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Star Wars: The New Jedi Order #9
Star Wars: Das Ultimatum
Noch immer schreitet der Eroberungsfeldzug der Yuuzhan Vong fort, ohne dass die Jedi-Ritter ihnen wirksamen Widerstand entgegensetzen können. Da erhält Leia Organa ein Ultimatum: Wenn der Standort der geheimen Jedi-Basis nicht preisgegeben wird, werden Flüchtlingsschiffe angegriffen und vernichtet. In dieser verzweifelten Lage entwickelt Leias Sohn Anakin Solo einen tollkühnen Plan: Ein Stoßtrupp von Jedi-Rittern will sich von den Feinden fangen und in deren Hauptquartier im Reich der Finsternis bringen lassen...
756 pages, Taschenbuch
First published October 30, 2001
193 people are currently reading
3189 people want to read
About the author
Troy Denning
186 books662 followersAlso known as Richard Awlinson.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_Den...
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_Den...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 232 reviews
September 21, 2024
In 2008, I attempted the task of reading the entire New Jedi Order saga…and Star by Star was the point at which I gave up.
Just today, as part of my second attempt of reading the same series, I nearly read this book in one sitting.
Previously, I had felt that Troy Denning was a poor writer; now, I'm not so sure of that.
I can't wait to get my hands on the next one...but that'll be sometime next week.
Just today, as part of my second attempt of reading the same series, I nearly read this book in one sitting.
Previously, I had felt that Troy Denning was a poor writer; now, I'm not so sure of that.
I can't wait to get my hands on the next one...but that'll be sometime next week.
May 27, 2011
Action, Characters, and Higher Stakes - This has it all
The Yuuzhan Vong have developed a newer, more fierce weapon against the Jedi: the voxyn, made from vornskyrs and able to "sniff" out and kill Jedi. Luke Skywalker approves Anakin, Jaina, Jacen, and their friends to hunt out the Queen, from which all others are cloned, and kill her. Meanwhile, Coruscant is close to being overrun.
NOTE: Based on audiobook and novel.
Let me get this off my chest right now. If I were just rating the audiobook, I would mark down heavily because and ENTIRE subplot-the conquest of Coruscant-is COMPLETELY absent. There are no cut scenes between the Young Jedi mission to Myrkr and the events with the "Old" Jedi. This is very sad, as I am sure many who didn't read the novel before relistening on audiobook will walk into the next few books clueless.
Troy Denning hasn't always been my favorite author, and I'm not sure why. He is more than competent with his characters, has a good grasp of Star Wars, and has pretty interesting stories. This was Denning's first foray into a galaxy far, far away and, for the most part, I actually really like it. In my opinion, it may be his best Star Wars work.
The characters are really well done. Anakin, in particular, really shines in this book. I like where he goes (for the most part...) and how he grew up a lot in this book. Jaina was pretty good, Jacen wasn't bad (are we done with his griping about using the Force for evil yet), and I am SO glad we are FINALLY seeing more than Solo-Skywalkers in the Jedi Order. Denning adds a flurry of new Jedi, such as the Sebatyne clan, Tekli, Alema, and Ulaha. It's been funny, up to this point, there really haven't been many "New" Jedi in this "New Jedi Order". Fortunately, Denning does his part to remedy that.
If there is a problem, it's how characters drop in and out of the narrative randomly. For instance, Danni Quee has been MIA since Stackpole's Ruin/Onslaught, but now, she's back (not that she does anything significant). Would have been nice to see what she was doing. Also, where is Nen Yim from the previous two books? Seems she should have had a bigger role. And Vergere popping out of nowhere, absent since Hero's Trial, is awkward as well. And Lando not being used until this book to pop in with his new Deus Ex Machina droids is lame. Why can't there be a bit more flow between these books?
As for the mission, it's intense and perfectly AWESOME. I love seeing these young Jedi planning a mission, executing it, changing it as needed, working together, and generally inheriting the torch from their parents. I'd talk about the other parts--Coruscant, Viqi Shesh, etc. but the audiobook left them out (as I said above) and it's been too long since I read this to give a viewpoint by memory.
Of course, Denning's books are violent, but absent of crazy swear words. There are sparks between Anakin and Tahiri but nothing explicit.
This is a great novel, a real turning point of the series and most definitely worth being in hardcover as major events happen in this book. My only advice? Do NOT listen on audiobook!
The Yuuzhan Vong have developed a newer, more fierce weapon against the Jedi: the voxyn, made from vornskyrs and able to "sniff" out and kill Jedi. Luke Skywalker approves Anakin, Jaina, Jacen, and their friends to hunt out the Queen, from which all others are cloned, and kill her. Meanwhile, Coruscant is close to being overrun.
NOTE: Based on audiobook and novel.
Let me get this off my chest right now. If I were just rating the audiobook, I would mark down heavily because and ENTIRE subplot-the conquest of Coruscant-is COMPLETELY absent. There are no cut scenes between the Young Jedi mission to Myrkr and the events with the "Old" Jedi. This is very sad, as I am sure many who didn't read the novel before relistening on audiobook will walk into the next few books clueless.
Troy Denning hasn't always been my favorite author, and I'm not sure why. He is more than competent with his characters, has a good grasp of Star Wars, and has pretty interesting stories. This was Denning's first foray into a galaxy far, far away and, for the most part, I actually really like it. In my opinion, it may be his best Star Wars work.
The characters are really well done. Anakin, in particular, really shines in this book. I like where he goes (for the most part...) and how he grew up a lot in this book. Jaina was pretty good, Jacen wasn't bad (are we done with his griping about using the Force for evil yet), and I am SO glad we are FINALLY seeing more than Solo-Skywalkers in the Jedi Order. Denning adds a flurry of new Jedi, such as the Sebatyne clan, Tekli, Alema, and Ulaha. It's been funny, up to this point, there really haven't been many "New" Jedi in this "New Jedi Order". Fortunately, Denning does his part to remedy that.
If there is a problem, it's how characters drop in and out of the narrative randomly. For instance, Danni Quee has been MIA since Stackpole's Ruin/Onslaught, but now, she's back (not that she does anything significant). Would have been nice to see what she was doing. Also, where is Nen Yim from the previous two books? Seems she should have had a bigger role. And Vergere popping out of nowhere, absent since Hero's Trial, is awkward as well. And Lando not being used until this book to pop in with his new Deus Ex Machina droids is lame. Why can't there be a bit more flow between these books?
As for the mission, it's intense and perfectly AWESOME. I love seeing these young Jedi planning a mission, executing it, changing it as needed, working together, and generally inheriting the torch from their parents. I'd talk about the other parts--Coruscant, Viqi Shesh, etc. but the audiobook left them out (as I said above) and it's been too long since I read this to give a viewpoint by memory.
Of course, Denning's books are violent, but absent of crazy swear words. There are sparks between Anakin and Tahiri but nothing explicit.
This is a great novel, a real turning point of the series and most definitely worth being in hardcover as major events happen in this book. My only advice? Do NOT listen on audiobook!
March 17, 2022
I love this book, it's truly so tragic. The loss of Anakin, the fall of Coruscant, and Borsk blowing himself up and taking 25k Yuuzhan Vong with him. It's so great, but man it's long and brutal.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2008
This book was very much hit and miss for me.. It is almost as if Denning could not decide whether he wanted it to be about Space combat or a commando Jedi mission. Therefore, the book begins to exhibit s split personality. In addition, the conclusion of the book is very dark, leaving the reader feeling discouraged, much like the viewers at the conclusion of The Empire Strike Back.
The book just went on and on and on.. There was a great deal of powerful action, but after awhile it begins to feel like a Bruce Lee movie with one after another bad guy, villain, monster, etc. being slashed across the throat by a Jedi lightsaber in defense.
I would think that the next book in the series might bring about some redeeming quality.. but I was disappointed in this one.
The book just went on and on and on.. There was a great deal of powerful action, but after awhile it begins to feel like a Bruce Lee movie with one after another bad guy, villain, monster, etc. being slashed across the throat by a Jedi lightsaber in defense.
I would think that the next book in the series might bring about some redeeming quality.. but I was disappointed in this one.
December 9, 2015
****The following review contains spoilers, so if you haven’t read this book yet, and you want to, I highly recommend skipping this review. You’ve been forewarned.****
I just recently learned about the so-called “Star Wars” canon, and I’m not sure how I feel about it.
A part of me thinks: whatever. I appreciate director J.J. Abrams’s desire to take the Star Wars franchise in a completely new direction, and I’m confident that whatever direction Abrams chooses to take the franchise will be a fascinating, exciting, and profitable one. George Lucas did, after all, generously hand over the keys (and the title) to the castle, so he doesn’t really have any say in how Abrams redecorates the place. And, by all accounts, (depending on your source) Lucas seems to be, at the very least, pleased with Abrams’s final product. It may not have been the movie Lucas would have made, but based on Lucas’s last three attempts, Lucas’s version may not have been the film fans would have wanted anyway.
The so-called “canon” stems from an artistic desire on Abrams’s part to distance himself, creatively, from Lucas’s influence. Like he did with the “Star Trek” reboots, Abrams hopes to “re-invent” the Star Wars universe into a place where new fans and new generations of kids who have never seen the original “Star Wars” films will feel welcome. I can dig that. It’s a totally different world, here in 2015, than it was in 1977, and the new “Star Wars” film, in order to be successful, must reflect that.
Another part of me, however, thinks: the so-called “canon” is bullshit.
How do you negate the combined efforts of several dozen authors and at least a hundred different novels that have taken Lucas’s original vision and expanded it into a vast universe of beloved characters beyond the original nine main characters? The answer, of course, is you don’t and you can’t.
Not that I believe that Abrams is trying to do that with “The Force Awakens”, but the decision to establish a “canon” is, essentially, a slap in the face to the true die-hard SWEU fans who have grown to love the well-established new characters---Mara Jade, Admiral Thrawn, Admiral Pellaeon, Talon Karrde, Kyp Durron, Corran Horn, Anakin Solo, twins Jacen and Jaina Solo, Ben Skywalker, and countless others.
Granted, this only applies to those of us who read. As shocking as it is, many people out there aren’t readers. If it’s not available in video game format or on a TV show or movie, it doesn’t exist for them, which is fine. They can’t miss what they don’t know exists.
I am very excited about the movie, don’t get me wrong. I’ve already come to a place of acceptance with “The Force Awakens”. I’ve even created my own rationalization for the fact that (according to the trailers, at least) Chewbacca is still alive, the Empire is still a viable enemy, the Yuuzhan Vong did not appear to lay waste to the New Republic, and that Mara Jade, Ben Skywalker, and the Solo children do not exist at all in this alternate dimensional timeline.
The part of me, however, that is taking this the hardest is the part of me that would love to have seen Abrams film the New Jedi Order series.
Starting with R.A. Salvatore’s “Vector Prime”, NJO has taken the SWEU into a darker, more violent direction. There are over 20 books in this series, by a wide variety of writers. The series has been hit or miss but mostly hits, in my opinion, delving occasionally into ridiculously soap opera-esque melodrama and sappiness but, for the most part, creating an engaging and fast-paced war drama about a nearly-unstoppable enemy, the Yuuzhan Vong.
Troy Denning’s “Star by Star” is the ninth book in the NJO, and it is, in my opinion, the most intense, exciting, and violent book within the series. It is almost Timothy Zahn quality, which is high praise coming from me, as I think Zahn sets the bar for the SWEU.
The New Republic and the Jedi Knights have suffered numerous ugly defeats in their war against the Yuuzhan Vong, but much of their defeats have been due to political in-fighting and divisiveness within their own ranks, a fact that Yuuzhan Vong war leaders have relished and exploited to their benefit.
The Galactic Senate, led by Borsk Fey’lya, has devolved into an ineffectual governing body. Important and integral issues such as building up the fleet and what to do with the influx of millions of interplanetary refugees have been stalled to the point that lives are being lost and the New Republic military has been unable to keep up with the almost unending number of Yuuzhan Vong soldiers and starfighters.
To make things worse, a growing galactic anti-Jedi movement has made life difficult and deadly for the hundreds of Jedi Knights fighting to protect the very people who hate them. After the Yuuzhan Vong issued an ultimatum which stated that all hostilities will cease if the Jedi Knights are handed over for eradication, attacks on Jedi Knights have risen, thanks in large part to a group ironically called the Peace Brigade, comprised of mostly humans bent on appeasing the Yuuzhan Vong by handing over weapons, refugees, and kidnapped Jedi Knights in exchange for a safe place within the inevitable Yuuzhan Vong-ruled galaxy. These Peace Brigaders are in complete denial, however, as the Yuuzhan Vong have repeatedly not kept any promises made and have stated outright that they long to see every non-Yuuzhan Vong creature---”infidels”, as they call them---in the galaxy killed, as per their extremely violent religious beliefs.
This is the state of affairs at the onset of “Star by Star”.
The newest threat to the Jedis is a Yuuzhan Vong creature called the voxyn, which are hunting down Jedi Knights and killing them throughout the galaxy. Scientists have determined that these creatures are actually clones, and that the original creature is indigenous to the planet Myrkyr. A mission to go to Myrkyr in an attempt to destroy this creature and the cloning facilities is set in motion by Luke Skywalker. Heading the mission is Anakin Solo.
The majority of the book focuses on this integral mission, occasionally shifting scenes to the Yuuzhan Vong and the New Republic forces who are gathering to protect Coruscant.
Denning has written one of the most kick-ass space battles I have read in any SWEU book thus far. It is riveting and intense, but it is also important for many reasons, the least of which is its strategic importance in the war against the Yuuzhan Vong. It’s a mature battle scene, meaning that while it may be exciting, it does not glorify war in its portrayal of the violence and aftermath. This is “Star Wars” at its bloodiest.
In terms of its importance, the Battle for Coruscant is as vital as the Battle for Endor was in “Return of the Jedi”. The outcome of this battle------is as surprising and horrific as it is inevitable.
The Mission to Myrkyr is just as vital to the series, as well. Not only does it have repercussions for the future of the Jedi Knights, it also has personal repercussions for the Solo family, .
“Star by Star” is an emotionally draining war novel that resurrects the importance of “Star Wars”. It is as horrific and moving and disturbing as any war novel should be, and it may shock and offend some “Star Wars” fans simply because it brings a hell of a lot more realism to the SWEU than many are prepared to deal with.
For non-reading “Star Wars” fans, I hope “The Force Awakens” is everything that they hope it to be. As good as I personally expect the film to be coming from Abrams, I can already say with confidence that it can’t hold a candle to what authors such as Timothy Zahn, R.A. Salvatore, Michael Stackpole, and Troy Denning (just to name a few of my personal favorites) have already succeeded in doing in print.
I just recently learned about the so-called “Star Wars” canon, and I’m not sure how I feel about it.
A part of me thinks: whatever. I appreciate director J.J. Abrams’s desire to take the Star Wars franchise in a completely new direction, and I’m confident that whatever direction Abrams chooses to take the franchise will be a fascinating, exciting, and profitable one. George Lucas did, after all, generously hand over the keys (and the title) to the castle, so he doesn’t really have any say in how Abrams redecorates the place. And, by all accounts, (depending on your source) Lucas seems to be, at the very least, pleased with Abrams’s final product. It may not have been the movie Lucas would have made, but based on Lucas’s last three attempts, Lucas’s version may not have been the film fans would have wanted anyway.
The so-called “canon” stems from an artistic desire on Abrams’s part to distance himself, creatively, from Lucas’s influence. Like he did with the “Star Trek” reboots, Abrams hopes to “re-invent” the Star Wars universe into a place where new fans and new generations of kids who have never seen the original “Star Wars” films will feel welcome. I can dig that. It’s a totally different world, here in 2015, than it was in 1977, and the new “Star Wars” film, in order to be successful, must reflect that.
Another part of me, however, thinks: the so-called “canon” is bullshit.
How do you negate the combined efforts of several dozen authors and at least a hundred different novels that have taken Lucas’s original vision and expanded it into a vast universe of beloved characters beyond the original nine main characters? The answer, of course, is you don’t and you can’t.
Not that I believe that Abrams is trying to do that with “The Force Awakens”, but the decision to establish a “canon” is, essentially, a slap in the face to the true die-hard SWEU fans who have grown to love the well-established new characters---Mara Jade, Admiral Thrawn, Admiral Pellaeon, Talon Karrde, Kyp Durron, Corran Horn, Anakin Solo, twins Jacen and Jaina Solo, Ben Skywalker, and countless others.
Granted, this only applies to those of us who read. As shocking as it is, many people out there aren’t readers. If it’s not available in video game format or on a TV show or movie, it doesn’t exist for them, which is fine. They can’t miss what they don’t know exists.
I am very excited about the movie, don’t get me wrong. I’ve already come to a place of acceptance with “The Force Awakens”. I’ve even created my own rationalization for the fact that (according to the trailers, at least) Chewbacca is still alive, the Empire is still a viable enemy, the Yuuzhan Vong did not appear to lay waste to the New Republic, and that Mara Jade, Ben Skywalker, and the Solo children do not exist at all in this alternate dimensional timeline.
The part of me, however, that is taking this the hardest is the part of me that would love to have seen Abrams film the New Jedi Order series.
Starting with R.A. Salvatore’s “Vector Prime”, NJO has taken the SWEU into a darker, more violent direction. There are over 20 books in this series, by a wide variety of writers. The series has been hit or miss but mostly hits, in my opinion, delving occasionally into ridiculously soap opera-esque melodrama and sappiness but, for the most part, creating an engaging and fast-paced war drama about a nearly-unstoppable enemy, the Yuuzhan Vong.
Troy Denning’s “Star by Star” is the ninth book in the NJO, and it is, in my opinion, the most intense, exciting, and violent book within the series. It is almost Timothy Zahn quality, which is high praise coming from me, as I think Zahn sets the bar for the SWEU.
The New Republic and the Jedi Knights have suffered numerous ugly defeats in their war against the Yuuzhan Vong, but much of their defeats have been due to political in-fighting and divisiveness within their own ranks, a fact that Yuuzhan Vong war leaders have relished and exploited to their benefit.
The Galactic Senate, led by Borsk Fey’lya, has devolved into an ineffectual governing body. Important and integral issues such as building up the fleet and what to do with the influx of millions of interplanetary refugees have been stalled to the point that lives are being lost and the New Republic military has been unable to keep up with the almost unending number of Yuuzhan Vong soldiers and starfighters.
To make things worse, a growing galactic anti-Jedi movement has made life difficult and deadly for the hundreds of Jedi Knights fighting to protect the very people who hate them. After the Yuuzhan Vong issued an ultimatum which stated that all hostilities will cease if the Jedi Knights are handed over for eradication, attacks on Jedi Knights have risen, thanks in large part to a group ironically called the Peace Brigade, comprised of mostly humans bent on appeasing the Yuuzhan Vong by handing over weapons, refugees, and kidnapped Jedi Knights in exchange for a safe place within the inevitable Yuuzhan Vong-ruled galaxy. These Peace Brigaders are in complete denial, however, as the Yuuzhan Vong have repeatedly not kept any promises made and have stated outright that they long to see every non-Yuuzhan Vong creature---”infidels”, as they call them---in the galaxy killed, as per their extremely violent religious beliefs.
This is the state of affairs at the onset of “Star by Star”.
The newest threat to the Jedis is a Yuuzhan Vong creature called the voxyn, which are hunting down Jedi Knights and killing them throughout the galaxy. Scientists have determined that these creatures are actually clones, and that the original creature is indigenous to the planet Myrkyr. A mission to go to Myrkyr in an attempt to destroy this creature and the cloning facilities is set in motion by Luke Skywalker. Heading the mission is Anakin Solo.
The majority of the book focuses on this integral mission, occasionally shifting scenes to the Yuuzhan Vong and the New Republic forces who are gathering to protect Coruscant.
Denning has written one of the most kick-ass space battles I have read in any SWEU book thus far. It is riveting and intense, but it is also important for many reasons, the least of which is its strategic importance in the war against the Yuuzhan Vong. It’s a mature battle scene, meaning that while it may be exciting, it does not glorify war in its portrayal of the violence and aftermath. This is “Star Wars” at its bloodiest.
In terms of its importance, the Battle for Coruscant is as vital as the Battle for Endor was in “Return of the Jedi”. The outcome of this battle------is as surprising and horrific as it is inevitable.
The Mission to Myrkyr is just as vital to the series, as well. Not only does it have repercussions for the future of the Jedi Knights, it also has personal repercussions for the Solo family, .
“Star by Star” is an emotionally draining war novel that resurrects the importance of “Star Wars”. It is as horrific and moving and disturbing as any war novel should be, and it may shock and offend some “Star Wars” fans simply because it brings a hell of a lot more realism to the SWEU than many are prepared to deal with.
For non-reading “Star Wars” fans, I hope “The Force Awakens” is everything that they hope it to be. As good as I personally expect the film to be coming from Abrams, I can already say with confidence that it can’t hold a candle to what authors such as Timothy Zahn, R.A. Salvatore, Michael Stackpole, and Troy Denning (just to name a few of my personal favorites) have already succeeded in doing in print.
June 9, 2024
Excellent. Easily the best of the NJO series so far by a long shot, and the best Star Wars book I’ve read in quite some time. Denning really just said fuck a duology and wrote 1 book twice the length of most other entries in the series so far, and it really shows in the balancing of characters and storylines. This was the book worth working through some of the weaker books that came before it. A lot of action with the Solo kids in this one which I am most looking forward to in any NJO book. The main story has also taken a very interesting turn and I am very excited to continue this series.
Massive spoilers, do not click unless you have read this book.
Massive spoilers, do not click unless you have read this book.
October 14, 2021
3.5 Stars
This is an important novel in terms of plot progression. It deals with some serious subject matter, but I didn't entirely feel the emotional weight of the situation. I was most bugged by the aloofness of the adults when it came to the children, particularly Ben. He felt like an accessory more than a beloved baby. This one is definitely worth reading for the storyline but I was let down by the character work.
This is an important novel in terms of plot progression. It deals with some serious subject matter, but I didn't entirely feel the emotional weight of the situation. I was most bugged by the aloofness of the adults when it came to the children, particularly Ben. He felt like an accessory more than a beloved baby. This one is definitely worth reading for the storyline but I was let down by the character work.
June 23, 2013
I felt this book was too long. More than anything, the book was cluttered by battle scenes, both in space and on the ground. The descriptions of these battles soon grew tedious and I feel that the story gained little for them. While it did add a lot of drama to the Yuzhan Vong war, this was probably one of my least favorite of the New Jedi Order series so far.
September 30, 2017
The New Jedi Order series grinds on with this 600+ page slog. There are two primary plotlines that run in parallel. In the first, Anakin volunteers to lead a Jedi strike team on a covert commando mission to a Yuuzhan Vong worldship to destroy the source of the voxyn, a threat specifically aimed at the Jedi. In the other storyline, Leia, Luke, Han and Mara must ready themselves, as the invaders appear to be preparing a strike on Coruscant itself.
The book has two major and interrelated flaws. The first is that it is almost non-stop action. Every chapter features some form of combat - a space battle, a firefight, lightsaber duels, hand-to-hand work - it's interminable. And none of the action feels particularly original or well-written; if it had I might have cut it some slack. I'm sure some readers might appreciate all of this flailing around, but I just found it tedious. Despite the Star Wars title, I don't read these book for the combat. As with any lengthy series, I am here for the characters. Unfortunately, author Troy Denning doesn't seem to be very interested in character development or even in giving his readers any time to breathe between martial engagements.
The other major flaw is the unrelenting grimness of the book. Just when it appears that things can't get worse for our heroes, things get worse for our heroes. Everyone is angry, depressed, or grief-stricken all of the time. There were several moments when I felt that Denning should just kill characters off, because there was no reasonable way for them to survive (and in fact, there are eventually some casualties). Perhaps both of these flaws would have been less irksome in a shorter book, but this volume, weighing in at twice the length of most other novels in this series, seemed like overkill.
The one major thing I kind of liked in this book was the redemption of Borsk Fey'lya. Despite all the faults he's demonstrated in the EU books, especially in the NJO, he gets a moment here to prove his mettle, even if it is only in defeat. Denning gives us a sense of how complicated Fey'lya is, a caution against judging any being too quickly. I just wish he had given us more of that empathy in the rest of the book.
If you're like me, you'll plow through this volume as quickly as possible, eager to get to a less brutal and unrelenting chapter in this massive saga.
The book has two major and interrelated flaws. The first is that it is almost non-stop action. Every chapter features some form of combat - a space battle, a firefight, lightsaber duels, hand-to-hand work - it's interminable. And none of the action feels particularly original or well-written; if it had I might have cut it some slack. I'm sure some readers might appreciate all of this flailing around, but I just found it tedious. Despite the Star Wars title, I don't read these book for the combat. As with any lengthy series, I am here for the characters. Unfortunately, author Troy Denning doesn't seem to be very interested in character development or even in giving his readers any time to breathe between martial engagements.
The other major flaw is the unrelenting grimness of the book. Just when it appears that things can't get worse for our heroes, things get worse for our heroes. Everyone is angry, depressed, or grief-stricken all of the time. There were several moments when I felt that Denning should just kill characters off, because there was no reasonable way for them to survive (and in fact, there are eventually some casualties). Perhaps both of these flaws would have been less irksome in a shorter book, but this volume, weighing in at twice the length of most other novels in this series, seemed like overkill.
The one major thing I kind of liked in this book was the redemption of Borsk Fey'lya. Despite all the faults he's demonstrated in the EU books, especially in the NJO, he gets a moment here to prove his mettle, even if it is only in defeat. Denning gives us a sense of how complicated Fey'lya is, a caution against judging any being too quickly. I just wish he had given us more of that empathy in the rest of the book.
If you're like me, you'll plow through this volume as quickly as possible, eager to get to a less brutal and unrelenting chapter in this massive saga.
July 25, 2023
I’ve heard so, so much praise for this book as I’ve begun diving into Legends—best NJO book, best Legends book, best Star Wars book, etc. I’m very happy to say it absolutely lived up to the hype!
This was just an excellent read all the way through. It felt like a real “event” book, where everything building through the series came to a climactic head. All the characters have important roles to play and are handled excellently, with several of them having standout moments—Leia, Luke, Anakin, and Nom Anor come to mind especially. I also loved the progression of the story here. It sort of reminds me of The Rising Storm from the canon The High Republic series, where the first part is all buildup and then everything goes wild in the latter half. I loved some of the more discussion-based, political moments in this book involving characters like Borsk Fey’lya and the Yuuzhan Vong. The action here is great as well, which really dominates the later parts of this book. Finally, there are some big events that happen here. The Solo kids go on a very dangerous mission that leads to some big consequences, and the end of the book turns the tide of the series entirely.
No real cons to speak of. This was excellent all the way through. Definitely the best New Jedi Order book so far and one of the best Legends books in general!
Rating: 10/10
This was just an excellent read all the way through. It felt like a real “event” book, where everything building through the series came to a climactic head. All the characters have important roles to play and are handled excellently, with several of them having standout moments—Leia, Luke, Anakin, and Nom Anor come to mind especially. I also loved the progression of the story here. It sort of reminds me of The Rising Storm from the canon The High Republic series, where the first part is all buildup and then everything goes wild in the latter half. I loved some of the more discussion-based, political moments in this book involving characters like Borsk Fey’lya and the Yuuzhan Vong. The action here is great as well, which really dominates the later parts of this book. Finally, there are some big events that happen here. The Solo kids go on a very dangerous mission that leads to some big consequences, and the end of the book turns the tide of the series entirely.
No real cons to speak of. This was excellent all the way through. Definitely the best New Jedi Order book so far and one of the best Legends books in general!
Rating: 10/10
July 9, 2011
I think this is the single darkest Star Wars book that I ever read. It's strange to say, but it captured the mood of the world at the time it was released. With a late October 2001 release, this was the first post-9/11 SW book - and it's interesting in how it reflected the mood since its manuscript was turned in months before 9/11 ever happened.
One thing that happens in the course of an invasion of Coruscant (which invasion was plainly inevitable after like the third NJO book) is that Yuuzhan Vong fighters end up crashing into buildings. This was weird. In the real world you had all these pundits saying how there was no way that you could have predicted what happened and here was a work of fiction where what amounted to planes crashing into buildings was all over the place.
But what really makes it dark is that so much of it is taken up by a next-gen Jedi commando raid to take out the voxyn queen - voxyn being Jedi-hunting beasts being cloned on Myrkr. Y'know, the home of ysalamiri and vornskrs, and the fact that I remember this stuff probably goes a long way to explaining never getting laid in high school. It has to be really difficult for someone who's young now to understand, but nerdiness used to be an underground thing.
Back to the commando raid. It's brutal. This is an against-all-odds, survival-unlikely mission being undertaken. It is tense because the characters are slowly being picked off. This element would not have been out of place in a war movie. And thanks to the death of Chewbacca back in Vector Prime the tension is completely sold. You can't just be sure that the minor characters will die and that all the Solo kids will escape. I have written on other NJO books about how setbacks feel pointless, but this one sold it better than any other.
On top of all this you have the fall of Coruscant, making a dire picture for the Republic even more bleak. Indeed, with its fall the Republic essentially no longer exists. But the daring Jedi raid kills the voxyn queen, and so all hope is not lost. Despite the grim events, the universe soldiers on. Also not unlike what was happening in the real world at that time. Very strange. They talk about life imitates art imitates life, but this is the first time I ever really understood what it meant - and it was all because of a Star Wars book.
One thing that happens in the course of an invasion of Coruscant (which invasion was plainly inevitable after like the third NJO book) is that Yuuzhan Vong fighters end up crashing into buildings. This was weird. In the real world you had all these pundits saying how there was no way that you could have predicted what happened and here was a work of fiction where what amounted to planes crashing into buildings was all over the place.
But what really makes it dark is that so much of it is taken up by a next-gen Jedi commando raid to take out the voxyn queen - voxyn being Jedi-hunting beasts being cloned on Myrkr. Y'know, the home of ysalamiri and vornskrs, and the fact that I remember this stuff probably goes a long way to explaining never getting laid in high school. It has to be really difficult for someone who's young now to understand, but nerdiness used to be an underground thing.
Back to the commando raid. It's brutal. This is an against-all-odds, survival-unlikely mission being undertaken. It is tense because the characters are slowly being picked off. This element would not have been out of place in a war movie. And thanks to the death of Chewbacca back in Vector Prime the tension is completely sold. You can't just be sure that the minor characters will die and that all the Solo kids will escape. I have written on other NJO books about how setbacks feel pointless, but this one sold it better than any other.
On top of all this you have the fall of Coruscant, making a dire picture for the Republic even more bleak. Indeed, with its fall the Republic essentially no longer exists. But the daring Jedi raid kills the voxyn queen, and so all hope is not lost. Despite the grim events, the universe soldiers on. Also not unlike what was happening in the real world at that time. Very strange. They talk about life imitates art imitates life, but this is the first time I ever really understood what it meant - and it was all because of a Star Wars book.
September 7, 2013
I was kind of amazed to see this book hold a 3.92 average rating.
I was very disappointed in this book. Clocking in at just over 600 pages, I thought Denning should have either split this book into two volumes, or just had an editor cut about 200 pages.
I knew where this book was heading the entire time, I just wished the plot got there faster. There are WAY too many minor characters to keep track of, so I ended up just remembering a detail about them to keep them straight. Tahiri = hot for Anakin. Ganner = scarred dude. Bela = female reptile.
Sadly I could not wait for this book to be over, which is unusual because I've read and liked Denning's work before.
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER alert below here.
I was pretty surprised by how nonchalant Han and Leia took Anakin's death. Yes they were anguished right after it happened, but by their escape from Coruscant they're practically back to cracking wise.
Plot points for my own personal use, to keep track of the major plot points of the NJO series:
- Anakin leads a strike team behind enemy lines to destroy the vonyx queen (Jedi hunters).
- The Yuuzhan Vong begin an assault of Coruscant.
- The Jedi are attacked at their secret base (Eclipse).
- Lando saves Ben and 3P0 aboard an escaping ship.
- Viqi Shesh makes an attempt on Han and Leia's lives. Her plot is foiled but Shesh is injured.
- Anakin and several minor Jedi characters die aboard a Vong worldship in their mission to kill the vonyx queen.
- Nom Anor and Vergere "team up" to track down the Jedi twins.
- Jaina uses dark side energy and is forced to leave Jacen on the worldship with Vergere after Jacen kills the vonyx queen.
- Borsk Fel'yla (spelling) detonates a suicide bomb as the Vong invade Coruscant.
- The Vong capture Coruscant, with Han, Leia, Luke, Mara, one of the two Noghri, and various New Republic troops aboard the Millennium Falcon.
I was very disappointed in this book. Clocking in at just over 600 pages, I thought Denning should have either split this book into two volumes, or just had an editor cut about 200 pages.
I knew where this book was heading the entire time, I just wished the plot got there faster. There are WAY too many minor characters to keep track of, so I ended up just remembering a detail about them to keep them straight. Tahiri = hot for Anakin. Ganner = scarred dude. Bela = female reptile.
Sadly I could not wait for this book to be over, which is unusual because I've read and liked Denning's work before.
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER alert below here.
I was pretty surprised by how nonchalant Han and Leia took Anakin's death. Yes they were anguished right after it happened, but by their escape from Coruscant they're practically back to cracking wise.
Plot points for my own personal use, to keep track of the major plot points of the NJO series:
- Anakin leads a strike team behind enemy lines to destroy the vonyx queen (Jedi hunters).
- The Yuuzhan Vong begin an assault of Coruscant.
- The Jedi are attacked at their secret base (Eclipse).
- Lando saves Ben and 3P0 aboard an escaping ship.
- Viqi Shesh makes an attempt on Han and Leia's lives. Her plot is foiled but Shesh is injured.
- Anakin and several minor Jedi characters die aboard a Vong worldship in their mission to kill the vonyx queen.
- Nom Anor and Vergere "team up" to track down the Jedi twins.
- Jaina uses dark side energy and is forced to leave Jacen on the worldship with Vergere after Jacen kills the vonyx queen.
- Borsk Fel'yla (spelling) detonates a suicide bomb as the Vong invade Coruscant.
- The Vong capture Coruscant, with Han, Leia, Luke, Mara, one of the two Noghri, and various New Republic troops aboard the Millennium Falcon.
June 9, 2021
ANAKINNNNNNNNN.
I finished this several days ago and I'm still reeling over it...and trying to figure out just how to in the post-Crucible World Between Worlds fix-it fic I started a few weeks ago.
This book is brutal, intense, heartrending, still manages to have some adorable Luke/Mara moments, and, well, so much of the Mission to Myrkr I was reading with a feeling of dread because I know how severe the repercussions of that mission are to certain characters. I did feel like Tahiri was underused yet again, and there were a couple moments where I was confused about how exactly the action was working (space battles just work better on screen, there's no way around it), but I don't really have any other complaints. Other than that my heart hurts. He had so much to live for. And Jaina. Oh, Jaina. And Jacen. This is not going to be good. But at least Ben is safe, though it got sketchy there for a while.
There's just so much IN this book. I could say so much more about this book, but then I'd end up giving a recitation of all the major events and I probably shouldn't do that. But I will say that Star By Star is on the upper end of the NJO quality scale, IMO.
Even though HE HAD SO MUCH TO LIVE FOR!!!!!
I finished this several days ago and I'm still reeling over it...and trying to figure out just how to in the post-Crucible World Between Worlds fix-it fic I started a few weeks ago.
This book is brutal, intense, heartrending, still manages to have some adorable Luke/Mara moments, and, well, so much of the Mission to Myrkr I was reading with a feeling of dread because I know how severe the repercussions of that mission are to certain characters. I did feel like Tahiri was underused yet again, and there were a couple moments where I was confused about how exactly the action was working (space battles just work better on screen, there's no way around it), but I don't really have any other complaints. Other than that my heart hurts. He had so much to live for. And Jaina. Oh, Jaina. And Jacen. This is not going to be good. But at least Ben is safe, though it got sketchy there for a while.
There's just so much IN this book. I could say so much more about this book, but then I'd end up giving a recitation of all the major events and I probably shouldn't do that. But I will say that Star By Star is on the upper end of the NJO quality scale, IMO.
Even though HE HAD SO MUCH TO LIVE FOR!!!!!
October 15, 2010
This was ok - There was plenty of action with what I like to overly generalize as people going plces and doing things. I prefer that in MOST books than the endless (seeming) inner turmoils and machinations.
That said this left me a bit cold. I cant really tell if it was the book itself or just the way the series seems to be repeating old themes. The Fall or Coruscant and Anakin dying seem like we have been here before - not in this series I guess, unless you count Chewbacca dying as very similar to Anakin dying, but just the whole thing.
It also may not be this book in particular, but I also keep feeling in this entire series, like they win at the end of each book or duology, but still end up further and further behind in the war. I dont know if my own sense of impending disappointment is what kept these on my own shelves so long before finally getting around to reading them, or if it was just time to get caught up to I can get to the Legacy of the Force and the Fate of the Jedi series'.
Either way, color me as glad to have read this, but I wont be reading it over and over again, like Dark is the Sun by Philip Jose Farmer... Now THAT is a brilliant book...
C+
That said this left me a bit cold. I cant really tell if it was the book itself or just the way the series seems to be repeating old themes. The Fall or Coruscant and Anakin dying seem like we have been here before - not in this series I guess, unless you count Chewbacca dying as very similar to Anakin dying, but just the whole thing.
It also may not be this book in particular, but I also keep feeling in this entire series, like they win at the end of each book or duology, but still end up further and further behind in the war. I dont know if my own sense of impending disappointment is what kept these on my own shelves so long before finally getting around to reading them, or if it was just time to get caught up to I can get to the Legacy of the Force and the Fate of the Jedi series'.
Either way, color me as glad to have read this, but I wont be reading it over and over again, like Dark is the Sun by Philip Jose Farmer... Now THAT is a brilliant book...
C+
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2009
The new Jedi order completely outpaces anything in the Starwars genre. This series was Dark, exciting, fast paced, and inspired. The writing was fantastic and the level of philosophy and force history was unparalleled. If your a fan at any level of the Starwars Universe than this series is a must read. It is on my top 5 of all time for a series and I treasured every moment I spent in that time. But beware, this isn't your typical Starwars book, be ready for a level of intensity that you've never seen. May the force be with you.!
December 27, 2021
Here we go. After 8 long months, I finally finished the longest entry of the New Jedi Order book series, Star by Star. And... wow, that was long. First I stopped for a 3 month hiatus because the first 200ish pages failed to grab me. Then after another 200 pages my personal life got to busy. It was only after the past several weeks or so that I managed to power through and finish this bloated monstrosity.
I've been posting updates about my reading progress with these books on facebook in various Star Wars related groups, and one thing has been consistent across every group: about how good this book is. Everyone was telling me how much Star by Star was going to blow me away and how it would completely change my perspective on the series, etc. etc. Whenever I posted a review on a book I didn't like, the comments would often say something along the lines of "don't worry, the series gets good once you reach Star By Star". Or when I posted a review on a book I liked, I would often get at least one comment along the lines of "Just wait until you hit Star By Star". Simply, put, someone would always find a way to pivot the conversation to a variation of hyping up Star By Star and how good it is.
So now that I have actually read the novel, I'm sorry to disappoint those of you who have been following my New Jedi Order reviews and reading progress: it didn't live up to the hype. Not even close. Actually, Star by Star has now surpassed The Darth Bane Trilogy for what I consider to be the most overrated Star Wars novel(s) of all time. Even though I disagree with many Star Wars fans about the bane trilogy being a masterpiece, I can pick out elements in all three books that I thought were incredibly well done and I can understand why people connected to them as a result: The characterization of Darth Bane himself in Path of Destruction. Everything except the orbalisk armor in Rule of Two. The phenomenal final confrontation in Dynasty of Evil. With Star By Star on the other hand, I just don't see what makes this one of the all time greats for Star Wars novels, even when exclusively accounting for the original Expanded Universe. Heck, it's not even close to my favorite book in the New Jedi Order (and keep in mind, I've only read 9 of these books).
EDIT! "RECOVERY": After a comment on a facebook post sharing this review (which I confirmed as true with a wookieepedia search of my own), I learned a piece of vital information regarding this book, specifically the first 82 pages of Star By Star's paperback edition, presented as a prologue. I only learned AFTER reading this novel that "Recovery" was originally published as a short story E-book completely separate from Star By Star- this wasn't even in the original hardcover release from 2001 (while Star by Star was released on October 30th, 2001, "Recovery" came out on October 1st, 2001). I specifically wanted to address this matter before the main review because when I read this novel, I mistakenly read "Recovery" as a direct prologue to Star By Star (like it was presented in the paperback copy that I read). The story starts after Balance Point and ends before the Edge of Victory duology opens.
Because of this, when I was reading Star By Star, I absolutely HATED it- as a prologue to Star by Star, it made absolutely no sense. I wasn't aware of its origins as a separate story taking place before the Edge of Victory books, so it felt like Star By Star was completely ignoring the events of the past TWO NOVELS, and hence Han Solo felt out of character. In addition, everything in the "prologue" felt entirely superflous to the rest of the book- little if anything in "Recovery" actually contributes to the rest of the story, and Han and Leia act like I would expect following Edge of Victory. My horrible experience with what I mistakenly thought was the dragged out 82 page opening to this novel actually reverberated throughout the rest of the book and contributed to why I struggled to stay interested in the book and why I took so long to finish it.
However, in original standalone context that "Recovery" was released, looking back it actually works just fine- as a piece of bonus content for the paperback of Star by Star it would have been a fun addition for fans who missed the original hardcover release and/or even hardcore fans who missed the Ebook and wanted to complete their collection. Had I read it right after Balance Point (or at least was aware of that context going in), everything would have made sense as a bridge between Han's story in Balance Point and the subplot he gets with Leia and Jacen in Edge of Victory II: Rebirth. I don't know if would have called it a great story or anything, but I certainly wouldn't have loathed and despised it the way I had when initially reading it as part of the rest of Star By Star.
*END EDIT*
THE STORY: After that publishing blunder that made the 82-page "Recovery" feel like wasted time, we begin the story proper. Our heroes are trying to figure out how to fight back against the Yuuzhan Vong. After a string of setbacks at Duro, Yavin 4, and other locations, a new Yuuzhan Vong weapon has emerged- the jedi-killers known as the Voxyn, a biotech abomination created with Myrkyr's Vornskyrs.
Anakin Solo leads a strike team comprised of some of the best and brightest young jedi (including his twin siblins Jacen and Jaina) on a mission to Myrkyr to take out the Voxyn Queen, essentially "destroying" the Vong bioweapons.
Meanwhile, the rest of the major characters- Han, Luke, Leia, and Mara, continue to fight against the Vong, increasingly desperate to stop Warmaster Tsavong Lah's voyage of Conquest from reaching Coruscant itself.
THE BAD: IT'S TOO LONG.
That's the biggest problem Star By Star has, and I mean that. Almost every flaw I found in Star By Star can be traced back to its 523 pages worth of text (and if you include the prologue, that page count balloons to an ungodly 605). I've done some research on the behind the scenes aspects of this book, and it seems like author Troy Denning is not necessarily the one at fault here. When he signed on to do this book, he was already given an outline for the story the NJO creative team wanted him to tell. Regardless, whether Mr. Denning couldn't figure out how to trim the pages down or his publishers insisted that Star By Star be 600 pages (or 500 without the prologue), most of this book feels completely dragged out. I wouldn't call it filler (again, unless you include the prologue), but I felt like everything that Denning needed to do in this book could have been done in 450 pages if not 400- and after how exhausting this book was, I genuinely think the book would have been much better for it.
If the 82- page "prologue" was the only portion of this book that I hated, I would have probably given this a much higher rating. Unfortunately, the next 400 pages still had plenty of problems- most importantly, the feeling that everything was dragged out to an unnecessary degree. Again, I can't say there's much actual filler in this novel- Star By Star is clearly an event-driven ensemble story who's purpose is to progress the plot and the worldbuilding for the series as a whole. But because of how long things take, I found most of it boring and slow despite how many big battles there were. It takes ROUGHLY TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY PAGES for Anakin's strike team to get to Myrkyr- this is the MOST IMPORTANT SUBPLOT in Star By Star!
Unfortunately, much of the other things going on just failed to grab me. I didn't need an entire chapter focused on a space battle featuring Danni Quee and newcomer Saba Sebatyne (oh yeah, BTW Danni is back, and I still don't like her character). Most of the chapters focused on the POV of the villains were uninteresting and failed to make me invested in them. Tsavong Lah is still just a generic hulking BBEG, and Viqi Shesh is a boring corrupt politician. And Nom Anor... Kriff, just kill this guy off already, HE HASN'T DONE ANYTHING IMPACTFUL FOR NINE BOOKS! While I don't think they were badly written or out of character, I still didn't have much of a reason to care about the Big 4- because despite how cute Ben Skywalker is, it didn't lead to further development for Luke and Mara. If the prologue isn't included Han and Leia act like themselves pretty much throughout the book, but don't get any development until the final 100 pages. (that being said, the notion that Han couldn't go on the Myrkyr mission just because he isn't a jedi is STUPID AS KRIFF. Just say he was needed in space battles to fly the millenium falcon. problem solved.)
In addition, two noteworthy characters play a bigger role in Star by Star than they have since... goodness Dark Tide II: Ruin? I already mentioned Danni Quee, who still sucks as a character (that comparison to Tahiri Denning writes in makes her even worse), but Lando Calrissian is here as well. He still is lacking any sort of character development and feels completely shoehorned into the story. Despite being set up as a powerful anti-vong weapon, not even Lando's YVH droids contribute anything to the story here.
The last major problem I have goes into spoilers- if you haven't read the book yet, skip this.
THE GOOD: I may have complained a lot, but Star By Star does have its redeeming qualities.
For the most part, I thought the Myrkyr mission was handled very well (despite how long it took to start and ). Is it borderline absurd that the entire strike force is composed of teenagers? Sure, but Denning offers a reasonable explanation for why Luke and Mara couldn't go and why Anakin had to lead them. In addition, I really appreciated how Denning established the team- of course it has Jacen and Jaina, but he also includes Tahiri (building off Edge of Victory), and characters from the Young Jedi Knights books- Tenel Ka, Lowbacca, Raynar Thul, and Zekk. In the case of the latter four, Denning did a great job making sure he caught up readers who hadn't read the YJK books- THANK YOU. Between that fun aspect of fanservice and introducing several new characters to round out the team (Alema Rar, Lomi Plo, Welk, and the Barabel trio along with recurring NJO newcomer Ganner Rhysode), I loved how Denning made this team feel big but not too overwhelming to keep track of. But even after the initial setup this plotline continues to carry most of the book in an effective way- Denning makes sure to keep the focus on our core Solo-spawn Trio. Anakin Solo is taking the next step of his complex hero's journey as he is thrust into a position of leadership, and he struggles with the fate of his siblings, the other members of the strike team, the jedi order, and the rest of the galaxy. In addition, his siblings get to develop too. Jaina gets some long overdue growth as she gets the chance to bond with her brother with some really nice exchanges of dialogue (that pays off later, more on that in a bit). The brother-brother dynamic between Anakin and Jacen is especially strong as Jacen gets to work through some of his philosophical issues and gets to mend burnt bridges between him and Anakin caused by earlier events in the series. Couple this with a string of effective, tension-filled action scenes and you have a through-line in this book that is close to brilliant.
And once I made it to the final 100-130 pages, Star by Star almost became a different book for me. After hundreds of pages of tedious space battles and boring villain chapters, the storyline with the big 4 suddenly becomes quite effective and fully grabbed my attention. . Han and Leia especially shine in this last stretch, but Luke and Mara work pretty well too. As the situation gets increasingly desperate and our heroes encounter setback after setback, I was at the edge of my seat trying to figure out how they were going to get out alive. For Jaina Solo, this is easily the most interesting I have seen her in the entire New Jedi Order series so far. I finally felt like she had some personality beyond Han-esque one-liners that can't seem to hit the mark. Given the placement of this book in the rest of the series and the next one that will follow (the Jaina-centric Dark Journey), I feel more confident than before with Jaia's new character development actually sticking this time. While I'm still not ready to say that I am finally a fan of Jaina (I have been subject to 9 books worth of false starts when it comes to story arcs and character development for her character), I'm more confident than previously in the ability of these books to do something interesting with her.
As for Troy Denning's writing, I think it was fine. He seems to have a good grasp on the characters for the most part, as they all seemed consistent with who they were in the previous 8 NJO novels outside of the prologue. In addition, he did a good job with a good portion of the action sequences. Given that this is both Troy Denning's first SW novel and the first time I have personally read a SW novel penned by him, my conclusion on Denning as a Star Wars writer currently is this: if Denning is given a good prompt, he can execute it in a way that works well. When Star By Star was focusing on specific elements (The Myrkyr mission and the major plot developments from ~page 475-605), Denning's writing was good. Most of the problems in Denning's style was in the 150ish pages of bloat outside of those core elements (and the prologue before I realized what that actually was).
Lastly... Borsk Fey'lya. However... yeah you would know if you've read the book.
THE CONCLUSION: It's difficult for me to pin down a final rating for this book. With the prologue included, I couldn't go higher than 3 stars. But if I tried to separate the prologue and just treat it as the standalone short story "Recovery" as originally intended, I'm hovering between a 3 and a 3.5. Between Goodreads not letting me do half-ratings on their scale , I'm rounding down.
But even without taking into account the mess with the "prologue", I wanted to like the rest of this book more than I did. Even beyond the hype, my interest in this book steadily built up throughout reading the series. However, Star by Star ended up being too long for its own good, and by the time I actually made it to the good parts, they were tarnished by how tired I had become of reading the book overall. Rather than being fully invested, most of my time reading this book was clouded by an overwhelming feeling of wishing that it was over already. That being said, I must make it clear that I didn't hate this book by any means. Most importantly, I still want to read Dark Journey and the other books following Star By Star.
I thought this book was okay overall, just massively overhyped. If anything, Star By Star is just as much of a mixed bag as the rest of the series leading up to it has been, at least in my opinion. If those of you seeing this are huge fans of this novel and disappointed about my... middling... review, I'm sorry. If you can read this book and be blown away, that's great; more power to you. I'm glad that the majority of the fan base seems to have loved this one. But for me, I'm ready to move on from the slog that Star by Star turned out to be, and get started with the second half of the New Jedi Order. Here's to hoping that I will continue to at least be able to enjoy these books overall. And maybe, just maybe, I can eventually find my own "Star By Star"- that magical New Jedi Order entry that I will fall in love with, the one that will completely win me over in the same way this book has for others who have read the series.
I've been posting updates about my reading progress with these books on facebook in various Star Wars related groups, and one thing has been consistent across every group: about how good this book is. Everyone was telling me how much Star by Star was going to blow me away and how it would completely change my perspective on the series, etc. etc. Whenever I posted a review on a book I didn't like, the comments would often say something along the lines of "don't worry, the series gets good once you reach Star By Star". Or when I posted a review on a book I liked, I would often get at least one comment along the lines of "Just wait until you hit Star By Star". Simply, put, someone would always find a way to pivot the conversation to a variation of hyping up Star By Star and how good it is.
So now that I have actually read the novel, I'm sorry to disappoint those of you who have been following my New Jedi Order reviews and reading progress: it didn't live up to the hype. Not even close. Actually, Star by Star has now surpassed The Darth Bane Trilogy for what I consider to be the most overrated Star Wars novel(s) of all time. Even though I disagree with many Star Wars fans about the bane trilogy being a masterpiece, I can pick out elements in all three books that I thought were incredibly well done and I can understand why people connected to them as a result: The characterization of Darth Bane himself in Path of Destruction. Everything except the orbalisk armor in Rule of Two. The phenomenal final confrontation in Dynasty of Evil. With Star By Star on the other hand, I just don't see what makes this one of the all time greats for Star Wars novels, even when exclusively accounting for the original Expanded Universe. Heck, it's not even close to my favorite book in the New Jedi Order (and keep in mind, I've only read 9 of these books).
EDIT! "RECOVERY": After a comment on a facebook post sharing this review (which I confirmed as true with a wookieepedia search of my own), I learned a piece of vital information regarding this book, specifically the first 82 pages of Star By Star's paperback edition, presented as a prologue. I only learned AFTER reading this novel that "Recovery" was originally published as a short story E-book completely separate from Star By Star- this wasn't even in the original hardcover release from 2001 (while Star by Star was released on October 30th, 2001, "Recovery" came out on October 1st, 2001). I specifically wanted to address this matter before the main review because when I read this novel, I mistakenly read "Recovery" as a direct prologue to Star By Star (like it was presented in the paperback copy that I read). The story starts after Balance Point and ends before the Edge of Victory duology opens.
Because of this, when I was reading Star By Star, I absolutely HATED it- as a prologue to Star by Star, it made absolutely no sense. I wasn't aware of its origins as a separate story taking place before the Edge of Victory books, so it felt like Star By Star was completely ignoring the events of the past TWO NOVELS, and hence Han Solo felt out of character. In addition, everything in the "prologue" felt entirely superflous to the rest of the book- little if anything in "Recovery" actually contributes to the rest of the story, and Han and Leia act like I would expect following Edge of Victory. My horrible experience with what I mistakenly thought was the dragged out 82 page opening to this novel actually reverberated throughout the rest of the book and contributed to why I struggled to stay interested in the book and why I took so long to finish it.
However, in original standalone context that "Recovery" was released, looking back it actually works just fine- as a piece of bonus content for the paperback of Star by Star it would have been a fun addition for fans who missed the original hardcover release and/or even hardcore fans who missed the Ebook and wanted to complete their collection. Had I read it right after Balance Point (or at least was aware of that context going in), everything would have made sense as a bridge between Han's story in Balance Point and the subplot he gets with Leia and Jacen in Edge of Victory II: Rebirth. I don't know if would have called it a great story or anything, but I certainly wouldn't have loathed and despised it the way I had when initially reading it as part of the rest of Star By Star.
*END EDIT*
THE STORY: After that publishing blunder that made the 82-page "Recovery" feel like wasted time, we begin the story proper. Our heroes are trying to figure out how to fight back against the Yuuzhan Vong. After a string of setbacks at Duro, Yavin 4, and other locations, a new Yuuzhan Vong weapon has emerged- the jedi-killers known as the Voxyn, a biotech abomination created with Myrkyr's Vornskyrs.
Anakin Solo leads a strike team comprised of some of the best and brightest young jedi (including his twin siblins Jacen and Jaina) on a mission to Myrkyr to take out the Voxyn Queen, essentially "destroying" the Vong bioweapons.
Meanwhile, the rest of the major characters- Han, Luke, Leia, and Mara, continue to fight against the Vong, increasingly desperate to stop Warmaster Tsavong Lah's voyage of Conquest from reaching Coruscant itself.
THE BAD: IT'S TOO LONG.
That's the biggest problem Star By Star has, and I mean that. Almost every flaw I found in Star By Star can be traced back to its 523 pages worth of text (and if you include the prologue, that page count balloons to an ungodly 605). I've done some research on the behind the scenes aspects of this book, and it seems like author Troy Denning is not necessarily the one at fault here. When he signed on to do this book, he was already given an outline for the story the NJO creative team wanted him to tell. Regardless, whether Mr. Denning couldn't figure out how to trim the pages down or his publishers insisted that Star By Star be 600 pages (or 500 without the prologue), most of this book feels completely dragged out. I wouldn't call it filler (again, unless you include the prologue), but I felt like everything that Denning needed to do in this book could have been done in 450 pages if not 400- and after how exhausting this book was, I genuinely think the book would have been much better for it.
If the 82- page "prologue" was the only portion of this book that I hated, I would have probably given this a much higher rating. Unfortunately, the next 400 pages still had plenty of problems- most importantly, the feeling that everything was dragged out to an unnecessary degree. Again, I can't say there's much actual filler in this novel- Star By Star is clearly an event-driven ensemble story who's purpose is to progress the plot and the worldbuilding for the series as a whole. But because of how long things take, I found most of it boring and slow despite how many big battles there were. It takes ROUGHLY TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY PAGES for Anakin's strike team to get to Myrkyr- this is the MOST IMPORTANT SUBPLOT in Star By Star!
Unfortunately, much of the other things going on just failed to grab me. I didn't need an entire chapter focused on a space battle featuring Danni Quee and newcomer Saba Sebatyne (oh yeah, BTW Danni is back, and I still don't like her character). Most of the chapters focused on the POV of the villains were uninteresting and failed to make me invested in them. Tsavong Lah is still just a generic hulking BBEG, and Viqi Shesh is a boring corrupt politician. And Nom Anor... Kriff, just kill this guy off already, HE HASN'T DONE ANYTHING IMPACTFUL FOR NINE BOOKS! While I don't think they were badly written or out of character, I still didn't have much of a reason to care about the Big 4- because despite how cute Ben Skywalker is, it didn't lead to further development for Luke and Mara. If the prologue isn't included Han and Leia act like themselves pretty much throughout the book, but don't get any development until the final 100 pages. (that being said, the notion that Han couldn't go on the Myrkyr mission just because he isn't a jedi is STUPID AS KRIFF. Just say he was needed in space battles to fly the millenium falcon. problem solved.)
In addition, two noteworthy characters play a bigger role in Star by Star than they have since... goodness Dark Tide II: Ruin? I already mentioned Danni Quee, who still sucks as a character (that comparison to Tahiri Denning writes in makes her even worse), but Lando Calrissian is here as well. He still is lacking any sort of character development and feels completely shoehorned into the story. Despite being set up as a powerful anti-vong weapon, not even Lando's YVH droids contribute anything to the story here.
The last major problem I have goes into spoilers- if you haven't read the book yet, skip this.
THE GOOD: I may have complained a lot, but Star By Star does have its redeeming qualities.
For the most part, I thought the Myrkyr mission was handled very well (despite how long it took to start and ). Is it borderline absurd that the entire strike force is composed of teenagers? Sure, but Denning offers a reasonable explanation for why Luke and Mara couldn't go and why Anakin had to lead them. In addition, I really appreciated how Denning established the team- of course it has Jacen and Jaina, but he also includes Tahiri (building off Edge of Victory), and characters from the Young Jedi Knights books- Tenel Ka, Lowbacca, Raynar Thul, and Zekk. In the case of the latter four, Denning did a great job making sure he caught up readers who hadn't read the YJK books- THANK YOU. Between that fun aspect of fanservice and introducing several new characters to round out the team (Alema Rar, Lomi Plo, Welk, and the Barabel trio along with recurring NJO newcomer Ganner Rhysode), I loved how Denning made this team feel big but not too overwhelming to keep track of. But even after the initial setup this plotline continues to carry most of the book in an effective way- Denning makes sure to keep the focus on our core Solo-spawn Trio. Anakin Solo is taking the next step of his complex hero's journey as he is thrust into a position of leadership, and he struggles with the fate of his siblings, the other members of the strike team, the jedi order, and the rest of the galaxy. In addition, his siblings get to develop too. Jaina gets some long overdue growth as she gets the chance to bond with her brother with some really nice exchanges of dialogue (that pays off later, more on that in a bit). The brother-brother dynamic between Anakin and Jacen is especially strong as Jacen gets to work through some of his philosophical issues and gets to mend burnt bridges between him and Anakin caused by earlier events in the series. Couple this with a string of effective, tension-filled action scenes and you have a through-line in this book that is close to brilliant.
And once I made it to the final 100-130 pages, Star by Star almost became a different book for me. After hundreds of pages of tedious space battles and boring villain chapters, the storyline with the big 4 suddenly becomes quite effective and fully grabbed my attention. . Han and Leia especially shine in this last stretch, but Luke and Mara work pretty well too. As the situation gets increasingly desperate and our heroes encounter setback after setback, I was at the edge of my seat trying to figure out how they were going to get out alive. For Jaina Solo, this is easily the most interesting I have seen her in the entire New Jedi Order series so far. I finally felt like she had some personality beyond Han-esque one-liners that can't seem to hit the mark. Given the placement of this book in the rest of the series and the next one that will follow (the Jaina-centric Dark Journey), I feel more confident than before with Jaia's new character development actually sticking this time. While I'm still not ready to say that I am finally a fan of Jaina (I have been subject to 9 books worth of false starts when it comes to story arcs and character development for her character), I'm more confident than previously in the ability of these books to do something interesting with her.
As for Troy Denning's writing, I think it was fine. He seems to have a good grasp on the characters for the most part, as they all seemed consistent with who they were in the previous 8 NJO novels outside of the prologue. In addition, he did a good job with a good portion of the action sequences. Given that this is both Troy Denning's first SW novel and the first time I have personally read a SW novel penned by him, my conclusion on Denning as a Star Wars writer currently is this: if Denning is given a good prompt, he can execute it in a way that works well. When Star By Star was focusing on specific elements (The Myrkyr mission and the major plot developments from ~page 475-605), Denning's writing was good. Most of the problems in Denning's style was in the 150ish pages of bloat outside of those core elements (and the prologue before I realized what that actually was).
Lastly... Borsk Fey'lya. However... yeah you would know if you've read the book.
THE CONCLUSION: It's difficult for me to pin down a final rating for this book. With the prologue included, I couldn't go higher than 3 stars. But if I tried to separate the prologue and just treat it as the standalone short story "Recovery" as originally intended, I'm hovering between a 3 and a 3.5. Between Goodreads not letting me do half-ratings on their scale , I'm rounding down.
But even without taking into account the mess with the "prologue", I wanted to like the rest of this book more than I did. Even beyond the hype, my interest in this book steadily built up throughout reading the series. However, Star by Star ended up being too long for its own good, and by the time I actually made it to the good parts, they were tarnished by how tired I had become of reading the book overall. Rather than being fully invested, most of my time reading this book was clouded by an overwhelming feeling of wishing that it was over already. That being said, I must make it clear that I didn't hate this book by any means. Most importantly, I still want to read Dark Journey and the other books following Star By Star.
I thought this book was okay overall, just massively overhyped. If anything, Star By Star is just as much of a mixed bag as the rest of the series leading up to it has been, at least in my opinion. If those of you seeing this are huge fans of this novel and disappointed about my... middling... review, I'm sorry. If you can read this book and be blown away, that's great; more power to you. I'm glad that the majority of the fan base seems to have loved this one. But for me, I'm ready to move on from the slog that Star by Star turned out to be, and get started with the second half of the New Jedi Order. Here's to hoping that I will continue to at least be able to enjoy these books overall. And maybe, just maybe, I can eventually find my own "Star By Star"- that magical New Jedi Order entry that I will fall in love with, the one that will completely win me over in the same way this book has for others who have read the series.
July 11, 2017
In risking spoiling something for those who haven't read this book, I don't like it when main characters die. Young main characters, that is. More than a dozen named Jedi died in this book, but it was going so well. It was awesome, and they were doing fine (mostly, besides all the Jedi dying), until the main character died at the end around page 600. I loved the story and writing style and danger and exploits until then. TD had no right to kill HIM off. A heroic way to die, to be sure.
EDIT: I'm still depressed about it, and it's been 8 years.
EDIT: I'm not depressed about it anymore, but I AM still upset. It has been 13 years.
EDIT: I'm still depressed about it, and it's been 8 years.
EDIT: I'm not depressed about it anymore, but I AM still upset. It has been 13 years.
November 19, 2016
Oh, dance in the dark of night, Sing to the morning light.
The dark Lord rides in force tonight, And time will tell us all.
The dark Lord rides in force tonight, And time will tell us all.
September 10, 2016
5 stars
Nice to see Lando, Han, Leia, Luke, Mara Jade, Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin. Also nice that Lando got married.
Can't wait to read more Star Wars books!!!!
Nice to see Lando, Han, Leia, Luke, Mara Jade, Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin. Also nice that Lando got married.
Can't wait to read more Star Wars books!!!!
June 27, 2024
4.5
As promised by the community this is truly one of the best Star Wars stories I have ever seen, read, heard, watched, played etc.
It's a frustratingly rare occurrence for Star Wars to actually reach what I feel is its full potential but in this book, it certainly does. I am so glad that Denning is a frequent author in the main line story of the books going forward (and I also plan to check out his Halo books because this was so great). This is someone who really understands that above all else, Star Wars should be about cool factor. This book is pretty much pedal to the metal from page 200-600 and it's a wild ride.
The characterization is pretty much exactly on point for the new characters and the original trilogy characters alike, even making me emotional at times to see things like the real Luke Skywalker in contrast to what we saw in the last jedi. There's really good development for Han and Leia in here too which is nice because most authors just leave them static. The younger generation is also in full force here though I would criticize that unless you've read young jedi knights and junior jedi knights you will be a bit lost when you are introduced to the strike team of young jedi. I was still able to get myself on track by taking some notes though. The one thing is that although it isn't handled improperly, I would have wanted even more acknowledgment and development from the big thing that happens near the end of the second act. This criticism doesn't have much weight though because things were happening so fast and the duty for this aftermath development really falls to the authors who will write the next few books.
The action, which is pretty well non stop, as it should be in Star Wars, has a bit of a range. At times it is absolutely excellent and at times I did have some trouble with the sense of space. It was always competent enough that I could figure out what was happening it's just that at times it was perfect and at times it was a little unclear. This is really a nitpick but that extra .5 went somewhere and this is part of it. Overall though, I think Denning just really gets what I'm looking for. Star Wars should always be fun and cool above all else and with the way he writes characters fighting together and playing off of each other this was in full force.
The plot itself is absolutely wild. Again, just a fantastic idea clearly written by someone who knows what the fans want and knows how to make things exciting and fun. With the high sense of stakes established by Vector Prime too I found myself seriously sweating and stressed (this is a good thing lol) which doesn't often happen with Star Wars books. I'm not putting any spoilers in this review but many bad things happen in this book and although some it felt a little early in my opinion, I have read that that isn't the fault of the author and it was all handled well. It certainly kept me on my toes.
I think this book is exactly what NJO needed to actually move things forward. I think meaningful change will come from the events of this book on multiple levels of the overarching plot and we really needed that jump start right now.
To end, I'll emphasize my enjoyment by saying that I loved this book so much that I still haven't even had time to worry about the acolyte. The force is with the expanded universe!
As promised by the community this is truly one of the best Star Wars stories I have ever seen, read, heard, watched, played etc.
It's a frustratingly rare occurrence for Star Wars to actually reach what I feel is its full potential but in this book, it certainly does. I am so glad that Denning is a frequent author in the main line story of the books going forward (and I also plan to check out his Halo books because this was so great). This is someone who really understands that above all else, Star Wars should be about cool factor. This book is pretty much pedal to the metal from page 200-600 and it's a wild ride.
The characterization is pretty much exactly on point for the new characters and the original trilogy characters alike, even making me emotional at times to see things like the real Luke Skywalker in contrast to what we saw in the last jedi. There's really good development for Han and Leia in here too which is nice because most authors just leave them static. The younger generation is also in full force here though I would criticize that unless you've read young jedi knights and junior jedi knights you will be a bit lost when you are introduced to the strike team of young jedi. I was still able to get myself on track by taking some notes though. The one thing is that although it isn't handled improperly, I would have wanted even more acknowledgment and development from the big thing that happens near the end of the second act. This criticism doesn't have much weight though because things were happening so fast and the duty for this aftermath development really falls to the authors who will write the next few books.
The action, which is pretty well non stop, as it should be in Star Wars, has a bit of a range. At times it is absolutely excellent and at times I did have some trouble with the sense of space. It was always competent enough that I could figure out what was happening it's just that at times it was perfect and at times it was a little unclear. This is really a nitpick but that extra .5 went somewhere and this is part of it. Overall though, I think Denning just really gets what I'm looking for. Star Wars should always be fun and cool above all else and with the way he writes characters fighting together and playing off of each other this was in full force.
The plot itself is absolutely wild. Again, just a fantastic idea clearly written by someone who knows what the fans want and knows how to make things exciting and fun. With the high sense of stakes established by Vector Prime too I found myself seriously sweating and stressed (this is a good thing lol) which doesn't often happen with Star Wars books. I'm not putting any spoilers in this review but many bad things happen in this book and although some it felt a little early in my opinion, I have read that that isn't the fault of the author and it was all handled well. It certainly kept me on my toes.
I think this book is exactly what NJO needed to actually move things forward. I think meaningful change will come from the events of this book on multiple levels of the overarching plot and we really needed that jump start right now.
To end, I'll emphasize my enjoyment by saying that I loved this book so much that I still haven't even had time to worry about the acolyte. The force is with the expanded universe!
June 5, 2023
I almost gave it a 3, but the last third of the book was very, very good. I think the book was too long and repetitive otherwise. However, there was a ton of action, if that's your thing. I actually like non-battle parts better. There was more character development between the Solo siblings and more progression in the deteriorating state of the New Republic.
December 12, 2021
I'm still not a great fan of the Vong storyline...but it certainly reaches a peak with this epic novel. In fact, my only issue is that there is TOO much going on in here...including a surprising prologue that only features Han & Leia, which spends nearly 90 pages tying up the plot points of the previous novel! It's a story that almost collapses under its own weight...but it doesn't, and it manages to spin the saga into a new, desperate, fascinating direction. This was definitely not what I was expecting.
April 17, 2009
Action packed, tense and fun. And now that I've listed the good parts:
Anakin. Oh, Anakin. He was easily my favorite of the three Solo kids and I sobbed like a baby when he died. Then I cried harder watching his family react to his death. They should have killed Jacen instead, and saved themselves loads of trouble later on. (foreshadowing....)
Anyway, I'm an eternal optimist and I firmly believe that Anakin will one day reappear and marry Tahiri and make me happy. The end.
Anakin. Oh, Anakin. He was easily my favorite of the three Solo kids and I sobbed like a baby when he died. Then I cried harder watching his family react to his death. They should have killed Jacen instead, and saved themselves loads of trouble later on. (foreshadowing....)
Anyway, I'm an eternal optimist and I firmly believe that Anakin will one day reappear and marry Tahiri and make me happy. The end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2011
This book is long and takes forever to read, but it's well worth it.
This book has everything you love about Star Wars. So much happens in this book; it's amazing. I am very upset over Anakin Solo's death. I'm a huge fan of Anakin Solo (maybe his biggest fan) and I hated reading about his death.
Overall this book is five stars, even if he did kill Anakin off. ;P
This book has everything you love about Star Wars. So much happens in this book; it's amazing. I am very upset over Anakin Solo's death. I'm a huge fan of Anakin Solo (maybe his biggest fan) and I hated reading about his death.
Overall this book is five stars, even if he did kill Anakin off. ;P
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2025
Jeez.
That book was way too long. It needed to be trimmed off by at least a third, or it should have been split across multiple books. This book felt way too bloated in places, which hindered my enjoyment of it and my engagement in the story for large chunks of it. A lot of the New Jedi Order is about political machinations, yes, but more than half of the book was about that, and it's not even good political machinations. Borsk Fey'lya is a character I have never cared for, I think he's an idiot and he's eerily similar to a lot of political figures in the US. A lot of the falling action wasn't great, either. It was way too slow, and could have had its fat trimmed substantially to the point that I would have given it five stars if Troy Denning's editor had the balls to tell him that his story needed shortening.
However, there are some great things in this book that redeem it. For instance, Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin's relationship is still one of the best things in this series. It's authentic and reminds me of many actual siblings dynamics. Anakin, in particular, is an amazingly-well written character, and I felt the completion of his arc in this book was a thing of beauty. I just wish it wasn't sandwiched between some of the most boring political machinations in any Star Wars book. The original trio is also great, we get some really great husband-wife moments between Han and Leia in this book, which goes to show how much these two characters care about each other. I also liked the little stuff with Ganner and Corran. I really enjoyed their parts even though they were in some of the worst scenes of the book--the entire sequence on the Eclipse, I'm looking at you.
Anyway, I need another break from NJO for a bit, I've been in a reading slump since mid-November, and this book definitely did not help.
That book was way too long. It needed to be trimmed off by at least a third, or it should have been split across multiple books. This book felt way too bloated in places, which hindered my enjoyment of it and my engagement in the story for large chunks of it. A lot of the New Jedi Order is about political machinations, yes, but more than half of the book was about that, and it's not even good political machinations. Borsk Fey'lya is a character I have never cared for, I think he's an idiot and he's eerily similar to a lot of political figures in the US. A lot of the falling action wasn't great, either. It was way too slow, and could have had its fat trimmed substantially to the point that I would have given it five stars if Troy Denning's editor had the balls to tell him that his story needed shortening.
However, there are some great things in this book that redeem it. For instance, Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin's relationship is still one of the best things in this series. It's authentic and reminds me of many actual siblings dynamics. Anakin, in particular, is an amazingly-well written character, and I felt the completion of his arc in this book was a thing of beauty. I just wish it wasn't sandwiched between some of the most boring political machinations in any Star Wars book. The original trio is also great, we get some really great husband-wife moments between Han and Leia in this book, which goes to show how much these two characters care about each other. I also liked the little stuff with Ganner and Corran. I really enjoyed their parts even though they were in some of the worst scenes of the book--the entire sequence on the Eclipse, I'm looking at you.
Anyway, I need another break from NJO for a bit, I've been in a reading slump since mid-November, and this book definitely did not help.
May 8, 2025
The end takeaway for me was that the emotionally impactful moments fired on all cylinders, the characters were well done, and it was incredibly well written. (despite the size of the book, it was an absolute breeze to read through. I was shocked how fast I shredded through it)
bonus points for bring the first book ever where I actually liked borsk
the biggest flaws were simply what every book in the series has suffered from. being dark to the point of forcing it a little too hard, characters not understanding their own concepts of morality, and heros doing incredibly stupid things, to the point where I'm yelling to nobody in particular how stupid they are while they're still discussing it.
it wasn't quite as good as others had told me (I was told multiple times it was a top 5 star wars book. i don't think it's even close) but it was still very enjoyable. the best in the series so far
bonus points for bring the first book ever where I actually liked borsk
the biggest flaws were simply what every book in the series has suffered from. being dark to the point of forcing it a little too hard, characters not understanding their own concepts of morality, and heros doing incredibly stupid things, to the point where I'm yelling to nobody in particular how stupid they are while they're still discussing it.
it wasn't quite as good as others had told me (I was told multiple times it was a top 5 star wars book. i don't think it's even close) but it was still very enjoyable. the best in the series so far
July 17, 2019
To me, the New Jedi Order series has been slow and boring, but this book has made me hooked on the series! The plot twists and turns create an adventure much like the other series throughout the Star Wars EU. At first you look at the book, see how thick it is, and say “something’s going to happen in this book for sure” and Troy Denning did not let down.
For those who struggled through the first half of this series like me, this book, I believe, is the saving grace that turns everything upside down, but in the right direction that deserves the name Star Wars.
For those who struggled through the first half of this series like me, this book, I believe, is the saving grace that turns everything upside down, but in the right direction that deserves the name Star Wars.
October 6, 2025
3.5 stars, i find it hard to decide on a rating because the highs were very high but on average it felt somewhat tedious to read through. i suspect it has to do with the book's length - it's about twice as long as the other books in this series. the plotlines with borsk fey'lya, and the ones with nom anor, tsavong lah and vergere were actually the most engaging bits of the book, but the ones that left me feeling completely shattered were anakin's mission, and leia's reaction to what happens in it.
August 21, 2017
This time, a key character was killed off - but properly. Unlike with Chewbacca, whose death was a waste back in the first book of this series, Denning did Anakin Solo right. He went out with a blaze of glory, a death to end all deaths. One of the best hero deaths I've ever read.
Besides that key plot point, the hunt for the queen voxxyn by the Jedi strike force was tense (if a little long-winded). I was surprised that they squeezed in a quick Vong attack on Coruscant (not only that - but they actual seized control of the planet!), and again - another great death scene there.
The New Republic and the Jedi's backs are against the wall. We must read on...
Besides that key plot point, the hunt for the queen voxxyn by the Jedi strike force was tense (if a little long-winded). I was surprised that they squeezed in a quick Vong attack on Coruscant (not only that - but they actual seized control of the planet!), and again - another great death scene there.
The New Republic and the Jedi's backs are against the wall. We must read on...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2025
Kinda mad about a death in a book from 20 years ago that I did already know happened.
While I didn't hate this book, it was a very slow build, and then very full on from 75% on. It definitely felt a little fillerish before building up to a metaphorical big explosion that then sets up the next main plot point in the series.
While I didn't hate this book, it was a very slow build, and then very full on from 75% on. It definitely felt a little fillerish before building up to a metaphorical big explosion that then sets up the next main plot point in the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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