This novel introduces several new characters to the New Frontier series. Riella, a young woman from the planet Montos, is haunted by strange dreams that eventualy compel her to travel to a mysterious section of space known as the "Quiet Place." She is also being pursued by hostile forces who want access to the Quiet Place, including former Thallonian noble Zoran, the sinister Redeemers, and a strange group of creatures known as the Dogs of War, vicious canine/humanoid hybrids who are the result of a genetic experiment gone wrong. None of these characters are certain just what the Quiet Place is, but it is rumored to hold the secrets of immortality and ultimate power, and its secrets are locked inside Riella's mind. We also meet Xyon, a young thief with low-level psionic abilities and foreknowledge of his own death, who aids Riella in her journey. This novel brings to a conclusion one of the series' long-running subplots, that of Si Cwan's search for his missing sister.
I was anxious to return to the regular New Frontier novels, after having read Once Burned and Double or Nothing, both parts of crossovers that didn't feature the crew of the Excalibur all together in the present day. I was a bit disappointed, then, when I began reading this novel and realized that so much time was spent with Xyon and Riella. There are very few scenes on the Excalibur, and the only members of the regular cast who are primarily featured are Si Cwan, Zak Kebron, and Soleta, who are on an away mission to Montos when they become involved in Riella's and Xyon's adventure. My initial disappointment was quickly displaced, however, as I became caught up in the excitement of the story being told. The new characters are appealing and should make a good addition to the series. The Dogs of War are particularly interesting villains of a type not often seen in Star Trek, and I look forward to future appearances by them.
I suppose a minor criticism could be that, when the Quiet Place is eventually found, it is not particularly interesting, nor is it ever fully explained just what it is or how it came to be. In all honesty, though, this doesn't bother me at all. The Quiet Place is really just an excuse to move the plot along, and doesn't really need to be explained or explored further. As is often the case with Peter David's Trek books, character is the most important thing. The novel ends with a wonderful surprise on the very last page that I did not see coming at all, and leads directly into the next book, Dark Allies.
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