Tyrant's Test

  Wow, first off I want to applauded the author of The Black Fleet Crisis! This story is so complicated and detailed with a great talent to create a different universe that really seems like one unlike our own but still a bit like our own!

This book unlike the other two was written in chapters with Interludes's about Lando through out as it take some time to connect his story with everyone else's. The Yevetha ARE unlike any enemy they have faced thus far. I have seen them likened to the Nazis but I would say not really. They are the worst parts put together of the worst of the world that we know. Unlike with The Crystal Star where it was obvious Hitler and the Hitler Youth was the inspiration the Yevetha are a new group to themselfes.These creatures are bad with no apparent redemption quality.

(I would like to note that this trilagy is not for younger Star Wars fans. It gets pretty violent and also has some adult subject matter.)

With that being said, I think now that I have read all three books I can fairly comment on ALL three. I think this story easily could have taken up another book or two and maybe it should have!

(warning, what is coming could be spoilers just so you know)

  In the first book Before the Storm I noted that Leia and Luke seem to lose their minds. I thought this may play into the story later on but it never did but I will say that their minds seem to go back to normal for the next two books so I don't know, you just have to go with it I guess.

 At one point it seems Luke has found a new love interest but... afterwards it's not touched again from Luke's point of view and only mentioned slyly by Akanah. You would think at this point he would be haveing very mixed emotions about this girl by the end but like I said, the author really doesn't approach it again.

 Also something really bugged me about the conclusion to Akanah's story. It seemed like it was a little bit of a let down. The author did a good job building up to the end but it seems like it could have been a little juicer compared to the build up! Your left hanging about Luke's mother... and part of the problem is today we DO know who the Skywalker's mother was, Padme', but when this was written they did not so perhaps back then the ending was a little bit juicer cause the women she speaks of at the time could have been their mother but with the info out now I can see no way it could have been... but even so I still feel the whole Fallanassi was a bit of a let down. Brought into the story just to take place in the battle that does nothing to really help. They go against their beliefs it seems because you are given the impression they do not fight and would rather die then fight and kill but then knowingly take place in a battle and continue as men are dieing... it didn't make since.

Lando, Lobot, R2D2, and C3PO inside the Vagabond

  It also didn't make since as to why the Vagabond is said to keep returning to it's home planet and leaving again when it is it's mission to save the world from the ice... did I just miss something? Why didn't it stay the first time it came back and why did it stay this time it came back... I was confused :-/

  But even if the ending was lacking somehow, the whole thing was quite a read and I'm guessing Nal Spaar or his people in some way will return. The Yevetha are an enemy that I don't believe are that easily rid of!

Shield of Lies

 This author is good! This story has such a complex story line that the 2nd book is written in 3 sections. Lando"s story, Luke's story, and Leia's. All basically 3 unconnected stories which in the end I'm sure will meet. For book 1 I was complaining that I couldn't hardly keep up with the characters! I smiled when I opened this one and found a list of who's who and where! :-)

 I read a portion of the book riding from NJ to AL. I felt like I read for nearly 24 hours straight 8-o Which I stopped after starting on Leia's portion of the book, my mind just couldn't think well enough at that point to continue!

 I'm looking forward to the next book! The author has a wide range in writing talent, if that makes since. He can write about politics with amazing depth and contrast with the emotional search for Akanah's and Luke's family. A very good author!

Before the Storm

  This is book #1 in the Black Fleet Crisis trilogy. It's got a lot in it! Much more story and detail then The Crystal Star but again it was published before Planet of Twilight so again Calista never happened again. Anyway, you could retitle this, Luke and Leia Lose Their Minds, lol. The story got so complicated with new characters popping up that I was starting to feel like I was reading the Star Wars version of War and Peace! (actualy I've never read War and Peace but I hear it's hard to follow) I will have to say some things seemed a little out of character for Leia and Luke but some of that may play in the story line later so I won't put it down too quickly but I will say it annoys me no end when they have Luke speaking some sort of Shakespearean (for lack of better to call it) I am sensitive to speech patterns and it throws me when people are way off, come on, Luke is a farm boy from Tatooine, why is he speaking to his students like a collage professor? Makes you wonder, do Jedi have lessons in grammar?

A painting of a young Padmé Amidala hanging in the
 Imperial Palace during the Thrawn campaign

  I do like the depth the author is putting into emotions. There is also a lot of politics and war stratagies but not done in a way that is boring.
  One problem I see coming is, how much in 1996 was known about Padme'? In this book Luke is met by someone knowing about who his mother was. This was getting close to the making of the second set of movies but so far I'm not sure how much was revealed to this author... so far it is being done in a way to not give a lot of details to conflict with later stories yet it does still conflict! I guess we will see how it turns out...