Destiny's Way

 

 

 

   The Theme of The New Jedi Order is can we kill at least one important character a book? I'm going to have to test my theory and make a list!
 

   I will spare you the spoiler. This book compared to Traitor it is really not good. But being Traitor is the best Star Wars EU I have read... it's a hard book to follow. I don't understand why most of the books published in hardback are not the best ones in the series!

 

   In this one we do learn more about Vergere and at last Jacen is reunited with his family. But emotional depth is an afterthought to this author which is such a disappointment.

    At one point they decide to "Knight" the younger Jedi. What is the point in this?! They have been listing them as "Knight"s the whole time... they just up and say, hey we should "Knight" these kids? What about the older Jedi like Corran and Kyp? They don't get to be knighted?!

   Second, why is Luke saying things he doesn't even know what they mean himself... it's kind of weird/creepy... Sounds like Jaina's going to be having a hard time ahead of her by what Luke said at her Knighting.

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.

Balance Point

 I'm having to backstep here. I read a couple of books while on a work/vacation in Westchester NY. I had little to no internet so I have fallen behind on reporting on what I read last fall.


   Written by Kathy Tyers I was a little disappointed. This was not as good as The Truce at Bakura. It didn't capture the personalities like The Truce at Bakura. It did however end with quite a cliffhanger.
  I don't know how to say anything about this that is not a spoiler so... Fair warning. +Star Wars
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    I've been waiting for this for a while now! Mara and Luke discover they are having a baby... Mara has been so upset that she may never have one. She's been on the losing battle against an illness brought on to her from the Yuuzhan Vong. At last they found a semi-cure from the tears of Vergere a bird like creature that for reasons unknown left for Mara to help her.

  So when Mara notices the unknown being inside her she mistakes it as alien there to attach her life again but before destroying it she realizes she senses Luke in it and the pieces come together...

   So hears the thing that got me. She's wanted a child with Luke for so long and her first reaction is, NO! NOT NOW! and is considering for a moment even abortion?! What Mara Jade is this?!?! She'd be the biggest best mama bear in the galaxy!!!


 Ok, so in comes Luke after she abandons him during a mission... she lets him realize what is in her and he's happy... her? Nope. I will admit to a little fear that the child might not be well or even tainted by the dark side since she still hasn't over come her unknown illness... but really, that is not a Mara Jade reaction! Please bring the REAL Mara back!



Relaxing with a book, a costume I was making,
 and my lovey dovey plopped at my feet!

   Meanwhile Jacen is fighting a personal battle with his and everyone's future and now will no longer use the force. He holds out on this until his mother's life is in stake. This action leaves you at the cliff hanger. Because of the outrage over Jacen's actions all Jedi now have a price over their heads. Jacen having the highest.



Agent's of Chaos I: Hero's Trail

  And now another by James Luceno's ... he also authored Dark Lord The Rise of Darth Vader and Labyrinth of Evil Yeah, not a fan...
  This book was pretty dull the first half but it did pick up at the end. Mainly the story is about the Yuuzhan Vong attempting to exterminate the Jedi by slipping in a female Yuuzhan Vong  priestess Elan claiming to want to defect. She's actually carrying a toxic poison waiting for the right time to release it. At the same time Han goes his own way to the dismay of his family and the Wookies that want to take over Chewbacca's Life Debt.
  The author seems to want to show off the fact he knows all the novel VERY well. Some stuff must have been in the X-wing books cause I didn't know what they were talking about and it sounded like stuff I should have.

  I really don't have a lot to say about this one. So straight to the few Spoiler notes I can come up with...
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  What on earth is a "familiar"?! You go through this whole book yet never get an answer to this question. Maybe that will be answered eventually or maybe it doesn't matter but this creature goes along with Elan to kill the Jedi yet in the end she goes out of her way to save Mara. If she is such a compationate being how has she followed along so long with Elan in this plan or did she just have a sudden turning point? One must have to guess she is in some way being held aganst her will. Maybe... kind of hoping more about her comes out in later books.
  Some parts felt like shuffling card keeping up with who was where and why! The funny thing is the
last or the second to the last chapter is an over view of what you just read! I mean, it was nice cause I what I just read was not clear in my head! Normally you need to do this in a sequel but this book did it in the same book at the end!
  Ah, these Yuuzhan Vong! They sound so grotesque!!! The illustration of Elan on the cover just doesn't look horrible enough. She too pretty! And who is the guy at the right? Is that the Ryn, Dorma Han hooked up with? Not the image I had in mind by the description I was getting in the book... maybe it's just me.
  Luke and Mara. This is a strange pair... perhaps only Timothy Zahn should be able to write about them. I think James Lucendo did ok at the end where Luke and Mara see who can drink the tears first and yes, I can see that Luke would try it first and that Mara wouldn't allow him to be that protective of her. The dialogue between then is a bit awkward after she takes the stuff. The sickening sweetness is a little much for the two of them in public.
  Since I disliked the image of Elan on the cover I did a little searching and found a fanart piece that I think is a better likeness.


Elan and Vergere by blue-but-beautiful on deviantART