If you would like to nominate a member for Featured Character, see the information provided in this thread.
SWTGW: What is your favorite memory with the character?
Liana: There truly have been so many. If I had to narrow to one? It would be when Scathe revealed who she was. It was unplanned, free form, and really defined alot for her after that. He's truly one of my favorite rp'ers and for him to bond us together in that way has been a true honor for me.
SWTGW: What has been your characters greatest controversy or struggle?
Liana: Another tough one to pinpoint. I'd have to say when she made the decision to leave the Jedi. Most people don't realize how tough that really was for me, but it allowed her to grow and really discover some things about herself.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #1 on Mar 19, 2009, 10:39am »
"One to embody the power and one to crave it" FIVE STARS
A thousand years before The Phantom Menace, Anakin Skywalker, Palpatine, and the Clone Wars, the Sith and the Jedi were large forces and at war with each other. On a God-forsaken world, Apatros, better known for being a source of cortosis, a mineral used in deflecting lightsabers, Dessel mined the tunnels as his abusive father before him. His life is pretty dreary until he plays cards with some Republic soldiers and wins. The soldiers seek to show him whose boss but one Republic officer is killed in the process. Dessel is on the run, seeking refuge in the only place left: the Sith. He rises to fame in the army then as Bane at the special Masters Academy on Korriban. Slowly, this Sith establishes the order that would keep the Sith alive during the peace, in wait for their unveiling in Revenge of the Sith.
What I Liked: So much to choose from! The first thing I loved was Bane/Dessel. Although he is a bad guy, allied to the Dark Side of the Force, Drew Karpyshyn is adroit at being able to write so that we the readers are rooting for him all the way. I enjoyed his backstory, how similar, yet different it was to Anakin Skywalker. Both came from harsh worlds, suffered harsh losses, and were given an out-of-this-world chance at freedom. However, Dessel's story is more tragic as his father was abusive while Anakin's mom was loving. Then, his growth from miner to soldier to apprentice to Sith Master was well-done. You watch as he gradually learns of his skills, begins to use them, fails, succeeds, learns of the Dark Side, and gives himself over. This is amazing as Karpyshyn is the first novelist to detail a story with the primary view from the Sith (all other novels had a Jedi emphasis). The plot is not complicated (the demise of the Brotherhood of the Sith), however, it is done so well, kept interesting and briskly written. We all know the outcome (or if you didn't, I divulged, sorry), but it's not the destination, it's the journey that makes it enjoyable. Karpyshyn takes us where no other Star Wars novelist has done: he takes us into the heart of the Sith Order, the tension, the anger, the hatred, the barely concealed restraint the Sith Masters have to each other and the bare tendrils Kaan has to keep his brood in order. It is a visceral story, harsh and gritty, yet satisfying. Then sidelines characters: I enjoyed Kas'im, the Sith swordsmaster. I felt he was real, he was a mentor, but not afraid to push his student. I also enjoyed General Hoth, the Jedi leading the Army of Light. I liked how he really treaded the line between the Light and Dark Side, how he fought partially for revenge. While I was not fond of Githany, I did appreciate how Karpyshyn did keep her from being too omnipotent, by having her miss out on Bane's ultimate request. Also, I think Karpyshyn did not allow her complete sway over her male counterparts, as seen in the character, Kaan. This simple scene keeps her from being a groan worthy Mary Sue...mostly (see below). There is more I could detail, but I think you get the picture.
What I Did Not Like: What to say? There is so much that I enjoyed in this book, it was really challenging to find much that I did not. But there are two things that come to mind. The first is a continuity slip (which Karpyshyn has admitted). Bane says he is studying Vapaad, which is not possible as Mace Windu developed Vapaad nearly 1000 years before the events in this book. However, Karpyshyn admitted this was a mistake; Bane should have said he was studying Juyo, a form that was in existence during the era of this book. My second dislike is probably the character of Githany. While not as frustrating and annoying as many other females I have encountered in fiction (and I found out in the graphic novel, Jedi vs. Sith, she is not quite the Mary Sue she tends to be here), I grew tired of how the author went to great extents to detail her sexuality and beauty and how her greatest skills were basically seduction. A rhetorical question, but why is it that female villains are only "villainous" in the fact that they can seduce men to do their whims? Why can men be bad ass fighters, superb Force Users, or great pilots, but the only skill women are allowed is the ability to romp in the bedroom? Time and again, women's roles are reduced to objects of gratification or duties deemed "feminine" (and I am not even a feminist!).
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence: Star Wars expletives are about as rough as it gets. Githany reveals she had a lover. She also flirts frequently with her male companions and develops feelings for Bane. Violence is the real kicker in this one. Dessel's father dies and this is shown in retrospect and in a vision/dream sequence. The first murder shown is the death of a Republic ensign. From there, the body count increases. This doesn't even include multiple injuries. A miner's finger is bitten off; Bane and another student end up so badly damaged as to spend weeks in bacta therapy. And frequently, the details are pretty graphic.
Overall: WOW! After reading a few downer Star Wars books, this revives faith in the EU franchise. If you are interested in learning more about the Sith, reading about good characters, crisp dialogue, and intense, fast-paced action, then Path of Destruction is your book! Five stars, no questions asked.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #2 on Mar 19, 2009, 1:35pm »
"If you cannot recognize the man in the mirror, it is time to step back and see when you stopped being yourself" FOUR STARS
The only first-person view in the Star Wars world to date, I am rereading this one for a Star Wars book of the month club. About two years after the Thrawn Incident, Corran Horn is still in the Rogue Squadron when he senses that his wife, Mirax Terrick, is gone. Knowing he has Jedi powers, Luke Skywalker convinces Corran that the best way to find her is to cultivate this nascent talent. Corran proceeds to Yavin 4 to train as a Jedi, and Stackpole gives us a first person view of the Jedi Academy trilogy. But after Exar Kun's demise, Corran realizes the way of the Jedi won't save his wife, so he leaves to find Mirax by infiltrating the Invids. It is there that he realizes he can't save her unless he knows who he is.
What I Liked: Michael Stackpole of X-Wing fame is a very good writer, particularly strong when detailing fight scenes or dogfights (and riotous humor--my gosh, between the one liners and the scenes, such as Corran being naked in the street, I wanted to die with laughter!). And this book has a lot of these, especially in the latter half. While a lot of it goes over my head (I am one of those who tries to "see" the movements, so I get a little lost), it is clear that Stackpole spent a lot of time figuring out the maneuvers, visualizing it in his head and planning it carefully. His attention to detail helps make these parts more real and intense (and are much better than the alternative: "And Corran fought a tough battle..."). Another great part of I, Jedi is that for the first time the reader can step into the narrator, in this case Corran Horn, seeing what he sees, feeling what he feels, and contemplating what he contemplates. Being able to see Corran in this intimate portrayal brings us closer to Corran and, I think, really helps us understand what is going on in his head at any point of time. We can spend more time on Corran's thoughts, discoveries, and opinions without having to have large chunks of text devoted to Corran speaking with other characters and revealing his thoughts. And the reader gets the opportunity to become Corran, to relive the Jedi training, the dog fights, the careful scheming, and the deliberate planning. This in turn gives us a better picture of who Corran is, what kind of Jedi he will become (if any at all!), what is important to him, and what he values. Another beautiful thing about the book is the end message: to constantly examine ourselves and see who we are (thus the title of this review). Corran has to determine one important thing in order to save his wife: was he a Jedi, a CorSec agent, a pilot or something more? Likewise, we too need to examine who we are and be that person, instead of trying to be someone else. Lastly, the Jedi Academy trilogy written by Kevin J. Anderson has frequently been considered a weak trilogy. As it has been over ten years since I last read it (and when I did, I was but a teenager), I don't have much of an opinion of it. But I will say this: the story Stackpole has weaved intertwines perfectly with the events from Anderson's. From Corran's arrival to Gantoris' death, to Mara Jade's brief stay, to the antics of Exar Kun, Stackpole deftly details Anderson's story from Corran's point of view, clarifying things, but never "stepping on his toes".
What I Did Not Like: Unlike when I was a teenager, I found several things in "I, Jedi" that aggravated or annoyed me, starting with the villain, Leonia Tavira. Besides some, what I consider, obvious Mary Sue attributes (youngest Moff in the Empire, cunning, clever, diabolical, attractive--no, sexy--violet eyes, petite, etc.), I found it challenging to believe she was dangerous. The reader is beaten over the head with a hydrospanner about how clever and tough she is (along with her extreme youth and incredible sex appeal) with very little showing of her cleverness or toughness. While her appearance in the second half of the book does show her as much tougher, I still could never believe that she was that formidable or that there was ever a doubt who would win (though the latter does come from the fact I know what happens after the events of "I, Jedi"). Just as a side note, why is it whenever a woman is a villain, she must be uber-sexual? Being so sexy that all males within a 200 light year radius immediately want to bed her, being constantly on the prowl for a new "nighttoy", and acting in a ridiculously sexual manner to all males within breathing distance? How many male villains can be described in this way? Why is it that, after all these years, women can only be thought of in a sexual way? I'm sorry, but I'm sick of this sexist characterization. Were Lenoia Tavira a male, then most of Tavira's sexuality would have been omitted. Since we are talking about Mary Sues, we might as well bring up Corran Horn. There are a million ways in which he can be considered a Marty Stu, some of them being his rugged good looks, his incredible dexterity with the Force that seems to outshine even Luke Skywalker (even considering his inability to employ telekinesis), his "holier than thou" attitude about death and destruction, his nonchalance about sleeping around, his manipulation of the events of the Jedi Academy Trilogy (apparently, Corran Horn was the one really behind Exar Kun's destruction) and the fact that he is able to single-handedly resist the dark lord's advances, something that four other Jedi (including Luke Skywalker if you consider how he was incapacitated) were unable to do. While I enjoyed Corran telling off Luke Skywalker (who has always been shown as far too omnipotent for my taste), I bristled at Corran bragging about taking the high road and not killing, but also having no qualms about committing adultery with Tavira while his wife is captured. Uh, hello? Your wife is gone and all you can think of is getting laid with a child (not really, but the parallels are made constantly)? Mirax seriously needs to reconsider this marriage when she returns. The next biggest problem is the plot. Yes, it is nice to see Corran at the Jedi Academy, but what man in his right mind will spend 10 weeks training to be a Jedi when his wife has been captured? This is just plain ludicrous; there is no way the staple answer of "training to be a Jedi so I can find my wife" will suffice. It is a lame way for Stackpole to clean up the events from the Jedi Academy trilogy. It makes Corran look like an insensitive twit and distracts from the story. Furthermore, while it is nice to see a Corran's perspective of Jedi training, the first half of the book just drags. The actual Jedi training seemed a little sketchy, thin, and weakly defined. Yes, Stackpole does a good job...when he is actually describing it. But there are many, many pages devoted to Corran's numerous serious talks with everyone from Wedge to Jaina Solo (okay, not true, but close), giving Luke Skywalker advice on how to train (doesn't it seem odd to anyone else that someone who has no Jedi experience is giving tips to the only remaining Jedi Master?), and psycho-analyzing Exar Kun. All together, it seems like disjointed anecdotes thrust together with little overreaching plot to tie the anecdotes or the entire novel together. Only when Corran leaves does the story really pick up and begin to go anywhere.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence: Star Wars profanities crop up. The story begins with Mirax trying to convince Corran to have a child (nothing explicit). Leona Tavira's sexual exploits are made constant mention of. Further, once Corran sees her, Corran experiences a sort of sexual attraction and is contemplates sleeping with her at more than one point, even attempting to justify an affair with her. Corran partakes in a dogfight, several duels, and a threat to the Academy on Yavin 4. At least one person dies.
Overall: I feel in love with this book when I was a teenager. Now that I'm older, it doesn't quite have the same shine. Yes, it is still an excellent book. Yes, it does a superb job with the first person viewpoint, detailing an intimate portrait of Jedi training, and showing Corran's introspective journey. But there were a few hiccups, namely lame plot, Marty Stu characterization, and a pathetic villain. Solid four stars.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #3 on Mar 19, 2009, 8:13pm »
"Not all soldiers wear uniforms, ma'am" FIVE STARS
Thanks to a Star Wars book club, I got to reread this amazing Clone Wars era novel! Four clone commandos have been assigned an important task: land on Qiilura, apprehend scientist, Uthan, and destroy her work on biological agents targeted at clones. But a Mandalorian mercenary, the desperate natives, and a green Padawan might keep them from their objective.
What I Liked: There is so much to love about this book, it's hard to decide where exactly to begin. I guess I should start at the beginning: the characters. So many books (even--or maybe especially?--Star Wars ones) tend to generalize. The sleuth is usually down and out but incredibly smart. The scientists are either sexy, sassy, ladies or complete dorky nerds. Jedi are omnipotent, all seeing. The bad guys are plum out of a children's book (replete with giggling over their latest plot device, which is lame, lame, lame). Personally, I am sick of this. I want to see REAL people. People who are like me. So-so at their jobs, average in looks, maybe not quite happy with themselves (and not because they don't have any friends, being supermodel material after all--cue eye roll), trying so hard to figure out why the heck they are there. And then Karen Traviss starts writing Star Wars. First off, THANK YOU DEL REY!!! Karen Traviss is a superb, intelligent writer and the perfect fit for the Republic Commando novels. She can do what so many others fail at (particularly in this book): she writes about real people. Hokan is a mercenary. He is not a giggling bad guy, but an intelligent, well-planned Mandalorian who doesn't kill because it's fun but for a purpose. He even shows a fondness and appreciation for a subordinate (something sorely lacking in other novels). Etain Tur-Mukan is probably one of the best written Jedi in the universe. Seriously, here is a woman with a conflict. She has no idea what to do, doesn't even think she can do it if she could, and isn't a super-Jedi either. She doubts, she questions, she is unsure. In fact, she totally blows up at Darman when he calls her commander and is later chewed out by Jinart. This is rarely done in the Star Wars universe and is a breath of fresh air in a sewer plant. Then, the clones. Karen Traviss gets the award for making each clone identical yet separate. Niner is a no-bones leader. Fi is more sensitive, more worried about the feelings of each member. Atin buries his thoughts behind mechanical equipment. Darman is amazing, tender yet tough. Through him, we see the unique balance of hardened warrior and childlike innocence, something one would never have expected from clones bred for the sole purpose of killing another. The other characters (Jinart, Uthan, etc.) are similarly well done, but in a much smaller scale, since they are more of background characters. Moving on from characterization, the number of characters is perfect. We have, as primary characters, 4 clones, one Jedi, and one Mandalorian (Jinart, the Weequay, the other Jedi, and Uthan being secondary). There is just enough time to develop each character, not too much to interrupt the action and plot. One complaint I had about Death Star was its huge cast. It was challenging to get close to any of the characters when there were 20 or so of them. Karen Traviss keeps the cast small so the audience can grow close to them. It works perfectly. I feel the balance in Hard Contact--characters, Mando'a history, philosophical musings on the usage of clones and the actual plot of the story--is perfect. KT spends enough time to make you feel for the characters, get acquainted to the Mandalorian lifestyle (which had never before been revealed), ponder the humanity of the clones (though this got to be a little much at times--see below), and do what commandos are supposed to do: Fight! The action in the story is prominent, cementing its Star Wars-iness, but while it is a big part of the book, KT doesn't cut back on character. Another (small) favorite comes when Hokan mentions to Uthan (another ho-hum lady, not some sexy vixan--Thank you again, KT!!) about Hard Contact! I love it when the author slips in the title of her book somewhere in the actual book. I know it can't always be done, but this was totally awesome!!
What I Didn't Like It was very challenging to visualize the Gurlanins. They are vaguely described as having a snout, being black, and reminding me of either wolves or panthers. Other than that, their shapeshifting, their appearance is cloaked in mystery, making it hard to imagine the actual creature. Another problem I had was towards the end. At this point, I felt the message of clones being real people was too heavy-handed. Etain mentions it at least twice in the last ten pages besides the conversations previous. I understand the concept and appreciate KT making the effort to talk about something this controversial, but I think she could have backed off a bit. Finally, I do not appreciate Etain's being practically commended for defying a superior officer (when she is demanding the Laati stay on Qiilura until Fi and Niner return from their mission). Anywhere else, she would have been courtmarshalled for defying General Zey's orders. I understand this is a fiction novel; however, I feel that the scene could have been modified so as not to seemingly promote this fantastical scenario.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence: Star Wars dialogue in the form of "fierfek". A Weequay attempts to attack Etain. Other similar acts are referred to circumspectly. This is a story about commandos and battle. There are tons of battles, lots of gun fights, deaths, explosions, etc. While most aren't gory in nature, they do exist.
Conclusions: Amazing! KT has done for the Star Wars Clone Wars era--and for the Star Wars universe in general--what many of the other novels (The Cestus Decpetion and Jedi Trial) could only dream of doing. In Hard Contact, the audience is transported into the middle of a commando mission. There is no doubt about the authenticity, the realness of the surroundings, weapons, actions. KT not only has created one of (if not the) best action novels, but she has also done the unbelievable: she has created a Mando'a culture, catapulted the clones into humans, and has portrayed Jedi in a real life sense. With these amazing accomplishments under her belt, it would be impossible for me to give this novel anything less than a 5 stars, even with the minor road bumps.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #4 on Mar 19, 2009, 8:21pm »
Death Star or How I Learned to Fall Asleep and Leave the Empire TWO STARS
Normally, I do not bother buying the hardcover editions. They are rather expensive and hard to carry around. But when I saw this one signed by both authors, I figured why not. Ever since the movie, The Empire Strikes Back, I have adored the Empire. So, I leapt into this one as soon as I had the opportunity.
As Star Wars geeks know, the Death Star has been around in various stages since around the time of The Phantom Menace (as mentioned in the book, Rogue Planet ). But only after Revenge of the Sith has it been possible to start construction on this beast of a weapon. With construction underway, the Empire is having some difficulties. Labor problems, sabotage, and power struggles are only the tip of the iceberg, as we know that the ominous weapon is about to have an infamous encounter with a simple farm boy.
What I Liked: From the moment I saw him in A New Hope, Grand Moff Tarkin has fascinated me. I will be bold and say that he is probably my favorite Imperial, but most certainly the epitome of an Imperial officer. I enjoyed reading about him in Rogue Planet and hearing about him in Jedi Academy Trilogy. But these appearances didn't cut it; he was much younger or a side-long character shown in flashback. Being able to see him just before his big screen debut is fun and enlightening. Not to mention that the authors actually do a pretty good job of maintaining his characterization, as seen in A New Hope. This leads to my next favorite attribute about the book: it is about the Empire. So many of the Star Wars Expanded Universe books have been set after the Empire is destroyed (post-Jedi) that characters like Tarkin and Darth Vader don't get a chance to be ominous (or alive). Even more recently, with the release of the prequels, much time is spent (understandably) with the Clone Wars. So now that the story line is mostly finished, it is great that authors get to have some reign in the twenty year (according to Star Wars continuity) Imperial reign. It is even cooler to see what the Imperials thought of the actions during the movie (but this is also a point that I have a problem with, see below). Furthermore, some important questions were answered. If the Jedi had only been extinct for a mere twenty years, why did no one seem to remember them? Well, the book explains that with "Because such talk is banned, adults shut up and don't tell their children". This is why Luke is not so knowledgeable about it (and also explains why Leia is). Even the midichlorian concept is somewhat explained. With all the floating pieces in the Star Wars continuity, it is nice to see books that attempt to fill in the gaps.
What I Did Not Like: Well, this book was not nearly as enjoyable as I had hoped. I found many problems with it, which caused me to lack interest and thus take forever to finish it.
[1.] Too many characters. At first glance, the Dramatis Personae doesn't seem to be very imposing with a cast at about a dozen names. I mean, the Republic Commando novels had several characters, but most of those were very sidelong characters (which, by the way, I did not enjoy; in my opinion, the Dramatis Personae should be reserved for major characters). In Death Star, each name mentioned in the Dramatis Personae is given multiple point of views (pov). With about 360 pages and 13 characters, this gives approximately 27 pages per character. Let me repeat that: only 27 pages can be devoted to each of the equally important characters. How is a person supposed to develop any bond to characters if they, on average, have only 27 pages to talk about themselves? [2.] Poor characterizations. Hand in hand with too many characters, comes poor characterization. Besides perhaps Tarkin, Darth Vader, and Celot Dil, the characters are as flat as an empty tortilla shell. Atour is not even introduced until about halfway through the book and even then, you keep wondering why the authors bothered to throw him in. Daala goes from being a strong female Imperial officer to a Mary Sue of an atrocious kind (I do not think this is anything like what Kevin J. Anderson had in mind). I forgot all about Kornell from the MedStar dulogy. Reading his "entries" made me realize why I had forgotten him (aka, he made little impression). Memah and Rodo have a worthless backstory (who cares how they got onto the Death Star!). I could see Nova's "Jedi" potential coming from a mile away. Tenn, Motti, and Villan had potential but not enough time (Tenn grew more interesting towards the end with his conflict over firing the Death Star, but it was hard to feel it as I didn't really know him). And Teela...oh, don't get me started on her. Being able to "reject" Darth Vader's mind presence and being a super-architect (architects deal with drawings; engineers do the design work, the calculations, and the analysis)...let's just say, she wasn't my favorite character. All these people at the end meet in a very contrived fashion and decide all together that the Empire is bad and needs to be destroyed. For once, I would like to see someone in the Empire who wasn't power hungry or desiring to join the Rebel Alliance. Where are those dedicated to the Imperial cause? [3.] Story starts too early. This one took me some time to notice, but when I did, I wondered how I missed it. The story starts with a (very brief) backstory of where the character is and how the character finds him/herself on the Death Star. This could work if the characters were better, but since the characters are so vague and uninteresting, reading about where they are pre-Death Star and how they get on the Death Star redefines the word "boring". [4.] Little action. About the most exciting part of the first section of the book is when Celot Dil escapes Despayre and gets onto the Death Star. The second part, which covers the material in the movie, is much more action packed, but seriously, for a Star Wars book, this is one of the least action-packed books I have read. [5.] Unknown timeline. How long does it take to go from the beginning of the book to the end? As an old professor used to say: "Yes". To me, it would make sense for a few years to pass, but how much time actually passes is never clearly stated. All we know is that the book does terminate at 0 BBY. Not very helpful. [6.] Excessive detail. Ever wanted to know how the Death Star's guns worked? What sort of detail had to be placed into designing the Death Star? The details of a surgery? Well, this is the book for you. I know it wasn't for me. I nearly fell asleep when Tenn talked about how he didn't trust the engineers (what is it with this book and bashing engineers?) with the Death Star's guns or when Teela went to painful extents to talk about how difficult her job was. If I wanted this much detail, I would have gotten a non-fiction book about these things. [7.] Romance. Gosh! Don't let these guys near romance! All three of the romance stories are completely bungled up. The Tarkin/Daala angle might have been interesting had Daala not been reduced to a play toy. Memah/Celot's romance made me gag. And seeing how Teela and Vil got together was nothing new at all. Please, please, please, Michael, Steve, never, ever, ever write a romance sub-plot again! [8.] Unanswered questions. How do the Rebels get the Death Star plans? How do they sabotage the Death Star? How does Admiral Daala find out the information about the destruction of the Star Destroyer before people who were actually there? Why in the heck does the Death Star have a "fem" store when the Empire doesn't even approve of female officers? Well, if you wanted these questions answered in this book, just stop right now. They won't be. [9.] Movie Overlap. This point is one of those gray areas. On one hand, I really enjoyed reading about the Imperials' perspectives, their feelings, thoughts, etc. On the other hand, I got tired of the word-for-word account of the movie (and how everyone gets to see Princess Leia, Han, Luke, and Chewie). A little goes a long way.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence: Star Wars language is about as rough as it gets. Twi'lek females are described in a slightly sexualized manner. Tarkin calls Admiral Daala to the Death Star for a "personal" briefing. One scene includes him in bed and Daala coming out of the shower. He also talks about how on fire he is despite his age. Romantic sparks fly across the Death Star along with the innuendos attached to the romantic situations. Despayre is a prisoner planet, filled with violence and death. Nova Stihl is a martial artist. He and Rodo, the bouncer, end up in a few fights. Also, several big explosions (i.e. Alderaan) occur in the book.
Overall: I was hoping for so much to happen in this book. I was looking forward to Tarkin, Darth Vader, and Admiral Motti. I was looking forward to seeing how the Death Star was constructed. I was looking forward to seeing how the Rebels stole the plans. I was looking forward to seeing the Empire in full bloom. Man, am I disappointed! Tarkin, Darth Vader, and Motti are here...in between almost 12 other characters. The Death Star is constructed...but it sure isn't the focus of this novel. The Rebels stole the Death Star plans? Golly, I would never have known from this book! At least the Empire is in full bloom...but no one is dedicated to it once they find out how "bad" the Empire is. Ultimately, I really don't think the long wait to find out what happened before young Luke's fateful adventure was worth it. The novel, written by authors who deftly created the MedStar duology (and outdid themselves, in my opinion) and their own individual accomplishments (remember the stunning Shadow Hunter by Reaves or the amazing Shadows of the Empire by Perry?), write the most boring, fluff novel that I have seen in the Star Wars universe. And they named it "Death Star"? Hm, I think a better title would be: "Bored Star". Even the second act, much more action packed than the first, could not save the book. Very poor entry into the Star Wars world. I would not recommend.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #5 on Mar 19, 2009, 9:38pm »
The Cloned and the Restless THREE STARS
I loved Hard Contact , the first real Clone Wars novel (in my opinion), but was disappointed with the slogging pace, political and ethical diatribes, and the hefty, largely unexplored cast of Triple Zero. But I wasn't so disappointed that I didn't pick up True Colors when it came out last year.
Plot: The Clone War continues, and Skirata has vamped up his search for Ko Sai, a Kaminoan who may hold the keys to reversing the age acceleration in his rag-tag band of clones. But, Palpatine has ordered Delta squad to hunt after her too, along with a separate team from Kamino. The race is on, and the question hovers inside each clone (and those who love them): will the clones ever be able to live a normal life? And what will be their future after the war ends?
Good: What made Triple Zero so much of a disappointment (compared to Hard Contact) was the fact that much of the action and great characters present in HC was missing in TZ. But the same can't quite be said of True Colors. At about the sixth chapter, TC picks up with an intense scene with Etain forcing the colonists of Qiilura to leave and pretty much maintains that speed throughout the book as Skirata and the Nulls search for Ko Sai (before Delta Squad), and Omega Squad infiltrates another battlefront on Graftikar. Furthermore, characters introduced in TZ get more exploration, and more opportunities exist to dig into the dirty subjects. Etain, Skirata and Darman get the limelight, of course, but so do Ordo, Mereel, Sev, Besany, and my new personal favorite, Walon Vau, who is very interesting in TC as a cold killer with a methodical, almost unemotional outlook on life. Fi's character gets stretched in an interesting manner. And I think Traviss will go down in Star wars history as being the first to write using a Kaminoan character (very nicely, may I add--Good job, Karen). These characters discuss meaty topics such as desertion, humanity, and life after the Clones Wars--all in a logical, insightful manner that will exercise your mind. And Delta Squad can always be depended upon for cracking a joke that will have you in stitches (look out for when Fixer and Sev go diving!). Lastly, I was never so happy to see that Traviss got the memo about the annoying "double definitions" that she did in TZ. I like her exploration of Mando culture but hated how she would have her characters say something in Mando, translate it in English and then have it appear in the glossary at the end. In TC, Traviss remedies this problem. THANK YOU TRAVISS!
Bad: While in some aspects TC is better than TZ, in others, it is much worse:
[1.] For the first five chapters, the book reads like a soap opera. Etain misses Darman. Darman misses Etain. Besany brags about boyfriend, Ordo (when did this happen?!?!). Ordo is clueless about Besany. Fi feels left out in the romance department. Skirata wants the girlfriends for all of "his boys" and is instantly concerned about Etain's pregnancy and health. I was so close to giving up on it. And in the last two chapters, the soap opera resumes with the birth of Etain's baby, Darman's reaction, etc. (oh, please!). [2.] Certain things are repeated twelve too many times. For example, count how many times each that Traviss has some character bring up:
[a] how Skirata saved the Nulls from the Kaminoans' knife [b] how the ARCs almost killed the clone kids to save them from the Separatists [c] how much *fill-in-the-blank* misses *so-and-so* [d] how badly the clones are being treated/how invisible they are/how they are being used (etc.).
Repetition isn't necessarily bad (helps remind the reader) but is excessive when done more than once a chapter (Traviss does it as frequently as twice a page). [3.] There are way too many characters. Frequent characters include two Mandalorians, three Jedi, eight commandos, one treasury agent, one clone commander, an ARCs, and three Nulls. This does not include all the other people mentioned in the Dramatis Personae who have bit parts, such as Corr, Jaing, Maze, Rav Bralor (a terrible female Mandalorian whose character could be summed up as Kick-A** GirlTM), and Jaller Obrim. It gets to the point where I thought that Traviss had included everyone in the book--including the Twi'lek Pilot! Traviss, remember HC? There were 6 characters: 4 commandos, Etain, and the bad guy. Too many characters = less characterization. [4.] The pacing was off. The first 16 chapters cover about one week while the last four cover about a month. It was as if Traviss wanted to hurry up and have Etain give birth. She could have easily extended some of the action to cover a longer time or had Etain be closer to term in the beginning to compensate for the uneven pacing. [5.] And then, there were some scenes/actions/comments that really drove me nuts.
[a] My personal favorite: Besany (the absolutely gorgeous woman rejected because of her beauty *eyes roll*) pulls out a 25 cm (~10" cake) that she just *happens* to keep for guests she never has *eyes roll* and gives it to Mereel to give to Ordo. Who keeps a cake this size for guests that never come? How old is this thing? And how did this cake come to Ordo without looking like crap? [b] Etain looks three months pregnant but has, in her spare time (during a war?), accelerated her pregnancy so she is actually six months pregnant. Any woman will tell you, if she is six months pregnant, she will look six months pregnant. And how is it she can accelerate a pregnancy in the few hours she has off by a whole 3 months?!?! And more importantly, how does a Jedi, who's not supposed to have these relationships, know how to do this? [c] Skirata has his good points but is hard to relate to as he is perfect in any way. He knows when to be harsh, when to coddle women, when to jump to concern when a baby kicks (a completely normal phenomenon, Kal...didn't this guy have three kids? Why doesn't he know this?), is smarter than the entire Jedi Order, and is always right. Gary Stu, anyone? [d] Why are all Jedi that aren't Jusik and Etain bad guys? I mean, if the Jedi isn't a Mandalorian wannabe (Jusik) or pregnant with a clone's baby (Etain), they are out to kill all the clones and imprison them in slavery or are stupid, oblivious idiots (Zey, Mace Windu). It appears that Traviss loves her Mandalorians and hates the Jedi. [e] I don't understand how Fi could have been seriously damaged while Darman, only a few feet away comes away practically unscathed. If someone would please explain that to me, I would be greatly appreciative.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence: There is cursing, but it is in Mandalorian. Etain is pregnant with Darman's child. It is insinuated that Besany would like to sleep with Ordo. Etain is hurt, and her pregnancy is threatened. A war between civilians, and clones breaks out. Several clones are harmed: explosions, fire-fights, and hand-to-hand combat. A man is bit by another man. The Nulls want to kill Ko Sai. Pretty much what you would expect from a Star Wars novel.
Overall: Somewhat better than TZ, somewhat worse, TC has come back in some ways to what made HC a hit. TC has more of the intense action, intrigue, gut-splitting humor, and open discussions on what being a human is, who is eligible for gift of humanity, if clones can defect (really interesting), what rights clones deserve, and what will happen to the soldiers if greatly injured (or at the end of the war). Still, melodrama, a huge largely stereotyped cast, and repetitiveness really make it hard to appreciate the good points. Therefore, three stars, in a tie with TZ.
NOTE: The novel comes with a short story called "Odds". About the best thing I can say about this short story is "Odd". It seems more of a prelude or Chapter 1 than a full-blown short story. Not to say it wasn't interesting, just a poor short story.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #6 on Apr 11, 2009, 12:46pm »
Doesn't hold a candle to "Hard Contact" TWO AND THREE QUARTER STARS
I did not think that I would like Hard Contact. I was afraid it would be another crappy Clone Wars novel (along the lines of Jedi Trial and The Cestus Deception). This is why it took me forever to purchase it. But when I finally got around to reading it, I was extremely impressed. Couple extraordinary characterization with an uncharted plot about clone commandos during the Clone Wars, and you have one of the best--if not the best--Clone Wars novels written. So, when I saw there was a sequel, I didn't think twice about purchasing.
Plot: A Separatist cell is discovered on Coruscant. Delta Squad along with rival squad, Omega Squad, are sent to flush out the enemies and dispel the threat. Further, Etain is reunited with Delta Squad and Kal Skirata joins the young clones he trained to aid them in their mission.
Good: Karen Traviss is a good author. She writes in a clear manner and appears to actually know what she is writing about (she doesn't skip over the tough stuff and focus on the easy stuff). It's great to see our favorite clone squad, Delta Squad, along with another squad instead of the typical Anakin, Obi-Wan, and gang. Futher, it was cool to see the men who helped train the clones and to learn more about the enigmatic Mando culture. I liked learning about the culture and enjoyed the characters using the language (but more on this later). Etain, Skirata, Ordo, and Fi--whom I greatly enjoyed reading about--have good solid characters. And the plot--a terrorist cell--was something we can easily associate with, especially after the events of 9/11.
Bad: The first chapter was good, but it quickly got drenched and bogged down in sluggish movement and introducing too many characters. Six characters are either exceedingly minor (such as Laseema, the unimportant Enacca, and Qibbu) and make you wonder how they attained a slot in the Dramatis Personae. Perhaps, it was to bear more resemblance to the established Star Wars Universe. The plot is not convoluted--disarming a terrorist cell--yet Traviss does not seem to know how she wants to proceed. The whole plot occurs over many pages that are mostly devoted to dialogue such as "I feel guilty about making/using these boys as slaves" from Skirata and Etain. The actual terrorist cell dismantling occurs over a very short period of time, which is cut up and placed in small doses between the large amounts of talking about what people are going to do. Which brings me to my next problem: Etain. She was mildly annoying in HC but now she is unbearable. Leaving Darman in HC, I felt they were more of friends. Now, after no contact (other than Etain's perpetual "reaching out to Darman in the Force" which she either does or talks about doing each time anything is written in her view), Darman and Etain fling themselves at each other the moment they reunite. What could have been a sweet, slow romance is ruined with the "I couldn't stop thinking of you" "Me neither--let's hop in bed" routine. And how she ends up pregnant--please. This happened in TCD and didn't work. Now, it crops up here (borderline plagiarism). Does every stinking Clone Wars novel have to contain a battle romance (although no where near as corny as Odie and Erk's romance in Jedi Trial) and an illegitimate child? Another problem I had with this book was paradoxically also one of the few things that I loved about this book--the Mando Language and culture. While I loved learning about the language and culture, I found the in-text definition and the glossary repetitive. I almost felt Traviss was treating me like a complete, incompetent idiot who is incapable of turning a couple of pages to the glossary. Further, the in-text definition slowed down the read and felt unnatural. Characters I longed to know more about--Atin, Vau, Jusik, even Niner from HC--were mostly neglected. Even Darman's feelings about his forbidden romance with Etain are ignored (those would have been very interesting). The entire Delta squad we know and love from HC was overlooked in an attempt to cover all 16 characters presented in the book.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence: Language is restricted primarily to made up Star Wars phrases. Darman and Etain sleep with each other. Violence is typical Star Wars fare.
Overall: All in all, this book does not live up to its predecessor, HC, but is no where near as bad as TCD or JT. The plot is not bad. The pacing is too slow, many of the characters are mere cardboard faces, and the Mando language is forcibly hammered into the reader's head. The book could easily have been condensed from its 400+ page format into something more enjoyable. Three stars is probably too high, but two stars (the same I gave for TCD) is too low. If I had the choice, I would give 2.75 for good writing and a new story.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #7 on Apr 11, 2009, 12:48pm »
Timothy Zahn fills the gap FOUR STARS
Timothy Zahn is my absolute favorite author so when I saw this book about Mara Jade in the Empire era I jumped.
Plot: There are three plots that intertwine towards the end. LaRone, a stormtrooper, accidentally kills an ISB agent. He and four other stormtroopers desert and run to the nearest planet where they begin an investigation into pirate activities. Mara Jade was sent to investigate a Moff's possible embezzlement. This leads to a pirate consortium. Han, Luke, and Leia are originally sent to investigate a possible way to win the war. With pirates threatening supply lines, Han and Luke (along with Chewie) are diverted to investigate and Leia is sent to accomplish the diplomatic mission by herself.
Good: Timothy Zahn does amazing things with the characters. Han Solo in his books is Han Solo from the movie: cocky, independent, and self-absorbed. Luke Skywalker is the apprentice Jedi, experimenting with his talents, naive, and unsure of who he is. Leia Organa is absolutely perfect: the independent woman who is able to mediate between differing factions. The stormtroopers reminded me of one of the best portrayers of them--or at least their clone compatriots, Karen Traviss. The stormtroopers are real men who face real consequences. It is refreshing to see plain men who only want to do what is right instead of officers who only want power and money (as you see in so many Bantam Star Wars novels). And Mara Jade...it's nice to finally see her at work in a novel. I felt that, for the most part (see below), she was the perfect agent--naive about the Empire and not overly practiced in every agent technique, but knowledgeable enough to be convincing for this mission. Lastly, although this is petty, it was fun to see Leia work as a waitress. This practical, pedestrian job is often overlooked or delegated to dispensible characters but it was so nice to see the Star Wars universe in a normal light (ie having the main characters eat, bathe, etc.). The action is superb. I love the confrontation between Darth Vader and Mara, the battle of the AT-ST, and much, much more.
Bad: I don't know what it is with Timothy Zahn, but recently, all his books seem to be mysteries (not bad) about one of the characters being duplicitous. Night Train to Rigel: the main character was working both sides. Outbound Flight: Doriana. The Green and the Gray had the boys that fought against them. This is a little boring after awhile. And the plot was so convoluted that I had trouble following it. Who was Disra serving: the Empire, himself, pirates, or the governor? How did Mara conclude all the things she did about the pirates? What about Han and Luke? What did Caaldra want? And so on. All three (Mara, stormtroopers, Han/Luke) make some pretty hefty assumptions that turn out pretty conveniently right. Also, although Zahn portrays Mara as a young woman fairly well, I still have trouble believing that an 18 year-old knows this much about espionage, spying, weapons, and the like. What was she, brainwashed as a child?
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence: Only dialogue is in the form of made up Star Wars references. Mara wears form fitting dresses and a man oggles her. Violence is typical Star Wars fare.
Overall: A good book, but not the best that Timothy Zahn has ever delivered. I was rather disappointed, not only because it didn't have as much Mara as I thought, but also because the story was so hard to follow. I had to just forget who wanted what and who worked for who and just enjoy the action sequences and the characters. I hope that Timothy Zahn continues to write more about Mara's adventures, but not make his plots so confusing.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #8 on Apr 11, 2009, 12:58pm »
Outbound Flight launches from the pages FIVE STARS
Timothy Zahn, often considered the Father of Star Wars Expanded Universe, returns to the Galaxy Far, Far Away to detail the story behind Outbound Flight, Jorus C'baoth, and, most importantly, Thrawn. Since he is my favorite author, I definitely couldn't miss this one.
Plot: Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth has come up with the ultimate mission: to send a group of beings out beyond the Republic, to the Unknown Regions to colonize and perhaps penetrate to the next galaxy. After winning approval from the Senate, he begins his mission. Unbeknownst to him, Darth Sidious fears this mission will flush out hidden enemies that the fragmented Republic is not prepared to fight so he sends team to destroy Outbound Flight. Meanwhile, Jorj Cardas, Maris Ferasi, and Dubrak Quennto flee a Hutt's wrath and end up smack dab in the Unknown Regions at the mercy of the Chiss Defense Fleet, commanded by the mysterious Thrawn who has many schemes up his sleeve.
Good: One word: Thrawn. He is a brilliant military mastermind, able to penetrate people's thoughts and desires and determine rather accurately how they will react to a certain set of circumstances. In my opinion, he is the best part of the book. Some people aren't fond of how Obi-Wan and Anakin appear in this book, and while they are trivial, I was very impressed with how Timothy Zahn was about to translate Obi-Wan to the written word. Anakin is flat, but what do you expect for a fifteen year old Padawan? Jorj Cardas is another good character. He is a rather real guy, someone you can sympathize with and relate to. I found his parts more enjoyable in many aspects than any of the others (but part of that was because it was through his parts I learned more about Thrawn). I enjoyed reading how Maris admired Thrawn. It would have been cool had Zahn spent more time on a perhaps romance between the two (although that would probably have disrupted the storyline and dragged it down some). Zahn also did a grand job with the plot (minus a few hiccups at the beginning). He weaves the story between the Jedi (Lorana and Obi-Wan), Jorj, and Doriana, Palpatine's duplicitous aide. Through their eyes, we get to see how they all intertwine and the fate of the Outbound Flight. The ending is powerful, bittersweet and reminiscent of Revenge of the Sith (I half wanted to cry at the end!). Although I discovered partially how the tragedy unfolded (but then, everyone had a vague idea), I read on intrigued and hoping that it wouldn't yield the grim results I speculated. Lastly, Zahn does a great job with the dialogue, the pacing, and other narration. Obi-Wan talked like Obi-Wan. Palpatine was Palpatine. His own characters (Jorj, Jorus, Thrawn, etc.) are more "malleable" in the sense that his books are the ones in which they primarily turn up, but their characters are pretty much the same as in other materials. Zahn knows how to evenly pace his story, not jolting you through many, many years over 5 pages and slowing to a halt to cover a few days in 200+ pages. Further, his narration is delightful to read.
Bad: I hadn't thought that Jorus C'baoth would have been a jerk. I understand why his clone was crazy, and I guess I knew that he was likely crazy, but somehow, I expected Jorus to be different than in this portrayal. Also, I found Lorana a little difficult as a character. Here, she has been C'baoth's Padawan for 10+ years, putting up with his arrogance, self-importance, and rudeness, and she becomes a mediocre Jedi? I would have thought she would have been as arrogant, self-important, and rude as her Master, not a wimpy doormat! Lastly, although it is important that Thrawn learn Basic, the whole concept of the language lessons at the beginning is a little corny.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence: Typical Star Wars made-up "colorful language" or alluded to. Maris and Quennto are said to share a room. Violence is typical Star Wars fare (although aliens are told to have been cut nearly in half by laser fire and are used as human shields).
Overall: Zahn, pat yourself on the back. Another job well done! My only complaint? Where's the story about Thrawn's rise to power?
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #9 on Apr 11, 2009, 1:06pm »
Mr. and Mrs. Solo on Tatooine...
THREE STARS
This novel, I tried to start some years ago but couldn't quite get in the mood for. Now, hearing from many how good it was, I thought I'd find out for myself.
Plot: Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo, recently married, travel to Tatooine with Chewbacca and C-3PO to recover Killik Twilight, an Alderaanian painting that contains the Shadowcast code. This code has been used to contact undercover agents for years and if found by the Imperials will spell doom for many agents. Things turn amok when the painting is stolen at an auction by Kitster Banai, Anakin Skywalker's former friend. Now, Han and Leia must rush across Tatooine and retrieve the painting before the Imperials do.
Good: It is difficult to replicate the intricate, multi-dimensional chemistry between Han and Leia, our favorite smuggler and princess couple. However, Troy Denning has been able to capture this and portray it in a format that is compatible with the on-screen performances of our favorite characters. Han Solo is still dashing, reckless, and madly in love with Leia; Leia is done much, much better than in most Star Wars books (I should know as I have read all but the most recent dozen or so books) as the headstrong, freedom-loving princess who isn't afraid to use a gun when necessary. Further, Troy Denning was given the assignment of molding Leia from Courtship of Princess Leia to Heir to the Empire, which means having her come to grips with her father and her Force abilities. Her transformation was fairly convincing (more on this later), and I liked how Leia learned about how her father wasn't always bad. Plus, it is nice seeing little tid-bits from the prequels in the post-Return of the Jedi era. Troy has done a good job with his new aliens, the Squibs (perfectly annoying) and portraying Kitster Banai and Wald later in life. Also, kudos to Troy for finally including normal families (i.e. families that have been through divorce) in a Star Wars book! His action sequences, for the most part, keep you on the edge of your seat, particularly Han's speeder bike race and the end battle (which crashes to a halt before your very eyes!).
Bad: Number one dumb thing about this book: the plot. Han and Leia must go to Tatooine to pick up a painting that contains a code the Rebellion used to contact undercover agents. Stupid! Why would the Rebel Alliance put such a sensitive code in a rare painting like this? Did Bail want to keep this for the memories? Because, how in the heck are people supposed to access this code anyway if it is in one person's painting? It seems to me the whole idea of putting the code in the painting is a big headline that says, "Steal me!" Not to mention, how many times do we have to get drug through the "Imperials are one step from taking over the galaxy" plot? And why are Han and Leia--famous Rebels with bounties on their heads so huge that anyone who sniffed them would probably sell them immediately to the Imperials--sent anyway? They only succeed in bollixing the whole thing anyway, from their agreement with the Squibs to their attempt at destroying the painting to their repeated failures at recapturing the painting and getting caught in a sand storm. This is such a stupid mission in the first place that almost anyone could have accomplished it better and faster than they did. The obvious reason this book was written was not to detail a mission (especially the stupid one concocted here), but to show how Leia evolved to want kids (something Troy vehemently says time and again she doesn't want, which I was rather surprised about as she didn't seem anti-children anywhere else) and use the Force as in Heir to the Empire. Troy does a so-so job with this. In my opinion, he should have dumped the stupid "the painting has a key-code that will spell disaster if the Imperials get it" and focused solely on Leia's discovery of her past. Number two dumb thing: Shmi's diary entries. Gag me! I swear, these, which should have been the best parts of the book, were the absolute worst parts of the book. Hearing on and on and on and on about how proud she was of Anakin, how Anakin won the Boonta Eve podrace (including a brief screenplay of The Phantom Menace), about how Shmi tried to find out how he was doing, about how everyone was so happy about Anakin's success, how Anakin's success influenced everyone else to dream big, and so forth made me want to gag! I sincerely doubt a mother would write something like this to a son! I would hope my mom would spend more time on the present--what was happening in the neighborhood, with my friends, family, etc.--and less on my one great achievement in life! And Shmi, who has, up until now, been portrayed as our respectable, honest, sensible mother, turns into a giggly, love-struck, rattle-brained twelve year old at the first sight of Cliegg Lars. These are her words directly from the book: "He looked directly at me and my knees went weak, the way Amee says hers do whenever she sees Roc or Jerm or nearly any boy...Before I knew it, I had admitted the truth: that I had done it because I had found [Cliegg] so handsome". If that doesn't make you gag, nothing will. Weird things about this book:
1. Why do authors feel like they have to drag their characters through a space battle at the very beginning of the book? I was so distracted and disgusted at Han and Leia's Tatooine approach, I was half-tempted to drop the book completely! All it does is let Han and Leia know that the Imperials are there. D'oh! The auction could have told them that. 2. Isn't it odd that practically every single person--from Dama at Anchorhead to Kitster Banai, who stole the painting, to the Tusken Raiders at the very end--is from or related to someone who is from the prequels? I understand this is Mos Espa, but come on! That's a little bit convenient. 3. Why the heck did Qui-Gon give Shmi the Tobal lens? I never got that part at all! It seems like an insensitive gift--or a really foresighted gift. 4. Chewbacca and C-3PO are really in the way throughout the entire book. They serve stupid menial parts, contrived to make the audience feel they were important to the plot (which they weren't--on numerous occasions, Troy leaves them elsewhere so that Leia and Han can focus their efforts elsewhere). I wish Troy would have felt comfortable enough just leaving them out completely.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence: Restricted to h***, d*** and made-up Star Wars lingo. It is alluded that Han and Leia sleep with each other in a hotel. Other sexual allusions made (particularly to scantily dressed Twi'leks). Violence is typical Star Wars.
Overall: Certainly not as good as I expected, but not the worst I have ever read from the galaxy far, far away. It does convincingly explain Leia's transformation, have its share of Star Wars action, and is pretty intriguing. As for the part I was most anticipating--Shmi's diary--this was hugely disappointing. A few other minor points make this book hard to enjoy thoroughly. Definitely interesting, but not paramount for continuity. NOTE: Included in the mass market paperback version is a kinda cute short story, "A Forest Apart" about Chewbacca and his family. Although a little trite and overdone (Imperials steal a datapad from Leia's home in an attempt to usurp the New Republic), it is neat to see Chewbacca's family and how he interacts with his son and wife.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #10 on Apr 11, 2009, 4:08pm »
Ties up all the loose ends FOUR STARS
While this book is most certainly not an easy read (typical James Luceno), it is none-the-less fun and informative. Many of the Clone Wars novels (most notably The Cestus Deception and Jedi Trial) have been lacking or not very cohesive. Attack of the Clones movie only shows the beginning of the Clone Wars. And Revenge of the Sith ends the Clone Wars, leaving us, the audience, yearning for answers as to how we get from AotC to RotS. This is where Labyrinth of Evil comes in.
Plot: Anakin and Obi-Wan are fighting in the Outer Rim worlds, thrown their by our favorite almost-Emperor, Palpatine. They discover the mechno-chair used by Nute Gunray and discover the location of the feared General Grievous, finally revealed in fine detail. Meanwhile, Bail Organa watches the changes in government and begins to worry about the outcome. He and a few others (Mon Mothma from Return of the Jedi) start the outlines of what will become the Rebel Alliance. Anakin and Obi-Wan race closer and closer to the true identity of Darth Sidious as the events tumble into what was made into the movie, Revenge of the Sith.
Good: Little references from all the Clone Wars novels (well, mostly the good ones, Yoda: Dark Rendezvous, Shatterpoint, etc.) are integrated into one cohesive work. The end blends perfectly with the beginning of RotS. I just loved reading each little detail that blended with AotC, the previous Clone Wars novels, and even The Phantom Menace, making sense of all the wanderings that previous novelists have done.
Bad: Probably the only reason this does not receive a full five stars is the apparent conflictions with the Clone Wars Animated Shorts (almost as good as the movies). In the shorts, the end is completely different than that in Labyrinth of Evil. Anakin and Obi-Wan are on completely different systems with completely different reasons for being there. I still wonder how this is reconciled in Star Wars canon.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence: No coarse language. No sexual situations. This is Star Wars during the Clone Wars--expect Star Wars type of violence (lightsabers, blasters, war, etc.).
Overall: If you wonder about what happens to Anakin and Obi-Wan just before RotS, this will answer your questions. It is way, way better than The Approaching Storm (which merely told an unimportant, filler story) in this regard. Definitely worthwhile and important to truly understanding the nuances of Revenge of the Sith.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #11 on Apr 11, 2009, 4:11pm »
Yuck...it kept getting worse, and worse, and worse... ONE STAR
The Black Fleet Crisis trilogy was bad. The Cestus Deception was not outstanding. I found Triple Zero lacking (especially compared to the exceptional Hard Contact). The Jedi Quest series took almost the entire series to make the journey worthwhile. But all these books pale in comparison to what I would call the worst Star Wars book (I have read almost all of them except for the newest ones). First off, Nejaa Halcyon was the biggest reason I started reading this book. I read of him in I, Jedi and longed to know more. I should have made up my own story since the authors don't really do much with him. He could have been any Jedi; there was nothing that made him exceptional. Next, the authors have a weird view of what people want. They seem to think that we, the audience, would love to read pages of insignificant, brainless, unimportant characters with terrible names, strategy, and the like and not detail important things like Anakin and Nejaa's marriages (the whole interchange, which could have lasted half a chapter with Michael Stackpole as the author, takes up half a page), lightsaber battles, and real character development. Other pet peeves:
1. I was unimpressed with the juvenile writing style. Is this book written for adults or teens? 2. I could care less for the whole mercenary angle (they are joking and laughing before a big battle?!) and the Rodian mercenary (both of whom did not stay consistent throughout the story). They felt like blank characters with not much depth. In fact, that description could go for most of the characters in the book, which leads me too... 3. Odi and Erk, Erk and Odi, them getting married...gag me! Please! I don't believe I've ever read two more poorly written characters, even in children's books! Seriously, these two characters need to be placed on a firing range and banished from the Star Wars world immediately. Odi is supposed to be a recon officer, but acts so wimpy and feminine, how in the world did she ever sign up for the military?! And Erk is the most stereotypical fighter pilot, I wanted to hit my head repeatedly into a wall to eradicate the terrible "characterization" from my mind. Then, just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, I read "And now by the powers vested in me...". Oh, lord, what were these authors thinking?! I thought I was going to die with humiliation! How could anyone end a Star Wars novel in such a hokey marriage?! This is completely outrageous! Seriously, all the space wasted on these two lifeless characters should have been given to Anakin and Nejaa, and perhaps, maybe, just maybe, this book would have been worthwhile. 4. Asajj Ventress on the cover and not in the book (to my knowledge). If you are going to have a bad guy (or girl), especially one like Asajj, use her! She has the potential to be very scary! 5. Super motherly woman who is about to die. Number one, how does a woman who has no children even act motherly? I mean, yes, there are single women who can conjure up memories of Mom, but on the whole, it is the mothers that remind you of yours. Number two, how does everyone think of her as a mom? I mean, seriously, she was described as being "everyone's mom". I could understand a few, but really, my mom is different than yours. There is no Paradigm of Motherhood out there (at least not to my knowledge). So this, "she was like everyone's mother" concept is a load of bunk. Number three, do you think the authors made it obvious enough they were drawing parallels between her and Shmi? I mean, you could have put up a billboard, and it still wouldn't have been as obvious as it is in this book! Talk about hitting me repetitively over the head with a 2 X 4!! 6. Ponith, the scary banker with purple teeth from all that tea he drinks. And we are supposed to fear him why??? The tea stains on his teeth? His wicked scheming by the teapot? How he sips his tea? Really, guys, you should have gone with your first instinct and used Asajj. 7. The authors never bothered to attempt to convince me of the importance of the mission. If this station was so important to interstellar communications, how did this happen in the first place? Why wasn't there a larger force in place?
Just so I don't sound too negative, the end picked up a bit. The action was a bit better. Also, some inclusion of clone troopers and their humanity (but nothing compared to Hard Contact). 7.99 is about 7.98 too much for this book. Buy used or borrow. In fact, don't bother. Just skip. Watch the Clone Wars animated shorts for Anakin's real trial. And spend the 7.99 on Hard Contact for a much better Clone Wars novel.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #12 on Apr 11, 2009, 4:14pm »
Not exceptional...nothing that you would miss TWO STARS
After reading probably 95% of the Star Wars adult novels in existence, I would have to say that this one is the worst Star Wars novels to date that I have read. The only one that surpasses it is Jedi Trial (and The Black Fleet Crisis is in the running in case you were wondering). To give you an idea of how bad this is, I will number each point (in no particular order).
1. I feel that, in general, the author threw information about the characters at you--such as how scary or courageous or dangerous these people are supposed to be (their actions never justify such a narration, however)--and expects you to believe it. No actions are used to actually prove the author's claims. For instance, the rulers are supposed to be so brave, but they certainly never give me the impression they actually are. 2. The 'love' story between Nate and Sheeka is so stupid and corny I just wanted to laugh (it is obvious when reading how Sheeka talks that a man wrote this novel). The author forces the chemistry between the two and doesn't spend enough time to cement their relationship. I still wonder how Sheeka got pregnant--the auther never even hints at any intimacy (other than a kiss) between the two (I would like a hint of their intimacy, not a full-blown steamy sex scene). 3. Kit Fisto, whom I had hoped to learn more about, drifts into the background and is so unimportant (fades behind Nate), I wonder why Steve even bothered to include him in here. This point is probably the most annoying point in the book besides, maybe the next... 4. Asajj Ventress was NOT scary in the least. All she did was boast about how she would kill Obi-Wan and how much smarter she was than anybody else. Oh...I forgot! She also stalked Obi-Wan (real scary, huh?). I had so hoped, after seeing her in the Clone Wars animated shorts, that the author would use her to her fullest. I was wrong. 5. The battle sequences were too short. Typically I get tired of long battle sequences and wish the author would cut some material out but not this time. The author glosses over the lightsaber battles as if they are just fillers. I want to know some of the dynamics, not a blow-by-blow and not a summary either. 6. I can't believe that Obi-Wan (who seems to be a big whiny know-it-all in this book--I half expect to see a line similary to the infamous 'I want to go to Toshee Station to pick up some power converters') would stoop to deception to trick the Cestians to turning to the Republic. It just seems out of character to me. Obi-Wan is very traditional, by-the-book. Qui-Gon (and maybe Anakin) would stoop to deception; not Obi-Wan. 7. The story's ending was way too pat. It's like all of a sudden--boom! 8. Snoil, the Snail. I mean, come on! Are you that desperate for a new species? Why can't authors reuse at least one alien from another book?
There were a few bright points in the book: the aliens were cool, and I also liked how the author showed the point of view of a clone bred for war (but Karen Traviss does a much better job in Hard Contact). Also, the author writes a superb short story inclueded in the paperback version (I don't know why the short story was better than the novel but it was). But, overall, I would not recommend buying this book (unless in paperback or used or free) unless you are like me and trying to read all the Star Wars books. I would suggest that you check it out at the library or skip it. You won't miss any important developments.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #13 on Apr 11, 2009, 4:16pm »
"What have you done with *Fill-in-the-Blank*?" ONE STAR
UPDATED REVIEW: NOTE: Because I started to "reread" (i.e. listen to the audiobooks) these old Bantam books, I decided to revamp this old review. I will keep the old review at the end in case you want to compare.
Luke Skywalker feels that he no longer can feel the Force the same way and decides to leave and search out a life of hermitude, like Obi-Wan and Yoda. However, a woman penetrates his fortress, with stories of his mother. Luke ventures out to find out more. Meanwhile... Lando is bored stiff and goes to Admiral Drayson, chief of Alpha Blue, for an interesting mission. Lando then gathers a team of Lobot, C-3PO, and R2-D2 to investigate a mysterious "ghost" ship. Meanwhile... Leia Organa Solo attempts to make an alliance with Viceroy Nil Spaar, Leader of the Duskan League and a Yevethan. But things turn for the worse very, very quickly...
I Liked: Although not fond of how Lando aquires his mission, I do like the mission in general. In fact, I wish it had been divorced from this novel completely (because I've read the series, I know it has little to no import on the main story) and made into its own novel, like in the days of the Han Solo Adventures by Brian Daley. Han and Leia again appear as good parents, and I can't tell you how happy I am for that. Han even goes so far as to take an "easy" assignment so he can stay on Coruscant with his kids (with a further tie-in to the events of The Crystal Star--I love it when authors do tie-ins!!). Han and Luke have a conversation about why Yoda and Obi-Wan became hermits (all of it retconned by this point). I thought Luke's discoveries or thoughts were interesting, and they did cast new light on Yoda and Obi-Wan (and the old Jedi Order in general).
I Didn't Like: There are three stories here. One I don't mind, but has no bearing on the main story. One is okay (particularly by the end of this book, I found), but it hinges on Leia acting wildly out of character. The last is horrific and makes me want to sharped my teeth on a blackboard. Firstly, the characters. The ones that stand out particularly horrible are Leia and Luke. Leia loses all sense and military keenness, giving valuable intel to a non-ally, Nil Spaar. She then refuses to listen to her counselors, including Admiral Ackbar. Now, I could understand if she wouldn't listen to a young counselor, but Ackbar?! He's got a lot of sense and she's worked with him for years! Is she really so hard up with a tenuous alliance with the Yevetha that she will put her opinon over his at all odds? What happened to her common sense? Or, as Han put it best: "Who was that person and what have you done with Leia?" As for Luke, I could go on for years. What man creates an order then leaves it a mere two years later? How could he be so powerful to create a fortress from scratch and yet need to be a hermit? Why would he leave his siste when she needed him most, only to return to dig her for more information on his mother? Why the big hurry to find his mother now? Why isn't HE helping with this crisis? As you can see, the characters tie in very, very closely to the plots. Lando has to act like a super-spy to penetrate Admiral Drayson's uber secret office. I didn't know there was training for that at Smuggler's Academy! Was that "How to Penetrate an Uber Secret Office 101"? And much of the Yevethan conflict could have been averted had Leia got her head out of her you-know-what and started using her brain instead of her hippie waving peace flag. As for Luke, bah, he's a lost cause. I have no idea why he was included in here. It seems like everyone wants to make him super strong in the Force yet a wuss at the same time (bowing to the whims of Akanah, who has to be the worst girlfriend he has ever had). Speaking of Akanah, can you spell "Annoying"? Well, that's how you spell Akanah! I thought Callista was bad, no, Akanah is worse! She whines about Luke using the Force to protect them from people who try to kill them, bursts in on his sanctuary and lies about his mother (no secret to those of us who have seen the prequels). What is it with Luke and hooking up with these whiny women? Get a grip, Luke! You're a Jedi Master! And about the title: "Before the Storm" could not be more apt. The action only happens at the very, very end and only is briefly seen. Now, if this were a long series, like the New Jedi Order, then this book would have worked perfectly. But for a trilogy? Uh, not so much.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence: Perhaps a d*** or h*** once in a while. Luke travels with Akanah (and I'm sure there is some "Woohoo-ing" going on in the interim). People die in the conflict, but it's only the beginning so you don't see much.
Overall: With a fresh view in mind, I can easily say that this book is still bad. Characters don't act like themselves. Two plot threads don't have anything to do with the main one. And while the political machinations are interesting and Lando's plot is kinda interesting, do I really want to read through yet another bad Luke plot to get to it or read Leia ignoring everyone she cares about? The answer is: Not really.
ORIGINAL REVIEW: I love Star Wars and pretty much anything related to them. I can stand the unusual circumstances that our characters go through. I put up with the eternal Empire problems that plagued a bunch of the books in that era. I live through the silly plots and junk that are typical of sci-fi. But I can't stand taking Star Wars and pretty much changing everything Star Wars about it. These books might have been good had they not starred Han, Luke, Leia, Lando, and Chewie. However, this is not the case. To sum up, the New Republic is getting pretty used to being at peace until the Yevetha (think: pre-Vong) come blazing a trail, hacking people up because they just like to. Leia runs around touting "Peace, peace, peace!" like a hippie, Han and Chewie pretty much do nothing of consequence, Lando is off trying to find a fleet of ships, and Luke, well, he hasn't done IT in a while, so when he meets this lady...well, let's just say it's a good thing the books don't center on THAT relationship. When I finally read these books, I had already learned that Padme was Luke and Leia's mom so the fact that this woman tromps up to Luke and says, "Your mother is one of us" kinda ticked me off. But this is forgivable given Luke and Leia don't actually know their mom. What is not forgivable is that Luke decides, "Hey, finding my mom is way more important than saving the galaxy like I've been doing the last twelve books and this woman is hot and single, so let's go!" What happened to Luke here? And how did he become the super-Jedi that he is portrayed in here? Rebuilding his dad's sanctuary? Why would Luke even choose Vader's sanctuary given that it is probably filled with a Dark Side presence? Leia is a complete snob. She is nothing like the feisty princess we fell in love with in A New Hope. Han is the incompetent daddy. And Lando is off finding these ships...why? Bad, just plain bad! If Jedi Trial had never come out, these books would have been the worst in the series. As it is, they tie. If you buy to complete your Star Wars set, first off, buy used paperbacks, and second, read at your own risk.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #14 on Apr 11, 2009, 4:18pm »
Kept making me mad... ONE STAR
By the time I reached this book, I was half tempted to give up while I was ahead. But I must like punishing myself (or be very obsessed about reading each and every Star Wars book), because I started AND finished this one. Pretty much nothing of consequence happens in this book. Luke is still off with his newfound girlfriend, still hunting for his mother. Han is kidnapped. Lando is having fun exploring his ship while people are dying. Leia is behaving like a whiny child. And Chewie, well, Chewie is Chewie. He is that character everyone brings into the story and then goes, "Uh, oh. What do I do with him?" I hated how the book was divided into sections dedicated to each character. Instead of learning a bit about everyone throughout the book, you have to wait to reach each section to learn what happens to each character. Though I really shouldn't have been upset since nothing really happens to anyone, or at least nothing that won't be repaired before the end. I won't blame the series for sounding too much like the Vong, because technically this came before the Vong. Still, I guess (???) this was better than the continuous "Oh, the Empire developed a new superpower. Luke, grab your lightsaber and help Leia and Han defeat it!" Have I said yet this is a terrible series? Have I warned you to avoid at all cost? In case it isn't clear, buy the books to complete the set. Just don't open them!
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #15 on Apr 11, 2009, 4:19pm »
Still angry, but at least it's over... ONE STAR
Finally! We have reached the end of this terrible series! Luke breaks off with this girl, learning that she lied to him. What a dork! How could he allow himself to be deceived by her and drag him all over the galaxy doing nothing and then just walk away as if nothing happened? Obviously, she must have been HOT. Lando's little ship journey finally turns out to be not as much of a waste of time as it was in the first two books. Chewie goes out to rescue Han. And the whole Yevetha plotline is neatly wrapped up and thrown away (it was that bad). This is probably the best of the three books (not saying much). Something actually happens in the book, and it is actually quite exciting (a word not known in the previous two books). I mean, I think my heart rate went up for a brief time (no, it wasn't related to getting closer to the end of the book). The characters are still badly portrayed, but if we were looking at good portrayals, we would be reading Timothy Zahn, not this series. As I closed this book, I was happy. Happy that there were no more books and that this terrible, terrible series was over. Happy that this author has never written a Star Wars novel since these. Not so happy that I wasted so much time on these, but beggars can't be choosers. Oh, and by the way, read this series at your own risk!
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #16 on May 7, 2009, 10:57am »
"Darth Zannah, you are my apprentice. The heir to my legacy" FIVE STARS
After greatly enjoying Darth Bane - Path of Destruction (PoD), I delved into part two. Bane begins his training of his heir, Zannah, in the Dark Arts and continues to add confusion to the Republic and the Jedi Order. Can't really expand more on it than that, to be honest.
What I Liked: One of the best things about this book is how it deals with such an under-explored area: the Sith. I enjoyed reading more about Bane, what happened immediately after the events in PoD, and seeing Zannah grow in the Dark Side. Speaking of Zannah, she was one of those few female characters in the Star Wars universe (particularly recently) that I truly enjoyed without wanting to cry "MARY SUE!" after each scene she was in. I felt Karpyshyn did a superb job writing her as a child, balancing between her extreme skill for the Force and her naiveté. Also, I loved learning in flashbacks about her training and how they tied in to the current events (e.g. her first mission to draw the neek towards her was a great highlight and was perfectly placed with her mission to draw Kel into a confrontation with the Republic). She is a cunning woman, but yearning still for emotions, leading her to relationships with men, such as Kel. I enjoyed this view, showing that Sith cannot get all their fulfillment solely from the Dark Side. Karpyshyn did, in my opinion, a good job moving from Bane's point of view to Zannah's. In PoD, Bane did most of the narrating; here, it is Zannah. We still see inside Bane's mind, which is great, but I do enjoy seeing the events from the apprentice who will carry on the legacy. I also enjoyed the numerous Sith vs Jedi arguments in this book. I felt that they really brought both Orders to a new level of understanding, one that can't be shown in a movie or explained in most other books. The pacing is quick. The characters don't spend much time sitting back, chattin' up the situation. They are out there, doing something. Yes, they have deep conversations, but they are perfectly blended into the surroundings so you don't feel like all they do is talk or they stop to talk about politics in a middle of a battle scene. Karpyshyn also outdoes himself in the lightsaber duels. The latter one is particularly brilliant with five Jedi against two Sith. Won't tell you how that turns out, though I am sure you can guess.
What I Did Not Like: I spent six years in college studying physics, chemistry, and engineering. I say this, because one of the biggest problems I have with this book is the following scene: Bane flies on a reptilian avian from the moon, Dxun to the planet, Onderon. Yes, you heard me, from a moon to a planet. Across the reaches of space. With only the Dark Side to encase him in a bubble of oxygen. What the...??? Where do people come UP with these ideas? I like to think that I can turn my brain off and enjoy things, but this is too much!! First off, does anyone know the density of the atmosphere in the Earth's upper layers? According to this site, "The ionosphere is very thin" [...] meaning that FLIGHT would be nearly impossible for a reptilian bird! Flight is contingent on having a higher pressure on the underside of the wing than on the upperside. Since birds fly by flapping their wings and do not have an external fuel source, they would flap furiously and fall like dead flies. Not to mention from same site, that this layer is "where many atoms are ionized (have gained or lost electrons so they have a net electrical charge)." If this is true on other Earth like planets (and at this point, we can't confirm or deny, but it seems to be more typical than not), then our riding duo are breathing IONS!!! This is crazy, you can't breathe ions!!! I don't care what weird Dark Side shield Bane puts around him (and note that it's only after they "leave the atmosphere" of Dxun that he does this!), that's gonna hurt!! Okay, so the next point is: so let's say the planets are pretty darn close to each other (like they fudge in the book). Okay...if that's true, how do the gravitational powers inherent in both planets keep from ripping everything to shreds? Technically, no life should be on either planet, not if they get this close to each other, as the moon will pull at the planet and vice versa. Tidal waves here on Earth show a very small idea of what gravitational forces can do. Now imagine that the moon is close to the size of the Earth (as it stands, it is approximately Ľ of the diameter and 1/10 the surface area) and both are rotating about their combined center of gravity (the combined center of gravity of Earth and moon lies within the Earth's diameter, ensuring that the Moon orbits the Earth). We got some d**n nasty tidal forces at work, that would have ensured that no flora and fauna would have made this their home. Not to mention, I have no clue how Dxun would get such a highly elliptical orbit to be INSIDE Onderon's at its perigee and far away at its apogee. Planets have elliptical orbits, but to have this big of one for two objects near the same size? Something is going wrong in this galaxy... Okay, back to Rule of Two. Bane and avian went INTO vacuum (since there apparently was a wee bit of space--har har--between the two). So now we have the problem of traveling through space with absolutely NO external fuel drive in addition to NO oxygen and pressure (but we'll say that somehow Bane can accumulate enough of both to last him...well, don't want to spoil the surprise). So do Bane and avian spend the next 5 years floating to Onderon? Because it took the Apollo crafts THREE DAYS to reach the moon, traveling at about 3,000 meters per second and the distance between the Earth and the Moon is 384,403 km. Even given that Dxun and Onderon are closer than this, it would take Bane days traveling at a modest 60 mph (based on Earth birds of course) and this DOESN'T include that Bane can't accelerate or decelerate. FURTHERMORE, he is pointed haphazardly at Onderon, which means he could, quite possibly, MISS the planet all together! And FURTHERMORE, how can he keep enough oxygen and pressure in his bubble to sustain him and his ride all this way?? People use a lot of oxygen, particularly when working. A human takes in about 500 cm3 in one breath with anywhere between 10 and 20 breaths a minute if there is no movement! So in one minute, if Bane is completely at rest, he is using 5000 cm3! This is no small area! I would love to see how he keeps enough oxygen in his bubble for TWO beings, one that is (or was) flying, how he keeps from his body fluids flying out of every orifice as he hits vacuum, and how they continue to MOVE after they leave the atmosphere! I mean, they will have leftover momentum, but if Bane thinks that by flapping, the reptilian bird will still fly, he has NO KNOWLEDGE of Newton's Laws of Physics, particularly the third. I will admit, as soon as I read this scene, I simultaneously wanted to laugh my a$$ off and throw this book at the wall. I can suspend a lot of belief--I read Star Wars for God's sake!--but this is more than I can handle. There are a million other things seen in the movies that never happen in real life. Laser bolts being dodged, hyperspace, sounds in space...the list is endless. I can handle those. But this? Nuh uh. No way.
Nit Pick Section
[1.] The character of Johun. I understand why he is there: to contrast with the Sith. However, I found his character bland and really treads that Marty Stu line (i.e. sneaking onto the planet despite orders and being, in one sense, promoted for it). A far more interesting character to have seen would have been Farfalla. [2.] Zannah is described as the prerequisite stunningly attractive woman (though this isn't too hard to stomach, as she would need to be in good physical shape anyway).
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence: Language is Star Wars typical. Bane mentions that Githany was his lover. Zannah takes her own lover, Kel. They share a bed and a few kisses, but their relations are restricted to that. Violence is the heavy portion. A reptilian avian rips out the throat of another. Bane goes on killing sprees, as does his young prodigy. One body is cut into pieces. And Karpyshyn doesn't hold back on the gory description.
Overall: Minus a serious scientific faux pas that made me question all subsequent science related events in this book, this is an amazing novel. It beautifully expands on what began in Path of Destruction and carries it to the next level. Highly recommended for those who enjoyed the first.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #17 on Aug 17, 2009, 11:32am »
"Even without the Force, you are still a Jedi" FIVE STARS
Don't confuse this book with the other Twilight book! In this new edition to the Star Wars Expanded Universe, Jax Pavan, former Jedi Knight, is scumming around in the Coruscant underbelly, trying to keep out of the limelight and Darth Vader's target sites. But when his former master, Even Piell, asks him for one last mission, how can he say no?
I Liked: I opened this book with some trepidation. The last two Michael Reaves books I read (Death Star and Batman: Fear Itself) didn't impress me. In fact, I rated both two stars. I was so sure that Reaves had lost his touch, that the magic of Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter was gone. Boy was I wrong! Michael Reaves brings back his amazing characters from Darth Maul, the Medstar Duology and more. We get to learn more about I-Five and ponder sentience. Are droids slaves...or are they property? Can a droid attain sentience? We see what happened to Den Dhur, reporter of the Medstar Duology. The Sullustan friend of I-Five makes some of the snappiest remarks, he is impossible to hate. Then we have Jax Pavan, Lorn Pavan's Jedi son. He has pretty much lived a bounty hunter-ish life in the underworld of Coruscant. You see him struggle with living alone, without the Jedi and then without the Force. Nick Rostu of Shatterpoint fame is back. I feel for him, his struggle with his limited Force ability and his desire to save his home. Also starring is Kaird, a Nediji (think bird-man), who is a part of Black Sun just to get to his own homeworld. Of those listed (there are a few others, but I found them more periphery), my favorites are Nick and Kaird. I really grew attached to Nick, felt his struggles and understood his past. Kaird, I loved how he wasn't your typical, "I want to be a big shot for the power" kind of guy. Nope, all he wanted was to go home. So a bunch of great characters don't mean a whole hill of beans. You can have a bunch and still have a lousy story (*ahem* Death Star). Not so here. The story is fantastic! There are just enough weaves, twists and turns (I figured out the end, but still, it was pretty darn interesting!) to keep you on your seat! And how Reaves puts all the characters together at the end...well, let's just say that THAT is how Death Star's ending should have been written. And the ending! Wowee, talk about a ride! You will want to read the last 100 pages in one sitting. Trust me, I did! I didn't want to be torn away, not at that ending!
I Did Not Like: I really have to pick here to get negatives. Jedi deflect lasers but to shoot lasers out of the sky with blaster bolts? Uh huh, sure. Light is neither particle nor wave, so firing a light into a light does nothing, sorry. The middle is kinda slow and almost padded. I can't even quite remember what happens in it! Fortunately, you don't seem to notice it when you are reading, only when you get to the end do you think, "Man, that section--whatever it was about--that was slow!" I got a little tired of some of the repetition, namely about how Xizor was oh, so good at fighting (he was, and he proves it, I just get tired of all the characters saying it). Also, the book is almost marketed as a PI/investigator type book. Uh, not so much.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence: Invented Star Wars fare. About as sexual as you get is perhaps Twi'Lek slaves. Very tame. Violence is surprisingly light. There are some firefights, some people are injured (cuts, scrapes, one person almost dies), and an intense battle between our fighters and feral droids, but on the whole, not many get really messed up.
Overall: Brilliant work, Michael Reaves! Thank you for proving me wrong and showing me that you really haven't forgotten the art of a brilliant novel. If the other two in the trilogy are anywhere near as good as this, sign me up! Oh, and start writing some more. Five stars, no questions.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #18 on Sept 30, 2009, 9:46am »
"You're being hunted by the best, Jax" FOUR STARS
After reading the first one, I realized I had no choice but to read number two! Jax Pavan, LaranthTarak, Den Dhur, and I-Five are back and this time they have a murder to solve. Ves Volette, a Caamasi artist, has been murdered! Was it his partner, the gorgeous Dejah Duare? Or someone else? And can they solve the crime before Aurra Sing finds and kills Jax?
I Liked: This time around, Michael Reaves wrote his novel as a mystery, which is sort of the marketing for this series of the Star Wars Expanded Universe. And he does an okay job with it (more later). What really stood out to me, however, was the further depth given to Laranth's character. She really gets fleshed out, from being stoic action girl, to a woman who is beginning to develop feelings for Jax...feelings that, unfortunately for her, aren't reciprocated (which makes me want to slap Jax silly!!). I love how Reaves didn't overwrite her feelings, how he kept it subtle and delicate. Well done! Also, gotta give Reaves a hand for writing two characters not seen much in Star Wars novels: Captain Typho and Aurra Sing! While I didn't much like his character, Typho was interesting to see (and to see what happened to him!) and his twist (his unrequited love for Padme) brought some definition to his character. Aurra Sing was well done, a cold-blooded killer, yet also half-crazed. Lastly, Reaves knows how to finish off his novels with a bang! Not only do you get the mystery wrapped up, but let's also throw in a righteous battle between our heroes and Aurra Sing!
I Didn't Like: I just didn't enjoy this book as much as the first one. I didn't like Dejah Duare, the perfect, sexy Zeltron female (who is, of course, always wearing nice, sexy clothes that make the guys eyes pop out) introduced in the book (gag me already). Jax was still an annoying character whom I wanted to throw across the room. No one says what happens to Nick Rostu. The mystery was very so-so and not very interesting at all (though who did it makes a nod at the mystery genre cliches and got me laughing!). The pacing I felt was rather plodding. People just seem to float for pages on end, not really doing anything that seems all that important and just saying the same things over and over (Typho's quest for vengeance, how Aurra will bring in Jax, finding the murderer of Ves, etc.). I understand that second novels/movies/whatever are a challenge, but this one seemed particularly "saggy".
Dialouge/Sexual Situations/Violence: Star Wars invented language if anything. Dejah is, of course, a gorgeous, beautiful, sexually appealing woman. This is mentioned frequently. Also, some of the denizens of Coruscant's underworld could be interpreted as sexual. Ves Volette is murdered and while it isn't gory, he still does die. There are a few lightsaber battles, chase scenes...nothing that great overall.
Overall: It's really hard to rate this book for me. I didn't hate it, but I felt that it lacked something, that final quality that could have made it a sure thing for me. I certainly don't consider this a terrible book; I adored the subtle changes to Laranth and some discussion of droids and their "sentience". But there were other parts, such as the weak mystery, that really make me second guess my rating. So, after much contemplation, I think it's fair to rate it 4.5 stars rounded down to 4.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #19 on Nov 3, 2009, 8:45pm »
“ If Jax commits himself and his team to Palpatine's assassination, then what distinguishes him from those who represent the dark side?” FIVE STARS
So I was really impressed by number 1, disappointed by number 2, and ready to see how the series would end. So I embarked on the third and final chapter! Jax Pavan, Den Dhur, I-Five, and Rhinann return in our final installment with the lovely Dejah Duare on what could be their final mission. A rogue Force adept roams the underworld, threatening to blow their operation to the Inquisitors, Force users trained by Darth Vader himself. Furthermore, someone from I-Five's past returns with a plan...a plan to kill Emperor Palpatine! What will our band do, to fight injustice in the galaxy?
I Liked: In book two, I felt that the character of Rhinann had gone off the deep end. In Book 3, Reaves brings Rhinann back to what he had been at the end of Book 1. He does it well enough, that I can either gloss over the disparities in Book 2 or believe that he changed from Book 2 to 3. I appreciated the “mending” and surprisingly found myself liking the character. Also, I enjoyed seeing Jax Pavan realize his feelings for Laranth, how much he misses her. When Laranth was first introduced in the series, I was so sure she would be a Mary Sue: you know, tough woman, highly attractive and able to bed men in a single bound. Ha! Reaves must be laughing in his recliner at me. He deftly creates this woman, so real and emotional and...wonderful! Then he broke her and Jax up in Book 2, tearing out my heart in the process (darn you, Reaves!). And now, in 3, he starts to weave Jax and Laranth back together in a most beautiful way. And, not to spoil anything, their resolution is absolutely perfect. I never liked Dejah Duare, but I love what Reaves does to her. Perfect justice! Besides the characters (my favorites being Laranth, of course, I-Five, and Den Dhur), which are, for the most part, amazing as usual, Reaves also ties in all the details he has been bringing up in his previous books, not only the Coruscant Nights ones, but also the Darth Maul book and the MedStar Duology. Very nicely done, and always neat to see stuff reused. The ending!! So fast paced, so much happens in so little time! In this regard, I feel like Reaves looked back at Book 1, how he made it so edge of your seat there and repeated that idea here. It is wonderful, a perfect combination for a Star Wars novel. Lastly, I liked how this novel touched on so many important concepts, but namely this one: what distinguishes the good guys from the bad guys? It isn't a HUGE part of the novel, but it is sly, tricky, and makes you think. I mean, if the bad guys are bad just because they kill, that means any time the good guys kill (even if it is bad guys), then they have become that which they fight. A very challenging idea, and very important still. Reaves handles it particularly well.
I Didn't Like: I've already complained about how Rhinann's character has skipped all over the place in this trilogy, but since Reaves “fixed” him in Book 3, he goes off my nit-pick list. Dejah Duare remains on my list, for being the Mary Sue of this series. I despise her overly done-up sexuality, even if she does rely on pheromones to get her way (or maybe because she does). I was not very fond of Kajin Savaros. I have a hard time believing that this boy is so powerful (able to blast tall buildings in a single breath); he feels like a Marty Stu. Plus, he is a rather bland character, almost like eating vanilla ice cream, but not even good vanilla ice cream. He really is much less a character than a tool, just to move the plot. And his conclusion makes me wonder if I should even have cared about him in the first place. The beginning felt very, incredibly slow to me. It took me weeks to actually get into the book. It feels like nothing important is happening, that I can't engage in the story. Thank God Reaves picks it up halfway through! SPOILER: My last great complaint is that Jax still lives. Yes, I love how he and Laranth get together at the end, but I really tire of seeing all these Jedi that somehow are able to elude Vader and Order 66. I would have preferred to see him die at the end, like how his father died at the end of Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter. In this way, I feel that this trilogy is a little too “open-ended”. Yes, Jax had his face-off with Vader, but it is obvious that, since neither died, it is only the first face-off. Vader won't just give up on Jax; Jax still lives on Coruscant. And since Jax isn't my favorite character to begin with, I wouldn't have been upset to see him die. END OF SPOILER
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence: Star Wars language only. Dejah Duare pretty much embodies the biggest sexual blips in this novel. A man is scarred pretty badly in a Force battle. Two people are kidnapped. Other Star Wars fare battles.
Overall: To be honest, after a few pages, I dreaded this book. I wanted to put it down and forget about it forever. Reaves had kinda lost me after 2, and I didn't think he could bring it around. Well, Reaves, you proved me wrong yet again! He finished off the trilogy nicely, though I felt that it was still a little more open-ended than I would have liked. So despite a very slow beginning, I give this book a 4.5 stars, rounded to 5.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #20 on Jan 25, 2010, 6:06pm »
"An order was an order. And orders had to be followed, or else society fell apart." FOUR STARS
The last book in the Republic Commando series! There was no way you could keep it from me. How would the clones that Karen Traviss has spent the last three books developing deal with this time altering order?
The clones from the last three books gear up in the final days of the war. Kal Skirata, den father, as it were, delves deeper into finding if the age acceleration can be reversed. Drama occurs between Ordo and Besany, Atin and Laseema, Darman and Etain, and Fi and Parja as they all deal with the “relationship” question. And pressure from the outside might force our courageous commandos to go into hiding far before the end of the war.
I Liked: I tend to get a bit rambling here, so I want to streamline it for the ease of the reader and for the ease of the writer: Writing
[1.] Karen Traviss pulls no punches. Right off the bat, not a page into the book, she has one of Jusik Bardan, who left the Jedi Order because of the hypocrisy of it, face another Jedi. Through his eyes, we see how desperate the Republic is to use a Jedi commander of such a young age, how, to the citizens of Coruscant (much like the citizens of America), life goes on as if there was no war, how maybe not everyone thinks the Jedi are peaches and cream, like so many Star Wars authors paint them, and how the Jedi are no better than the Separatists, if they are willing to resort to slave labor to fight their war. And this is only 4 pages into the book! Traviss continues this line into the book, showing the gray to the Jedi that most authors refuse to do, and revealing the errors, arrogance, and hypocrisy of the Jedi Order. [2.] The Republic Commando books are thinking books. I love my brain candy, don't get me wrong, but sometimes, I think Star Wars authors try to hard to make brain candy and don't really sit to think through the situation. I would have loved to see Traviss write a book set in the New Republic era, when all the Empire attacks were occurring. Would she show how silly the New Republic was? How little better they were to the Empire that they were so against
Plot:
[1.] Why do the clone troopers have no problem turning on their Jedi commanding officers? This has been a question that has plagued me ever since I saw it on screen. Why? Was there no devotion, no growing attachment? Here we learn A) that Jedi aren't the all-loved beings that every other Star Wars novel paints them, B) many (I refuse to believe only Jusik and Etain treated their clone troopers like human beings) Jedi treated the clones like property, sub-beings, and C) the troopers are drilled to obey orders. So when the order comes through, they truly believe the Jedi are traitors to the Republic (which they were bred to serve). And because they are always told to follow orders, they do. I appreciate how KT solves this conundrum. [2.] Etain realizes why the Jedi disapprove of attachment. In the previous books, Etain kept wondering why and then barrelling headlong into a relationship with Darman. Here, she learns, through relations with her son, why the Jedi don't like it. I appreciate Traviss even mentioning it (it would be very easy for her to have her characters refuse to admit there was a problem at all). [3.] Trying to fit in other Star Wars Expanded Universe lore. Traviss brings up the horrid creation, Callista, from the horrid books by Barbara Hambly. I liked her thoughts, but would have enjoyed even more. I liked the foreshadowing of Order 66 with the revelation of 150 contingency orders. And learning why Jango sided with the Jedi, his mortal enemies, was very insightful indeed. [4.] Once the words “Execute Order 66” appear on the page, the novel really goes into high gear. The pace picks up, the tension is high...who will come out alive and who will die? [5.] Karen Traviss isn't afraid of killing off her own characters. After Michael Reaves copped out of having Darth Vader kill Jax in Coruscant Knights (sorry if I spoiled that for you), I was relieved to see KT wasn't like that. I won't say who or how many die, but she is realistic.
Characters:
[1.] Walon Vau. Man, this guy gets some of the best quotes, one of them being very similar to the one I used for the title of this review. I can really understand his mind, how he thinks. He may be apparently cold and emotionless, even the Jedi who feel him out think he is, but Walon Vau doesn't just do something because it feels right. He uses his mind. He calculates. And that is why I find him so fascinating! [2.] Mandalorian culture. Again, Traviss imbues her novels with Mandalorian culture. I rather liked the marriage “ceremony” (though the frequency with which it occurred, I must disagree with), how is is a line said between the man and the woman together. And that is it. It fits with their culture well. Also, I like the warrior/family angle. It's nice not to have yet another pacifistic culture in the Star Wars universe. I know Star Wars is a big universe, but you have Alderaan and Camaas. You don't need Mandalorians too. [3.] Favorite characters: Scorch (perhaps because he too holds himself, but isn't afraid to speak up about the injustices), Mij Gilamar (because it's too cool to have a Mando doctor, particularly one that reminds me of Dr. McCoy from Star Trek), Niner (whom I liked from HC, but can't get enough of), and Maze (because he is dedicated, he reads, and he endeavors to do his best at his job, doesn't want to desert at the drop of a hat).
I Didn't Like: While I have a lot to admire about this book, I also have some complaints:
[1.] Unclear sense of morality. I love how so many characters (Kal, Besany) are considered “moral” when they still commit crimes. Espionage, treason, embezzlement, breaking and entering, impersonating Republic officials...those are crimes. Those are against the laws. Those are “wrong”. Those are immoral. So, I would love for Traviss to be a bit more clear when she says Kal and Besany and whomever are so “moral”. Does she mean that the characters want justice? What sort of justice? Who dictates what this justice is? [2.] “Let's get everyone married” mentality. Last book, it was “let's get everyone a girlfriend”. Well, today's trend is marriage. Tomorrow's will probably be children. Nonetheless, while I enjoyed the marriage ceremony, I think doing it three...four...a billion times in the book (or mentioning it that many times) really deadens its impact. Make the ceremony special. Don't have everyone rushing out to get married to his/her significant other just before everyone dies. Some people will die without ever being married to his or her partner. Showing otherwise, in such a realistic book anyway, is fantastical. [3.] Besany. I so don't like her, she gets her own bullet point. I am sick to death of her “so beautiful, it's a curse” characterization, so sick of hearing how quickly she helped out the Mandos, and how easily she can handle the fact her boyfriend/husband murders. She isn't that smart, clever, or anything. All she is is a girlfriend for one of the many clones. And her sudden attachment to Jilka and not wanting her to be blamed for Besany's treason? Where did that come from? When did she turn out to be a person who cared about someone who wasn't Mando? [4.] Mandos are good, Jedi are bad. I do have a deeper appreciation for this, and am beginning to see the other side (and see that that view is often pushed by characters like Kal Skirata), but nonetheless, I wish that Traviss would tone down the Mando God complex. There is nothing the Mando's can't do. They are moral, they are strong, they are thoughtful, they are great warriors, they are great husbands, lovers, boyfriends, fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, and second-cousins twice removed, they are honorable, they are God incarnate. On the other hand, the Jedi are arrogant, demeaning, hypocrites, and oblivious. They all are glory-seekers, they all act like they know better, and they all treat clones like sub-humans. Again, I realize that many of the most guilty sections were written by Mandos, but still, I wish the virtues of General Zey and his actions were held in higher regard. Remember, Mandos are willing to be bought to fight someone's war. I do note that the Jedi fight the war to “save” the Republic, because they are arrogant enough to think they know what's best for it. [5.] Etain and Jusik don't feel any sorrow for knowing many of their friends died in Order 66. Etain is too busy trying to leave and get to Darman and her son (understandable, but still, does she not have any pain or sympathy to her fellow Jedi?), and Jusik is too busy rallying the forces to care about Order 66. Even if they both disagree with the Jedi and their tenets, I have a hard time believing they would feel no sorrow, no loss, no tremors in the force as the people they loved and cared about died. What happened to the Obi-Wan feeling from “A New Hope”, of a thousand voices crying out in terror being suddenly silenced? Jusik and Etain still use the Force, but can't feel the Jedi die through the Force? SPOILER: Jusik ought to feel something when Maze kills Zey, but no, nothing is ever mentioned. Because Zey was a good(ish) Jedi, not a Mando, and thus, not worthy of remembrance. END OF SPOILER. [6.] The book is engaging enough, but the first part is pretty darn slow. I didn't realize it until the “Execute Order 66” line, but I wish KT could infuse a bit more action into her books, like she did with Hard Contact. Also, the Order came late into the book, and while I know the first part sets up for the second, I wish that the book focused more on the actual execution of Order 66 and not the prep.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence: As always, the language is mad-up Star Wars (in this case, Mando) language. In some cases, it is pretty obvious what the “English” term would be. Ordo is Besany's lover; Etain and Darman had a baby together. Laseema is oogled. Rather tame, on the whole. The book is about commandos, so expect some gunplay, explosions, serious injuries, and character deaths.
Overall: People have called these books many a thing, from the best thing to happen to Star Wars Expanded Universe to complete and utter heresy. But one thing remains: people talk about them endlessly. And how could you not? These books aren't like most of the Star Wars “dreck”: they make you think. They force you to find your opinion and defend it. They bring to light parts of the Jedi that many don't like to see, but that are obvious, even if you only watch the movies. So, in this final chapter of the Republic Commandos, I think I've finally gotten an idea of what the proponents of Karen Traviss' divisive books are talking about. Life is messy. The Jedi are messy. There is no easy answer. And anyone who says otherwise is lying to him or herself. For Triple Zero and True Colors, I voted three stars because of the slow story, huge cast of characters, and the Mandos are better than Jedi mentality. But in Order 66, I feel these problems are not so great. For not failing to point out the faults, for lighting the unlit, and for, above all, being entertaining, I give Order 66 a four stars.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #21 on Jan 29, 2010, 10:06pm »
"That's how tyranny succeeds. When folks think it won't affect them. Until it eventually does." FOUR STARS
This book was selected in my Star Wars book of the month club! Plus, a good friend of mine gave me the book, which meant I absolutely had to read it! The Clone Wars has ended, and the Republic is now the Empire. Darman and Niner are stuck in Vader's 501st, Vader's Fist. Darman struggles with the events of the last book, and both long to be home on Kyrimorout with Kal Skirata, Atin, Fi, and the other rag-tags that have assembled there as a haven. Please note, spoilers from Order 66 may follow.
I Liked: To keep myself streamlined, I will split this up into three categories: writing, characters and plot. Writing.
[1.] Karen Traviss' novels don't beat around the bush. They deal with big, universal themes, which this time are bigotry/prejudice, complacency, and fear.
a)Prejudice permeates most of the Mandalorian characters (and the Jedi, of course). Skirata can't accept Kina Ha for being a Kaminoan and Uthan for being a scientist trying to kill his clones. The Kaminoan clones ridicule the Spaarti clones for being inferior. The rising bias against the Jedi in the Empire, the rivalry between Mandalore and the rest of the galaxy...all are potraits of prejudice and intolerance. Ny, one of the least intolerant of the group, puts it this way to the Null clones when they ridicule the Spaarti clones (page 198): “How can you dismiss them all like that when you're the first to say you're more than your genes?” We also see, in her eyes, how ironic it is for Skirata to hate the Jedi, when he happens to adopt many of the practices he criticizes in them (see page 301 for a good quote). b)Complacency is what keeps the people from revolting. Under the Empire, the galaxy has grown to not care about her galactic brothers and sisters...those on Kashyyyk, Gibad, Camaas...and many others. The quote for the review, said by Uthan on page 139, says this perfectly. c)Fear: a quote by Jusik best relays this (page 290): "Fear kept beings in line. Fear...made you mistrust and suspect everyone...and divided people didn't form up into groups to rebel."
[2.] Once her novel starts to roll along (particularly with the Niner and Darman scenes), you thirst for more. How are Niner and Darman going to survive in the 501st? Will anyone find out about the chip Niner has? What about the new Spaarti clone in their squad? How will the Corellian trained Ennen cope with the death of his squadmate? It was hard to put down the book in these sections. [3.] Traviss again provides other Expanded Universe references, such as Jax Pavan and the Whiplash movement and Callista and the Altis' sect.
Plot:
[1.] The story of Niner and Darman in the 501st, Vader's Fist, is definitely the highlight of the book. You get inside Vader's Fist, to see the differences between the Imperial and Republic management, the inclusion of the Spaarti clones, the distrust, and the underlying fear. Plus, they get to do a whole lot more missions, a whole lot more Jedi hunting, which means more of what made Hard Contact so amazing and what has been lacking from most of the Republic Commando books and less sitting around and bad-mouthing the Jedi. [2.] Darman's personal battle of the death of Etain is particularly poignant. I feel Traviss did a good job conveying his detached self and his grieving self and I adored how Niner looked out for him. [3.] This novel is set in the Imperial era, which is so undiscovered and unexplored. It's nice to see the forays out into it. [4.] The fear and suspicion, mentioned in passing in the Coruscant Nights trilogy, is actually at work in Coruscant in this novel. In 501st, clone commandos can feel the growing fear, see how the Empire is coaxing people to tell on their neighbors (all I can think of is the movie, Brazil!), and basically keeping one eye open.
Characters:
[1.] My favorite characters now include Walon Vau, Niner (who gets a point of view!! YAY!), Ny (sometimes), Commander Roly Melusar, and Maze. I've mentioned why I've liked Walon Vau before (quintessential Mando, cold, hard, calculating) and Maze too (follows orders, perfect ARC), but I will detail on the others. [2.] Niner is a particularly fascinating clone. He didn't want to desert like all the others. He felt it was his duty to stay in, to fight the good fight. Only when his other brothers were going to leave, leaving him alone, did he change his mind. Through his reasonable, cautious eyes, we see the growing hatred and distrust of Jedi, his care for his brother, Darman, and how he is growing to want a life outside, yet still fearing it. [3.] Nyreen is one of the few female characters Traviss has written that I actually like. Although there are still parts of her that I am not fond of (like how quickly she wants to become Mando and such), I like how she was married before, around Kal's age, independent, not so vehemently against the Jedi, and just overall being different and unique (“a voice of reason”). Through her eyes and her eyes alone, we get a balance from the Mando-heavy prejudice from the book and see how much Jedi Kal is like, how what he does really isn't much different from them. [4.] Lastly, my brand-new all-time favorite is Commander Roly Melusar. Man, I can't say enough how much I like him! Here we finally get an Imperial not out for power, prestige, money, whatever, but out there to get rid of Force-users and dissenters for a reason...because he believes in the ideals of the Empire.
I Didn't Like: You knew this was coming, didn't you?
[1.] Mandos good, Jedi bad. Highly toned down from the Republic Commando books with the balancing view off Ny (too bad she remains mostly silent on the matter to the Mandos), but still prevalent none-the-less. I could go on and on about this point, but I don't really think I need to say more. The Jedi are most certainly not perfect, but neither are the Mandalorians. [2.] Good Mando wife. It sickens me to see all the women of these commando books be stripped of anything of their own, their own culture, desires, loves, hopes, and dreams and adopt without question or hesitation the Mando way. Besany was a tax auditor...and she goes to being good Mando housewife in less than 18.2 seconds. Laseema, same thing. Jilka follows the same path as Besany and Laseema by falling for yet another of our clone boys, Corr, in a gag-worthy romance. Uthan is slipping and falling for Mij Gilamar, and Nyreen appears to doing the same with Kal. Why can't Traviss create strong women who don't feel the need to drop their own personality for one their husbands can take better? Other than Parja, none of the married women have jobs outside the home (Uthan not being Mando nor married to Mij), and the one woman who didn't follow the Mando way (Kal's wife) is treated with scorn and disdain for wanting her husband to be home (I was a military kid, I could go on about this topic for a while, but I'll spare you). It's an unfair way to paint women, that they are only good if they are A) married to Mandos, B) a good, stay-at-home “Mando wife”, and/or C) accept their husband's Mando ways without a qualm or thought about their own heritage and traditions. [3.] Repetition. Yet again, Traviss has a few things she must make sure she says at least a dozen times in her novel. How the Nulls were saved by Skirata (as if the last three books didn't repeat that enough). How much Scout reminds Kal of Etain, how Kal hates Kaminoans and Jedi and Uthan, how Atin and Laseema can't have biological kids (which shouldn't really matter in an adoptive society like Mandalore), how hypocritical the Jedi were, how bad artuesii are, how so-and-so can't believe how “easy and quickly” she (most often she) is accepting the Mando culture, how so-and-so was surprised that she (again, most often she) wouldn't be shocked or upset if he (aka insert your Mando here) killed someone, etc., etc., etc. While I understand that new readers may be unfamiliar with the characters and history, the constant repetitions won't help them “catch up”. This is not a book for the uninitiated. I figure you cut out half the extraneous repetitions, you lose about 150 pages. [4.] Least Favorite characters.
a)Besany, who is mostly shoved into the background (Yay!). However, there is one scene where she appears, just recently wakened and yet is said to look “glamorous”. You ever see a woman just wake up? Her hair is everywhere! b)Skirata, whom I really have never liked since Triple Zero. I know he loves his boys (I've heard it a billion times in between the pages), but he is overly emotional, always bawling or pouting or yelling or something-ing. c)The Nulls. All perfect Gary Stus, who can do no wrong. Plus, there are 6 interchangeable men. Maybe if it were only Ordo, I could stand them, but having six indistinguishable, perfect men is too much for me to handle.
[5.] Other quibbles:
a)Darman's sudden change to want to return home felt out of left field. b)Kad acts way off-kilter for a toddler, even a Force sensitive one. c)Jusik having no attachment to his master? Maybe I got spoiled with the Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan relationship from the Jedi Apprentice series. d)Did you hear Palpatine is a Sith? Apparently everyone in this galaxy knows. e)Too much time spent on Kyrimorout, aka “Walton's Mountain”. In fact, in the beginning, I wanted to call the book “The Skiratas” after “The Waltons” because of all the time they spent at home doing homey things. Isn't this a Star Wars novel? f)No Dramatis Personae. I've always had trouble figuring out who was what and this time it was even harder than usual.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence: Expect to confront the Mando curse word “fierfek”. Other than that, not much. Little to none. Other than perhaps Kad being the child of a liaison between Etain and Darman and that Altis' clan take lovers, not much is made in this regard. People die in the novel, one by suicide (not to spoil too much, hopefully) and one when attacked by a Jedi. Niner and Darman see a lot of battle in this one.
Overall: One hundred pages into it, I was going to throw in the towel. I just couldn't take the “At Home on Kyrimorout” any longer. This was a commando novel, where were the commandos doing something besides raising Star Wars chickens? Thankfully, the Niner and Darman story saved it and the Kyrimorout sections actually started to go somewhere besides to the barnyard. Lots of good stuff happens in this book. We get an inside view of the Empire, see Jusik wonder about his Jedi heritage, see the prejudices of the characters through a mostly unbiased eye (Nyreen), and learn more of why the Empire lasted so long (fear and complacency). Plus, there are some good Jedi chases and fights. But a lot of “filler” happens too. People talk endlessly about topics we've heard inside and out. More anti-Jedi bias. More silly Kyrimorout “happy family” scenes. And a LOT of characters (fortunately, most background). Imperial Commando: 501st is a good novel, but I would not recommend reading it unless you have read the last four Republic Commando novels. I tried to start without reading Order 66, and it was confusing. And while it has its bumps, if you don't mind a highly Mando bias (I did), you should enjoy. I give it 4 stars (with a revised rating 3.5 star rating to Order 66).
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #22 on Feb 26, 2010, 2:18pm »
“A Jedi can't get so caught up in matters of galactic importance that it interferes with his concern for individual people” FIVE STARS
It's had a permanent space on my top books of all time, and there is a reason. Considered by most Star Wars fans to be the best Star Wars Expanded Universe novel and the birth of Expanded Universe itself, Heir to the Empire takes off about 5 years after Return of the Jedi. Han and Leia are married and expecting twins. Luke is a Jedi Knight. And the New Republic is in its beginning stages. But the Empire hasn't laid down to die yet. A new threat arises, in a hidden Grand Admiral, Thrawn. He has enlisted a mad Jedi Master clone, Joruus C'baoth, in his quest to destroy the Rebellion once and for all.
I Liked: Where to begin? The Thrawn Trilogy (of which this is the first book) has been my favorite since I first read it way back when. But as you grow up, your tastes often change. I used to adore I, Jedi but when I reread it, there were some parts that I just couldn't enjoy as much as I did as a teen. So I wanted to reread Heir, to see if I still felt the same way, if the book was as good as I remembered, if it still deserved its first place slot in favorite books. The answer to all three unspoken questions is the same. Yes, yes, yes! Timothy Zahn is such an enjoyable author! I love the way he writes; in my opinion, it is perfect for a Star Wars setting. He is obviously knowledgeable about Star Wars (at this time, the only places he had to draw on were the Original movies, Splinter of the Mind's Eye and the Han Solo and Lando Adventure books) and it shows throughout. Some say he dwells a little too often on movie events, but I think it is great. The movies were such high points for the characters; no wonder they keep thinking of them as they go throughout this novel, as they experience similar (but not the same) events. Zahn has also managed to absolutely nail Han, Luke, and Leia, what I like to teasingly call the Trinity of Star Wars Expanded Universe. Han remains the devilish scoundrel, but with more responsibility and maturity, like he was in Return of the Jedi. Luke was done perfectly, an excellent Jedi, yet not so omniscient (like too many authors have done in more recent novels) that he can't be caught by a simple trick. Leia is still stubborn, smart, and deeply in love with Han. All in all, Zahn didn't fail me one bit. As I read each one's point of view, it was easy to think I was in a Star Wars movie! Zahn's original characters also shine. The devoted, non-power hungry Imperials, Paelleon and Thrawn, are well written. They aren't stupid Imperials out for a land grab for the sake of a land grab. They don't giggle their plots to everyone and his mother. They don't plot evil wicked plans behind closed walls while drinking purple tea (ten points for the one who guesses which villain that represents). They don't throw Star Destroyers pell-mell at the Republic with no plan. They plot. They scheme. They move logically and methodically. Therefore, since I happen to adore the Empire for some strange reason, I find they are probably the most competent Imperials in Star Wars Expanded Universe. As for Zahn's neutral characters, Mara Jade and Talon Karrde, I was equally impressed. Mara Jade doesn't come off as a Leia clone nor does she strike me as a damsel in distress. She obviously is cold and calculating, but is far from perfect. Yeah, the red hair/green eyes combo wins her Mary Sue points, as does her angsty past, but somehow, she isn't annoying. The whole world doesn't warp to her desires, so I can live with it. As for Talon Karrde, again, we have a scoundrel, a mercenary who rises above the stupid villain caricature. Goodness! All these words and I still haven't gotten to the meat of the book: the plot! Again, showing Zahn's grasp for the Star Wars world, Timothy Zahn has written a story that, I feel, could be made into a Star Wars movie with very little manipulation. It is that good. Heck, sometimes, I swear I can hear the music!! Our characters have motivations that make sense based on their characters (Leia being the diplomat and demanding to go to Bimmisari, Thrawn being thoughtful and calculating and ordering a three prong attack on Bpfassh to test C'baoth, Luke when dealing with being held captive by Mara Jade and Talon Karrde). People don't miraculously gain powers to suit the story's need. There are space battles, attempted kidnappings, switching ships, villains, antagonists, aliens, distant planets, seedy spaceports...all perfect elements of a Star Wars novel.
I Didn't Like: This will get petty, I warn you. The concept of the ysalamiri is best described in this quote from Talon Karrde (page 223): “[The ysalamiri] seem to have the unusual ability to push back the Force—to create bubbles, so to speak, where the Force simply doesn't exist.” Well, based on the New Jedi Order (and the Yuuzhan Vong who didn't exist in the Force) and the Prequels (that say all living things have midichlorians, the building blocks of the Force), this seems rather odd. Not to mention...if the Force didn't exist around these guys, wouldn't Luke have been able to sense the void of the Force? However, I feel this “error” is more of an unclear view of the Force (Zahn wrote this in 1991 when Lucas probably had no clue what the heck the Force was) than a blatant disregard on the author's part. Zahn also has a tendency to write dialogue in the following manner: “'Not here,' Ghent shook his head nervously...” Shaking one's head, nodding, or sighing are NOT ways to express dialogue (I want to know how to nod out a word or to sigh out an entire sentence). If Zahn had switched that comma to a period, then I would be sated and have nothing to complain about. But I would be remiss if I didn't bring it up, as it was a little distracting to me. Lastly, I was not quite convinced with Zahn's characterization of Lando. Not to say he was bad, but just that I felt that it was a bit off from the way he was in the movies.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence: I can't recall a single foul word! Leia is pregnant? Does that count? Well, there are space battles, an enlisted gets killed for an error, Thrawn is trying to kidnap Leia and Luke, and C'baoth is just a twinge mad...
Overall: It's been a while since I read Heir to the Empire, and, to be honest, I was afraid it wouldn't be as good as I remembered. Well, nothing to fear! Zahn truly captivated me all over again with this winning novel! If George Lucas could take advice from him, maybe the Star Wars prequels would have turned out better! The only unfortunate thing is that the highest rating I can give is 5. So 5 stars it is! Thank you, Timothy Zahn, for making Star Wars come alive again!
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #23 on Mar 23, 2010, 11:36pm »
“We who remain must stand together against those who would destroy everything” FIVE STARS
Book two in the thrilling Thrawn Trilogy! (Who woulda thought that a C'baoth clone would get the title of this review!!) The Empire may have been foiled, but only just barely. And now things get worse as Admiral Ackbar, member of the Inner Council, is accused of treason. Han and Lando go to attempt to sniff out the source; Luke discovers that a Jedi named C'baoth may have escaped the Jedi Purge, and Leia goes to meet the Noghri and work on some sort of resolution.
I Liked: Golly, I almost wish I could copy and paste my review from Heir to the Empire! But, to be original, I'll try to come up with different things I like. Timothy Zahn continues to show his Star Wars writing prowess in book two. Many other authors flounder at this point. Not Zahn. He continues the Star Wars feel with this entry, from the characters, to the actions, to the theme. To his character repertoire, Zahn adds Garm Bel Iblis, a former Senator from Corellia—and rival to Mon Mothma. Through him, we learn more of the beginnings of the Rebellion...and how Mon Mothma, that red-haired lady from Return of the Jedi, can be a little pig-headed and temperamental. A fight between him and her forced him to leave the Rebellion, and he, being too proud and Corellian to boot, is unwilling to rejoin. Garm Bel Iblis does wonders for adding to the Corellian culture (we even learn he met Han Solo when Han was a kiddo!) and giving a new dimension to the Rebellion and Mon Mothma. The action continues to be high, with his characters spread in five different dimensions. You would think it would be overwhelming, but Zahn handles it nicely, reminding the reader where Leia is, what Han is doing, what happened to Luke and so on so you don't ever go, “Wait a minute, it's been forever since we heard from Mara...where is she?” I've read other authors who drop viewpoints randomly and make me wonder that exact thing. Lastly, I love how Zahn, in between his characters and plot, manages to tweak on our views of the Jedi. As this was pre-prequels, we get to see his (now obsolete) views on the Clone Wars, how C'baoth became a Jedi (he went to the University before training as a Jedi!), and C'baoth's subtle twisting of Luke to embrace the power of the Jedi. Also, here is hinted the first time in EU that the Senate took part in the destruction of the Jedi (which, honestly, is what they did...they certainly didn't mind the Emperor's movement to destroy them).
I Didn't Like: I guess I have a few more complaints about this one than the last. They aren't huge, but I should bring them up. Zahn creates the Calamari (no, not the Earth food!) as a peaceful race forced into war when they were enslaved. My problem? That theme is repeated ad nauseum in EU. Yeah, I know, Zahn technically wrote this before the Camaasi, before the Mandalorians (according to the Clone Wars TV series), before the billions of other “peaceful races forced into war”. But it is still freaking annoying. Also, Zahn is guilty of speciesism, specifically of Borsk Fey'lya and the Bothans. Borsk isn't the problem, he's cool. But then Zahn goes and sets up the entire race full of back-biting, knife-plunging power seekers. Not cool. I prefer a little more grey to my aliens, a little more depth besides the one word stereotype. Too many books make this mistake. Rodians are idiots and lawless. Hutts are always involved in crime. Wookiees are always good; Trandoshans always bad. Twi'Lek females are always sex slaves, and Jawas are scavengers that apparently can be found off their homeworld of Tatooine (weird, eh?). I could go on and on and on, but I think you get my point. Lastly, the book does have that middle part of a trilogy feel. You know, no beginning, no end, makes you wonder, “What am I doing here?” We all know, by book three, we'll be like, “Oh, yeah, that's why that was important,” but still, while we're reading it, we wonder.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence: Foul language? Can't recall anything off hand! Sexuality is minimum to none. Lando is injured at one point and can't receive medical attention because of triage. Really have to stretch to find ANYTHING to put here!
Overall: Zahn doesn't fail to please with entry number two! There were a few things that perturbed me, but there were some moments that nearly brought tears to my eyes. When Leia unveils the Empire's poisoning of Honogr (even if I adore the Empire and hate how it is always shown in such a bad light), when the smugglers come to Han and Luke's aid at the end battle. Not many books can do this to me. This is Star Wars. Five stars.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #24 on Mar 23, 2010, 11:39pm »
Even the bookstore wouldn't buy this one back! ONE AND A HALF STARS
Some two years back, a big deal was made of The Force Unleashed. There was to be a stunning new video game, a book, a comic...the whole shebang. So, I bought the game, tried it out. It was okay (I have a review of it for those interested), but I never had a desire to finish it. A while passes, and a friend of mine recently finished this book, declaring it the worst Star Wars novel ever. I've read some pretty bad Star Wars novels (Jedi Trial and the Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy come to mind) so I had to see if he was correct. Vader has a secret apprentice who is only known as codename Starkiller. He is sent to kill the last Jedi, with the help of his droid, PROXY, and his pilot, Juno Eclipse. But then the Emperor finds out about Starkiller...and there can be only two Sith at one time...
I Liked: General Rohm Kota is a pretty interesting character, if highly underdeveloped (and constantly compromised once he is blinded). Juno Eclipse is probably one of the more sympathetic and relatable characters, and her insight and viewpoints are very necessary and a breath of fresh air, particularly in the beginning of the novel. It's nice that Bail and Leia Organa appear in a pre-A New Hope novel. And it's nice to hear what happened to Shaak Ti. Also, to be honest, the last quarter of the book gets pretty interesting, with Starkiller's inner struggles and his feelings to Juno.
I Didn't Like: From page 1, this book reads like a transcript of a video game (in fact, I am pretty sure that some of the same lines of dialogue from the video game are in here). We have only barely been introduced to Starkiller then Vader sends him off to fight Kota. “Okay,” I thought, “maybe this will be an insightful mission.” But not twenty pages later, Starkiller has defeated Kota. He returns...and Vader gives him another mission. Kill this psycho techie Jedi, Kazdan Paratus, on Raxus Prime. Which is finished 20 pages later. By the time we reach only page 66, Starkiller has been on three missions. Three. As if this wasn't bad enough, then things get absurd. Starkiller is thrown out a window into the vacuum of space...yet lives? Juno is arrested by the Emperor...but somehow ends up on Vader's secret lab with Starkiller so he can save her just in the nick of time (convenient)? Starkiller is ordered to kill everyone...but leaves random Felucians to live, one of the Emperor's secret royal guards (albeit he is left dismembered), and scavengers on Raxus Prime? PROXY can duel Starkiller...but he can't fight against Imperials? Starkiller and PROXY need a pilot...until Vader's secret lab is about to fall into the sun (?!) and then, suddenly, they discover the ability to pilot? This point really bugs me. If Starkiller's existence is so secretive, why does he need a pilot in the first place? Darth Maul didn't need a pilot. During the course of the story, Juno develops a crush on Starkiller. Starkiller mentions nothing about her...until about a hundred pages from the end when he suddenly has feelings for her and is talking about going away with her to safety. When did these feelings appear? Why does he feel this way? At one point, Starkiller is trying to get to the mock Jedi Temple that Kazdan made (honestly, what secret Jedi is going to announce their appearance this way?). A starship lies in his path, delaying his route by hours, according to him. His solution? Get inside the ship, use Force Lightning to start the engine (not sure how this happens since lightning is static electricity, not the same used in powering equipment), and “move the ship out of the path”. Only problem is, since Starkiller is in the ship, he is now hours out of the path he was previously in AND has let everyone know he is on the planet. What has this accomplished? Starkiller is ordered to destroy the skyhook's moorings. But why must he destroy all six? Wouldn't destroying one or two have sufficed and torn the rest of the structure to shreds? Maybe I would understand this better had there been more detail on the skyhook and less on Starkiller killing everything. Starkiller goes to find General Kota on Cloud City. He does, but Kota is blind. When Imperials come to get Kota, Starkiller and Kota leave, Starkiller telling Kota to follow the sound of his lightsaber. Only, how is blind Kota supposed to meet Starkiller at the drop site? Does Kota follow Starkiller's lightsaber as Starkiller hacks at the Emperor's guards? How is Kota not being within visual range of Starkiller a signal to the secret apprentice that he can use the Dark Side? Kota is a Jedi Master...shouldn't he be able to sense the use of the Dark Side without having to be in “visual” range? And how is Kota's blindness suddenly such a big weakness that it overshadows ALL his Force abilities, ALL his years of training, and the fact he's a Jedi Master? The Jedi Temple was filled with blind Jedi. What is one of the first lessons Ben gives Luke? “Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them.” Nowhere does he say, “Oh, you're blind? Tough luck. Off to the Agricorps for you!” Time and time again, little things like these crop up. No one is perfect, and I understand that. But I certainly don't expect a whole grocery list of “WTF happened here?” to appear in a book. Maybe if the story had been better...or the characters interesting... The characters themselves are some of the most bland that I've seen in the Star Wars Universe. Starkiller is without a doubt a Marty Stu. He can wield the Dark Side in a way that makes Darth Bane at his peak look like breast-feeding baby, Darth Vader a child, and the Emperor an apprentice. Starkiller can duel multiple enemies, Force Lightning them, throw things at their bodies, and still win without breaking a sweat. What happened to the strain of the Force? No Sith has been shown to duel like Starkiller and come out so miraculously on top (sure, he breaks a sweat with the Star Destroyer...but it doesn't eradicate all the other duels before). And if I have to read one more varient of “None could stand up to him and survive”, I think I'll go Wookiee! Juno Eclispe wouldn't be such a bad character if she would stop harping on Callos (every time we get her point of view, she has to throw in a million references to that mission), didn't end up being the stereotypical disillusioned Imperial that apparently populate the entire Empire (I have no idea why the Rebel Alliance even needed to form, just give these Imperials a little time and they would have all left the Empire anyway!), and was actually needed for the “team” (since apparently Starkiller and PROXY can learn to pilot in an emergency or whenever she is “exhausted”). PROXY is an interesting concept, but never really leaps off the pages. Vader feels completely wrong, as does the Emperor. General Rohm Kota is kinda cool and my favorite character but lacking (especially with his blind Jedi old man-ness that keeps him from being...well, interesting). Kazdan Paratus is so stereotypical it's embarrassing. Shaak Ti appeared only to be promptly killed. Leia Organa appears in a manner that reminds me of those people in video games who approach you and tell you what your next objective is.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence: None, but the dialogue is so nasty, it ought to be censored. In the videogame, Juno Eclipse has a wardrobe malfunction and gets out of the high necked uniform that every other Imperial captain wears. However, this is not mentioned in the book. Endless. Starkiller kills a lot of people. A lot. Decapitations, electric shock, dismemberment, burning out someone's eyes, stabbings, blowing up a rancor from the inside, you name it, Starkiller does it. In quadruplicate.
Overall: This book was painful to read. I was kinda excited about reading it, to learn more about this secret apprentice (which is kinda weird, but ah, well, it's Star Wars, they are always doing something like this), and to enjoy myself. But I really don't enjoy reading something that sounds directly written from a video game. I also like a little depth to my characters and at least some thought put into the writing. I didn't see much of that here. And while I wouldn't categorize this as the worst (there is still Jedi Trial after all), but this is probably one of my top ten worst Star Wars Expanded Universe novels. P.S. As a sidenote, after finishing, I tried to sell it back. The used bookstore wouldn't take it.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #25 on Mar 25, 2010, 11:46pm »
They just can't take a break, can they? THREE STARS
Not a day has passed since the big boom over Endor when Luke and Wedge retrieve a distress signal from the Imperials at Bakura. Spurred by a vision from Ben, Luke leads a force to Bakura, with Leia, Han, and Chewie (of course, Artoo and Threepio). At Bakura, our Rebels see the Imperial forces beleaguered in their fight against a strange alien species, the Ssi-Ruuk. But will Governor Wilek Nereus accept the Alliance's help? And can they defeat the Ssi-Ruuk anyway?
NOTE: I read the book many years ago and only just recently listened to the highly abridged audiobook.
I Liked: Kathy Tyers has created her own little niche in the Star Wars world. While not highly crucial to continuity, she nonetheless brings her own flavor to it. I felt she did a very good job with the main characters. Although a tad goofy in love over Gaeriel and a bit overdramatic when injured, Luke is pretty darn cool. His being sappy in love feels kinda out of character...until you realize he IS a human being after all, and why shouldn't he feel ga-ga over a lady? Leia is superb and her struggling with Vader as her biological father is the absolute highlight of the book. Han was really good as well. As for original characters, the standouts to me were Pter Thanas and Gaeriel Captison. Pter Thanas really broke the mold of a traditional Imperial (compare him to the more stereotypically--he is even given "gross" hobbies like bug collecting and hunting--portrayed, Wilek Nereus). And although he converted (I hate Imperials converting to Rebels), it made complete sense for his character. Gaeriel is an absolute fun character. Not red-haired and green eyed (well, one is green, but I think of her more as Kate Bosworth, I suppose, than another Mara clone), Gaeriel also has a religious view that conflicts with Luke, making her naturally opposed to him. Her views are particularly interesting, in light of a lot of the newer Star Wars Expanded Universe novels (about the Cosmic Balance). And at the end, unlike many Star Wars love interests, she chooses to keep the distance between her and Luke, even though there was some sexual tension (not a lot, but a little). Dev Sibwarra was also interesting, not to leave him out. It's really interesting, as it is said his mother was a Jedi and Wookieepedia says she left the Order as a Padawan, before Order 66, thus eluding the Jedi Purge. I still wonder about why that happened...did she become discouraged like Jusik from Republic Commando? I've already brought up two minor side-plots I've enjoyed: Leia's paternal struggle and Gaeriel/Luke's Jedi struggle. But I did like how Tyers had the two factions work together to defeat a common enemy. I wonder if other worlds had similar struggles (like with the Yevetha, which are only mentioned in one series, The Black Fleet Crisis). One last thing, that pertains only to the audiobook: Anthony Heald is a magnificent reader. He gives the characters accents (though Pter and Wilek were hard to differentiate) that were really good--I was particularly impressed with Luke and Han and really speaks in a good, clear voice.
I Didn't Like: Tyers' Star Wars feels MUCH less like Star Wars than science fiction dressed up like Star Wars. This is best shown with the whole entechment proceedings and even to an extent with her aliens, the Ssi-Ruuk (which, unfortunately, disappear and are never seen from again). Entechment is a cool idea...but it doesn't FEEL like Star Wars. Also, Yeorg Captison gives as reasons for wanting to leave the Empire as "high taxes and sending children to foreign wars". This is great and all, but does he think that by joining the Alliance, they won't tax his planet or have his children go to war against the Empire? Honestly? This is very poor reasoning. Yes, Wilek Nereus is a "bad guy" in the traditional "I hunt and use yucky parasites that defines me as a bad guy--oh, and I also send Luke off in a trade in the hopes of saving my planet" Imperial baddie characterization. To think that life will be happy and pokey under the Alliance is ludicrous (and just look, not a few years later and everyone is bickering and power-grabbing, no different than under the Empire, only people have these esoteric "freedoms"). We haven't really seen a huge reason why the Empire is bad on Bakura! Leia also has a bad case of Protagonist Centered Morality (look that up on TVTropes.org for a definition, but be warned: once you go there, you may not come back). When her father appears to her, she basically says: "I can forgive what you did to me, I can forgive the people you've killed, but I can't forgive what you did to Han." WTF?! Han was tortured, yes. Han was sent to Jabba in cryptonite, yes. But Han seems to be having very little in the way of side-effects from this. At least he's still alive. And you won't forgive your own father because of a thing that happened to Han?! What the...??? Lastly, and this applied only to the audio book: when they say abridged, they MEAN abridged! I've not read the book in years, but I could tell HUGE chunks were missing. Scenes always seemed to end on dialog, scenes seemed to be way too short, the space battle confused the heck out of me, in fact, most of the time I spent confused and trying to follow the story. Plus, I am sure there is a scene with Wilek and Leia shaking hands (the cover of the book) that was no where in the audio book. I know that they warned me, but really, I didn't think it was that bad!
Dialogue/Sex/Violence: None. Luke goes ga-ga over Gaeriel. Some overtones between Han and Leia and Wilek and Gaeriel. Kinda gruesome. Luke and Gaeriel are infected with parasites. There is a nice big battle at the end.
Overall: It's nice to go back and be able to "read" this book--while I'm in the car driving, no less! This book is hardly groundbreaking and hasn't had much to do with more recent continuity, but there are some cool things here nonetheless. If you get a chance to read, I would recommend you do. 3 stars.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #26 on Mar 30, 2010, 11:42pm »
"I'm supposed to be happy that we're going to crash into the planet instead of blow up in space?" TWO STARS
Man, I hate to break from the review, but that is a really nice cover. I wish my copy looked that cool. Unfortunately, I got this one:
My quest to review all the previous Star Wars Expanded Universe books I read in my teenaged years continues! Leia Organa has been campaigning to get the powerful Hapan Cluster to aid the New Republic in its fight against the Imperial Remnant led by Warlord Zsinj. Things somewhat backfire when the Queen agrees...under the condition that Leia marry the Queen's son and heir, Prince Isolder. Han, being outraged, captures Leia and takes her to a mysterious planet, Dathomir, where both meet up with Luke, who has been searching for missing Jedi.
I Liked: Unlike about 90% of the other reviewers, I actually didn't mind Leia's turmoil over her feelings for Isolder and Han. I felt it was realistic. After all, it had been four years since Return of the Jedi, and I would have thought, had they loved each other so much, wouldn't they have found a chance to get married in that time? I know Leia is driven for the New Republic and all, but surely they would have found ten minutes to haul Admiral Ackbar over and have a quiet ceremony. But no. Instead, four years later, they are still unmarried and even separated for huge chunks of time, with Han fighting Zsinj and Leia campaigning with the Hapans. So, to think that Leia might have developed a crush on Isolder, who is very handsome, very charming, and very appreciative of her, isn't that too out of left field. There are many moments in the story where Han and Leia's characterizations are spot on. The review title's quote, from Leia, is one perfect example. It's easy to believe that she would have snapped something like this to Han, just as she does in Courtship. And Han has quite a few good moments too, and some good smarmy lines. Luke Skywalker adopts an interesting mission, to resurrect and investigate the Jedi. This is a good foreshadowing of later novels. New characters that stand out are Prince Isolder and Teneniel Djo. Their chemistry is really nice and is well built. Besides, the two characters themselves are pretty interesting. Prince Isolder is a rich brat, but he still manages to be likeable. Teneniel also is well-written as a woman struggling with the use of the Force for good. Also of note, the Hapan and Dathomiri cultures are founded in this book. These cultures (female centric, very interesting, if sometimes overboard) become quite prominent in later books, namely the New Jedi Order series and the Legacy of the Force series. Furthermore, this quote from Ta'a Chume is very interesting, in light of later books:
“I won't have our descendants bowing to his, ruled by an oligarchy of spoon benders and readers of auras.”
I Didn't Like: If I were to read this novel now (and not listen), I can only imagine how many times this book would end up smacking against a wall! Right from the beginning, Han Solo ogles over a “Gun of Command”, which, when shot, will allow the “victim” to do whatever the shooter wanted (of course, this weapon comes from a stereotypically “technologically advanced” world in the Hapan cluster). When I heard this, I wanted to scream in terror. This is the most ludicrous Star Wars invention ever! It sounds almost as if someone had recently read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, didn't realize THAT book was satire, and took the concept from the Point of View gun! ACK! It doesn't work, and it's a lame plot device! Then, when Han feels that he is losing Leia, what does he do? Does he take her aside, have a nice evening with her, tell her his concerns as you might think a four year boyfriend might? Of course, not! He instead sets his ship up for a loan and tries to make himself as wealthy as Isolder, because THAT is what Leia wants, royalty and money, not love for its own sake or the New Republic or anything else. Did Han disappear and get replaced by his evil and much stupider twin?? It seriously makes me wonder, since the actions of Han in this book do not remind me of Han Solo from the movies at all. But the part I really disliked was when Han, and this is post-ROTJ Han, kidnaps Leia. This is from the man that was willing to let Leia have a chance with Luke in ROTJ, but now he is willing to commit a serious crime to get her to be with him? What happened to his being somewhat respectable? Any respect I had for Han was lost at this point. Luke Skywalker, every chance he gets, tries to convert people to “Jedi-ism” or “Light-side-ism”--even when they aren't Force Sensitive! He tells Isolder at one point, the other man needs to “join the Light Side”. And then Luke's Force teachings get muddied when he tells Tenenial Djo that it's not the spells but the meaning, the heart behind them that makes a person a Dark Sider/Nightsister. This goes against all the teachings of the Jedi up to this point. The Dark Side had been treated as a separate entity from the Light and it was with Jacen's time that the two were begun to be seen as an individual's choice and not two distinct factions. Then, I grew irritated when Luke would randomly kill individuals and then champion against killing in the next breath. Talk about hypocrisy! The plot of the story should be how Leia and Han fall in love and get married. Only, they had already fallen in love by ROTJ, so there really is no need for them to “fall in love” again. Particularly if it is done as poorly as Wolverton has, creating a conflict where one didn't need to be (even if I didn't mind Leia considering Isolder, I think the execution was poor). Why can't they just get married and have a nice adventure on Dathomir, searching for Jedi with Luke? But, no, that can't happen! The latter half fares better as it deals more with the events on Dathomir than the forced conflicted with Han, Leia, and Isolder, but still there are absurdities that just won't go away, one of them being the two female-centered societies in one novel. What the...? I don't have a problem with them, but I found it oddly coincidental...and a little sexist. The female-centered societies seem more cruel, more “barbaric” than the male-centered socieities (i.e. the main character's). The Hapan females are personified as cruel, power-hungry, and insulting to men and the Dathomiri females capture men to be their slaves. What happened to Wolverton in his youth that made him want to portray women in such a distasteful limelight? Can't we have one female-centric society that doesn't oppress the people (and the males specifically) in such a blatantly hyperbolic way? Speaking of which, if the Hapes Cluster is so powerful, why did the Emperor keep them around? Why didn't he ally with them or destroy them? Why did he leave the Nightsisters on Dathomir instead of recruiting them as his Dark Jedi (as he has done with his Inquisitors)? This makes absolutely no sense. Lastly, the satellites blocking the sun's energies? Don't get me started... Also, as is typical for an abridged audiobook, this was very choppy, very hard to follow, and sometimes confusing.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence: A spattering of h*** and d***. Kinda shocked to see that in a Star Wars book (as it doesn't sound very Star Wars-y). Isolder is one hot babe and Han declares he and Leia are “lovers”. Teneniel captures Isolder and Luke, hoping to have them bear her sons. Isolder wonders if his mother will sleep with Luke. For a Star Wars novel, it gets pretty sleazy. Space battles, lightsaber duels, rancors, Imperials, Force-wielding Nightsisters...all come into play in this book. Not to mention beheadings, multiple broken bones, dis-arming (literally), and burst blood vessels. Joy of joys.
Overall: Words aren't enough to describe how silly this book is. When I read it in my teens, my under-developed senses blazed past the crazy tactics Han employed to “woo” his woman, Luke's ham-handed Jedi preaching, and the bizarre female dominated societies (not one but two in a single book!). Now that I'm older, I can't help but want to bang my head into a wall. Also, I have to send out an apology to Michael Reaves and Steve Perry. In a previous review of their co-authored book, Death Star, I criticized heavily their bad attempt at writing romance. Well, I now rescind those remarks. I've found an author who is even worse at writing a romance story (since the whole point of Courtship is to say how Han and Leia got married!) than they are. The Courtship of Princess Leia is pivotal in establishing cultures and characters that will come into play in later books. But honestly, with as silly and embarrassing as the events in this book are, I would suggest skipping it and creating your own love story for Han and Leia. 2 stars.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #27 on Apr 1, 2010, 11:09am »
Not as bad as it's made out to be THREE STARS
Han and Chewie are out to Kessell to win its support for the New Republic after the events of Dark Empire (I haven't actually read that comic, but I've heard a lot about it). Unfortunately, Moruth Doole has no intentions of joining and sends Han and Chewie into the spice mines, where they meet the Force sensitive, Kyp Durron. Meanwhile, Leia holds things together on Coruscant, worrying for her husband, and Luke begins his Jedi Search, finding two candidates, Gantoris and Streen.
I Liked: Kevin J. Anderson is often castigated for his Star Wars entries, but I honestly don't see why. No, his books aren't like Zahn's, but they are still "Star Wars". Unlike my experience with The Truce at Bakura, I felt Anderson really got the feel of Star Wars down. The settings feel right, the characters are pretty good, and the events as well. While the mission is kinda goofy, it is interesting to see Kessell and its place in the universe. Also, I enjoyed seeing Luke go out to find new Jedi candidates. It's really cool to see the rise of the new Jedi (especially with the knowledge of the prequels, something I didn't have when I read the book many years ago). And I can sorta stretch my imagination to believe that a Maw Installation would have been created for the super-secret construction that occurs. The main characters are done well enough that I don't question them. Han and Chewie play a large role, and they are done well. Luke is, likewise, well done. As for minor characters, Kyp Durron is really interesting. I can see how he is almost a Luke/Han clone. It's neat, particularly knowing where he ends up in the New Jedi Order. Admiral Daala is also interesting.
I Didn't Like: I am not sure why Kessell is such a big deal. It almost seems like a place that the New Republic would want to break down, like a drug lab, instead of ally with. And the sleazy alien who runs it...and the "scarecrow" (not a big Batman fan, but all I could think of was Crane!). Uh huh, let's ally with seedy characters. Really gives the New Republic legitimacy, eh? The Maw Installation was interesting, but I still have no idea WHY they had to keep so quiet for so long. Weren't they wondering after a year or two why Tarkin hadn't called? Would it have been so hard to peek out and transmit a "Hey, what's up?" And the Maw Installation being so secretive that even Palpatine didn't know? Ha, got me laughing in stitches over that one. Leia doesn't do much of anything other than wangst at home about Han being gone. She vacillates between worry and being mad (that he is "off" gambling). Then, she is shy about asking Lando and Luke to look into it. Out. Of. Character. Leia from the trilogy or from the Thrawn Trilogy would have no problem with it. In fact, she'd probably be leading the expedition. Since her kids are dumped off with Winter on the "hidden planet" and she can conveniently leave her job when the plot requires it... Luke Skywalker is too powerful. There is a difference between a Jedi who can hold his own and a Jedi that can do everything. Look at Yoda. The guy walked around with a cane (or on a hoverchair). He wasn't perfect. He didn't smash everyone to bits. But if Luke were him, he would be using the Force to walk upside down or something crazy. And then, his complete ignorance of Gantoris' Dark Side. For someone as powerful as Luke, he should be like, "Uh, warning! Warning!" But no, that would get rid of the story before it had even begun. Qui Xux is the. Worst. Character. Ever. I despise her. I can't believe she exists. She is too stupid to live. Every single myth about scientists or doctors or people with intelligence is exploited in her. She is gorgeous, but also naive beyond belief. The Death Star was a mining tool? Uh, take a look at the name, girlfriend. That should be a clue. The World Devastators a roving mining colony? Girl, you need to get out more. I hadn't really liked her the first time I read, and time has definitely NOT made me more sympathetic to her. Lock her up and throw away the key. Stereotypes like "sleazy" Twi'Leks that are only involved in crime crop up. That really torques me. Lando's mission with the blob races is completely irrelevant and tossed in to make sure all the big guys from the movie appear. Yawn. As for the audiobook, large chunks of Daala's history disappear (such as her affair with Tarkin) and Leia's contribution disappear (I believe there were more parts with her on Coruscant besides whining about Han). Also, the reader pronounces words incorrectly. "Bes-pin" not "Bee-spin" and "Cor-u-sant" not "Cor-u-skant". It was grating after a while.
Dialog/Sexual Situations/Violence: A few stray d*** and h***. Qui Xux is goregous. Of. Course. Han, Chewie, and Kyp fight their way out of the spice mines of Kessell. The people of Eol Sha have to be moved because their planet is destroying itself.
Overall: I know I complained a lot, but the story actually isn't too bad. It's a nice Star Wars romp. I liked Han and Chewie in the spice mines (well, not being there, but their adventure there) and Luke's "Jedi Search" was pretty darn cool. No, it's not brilliant, but it was enjoyable. Read it if you are bored or have to complete the whole series.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #28 on Apr 7, 2010, 10:24am »
Someone gave the characters an idiot ball and they wouldn't let go TWO STARS
Luke Skywalker has gathered up his troops and headed to Yavin 4 to begin training. Only problem is that his most promising student, Gantoris, is now burned to a crisp and no one is sure why. Meanwhile, a mission fails, causing Ackbar to leave his command in shame, and Daala decides to wreak havoc on the New Republic. NOTE: I listened to the audio book, and it was abridged so some scenes I may have A) forgotten since I last read the book and B) have not heard because they omitted it from the audiobook.
I Liked: The last book was called Jedi Search, but honestly, it mostly focused on Han Solo and Kyp Durron. Kinda missed the mark to me, even if it were exciting in its own way. This book however gets into the actual training, which is particularly interesting. I enjoy seeing the new characters, particularly Kam Solusar, and wonder how he in particular fits into the new continuity with the prequels. Kyp Durron is a fair character. I actually enjoyed seeing how he turned to the Dark Side. It was surprisingly reminiscent of Anakin Skywalker in the prequels and pretty well done in general.
I Didn't Like: Like my title says, it seems every character in this novel was given an idiot ball and refused to let it go. Ackbar gets all huffy about crashing on Vortex and leaves. One incident, one mistake and he leaves in shame. I know we don't see him much in the movies, but the Ackbar there, I'm sure, wouldn't leave after one incident. Heck, the Ackbar in Zahn's books wouldn't leave after one mistake. And then, Ackbar's stupidity forces Leia to spend more time away from her family to coax him back into the military. In my opinion, if he's gonna be that huffy, I say we don't need him! Han goes on a yelling spree with Lando like he's a PMSing woman and loses the Falcon in the most ludicrous game of sabacc ever. I was ashamed to read this part. Even if Leia were in danger (and she was), Han wouldn't jump on the Falcon, start a yelling match with Lando, and lose the Falcon. He'd go on the Falcon, yell that Leia was in trouble and everyone would be off to rescue her. While Leia is on a mission, Han dumps his twins on Chewie, after not seeing them for months, and decides to go skiing with Kyp Durron, a kid he just met. Uh, yeah. So much for that father that Zahn set him up to be. If my dad did that...well...yeah. Luke sees Gantoris (and later Kyp) has problems with the Dark Side and just decides to ignore it. I don't mind Luke always thinking someone can come back to the Dark Side, but I don't think Luke would ignore the clear signs of Dark Side usage and not try to swerve them off the path. Plus, Luke, as always, vacillates between too powerful and too stupid to live. Absolute worst romantic couple of the year goes to Qui Xux and Wedge. Wedge must have forgotten all his wingmates he lost while piloting against BOTH Death Stars in order to fall in love with this air head. These sections made me cringe. A general protecting some nobody scientist? Going to Ithor, the lover's getaway? Cue eyeroll! Lastly, Daala is said to be a military genius. So she attacks an unarmed planet (Dantooine) with refugees? Brilliant military work. It's the only engagement she ever wins, as she can't help but win against a world that has no army! Her attack against Mon Calamari was too reliant on old tactics (doesn't she realize that her tactics are TEN years old) and then when she said she was going to attack Coruscant? Uh, girlfriend, if you couldn't beat Mon Calamari, there is NO WAY you will beat Coruscant, the most heavily guarded and populated world in the galaxy. Even Thrawn waited until he had the Katana fleet and even then, he never took the world, only confused it. Plus, who says "Let's go hunting" and is met with resounding cheers? Lamest. Dialogue. Ever.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence: Some h*** and d*** (I think, I listened to the audiobook and can't remember). Daala slept with Tarkin. Qui Xux and Wedge are basically a lame attempt at a love story. Many die on the crash on Vortex. Daala attacks Dantooine.
Overall: I had problems with Jedi Search, but there were some aspects that were cool enough to garner a three star review. Not so here. I can't believe how out of character all these guys are. And the new original characters are so pathetic and lame. Cringeworthy. I don't recommend you read, but if you do, please follow up with a good dose of I, Jedi, where Stackpole calls Anderson out on a few of these stupidities.
Re: Book Reviews « Reply #29 on Apr 26, 2010, 9:26pm »
Jumbled plot lines abruptly end, making this book feel like Lord of the Rings: Return of the King TWO STARS
We open the final book in the Jedi Academy Trilogy with many open plot threads. Kyp Durron is on the run with the Sun Crusher, Han in pursuit to try to reel the boy back in. Chewbacca and Wedge head off to the Maw Cluster to take it over. Leia is appointed Chief of State, and the Jedi students must find a way to bring Luke back from his Force induced coma and defeat Dark Lord Exar Kun. NOTE: Again, I listened to the audiobook, but have read the book in the past, though too long ago for me to remember perfectly.
I Liked: First mention goes to Chewbacca, who actually has a job in this book besides standing by Han and moaning incomprehensibly! Kudos to Anderson to putting this warrior (from both Revenge of the Sith AND the Rebellion) in charge of his own commandos! At first, it seemed an odd move, but ultimately, I liked how he was used (even if C-3PO had to be sent with him--not quite sure still why, other than to serve as translator) and showed that he could be used in more versatile roles. Second place goes to Kyp Durron, whose Dark Side arc continues to be interesting. I enjoyed seeing his rise and fall, to see his thought process and how he wants to destroy the Empire (but ends up destroying the one he loved instead!). Also, while it does go overboard, Tol Sivron and his cohorts on the Maw Installation made for amusing reading.
I Didn't Like: There are so many aggravating, annoying things about this book! I almost don't know where to begin. The characters haven't changed from Jedi Search and Dark Apprentice. Luke is still completely stupid. Ackbar is still whiny. Leia doesn't do much more than dump her kids on other people and run around the galaxy doing Mon Mothma's job. Wedge and Qui make me want to yell at them to get a room (thank God that relationship was retconned). Admiral Daala continuously proves that she should never have been given command of a turtle, much less several Star Destroyers. At least Han and Lando aren't gambling the Falcon every other sentence. I just wish Lando's feelings for Mara weren't so obvious and gag worthy. And that the characters didn't constantly quote themselves. Every other word out of their mouths was "I have a bad feeling about this", "This deal is gettin' worse" and "Don't tell me the odds". Most of the problems I have with this book are in relation to the plots and how they are wrapped up. For instance, the Jedi Academy faces off with Exar Kun. This is an interesting idea...but Anderson slips up in several ways. Firstly, he has Luke only be able to communicate with his two year old niece and nephew. Why can he only communicate to toddlers who have absolutely no Jedi training? Why couldn't he communicate with Streen or Kirana Ti or Kam, whom he has been training for some weeks/months? Then, Anderson has Jacen, the two year old son of Han and Leia, wield a lightsaber against a two headed beast. Yeah, that sounds safe. Not. Firstly, I don't believe a toddler could handle the forces of the blade regardless of Luke's helping him and I don't think anyone, Luke, Cilghal, or all the other Jedi trainees, would put him in such a compromising position in the first place. Irresponsible and out of character. Of course, it's insane that Leia and Han dump their twins on Yavin 4 with Luke (who was in a coma) in the first place. I can tell Han and Leia are shapening up to be wonderful parents. Not. Then, I was skeptical when Cilghal, the newest arrival to the Praxeum, became the de facto leader. I would have placed bets that Kam or Streen would have risen to lead in Luke's absence. Lastly, the whole plot line was way too quickly wrapped up. The Jedi just circle around him, say they won't back down, and POOF! Exar Kun is destroyed! Wow, that was easy! I don't care if he couldn't life drain Massassi, it was still too easy for supposedly the most powerful Dark Side user ever. And then the positioning of the end! I was 1/4th of the way through the book, when this plot line was wrapped up! We had a climax, and a denouement...and then, let's move on to our next plot thread to wrap up! Very badly done. The whole Anoth plot bugged the heck out of me. Anakin and the twins were placed there, a place only three people knew about (Winter, Luke, and ACKBAR???), to keep themselves from the Dark Side? This just sounds crazy! Who built the compound? Did Ackbar bring them in then kill them like the Empire? Lastly, this plot just put a spotlight on Han and Leia that I hated: that they would drop their kids on anyone (Winter, nanny droid, Jedi students they barely know) at the drop of a hat to go off and doing something "more exciting" and "important". Again, so much for being parents, if any of their kids keep from heading down the Dark Side, it would be a miracle. Kyp Durron returns to the Light Side...just because he has to. He had a really great story going, and then Anderson went, "Shoot, I have to wrap this up fast!" and just wrote a pell-mell ending for Kyp. That has to be the only reason why Kyp was allowed to go scot-free with the murder of an entire system (the Carida system) and several other planets. Either that, or the New Republic is more corrupt than the Old Republic. After these THREE threads are over, we STILL have to wrap up the Maw Installation, Moruth Doole, and the Daala threads! Good heavens, this book has more endings than The Return of the King. At least in that movie, they had a reason to end that way (it was like the book), and it all happened in the last half hour. Here, we wade through nearly a whole book of endings. I had that "done" feeling and then had to read more endings. It was tiring and hard to maintain momentum. I love how this New Republic works too. Mon Mothma can just pass down her office to Leia. No vote, no line of succession, nothing. Why did was the New Republic created again? To give people freedom, right? So why can't the people vote on their Chief of State? Heck, when Obama was elected, they had a whole special election for the Senator of Illinois! Another questionable aspect of the New Republic: Leia at one point "reasons, cajoles, and shames" people into letting Luke deal with Kyp. And how is the New Republic different than the Empire? Oh, right, the Republic is freedom--freedom for the Skywalkers and Solos, that is. Must be why Kyp Durron can murder an entire world and get a slap on the wrist.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence: Tame to none. Ditto. Big space battle explosions, people die, it's Star Wars.
Overall: Anderson had some amazing ideas. The Jedi Academy. The Maw Installation. Heck, even Daala being Tarkin's lover. But ultimately, I think he failed in one big way: in tying all these ends together in a cohesive story. This book felt like one long ending after another. Finish if you must, but I don't think it's all that critical.
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