This book follows on directly from the events of previous Next Generation book Resistance. Starfleet have a freshly defeated and "believed" dead Borg Cube to investigate, something Admiral Kathryn Janeway simply must say for herself, despite a warning from the female Q. And Picard's Starfleet career is hanging in the balance following his disobeying a direct order from Janeway - despite the fact that the result of his actions saved Earth from attack by the Borg.

Seven of Nine suspects that all is not as it seems with the Borg cube, and despite being ordered by Starfleet not to leave Earth, arranges passage on a smuggler's vessel and evades her Starfleet pursuers. Now Seven, Picard and Ambassador Spock must decide whether to follow orders or to once again go against the Starfleet higher-ups with the fate of Earth hanging on their decisions.

Plus points first - Peter David is one of the finest Trek writers; the book contains the Borg, the greatest of all Trek villains; and we get to visit with the female Q again. On the downside though, there is a bit of a feeling of been there, done that about this book. As viewers of the TV series and the films and readers of the books we have been through seemingly countless Borg adventures. The worry then is that this contains little new stuff.

In some ways this is very true. This book is not as fresh as early volumes, especially given its closely following on from another Borg book. But there is much to recommend this. David knows these characters and this Universe exceedingly well, and writes them exactly as they were in the shows. His prose is immensely readable, just picking this book up will sees a couple of dozen pages flash by. And, when it comes down to it, he entertains.

There is one refreshing aspect to this book - and to recent Next Generation books in general. This is not the Enterprise crew of old. Okay some of the members are still present (Picard, LaForge, Worf and Crusher) but Riker and Troi are now aboard the Titan and Data is dead - so this Enterprise crew includes some new faces. And their presence has brought a certain friction to the previously harmonious ship. David plays this wonderfully well, increasing the lack of understanding between these new characters and the old guard of Enterprise past to breaking point.

This is not Peter David's best Trek book by any means, but it is a good read.

Synopsis
To the disbelief of Starfleet Command, and especially of Admiral Janeway, the Borg were not vanquished when the USS Voyager destroyed their transwarp conduits. A disabled Borg cube seems to hold the answers to why the Borg are now striking out and killing, without troubling to assimilate their prey. Admiral Janeway, Seven of Nine and a team of Federation scientists know they don't have much time to stop the threat. Meanwhile Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise, who barely defeated the Borg who were trapped in Federation space, turn to Ambassador Spock for help. Can they discover what lies behind these strange and chilling developments before the Borg can make their triumphant return?