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Star Trek: Legacies #3
Purgatory's Key
The conclusion to the epic trilogy that stretches from the earliest voyages of the Starship Enterprise to Captain Kirk’s historic five-year-mission—and from one universe to another—just in time for the milestone 50th anniversary of Star The Original Series !Eighteen years ago, the Starship Enterprise thwarted an alien invasion from another universe, and Captain Robert April took possession of the interdimensional transfer device that made it possible. Since then, each captain of the Enterprise, from Christopher Pike to James T. Kirk, has guarded this secret with his life.Now, Romulan agents have succeeded in stealing the device and using it to banish Ambassador Sarek and Councillor Gorkon to an unknown realm in the midst of their groundbreaking Federation-Klingon peace negotiations. With time running out as interstellar war looms in one universe—and alien forces marshal in another—will Captain Kirk and his crew preserve the tenuous peace and reclaim the key between the dimensions?, , & 2016 CBS Studios, Inc. STAR TREK and related marks and logos are trademarks of CBS Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 30, 2016
87 people are currently reading
306 people want to read
About the author
Dayton Ward
112 books318 followersDayton is a software developer, having become a slave to Corporate America after spending eleven years in the U.S. Marine Corps. When asked, he’ll tell you that he left home and joined the military soon after high school because he’d grown tired of people telling him what to do all the time.
Ask him sometime how well that worked out.
In addition to the numerous credits he shares with friend and co-writer Kevin Dilmore, he is the author of the Star Trek novels In the Name of Honor and Open Secrets, the science fiction novels The Last World War and The Genesis Protocol, and short stories which have appeared in the first three Star Trek: Strange New Worlds anthologies, the Yard Dog Press anthology Houston, We’ve Got Bubbas, Kansas City Voices Magazine and the Star Trek: New Frontier anthology No Limits. Though he currently lives in Kansas City with wife Michi and daughters Addison and Erin, Dayton is a Florida native and still maintains a torrid long-distance romance with his beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Ask him sometime how well that worked out.
In addition to the numerous credits he shares with friend and co-writer Kevin Dilmore, he is the author of the Star Trek novels In the Name of Honor and Open Secrets, the science fiction novels The Last World War and The Genesis Protocol, and short stories which have appeared in the first three Star Trek: Strange New Worlds anthologies, the Yard Dog Press anthology Houston, We’ve Got Bubbas, Kansas City Voices Magazine and the Star Trek: New Frontier anthology No Limits. Though he currently lives in Kansas City with wife Michi and daughters Addison and Erin, Dayton is a Florida native and still maintains a torrid long-distance romance with his beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
September 12, 2016
The 50th Anniversary event ends uneventfully.
This novel is the third book in a trilogy event to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of “Star Trek”
EXPECTED ENDING
The mission of the Enterprise is one of discovery, not secrecy. Let tht be its tradition for generations to come.
Well, I think that in the draw, choosing which author would write which book in this trilogy, the authors of this third (and final) book got the shortest (or the longest?) straw. Since while in the first book you have a pretty good mystery and the second book you get great character development, in the third one, well, you have the expected ending of the story.
In the first book, you don’t know where the tale will take you, but you’re enjoying the ride, in the second book, you know where you are, and it’s exciting for that, however, in the third book, you take a road without surprises, without much risks, where everything works like a carefully designed domino, where you can glimpse ahead the whole shape of the big picture without having advanced much the narrative.
You can deal with predictability in a book when there is a rich character interaction, but in this third part, the character basically were limited to do what there was expected from them without much passion involved.
Even a surprise cameo (sort of) (no, I won’t tell), in this third book, was quite expected if you liked what it was done in the first book, since it’s (again) the expected thing to do, to complete the expected symmetry.
It’s a well written piece but it’s like when you found the cure of an illness and you already administered the cure to the patient, you know that he/she will get his/her health back, but you need to watch the process of the cure doing its thing to the patient.
Sometimes the “trilogy” thing is a promise of something cool, something epic, but sometimes, I think it’s better to put your efforts in just one book, without trying to extend the narrative in overdetailing and/or scenes without real impact, and in that way you can get those awesome novels of Star Trek of some years ago, where you get without breath and with your mind totally blown after reading such solid one-shot novel, instead of capitalizing in selling three books with a story that it could very well told in just one novel.
THE KEY TO TROUBLES
Things can never be simple, can they?.
The USS Enterprise under command of Captain James T. Kirk is getting back to Libros system to visit again the planet Usilde, in a daring effort to rescue Captain Una, along with her long lost crewmates and other new dissapeared one (during the events of the second book), using the powerful (and dangerous) Transfer Key.
Not just the Libros system is in dispute between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, but also now the Klingon High Command dispatched a battle cruiser with a scientific detail (yes, there aren’t just warriors but also scientist in the Klingon culture. You can’t expect everybody would be a warrior there, can’t you?), so it won’t be a warm welcome, and certainly a complication to fulfill Enterprise’s rescue mission.
Kirk is a priced goal between many Klingon ship commanders, and knowing that he’s going to a clear position will be a too good temptation for warriors looking to redeem their honor and family names.
Meanwhile, Captain Una and its party are trying to figure out what kind of dimension they are and by which rules it runs, since it seems that time and matter don’t work in the same way over there.
This novel is the third book in a trilogy event to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of “Star Trek”
EXPECTED ENDING
The mission of the Enterprise is one of discovery, not secrecy. Let tht be its tradition for generations to come.
Well, I think that in the draw, choosing which author would write which book in this trilogy, the authors of this third (and final) book got the shortest (or the longest?) straw. Since while in the first book you have a pretty good mystery and the second book you get great character development, in the third one, well, you have the expected ending of the story.
In the first book, you don’t know where the tale will take you, but you’re enjoying the ride, in the second book, you know where you are, and it’s exciting for that, however, in the third book, you take a road without surprises, without much risks, where everything works like a carefully designed domino, where you can glimpse ahead the whole shape of the big picture without having advanced much the narrative.
You can deal with predictability in a book when there is a rich character interaction, but in this third part, the character basically were limited to do what there was expected from them without much passion involved.
Even a surprise cameo (sort of) (no, I won’t tell), in this third book, was quite expected if you liked what it was done in the first book, since it’s (again) the expected thing to do, to complete the expected symmetry.
It’s a well written piece but it’s like when you found the cure of an illness and you already administered the cure to the patient, you know that he/she will get his/her health back, but you need to watch the process of the cure doing its thing to the patient.
Sometimes the “trilogy” thing is a promise of something cool, something epic, but sometimes, I think it’s better to put your efforts in just one book, without trying to extend the narrative in overdetailing and/or scenes without real impact, and in that way you can get those awesome novels of Star Trek of some years ago, where you get without breath and with your mind totally blown after reading such solid one-shot novel, instead of capitalizing in selling three books with a story that it could very well told in just one novel.
THE KEY TO TROUBLES
Things can never be simple, can they?.
The USS Enterprise under command of Captain James T. Kirk is getting back to Libros system to visit again the planet Usilde, in a daring effort to rescue Captain Una, along with her long lost crewmates and other new dissapeared one (during the events of the second book), using the powerful (and dangerous) Transfer Key.
Not just the Libros system is in dispute between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, but also now the Klingon High Command dispatched a battle cruiser with a scientific detail (yes, there aren’t just warriors but also scientist in the Klingon culture. You can’t expect everybody would be a warrior there, can’t you?), so it won’t be a warm welcome, and certainly a complication to fulfill Enterprise’s rescue mission.
Kirk is a priced goal between many Klingon ship commanders, and knowing that he’s going to a clear position will be a too good temptation for warriors looking to redeem their honor and family names.
Meanwhile, Captain Una and its party are trying to figure out what kind of dimension they are and by which rules it runs, since it seems that time and matter don’t work in the same way over there.
April 14, 2024
3.5 stars. A perfectly fine conclusion to a strong trilogy, though the weakest of the bunch. The plot development in this final installment was largely foreseeable, holding few surprises. Also, the thread following the characters trapped in the surreal alternate dimension, where thoughts shape reality, became a far fetched and fantastical, and ultimately more than a bit confusing. Still, for the most part, it was a satisfying read with solid character development.
May 28, 2019
I really like this trilogy. The story is excellent, in the best tradition of the series.
And I even didn't get everything I wanted! Which I usually do, that's why I love Star Trek.
POSSIBLY SPOILER, BUT PROBABLY NOT:
I was rooting for one sidestepped character and was hoping for different conclusion for her, because I totally understood where she was coming from and felt her own people didn't treat her right (even they sure did honor their tradition, ungh), but it didn't happen.
Her step to the dark side and grudge she held was too much for what I would have in store for her. But it's still great! Maybe spoiled idealistic expectations of trekkie that refuses to grow up, such as this one, are the part of Star Trek evolution, and it's unavoidable even when it comes to classic series.
Wrinkles bring maturity and all that crap!
And I even didn't get everything I wanted! Which I usually do, that's why I love Star Trek.
POSSIBLY SPOILER, BUT PROBABLY NOT:
I was rooting for one sidestepped character and was hoping for different conclusion for her, because I totally understood where she was coming from and felt her own people didn't treat her right (even they sure did honor their tradition, ungh), but it didn't happen.
Her step to the dark side and grudge she held was too much for what I would have in store for her. But it's still great! Maybe spoiled idealistic expectations of trekkie that refuses to grow up, such as this one, are the part of Star Trek evolution, and it's unavoidable even when it comes to classic series.
Wrinkles bring maturity and all that crap!
September 21, 2025
I found this book at my used bookstore and, of course, it turns out to be the third book in a trilogy. Go figure. Regardless, I enjoyed it anyway without grasping all the nuances.
Sarek, Joanna McCoy (Dr. McCoy's daughter), and Starfleet officers of different periods are trapped in an alternate dimension. Captain Kirk and the crew have an artifact known as the Transfer Key, which can open a dimensional portal to try to retrieve them. Unfortunately, the planet where the device the Transfer Key fits into is in the middle of a problem. The native species, the Usildar, is in danger of having its planet invaded and terraformed by the Jathor, who also happen to be trapped in that other dimension.
Kirk must somehow figure out a way to open the portal, as well as retrieve the missing personnel, and prevent the Jathor from invading. Just to make it more interesting, there is not only a Klingon science team near the device, but the Klingon High Command has sent a Cruiser, the IKS Vron'joQ, to the planet to search for Chancellor Gorkon, who is also trapped in this alternate dimension. Best part? There is one more monkey wrench to be thrown into this mess, and that is Captain Visla of the IKS Qo'Daqh, who is defying High Command and planning on a revenge mission to reclaim her honor and the honor of her ship (She blames Kirk for her son's death).
Thus it must be obvious that this was an interesting story. It was and I enjoyed it. I also liked the Klingon side story and may hunt down Books one and two to get a better idea of how Gorkon got there and how Visla's son died.
Sarek, Joanna McCoy (Dr. McCoy's daughter), and Starfleet officers of different periods are trapped in an alternate dimension. Captain Kirk and the crew have an artifact known as the Transfer Key, which can open a dimensional portal to try to retrieve them. Unfortunately, the planet where the device the Transfer Key fits into is in the middle of a problem. The native species, the Usildar, is in danger of having its planet invaded and terraformed by the Jathor, who also happen to be trapped in that other dimension.
Kirk must somehow figure out a way to open the portal, as well as retrieve the missing personnel, and prevent the Jathor from invading. Just to make it more interesting, there is not only a Klingon science team near the device, but the Klingon High Command has sent a Cruiser, the IKS Vron'joQ, to the planet to search for Chancellor Gorkon, who is also trapped in this alternate dimension. Best part? There is one more monkey wrench to be thrown into this mess, and that is Captain Visla of the IKS Qo'Daqh, who is defying High Command and planning on a revenge mission to reclaim her honor and the honor of her ship (She blames Kirk for her son's death).
Thus it must be obvious that this was an interesting story. It was and I enjoyed it. I also liked the Klingon side story and may hunt down Books one and two to get a better idea of how Gorkon got there and how Visla's son died.
August 21, 2025
loved it this book was a brilliant conclusion to the legacies trilogy the scenes with the Klingons were very well written I liked that the book would go from what was going on with captain una and also what was going on with kirk and the Klingons and there was a very well written scene between Dr McCoy and his daughter that near enough brought a tear to my eye to the two authors who wrote this book I loved it
September 3, 2018
The final installment should have taken familiar advice and gone boldly into the end. Instead it found a quiet route and dropped the excitement that was building nicely. A certain major plot device in book 3 intended to be mysterious and surreal, was indeed unearthly, and yet it was awfully flat and not well defined. It felt anticlimactic after all that great solid action. Overall, I enjoyed the nearly-epic story. Recommended, worthwile, funtimes. Believe it!
April 22, 2020
Ugh..."thoughtspace"...sigh...
I'll make no secret that, whilst I love, absolutely love, beyond a shadow of doubt love, Star Trek, my least favorite ideas that they tackle are when they decide to go all metaphysical. When "thought and space are the same thing" when everything that happens is "all in your mind"...I despise that, almost as much as I despise first-person narrative.
How did the Jatohr, who were existing in this phoney-baloney land constructed only by the minds of the collective consciousness of the other universe in order to help prepare them for the transition to and from our universe, get transported to our universe? These were simply their projections in "thoughtspace" were they not?
How were the hundreds of Usildar who were at no part taking place in the escape from the other universe suddenly all get found by the device and transported back? Makes Sarek's revelation of the collective consciousness and his subsequent journey to combine all the non-Usildar characters into a gestalt being of sorts to get transported back completely pointless and unnecessary, doesn't it?
The Enterprise destroys and/or renders three enemy starships, of near-equivalent strength, from the major powers, with a single shot that penetrates the shields...always hitting the engines of the enemy vessel...always leading to a complete and total cascade failure of all the other systems on the ship...rendering them useless.
And now the Usildar are going to start a Cargo Cult as the Federation continues to deliver them supplies on run after run...whilst the characters simultaneously discuss the damage that is done to "primitive" cultures by "advanced" ones...
And, I'm never a fan of sappy, endings with the characters gushing all over each other with how wonderful they all are and how much they all love each other...and no fear of consequences for our obvious reckless behavior. The ends do not justify the means...even on the "good guy" side.
But...that being said...
I did, overall enjoy this series of novels. However, that enjoyment lessened from book to book to book. If you like Star Trek, I would still recommend this series, but not before I recommended others.
I'll make no secret that, whilst I love, absolutely love, beyond a shadow of doubt love, Star Trek, my least favorite ideas that they tackle are when they decide to go all metaphysical. When "thought and space are the same thing" when everything that happens is "all in your mind"...I despise that, almost as much as I despise first-person narrative.
How did the Jatohr, who were existing in this phoney-baloney land constructed only by the minds of the collective consciousness of the other universe in order to help prepare them for the transition to and from our universe, get transported to our universe? These were simply their projections in "thoughtspace" were they not?
How were the hundreds of Usildar who were at no part taking place in the escape from the other universe suddenly all get found by the device and transported back? Makes Sarek's revelation of the collective consciousness and his subsequent journey to combine all the non-Usildar characters into a gestalt being of sorts to get transported back completely pointless and unnecessary, doesn't it?
The Enterprise destroys and/or renders three enemy starships, of near-equivalent strength, from the major powers, with a single shot that penetrates the shields...always hitting the engines of the enemy vessel...always leading to a complete and total cascade failure of all the other systems on the ship...rendering them useless.
And now the Usildar are going to start a Cargo Cult as the Federation continues to deliver them supplies on run after run...whilst the characters simultaneously discuss the damage that is done to "primitive" cultures by "advanced" ones...
And, I'm never a fan of sappy, endings with the characters gushing all over each other with how wonderful they all are and how much they all love each other...and no fear of consequences for our obvious reckless behavior. The ends do not justify the means...even on the "good guy" side.
But...that being said...
I did, overall enjoy this series of novels. However, that enjoyment lessened from book to book to book. If you like Star Trek, I would still recommend this series, but not before I recommended others.
September 1, 2016
Dayton Ward, and-sometimes, Kevin Dilmore, too, always seems to have the task of cleaning up the ass-end of others messes. PURGATORY'S KEY (Book 3 in the #StarTrek50 #Legacies series) is no exception, as these two stalwart Trekkers push the edge of the TOS envelope; proving, yet-again, this duo (along with Greg Cox and David Mack) have all the right stuff. This 50th-Anniversary series has been a phenomenal ride; bringing back many favorite characters and species, creating new ones and pitting three of the Enterprise's captains against a well thought out indomitable foe in the Jatohr, whom have plans for universal domination. You'll never look at snails the same way, again. My question is: When are Dayton and Kevin going to get to *start* one of these messes?
July 4, 2021
Der dritte Teile der Star Trek Legacies-Trilogie bringt ein erwartetes und versöhnliches Ende, dazwischen entwickelt sich aber eine durchaus spannende und emotionale Geschichte, die dem Leser einige bisher vernachlässigte Charaktere, näherbringt. Die ENTERPRISE unter Captain Kirk ist unterwegs zum Planeten, auf dem sich die Festung der Fremden aus einem anderen Universum befindet. Sie wollen Captain Una mit ihren verschollenen Mannschaftskameraden mit Hilfe des interdimensionalen Transferschlüssels retten, den sie sich wieder gesichert haben. Darüberhinaus haben sie noch die Hoffnung, dass sich in diesem Universum auch Spocks Vater Sarek, McCoys Tocher Joanna und der klingonische Diplomat Gorkon befinden, nachdem sie von Romulanern mit diesem Transferschlüssel dorthin abgestrahlt wurden...
Diese Trilogie war ein Geschenk an die Star Trek Fans zum 50. Geburtstag der Serie. (obwohl mir der deutsche Beitrag. "Star Trek – Prometheus" von Bernd Perplies und Christian Humberg zu diesem 50-jährigen Jubiläum etwas besser gefallen hat)
Das Eintauchen in die Abenteuer der TOS-Enterprise-Crew funktioniert gut. Die Charaktere haben ihren klassischen Charme, die Sprüche stimmen und selbst die Klingonen benehmen sich wie sie es sollten. Die Idee mit dem Transferschlüssel klang interessant wie auch dieses fremde Universum. Wo in Band eins noch die Aliens interessant waren, im 2. Band die romulanische Spionin und Joanna McCoy, so sind es jetzt Sarek und Amanda. Die Einbindung einiger Ereignisse aus vergangenen Filmen oder Episoden sind herrlich gelungen. Alles in allem ein gelungenes Lese-Abenteuer, und nicht nur, für Star Trek Fans...
Diese Trilogie war ein Geschenk an die Star Trek Fans zum 50. Geburtstag der Serie. (obwohl mir der deutsche Beitrag. "Star Trek – Prometheus" von Bernd Perplies und Christian Humberg zu diesem 50-jährigen Jubiläum etwas besser gefallen hat)
Das Eintauchen in die Abenteuer der TOS-Enterprise-Crew funktioniert gut. Die Charaktere haben ihren klassischen Charme, die Sprüche stimmen und selbst die Klingonen benehmen sich wie sie es sollten. Die Idee mit dem Transferschlüssel klang interessant wie auch dieses fremde Universum. Wo in Band eins noch die Aliens interessant waren, im 2. Band die romulanische Spionin und Joanna McCoy, so sind es jetzt Sarek und Amanda. Die Einbindung einiger Ereignisse aus vergangenen Filmen oder Episoden sind herrlich gelungen. Alles in allem ein gelungenes Lese-Abenteuer, und nicht nur, für Star Trek Fans...
June 19, 2021
This is an excellent story of Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise. In fact, this trilogy is their first mission. It is fantastic how large sections of the story are told from the point of view of Klingons who are learning of Kirk, Spock and the Enterprise and their new influence in space. Other parts of the story are told by other members of the United Federation of Planets.
December 5, 2018
3.5 stars. I had such high hopes for this book. I remember thinking at the end of the last book in the series, "It's all coming together, and they just need to do this and this!" and that isn't what happened at all. The plot moved incredibly slowly, until the climax exploded on the scene, at which point everything happened at once. And then the wheels came back off for the resolution. I'm delighted I finished the trilogy, but I'm left with the nagging feeling it could have been better.
November 22, 2016
This book was ok but I thought could have been better. The trilogy started with a bang and ended with a SO-so ending. For a 50th anniversary it was ok but I was expecting something more grander.
December 8, 2016
Favorable, if unremarkable, conclusion to a trilogy that didn't quite live up to expectations.
December 28, 2021
In this final installment of the Legacies Trilogy, Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore competently, predictably, and satisfyingly conclude the Citadel/Transfer Key arc.
As hinted at above, this is a very safe ending to the trilogy. There's nothing in this ending that will shock readers. There are certain things that simply had to happen in this book, and Ward and Dilmore make sure to tick all of those boxes. This makes the book overall somewhat predictable, but it is satisfying and enjoyable nonetheless.
I found the beginning of the book to be the weakest part. The first hundred pages felt like a "previously on" segment and really didn't advance the story more. As a result, that was the hardest section of the book to get through.
However, the rest of the book was well paced and very exciting. Ward and Dilmore wisely put a time-limit on when the Enterprise Crew could rescue the people in the other dimension. This made the ending quick and action packed and kept me on the edge of my seat...even though it was fairly obvious how it would all end.
Some of the standout characters in this book are the minor characters. J'Teglyr served as a different klingon, who was willing to fight if necessary, but desired to avoid bloodshed at all costs. Visla, on the other hand, wanted only revenge and warfare and served as an excellent foil for J'Teglyr.
Of the more major characters, Amanda Grayson took the front seat of this book, and I hadn't read much about her previously, This book definitely makes me interested in reading more about her and about Sarek's relationship.
I really wished we got more of Gorkon, as he's one of my favorite characters in Star Trek. However, there are very understandable reasons why Ward and Dilmore had to keep Gorkon off the page, so I don't fault them for that necessarily.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed this book. It definitely had the weakest portion of any book in the trilogy, but the heights of this book are close to the heights reached in books 1 and 2. I'd give this book a 7.0 out of 10! Good job Ward and Dilmore.
As hinted at above, this is a very safe ending to the trilogy. There's nothing in this ending that will shock readers. There are certain things that simply had to happen in this book, and Ward and Dilmore make sure to tick all of those boxes. This makes the book overall somewhat predictable, but it is satisfying and enjoyable nonetheless.
I found the beginning of the book to be the weakest part. The first hundred pages felt like a "previously on" segment and really didn't advance the story more. As a result, that was the hardest section of the book to get through.
However, the rest of the book was well paced and very exciting. Ward and Dilmore wisely put a time-limit on when the Enterprise Crew could rescue the people in the other dimension. This made the ending quick and action packed and kept me on the edge of my seat...even though it was fairly obvious how it would all end.
Some of the standout characters in this book are the minor characters. J'Teglyr served as a different klingon, who was willing to fight if necessary, but desired to avoid bloodshed at all costs. Visla, on the other hand, wanted only revenge and warfare and served as an excellent foil for J'Teglyr.
Of the more major characters, Amanda Grayson took the front seat of this book, and I hadn't read much about her previously, This book definitely makes me interested in reading more about her and about Sarek's relationship.
I really wished we got more of Gorkon, as he's one of my favorite characters in Star Trek. However, there are very understandable reasons why Ward and Dilmore had to keep Gorkon off the page, so I don't fault them for that necessarily.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed this book. It definitely had the weakest portion of any book in the trilogy, but the heights of this book are close to the heights reached in books 1 and 2. I'd give this book a 7.0 out of 10! Good job Ward and Dilmore.
January 4, 2022
This ends the adventures of Captain Una and her comrades. Nice story told over three books with action, new technology, the formidable characters of Star Trek TOS, and, as always, an impeccable Robert Peckoff narrating the story.
August 6, 2017
Good strong finish to a fun trilogy, enjoyed it and highly recommend!
February 13, 2019
If it's a Star Trek book...pretty much I will like it. Kudos to all those who keep the series alive in the books.
December 12, 2019
Well. This trilogy was my first endeavor into audiobooks. The audio part aka the narrator was the only redeeming quality. This was a full week of me listening to garbage, and I love Star Trek! Did not need to be three books AT ALL.
July 14, 2018
Overall, not a bad story—it really works on the emotional levels, which is only natural as so many characters had family of one sort or another in the game. Spock had his parents Sarek and Amanda to deal with, the troubled relationship between Dr McCoy and daughter Joanna is explored and Capt Una continued her quest to rescue her missing crewmates from years ago. However, the thing that bugs me about this trilogy is that everyone is going to walk away with a slap on the wrist. This whole business with the Transfer Key should have ended the careers of Captains Kirk and Una and Mr Spock as well as tainted the legacies of Captains Pike and April. There were falsified Starfleet records involved as well as a decades-long conspiracy of secrecy that led directly to massive loss of life and property on Centaurus as well as placing the balance of power in the Alpha Quadrant in jeapordy. It’s just not plausible that all that seems in the future for these characters is a mere procedural review that will be heavily influenced by an implied benign version of the “Good Ol’ Boy” network that will be expected reduce the consequences for everyone down to the bare minimum if that.
Currently I’m going to let the three star rating stand, but I’m now slightly uncomfortable with it as I have now stated my objections concretely. In a few days I may change it to two stars, as well as retroactively downgrade my rating for the first two in the series, Captain to Captain and Best Defence (no knock on Greg Cox or David Mack’s storytelling, but why start something that will end so implausibly?).
Currently I’m going to let the three star rating stand, but I’m now slightly uncomfortable with it as I have now stated my objections concretely. In a few days I may change it to two stars, as well as retroactively downgrade my rating for the first two in the series, Captain to Captain and Best Defence (no knock on Greg Cox or David Mack’s storytelling, but why start something that will end so implausibly?).
December 1, 2016
A wonderful conclusion to a well written trilogy. If Goodreads allowed half stars, my rating would be 4.5. What keeps this from being a five star novel is the added Klingon threat in this final act. I understand Visla's arc and how it was made to connect with the previous novel, but it was the least engaging plot thread of this novel. I would have loved more Una and scenes from the alternate dimension as she played a lesser part after the first novel. My favorite parts all had to do with either Bones, Joanna, Amanda and Sarek - parts I'm sure that bored others to tears, but really this trilogy has something for everyone. I quite enjoyed that Ward and Dilmore kept one character's point of view in a chapter instead of hastily cutting mid-chapter. I wish more Trek novels would use this method, it's easier to keep up with which character we are dealing with.
November 10, 2016
This is a fine conclusion to a fine trilogy. This book could almost stand on its own; the background information that is needed to fill in the background from the previous two books is presented in a relatively seamless way, and is not overly distracting. The storyline for this book is interesting in itself, and the overall plot for the series is wrapped up nicely here. The characters are handled well, and with a very few exceptions the writing is smooth and professional. Highly recommended to any Star Trek fan.
December 17, 2016
A competent and mostly fun ending to the Legacies trilogy. There are a lot of high-minded concepts in this story that were fun to see play out. While I felt that some of the action and excitement from book two was missing in this third part, it was still on par with other Star Trek adventures that I have enjoyed. Again, not quite at the level of the second book, but certainly above the first book in the series. 4 out of 5 stars is my rating for Purgatory's Key!
Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2016/12/L...
Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2016/12/L...
September 11, 2020
Maybe I’m getting tired of Star Trek books after reading about 200 of them over the last 45 years but I couldn’t get excited about this trilogy no matter how much I wanted to. It was interesting getting to know Number One a little better but that’s about it. Too many insignificant side plots. A confusing environment that just bored me and an invading race that seemed unworthy of the attention of my favorite starship and her crew. A real slog to get through.
August 5, 2019
Wanted to like this. Long lumbering slog that has McCoy's daughter and Spock's dad trapped in another realm and they aspire to return to their rightful universe. Folks on the Enterprise aspire to bring the lost back, meanwhile they face multiple baddies. Much rehashing of past events. TOO LONG of a wind down.
August 21, 2018
It was alright, nothing special, and certainly not nearly as well-plotted or written as the Legacies Book #2. As with all three books in the trilogy, this one focused a lot on Captain Una, which I liked since she's an interesting Illyrian character. So, yeah, okay but nothing great.
September 12, 2016
Didn't get super into this trilogy but it was well written and had it's moments.
October 24, 2016
50th Anniversary triobooks read Trekkers and Trekies. These books are excellent for reading.
September 7, 2018
The first book was really fun and exciting, with a lot of possibility. The second was... all right. The third was just a slough.
Read
June 10, 2022At some point I will need to read this trilogy again to really appreciate it but overall and based on this first pass I really enjoyed it. The whole series feels pretty balanced with Number One getting a primary amount of focus in book one and then an expansion into the rest of the legacy characters in the next two books.
If you’re a fan of Chekov, you will find he has some shining moments in the second two books of the trilogy and this third book in particular has some nice scenes involving McCoy’s daughter and Sarek. As with the previous volumes, this book does a good job playing with the parts available in the Star Trek universe and appropriately pays respect to the things that we have come to love so much.
This third book is a nice microcosm of what makes Trek great, in my opinion. It has some good action in it but also an intriguing concept relating to alternate universes out there. There is some great heroism and sacrifice from compelling characters. I will admit that some of the technical aspects of the story went over my head a little but for the most part the authors keep it pretty well under control.
The alien species in this is really interesting, as well as the universe in which they reside. I made this comment in my review of the first book but as these aliens take a larger role than in book two, we have again the usage of the odd gender pronouns. And as I said before, the only reason I’m bringing it up is because I’m listening to the book on audio and every time I hear it read aloud it takes me out of the story because for the life of me I can’t figure out what the word is. Maybe if I was reading it myself it wouldn’t be as much of an issue.
I enjoyed all three of these books and found the premise to be 100% Trek. Compelling tension and action around an intriguing dilemma and some cool technology as well. This trilogy was conceived as a celebration of the anniversary of Star Trek and to me, this goal was nicely achieved.
If you’re a fan of Chekov, you will find he has some shining moments in the second two books of the trilogy and this third book in particular has some nice scenes involving McCoy’s daughter and Sarek. As with the previous volumes, this book does a good job playing with the parts available in the Star Trek universe and appropriately pays respect to the things that we have come to love so much.
This third book is a nice microcosm of what makes Trek great, in my opinion. It has some good action in it but also an intriguing concept relating to alternate universes out there. There is some great heroism and sacrifice from compelling characters. I will admit that some of the technical aspects of the story went over my head a little but for the most part the authors keep it pretty well under control.
The alien species in this is really interesting, as well as the universe in which they reside. I made this comment in my review of the first book but as these aliens take a larger role than in book two, we have again the usage of the odd gender pronouns. And as I said before, the only reason I’m bringing it up is because I’m listening to the book on audio and every time I hear it read aloud it takes me out of the story because for the life of me I can’t figure out what the word is. Maybe if I was reading it myself it wouldn’t be as much of an issue.
I enjoyed all three of these books and found the premise to be 100% Trek. Compelling tension and action around an intriguing dilemma and some cool technology as well. This trilogy was conceived as a celebration of the anniversary of Star Trek and to me, this goal was nicely achieved.
July 21, 2020
In my recent delve into Star Trek novels I had a discussion with a coworker who said he didn't really enjoy this trilogy and he only finished it out of spite (basically. He's very polite and didn't use that phrasing but that was the gist of it). I didn't have that problem. At all. I really loved the whole trilogy.
This book wasn't as tense and action packed as the previous two in the series but it was still a good read.
Rather than focusing on action and conflict, it spent a lot of time working on letting the characters (and the readers) come to terms with their emotions and reactions to the stressful events and circumstances that had led up to this book. It was nice to see them taking the time to care about each other and acknowledge each others' grief and fears.
Just some thoughts I had while reading:
-Sarek and Amanda are the absolute cutest and that's all I have to say about that. The Absolute Cutest. Also, Sarek interacting with Klingons is still and shall probably always be my favorite part of the whole series.
-Joanna McCoy is a saint and I would die for her.
-Jim trying to make a joke to make Spock feel better and Spock acknowledging the joke and stating that he appreciated the intent literally made me tear up.
- The Amanda/Bones solidarity was gold.
Anyway. All in all it was a solid ending that concluded very neatly, if not a little anticlimactically. There was some tension at the end with the "Will they make it in time, oh gosh they're not gonna make it, oh no" mentality coming into play a bit but mostly... you know they're gonna make it in time. My experience with Last Books in things is that you don't read them to find out What happens, cause usually by that point you know what has to happen, you read them to find out How it happens. So I didn't mind the fact that it was a little slower than the other two in the trilogy.
This book wasn't as tense and action packed as the previous two in the series but it was still a good read.
Rather than focusing on action and conflict, it spent a lot of time working on letting the characters (and the readers) come to terms with their emotions and reactions to the stressful events and circumstances that had led up to this book. It was nice to see them taking the time to care about each other and acknowledge each others' grief and fears.
Just some thoughts I had while reading:
-Sarek and Amanda are the absolute cutest and that's all I have to say about that. The Absolute Cutest. Also, Sarek interacting with Klingons is still and shall probably always be my favorite part of the whole series.
-Joanna McCoy is a saint and I would die for her.
-Jim trying to make a joke to make Spock feel better and Spock acknowledging the joke and stating that he appreciated the intent literally made me tear up.
- The Amanda/Bones solidarity was gold.
Anyway. All in all it was a solid ending that concluded very neatly, if not a little anticlimactically. There was some tension at the end with the "Will they make it in time, oh gosh they're not gonna make it, oh no" mentality coming into play a bit but mostly... you know they're gonna make it in time. My experience with Last Books in things is that you don't read them to find out What happens, cause usually by that point you know what has to happen, you read them to find out How it happens. So I didn't mind the fact that it was a little slower than the other two in the trilogy.
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