Force Heretic #1 Remnant

    After a bit over half way through I'm at last sold on the New Jedi Order Series! It's turning out to be pretty awesome! Sadly, I'm also missing the next book in this trilogy, Force Heretic. Since I have been unable to get my hands on the next one I have gone back and reread parts of a number of books. Where I am now, really makes the past books much more interesting. They did a really good job on this series! Unlike a lot of the novels before were stand alone and written in a somewhat random order. The New Jedi Order is obviously planned out even though a number of authors were involved. This makes it possible to keep a coherent story going! THANK YOU! Actually they are bringing a number of story lines from pass books into The New Jedi Order, tying up lose ends.
   Force Heretic is written by two authors Shane Dix and Sean Williams. Have not seen that done before in the Star Wars EU.



Spoilers/Thoughts:

   As for story: As it is now something is happening to Tahiri, nearly a member of the Solo family due to her relationship with the youngest Solo, Anakin. You can clearly conclude that she in her dreams is being chased by two beings.

 Questions: Who are they? Or more like who and/or what do they represent and how real are these dreams? Do they represent the past, future, or actually happening for real?

   The best I can come up with is the being with a face that is her face is her but a changed her, possibly the person the Yuuzhan Vong created for her to be..... the lizard... well, hmm... Anakin? Could some part of Anakin still be around? When she talks to Jaina she tells her he is trying to kill her... what?! I've read and read over again and can't figure out where they are going with this.

    We do know as I noted with Traitor that Jacen sees Anakin in a much higher pain level then he is. That made me wonder if Anakin in some way still being held by the Yuuzhan Vong. But why he would be chasing Tahiri in her dreams wanting to kill her I don't know. In Traitor Anakin (real or not) keeps showing up to save his brother. We are also seeing there is a way to sense the Yuuzhan Vong through the force but not through it... In Destiny's Way Jacen actually tries to show Tahiri how to do it being she had a slave implanted in her as well. He believes that perhaps it is the reason he has this ability. The result is not what he hoped. Tahiri feels nothing... or did she and denied it? In Remnant she feels that she will be hated for what is happening to her. She knows Jacen can sense them as well so why would it scare her since that is what Jacen was trying to do. So many unanswered questions!!!


Solo children's last mission

   Then there is Jaina. This girl has issues. It's understandable that she lost it when she believed both Anakin and Jacen were dead. Before it was known that Jacen was alive she went into a state of despair. Being shocked when learning he was alive she feels guilty that she was responsible for losing contact, blocking him of a way to reach her as she tipped to the dark side. Jacen has a much better reason for not reaching out to her. She would have looked for him if she had known he was alive which is what the Yuuzhan Vong wanted. But Jacen has reasons other then this for not contacting her, as she is, he's ashamed as well at how close he got to losing it. These two have some healing to do.

The New Jedi Order: Traitor

   I have been looking forward to reading this one. Not because of the author but because I wanted to read what happened to Jacen. He's been missing for a while now.

   After reading a few pages I put the book down and in awe wondered, "who wrote THIS?!" It was completely different then any other New Jedi Order books I have read thus far. But, I slightly recognized the style, but could it be... I couldn't remember the name. It's been a number of years since I read The Revenge of the Sith. But I recognized the ability of this author to take a story to another level. I was right the author is Matthew Stover.

   Most of this story is about Jacen. I read on Wookieepedia that it was the first Star Wars EU to not have an appearance of an original character. It also claims this is the shortest. My paperback copy is 292. Dark Journey is close at 301.

    We are now learning more about this bird like alien named Vergere. Vergrere now claims she met Jacen's Grandfather when he was a child. But did not know of his fate with the dark side.

  Some ideas she shares with Jacen sound Jedi'ish but some stuff she comes up with sounds like it came straight from the darkside and is confusing the day lights out of Jacen. She seems to want to save one minute and turn him over to the Vong the next!

  The Jedi who has a history of reckless adventures Ganner enters in the story with rumors that Jacen Solo is still alive and takes on a personal search to find him believing if he is still alive it could make a differance in the war and help turn Jaina around from her Dark Journey.

   I don't understand why he goes to Jaina about Jacen. They had all been together when Jacen's death supposedly happens. Jaina does admit that she never told her mother what the Vong put him through before he died. She believes that they kept him alive just to hurt him and does not want to hurt her mother who still has hope that her son is still alive. So Ganner goes out on his own.

   One interesting point struck me. Is Anakin really dead? I mean, I think he is and at one point Vergere remarks that it is unknown if the dead can still feel pain after thier death... In the beginning of the book Jacen sees his brother in a much deeper level of pain then he.... He also knows about Jaina's slip into the dark side before he is cut off from the force. So... is Anakin really in pain... dead, and/or capture in someway by the Vong and being held by them. Where was the author trying to go with this... I don't have answer.

Dark Journey

  This books follows for the most part the "Dark Journey" Jaina takes after the death of her younger brother Anakin and disappearance and quite possibly the death of her twin brother Jacen.
  From the last few books this has to have been about the best. While you are following a continuing story it gets to feel like one book doesn't have a clear beginning and end with meat in between. This book actually did! Plus leaving you at a good clift-hanger and love triangle.
   I'm glad they have continued with Kyp. I liked him from his beginning in the The Jedi Academy Trilogy. But how old is Kyp Durron? He was around 15 when Han first found him? I don't remember how old the twins are in that book but I think they were quite young... Jaina and Kyp are an interesting combination... As for this Fel... I'm a little lost as to where he came from. He's Wedge's nephew and I do recall him from some other books but now much details. I'm guessing it was from the X-wing books?

   Oh, wait! Guess what! Yep, The Courtship on Princess Leia.... AGAIN... GRRRR, did I mention my feelings about THAT BOOK!
 Well, I will give them this. They are falling back using characters and stories from past books. In The Courtship of Princess Leia Luke tells Isadore and his wife's child will be very important in the future. Now his child is on her way!
 And as far as killing more people off, again this books says good by to another. Not as big of a loss as Chewie or Anakin but more on the line of Gabriel Caspian . But still we lose another. This book we lose Teneniel Djo forcing her daughter into something she doesn't want to do... setting up the future Luke saw in her before she was born. +Star Wars 

Star by Star

   One of the longest Star Wars books I have read! over 600 pages in the hard cover. I think the one that comes close is I, Jedi. I read that one in a paper back. I seem to remember it was around 600 pages as well but being paper back I don't know if it would be more or less in hardback.
   One thing I do not like in The New Jedi Order series is the intense gore. After a while I really feel uncomfortable reading the sadistic rituals of the Yuuzhan Vong. Really I feel this is an attempt to make The Black Fleet Crisis into a whole series. When I first read The Black Fleet Crisis I felt it should have been longer then just three books. The Black Fleet Crisis remains one of my favorites. The Yuuzhan Vong feels like a knock off of the Yevetha... I mean the names are similar! The Yevetha were disturbingly blood thirsty as well but the Yuuzhan Vong has topped them. Ugh...
   But I knew something happened in this book cause I thought I had heard a spoiler before I stared reading it... I didn't get it quite right so, well I guess I was somewhat taken off guard and confused when things were not going as I thought...



Anakin and Tahiri

Spoiler ALERT right here...

______________________________________

   The death of Anakin! Some how I thought he turned to the darkside before his death and his death would take place in Star by Star. Got it half way right! I knew he died at some point in the series but I didn't know which book. I tried not to find out but I accidentally did.
   I'm really going to miss Anakin! He was one of my favorites.

Fey'lya's last stand.
( Isn't his fur white in the book?)

   Another thing I didn't see coming was the fall of Coruscant and the death of Chief of State Fey'lya!!! As surprising as these deaths and events are I think it is a smart move because it does add an extra edge for the reader cause you know they will go as far as killing someone! Someone who's a pretty important person! Hate to say I'm glad they knocked him off! I don't know how many books Fey'lya has been in but he's been annoying the Solos & Skywalkers for YEARS! An irritating character! But he did sort of die as a hero so I can give him that. In the end he truly did care about the New Republic and not his own hide.
   One thing I greatly disliked about this book was how long it was!!! I love long books... but there was just too much of unneeded information that was boring! Less battles and more depth! I mean with a 600+ page novel you'd think they would have plenty of room for both...

Dark Tide I: Onslaught

  This is the first book of two. This is just a continuation of Vector Prime by another author as I am guessing most of The New Jedi Order series will be. This one is written by Michael A. Stackpole author of I, Jedi. Stackpole has this knack of picking scenes in which he stops and describes in great detail that I don't understand why! This happened a lot in I, Jedi and I noticed it in this one as well but it was better then I, Jedi.
  For some reason they changed up the style of artwork on the cover. Very impressionistic.

  Not much I can say without giving much away from here... fair warning.




Battle of Dantooine

Spoiler Notes;

After killing Chewy in the last book, they did their trick. I really thought they were going to kill another one off in this one with Corran Horn! I was pretty convinced they had by the end of that chapter.

Jacen dropped quite a bombshell on Luke. I did not see that coming either, an interesting twist though it's pretty obvious he will continue on as a Jedi, partially after he up and runs out on his uncle after thinking he had a vision.

  How Anakin got the Alien on Dantooine to understand the bargain to bring them firewood is beyond me cause I read that scene over and over again and I could not figure out what he was telling him! And speaking of that tribe, what happened to them? Anakin sent them away but did they make it? Did the Vong find them? They were dropped from the story after that... maybe they will show up later.

“I placed quite a burden on Anakin, didn't I, by giving him that name." –Leia Organa Solo

  Anakin was given his name against Han's wishes for a Han Jr. in the graphic novel series Dark Empire which is the first Expanded Universe book I got my hands on. I have wondered since why Leia named him Anakin! Other then in Dark Empire does she do anything that shows she truly embraces who her father was or forgives him in anyway. Tatooine Ghost is as close as she gets to seeing her father as anything close to being human. And now at last it is questioned why Leia named Anakin after his grandfather! I'm surprised it took this long! I wish there had been a book where it gave the reaction of everyone when they found out about the Skywalker twins and who Darth Vader were! Cause you know, that would have been interesting. In the Truce of Bakura Leia is struggling with the fact that Vader was her father and at that point in time only Luke and Han knew.
  So her reasoning is that she is trying to redeem her father's name... I guess that's a fair explanation but I think it would have been better had they brought this up way before now! You hate your father but you name your child after him... well, I'm glad someone finally tried to give a good reason for this at least.


  Great, I don't have the next book! So... until I can fix that little problem I think I'll backtrack again by reading Slinter of the Mind's Eye I found a copy of not long ago with Survivor's Quest.
 

Vector Prime - The New Jedi Order

  I have finally reached The New Jedi Order! While Luke and Leia and the bunch are getting older. Now in their 40's, I think they went a little overboard in ageing Luke on the cover! (Just saying...)

  I have wonder a long time why these set of books fall into something called The New Jedi Order and in case you are wondering too in Survivor's Quest Zhan eased us into it. Luke has doubts that the way he has been training his Jedi and decides to make some changes. Vector Prime begins a few years later where Leia and Han's children Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin are now teenagers and under the apprenticeship under Luke and Mara. Becoming more like Jedi Padawans.

  I've never read a book by R.A. Salvatore. He's ok. Kinda has a style like Zhan. As for the amount of characters... Ah! There was a point when I was happy when they started knocking people off so I could take them off my list of people I had to keep up with and I was still confused a little but it got better. It wasn't till the end of the book where I realized Danni was human and not a Twi'lek. I guess someone that got knocked off was a Twi'lek and I got them confused... anyway...



Danni

 This book came out in 1999. I do see parts of the pre-quells peaking through.
  I started this little mission of reading through the Star Wars Novels a number of years ago. 2010, I think. Way before the announcement of the next 3 movies to be made. So at the time I thought basically that these books were it... Now though, it almost makes me nervous cause I have to wonder how much of what I'm reading is going to play into the movies or are they just going to scrap them and totally rebuild. I HOPE that will not be the case and I'm sure there are a lot of fans out there that feel the same way. A lot happens in these book. Like I said in my past post HERE that there were guidelines and approvals on what authors could do in the books so, maybe...

  A lot happens in this book in it's self... so....

  There are spoilers ahead.... BIG ONES... so fair warning

  Mara Jade has been infected with a very deadly illness in which is a total mystery to what it is and where she got it. That isn't really a spoiler due to that is a fact you are given that fact from the very start of this book. I found that rather abrupt. Did someone plan to write a book about the backstory on this or did I miss something? But what really bothered me was after reading Visions of the Future and Survivors Quest both by Timothy Zhan, Luke and Mara's relationship and how their personalities interact with each other this book just is OFF. So, Let me get this straight... Mara has something that may kill her. She refuses anyone, including her husband to treat her as such. While I might can buy the latter but not with Luke. If they can be stronger together then apart then I would think Luke would at least try to help her with the healing. Doesn't seem like this even cross the authors mind as it is never explained. Plus, we know Luke is highly over protective. I think you'd have to knock Luke over the head with a light saber to stop him from worrying excessively! Sorry, just not plausible. As for Mara being that hard headed... yeah, maybe, but the rest... nope.

  In this book we are introduced to a new enemy, the Yuuzhan Vong. It leaves me thinking of the Yevetha from The Black Fleet Crisis by Michael P. Kube-McDowell Which is one of my favorite trilogies in the expanded Universe. It feel like the author was trying to make a ruthless enemy without coping the Yevetha. The name Yuuzhan Vong is obviously in homage to Timothy Zhan. Not sure how I would feel to have a enemy named after me, haha... anyway... I though the Yevetha was more intriguing then these Yuuzhan Vong are but they do have some unusual points like not using any electronics, which again sort of brings you back to The Black Fleet Crisis again with Lando aboard the Vagabond, a ship that seems to be alive.


Solo siblings
connect through the force

  This is the book where the new Jedi Generation of the Solo kids become main players. While every once and a while they were featured in books but this is the time their permanent personalities are going to be formed. (not including the book written for younger readers. I have not read them.)

(Click on names to see who was voted best to play them on film via TheForce.Net )
 Jaina: not a young version of Leia. She inherited all the good piloting skills that run in both of her parents and courage as well.


 

  Jacen: portrayed by this author to be in some type of war with his younger brother about being a Jedi. Jacen seems to be a little more calm in nature then his other siblings.

  Anakin:  This poor kid is a little bit of a mess... I should note that this author has seemed to drop the part about Anakin having amazing abilities with electronics that you see in earlier books like The Corellian Trilogy when he was still a young child.

 But going back to the Luke and Mara subject. The author actually uses to minds merging like Mara and Luke did in Zhan's books but he used the three siblings to do it!


  The biggest event in this book came as a surprise to me cause I honestly did not see it coming! I knew Chewy dies in The New Jedi order books but I did not think it was the first book! Wow...
  I honestly think it wasn't that bad of an idea to kill a main character off due to the fact that it puts readers on edge a little in not thinking everyone in the stories are safe just because they are a main character. Think of the Star Trek joke of the guy you don't know in the red shirt is about to die... I think the author managed a very honorable death for Chewbacca and Han putting his death on Anakin was a very interesting twist as well.





  I'm a bit late getting this review out due to the death of my Grandmother who died during the time I was reading this book. The loss of a family member can knock your brain for a loop for a while. So on a more serious note, in Memory of my Grandmother Irmalene Pierce Howell Parker....

Showdown at Centerpoint

 

It’s been a bit too long since I wrote my last Blog post. I did finish Showdown at Centerpoint quite a while back and it took me quite a while to finish it.

Anakin's magical computer skills

  I really have to say this was the hardest one to get through. While The Courtship of Princess Leia continues to be the one I dislike the most… this is the one I dislike the most due to it really boardering on being out right dull! While the author is good at telling the story he is not so good at creating relationships and climax that make you want to read the next chapter…. though you shouldn’t cause you need to go to sleep. ;-)

  I like how the author would write a short little thing at the beginning of each book. In one he dedicated it to an old English teacher he had. It was so amusing to read that after doing so the teacher got a hold of his book and started looking for errors! I wonder if she did this to the first book as well because that would have been a tad embarrassing due to there were so many errors even I was noticing them! The other two book where much better edited.



Hollowtown devastated at Centerpoint

  There was a lot I didn’t like about this book/series so I’m not sure where to start or if it’s worth trying to go into everything. I think the best is to sum it up, the plot was not interesting. The best part to me was when they reached Centerpoint for the first time. That part did hold my interest.

  When finishing the book I can now look back to the part where Luke is speaking with Mon Mothma. I don’t yet understand the author’s intentions of that conversation! The way I see it is that it really didn’t mean much of anything to what happens later on. Nor does the part when Luke gives Leia a new RED Light saber… Red?! Really? Why?! She hardly uses it at all in the story afterwards so what was the whole point of that? It’s not like she even needed one. She already had one!