Edge of Victory I: Conquest

Star Wars: The New Jedi Order #7

by Greg Keyes

The dazzling Star Wars space adventure continues in The New Jedi Order as Luke Skywalker, Anakin Solo, Mara Jade Skywalker, and others battle their deadliest enemy in a tale of nonstop action, shadowy evil, and spectacular triumph . . .

No longer content with the destruction the Yuuzhan Vong have already sown, Warmaster Tsavong Lah has demanded the heads of all the Jedi. Now the Jedi Knights are in terrible danger–and none more so than the young students at the Jedi academy on Yavin 4. Already the sympathizers known as the Peace Brigade are in the Yavin system–and a Yuuzhan Vong fleet is not far behind.

At Luke Skywalker’s request, Talon Karrde mounts an expedition to rescue the young students. Anakin Solo has his own ideas. Impatient, and figuring that forgiveness is easier to come by than permission, he takes off for Yavin 4 in his X-wing.

When it comes to confidence, courage, and raw Force talent, Anakin has few peers. But when his friend Tahiri is separated from the other academy kids and captured by the Yuuzhan Vong, even Anakin may be in over his head. For the aliens have a different future in mind for Tahiri, and they will stop at nothing to achieve their horrific ends . . .

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Space Opera, War, Science Fiction Fantasy

291 pages, Paperback

First published April 3, 2001

About the author

Gregory Keyes is a writer of science fiction and fantasy who has written both original and media-related novels under both the names J. Gregory Keyes and "Greg Keyes".

Greg Keyes was born in to a large, diverse, storytelling family. He received degrees in anthropology from Mississippi State and the University of Georgia before becoming a fulltime writer.
He lives in Savannah, Georgia.

Reviews

[M Hamed · Rating 3 out of 5]

-MooooooooooooooM are Are We There Yet?

-No honey 12 more books to go

-but Maaaaaa

-i said 12 ,Good Day

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely a step up for the New Jedi Order series. I felt more of a connection with the story and the characters than I did with the previous novels. After reading this, I'm really looking forward to the sequel, which is by the same author.

[Scott Rhee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greg Keyes's "Conquest", the first in his Edge of Victory duology, is a slight return to the edgier side of the New Jedi Order series started by R.A. Salvatore in "Vector Prime". Thankfully, the space/soap opera feel of the last three books has, at the very least, been put on hold.

In this book, Anakin Solo---the youngest of the Solo children---is given the spotlight. Anakin has always been given shorter shrift in previous books, overshadowed by the adults and his older siblings, Jacen and Jaina, so it's nice to have a book solely devoted to his adventures.

Anakin sneaks off in a "borrowed" spaceship to Yavin 4, where the Jedi Academy is located. In the last book, Kathy Tyers's "Balance Point", the series ended with an ultimatum put out by the Yuuzhan Vong to every New Republic planet in the galaxy: hand over every single Jedi Knight, especially Jacen Solo (he did something that really pissed off the Yuuzhan Vong in the last book), and hostilities will end.

As "Conquest" begins, attacks on Jedi Knights are rising. The Peace Brigade---a group of humans who hope to appease the Yuuzhan Vong---have initiated a campaign to round up any and all Jedi Knights to hand over to the Yuuzhan Vong. One of the most likely targets is Yavin 4, where young Jedis-in-training are located.

Talon Karrde, smuggler/gun for hire, has agreed to go to Yavin 4 to rescue the children, but Anakin feels they won't get there in time, so he goes off on his own.

Anakin arrives to the planet just as the Peace Brigade and an unexpected fleet of Yuuzhan Vong arrive in-system. He is nearly captured by Yuuzhan Vong when something completely unexpected happens: a lone Yuuzhan Vong warrior rescues him.

When Anakin's girlfriend, Tahiri, is captured by Yuuzhan Vong scientists, Anakin and the warrior, Vua Rapuung, set off on a rescue mission.

"Conquest" is one of the more interesting of the New Jedi Order series primarily because, for the first time, we learn more about the lives and motives of the Yuuzhan Vong and the possibility that the alien warrior race is not necessarily totally evil.

It is signifiant that Anakin figures this out, as Anakin has, from the beginning of the war with the Yuuzhan Vong, seen the Yuuzhan Vong as solely evil beings that need to be destroyed. His experience with Rapuung opens his eyes to the fact that these aliens are creatures with their own hopes, fears, dreams, morality and foibles. This understanding also helps him to grapple with issues he has with the Force. He is beginning to think that the Jedis may have a very narrow-minded view of what the Force really is.

While Keyes's novel is, ostensibly, a straightforward action/adventure SWEU novel, he has, imbedded within all the space battles and lightsaber duels, written an interesting examination of faith and spirituality. In this case, the Force is a stand-in for God, while the Jedi philosophy is a stand-in for any fundamentalist religion. Anakin's revelations point out the limitations of the Jedi philosophy in its view of the Force. The Force, he learns, is much bigger and more powerful than anyone has imagined, partly because of the restrictive belief structure and the narrow confines of Jedi philosophy, something that his Uncle Like has been trying to tell him and that Anakin has been struggling with.

The novel is also a turning point in terms of the characterization of the Yuuzhan Vong. For once, the alien warrior race is shown to be something more than faceless, nameless boogeymen. They are people, albeit people with extremely fundamentalist religious views and customs. They are, Keyes seems to be saying, an illustration of what humanity could look like when the strictest and most legalistic adherence to religious beliefs is extrapolated into the future.

Overall, this is one of the better books in the New Jedi Order series.

[Caleb Likes Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I am really impressed by this book. I think I can comfortably say this is my favorite entry in The New Jedi Order so far!

I loved just about everything here. First of all, Anakin Solo is fantastic. He’s pretty much the focus of the book and he’s handled really well. I also enjoyed the side characters, such as Tahiri and Vua—especially the latter. Lots of good character interactions and dialogue. The plot here was great as well: Anakin goes to Yavin IV to help save Jedi students from an impending Yuuzhan Vong attack, ends up separated from his partner, and then goes to rescue her. It’s an engaging plot and I enjoyed it a lot. The book is also very well paced—short and quite quick and easy to go through.

I don’t t have much bad to say here. Perhaps this book doesn’t have as many “wow” moments like past books, but that’s pretty much it. It’s a very solid book.

Overall this was a great read. Not only is it my favorite NJO book, but one of my favorite Legends books overall. I hope the second book in this duology keeps up the quality.

Rating: 9.5/10

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the things that I initially really liked about the NJO series is that the Yuuzhon Vong were completely and utterly alien - that we weren't given any real introduction to them, and didn't know what they wanted. While that was good for the initial novels, it wouldn't be sustainable over the course of the full cycle of novels, so the Edge Of Victory duology comes at a perfect moment.[return]Basically, with this book, we learn a lot more about the culture of the Vong, and we explore how the Jedi are affecting the Vong. I'm always hesitant when sci-fi stories feature 'warrior cultures', so it's good to see that they have a more varied culture than that (because let's be honest, a culture devoted entirely to warfare would be unsustainable, and would also never develop proper spaceflight technology, as well). The only downside to this book, I would say, is that the Vong biotechnology is a little too deus ex machina - it seems that they can grow whatever they need, whenever they need it, and that reduces some of the tension from the story.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things have finally taken off! Keyes understands pacing, knowing when to push the action, and when to step back for more introspective character moments. He sets up the big picture early on- focusing on the repercussions of the invasion thus far (particularly on the Jedi). After that this really becomes Anakin's story, and that more narrow focus was really refreshing as it allowed for a more compact story.

Additionally, this focus on Anakin and the events on Yavin allow us to finally learn about the Yuuzhan Vong, their culture, caste system, and to develop some of their characters. Star Wars is always best when it has compelling villains- and the "undefeatable alien threat" was wearing thin by the seventh book.

Also just from a prose perspective I think Keyes has been the best author thus far. When dealing with legacy characters it's important to be able to capture their voice, and I think he succeeded at that (even the few scenes early on with Luke and Mara felt more genuine than any of their scenes in the last book).

[CS · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You two are better than the sum of your parts"

Jedi are being hunted across the galaxy, by Yuuzhan Vong, by Peace Brigaders, and by those believing the Yuuzhan Vong when they say they will stop the invasion if they have the Jedi. Those most at risk are the young Jedi students on Yavin 4.

When Luke Skywalker is unable to provide any assistance, Anakin leaves on his own, where he meets back up with childhood friend, Tahiri, now 14. Events quickly get out of hand and Tahiri is captured by Yuuzhan Vong shaper, Mezhan Kwad, and her adept, Nen Yim. Anakin then teams up with Vua Rapuung, a former Yuuzhan Vong warrior.

NOTE 1: Based on audiobook and novel.

NOTE 2: The following is going to be gushy and obnoxious, like those female characters in young adult novels who goop and googly-eye the object of their lust. You know, like Bella to Edward in Twilight. You've been warned.

10 Reasons Why I Love This Book:

1. Anakin Solo. This book is truly his showpiece (well, at least, thus far). In the previous NJO books, I felt that Anakin was a very difficult character to peg. He was a brilliant pilot, which felt a bit much like Jaina, and he was supposed to be this miniature great Jedi at the whopping age of 15 (or whatever age he was). But I never really bought the "great Jedi" thing. Mostly, he seemed to argue continuously with his overly pacifistic brother, Jacen. Until now. Here, Anakin makes a tough choice to go to Yavin 4 against his uncle's wishes and save his friends--specifically Tahiri. Time and again, he shows his skills at tactics, fighting, and fierce loyalty. He operates the guns that allow the Jedi students to run. He makes sure they are all safe on Karrde's ship before going back for Tahiri. He befriends Vua Rapuung, even though they are enemies, and honors his promises to Vua Rapuung. THIS is a great Jedi in the making. THIS is what the Jedi should be doing. THIS is the young man who should head the New Jedi Order.
2. Vua Rapuung. This guy has to be my most favorite Yuuzhan Vong character. He is strong, brave, but willing to listen. He has pride in his former occupation and will stop at nothing for real answers. He will befriend an enemy to find out the truth. And in the end...well, he definitely pays Anakin back for Anakin's help. This guy is proof-positive of something I wish I saw more in Star Wars EU: one of the "enemy" who is a REAL character, with REAL feelings and who is NOT tied down to species stereotypes (which I hate almost as much as I hate Mary Sues!).
3. Tahiri. Up to this point, it seemed that much of the material written for children (Junior Jedi Knights and Young Jedi Knights series) wasn't going to be used or acknowledged in adult books. But in true Star Wars EU fashion, which will dredge up stuff from even the atrocious (apparently--too young to see it and too smart to watch it all the way through) Holiday Special, Greg Keyes shows his stuff by bringing her back and giving her a FANTASTIC storyline. Tahiri is a brilliant character, funny, smart, and definitely unique (another bare-foot girl at heart!). She doesn't sound like any of the other women in Star Wars. Her character arc is interesting and stunning. Even though I knew, from prior readings (and from hearing Legacy talks), that she would survive, I still feared for her life. And having her shaped into a Yuuzhan Vong gave her a real trauma to overcome (instead of hokey, made-up wangst that we see all too often)...and an end to the series...
4. The Shapers. So, the Yuuzhan Vong is composed of warriors and priests. Now, we can add another group to the mix: the Shapers, i.e. the scientists. These are the ones capable of producing weapons to counter what the New Republic has. They are truly intimidating, and their creations are eye-popping. Nen Yim and her master, Mezhan Kwad, are brilliant characters. I'm usually not fond of a bright, young newbie, but Nen Yim was great. Mezhan Kwad, however, was far more interesting and enigmatic and love, love, LOVE how she had a relationship with Vua Rapuung. I adore their testing with "heresy, I love their personalities, and I love Mezhan and Vua's history together. Basically, if Vua Rapuung wasn't my favorite character already, these ladies would tie for first.
5. The Shamed Ones. These are the Unmentionables, the ones who can't be mutilated or tattooed as befitted the Yuuzhan Vong culture. This simple addition REALLY makes the culture more diverse and interesting (yay for not having the Yuuzhan Vong be yet another all-warrior race!). Plus, again, nice little branch with the Jedi heresy and another hint to the ending of the series...
6. Side Characters: Ikrit, Kam Solusar, Talon Karrde, and more. Greg Keyes may be new to Star Wars, but he did his homework. He brought back the sweet Ikrit (*SNIFF SNIFF* at his outcome), Tionne and Kam Solusar (who are *OMG I can't believe it* married!), Talon Karrde (and he does a brilliant job with him, I think Zahn would be proud), and more. It's nice to see all these subtleties, especially from a brand-spanking new Star Wars author.
7. Intriguing plot. I like the choice to make Anakin the only one of the "major" characters to be involved in this mission. I like how we basically hear nothing of Luke, Leia, and Han. The focus on him gives us more time to see his character evolve (LOVE how he learns that all the Yuuzhan Vong aren't bad guys) and to explore the Yuuhzan Vong Shapers. I liked how it was tied into the previous books, but not in a way that was too dependent. I thought it wonderful that the Jedi Academy was remembered, that the initial plot segues into Tahiri's rescue and Vua Rapuung's quest for answers. Oh, yeah, and in between kick @ss action scenes, we get AMAZING philosophical debates about Yuuzhan Vong, evil and the Dark Side.
8. Real suspense. You know, not that, "OMG, he fell off the cliff, but there is no body, IS HE DEAD?!" kind (sorry, Stackpole). REAL suspense, as in "OMG, I HONESTLY don't know if these guys are gonna make it GO TEAM!" As I said above, I knew Tahiri would be okay, but while listening to this book, I was on the edge of my seat. I kept feeling that I needed to look over my shoulder, check to see if a Yuuzhan Vong warrior had seen me.
9. Excellent action. Good lightsaber battles, an awesome kick @ss scene for Tahiri (you go girl!), a great battle for Vua Rapuung...really, everything you ever wanted in a Star Wars novel.
10. Great writing. Keyes' writing is amazing. It's clean and easy to go through, packs a lot of emotional punch in the right areas, and is perfect (at the same time) for action.

Basically, I pretty much loved everything about this book and can't think of anything that I disliked (without having to basically make stuff up). This is the best NJO book yet and that includes Vector Prime and Stackpole's books.

[Steve Holm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite good actually, one of my favorites of the series so far.
Too many of the previous books have been a mess of too many character POVs and storylines, crammed into way too few pages. So I found it very refreshing with a book that contained mostly the POV of Anakin and it had a more focused and compelling storyline, which I enjoyed. I hope more of the upcoming NJO books are like this.
Looking forward to the next

[Adam Kiewel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this was a big step in the right direction for the series. The development of the species was the biggest missing factor from some of the previous entries. Focusing on the stories that came before (like junior jedi knights) was another missing piece

[Lance Shadow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, it took quite a while, but what can I say? I'm a busy man. Rest assured, "Edge of Victory 1: Conquest" was a good solid novel and my motivation to continue the New Jedi Order series has been revived.
I have to admit: after the tedious trifecta that was Agents of Chaos and Balance Point, I almost didn't want to continue the New Jedi Order. Those three novels collectively were such a miserable slog, and there was a much stronger appeal in me for other Star Wars material such as a replaying Knigths of the Old Republic and Star Wars: The Old Republic, rereading John Jackson Miller's masterful Knights of the Old Republic comic series, The High Republic multimedia project that started this year, and catching up on the massive stack of unread canon star wars comics that I have accumulated.
And had Lucasfilm and Del Rey gone ahead with the original plan back in the 2000s to follow up Balance Point with "Knightfall", a trilogy of novels centered around the character of Danni Quee, I probably would have just abandoned this series entirely. No amount of fan hype for Star by Star or even Traitor would have been able to get me to read an entire trilogy about not just my least favorite New Jedi Order character, but one of my least favorite Star Wars characters of all time.
Fortunately, that is not what happened. Instead, the New Jedi Order creative team wanted the books taking place between Balance Point and Star By Star to focus on Anakin Solo, so the Knightfall Trilogy was replaced with Gregory Keyes' Edge of Victory duology; and let's dive into the first novel of the two, "Conquest".

THE STORY: Warmaster Tsavong Lah has made a declaration to the remaining planets in the galaxy that have yet to be conquered by the Yuuzhan Vong: bring him and his vassals the members of the Jedi Order, and they will be spared. A criminal organization sympathetic to the Vong known as the Peace Brigade sets out to attack the location where the largest collection of jedi would be located: Luke Skywalker's praxeum on Yavin 4. Anakin Solo, knowing that his best friend Tahiri is there, sneaks away from his Uncle Luke and his older twin siblings off on his own for a daring Rescue mission.

THE BAD: There are only two problems I have with this book: One is not too big, but the other was rather bothersome for a large portion of the book. However, both go into spoilers.
Starting with the smaller problem, there was an aspect of the ending that did not work well for me. I think Keyes should have made the "victory" at the end for our heroes more costly. The fanservice with Booster Terrik's appearance and the involvement of Corran Horn is fine, but instead of them completely obliterating the Yuuzhan Vong shaper installation, the only things that they should have accomplished were to successfully get the jedi kids (and Tionne and Kam Solusar if that was really important) off Yavin 4. The base should have stayed intact and Booster and Talon Karrde should have really struggled to limp away with Anakin and co. I know this seems like a petty grievance, but for me it undercut a good portion of the scare factor of the Yuuzhan Vong. I was pretty hopeful after how effective the Vong turned out to be at the end of Balance Point, but this feels like more of the wish fullfillment/making the heroes look cool and badass that I thought the New Jedi Order was trying to move away from- and what I was hoping to see less of, particularly at this point in the series.
Next is the larger problem I had with the book throughout, but particularly in the first half. I was pretty disappointed to see Greg Keyes rely so heavily on the reader having previously read the Junior Jedi Knights books (or at least, a couple of them). Don't get me wrong, bringing in this pivotal storyline in Anakin Solo's overall history is a great idea, especially given the plan for Anakin Solo in the NJO (and what drove the creative team to replace Knightfall with Edge of Victory). My problem comes more from the consistency of the approach the series is taking with Bantam Era EU storylines as a whole and how they are being connected to the NJO (particularly when it comes to Anakin Solo's character development). Early in the series, especially when it came to the Dark Tide duology, I thought the writers were doing an incredible job utilizing previous EU lore in a way that felt accessible to readers like me who have read little to nothing in the Bantam Era before reading this series. And with Anakin Solo, Michael Stackpole made me such a big fan of his character without even referencing the Junior Jedi Knights. All Greg Keyes needed to do is catch me up on key characters like Tahiri and Master Ikrit the same way Stackpole did with Corran Horn and Kyp Durron- summarize their backstories from previous books just enough for new readers to understand who these people are and why they are important, but then take them in new directions that build upon their past histories in a way that is rewarding for hardcore readers who took the time to read those earlier stories. Keyes actually succeeded with the second part of that approach, but unfortunately the first part was missing. Hence, I was frequently left frustrated that I couldn't get as much into Anakin's story here as I had wanted to. Additionally, I don't think Keyes did a very good job justifying why Tahiri is all of a sudden so important to Anakin's storyline at this point in the series after she played absolutely no role in Anakin's story in previous NJO books. At first I thought I missed something from Jedi Eclipse- I even went as far as downloading a PDF of the book and searching through every mention of Anakin Solo and Tahiri (because NO, I refuse to read that godawful novel again). But there's no mention of Anakin and Tahiri's past friendship in that novel, either in the Anakin/Jacen storyline or in the scenes where Tahiri makes a cameo. So again, it was Greg Keyes relying on the reader having read the Junior Jedi Knights before Edge of Victory In this book, Anakin mentions Tahiri is his best friend right at the beginning, but it is implied he has already developed romantic feelings for her as soon as they reunite. This was jarring for me because I felt like I was missing a step from one of the Junior Jedi Knights books. Additionally, Master Ikrit dies early on, and Anakin is really broken up about it. It made sense once I realized Ikrit appears throughout the Junior Jedi Knight books, but I was left confused at first because this is the first time Ikrit even shows up in the NJO books. Seriously, YOU WERE SO CLOSE Edge of Victory Conquest! WHY COULDN'T YOU JUST TAKE A PARAGRAPH OR TWO to catch me up on Anakin's Junior Jedi Knights past??

THE GOOD: I was eventually able to get used to this book not catching me up on the previous storylines told in Junior Jedi Knights, and for the most part I was really invested in everything else.
Starting off with Anakin himself, his portrayal here is consistent with what I've seen from him in the previous NJO novels, I really like where Greg Keyes is taking his story arc. To me, Anakin's arc in the series has been about what it means to be a hero, and so far the first half of the Edge of Victory storyline is building on that in an interesting and natural way. The arc he has in Conquest feels complete in its own way, but Keyes left enough room for it to further develop in Rebirth .
Despite feeling alienated for the first part of this novel, I was able to get into the character of Tahiri pretty well. Much like how I have been able to believe Luke and Mara's chemistry throughout the series despite reading nothing in the Bantam Era EU aside from the Thrawn Trilogy, I was eventually able to buy the chemistry between Anakin and Tahiri. This was especially true in the second half and the end of the book. when Tahiri is imprisoned by Nen Yim and the other shapers, Greg Keyes frequently switches to her POV and we see the progression as the Yuuzhan Vong break her, helping to demonstrate how high stakes Anakin's mission becomes. . This book also just got me to like Tahiri on her own- Keyes gives her a memorable personality and it made me even more interested in the Junior Jedi Knights than I already was.
This is my favorite portrayal of the Yuuzhan Vong we have had in the series thus far, outside of the very end. I loved how their culture and society was further fleshed out as we learned about two new groups of vong (the shapers and the shamed ones), but through the shapers we also have new information revealed about aspects of the the Yuuzhan Vong culture and biotech that has previously been a mystery. And like Yomin Carr from Vector Prime and Shedao Shai from Dark Tide before, we learn about the shapers through a new character named Nen Yim and the shamed ones through another new character named Vua Rapuung. But unlike previous point of view Vong characers, these new faces have more distinct personalities, backstories, and motivations of their own that isn't just tied to their roles in Yuuzhan Vong society. Rapuung especially felt like he had some layers to his character, and even though he wasn't a "good" person, he was a very interesting one. And I'm looking forward to learning more about Nen Yim, as this book sets up that there will be more to tell.
The story was excellent, both from how the plot was structured and how it builds upon the wider narrative of the New Jedi Order. The first half or so was a nice change of pace from the Yuuzhan Vong conflict to something more traditional Star Wars (something that Hero's Trial tried but failed to pull off), but it ties together into the Vong war perfectly and the rest of the book is back to the wider Vong conflict that the series is about. Both the Peace Brigade and the Yuuzhan Vong felt like very threatening adversaries for the most part, and I truly felt like Anakin was over his head for a majority of the book- making it easier for me to be invested in him and his story being told here.
I also liked the early scenes we got with Luke and Mara. Their scenes together throughout the series have been consistently sweet, but I also like the exchanges between Luke and Kyp Durron. It's nice to finally continue the plot line with the Jedi Order's internal conflict that was started in Dark Tide, but was practically absent from Agents of Chaos and Balance Point.
I thought Talon Karrde wasn't all that interesting, but his scenes were passable. I'm just not a big fan of Karrde period- I didn't even care about him in the Thrawn Trilogy. But his characterization here is still consistent with what it was in Zahn's books, so I'm sure people that are fans of Karrde will like him in this book too.
Finally, Greg Keyes' writing is great. The action sequences were intense and exciting, and the dialogue resulted in memorable exchanges between characters. I'm quite excited for both Rebirth (Edge of Victory, #2) and The Final Prophecy now that I've finished Edge of Victory 1: Conquest.

THE CONCLUSION: Final rating is 4 stars. Had I read the Junior Jedi Knights books before this there is a chance I could have been inclined to rate it as a 4.5, but my philosophy about tie in stories being able to stand on their own to an extent still would stand, so I'm not sure.
I'm pretty certain that this will be rewarding both as a continuation of the Junior Jedi Knights series and as a continuation of the New Jedi Order series for those that have caught themselves up with both. And while I'm still miffed about being left out in the dark about the former, I think it still works well as a continuation when it comes to the latter. It does a great job building upon Anakin's character arc and works as a great start to the next phase of this series after the threads that were introduced in Balance Point.
Most importantly, Edge of Victory 1: Conquest has reinvigorated my interest in a series that I was almost ready to stop reading. While I have yet to find that transcendent 4.5-5 star entry that I will ultimately adore , I really enjoyed this book and it's one of my favorites in the series so far. Currently Edge of Victory 1: Conquest is neck-and-neck with Dark Tide 1: Onslaught. With 12 more novels to go, I am confident that at least one of them can take this series to top-tier heights. But until then, lets see what Rebirth (Edge of Victory, #2) has to offer. I'm certainly looking forward to it after how happy I was with Greg Keyes' first NJO outing.

[Joe Xtarr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a flurry of straight jabs from start to finish. I like where Anakin's character arc is headed. And we're finally getting more depth from the Yuuzhan Vong. The plot itself was fairly straight forward - a good-guy rescue mission - but we got some cool new characters along the way. A solid, fun adventure wrapped in philosophical paradoxes. Just like a good SW story should be!

[Ren the Unclean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best book in the NJO series that I have read. It mainly covers the yuuzhan Vong's attempts to capture the children at the Jedi Academy at Yavin 4, and Anakin Solo's efforts to stop them. There are a lot of really cool things introduced in this book, such as Anakin's newly discovered ability to sense the Vong, the presence of the Shapers in the Vong castes, their attempts to convert a jedi to the Yuuzhan Vong, and a new way for Anakin to see the threat of the Yuuzhan Vong, in terms of aggression towards enemies who are not a part of the force.

This book is really well written, the lightsaber battles especially, and it does an amazing job of showing Anakin growing up some from the brash new Jedi he has been for the past few books. This is really refreshing, since the last few books have sort of been showing each of the characters in an annoying or whiney light, especially Jacen Solo and Mara Skywalker. Hopefully the next book continues where this one left off.

[Hailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tahiri! Anakin! Jedi academy!

I'm having flashbacks to Junior Jedi Knights. Only this time, it's written well.

[Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Update 10/25:
I read this book again because I was sick in bed and wanted to feel something again. Poor editing and overwrought retelling of the plot aside, my old review still stands: Conquest is an excellent SW novel which sits among the very best genre fiction has to offer.

So many other tie-in books feel completely incidental. We get our pulp fix and move on, with some references to other material and maybe even a character arc or two sprinkled in. Conquest actually does succeed on those parameters; the plot comes together nicely with a fun and well-developed cast and plenty of "Star Wars feeling". It certainly benefits from being part of the New Jedi Order series as well, with how well Keyes' authorial voice synergizes with its set parameters. But Conquest is so much more than that. Discussion of the book, I presume, often centers on Anakin's hero's journey. I want to propose a distinct anthropological edge to it on top of that.

Conquest is alive, and growing. Between Anakin's development, his relationship with every character he meets, and the (mostly) new angle the Yuuzhan Vong characters provide, it stands out as a book that revels in life. That is one of Keyes' main points, I dare venture: However the protagonists wish to combat the invasion from here, they have to do it while acknowledging the YV as what the readers would deem "human". Sentient life with agency from an in-universe perspective, I suppose. They might constitute a different culture with mores that appear "grotesque", but if Anakin is to decide to combat them after all, he does so while viewing their existence as potentially morally equal. Hierarchies, oppression based on power, all of that exists within their circle. The parallels go both ways: Nen Yim's journey of self-fulfillment consists of her venturing through a dark space all the while having an aspect of herself (pain, as befits the culture) back-projected the entire way... it's the Dagobah cave, no? All of that Star Warsy stuff aside, I'm stunned as well by how much room for interpretation the pages give. When Anakin and Vua Rapuung go through a tight, enclosed space that has them reduced to the fetal position, both of them looking for a woman important to their lives, well, there's at least one way to read the scene.

It's interesting too because the prose by itself doesn't wow me; it's simplistic, dare I say, and doesn't provide the meat I usually crave. Still, the end product evidently speaks for itself. On the contrary, there's something to be said about how much Keyes achieves with so little. The conversations pack a punch, the environmental descriptions are effective. Consider too the apparently rushed nature of the product, cultivating the space the cancelled Knightfall trilogy had left in its wake, and my respect for the author grows even more. I still wouldn't take Conquest above Traitor as far as SW favorites are concerned, primarily because of my prose preferences, but it so clearly stands its own against most of "the opposition". A read I wouldn't mind returning to a third time, and maybe a fourth, and fifth...

The old review below.
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My name is Tahiri! she screamed at them. I am Jedi! Tahiri!

One of the most interesting things about multimedia localization is how you approach a product's title - do you just go for a direct translation or choose something wholly different, deeming it a more interesting or fitting choice? The German New Jedi Order releases opted for the latter to mostly disastrous results - Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial, for example, was localized as simply "Der Untergang" [(the) Downfall], which is not only a much less memorable title than the original but could also be deemed false advertising for the novel's actual content. So color me surprised that Edge of Victory I: Conquest's German title, "Anakin und die Yuuzhan Vong", though corny, manages to summarize exactly what Greg Keyes' first Star Wars novel is about: Anakin Solo is finally granted the spotlight in a deeply personal tale which allows both the young jedi and the audience a much appreciated deeper look into Yuuzhan Vong society and their inner machinations.

Praxeum
After the Warmaster Tsavong Lah issues the demand to hand over each and every jedaii in exchange for peace, all hell breaks lose for Luke's jedi order. The galaxy's former ray of hope now turned into pariahs, the jedi are being hunted en masse all over the galaxy by members of the traitorous Peace Brigade. I previously stated my disappointment with how the PB's been handled so far, so I'm happy to announce that Conquest manages to address my issues. The Peace Brigade pilot Remis Vehn acts as the reader's main POV into the mind of these traitors, and the depiction of their motivations we get is as chilling as it is realistic. Not every Brigade member acts against their jedi brethren to save their family or even just themselves; indeed, some of them are only doing what they do to make a quick buck. Their efforts ultimately lead them to Yavin IV, where Anakin Solo is trying to warn and help defend the jedi praxeum from the danger they are in for the first act of the story. This section is a gold mine for fans of Anakin Solo's childhood adventures in the Junior Jedi Knight series - there are many callbacks to said young readers books, with characters like Anakin's old master Ikrit and his childhood friend Tahiri Veila making a reappearance. The Yavin IV jedi academy has always been one of my favorite settings in Star Wars and getting to revisit it in such a different context than previously is a treat. Edge of Victory I's exposition alone is bound to engross the reader.

It's especially effective as part of Anakin's further development. From his very introduction as a newborn in the Dark Empire trilogy onward he's been consistently portrayed as the future heir to Luke's jedi order. The Bantam era adult novels, as well as the Jacen/Jaina focused Young Jedi Knights books made an effort to portray Anakin as an extremely promising, albeit introverted child prodigy; this was picked up on and fleshed out more in the JJK, where Anakin had to deal with the reality of being Darth Vader's heir on top of that. By the start of New Jedi Order, he's ostensibly entered the path of becoming the jedi heir of legend, Luke's true successor before heated pilot Jaina and indecisive philosopher Jacen. Now, I've stated my case on whether Jacen or Anakin is the main protagonist of the NJO narrative previously already, but it's undoubtedly true that Anakin is the jedi order's proper heir from an in-universe perspective. This is where Conquest comes in. So how does it add onto this foundation? Well, I mentioned Anakin in the context of being the child prodigy who is on his way to become the hero, and I believe that this novel - and certainly the next one too, but we'll see - is his coming of age story. Anakin has been the apprentice until now, when he takes control all by himself. What better setting to allow him to do such a thing than the old Jedi Academy? Ultimately, hijinx ensue and he becomes the leader of a four man team of jedi, the other three still being apprentices. There's been a certain cynical edge to Anakin ever since Dark Tide and his blaming himself for you-know-whose death, and he has to soon contend with his old jedi master Ikrit's death, the kidnapping of Tahiri, and his first taste of how it is to be the leader he is destined to be. This is not the only way in which Anakin matures in EoV I, though. The last time we saw Tahiri Veila in the EU was in the JJK and, well, it appears that the same is true for Anakin! Nevermind the initial awkwardness of the duo's reintroduction, their chemistry here is one of the highlights of Keyes' writing. I am usually not big on romance, especially not in Star Wars, but these two make for perhaps the best pairing I've come across so far - leagues ahead of Jacen and Tenel Ka from YJK and the small snippets of Jacen and Danni (which in of itself is rather problematic) from the early NJO, at the very least. They laugh, they cry, they have actual conversations, they're a joy to read about. I really don't care about shipping but I would be lying if I said I didn't want them together. Conquest really hits in all the right spots in a way not even Onslaught or Hero's Trial did. What a great read this first act is.

The Shamed and the Shapers
A constant in my previous NJO reviews was a dedicated look at the Yuuzhan Vong's respective subplot. In fact, the only reason why my previous NJO favorite, Dark Tide I: Onslaught, doesn't quite make my top tier of EU works is because it does not have any YV POV scenes outside the last chapter. This novel thankfully does not fall into that trap and instead gives us two separate Yuuzhan Vong subplots. Having previously dealt with the Intendants, Warriors, and Priests, this NJO book dedicates one story each to the final (?) two castes: The Shamed Ones and the Shapers. What makes both of these subplots stand out compared to the previous Vong stories is that they both serve to humanize them. There have already previously been interesting YV characters that you couldn't help but root for to a certain degree, of course - Shedao Shai was an awful person with amazing charisma, which nevertheless did not take away from your ability to simultaneously support Deign Lian's scheming against him, too. But EoV I is the first NJO novel in which we get Vong characters whom you could root for as a protagonist, as well. Vua Rapuung is a Shamed One - one of YV society's untouchables, looked down upon by the rest of his race - who teams up with Anakin Solo to exact revenge upon the person he deems responsible for his situation. Hence "Anakin und die Yuuzhan Vong". Their dynamic is great; both characters are completely at odds with each other due to their religious beliefs and yet they still have to work together to reach their respective goal. What is great about Rapuung is that he isn't just the one magically "good" YV in the galaxy, but very much still a follower of his culture's beliefs. Nevertheless, he rebels against his society to right what he perceives as a wrong even by the Vong's standards. By the end of it you get the feeling that perhaps these alien invaders could be reasoned with like Elegos thought, after all. So does Anakin. His journey with Rapuung is a joy to read and actually gives further credence to the idea that Anakin is the galaxy's future savior in a way very much unlike what Kyp's faction in the jedi order thinks. If Vua Rapuung can subvert his place in society in a righteous manner, who's to say others of his species couldn't do the same?

Subversion of the Yuuzhan Vong's old ways plays part in the Shapers' subplot, as well. As members of the Shaper caste, Mezhan Kwaad and her adept Nen Yim are tasked with experimenting on and ultimately shaping life for the YV's purposes. However, both shapers have come to the conclusion that the only way to make use of their gift's fullest potential is to subvert the old teachings, to commit heresy behind their peers' backs. Intrigues within Yuuzhan Vong circles is nothing new - Shedao Shai and Deign Lian come to mind for one, as I said - but never before have we seen them consciously act against their gods' teachings. Between the two Nen Yim especially stands out as someone who willingly commits heretic acts out of a deeply founded passion for her subject and the belief that what she is doing is for her people's benefit. This brings us to their main project: The shaping of Tahiri Veila. After being separated from Anakin's group and ultimately captured by the Vong, Tahiri is slowly brainwashed into believing she is a Yuuzhan Vong called Riina Kwaad. Seeing this 14 year old girl's mind be broken and get tortured like this is some of the most horrific imagery in the series yet, especially when taking her previously lively and childish personality into account. I suppose Anakin is not the only one to start his coming of age story in this novel; in that vain, I think this is a great direction to take her character in. Shocking and gruesome? Sure, but the NJO has been breaking the mold of SW storytelling since its very inception. Putting Tahiri in a situation like this more than anything else just shows how strong a person she is, defying her captors any way she can - just check out the quote I chose to start this review with. However, her time with the Shapers does leave a permanent mark, and I'm not just talking about her facial scars: Seizing the opportunity, she gives into the dark side for a moment and takes revenge on Mezhan Kwaad, decapitating her. This incident more than her shaping into Riina Kwaad takes a mental toll on her, which is where the novel leaves her off, though not without encouraging words from Anakin. Nen Yim meanwhile manages to report to the Warmaster, remaining a mysterious figure of uncertain allegiances. The Shaper subplot is great and I sincerely hope its loose ends are picked up on in the Edge of Victory duology's second half.

Conquest
As always, there are more things I could have talked about like Borsk Fey'lya continuing to be a horrible person or a certain smuggler's involvement in the Jedi Praxeum plot, but I hope what I did talk about made my position clear: Conquest is a brilliant Star Wars novel which has quickly risen to the very top of my NJO rankings. Apparently the whole thing was written quickly due to another NJO subproject, the Knightfall trilogy, seeing cancellation on short notice. I suppose that just makes Greg Keyes' first Star Wars novel even more of an accomplishment. Now, let's see what Edge of Victory II: Rebirth has to offer...

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good Star Wars story, as this one mainly centered on Anakin Solo, while other Star Wars books can be all over the place, which is also not a bad thing. Review below may contains spoilers, so be aware...





The Yuuzhan Vong have their eyes set on Yavin 4, the home of the Jedi Academy, and capturing the Jeedai, as they call them, to find out how they tick --- use the Force --- while at the same time wanting to shape them into a Yuuzhan Vong.

Anakin, with the help of others, one a surprise (maybe not), must infiltrate the Yuuzhan Vong camp to rescue his best friend, Tahiri.

The interactions between Anakin and his new found ally is really good, as we learn how the Yuuzhan Vong tick, though its still confusing to Anakin. The Yuuzhan Vong has a caste system, warriors, shapers, shamed ones and slaves, amongst others I'm sure.

The shapers are the one who are trying to conform one of the Jedi into them. Kind of reminds me of how the Borg assimilate other species into their collective, in Star Trek.

Greg Keyes did a good job with the story and his writing style was easy to understand. Still having to use the computer to look up images and definitions of some of the Yuuzhan Vong weapons, instruments, etc from the imagination of the Star Wars fans and developers.

[Darryl Dobbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

The galaxy is after the Jedi. All the Jedi. So naturally the Vong are interested in Yavin 4 and the Jedi academy. Anakin Solo races back there to warn the students. Only three Jedi masters are on site: Kam Solusar, Tionne, and Ikrit.
This tied in with the characters in the Young Jedi Knights kids series, with Anakin's young friend Tahiri and Master Ikrit. But, obviously, gave them a more adult-like story. Ikrit gets killed in what was a glorious Jedi death, and Tahiri gets captured - and things get interesting.
There is a vision of the future in which Tahiri is turned into a Vong, and is also a Dark Jedi. Not only is that cool, but we know what is at stake now. Anakin rushes to break into the Vong camp and is actually helped by a wrongfully disgraced Vong who happens to be one of their better warriors. The two make a lethal fighting team, and Anakin becomes even better at fighing Yuuzhan Vong. His lightsaber doesn't work, so he's fighting with oher weapons.
Eventually they work their way back into the camp and Anakin uses one of the Vong's living gems that he helps form (because he is disguised as a slave) to fix his lightsaber. Now holding his lightsaber he can actually feel the Vong a little thanks to his bond with this strange gem.
Very satisfying battle scenes, the return of Corran Horn - and Anakin is my new favorite character. Great book

[Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

HOLY CRAP, that was awesome!
After taking another break from New Jedi Order, I'm pleased to say that this was a phenomenal start on my continuation of the series. This story was less about action and much more about characters, which I really enjoyed. Throughout the books, Anakin was one of those characters I wanted to know more about. This book delivered superbly on that. He already struggled with the guilt of those he cared about dying, but it just got scaled to one hundred in this book, because he finally decides to do something about fixing it.
This book is also steeped with philosophical questions, which is a really weird thing to say about a 300 page Star Wars novel from 2001. It makes me want to read more of Greg Keyes' other books--outside of Star Wars.

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a little bit better than the rest of the series, in part, I think, because Keyes stays focused on one plot point. So many of the EU novels leap around to different characters, settings, and plots, that it's hard to feel like I'm following the right story when it makes a shift. Conquest does have some asides, but the bulk of it involves Anakin trying to stay alive on the moon of Yavin.

Still, it's a 3.5-star book that I can't quite round up to four stars. It's just not quite good enough, even though I'm looking forward to seeing what he does in the second volume.

[Stasia Bruhn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Anakin adventure is what this is plain and simple..Anakin tries to rescue Tahiri and from this he teams up with a Vong(Shamed one) It was okay and a bit hard to read about what they tried to do to Tahiri . Honestly I have said this before I am really not a fan of this Vong nonsense ..onwards to the next I really hope it will be better..

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd probably push this to 3.5 stars...I'm still not a fan of the Vong, but Anakin's growth in this story is well handled, and the Enemy-Mine-style buddy trek has its charms. Occasionally ropey, but a solid adventure all around.

[Anakin Targaryen · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

[Meggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

For 2021, I decided to reread Del Rey’s first attempt at a multi-author book series in the Star Wars universe: The New Jedi Order, which was published between 1999 and 2003. This shakes out to 19 novels, two eBook novellas, three short stories, and a tangentially-related prequel era novel.

This week’s focus: the first book in the Edge of Victory duology, Edge of Victory: Conquest by Greg Keyes.

SOME HISTORY:

Originally, Balance Point was going to be followed by Michael Jan Friedman’s Knightfall Trilogy, which would have featured scientist Danni Quee and Jedi Knight Jorallen in the aftermath of the Warmaster’s ultimatum. The Random House online catalog revealed the names of the trilogy’s individual volumes—Jedi Storm, Jedi Fire, and Jedi Blood--and cover artist Terese Nielsen released a rough sketch of Jedi Storm’s cover on her website in June 2000. But Lucasfilm and Del Rey decided to shift things up before Star by Star, so Friedman’s trilogy was cancelled. Greg Keyes was originally contracted to write one novel, but instead found himself assigned two Anakin Solo-centric stories: the Edge of Victory duology. Edge of Victory: Conquest made it to number fifteen on the New York Times paperback bestseller list for two straight weeks--from the week of April 22 to the week of April 29, 2001.

MY RECOLLECTION OF THE BOOK:

I remembered how central Anakin and Tahiri were to this novel, but had forgotten that there were other characters involved! Karrde and Shada’s presence took me by surprise here.

A BRIEF SUMMARY:

Warmaster Tsavong Lah has demanded the heads of all the Jedi. Now the young students at the Jedi academy on Yavin 4 are in terrible danger: the Peace Brigade is already in-system, and a Yuuzhan Vong fleet is not far behind. At Luke Skywalker’s request, Talon Karrde mounts an expedition to rescue the young students, but Anakin Solo has his own ideas…

THE CHARACTERS:

After enjoying Anakin’s arc in the Dark Tide duology, I felt like he fell away from focus in the books that followed. So if you’ve been missing Anakin’s presence in the NJO, Conquest is the book for you. Anakin has a tendency to rush into action without thinking things through, but the events on Yavin 4 make him question that approach. Tahiri, Valin Horn, and Sannah behave recklessly because of the example Anakin has set, and Anakin realizes that he needs to consider the influence he has on the younger Jedi.

He also comes to some realizations about the Yuuzhan Vong--they’re outside of the Force, so he can even consider them of the Dark Side? As he learns more about them and interacts with Vong, he decides that he can still judge them by the morality of their actions; and their violence, their hatred towards others, their enslavement of people they consider beneath them, and their disregard for life definitely tip the scale towards “evil.”

Another cool bit involved Anakin’s familiarity with everything on Yavin 4: since he can sense all the life on the planet, the Yuuzhan Vong show up as dead spots in the Force (like ysalamiri). The Jedi have previously had to actively sense for the voids that Vong present in the Force, but Anakin is able to sense them in an easier, more natural way.

We’re reintroduced to Tahiri Veila, Anakin’s best friend from the Junior Jedi Knights series. (I think she appeared briefly in Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse, but this is the first time we’re told of their mutual friendship.) She’s a chatterbox, she has decided opinions about things (girl, me too), and she feels like she’s been left behind. Instead of evacuating to some form of safety with the other Jedi students, she stays behind to help Anakin, and that directly leads to her capture by the Peace Brigade. She’s handed over to the Yuuzhan Vong shapers, who physically torture and brainwash her.

Tahiri’s plotline was hard for me to read--not just because I dislike torture scenes, but because we can see how her captivity affects both her and Anakin. She’s confused and in pain, and her memories don’t feel right anymore.

Master Ikrit also returns from the JJK books. He’s a centuries-old Jedi Master, but he manages to feel distinct from Yoda. He delivers a prophecy that Anakin and Tahiri will birth something great, and then sacrifices himself to save Anakin, Tahiri, Valin, and Sannah.

I liked seeing Kam Solusar and Tionne, but mostly I was reminded of how we never got the story of their relationship?? They just appear in the comic Union as a longterm married couple, but I would have loved to get the backstory there. I particularly enjoyed seeing Tionne again, because I find her rather interesting--she’s not particularly strong in the Force, but she is highly empathetic. And as a Jedi historian, she’s acquired the most knowledge about how the Jedi used to operate.

Luke Skywalker is still dealing with division in the Jedi Order...I can’t side with Kyp Durron, because he seems to be attacking the Yuuzhan Vong without any greater strategy in mind, but it’s also hard to root for Luke because he’s so passive and indecisive. (Why can’t he come up with a good plan??) He dispatches Talon Karrde to the Yavin system to evacuate the children, and I enjoyed seeing Karrde and Shada again—perhaps moreso because they felt more like themselves than they did in Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse. Karrde uses his pet vornskrs to track down Kam & Tionne and the students, but that may have been a bad idea; the Yuuzhan Vong are now very interested in these creatures that can hunt Jedi.

But we also meet a number of Yuuzhan Vong. The books have varied in their approach towards the Vong: in Dark Tide I: Onslaught we didn’t get any Vong POVs until the end, so they remained very much strange and unknowable. But subsequent books have began to flesh out their culture and society, and Conquest further humanizes the Vong (although they might take offense at that phrase!) We’re introduced to the shapers, the YV equivalent of biotech scientists. The Master Shaper Mezhan Kwaad and her Adept Nen Yim secretly map out Tahiri’s nervous system, which is heresy--the Yuuzhan Vong religion has become completely closed off to any concept of innovation. Nen Yim is interesting to read about, because she’s one of the few Vong who currently recognizes that things can’t stay the same.

We also meet Vua Rapuuung, a former warrior, cursed by his ex Mezhan Kwaad and now living as a Shamed One. He teams up with Anakin as the best form of exacting his revenge, but working with someone who uses technology goes against all the innate qualities of his culture. He’s full of rage and bitterness, and despite allying with a Jedi, his values are still completely abhorrent to Anakin. The Shamed Ones are a new caste, composed of Yuuzhan Vong whose bodies can’t accept the alterations that are now essential for YV advancement. Anakin has a number of conversations with a Shamed One woman named Uunu, and it reiterates how ingrained and static their orthodoxy has become.

ISSUES:

Similar to Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial, this book relies heavily on knowledge of previous, slightly niche stories--in this case, the Junior Jedi Knights series and a little bit of the Young Jedi Knights series. Like Luceno, Keyes did a ton of research here. Kam Solusar and Tionne from the Jedi Academy trilogy are now a married couple running the Jedi praxeum together, Master Ikrit from the Junior Jedi Knights series is still present on Yavin 4, and Tahiri and Sannah (also from the Junior Jedi Knights series) are itching to join the fight against the Yuuzhan Vong.

I enjoyed encountering all of them again, but wonder if it might be confusing for readers who have never met Ikrit or Tahiri before. We get the barest of introductions to them, and I’d argue that this weakens the emotional resonance of their fates. Anakin says that Tahiri is his best friend, but we haven’t seen them interact until now; Ikrit’s death visibly affects Anakin and especially Tahiri, but he’s only been present for a few chapters before his sacrifice.

I was also confused by Conquest’s sense of time and sense of scale. There was a disconnect between Anakin’s time on Yavin IV and the “outside world.” I assume he spent days traveling from the crash site to the shaper camp, because we hear about time passing and his food running out and his lack of sleep. At the same time, Karrde stays and harasses the Vong ships while Shada escapes with the students to Coruscant. But once Anakin meets Vua Rapuuung and enters the Shamed Ones’ village, the Vong seem too entrenched on the planet for the length of time that has elapsed--they have crops already, rotations in place, and the Great Temple has been completely leveled. It feels like we jump from invasion to occupation with little of the in-between steps. Anakin also spends a long time pretending to be a slave--Vua Rapuuung says that he will meet with Anakin after seven-plus days have elapsed, but it feels even longer.

Finally, a minor issue: Anakin and the lambent crystal. This is a big development in the NJO, as Anakin is able to sense the Yuuzhan Vong in a non-Force way. But I found the scene where he repaired his lightsaber a little unclear. A Jedi must use the Force to join their weapon together, but the lambent is outside (??) the Force. However, it is telepathically attuned to Anakin, so he’s still able to join everything--and his connection with the lambent crystal gives him some non-Force telepathic awareness of the Vong. It just seems really complicated!

IN CONCLUSION:

Edge of Victory: Conquest is tightly focused on Anakin Solo, which was honestly refreshing and much-needed, and I found the further development of the Yuuzhan Vong both interesting to read about and essential to sustain the series. I think it also helps that Conquest is a shorter read--only 291 pages--so while I was confused in parts, the story never felt bogged down. I think Conquest was maybe my favorite NJO book thus far, because at its heart, it was about Anakin & Tahiri & their friendship.


Next up: the second book in the Edge of Victory duology, Edge of Victory II: Rebirth by Greg Keyes.

My YouTube review: https://youtu.be/xkXV_uKY9wU

Post-Balance Point timeline update: https://youtu.be/Iq2mCt-VDDk

Knightfall Trilogy Cancelled: https://web.archive.org/web/201809221...

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

The weakest entry in the series so far.

[elef · Rating 5 out of 5]

i can't express how much i love this book! it was so well written and it was so good to see anakin and tahiri together again. i feel like reading jjk again

[Bridger Hibbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

(NOTE: At the time of this review, this is the eleventh "STAR WARS Legends" book I have read that takes place post-Return of the Jedi, with the others being the "Heir to the Empire" trilogy, "Darksaber" and the six books that introduce the Yuuzhan Vong, "The New Jedi Order". This review will only focus on this book; should I complete the series, the final review of the overarching series will be found in the nineteenth book.)

"Danger is everywhere. The Yuuzhan Vong have extended a truce to the galaxy, promising to end their invasion by living in the territories they have already conquered.
On one condition: The galaxy must turn over their Jedi, especially Jacen Solo, on whom the warmaster, Tsavong Lah has sworn revenge.

Unable to see through the Yuuzhan Vong's lie, the very people they had sworn to protect now turn on the Jedi. Luke Skywalker attempts to put in motion a plan to help the scattered Order, but his nephew, Anakin Solo, fears his uncle may already be too late. For, upon arrival to the Jedi Praxeum at Yavin IV, Anakin is thrust into danger.

Though he is aware of the risks and enemies he may encounter, little does Anakin realize the consequences of his actions upon those he wants to save...and that the very future he seeks to prevent may still come to pass..."



-----SPOILERS------
Even though I didn't like much about the last half of this book, I think that this book is a hinge-point of the series. In fact, I think this book is more of a "Balance Point" than than the previous book of the same name was. True, the stakes for Anakin are more personal than Jacen's cosmic vision for the galaxy, but it felt right.

But I'm getting distracted. Let's start with the prologue.

- So, to those who remember my "Night Hammer" review, remember Dorsk 81? Well...somehow, he returned.

I'm kidding.

Dorsk 82 though....I wasn't expecting him to be here. In fact, last I remember, he had been left alone on a planet (or at least a civilization on a planet) that was destroyed by Admiral Daala. So, if he did survive because the planet wasn't ravaged as much as I remember "Night Hammer" describing it....meh, whatever.

Anyways, all I could think about with the cops and other people turning on the Jedi was how similar it was to Order 66, save that Jedi need to be captured and turned over to the Vong instead of killed (which is interesting to see as a comparison, considering this was released in 2001 whereas "Revenge of the Sith" released in 2005). And even if I didn't like Dorsk 82 being a Jedi (or his appearance at all actually), I did like how he defended the droids from being smashed by people who want to show their loyalty to the Vong.

And so we enter the real story starting with "PART 1: PRAXEUM":
— It starts with a large Jedi Council on Coruscant, with Kyp Durron and Luke Skywalker being the main heads of the meeting. Kyp confronts Luke about his actions towards the Vong and the Jedi ideals of defending the galaxy.

As much as I hated this character personally in the past, Kyp is right on the money regarding Luke and his passive actions toward the invasion. It's not that Luke has done nothing to help others, but that Luke has done nothing AGAINST others.
Yes, dark side aggression is not the Jedi way, but the line of defense and attack was crossed since the Vong destroyed Sernpidal (not because of Chewie's death, but the fact it shows what measures the Vong will take to have what they want, no different than the Empire before it; not at their own expense, but at the expense of others). Yes, it is possible that not everyone in the Empire or the Vong are evil-evil and so a window of redemption may be a possibility, but THEY ARE INVADERS.

The only thing Luke would need to worry about is that the Jedi don't lose their focus as they attack; they are trying to save lives of others the Vong would kill, which is no different than why the Death Star needed to be destroyed; to keep other planets from suffering the fate of Alderaan. (And how many planets has the New Republic lost so far?)

It's the most simple argument Kyp and Luke should have resolved within minutes of thinking, but Luke also calls the meeting to a recess because the tensions get high.

And, more importantly, where Luke called this meeting was the stupidest decision he could have made. He knows the Jedi are not supposed to be an arm of the New Republic government. He knows that Jedi are being turned over to the Yuuzhan Vong by people who don't like the Jedi. He knows the Praxeum was being hidden through the Jedi. And yet, he called most of them to Coruscant, leaving only a handful of students on a planet that is no longer masked without the Jedi presence?

No offense to Luke, but the moment I learned some powerful invaders could not be sensed in the Force, I'd consider moving my students immediately from a planet everyone knows has "JEDI" written all over it.

But he didn't (at least, not immediately) and thus, Anakin Solo, haunted by a vision of the future, goes to Yavin IV.

— Meanwhile, Talon Kardde (from the "Heir to the Empire" trilogy) is tasked by Luke to retrieve the students. Even though this book does better at making sure it's reader knows this is an Anakin book, I really liked Kardde's role...even though it later brings back the vornskyrs and the yslamari (not literally, thank goodness, but it is implied by the end that the Vong are seeking them out).

— Speaking strictly honestly, aside from Tahiri, Anakin's Jedi girlfriend, being a little whiner in the beginning, everything with the Peace Brigade up until halfway through "PART II: The Shamed and The Shapers", was a really good read, even if I thought the concept of the Shapers themselves was EXTREMELY horrific, especially when Nen Yim lost a hand (though why she did, I will not say).

—On another note, after Tahiri was being slowly controlled, the narration had me worried: I thought the whole point of the Vong invasion (and yes, I will still call them the Vong, no matter what that Vua Rapuung said) was to recover one of their kind that had been hidden in plain sight in Luke's galaxy (the idea that Tahiri was actually a Yuuzhan Vong had me thinking there was going to be this whole "Romeo-Juliet/Rival Families" best moving forward was both a mind-tickle and an eye-roller "I am your father" reveal). Fortunately, that wasn't the case.
Phew.

—My only problems with this book came later when Anakin had to hide his presence on Yuuzhan Vong overrun Yavin IV as a coral-slave.
Aside from the fact he was hiding amongst these slaves for days, I couldn't help but notice how this seemed to contradict Jacen's earlier experience in "DARK TIDE I: Onslaught", in which he approached slaves and told them to come to him, but none of them had the power, much less the will, to think, question, or talk. They might as well have been drones.

So it surprised me that Anakin could ask so many questions to a Shamed One without them realizing what was going on.

I get that it was necessary to help the reader understand the lambent, but even with what we have, what happens next is very confusing:
In order to fix his lightsaber, Anakin had removed the crystal and replaced it with a lambent he had connected to. Unfortunately, as he tries to put it in the saber, the lambent reacts as a magnet would to another magnet of opposite charge: it refuses to work.
But somehow, Anakin realizes because he is connected to both the lambent and the lightsaber (one through the Force, one through mental connection), he can make them work together. And somehow, it works?
It's very obscure why, but it gets weirder. Now that he is connected to the lambent and the Force, Anakin is able to sense Yuuzhan Vong as though he were an ordinary Force user. Granted, the book mentions they are more fuzzy to depict in his mind, but they are still able to be sensed.

Around this time, Anakin, thinking about the Force in connection to the Vong comes to a conclusion: The Vong, being invaders, had left their galaxy and therefore abandoned whatever form of the light side they had within them. As such, they are of the dark side.

I liked this concept, even if I am still bothered by the Force not being an all-encompassing energy. However, it also bothers me because it implies the Vong are like the Jedi of their galaxy. As such, their connection with lambents (like Anakin had done) means their abilities to sense each other should be more evident, even if they do not feel each other's pain.

It would make more sense with why they are great warriors; they can sense where warriors fall, but they are not emotionally connected enough to feel what feelings the other Vong are going through. Aside from being conquerors, the Vong are almost in the perfect stasis of what an ideal Jedi should be: connected through the Force, but not emotionally capable enough to feel.

- Finally, we get to the conflict where three conflicting parties meet: Anakin and Vua, Tahiri and her captors the Shapers, and Commander Vootah (who found out about Mezhan's heresies because Nen Yim, after one little test, decided to tell everything to some "follower" she didn't know).

Vua gets his confession from Mezhan (that she had created his disease that made him a Shamed One, not the gods of the Vong) and so doubt begins to enter the Vong society as to what other factors may have made loyal Vong into Shapers; perhaps their leaders were following their own wills, not those of the gods.

Before she can be taken though, Mezhan kills all of her captors, and threatens the rest of crowd that she will release a toxic-gas if she is not allowed to leave. Anakin drops his lightsaber, but Tahiri manages to use the Force to grab his lightsaber to decapitate Mezhan Kwaad (reminding me of Kylo Ren killing Snoke in "The Last Jedi"; my thoughts are because Tahiri focused on her hatred for Mezhan, she was able to use the Force without triggering her memory-pain, even as Kylo focused on his actions to misdirect Snoke).

Then, Tahiri tries to kill Anakin. He says "I love you" to her three times, and suddenly, Tahiri, and all of her brainwashing, goes away. No, literally, that's all it took.

The Vong crowd are still a threat though and one of them challenges Anakin as he has proven himself a worthy opponent. However, Vua intercedes for him, taking Anakin's place so he and Tahiri can escape.

It was lucky that the brainwashing happened, because if Tahiri had not had those memories, Anakin never would have escaped Yavin by piloting a Vong ship.

They get rescued.

As for Nen Yim?

She is told by Tsavong Lah (who notices that it was another Solo who interfered with their plans) to go back to the worldships, and to name the Vong that believed Anakin had redeemed Vua of being a Shamed One so that the new heresy can die.

That's the end of the book, but I should mention that Anakin's vision of Tahiri being a Vong still hasn't been fully understood, particularly when she said "Last of my kind. Last of your kind."

I wonder if future events will have the hybrid Tahiri be overrun by her implants again and she will kill the last Yuuzhan Vong (most likely Nen Yim) at the end of the war...

Guess we'll see.

OVERALL, I give this book a 5/10;
it seems more necessary than the five books that came before, and feels more like the turning point of the story, especially in regards to Vong society and the Solo brothers being a larger reason for the Vong to continue their conquest.



MY NOTES:

PROLOGUE
- Dorsk 82 (Jedi?)
- Droids and Cops (Order 66)

PART 1: PRAXEUM
- Anakin still haunted by Chewie's death? (pg 32)
- Yavin IV: How would they NOT know about it?? (pg 35)

PART 2: THE SHAMED AND THE SHAPERS
- Anakin flies to Yavin IV (Luke's an idiot); Peace Brigade; Tahiri annoying.
- Talon Karde, yslamari, vornskyrs (not again)
- Anakin's vision (Palpa-clone "Dark Empire")
- Shapers want to turn Jedi into Vong (I'll call them Vong).

PART 3: CONQUEST
- Trash compactor referenced (pg 193)
- Anakin's new philosophy (pg 239)
- Anakin playing the part of a slave (contradicts Jacen's experience).
- The two philosophies (lightsaber)
- Anakin senses Yuuzhan Vong through another force.
- Tahiri kills Mehzan Kwaad with the lightsaber (Ren and Snoke).
- "will never be solved"
- Vong dark siders for abandoning their galaxy?

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My only real complaint with this one is that I feel like he missed opportunities with Tahiri's Shaping. I knew going in that the first Edge of Victory was primarily about Anakin, so that was fine with me, and it was much better than "Han book" Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse, where half of it was about random refugees. But we only got brief glimpses every so often of what was being done to Tahiri. With those, it wasn't like we were going for a Mockingjay situation where we were expecting a happy reunion and then...that's not what happens. We KNOW the Vong are Shaping her, so I would have liked to see what was going inside her head as they're trying to erase her memories and replace her identity with that of a Yuuzhan Vong. And because of that missed opportunity, the author doesn't give us much reason to care about Tahiri other than that Anakin does. Now, I personally care very much about Tahiri and she's my baby who doesn't deserve all the terrible things that happened to her, but that's because I've already read FotJ and JJK.

That aside, I really very much enjoyed Edge of Victory. Anakin's Skywalker and Solo roots were on full display with his recklessness, Jaina finally got to fly with the Rogues again, Jacen got into a tiff with his dad over piracy, Kyp is being his typical hot head, jerky self, Corran was cracking me up with his reactions to Anakin and Tahiri being the trouble they always are, I want to murder Borsk Fey'lya, the storage-locker-on-an-airless-space-station scene I'd been looking forward to didn't disappoint (and it's heartbreaking because I know what's coming), I loved the inclusion of characters and mentions of events from YJK and JJK, and then there's Luke, Mara, and Ben.

Mara's last month of pregnancy is super traumatic. I can understand why she and Luke didn't have any more kids after Ben. It was really awful and so much near death. But now she's okay (well, for now) and Ben's here and healthy (and doesn't look like a Dug XD), and Anakin's reaction to his baby cousin was priceless.

And now I've started Star by Star, which I've been looking forward to because it's the only book Troy Denning wrote for NJO, but I've also been dreading it because I just don't think my heart can take it. HE'S SO YOUNG.

[William Ristau · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading “Star Wars The New Jedi Order Edge Of Victory I Conquest” by Greg Keyes. The book’s action really brought out the characters’ traits in the book. When I read this book, I always wanted to continue reading, because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. This book showed me the different viewpoints of the character.

The peace brigade found intell saying that a bunch of jedi students were on Yavin 4. They went to Yavin 4 to abduct the jedi students. Anakin had went to Yavin 4 because he knew the students were in trouble. Anakin got there and fought a long battle. When the battle went on, he picked up an interesting guest. Then after saving his friend Tahri with the help of his new friend. Anakin, Tahri, and their new friend had gone to find the jedi students and leave. They got the students and had gone for a ship. A bunch of enemy soldiers had come up to them and someone had to stay behind, that way everyone else could escape. Anakin's new friend stayed behind and fought off the enemy. After the students and Anakin escaped the system, Anakin’s new friend was slain.

Luke Skywalker was a jedi master and leader of the jedi. Leia Solo was Han’s wife and also a jedi in training. Han Solo was Leia’s husband. Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin were Han and Leia’s kids and also jedi knights. Mara Skywalker was Luke’s wife and also a jedi Master.

This book took place a little more than a half of a year after the invasion of the Yuuzhan vong. One of the major settings of this book took place in the inner rim and one of the smaller ones took place in Yavin 4. The time period this book took place in is 9 ABY.

The theme of this book was bravery. Even after the loss of loved ones and close friends, the family keeps on fighting for peace. They’ll stop at nothing to end this war and live happily with each other.

I would recommend this book to both genders ages 17-34, because it had a very good story line. This book was very adventurous and action packed. It was well thought out and very detailed.

[Candice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally!

Up to this point The New Jedi Order series had fallen into a depressing pattern that left our characters in a worse position at the end of the book then they were in at the beginning. I was starting to get quite sick of the "we managed to save a few of the refugees but lost another world in the process" cycle.

This book does a lot of things right. It's fast-paced, fun, and action-packed which kept me reading till I was done, even though my alarm clock would now be going off in a hour. It eases up on the depression level, while still maintaining the dark tone that's appropriate where the Yuuzahn Vong are involved. It gives us a deeper look into the Yuuzahn Vong culture. It introduces Yuuzahn Vong characters that are actually kinda cool! Amazing! Although I never read the Junior Jedi Knights -- and don't intend to -- Keyes does a fantastic job of introducing Tahiri while dealing with the fact that she hasn't even been mentioned in the previous six books.

But the biggest thing for me was the progress made in the Jedi philosophy debate. For several books I've felt like the "good" Jedi were being pretty bone-headed about what they should and shouldn't do to assist in the war. Jacen in particular. It was frustrating to me to see Jacen thinking "Well, it's okay if I do this, as long as I don't use the force to do it." Ummm, no. IMO there is no "right for normal people, wrong for Jedi." If something is right, it's right; and if something is wrong it's wrong. The consequences and risks may be greater for Jedi, but not the principle. Anakin finally realizes that in this book, and it arguably makes him more powerful than any other Jedi.

Anakin's actions in this book also have a potential consequence for the Yuuzahn Vong, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how that will play out.

Bottom line: this book reinvigorated the series for me right when I needed it most, and it's now my favorite of the NJO.

[Mark Oppenlander · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Yuuzhan Vong have agreed to stop their invasion of the galaxy if all Jedi are brought to them as a sort of tribute or sacrifice. Some people in the New Republic, ironically calling themselves the Peace Brigade, are trying to help the invaders out by rounding up any stray Jedi they can find. One of the targets is the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4. Ignoring direct orders from Luke Skywalker, Anakin Solo travels to Yavin to help his fellow students escape.

Like a couple of the earlier New Jedi Order books, this one narrows its scope to really focus on one storyline. In this case, almost all of the action takes place on Yavin 4 and the main character is Anakin. In fact, Leia, Han, Lando, Mara Jade, Jacen and Jaina and even Luke barely make an appearance in this book at all. I found this a welcome change of pace from some of the back-and-forth plots of previous volumes.

This book also seems like it may be a turning point in the larger meta-narrative of the NJO series. Because what really distinguishes this tale from some of the earlier ones is a much deeper dive into the Yuuzhan Vong culture, including their religion and sociology. Anakin eventually joins forces with one of the alien invaders, Vua Rapuung. Rapuung is a Shamed One, an outcast from his own people. Formerly of the warrior caste, Rapuung believes his fall from grace was unwarranted, and he has a desire for revenge against those who betrayed him. Teaming up with a Jedi, even temporarily, seems like a good strategy for him. In the process of their partnership, we learn a lot more about Yuuzhan Vong culture and the internal forces that drive it. It's the first time the Yuuzhan Vong really came across as characters to me. They are no longer just villains, they are people.

I am actually looking forward to the second volume in this pairing and sincerely hope that this foreshadows a deeper, richer series from here on out.

[Cian Beirdd · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the other reviewers said that this novel, full of different aspects of the Yuuzhan Vong than we had seen before, came at the perfect time. I couldn't agree more. The previous books have shown the invaders as believing themselves to be on some holy mission. They are intelligent, deceptive, and patient. They have the Republic fragmented and the Jedi disorganized. They have taken one of the greatest heroes of the Republic without even trying. Things have been about as dark as they could be. There isn't really any hope developed here, but we learn something about their culture that we hadn't known before; that they are not all warriors and that all their actions are not made in the hope of greater honor.

I enjoyed the focus on a character who had always been a boy in previous novels and his partnership. The treatment of Tahiri put a surprising twist on the whole series - that the Yuuzhan Vong might not just kill all the Jedi they might try making them warriors. This story had what any good series book should have: Plot and character development both within the book and as a part of the series. For me, the book wasn't just where the turning point was it was more where the foundation for the rest of the series was. The author may be an unknown to Star Wars and may be a little rough with his character portrayals at times but he did a great job.