Rating: 
Summary: Astoundingly disappointing.
Review: After having read all the Gateways novels (except TOS, which I skimmed), I was *so* ready to read this book, so ready to learn the fates of all my favorite characters and to learn once and for all what happens with the gateways! Oh...(heavy sigh), well, I *did* learn fates, and I *did* learn what happens with the gateways, but...but...it was all just so, so - not to put too fine a point on it - dull. The individual novels were *much* more entertaining than these little "conclusions."I agree with other reviewers who've said these stories might have been better received had they stayed with their original novels, rather than gone into their own book (hardcover, no less). An ugly little marketing ploy, methinks, and one I shall be on the lookout for in the future. While all the stories contained the predictable amount of adventure, humor and hijinks, and the TNG installment sewed up the Iconian connection, none of them were what I'd call keepers. We got some good Bajoran history, a goofy Q story, some ice and snow, time jumps and dead people, and an impressive amount of continuity, but for the most part, yawn. Some advice: *Definitely* read the individual novels first (TOS, too, if you're into it), but don't read them exactly in the order they are numbered. Save TNG until last, instead of in the Book Three spot it's in. That's the order the final stories appear in this book (TOS, CH, DS9, VOY, NF, TNG), and it made more sense that way. Also, don't bother buying it unless you absolutely *must* have an entire set, and even then, wait for the paperback at the second-hand book store, which shouldn't be long in coming. That having been said, another reason you might want to have this particular book in your collection is for the pretty darned incredible "Pocket Books Star Trek Novel Timeline" in the back. Twenty-six pages worth, including everything from Strange New Worlds stories to audio and ebooks through December 2001. Mighty impressive, I must say.
Rating: 
Summary: A very mixed bag
Review: Although publishing the last part as a hardcover is a marketing decision I am not too happy about, if I really enjoyed the book after reading it I don`t mind the extra cost any more. I like short stories and welcomed the idea of getting a collection of stories featuring each captain. But first of all I was hoping for an exciting finale and that at least some of these captains will actually meet and work together. Some of these stories are excellent. My favourite is the NF story "Death after Life" which shows a very important development in the relationship of captains Calhoun and Shelby which will not only have consequences for their marriage but also gave some very interesting insights into Calhoun and his Xenexian heritage. I loved it. It is a well written, very touching story. I also liked the DS9 story a lot which offers an interesting look at Bajor`s distant past and how it formed this society today. The decision Kira made at the end of the story will have consequences for future DS9 Relaunch books. The Challenger story was good as well although I very much disliked the continuation of the story dealing with Bonifay. The TOS story isn`t my taste, the VOY one is nice but nothing special and the TNG one which was chosen to bring the overall story to a conclusion was average at best which was a big disappointment to me. It lacks passion and is hardly thrilling. At least it offers all the answers but everything was so easy and convenient. What disappointed me most is that the huge opportunity to allow these captains to actually meet and work together was wasted. It is nevertheless a crossover but at best such contacts happen over the com link. Nevertheless, I don`t consider this book a waste of money because I wouldn`t have wanted to miss some of these stories.
Rating:
Summary: can be skipped without losing continuity
Review: Gateways What Lay Beyond is a compilation of the conclusions to all of the Star Trek Gateways series. Personally I only read "Horn and Ivory" which is the conclusion to the Deep Space Nine Gateways series. There is nothing astounding to the conclusion. First of all, I will warn everyone that spoilers follow. So stop reading now if you want don't want to know what happens. The whole story is focused on Kira, none of the other DS9 crew plays a role. In the last Gateways book, we find Kira stranded on a deserted planet in the Delta Quadrant dieing of theta radiation poisoning and Taranatar recovering from a brutal fight with a Hirogen. We also know that at the end of the last Gateways book, Kira staggers into a gateway that keeps flashing between two places. We would expect something to happen like her being returned to DS9 or Bajor but that's not quite what happens. After staggering into the Gateway, Kira is transported to a familiar planet 30,000 years in the past. The rest of the story has nothing to do with solving the mystery of the Gateways, it only opens up more questions. Not until the final chapter do we find out what happened with the evacuation. It's a nice litte story, but you can easily skip it and go on to the Deep Space Nine Gamma series.
Rating:
Summary: can be skipped without losing continuity
Review: Gateways What Lay Beyond is a compilation of the conclusions to all of the Star Trek Gateways series. Personally I only read "Horn and Ivory" which is the conclusion to the Deep Space Nine Gateways series. There is nothing astounding to the conclusion. First of all, I will warn everyone that spoilers follow. So stop reading now if you want don't want to know what happens. The whole story is focused on Kira, none of the other DS9 crew plays a role. In the last Gateways book, we find Kira stranded on a deserted planet in the Delta Quadrant dieing of theta radiation poisoning and Taranatar recovering from a brutal fight with a Hirogen. We also know that at the end of the last Gateways book, Kira staggers into a gateway that keeps flashing between two places. We would expect something to happen like her being returned to DS9 or Bajor but that's not quite what happens. After staggering into the Gateway, Kira is transported to a familiar planet 30,000 years in the past. The rest of the story has nothing to do with solving the mystery of the Gateways, it only opens up more questions. Not until the final chapter do we find out what happened with the evacuation. It's a nice litte story, but you can easily skip it and go on to the Deep Space Nine Gamma series.
Rating:
Summary: can be skipped without losing continuity
Review: Gateways What Lay Beyond is a compilation of the conclusions to all of the Star Trek Gateways series. Personally I only read "Horn and Ivory" which is the conclusion to the Deep Space Nine Gateways series. There is nothing astounding to the conclusion. First of all, I will warn everyone that spoilers follow. So stop reading now if you want don't want to know what happens. The whole story is focused on Kira, none of the other DS9 crew plays a role. In the last Gateways book, we find Kira stranded on a deserted planet in the Delta Quadrant dieing of theta radiation poisoning and Taranatar recovering from a brutal fight with a Hirogen. We also know that at the end of the last Gateways book, Kira staggers into a gateway that keeps flashing between two places. We would expect something to happen like her being returned to DS9 or Bajor but that's not quite what happens. After staggering into the Gateway, Kira is transported to a familiar planet 30,000 years in the past. The rest of the story has nothing to do with solving the mystery of the Gateways, it only opens up more questions. Not until the final chapter do we find out what happened with the evacuation. It's a nice litte story, but you can easily skip it and go on to the Deep Space Nine Gamma series.
Rating: 
Summary: Could have been better
Review: Gateways What Lay Beyond was a great disappointment as was the entire series. The individual novels were only loosely connected. Most people probably thought that this last book was going to draw the stories together in a grand finale. That it didnt do. The Challenger segment was at least related to what transpired in the novel as was the TNG story which was the best of the short stories here. The New Frontier story had absolutely nothing to do with the novel or the Gateways and could have easily been left out. Keith DeCandido's DS9 short story though well written didnt have the least thing to do with his DS9 novel nor the Gateways. Kira fans would like it. The Voyager story explains rather poorly the orgin of the Gateways. The TOS story is just about as weak as the novel but at least it dealt with the story that was set up in the novel. I did enjoy the Pocket Novel Timeline in the back of the book but then I am a bit prejudiced because I helped to construct it.
Rating:
Summary: It is a scam
Review: I agree with the previous reviewer, although I think I'm more upset than she was. There is no reason for this book to exist. It is basically a collection of the last chapters of the previous gateway books. It is a ripoff. I got those gateway books I was interested in at the library (including this one), and if you have to read them then I strongly recommend you do so as well. Do not encourage the publisher in this behaviour.
Rating:
Summary: Deceitful Marketing Ploy
Review: I bought each of the "Gateways" novels expecting a great interaction between all of the Star Trek series, and hoping for a continuation of the plotlines running through the three previous "Deep Space Nine" novels, "Avatar: Books I and II," and "Section 31: Abyss." Sadly, the overall "Gateways" series was a great disappointment to me. I felt forced to read a "Challenger" and "New Frontier" novel, despite my having little interest in either. I also felt forced to buy this $24.00 retail hardcover in order to know the conclusions of the previous six novels. Subjected to substandard writing in all of the "What Lay Beyond" chapters except the "Deep Space Nine" and "New Frontier" ones, and having fallen for this deceitful marketing ploy, I feel extremely ripped off. The only saving grace of "What Lay Beyond" was Keith R. A. Decandido's interesting and satisfying continuation of the "DS9" novels I mentioned earlier. I agree with those reviewers who suggest getting this book out of the library or waiting for the paperback.
Rating:
Summary: Story-GOOD.... Extra Book-BAD
Review: I didn't get into the Gateways series until this book was out in paperback, so I didn't have the continuity problems some others had. The stories (I read TNG, DS9, NF, and VOY) are great with TNG's being the best. However there was ABSOLUTELY NO reason for this last book. Every one of the conclusions in this book could have been added to the end of their original books. Being each ending was only about an extra couple of chapters. One thing I was quite disappointed about upon receiving the book was that I originally thought that the last book would be some kind of compilation story where somehow the different crews interact in some manner. Instead the book is not one story to be read from cover to cover, but a compilation of a bunch of endings to the previous stories. One thing readers should know about Gateways is that if you don't plan to read more than 2 of them you probably shouldn't read any of them unless you are comfortable with throwing away your money on the last book simply for two more chapters.
Rating:
Summary: THE GOOD AND THE BAD....
Review: I ENJOYED GATEWAYS: BOOK 7 - BUT I HAVE A FEW PROVERBIAL BONES TO PICK. FIRST OFF, THE MYSTERY OF THE ICONIANS IS NEVER WHOLLY EXPLAINED. (I.E. WHY THEIR HOME PLANET WAS BOMBARDED, WHERE THEY WENT TO IN THE UNIVERSE, HOW THEIR ORIGINS STARTED, ETC.) THE FIRST STORY, FEATURING JAMES KIRK, WRAPPED UP THE EVENTS THAT BEGAN IN THE BOOK 'ONE SMALL STEP.' WHILE THE CLOSURE WAS NICE, IT SOMEHOW FELT TO BE A BIT OF AN ANTI-CLIMAX. THE SECOND STORY, FEATURING THE CREW OF THE 'CHALLENGER' IS VERY INTERESTING. I WILL BE LOOKING FOWARD TO THE CONTINUATION OF THIS STORY IN THIS WONDERFULLY WRITTEN ORIGINAL BOOK SERIES. THE THIRD STORY, FEATURING THE CREW OF 'DEEP SPACE NINE', HAD AN INTERESTING TWIST TO IT. I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE WHERE COLONEL KIRA ENDED UP WHEN SHE ENTERED THE GATEWAY LOCATED ON A HOSTILE PLANET IN THE DELTA QUADRANT. THE FOURTH STORY, FEATURING THE CREW OF 'VOYAGER', WAS GREAT. I REALLY LIKED ALL OF THE DIVERSE ALIENS THAT WERE FEATURED HERE. AS FOR WHO THE TRUE OWNER OF BARKLEY/FLUFFY IS, WELL, THE HIDDEN MEANING IN THE TITLE OF THIS PARTICULAR STORY SHOULD TELL YOU THAT. BUT, WHILE I LIKED THIS STORY A LOT, I FELT THAT THE ENDING WAS TOO NEATLY WRAPPED-UP. THE FIFTH STORY, FEATURING THE CREW OF THE ORIGINAL BOOK SERIES 'EXCALIBER', WAS MY LEAST FAVORITE. FIRST OFF, YOU NEVER HAD ANY RESOLUTION WITH THE EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE IN GATEWAYS: BOOK SIX. WHO/WHAT WAS THE 'GIANT' THAT THE TWO PETRAW CREATURES (BOTH NAMED SMYTT, ONE MALE, ONE FEMALE, BOTH FROM ALTERNATE UNIVERSES [?!]) WERE TALKING ABOUT? WHAT DID THE 'GIANT' TELL THEM, AND HOW/WHY DID THIS 'GIANT' LIE TO THEM? AND LIE TO THEM ABOUT WHAT? ALTHOUGH, I WILL GIVE AUTHOR PETER DAVID CREDIT FOR USING THE HARDLY EVER-USED STAR TREK: THE ANIMATED SERIES CHARACTERS OF M'RESS AND AREX. THE SIXTH STORY WITH THE CREW OF THE 'NEXT GENERATION', WAS O.K. I THINK THAT IN THE WRITER'S OF THE TNG EPISODE 'CONTAGION' (THE EPISODE THAT FIRST INTRODUCED THE ICONIAN SPECIES), MADE THE ICONIAN CIVILIZATION SEEM SO GRAND THAT ANY ADDITIONAL STORIES/INFO, WOULD MAKE THEM SEEM LESS THAN THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE (THAT IS WHY I HOPE THAT WE NEVER KNOW THE TRUE ORIGINS OF THE BORG, THE CHARACTER OF GUINAN, AND THE Q CONTINUUM). EVEN PICARD WAS DISAPPOINTED AFTER MEETING THEM. THE ONE THING IN THIS PARTICULAR STORY THAT IS UNFORGIVABLE IS THE FACT THAT THE WRITER REFERS TO TITAN (THE LARGEST MOON THAT ORBITS *SATURN*) AS *JUPITER'S* LARGEST MOON!!! IN MY OPINION, A MISTAKE LIKE THAT IN ANY STAR TREK NOVEL IS UNACCEPTABLE. ALL IN ALL, I SUGGEST THAT YOU WAIT AND SEE IF A PAPERBACK VERSION OF THIS BOOK COMES OUT. THE MONEY PAID FOR THE HARDCOVER EDITION JUST DOESN'T SEEM WORTH IT.
| 
