Author: Keith R.A. DeCandido
Pages: 288
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Published: September 1, 2001
Publisher: Pocket Books
View on Goodreads
Date Completed: June 23, 2025
My rating: 
Thoughts
This book continues the Gateways saga as a part of the Deep Space Nine relaunch (i.e., post-series) storyline. It does one better than the other, but it is still a fantastic book.
One thing I really liked about this book was a different perspective on “the big meeting” with Admiral Ross, Captain Picard, and other starship captains and first officers across the quadrant. Specifically, this connects to the Next Generation and New Frontier stories since this is well after The Original Series and Challenger and Voyager is still stuck in the Delta Quadrant. I just thought this meeting makes these stories feel connected in a way that other crossover stories can’t or don’t.
The main storyline for the Niners is the evacuation of Europa Nova. I thought it was a clever way of incorporating Delta Quadrant species in an Alpha Quadrant story. Basically, the Malon (from Voyager) are dumping toxic waste through a space gateway and it is polluting a planet full of human colonists. The drawback to this storyline was the Hirogen “threat” which was not a threat at all really. Or it didn’t need to be. There could have been some diplomatic workings with the Malon or something. Buuuut, that wouldn’t have been as exciting as a fight between a Hirogen and a Jem’Hadar. So there’s that…
This book also featured Nog and Shar investigating the reasons there are no gateways within 10 light years of Bajor. I liked this part of the story, but at the same time the majority of it was to further Shar’s story in the greater DS9 relaunch saga. With no resolution to that part of the story, this could leave some readers wanting (e.g., those that are not reading the other DS9 relaunch books).
The Quark and Ro storyline was very well done. It was great to find out what Gaila has been up to. But for the purposes of the Gateways books, this storyline actually solves some the mystery – and the connection to the Original Series entry, One Small Step.
Overall, this was a fast-paced story (for the most part) and kept me interested throughout. Although it had a few detractors, I would give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. I can’t wait to get into the next Gateways book in a month or so!
