Stone and Anvil [Hardcover]

After reading only a few of his novels, you feel as if you really know the characters on a personal basis in his corner of the ST universe, and 'Stone & Anvil' is no exception.

The overall theme of the book, which may not be apparent at first is the deeper origin of Capt. Mackenzie Calhoun. Think of this novel as Calhoun: Year One. We get to see Mac's first days in the academy, more on his home planet, how he first met 'Eppie', and how he became the new James T. Kirk of his era.

However, all this back-story feeds into the more crucial, upfront story: the murder of shipmate Gleau as was the cliffhanger in the previous novel. Is Ensign Janos involved? As the murder mystery unravels, as is so with any Peter David novel, all is not what it seems, and there are some very original plot twists that will have ST fans ecstatic at past references.

The only issue I had with this novel, and I can understand the method in which it was used, was that every other chapter bounced between 'Now' & 'Then'. Meaning, chapter one takes place in the present Next Generation timeline, while chapter 2 find a young Calhoun entering Starfleet Academy. And thus for the remaining of the book the reader must shift gears between past and present.

Why this was a hardcover, and not a soft, I don't understand. While a good book, there was no 'earth-shattering' events that are usually reserved for hard covers. And I seemed to have missed any cliffhanger. I guess the next novel will start a new storyline altogether, something that seems out of place for a Peter David ST novel.

The academy days were outstanding, not only do we find out how Mackenzie met Shelby, but we also find out why Jellico dislikes him, and how Calhoun handles the Kobayashi Maru test.

I was hesitant about this novel because I dislike Star Trek "detective" stories. Fortunately, this isn't the case (at least not mainly). Instead the story flows naturally and ends with an ending...not a cliffhanger.

In fact, the only small item that irritated me was a couple of lines said by Ambassador Spock that included a bit too much colloquialism.

This is a excellent novel, and it should be a movie. Better yet, Peter David could revitalize Star Trek series from the Voyager and Enterprise disasters.