dishonor instead of Destiny. Does anyone think that theory is legitimate? Does The Returned allow for that theory to be true? It would mean this book is just before Destiny.

    I'm sure I can figure this out once I get caught up on New Frontier, but I'm still left wondering about it for now.
     
    ryan123450, Jul 23, 2015
    #35
  16. Thrawn

    Thrawn Rear Admiral Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2008
    Location:
    Washington, DC
    This has no mention of anything relevant to the remainder of the TrekLit universe, save that Nechayev is out of action for a while, but all that means is that Blind Man's Bluff and The Returned must be completely before or after any other book in which she appears, and not during.
     
    Thrawn, Jul 23, 2015
    #36
  17. Deranged Nasat

    Deranged Nasat Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2009
    Location:
    ...But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it compl
    The last event in New Frontier that is definitely referenced in the mainstream Trek lit is
    Selar's death
    from Treason. In Paths of Disharmony (I believe) the event in question is referenced as occurring several years ago.
     
    Deranged Nasat, Jul 23, 2015
    #37
  18. Steve Roby

    Steve Roby Rear Admiral Premium Member

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2002
    Location:
    Ottawa, ON Canada
    Finished the third part thanks to Netgalley, and while I expect some longtime NF fans will be happy, I'm not really used to Star Trek stories where every character either wants to pound the crap out of someone to solve a problem or sacrifice themselves to solve a problem. Lots of over the top action, lots of over the top emotion, some disturbing sex, a surprise guest star, and not one character's brain cell ever at risk of being used.

    In my ideal version of the Star Trek universe, the next New Frontier development would involve court-martials and psych wards for a few of the regulars.

    But if you're a fan... you've got to read this. If you're one of those people who likes complaining about ebooks, suck it up. There are some big developments and resolutions here.
     
    Steve Roby, Jul 24, 2015
    #38
  19. RoJoHen

    RoJoHen Awesome Admiral

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2000
    Location:
    QC, IL, USA
    NF has always basically been a Star Trek soap opera, and I love that about it.
     
    RoJoHen, Jul 24, 2015
    #39
Page 2 of 2