Planet of Twilight

Star Wars: The Callista Trilogy #3

by Barbara Hambly

New York Times bestselling author Barbara Hambly returns to the Star Wars(r) universe to tell a breathtaking tale of a mysterious world where the battle between the New Republic and the Empire takes a shocking new twist....

Nam Chorios is a barren backwater world--once a dreaded prison colony, now home to a fanatic religious cult. It is here that Princess Leia has been taken captive by a ruthless and charismatic warlord bent on destroying the New Republic. Meanwhile, Luke lands on a mysterious planet in search of his lost love, Callista, only to discover the Force is his own worst enemy. But worst of all, as Han, Chewie, and Lando leave Coruscant on a desperate rescue mission, a strange life-form, unlike any the galaxy has ever seen, awakens...a life-form so malevolent it will destroy everything--both Empire and New Republic--on its path to domination.

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

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

aka Barbara Hamilton

Ranging from fantasy to historical fiction, Barbara Hambly has a masterful way of spinning a story. Her twisty plots involve memorable characters, lavish descriptions, scads of novel words, and interesting devices. Her work spans the Star Wars universe, antebellum New Orleans, and various fantasy worlds, sometimes linked with our own.


"I always wanted to be a writer but everyone kept telling me it was impossible to break into the field or make money. I've proven them wrong on both counts."
-Barbara Hambly

Reviews

[Scott Rhee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was dismayed, but not that shocked, to see the overwhelming number of negative reviews of Barbara Hambly’s novel “Children of the Jedi” on Goodreads. A quick perusal of fan reviews gives one the clear notion that Hambly is NOT well-liked by Star Wars Expanded Universe (SWEU) fans. Indeed, she seems to be much-hated.

At first, I wasn’t sure that I understood why. I am, perhaps, alone in thinking that Hambly is more than a competent writer. In fact, I think she seems capable of very beautiful writing, even for a Star Wars book. She also has a keen instinct for character development: her focus on Princess Leia Organa-Solo and her emotional state---as President of the New Republic, mother of three children, husband of Han Solo, and survivor of her destroyed home planet Alderaan---displayed an emotional depth that I have never encountered before or since in another Expanded Universe novel. (To be fair, I have not come close to reading all of them.)

There is also an element of darkness within her writing. (I have never read anything else by her, but I imagine that her fantasy and horror fiction are exceptionally creepy and goosebump-inducing.) She utilized it extremely well in “Children of the Jedi”, with her descriptions of abandoned tunnels populated by former miners who had been so driven to insanity that they had become homicidal subterranean creatures, as well as in her setting of a derelict Imperial dreadnaught that was haunted by the spirit of a dead Jedi Knight. At times, one almost forgot one was reading a Star Wars novel, as the tone seemed more appropriate for a Stephen King novel.

I realize now, of course, why fans seem to despise Hambly, especially “Children of the Jedi”.

There were, at least, two vital elements missing from that book: 1) humor, and a sense that it wasn’t taking itself too seriously. Not that Hambly didn’t attempt some humor, but most of the time, she was writing with a very Gothic seriousness that seemed somewhat inappropriate and, well, off-putting for a Star Wars novel. Part of the appeal of "Star Wars" was that it was a somewhat tongue-in-cheek homage/parody of space operas and the Saturday matinee sci-fi B-movies. The best books in the SWEU series capture this tone perfectly. Hambly doesn't. 2) Space battles. I’m pretty sure that this is one of the very rare few SWEU novels that doesn’t involve a climactic space battle scene, replete with plenty of Tie fighter and X-wing dogfights. Hambly tends to keep most of the action on the ground, which is okay, except that readers kind of expect the space stuff. (It is called "Star Wars", after all.)

Aside from all that, I am of the opinion that Hambly is simply too mature of a writer for the SWEU. I don’t mean this as an insult to the countless other writers who have contributed to the series. My whole point is that Hambly seems to write at a different literary level than, say, Kevin J. Anderson or Timothy Zahn, and one that approaches the Star Wars universe from a perspective that is, essentially, too grown-up for Star Wars fans.

(I expect to get a lot of shit for that statement.)

It would be like Terrence Malick attempting to direct a “Jurassic Park” movie. Yes, the film would be gorgeously filmed, with lots of amazing establishing shots and slow pans, but there probably wouldn’t be a lot of action. On top of that, most of the film would probably be devoted to existentialist diatribes on man’s smallness within the universe and scientific ramblings on the dangers of genetic manipulation. Oh, and Sean Penn would most likely be in it. The film wouldn't necessarily be bad---on the contrary, it would probably be excellent and garner an Oscar nod---but it wouldn't be a "Jurassic Park" film. People going into a "Jurassic Park" film would be greatly, and justifiably, disappointed.

Not that Hambly is doing anything close to what Malick does in film. She is still staying within the parameters of genre formula, but her approach is different. It is, however, not necessarily better, nor is it necessarily in the spirit of "Star Wars", which is what I think many SWEU fans are picking up on.

“Planet of Twilight” is Hambly’s second and, as far as I know, last book she wrote for the SWEU. It is unfortunate but not all that surprising that she has never been invited back to write more for the series. I happened to like “Planet of Twilight” but not necessarily as a Star Wars novel.

“Planet of Twilight” is, at its heart, a vampire novel. It’s a pretty creepy one, too, juxtaposed with the fact that it is set within the Star Wars universe. While it doesn’t succeed fully (read Joe Schreiber’s “Death Troopers” for an extremely successful attempt at bringing horror into the Star Wars universe), it is still an entertaining and engaging horror thriller.

The plot: President Leia Organa-Solo has reluctantly agreed to come to Nam Chorios, at the behest of the planet’s ambassador, in order to help settle a growing dispute and prevent a potential civil war between the planet’s inhabitants. A faction comprised of anti-technology cult members is threatening the livelihood of the mostly poor farmers on the planet. Before she can even make a decision, however, she is abducted.

Unaware of Leia’s kidnapping, Luke arrives on Nam Chorios to investigate a lead in the disappearance of Callista, the former Jedi Knight and Luke’s ex-girlfriend. Going in undercover as a mechanic, Luke finds temporary shelter with some friendly farmers.

Meanwhile, an inexplicable plague has been sweeping through nearby planets and passing spaceships within Nam Chorios’s space. Scientists are at a loss to explain it.

Leia, struggling with fears about her newfound powers of the Force, discovers that she has been kidnapped by a hideous vampiric creature bent on taking over the galaxy. Fearing that the creature has already wiped out most of the inhabitants in this system, Leia takes it upon herself to attempt to destroy the creature before its evil spreads.

“Planet of Twilight” works best when one reads it as a horror novel. The description of Dzim, the vampiric creature that is modeled loosely on Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”, is thoroughly nightmarish. Besides a somewhat ridiculous and (perhaps unintentionally) humorous origin story, Dzim is a creepy and disgusting villain. The creepiness factor is cranked up, too, with his “children of the night”: telekinetically controlled rat-like creatures that live abundantly on the surface of Nam Chorios.

Hambly weaves in several other storylines, including a related subplot involving a weapons manufacturer trying to foment war to make a profit, and also includes some fun cameos of other characters from previous SWEU books.

Overall, I liked “Planet of Twilight”. I still think Hambly is a writer of great talent, although it appears that her talent may be suited more for the fantasy and horror novels that she is best known for and not necessarily for the SWEU.

[Bryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot was actually fairly interesting, but unfortunately I could not enjoy it because Hambly has continued her nearly unreadable writing style from Children of the Jedi. Every part of the book has way too much description in between the actual plot advancement. It feels like work just to read through it. Also, once again the narrative felt unorganized, and it was difficult to follow the many (mostly inconsequential) plotlines floating around.
As I said, the plot itself was surprisingly enjoyable, after Hambly's painful Children of the Jedi. There was plenty of suspension of disbelief, but it was at least intriguing enough to keep me wondering what the heck was going on. So ends the "Callista Trilogy", and really my only thought is "what was the point?" Very little character development went on, and almost nothing occurred to affect the rest of the Star Wars EU. It felt very much like a waste of time, and if I ever reread the Star Wars chronology, I will probably give these a pass.

[Jonathan Koan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well...at least it was less weird than Children of the Jedi.

Barbara Hambly can write good stories, as I loved her Dragonsbane and really enjoyed her Star Trek novel "Ishmael". Unfortunately, her Star Wars outings have not been successful.

This book is largely plagued by odd story decisions that both don't feel like Star Wars and also aren't as exciting as their pitch is. The book spends a lot of time slowing down the character journeys, when as the final book in a trilogy it should be ramping things up.

Luke spends the majority of the book searching for Callista, and that might work if the payoff is satisfying. Unfortunately, it isn't. Leia spends the majority of the book being kidnapped and trying to find a way to escape. Her story was marginally more interesting than Luke's, mostly because of Leia's struggle with the Dark Side.

Han's story very much feels like an afterthought and while it added some much needed action, it never really worked.

C-3PO and R2D2 had some really humorous scenes, but those characters work in small doses, and here they are used a little too much.

As a whole, the book just didn't work for me. 4.5 out of 10.

[CS · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Cruel in places" - Better lines never described such a book
Seti Ashgad of Nom Chorios has set up a meeting with Chief of State Leia Organa to try to convince her to throw Republic support to open trade on his planet. Trade that the native Therans have opposed with weapons. But things go amiss with Leia is kidnapped. Meanwhile, a message from Callista warning of dire events on Nom Chorios sends Luke Skywalker in pursuit his lost love.
NOTE: I read this book years ago and listened to the audio version most recently.

I Liked:
After reading the brutal description of Callista in Darksaber, reading Barbara Hambly write Callista was a breath of fresh air. Despite her odd return (and how it feels decidedly un-Star Wars), Callista isn't a half bad character and had promised to bring such a new perspective on the Jedi, from the viewpoint of the Old Republic. Hambly's Callista is still upset about losing her Force powers and still insists on being away from Luke to get them back, but she is nowhere near as whiny and immature as Anderon's Callista. Furthermore, Hambly closes off the Luke and Callista relationship well, leaving no dangling threads and giving a slice of hope that maybe Callista can return (I wouldn't be opposed to seeing her in later books, honestly).
I also commend Hambly for having Callista finally train Leia. In fact, I enjoyed this aspect so much, I wish that Callista would have returned, not to be Luke's lover, but to be Leia's master, she is that good.
Although small, I want to make sure it doesn't go unnoticed that Hambly bucked the stereotype and made the first Hutt Jedi. Kudos to her! Yes, Beldorian is still "bad", but I appreciate how she made him a Jedi instead of leaning on the Wookiees, the Mon Calamari or the Bothans.

I Didn't Like:
I don't know if it's me, the circumstances surrounding when I listened to this audio version or what, but this book seems almost worse than Children of the Jedi.
My first complaint is that Luke is still pining after her enough to leave and search her out. Hasn't it been a year since she left? Why is he still so absorbed with her? A year is a long time and a lot of things have probably happened to Luke in that time. So why is he still easily able to drop everything and try to seek her out? I understand why the author did it (to tie off the Luke/Callista relationship loose end), but it doesn't seem appropriate for Luke, Jedi Master, to be pining so long afterwards. In fact, it almost makes him more of a hormonal teenager than a grown adult who has been through war.
Secondly, Leia spends much of this book doing nothing more than being drugged. This makes for incredibly boring reading, as she lies around, listening to convenient exposition and getting dehydrated. Not to mention, Leia's room is a normal room with a window and a balcony. Sure, the door is locked, but the Leia from the movies would have been attempting to leave. Of course, the Leia from the movies wasn't harping on wearing "thick, red" ceremonial robes and "gold" boots. I wouldn't have been surprised if she were wearing a nice bull horn hairdo like her mother in The Phantom Menace. I am not sure why Leia decides to even leave, it almost feels like the author finally needed Leia to be elsewhere to get the plot moving so decided, "Yup, let's have her escape now." Then, having Leia's lightsaber remain with her is completely insane. Seti Ashgad was very aware of the weapon, why would he basically just ASK her to leave by letting her keep it? Insane!
The plot dive bombs into ridiculous and non-Star Wars once it is revealed that Dzym is a genetically manipulated droch created by a chef for a meal. What...I can't tell you how my brain shut down and refused to accept this once I heard it. How does this happen? Is this Star Wars or Star Trek or some other crazy scifi franchise (especially with a name of a city being "Ruby Gulch"!)? I heaped quite a bit of insult on Children of the Jedi, but at least that book had Jedi and an attempt to feel from the world of Star Wars. Here, it's as if Hambly didn't even try.
Another peeve I had was the stereotypically "bad" engineering firms. Excuse me, but these places are just there to create money. Quit trying to make them all look bad, like Captain Planet and the Planeteers, just because they are trying to make a profit. Governments aren't good just because they make wild promises to people for peace and a bunch of other pie crust promises; businesses aren't bad because they are trying to increase profits (not to say they are good, mostly that they are indifferent). Furthermore, I am sure the "good" New Republic has weapons and didn't get all of them from the "peaceful" Mon Calamari.
Also, in this book, it becomes abundantly clear the mistake of making Leia Organa Chief of State. Once you make her such a powerful position, you have to come up with crazier and crazier ways to include her in the story and get her to DO things instead of sitting on the sidelines like most rulers. At first, I thought it would be cool, but now I see how it has hurt Leia's character (making her more of a cushy politician instead of the fighter from the movies). I mean, it's been over 10 years since she found out she was Luke's sister and can use the Force and she still hasn't become a Jedi.

Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Sparse.
I don't recall anything.
Leia finally lightsaber duels. Using the Force has bad consequences on Nom Chorios. Luke gets shot out of the sky.

Overall:
Another sub-standard Star Wars book. I had thought it was slow, boring, and bad when I was younger, and I can just confirm that time hasn't changed my view of it, other than to include the adjective "weird" to the bunch. Admiral Daala says it best about the book: "Cruel in places". Avoid.

[Caleb Likes Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this was… not quite underwhelming, because I sort of expected it, but still disappointing. Having really enjoyed Darksaber, the last book in this sequence, I hoped this one would be on a similar level. Unfortunately, like Hambly’s last book Children of the Jedi, this was a dud for me.

There are a few positive aspects to this book. The blurb on the back of the book actually sounds interesting, so I have to at least applaud the ideas here. I also found some of the dialogue quite enjoyable; there’s a particular passage towards the end between Leia and Callista that I particularly liked. There were also a few chapters from the perspective of C-3PO which were just delightful. I love reading from his perspective.

Otherwise, though, this had little that really did it for me. The plot, while it has an interesting premise, wasn’t terribly interesting. There also wasn’t much about the characters that hooked me, save for Threepio. Nothing’s really bad, but nothing’s that good either. In general, I feel the same about this as Children of the Jedi: not much of anything at all.

Rating: 6/10

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I see there are quite a few negative reviews/ratings of this book, and I get it. It's not the typical Star Wars novel, in that it's focused more on character than action, and the writing here is more descriptive and atmospheric than one would usually find in the EU. I'd even go so far to say that Hambly is too good a writer for the EU; where most of the stories have a sense of fun and excitement, Hambly's are darker, more introspective, and stand out as the anomaly.

(Speaking of darker, there's some imagery in this book that rivals much of what I've read in horror. It will stay with me long after I've forgotten the details of, say, Heir to the Empire.)

The thing is, I've now read 195 books in the EU, and it's nice to come across a book that doesn't read like every other book in the EU. Had I started my Star Wars reading with this book, I might feel differently about it, but at this point in time, it's refreshing to read a book like this that features Luke, Leia, and Han (but mostly Leia, which is another nice surprise).

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Definitely not Star Wars as I've come to expect it. Fans of the Expanded Universe can do much better.

[Meggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

For 2020, I decided to reread (in publication order) all the Bantam-era Star Wars books that were released between 1991 and 1999; that shakes out to 38 adult novels and 5 anthologies of short stories & novellas.

This week’s focus: the last book in the informal Callista trilogy, Planet of Twilight by Barbara Hambly.

SOME HISTORY:

By 1997, Barbara Hambly had written the first two vampiric mysteries in her James Asher series: Those Who Hunt the Night in 1988, and Traveling with the Dead in 1995. Perhaps that explains why Planet of Twilight (working title: Planet of the Disgusting Bugs) feels more akin to a horror novel with its nightmarish villain that controls and directs energy-leaching insects. Planet of Twilight made it to number thirteen on the New York Times bestseller list for the week of April 27, 1997, and was on the NYT list for four weeks.

MY RECOLLECTION OF THE BOOK:

I neither owned Planet of Twilight nor got it frequently from the library, so I was surprised how much of the book had stayed with me over the years. Hambly is very good at creating a rich atmosphere in her books, and the setting was both familiar and unsettling. I had remembered most of Luke and Leia’s plotlines, yet somehow forgotten Han and the droids entirely.

A BRIEF SUMMARY:

Nam Chorios is a barren backwater world—once a dreaded prison colony, now home to a fanatic religious cult. Leia heads to the surrounding system for an unofficial meeting with Seti Ashgad, a leader in the Rationalist Party--only to be kidnapped by the former senator and his associates. Meanwhile, Luke comes to the planet in search of Callista, only to discover that on Nam Chorios, the Force is his own worst enemy...

THE CHARACTERS:

I like how Hambly develops Leia’s emotional arc. Her Jedi training has been sporadic and slipshod at best, but Hambly explains it--even retcons it--in a logical manner. Leia has struggled with the identity of her biological father since Luke’s revelation in Return of the Jedi, and only Kathy Tyers’ The Truce at Bakura has delved into her struggle in any detail. So Hambly links her reluctance to learn about the Force with her reticence to embrace her heritage. By the end, she’s trained with Callista and defeated Beldorion the Hutt in lightsaber combat--and while she feels that Bail Organa gave her the values that she lives by, she’s also a little more receptive to the good as well as the bad that she’s inherited from her birth father. She might not want to be a Jedi, but she’s not as quick to disregard the skills that she’s been given.

Luke is Hambly’s favorite character, as she shared in an interview that I linked below, and I like how she tackles his character. More so than anyone else, he’s inherently good, but she still manages to bring out his faults and his foibles. She also doesn’t fall prey to the trap of the “Superman” character: in Children of the Jedi Luke is injured and not operating at his full capacity, and in Planet of Twilight he finds himself on a world where it’s dangerous--to himself and to others--to even use the Force. He has to decide whether...

By comparison, Han doesn’t have as much to do, and is left merely reacting to the events around him. Mon Mothma tells him that Leia is missing; Han assembles a team to search for her (although we never see Mara Jade or Kyp Durron or Wedge Antilles, we’re told they’re involved). He’s left discovering all the chaos happening in the Meridian sector, and doesn’t reunite with Leia until the end.

The droids have a similar plotline to The New Rebellion, but this time they’re solely on their own, trying to alert the authorities about Leia’s kidnapping. Hambly has a lot of fun here, because even though Threepio loudly proclaims who their owner is, they still are constantly facing the threat of theft from devious individuals (droids are expensive, after all).

Callista doesn’t appear in the story until after Leia escapes from Seti Ashgad’s house, but she’s vastly improved from the whiny moper of Darksaber. Hambly also retcons Callista’s reasons for leaving:

"As long as I can be manipulated like that," Callista went on, "as long as I can be used--as long as I lack my own power in the Force--I am a prime candidate for the dark side. I'm standing in its shadow now. If there is a way for me at all, I have to follow it alone. I will love Luke until the day I die and beyond, but I will not pull him into that shadow with me. Please, Leia. Make him understand."

She finally instructs someone in the Force, albeit briefly, and her arc is resolved nicely (if perhaps unnecessarily).

In the beginning, it seems like Seti Ashgad and Beldorion the Hutt will be the primary protagonists and schemers, but they’re far too languid to be actively evil. The true villain is Dyzm, Hambly’s Dracula analog. He’s legitimately creepy, both in demeanor and in appearance: on the surface he appears humanoid, but his hands are mouths and he’s just covered in orifices. I have not looked him up on Wookieepedia, fearing that there would be a picture, and I don’t want to tempt fate by looking now.

ISSUES:

Some people dislike Hambly’s ornate writing style, but I personally love it and find it very memorable. While her gothic sensibility isn’t a perfect match for the Star Wars universe, she has some beautiful passages--and I find her settings really stick with me. Nam Chorios feels both lush and barren, and the places that Han visits feel suitably grotesque.

It’s a pity, then, that Leia’s plotline is stagnant and inactive until she escapes Ashgad’s house. She’s drugged on sweetblossom, so there’s a plot reason why she lies around and does nothing. But it’s just not interesting to read.

I think this also highlights one of the issues that Bantam era authors had when dealing with Leia as the Chief of State: as the President of the entire New Republic, she’s integral to the government running smoothly and successfully. This also grounds her more than any other character. She has to be on Coruscant most of the time, and she’s surrounded by a large retinue of staffers and security. So to have her involved in the action sections, you have to either 1) kidnap her, or threaten her; 2) send her off on vacation or on some diplomatic journey; or 3) have her completely disregard her duties and leave. I think McDowell handled the demands of her political career better than any of the SW authors to date, but I can see why the later authors chose to focus on her Jedi career rather than the political realm--it definitely complicates things.

I enjoyed Hambly weighing in on the “how did Obi-Wan wander around the Death Star without being noticed” debate and going with MY interpretation: he used the Force to appear inconspicuous and redirect attention instead of changing his actual appearance.

The ending felt like an overt nod to the very end of The Return of the King, when Sam walks in the door after seeing Frodo and Bilbo off at the Grey Havens: He drew a deep breath. “Well, I'm back,” he said. Luke sees Callista board Umolly Darm’s freighter and they acknowledge each other. Leia comes up behind him and asks if he’s all right. "Yes," said Luke softly. "I'm all right." I loved that allusion, because like Sam in ROTK, Luke is now ready to leave his relationship with Callista in the past and wholly move on with his life.

I’m left wondering, though, whether the resolution that Planet of Twilight gave to the Luke/Callista relationship was even necessary? Nothing has changed from the end of Darksaber, unless it’s that Callista’s reasons for leaving sound less whiny and self-involved. Luke never even gets to talk to her, for goodness sake! For the final book in the Callista trilogy, I expected at least some interactions between Luke and his lost love.

IN CONCLUSION:
Look, I can see why loads of people hate this book, just like Children of the Jedi. But Hambly is so good at creating this rich, immersive, Gothic atmosphere that I'm willing to overlook Planet of Twilight's flaws. It’s a slight book, but it’s certainly memorable.

Next up: the first book from the Han Solo prequel trilogy, The Paradise Snare by A.C. Crispin.


My YouTube review: https://youtu.be/6uIjvtGjtVE

Interview with Barbara Hambly: http://jedicallie.tripod.com/bhinterv...

[TheGeeksAttic · Rating 1 out of 5]

Star Wars: Planet of Twilight Book Review

Star Wars: Planet of Twilight, book three in the Callista Trilogy, was written by bestselling author, Barbara Hambly. This Expanded Universe tale takes place during the New Republic Era, 13 ABY (12 years after the Battle of Yavin).

SUMMARY
Leia is to win over another group of people to the New Republic, but is kidnapped. Luke tries to find his love, Callista, and crashes on Nam Chorios. In this strange tale our characters must fight for their survival... much as I had to fight for mine while reading this book.

OVERALL THOUGHTS
This story is a disaster. There is so much going on, I honestly got lost. I nearly dozed off every time I opened this one. If the author would have simplified the plot and trimmed up all the adventures and aliases the characters went by, it could have been more entertaining.

Oh man, Callista, such a lame character that just fizzles out in the end. She has to be the most bizarre character in the EU; from possessing a computer in a ship, to transferring her spirit to a force user. She was in three books, and not a single thing happened with her that was exciting. She said she'd love Luke until the day she died... but runs from him. I don't like the characterization of Luke in this story either.

Do I recommend you read this book? No.

RATING
I give Star Wars: Planet of Twilight a F.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

After having read all SW in chronological order up until this point, I can say without a doubt, that this is hands down the worst SW I've read (even more than Children of the Jedi). I'm absolutely despise Barbara Hambly as an author and the way she writes. Thank the heavens this is the second and last book she wrote in the SW saga. I would have fired her and never let this garbage of a book hit the shelves.

Am I being hard on Mrs Hambly, perhaps. But she has no business writing for SW, I feel she dosen't understand the the SW universe or terminology. And I detest her writing style. She overly describes scenes, to the point where I don't know what is going on anymore even after having to re-read the same sections over and over. I mean she spent 3 pages describing C3PO and R2D2 playing instruments in a cantina to get credit to get a ride off the planet....3 pages....my brain was screaming "WHO CARES!". It was way too much detail for such an insignificant scene. Or how she take 2 pages describing the crops of the planet and making up foods we've never heard of and never will again....pointless.

I HATE how she uses her similes to describe something. Here are some examples:

1) "Some with the batrachian, springing legs of a Cabuloid padhopper" ... yes thanks Barbara because everyone in the room knows what a Cabuloid padhopper is...that helps me so much picturing the image in my head.

2) "The speeder cleared the twenty five meter gap...like a neck battle dog, like a trained Tikkiar rising for a kill" ... wow two similes in the same sentence using two kinds of animals you just made up in your head that isn't seen in any other book... thanks...

3) "Dodging, twisting, like durkii maddened by parasitic kleex" ... huh? WTF are you trying to say.... I might as well read a book written in mandarin.

Oh and let's not forget how some described C3PO as a "You sound like a festerin' jizz-box"... a jizz-box?? Really?!

The entire book was a mess and the story was just bonkers. Too many factions and groups to the point where I was utterly lost trying to keep up. I just kind of ignored that portion on the story and concentrated (the best I could) on the main story plot.

A former Jedi Hutt? No thanks

Leia gets captured...again....*sigh*

Luke and Callista's side love story is lame (although I like Callista as a character)

Only part i enjoyed... Leia's first lightsaber duel. That is the only reason I give it 1 star, or it would have been 0

Only read this book if you are a perfectionist and want to read all the SW stories. If not stay away...

[Joshua Bishop · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is receiving a 2.5/5 stars in my reviews. I think that as a Star Wars book, this was a 2/5. As a conclusion to its own trilogy, it is a 2.5/5 and as a vampire novel I’d give it a 3/5 stars.

Similar to the first in this series, this felt like getting dropped into episode 2 of 3 of a tv show without seeing episode one. The lack of who/what/why may work with the mystery/horroresque motif but lacks in the Star Wars universe.

Hambly in this novel does hit more strides and seems to better understand the characters this go around. This feels more like out Luke, Leia, and Han. In particular, Leia’s battle with Belderion as well as her mental battle with being Vader’s daughter were high point. I also enjoyed the return of Admiral Daala - I was not expecting her storyline.

The introduction of Dzym and the drochs were an interesting but obvious addition. Little bugs controlled by a master who “bite” into your skin, sap your energy, and you only feel better in the sunlight? Not to mention the title including Twilight in the title (while the vampire novels came out much later than this, the allegory between night and vampirism is still present).

The “mystery” of Dzym and the drochs was so obvious that I actually wish the just came out and said it and stopped wasting time hiding something anyone should be able to tell.

A point that bothered me was when Han requested Mara Jade and Kyp Durron to help find Leia only of us to not ever get Mara and only a passing second/third sentence about Kyp being on a ship near Han. I found myself waiting and waiting for their inclusion (especially the assumed Callista-Luke-Mars triangle) and felt let down when they were wasted references.

Lastly, I found myself disappointed by the conclusion of Callista herself. While I know her and Luke wouldnt and shouldn’t be together. Her flying off into the sunset felt off to me. I feel a more satisfying conclusion may have been to have her sacrifice herself for Leia/Luke as the only way to truly return as one with the Force.

This was leaps better than the first to me but still on the lower end of Legend’s quality.

[Bret · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of Barbara Hambly's Star Wars book. This one read better than Children of the Jedi, but not by much. It is another novel involving Callista. Hopefully I won't have to read about her much after this...I am definitely not a fan of that storyline.

There is another Leia kidnapping, the 2nd in the last 3 books. It's a tad ridiculous at how easily the head of the New Republic can be kidnapped. She's a Jedi, has a Jedi Master for a brother, is guarded by the Noghri and a huge Wookie, not to mention the troops that guard here, and she commands millions of troops, yet she is kidnapped every other book. As far as the Star Wars books have gone so far, "kidnapping" seems to be a popular theme. I'm hoping the trend dies down, but I know there is more kidnapping in the next book awaiting me (The Crystal Star).

This book also introduces a Jedi Hutt named Beldorion, which is just as ridiculous as it sounds.

Planet of Twilight was a bit of a disappointment. On to the next book...

[Eric Moreno · Rating 1 out of 5]

This story was the worst, it was hard to tell what was going on in the beginning not because the story was complicated but because the writing was terrible. And then when it became a little more clear what was going on I couldn't care less about the events. Just a terrible book.

[Adam Kiewel · Rating 2 out of 5]

In some ways, I feel like giving 2 stars is being too generous. This book has so many flaws its hard to count them all

It's so hard to follow Hamblys writing. There were so many places I'd have to re read several times and still end up confused.
The book was constant word salad, tons of convoluted sentences. What makes it worse is that Hambly feels the need to try to impress upon the reader that she is smarter than thou.
Every 10 pages or so, it seems she would pick a word at random out of the dictionary to try to throw off the reader. Do you know what could make that idea any worse than it already is? Working in a fictional universe where you're already creating numerous words and names, and throwing those together with words that nobody has ever heard of and expecting anyone to know what you're talking about. These aren't even well known star wars words or names, they're literally names and words that she's inventing on the fly.
All that might be excused if the plot was good, right? Well it wasn't. The plot was forgettable and confusing, and was too slowly paced to enjoy the stories mysteries.
It doesn't help that the things she invented for the story, new species and planets, were a bit outlandish and didn't really fit the star wars universe.
The saying goes that a good artist is invisible inside their works. Hambly stands out in hers, and not in any kind of good way. Between the writing style and some of what she interjected (the hutt holographs, really??) It's painfully obvious she's not an invisible star wars writer.
The plot points set up over two previous books did not pay off in this final edition. It feels more like a cliff hanger, even though nothing from these stories get addressed again until fate of the jedi
I'll give credit where it's due, some small stretches of this book were enjoyable, and the plot isn't as horrible as I'm making it seem. It was creative if nothing else, and it was light years ahead of her other book, children of the jedi. It's still a bottom 3 star wars book.

[Marti Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn’t particularly eager...
After struggling for months with Children of the Jedi (by the same author) and hearing that Planet of Twilight was supposedly even worse, I genuinely dreaded reading it. Barbara Hambly’s writing style is difficult to follow, filled with long-winded passages that add little to the overall story. That’s probably the main reason it took me so long to get through that first book. Add to that the strange and bizarre events, and it’s easy to see why I was hesitant about her second Star Wars novel.

Yet sometimes, a Star Wars book can still surprise you. I wouldn’t say Planet of Twilight ranks among my favorite pieces of the Expanded Universe, but I can honestly say I enjoyed it. To my surprise, I finished it within two weeks. The writing still has its dense sections and awkwardly described details, but I found myself moving smoothly from chapter to chapter. Bonus: this time, the plot was much more engaging.

So what’s the book about?
Leia takes center stage as she becomes entangled in the politics of Nam Chorios, a planet inhabited by two distinct peoples. The majority wants to keep the planet primitive and isolated, while a group of colonists pushes for technological progress and further expansion. The planet also features sentient crystals and insects that invade the body—bizarre, with horror elements, but surprisingly relevant to the plot.

Luke gets involved as well, searching for his lost love Callista, known from the previous two books in the so-called Callista trilogy. Meanwhile, C-3PO and R2-D2 embark on their own adventure, highlighted by 3PO’s hilarious perspective on the world. Oh, and did I mention the Hutt Jedi? Yes, this book has its fair share of weirdness.

The story is compelling, with intriguing developments and a surprising villain—not because you don’t see it coming, but because of what the villain actually is. I won’t spoil that. The book offers enough suspense, even though you know the main heroes won’t face any fatal consequences. Unfortunately, there’s little character growth overall, and Luke’s relationship with Callista remains a thorn in my side. It’s explored more deeply here than in Darksaber, but the dynamic still feels off. Thankfully, there’s one exception: Leia. She does show some development and even receives valuable insights from Callista about her struggle with being a child of Darth Vader.

Would I recommend this book?
I think there are two conditions. First, it’s best to read Children of the Jedi and Darksaber beforehand. Second, you need to have the same completionist drive I do—the desire to read everything. You can easily skip this book without missing anything major in the overarching post-Return of the Jedi storyline. While few people may share my opinion, I genuinely enjoyed Planet of Twilight. If only because I absolutely loved 3PO and R2’s humorous side quest.

[Colin McEvoy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel bad for piling on to Barbara Hambly, because I feel like so many of the reviews on this website are critical of her, but I have to be honest: Planet of Twilight was a bit of a slog to get through. Much like her previous book, Children of the Jedi (an extremely flawed book, but one that I actually preferred to this one, unlike the majority opinion), there are a lot of good ideas in this novel, but they are undermined by pointless side plots and an unorganized narrative that made it very difficult to continue reading at times.

Planet of Twilight starts fairly strong, with a mysterious plague wiping out the entire crews of two major New Republic ships, leaving Luke Skywalker stranded on a mysterious backwater planet and Leia Organa Solo taken prisoner. (Though I have to say, how many times is Leia going to be captured? This is the second time in the last three books!) There are elements in both of these storylines that seem potentially interesting. For Luke, it's the setting: the strange, primitive world of Nam Chorios, with its living crystals, ground-lightning storms, and unusual effect on the Force. For Leia, it's the antagonists around her: the dissident leader Seti Ashgad, the long-suffering hacker and philosopher Liegeus Vorn, the mysterious and dangerous Dzym, and the corrupt Hutt Jedi Beldorion. I mean, come on, a Hutt Jedi?! How can you not get behind that?

Unfortunately, none of this potential is fully realized. Luke spends much of this time on Nam Chorios getting involved with the locals (which I found boring) or pining like a lovesick puppy over Callista (a character that I don't care about nearly as much as the Star Wars writers seem to think I should), and Hambly's writing style failed to bring Nam Chorios to life for me. As for Leia, she spends the majority of the book sedated or exhausted in what is essentially a prison cell, listening to the various bad guys dropping clues about what their nefarious plans. Leia becomes much more interesting in the third act, when she starts grappling with her legacy as the daughter of Darth Vader, and receives some Jedi training from Callista. But this only made me wonder why we didn't get more of this sooner in the novel.

Other beloved Star Wars characters get thrown into the mix as well, with Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Lando Calrissian searching for the missing Leia, and R2-D2 and C-3PO bouncing around this place and that as they try to reunite with Luke and Leia. But these subplots just never seemed to get gain steam for me, and almost as soon as a new chapter for them began, I found myself waiting for it to end. (Admiral Daala, one of my favorite Legends/Expanded Universe characters, even makes an appearance. It involves a string of rather WILD coincidences that requires more than a little suspension of disbelief, but perhaps only because I like Daala so much, I didn't mind it.)

I've been reading the Star Wars Legends books in chronological order, but after a string of bad ones like I, Jedi, Children of the Jedi and Planet of Twilight – and after reading rather bad reviews for the upcoming novels like The Crystal Star and the Black Fleet Crisis trilogy) – I'm wondering if perhaps I should reconsider that plan.

[Bobby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an overall interesting and well-paced book. Hambly is consistently creating openings for new predictions that make the reader want to continue reading. The story begins with two starships losing communication with each other, but only one of the pilots knows why. There is what seems to be a disease that has spread across one of the ships, but it is also infecting species that should be immune to human illnesses. Throughout the entire novel, there is a maintained sense of mysteriousness and suspense. Later on, the New Republic and the Empire, sworn enemies, are forced to ban together in order to defend themselves against an unheard of alien race. Like many other stories where two completely opposing sides unite, this book draws in readers by making them ponder what will become of the foes once the mutual predicament is overcome. While thinking about this concept, I was reminded of the Hunger Games, when Katniss and Peeta are turned almost against each other when they are the last two left. There are several moments when each of the three armies are nearly destroyed, whether it be from cunning, trickery, or just brute force. Overall, this was a well-written science fiction novel that contains a proper vocabulary for high school students. However, it is difficult to understand in some places due to unfamiliar concepts or excess description. This problem could probably be resolved by reviewing the previous books in the series before hand, and is not necessarily something that could've been fixed by the author. So, without giving away the ending, I'll leave you with that exact question mentioned earlier; will the age-old feud between the New Republic and the Empire subside after this alliance?

[Darryl Dobbs · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the first quarter of this novel to be a confusing mess. The story takes place mainly on a planet with natives, old-timers and new-timers. And Therans? Which is which? Who controls who? It was a mess that I eventually just ignored and instead just focused on the main characters Luke, Leia, Han and the droids - each of whom were divided into their own little quests (or problems) separate from each other.

It was a unique plot in the SWU, featuring tiny bugs called 'drochs' that absorbed harmlessly into the skin - but it turns out they were sucking life force from the host and feeding the lead droch, who could pass for a human. The leader of Nam Chorios is Seti Ashgad, and working with the droch leader (Dzym) he had taken Leia prisoner. Also in the mix was a former Jedi Knight who was a Hutt. Between the difficulty of following the first portion of the book, and the disappointing news that a Hutt could be a Jedi (had struck me as impossible, before this), I struggled to focus on just enjoying the story. The fight scenes weren't great because Luke couldn't use the Force because on that planet doing so would have repercussions that would cause harm to the natives there.

It's at this point in the series where I've come to the realization that the Star Wars Legends universe should have slowed down on the book releases. It's okay to say 'no' to ideas sometimes.

[Griffin Honeycutt · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are a lot of things I could say about this book, but in short, this is the worst Star Wars book I've ever read, and possibly one of the worst books I've read period. I could hardly tell what was going on most of the time, the quality of the writing is just horrible. Sentences, ideas, locations, themes, they just never connected into something that was readable, much less enjoyable. At times I thought I was zoning out or not paying enough attention, but no, the book really just is that poorly put together. The last 50 pages or so add satisfying things to Luke and Leia's arcs that make it worth the read for diehards but aside from that there is absolutely nothing enjoyable here for the casual audience. I actively discourage you from reading this book.

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book was not terrible. I was pretty worried after reading children of the Jedi, which is one of the worst books I’ve read period. I thought this one was an improvement as it was actually comprehensible. The humor worked a lot better in this one I thought. Also, I do give Hambly credit for exploring leias character and why she doesn’t want to be a force user in a meaningful way that goes beyond “she doesn’t want to” or “she’s too busy”.

The story itself, however, wasn’t really one worth writing. It was kind of boring and felt insignificant. I wouldn’t call it terrible, but I wouldn’t call this one good either. Skip it unless you’re a completionist with these books

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically the same formula, but this time it worked. The success of Star Wars novels aren't based on believability or innovation, but whether--amid the familiar space opera setting and characters--the author engages the reader in that willing suspension of disbelief upon which the success of all fiction hinges. In Planet of Twilight, Hambly did it.

[Wesley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Terrible book and if I remember right, really conflicts with the prequels. She should have never been allowed to write in the Star Wars world. Her characters were not even close to relatable to how they behaved in the movies or other "expanded" universe books.

Skip this one.

[Matthew · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow...literally awful. I defended Children of the Jedi, but this cannot be defended. It makes me even more mad, because it had good ideas, but ruined them all anyway. This book has one objectively good aspect - it makes the prequels look all right!

[Joel Rentola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Todella hyvä kirja. Kirja kertoo ajasta Star Wars elokuva Jedin Paluu jälkeen.

[Riley · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Planet of Twilight" is Barbara Hamblys 2nd crack at a Star Wars novel, and after the disaster that was "Children of the Jedi" (along with this books reputation in its own right) I expected a piece of garbage. While the book is heavily flawed I was presently suprised by *parts* of this book.

For one, Planet of Twilight is significantly better written than Children of the Jedi. There are still occasional misspelled words and long run on sentences, but far less frequent here. I found this book perfectly readable.

The plot was quite an improvement too. I really like the fact that the main villian of the book was a wholly new sect with different goals instead of just an empire cell again. Of course this is ruined in the end by adding a useless Imperial Invasion Fleet which goes nowhere and adds nothing. The same can be said for the Han plot and the Droid plots. They simply serve no purpose and don't need to be there. The Han plot especially. It feels like she just shoehorned something in there because Han needed something to do.

Thats my main flaw with the book. its incredibly over stuffed. There is entirely way too much going on. The amount of plot coupled with the excruciating detail (and often pretension) Hambly goes into just makes things so confusing. I had practically no idea what was going on the first half of this book. Far too many characters, motivations, plots, planets. C3PO and R2D2 get kidnapped/picked up by like 3 or 4 different people. The book introduces TWO separate race wars. Very easy to get lost.


I will say however when the book begins to pick up in the second half Luke and Leia's plot lines on Nom Charios are delightful. I think both gi through an interesting journey, especially Leia. Her prison break scene is exhilarating, and you feel so hype after her first victory in a lightsaber fight.

The other moment of characterization that stood out to me was for Luke. A character refers to him as "the last Jedi" and Luke responds by saying "No. the first of a new batch". This is perfectly in line with the kind of hopeful characterization I like for Luke.

Random nitpick but why is Leia's lightsaber Yellow on the cover when Hambly clearly describes it as being sky blue on multiple occasions.


TLDR there is a good book in Planet of Twilight. It is just bogged down by needless filler plot and pretentious detail

[Jeremy Campbell · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was another confusing weirdly written novel by Barbara Hambly and much like Children of the Jedi I did not care for it. Han, Leia and Luke all felt strangely written with many phrases these characters would not make along some weird verbiage that does not exist in today’s world (or in the OT universe). I honestly could not have cared less about Leia’s story in this book. Han was kind of MIA for most of it and Luke continues his weird teen angsty love obsession of which I never bought into and an hoping it’s at it’s end. I gave this one 2 star because I did think R2 and C3P0 were written in character and I could hear their voices (or sounds) in my head.

[Kasc · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a long time, I neglected the Callista novels and now I have finally finished them. In my opinion this is the best of the three books. Yes, portions of its plot are pretty farfetched, it does have some lengthy passages, and its ending is neither good nor satisfying. Nevertheless, I tremendously enjoyed reading this book which is why I’m giving it a four-star rating.

This novel starts off strong: Leia goes on a secret(ish) mission to intermediate a political conflict in a backdrop system just to be kidnapped all the while a deadly disease breaks out. Unfortunately, after offering an introduction into its interesting setup the plot gets carried away a bit only to gain momentum again in its second half.

The reason I lost interest for 150 pages or so is Luke’s storyline. I really couldn’t care less for his annoying obsession with Callista and his quest to find her largely contributed to any passages that could best be described as lengthy. Regarding everything else beside his personal mission Luke is pretty useless making him appear both neglectful of his responsibilities at the Academy and downright selfish. However, as the novel progresses this becomes less and less of an issue since the focus, which was never really on him in the first place, shifts further from him and he eventually does get involved in solving the grander issue at hand. Even so, his involvement doesn't really cast that much of a positive light on him either. Firstly, it takes him really long to finally divert from his single-minded resolution to find Callista. I mean, his sister’s blaster mysteriously turns up without any sign of her and still he does not think to go looking for her until having been called out to repeatedly through the Force. Secondly, he represents no practical help at all and lets his sister fight off an enemy in a lightsaber duel without intervening in the slightest knowing full well that she has neglected her training thus far and should therefore pose an inferior opponent. Overall, in this novel Luke seems to have reverted to his naïve, unskilled farm boy self from the Jedi Master he allegedly is. Let’s take for instance his run in with the giant drochs: he has a really hard time fighting them off and almost dies while his sister – again largely untrained – caught in the exact same situation gets away comparably easily.

Besides taking issue with the portrayal of Luke in this novel, I can’t help but feel a bit uneasy about some aspects of the overall plot, too. Naturally, there are many things I really enjoyed about it. For instance, the conflict between natives and colonists on this planet about the desired level of technological development and whether or not to open up to trade is interesting. Also, the notion of a threatening plague wreaking havoc on the galaxy is thrilling. Nevertheless, the antagonist having evolved from an organism that was originally designed to be food is just ludicrous.
Also, there are just so many things wrong with the abrupt final resolution: Daala suddenly reappears and decides to cooperate to conveniently save the day and then instead of having a serious conversation with Leia about her future relationship with the New Republic, she rides off into the sunset with an apparent former lover she has run into less than a minute ago. Just as conveniently, Luke finally discovers the planet’s “secret” which can be used to divert impending doom and ultimately get rid of the plague. As if all this weren’t enough, Luke and Callista exchange one glance and she disappears never to be seen again. Seriously? All this time I was certain she had died from the way other authors referred to her. How has there been no awkward run in with Mara at some point in the future?

Although my rant about things that bugged me plot-wise may make it seem that I did not really like this book, I am not lying when I say I genuinely enjoyed it. It is a solid novel that offers a gripping plot and focuses on the core characters. Especially its second half is a real page turner and conveys a number of unexpected twists and turns. Plus, it is a Leia centric novel, which I think there are too few of, where we get to see Leia at her best: getting herself out of a dire situation singlehandedly. Also, Leia’s absence on Coruscant shows how many processes within the New Republic really rely on her both highlighting the magnitude of her job and showing some serious flaws their political system obviously has.

Stylistically, this novel is – unsurprisingly – pretty similar to Children of the Jedi with the occasional carnage here and there.
Naturally, this is not high literature, but it is a lot of fun to read. It may well be a book I will actually pick up again at some point in the future. I would definitely recommend it and not only to die hard Star Wars fans. However, since the three books are just loosely connected one might do well to skip the first two installments.

[Jeremy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is just as bad as children of the jedi and she's by far the worse Author I've read out of all the Star Wars novels. It'svery hard to follow her book that I didn't even finish reading this one.

[Mark Oppenlander · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Planet of Twilight" begins with Leia on a covert diplomatic mission to meet with representatives from Nam Chorios, a backwater planet that was once used as a penal colony. But the interplanetary rendezvous ends in disaster, with Leia kidnapped by the dangerous Seti Ashgad, a one-time Imperial outcast. Most of the crew of her small fleet are dead and the ships are scattered; Threepio and Artoo are caught on one of the ships with no way to readily get back to Coruscant and warn the New Republic about this threat. Luke meanwhile has already traveled ahead to Nam Chorios, a planet that seems to be alive with the Force, despite having very few life forms. He believes that he will find Calista there, the resurrected Jedi who he loves (cf. "Children of the Jedi") and who has been missing for some time. But he crash lands on the planet and must make his way amongst the various inhabitants, not knowing who he can trust. Eventually, Han, Chewbacca and Lando realize that something has gone wrong and start a desperate search across the sector for Leia and the others.

That's really only the tip of the iceberg. We meet a Hutt who is a lapsed Jedi; witness the resourcefulness of Threepio and Artoo as they bounce from planet to planet; are introduced to an alien plague that might destroy everything in the Universe; watch Lando, Han and Chewie delve into search and rescue and much, much more. If this book sounds overplotted, I won't disagree. Hambly has a lot going on here. Much of what she tackles is interesting and even deftly written, but given the length of the book (388 pages), there is no time for her to go in-depth with any of the characters or situations. I often felt like I was reading a Reader's Digest condensed version of a much longer story - something that could well be a miniseries if it were on TV. I would forget after several chapters who certain characters were and have to flip back to be reminded.

Having read some of her other books, I know that Hambly holds quite an interest in the occult and often includes supernatural or even horrific elements in her stories. As usual, some of that shows up even in her science fiction writing. One of the major villains here is a creature who can suck the life force from others - vampires in space anyone?

The writing and Hambly's handling of the characters are fine. There was just too much going on for me to find any of it very satisfying in the end. And some of the plot elements were not my cup of tea. This is another EU book that I would describe as mediocre and classify as primarily being for Star Wars completists.

[Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember giving Barbara Hambly's first Star Wars novel, Children of the Jedi, a scathing review and declaring it my least favorite Star Wars EU novel out of everything I'd read up until that point. So color me surprised that the generally even less well regarded Planet of Twilight was actually a decent, enjoyable read. What stood out to me the most was how solid a grasp the author has of the main cast, with Leia and Threepio especially standing out as well written. Similarly, Ashgad and Dzym make for two decent villains, and the story's premise of political intrigue being mixed with a horror epidemic is intriguing. This is further exacerbated by the setting, Nam Chorios, which is incredibly detailed and immersive. Hambly's rich writing style lends itself well to creating an atmosphere unlike anything else in Star Wars; something I didn't give CotJ enough credit for in retrospect.
Sadly, with PoT's detailed prose comes pacing that left a lot to be desired. I can respect the author's decision to opt for a slower approach to Star Wars storytelling without much in the way of bombastic action sequences, but at times the book felt like it wasn't really getting anywhere. And while I lauded Ashgad and Dzym for being good villains, the third in their triumvirate, Beldorion, falls very short on top of just being a silly concept - a Hutt wielding a lightsaber. Some of the storytelling in the last third also didn't really quite land for me. Was it really necessary to bring Daala back and reunite her with an old lover if she is only going to appear in the last thirty pages or so? I like the idea of giving Callista one last appearance before dropping her completely, but she too barely has a presence in this book.
Would I recommend Planet of Twilight? If you enjoyed Children of the Jedi and want more of the same, definitely. And even if you didn't like that book, maybe consider giving this one a chance still, as it worked for me. I would suggest perhaps checking out Barbara Hambly's two Star Wars short stories Nightlily and Taster's Choice (part of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina and Tales from Jabba's Palace respectively) first, as they're much easier to get into than either two novel in addition to being great on their own.