After the Fall

by Peter David

Reviewed by Coral

Three years have passed since the events of the last book and many things have changed in the Thallonian sector and in the lives of the crews of the USS Excalibur and the USS Trident.

After the discovery that she had lied about her heritage, Soleta chose to resign her commission rather than live with a demotion and constant suspicion from Starfleet, turning instead to the Romulans.

Elizabeth Shelby has been promoted to Admiral while Kat Mueller is now captain of the USS Trident, with a first officer she finds herself uncomfortable with.

Mackenzie Calhoun hasn’t changed much, but he is concerned with his adoptive son Moke, whose abandonment issues are only getting worse.

Selar is trying desperately to save her son, whose genetic makeup has aged him to over 20 years old in 4 years.

Robin and Si Cwan are married. Si Cwan is the elected prime minister of the New Thallonian Protectorate, while Robin is the Federation representative to the sector.

Members of a race long ago displaced from their home planets by the ancestors of the Thallonians once again request redress, only to be dismissed outright by Si Cwan. Their claims that their gods who gifted these planets to them, the Wanderers, will be returning shortly fall on deaf ears.

To make matters worse, on the eve of Kallinda’s (Si Cwan’s sister) marriage to the son of another high ranking member of the Protectorate’s government, she is kidnapped by Xyon, the presumed dead son of Captain Calhoun. With members of the Thallonian Protectorate’s government now calling for Xyon’s execution, Captain Calhoun must save the son he just got back or else face losing him all over again.

It has been awhile since I last read a book in this series. I am not sure if I enjoyed this book as much as previous books in the series, but it was enjoyable.

The main parts of the book I didn’t enjoy all centered on Xyon. He is a pretty selfish character, who let his father and lover at the time think he was dead for years. Now, when he hears that she is remarrying, he decides that kidnapping Kallinda is the best way to win her back? I honestly hope they don’t end up back together at the end of all of this, because he doesn’t deserve her.

I don’t really understand the logic behind Soleta’s decision to join the Romulans. Just because she decided that Starfleet wasn’t for her and that there was no place for her with the Vulcans, how is there nowhere else for her in the universe? She couldn’t think of one other planet or organization to join?

I don’t understand what Robin sees in Si Cwan, so I am not too interested in their marital strike. I also don’t understand what Kallinda’s sees in her soon to be husband.

I am interested to see what happens with the Wanderer plot, though I don’t know when I will ever find the other books in the series.

Grade: B