Product Description

With the civil war on Romulus averted, Kirk is finally free to seek out the truth behind the death of his oldest and closest friend. Was Spock killed by the shadowy organisation known as the Totality? A generous offer from Starfleet provides him with the starship he needs in order to reach his goal. Their only proviso: that they can call on his help if they need him. But what happened to Spock is not Kirk's only worry: Joseph, his son, is rebelling wildly against the restrictions placed on him as the price of Romulan peace. Is the Totality somehow also linked to Joseph's rage? But before he can find the answers to either troubling question, Kirk receives a call from Admiral Janeway, telling him she needs him to save the Federation. Torn between his mission and his duty, the cause of the Federation must claim him one more time before he can turn his attention either to his friend or to his son. Pop culture icon William Shatner returns with another breathtaking Star Trek adventure in which both generations must battle an unstoppable enemy for the existence of all life in this galaxy - and beyond.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #363195 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 368 pages

About the Author
William Shatner is known to millions as the actor who played Captain James T. Kirk throughout the original Star Trek television series and several movies. He is now a bestselling science fiction author.

Customer Reviews

Captain's Glory - aptly named!!!
Well it took two and a half years but the final part of this trilogy is finally out. I was slightly disappointed by the first two books in the 'Totality' trilogy so I didn't have high hopes for this one, but I am pleased to report this was well worth the wait. Shatner seems to have returned to the heart of the Star Trek ethos for inspiration and has delivered a powerful, exciting and emotional drama. Truly a story of light versus dark, the Totality is revealed to be composed of dark energy and dark matter. While highly speculative this is a clever idea and grounds the story in 'known' science - something the series did quite well - which gives the plot a lot of credibility. While the focus is still clearly on Kirk - as it should be - this time the other characters, especially Picard and Riker, play an important role and are involved in the action. And speaking of action there is plenty of it, with some clever and inventive starship battles, making good use of both the Enterprise and Kirk's new ship the 'Belle Reve'. These days it is hard for writers to come up with new and exciting ways to present combat sequences as it all seems to have been done before, but Shatner does manage to spring the odd surprise here and there.
I also liked the fact that instead of using exotic alien planets much of the adventure takes place within the confines of our solar system. This material is well researched and gives readers interesting points of reference that seem familiar but at the same time provide an excellent setting for the futuristic action. The climax actually takes place on Vulcan, but to Star Trek fans that also feels quite familiar as well.
Having said all this the novel is not without its' flaws. Some of the emotional drama does seem a little rehashed from previous books, and the complexity of the plot and its' reliance on having the reader remember details from the other books can make it a little hard to follow in places. Personally though, I tend to enjoy Star Trek novels that challenge the readers' knowledge of the whole Star Trek universe - its' history and events - and this one does that very well. There are actually references to every incarnation of Star Trek which is a nice tip of the hat to the whole franchise. On a side note I would suggest that before reading this novel people probably should re-read the first two books in the series, and for added value watch the original series episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before" and the Next Generation episode "The Chase" as well.
All in all, despite its' weaker moments - the ending seems drawn out a little bit longer than was necessary - this is a classic Star Trek adventure and if, as the rumours suggest, this is William Shatner's last Star Trek novel, it is a great way to go out.

Satisfying, but not groundbreaking
By all rights any book with William Shatner's name on it as author should give you pause to think if this is really going to be any good - and yet this ongoing series continues to be a satisfying continuation of the adventures of not just Captain Kirk, but to a lesser extent (much lesser, in the case of this book) Scotty, McCoy and Spock.
This novel finally resolves the on going story of `The Totality', and offers some conclusion to the question marks over Kirk's son, which have been hinted at in the previous novels. And quite a neat conclusion it is too. Shatner (or more accurately, his chosen ghostwriters, Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens), manage not to fall into the trap too much of `alien of the week baddy', and have a reasonable sci-fi concept at the heart of the novel. As such, the `techy' stuff does not overshadow the character stuff.
Having said that, the character stuff is all about Kirk, and in reading about Shatner's version of the ongoing story of Kirk, it's difficult not to see some wish-fulfilment of Shatner included (beautiful, exotic and devoted wife? Incredibly gifted and unique son with yet to be revealed significant destiny? Powers of command which outdo all his nearest rivals..?). The characterisation of other characters in the Star Trek world (Janeway, Riker, Picard, The Doctor etc) all play second fiddle to the legend of Kirk. But all told, the fun of these books IS that these characters get to exist in the same universe and interact at all.
If you read the first couple of books in this series, you'll enjoy this conclusion. If you did not enjoy them, don't look for anything new, but your curiosity might just be satisfied to know that there is a reason for The Totality, and Kirks son does have a raison d'etre... If you did not read the others, don't waste your money here, but you can start at the beginning knowing there IS a conclusion out there...