Star Wars the New Jedi Order Books Review
Let's face information technology: my honey of fiction started with Star Wars. It fueled my budding imagination and, though I am somewhat aback to admit it, I got my start in creative writing with a lot of Star Wars fan fiction (fortunately, none of it always saw the lite of solar day because it was God-awful). All the same, I really got into the Expanded Universe novels thank you to a series that started back in 1999 chosen The New Jedi Order–and now, some twelve years later, I am ready to finally present my readers an opinion on these books.
The New Jedi Order series was an attempt to redefine Star Wars outside the classic format we were used to seeing: the Rebels vs. the Empire, with Luke Skywalker existence more than or less the only real Jedi Knight left in the galaxy, and the "Big 3" (Luke, Han, and Leia) existence the main cast of characters. With NJO, more accent was put on the next generation of Jedi–in particular on Han and Leia'due south three children: their daughter Jaina and their sons Jacen and Anakin. It also gave us a new enemy: the Yuuzhan Vong, an extragalactic race of alien warriors with a fanatical devotion to pain, a mission of conquest, and an obsession with eradicating all forms of technology and the "infidels" who used them. While these were not necessarily bad concepts to piece of work with, the way they were handled is… well, I'll explain beneath.
Normally, when I review a series, I don't go through each particular episode or installment, but there are nineteen books in NJO and only a few by the same author. And then instead of my usual treatment for a single volume, I'm going to provide a short but sweet review for each novel.
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Vector Prime, by R.A. Salvatore
And so it's 20-something years after Render of the Jedi. Han and Leia's kids are growing potent (with Jaina condign a starfighter airplane pilot, Jacen condign a pacifist/philosopher, and Anakin condign a Jedi who's here to kick donkey and chew bubblegum). And so that all goes to hell as aliens from outside the galaxy kickoff their invasion by way of crushing Chewbacca with a moon pulled out of orbit (I really wish I was making that upward). Han goes into a spiral of despair and alcoholism, but the fun'southward only just getting started.
Night Tide I: Onslaught, by Michael A. Stackpole
Luke Skywalker'due south wife, Mara Jade, has been afflicted with a terrible illness that mysteriously began merely earlier the Yuuzhan Vong (Why, you ask? Because, dramatic tension!). He sends Anakin to escort to Dantooine for recovery, just it happens to exist right in the middle of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion path. Big surprise, it gets invaded; cue massive ground battle-turned-infinite battle. Also, Jaina Solo joins Rogue Squadron, while her twin blood brother Jacen grapples even more with whether or non actually fighting the malevolent aliens with the ability of the Force is a proficient one (even Obi-Wan Kenobi knows the reply to that 1, yous and then-called Skywalker).
Dark Tide Two : Ruin, by Michael A. Stackpole
What's left of the Empire (who finally stopped going to war with the good guys a few serial back) decides to get in on this state of war, although this is compounded by the sudden anti-homo aptitude in the New Republic leadership (again, for the sake of dramatic tension!). Jedi Knight Corran Horn fights a duel with the local Vong commander for the fate of the unspoiled planet of Ithor and wins, but and then the Vong decide to exist jerks and just waste material the planet anyway. In other news, Jacen even so has trouble grappling with how he should be helping out too talking to animals and being generally pacifist.
Agents of Chaos I: Hero'south Trial, past James Luceno
Han Solo attends a memorial service for Chewbacca and and then decides to go over his crippling despair through a trip to the Outer Rim with an old friend named Roa. When their trip bring them right into the path of the invaders, Han actually starts to be his former adventurous, carefree self over again, in improver to getting a temporary new partner, Droma, whose species is basically the Star Wars version of the Romani.
Agents of Chaos 2: Jedi Eclipse, past James Luceno
Han and Droma get into more adventures as they endeavor to find Droma's family unit among the millions of refugees displaced past the invasion. They succeed, and Han even reunites with his friend Roa, who had fallen into enemy capture. Too, a once-cocky Jedi named Wurth Skidder does a complete 1-80 and sacrifices himself while trapped behind enemy lines.
Balance Point, past Kathy Tyers
Jacen tries to solve his moral dilemma past denying himself all contact with the Strength, which not only makes him even less heroic, but also blind to all the obvious villains in this story. Mara Jade Skywalker is revealed to exist pregnant despite the horrible illness ravaging her body, while Leia Organa Solo tries to make the planet Duro a haven for refugees, only for information technology to be invaded (noticing the design here?). Yet, Jacen does comprehend his Jedi heritage at the climax, when he fights and defeats the Vong's commanding general, Tsavong Lah, in an epic duel to save his mother'southward life. Savour this label while you can because it will exist forgotten until Matt Stover gets to make his own contribution to the series.
Edge of Victory I: Conquest, by Greg Keyes
Anakin Solo gets his own pair of novels, which is nice considering how much heroism was left to Luke, Han, and Leia in the previous novels, giving merely the occasional act to the Solo children. Here, he has to save a bunch of Jedi students from the Vong, although his dear interest, Tahiri, gets captured, so scarred and brainwashed into thinking she'south been a Vong all her life. Anakin has to team upwards with a disgraced Vong warrior named Vua Rapuung in order to save her, while also giving Rapuung an splendid heroic sacrifice for the Jedi.
Edge of Victory II: Rebirth, by Greg Keyes
Anakin tries to help Tahiri rediscover herself in the wake of the torture and implanted memories she received in enemy captivity. Along the way, they finally declare their love for each other. Things farther improve when Mara Jade Skywalker gives birth to her son, Ben, and the new family of three uses the Forcefulness to somehow eradicate the Vong-built-in illness from Mara's torso.
Star By Star, by Troy Denning
The New Republic and the Jedi finally get their act together and start wailing on the Vong, fifty-fifty though they current of air up losing Coruscant. Besides, the Vong start breeding super Jedi-killing creatures, so that promising young hero from the last two books leads a strike team to wipe out their cloning labs. He is so killed then the fans tin can realize that this is a serious war (because killing off Chewbacca wasn't plenty, yous come across).
Dark Journey, past Elaine Cunningham
Jacen gets captured, Jaina wants to shell the enemy with all of her hatred, and Jedi Knight Kyp Durron tries to stop her when he remembers what it was similar to fall to the dark side. Jaina gets over her fall pretty well, although it doesn't bring her blood brother back. We also become some Hapan courtroom intrigue that does little except piss off the heir, Tenel Ka, to the indicate where she accepts her heritage and becomes the next Queen (hooray for her).
Enemy Lines I: Insubordinate Dream, by Aaron Allston
The New Democracy starts falling apart once more, especially when the leadership seems convinced it tin can't win against the enemy later on losing Coruscant. Wedge Antilles, the crawly veteran of so many battles and one-time leader of Rogue Squadron, decides to spiral over the cowardly leaders by actually fighting back the Vong and making them impressed past their "infidel" enemy for once.
Enemy Lines Ii : Rebel Stand, by Aaron Allston
While Wedge and Visitor are boot Vong ass, Luke, Mara, and Tahiri become into enemy-held Coruscant, where they fight a Dark Jedi with lightsabers embedded in his elbows and kneecaps (don't inquire, information technology wasn't well thought out). It was never exactly clear how this threat put the entire galaxy at risk, but if Luke Skywalker says information technology must be destroyed, then so be it! Also, Han and Leia get to spend their fourth dimension setting up resistance cells on different planets, while Artoo-Detoo gets to polish by breaking them out of prison house despite being stuck on the other side of the planet.
Traitor, past Matthew Stover
Jacen Solo is beingness held convict and tortured daily past the Vong, just then remembers that he can talk to animals… and that everything the Yuuzhan Vong use for technology is based on living creatures. He makes friends with said biotech and proves he's a Skywalker by kicking donkey, taking names, and getting over his philosophical bug in a very mature fashion.
Destiny'south Way, past Walter Jon Williams
We get our commencement real glimpse of the Yuuzhan Vong leader, Supreme Overlord Shimrra, along with the first definitive victory by the New Republic. Jacen is reunited with his family, his mentor Vergere is enigmatic for a while earlier she sacrifices herself for him in the concluding battle, and Jaina proves herself a Jedi when she duels and kills Warmaster Tsavong Lah. Also, the New Republic makes a hilariously bad (and pointless) name change, now calling itself the "Galactic Federation of Free Alliances" or the Galactic Brotherhood for short.
Force Heretic I: Remnant, by Sean Williams and Shane Dix
Luke Skywalker leads an expedition for the long-lost planet of Zonama Sekot, which may hold the cardinal to defeating the Vong. Han, Leia, Jaina, and Tahiri proceed their own trip, trying to cheque in on those important allies trapped behind enemy lines, but Tahiri has a major freak-out as her Yuuzhan Vong persona resurfaces at the worst possible fourth dimension (Hey, look! Information technology'sdramatic tension!)
Forcefulness Heretic 2: Refugee, by Sean Williams and Shane Dix
Luke and Visitor get further into the Unknown Regions, where at one point they really attempt looking upward Zonama Sekot in the Chiss library (Rhapsodist Notation: But a reminder to delight support your local Expeditionary Library, considering reading brings noesis and Cognition is Ability!). Meanwhile, the Solos and Tahiri visit the remote world of Bakura, where a different conflicting race is trying to invade: the Ssi-Ruuk, beginning introduced in Truce of Bakura. Yet, their invasion is easier to put downwardly thank you to a slave defection, but Tahiri's Vong psychosis puts her into a dramatic coma!
Strength Heretic III : Reunion, by Sean Williams and Shane Dix
Zonama Sekot is institute, and considering it has its own behemothic hyperdrive (just get with it), information technology decides to come up forth with the Skywalkers to help out in the war. Han and Leia repair a communications port after the galaxywide HoloNet of a sudden goes out, while Jaina helps Tahiri integrate her Yuuzhan Vong self with her original personality. Then all the dramatic tension is over… FOR At present!
The Final Prophecy, by Greg Keyes
Tahiri and Corran Horn infiltrate Coruscant (which is surprisingly piece of cake given that it's the enemy capital and all) on the pretext of helping a Yuuzhan Vong defector escape. All the same, the defector turns out to be Nom Anor, the savvy and charismatic enemy spy who helped engineer the entire invasion in the very first volume. Everyone is then shocked (shocked, I tell you lot!) that he turns traitor and tries to get his people to bombard Zonama Sekot with a virus.
The Unifying Force, by James Luceno
The Battle of Endor Coruscant takes identify as the Alliance beats dorsum the Vong with a little help from the Ewoks Shamed Ones. Climatic battle ensues.Luke Jacen faces the evil Emperor Supreme Overlord and rejects the temptation of the dark side, saving both his sister Leia Jaina and the galaxy. The End.
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Last Verdict: This serial was ambitious for its scale and its direction… and both those counts, I think it flopped. Granted, information technology has some decent plots and characters (the best of which were in Matt Stover'sTraitor), merely there's no consistency in the character arcs, a lot of the deaths and development are for shock value, and some of the moral dilemmas existence posed are a bit artificial. I give this series something like three out of five stars, which is very good considered how I feel about its successors, Dark Nest and Legacy of the Force, which I'll exist reviewing adjacent week.
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Bibliography: Salvatore, R.A.Star Wars: New Jedi Order: Vector Prime. New York: Del Rey, 1999.
Stackpole, Michael A.Star Wars:New Jedi Guild: Nighttime Tide I: Onslaught. New York: Del Rey, 2000.
Stackpole, Michael A.Star Wars:New Jedi Order: Dark Tide II: Ruin. New York: Del Rey, 2000.
Luceno, James.Star Wars:New Jedi Order: Agents of Chaos: Hero's Trial. New York: Del Rey, 2000.
Luceno, James.Star Wars:New Jedi Order: Agents of Chaos: Jedi Eclipse. New York: Del Rey, 2000.
Tyers, Kathy.Star Wars:New Jedi Order: Balance Point. New York: Del Rey, 2000.
Keyes, Greg.Star Wars:New Jedi Order: Edge of Victory I: Conquest. New York: Del Rey, 2001.
Keyes, Greg.Star Wars:New Jedi Order: Edge of Victory II: Rebirth. New York: Del Rey, 2001.
Denning, Troy.Star Wars:New Jedi Order: Star By Star. New York: Del Rey, 2001.
Cunningham, Elaine.Star Wars:New Jedi Gild: Dark Journeying. New York: Del Rey, 2002.
Allston, Aaron.Star Wars:New Jedi Order: Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream. New York: Del Rey, 2002.
Allston, Aaron.Star Wars:New Jedi Society: Enemy Lines 2: Rebel Stand up. New York: Del Rey, 2002.
Stover, Matthew.Star Wars:New Jedi Order: Traitor. New York: Del Rey, 2002.
Williams, Walter Jon.Star Wars:New Jedi Order: Destiny's Style. New York: Del Rey, 2002.
Dix, Shane. Williams, Sean.Star Wars:New Jedi Lodge: Force Heretic I: Remnant. New York: Del Rey, 2003.
Dix, Shane. Williams, Sean.Star Wars:New Jedi Order: Force Heretic II: Refugee. New York: Del Rey, 2003.
Dix, Shane. Williams, Sean.Star Wars:New Jedi Lodge: Force Heretic III: Reunion. New York: Del Rey, 2003.
Keyes, Greg.Star Wars:New Jedi Order: The Last Prophecy. New York: Del Rey, 2003.
Luceno, James.Star Wars:New Jedi Order: The Unifying Force. New York: Del Rey, 2003.
Source: https://rhapsodistreviews.wordpress.com/2011/06/02/new_jedi_order/
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