The Swarm War (Star Wars: Dark Nest, Book 3) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was on the fence regarding the whole of the "Dark Nest" trilogy. While I share Han's attitudes towards bugs (terrestrial and otherwise), I kept an open mind throughout. If Denning's trilogy was as much a depature from the status quo as it seemed--well, I endured all nineteen of the NJO series, so what harm is there in a Killik-centric trilogy?
Seeing as how this was both an epilogue to events left unfinished in Denning's novels "Star by Star" and "Tatooine Ghost" (not to mention Luke learning the circumstances surrounding his mother and father during the rise of Darth Vader), the trilogy worked well enough.
As for "The Swarm War," Denning manages to bring the oft-mentioned Myrkr mission/disaster to an emotional close; indeed, that Raynar was able to call the survivors to his side shows that the boy will undoubtedly play a potentially significant role in the upcoming "Legacy of the Force" saga. Yet this hook, with the whole Joiner subplot, really wasn't as great as I was hoping. The conclusion, that final showdown between Luke and Lomi Plo (honestly, doubt as a weapon is a grand idea. But not in the hands of an incompetent Nightsister with insectile prostheses) was a disappointment, as was the confrontation between Jacen and Luke. While the Solo child may never receive his comeuppance, it was disheartening to see that Luke could be so dissuaded by his nephew. Indeed, it seems that Jacen has somehow managed to turn Luke's doubt into a tool towards Jacen's own ends; this is one of those little threads that left me wondering what was next. Mind you, I liked that not everything was resolved, and that's what will bring me to press on.
Now, as for the Jaina/Zekk Joiner/Love interest subplot...it needed to die in "Swarm War." It didn't appear to provide any substance to the overall saga save for hitting home for the Alliance what being a Joiner meant. It was that I found hardest to tolerate; despite the three years that had passed since the recapture of Coruscant, Jaina seems to have forgotten what the war cost her emotionally.
But, we do see more of the Jedi turmoil--I'm curious to see where the Grand Master honorific will lead, not to mention the ultimatum issued by Luke in regards to the establishment of the Order. And we've apparently a resolution between the Galactic Alliance vis-a-vis Chief Omas and the Jedi.
Perhaps most gratifying was the return of Admiral Pellaeon as Supreme Commander of Alliance forces and his devotion to the Jedi.
If there is a Jedi Civil War on the horizon, this book was a good setup. If there's nothing more than another alien threat or new Dark Jedi on the rise (we've all heard the rumors of Lady Lumiya (sic?) from the X-Wing comic series making a return), than this might very well be the last time we'll see our heroes at their fighting best.
Still, this book has what one expects from Denning: clear-cut prose, a fast pace, and on-spot characterization that makes one confident that the rich characters of the Star Wars universe are in the hands of a fine author who is, as we know, capable of delivering much more.

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In the explosive conclusion to the Dark Nest trilogy, Luke Skywalker summons the heroes of the New Jedi Order from near and far, as the Star Wars galaxy teeters on the edge of eternal war. Yet even the combined powers of the formidable Jedi may not be enough to vanquish the deadly perils confronting them.The Chiss-Killik border war is threatening to engulf the entire galaxy and raising the awful specter of Killiks sweeping across space to absorb all living creatures into a single hive mind. The only hope for peace lies with the Jedi–and only if they can not only end the bloodshed between two fierce enemies but also combat the insidious evil spread by the elusive Dark Nest and its unseen queen.Leia's newly acquired Jedi skills will be put to the ultimate test in the coming life-and-death battle. As for Luke, he will have to prove, in a lightning display of Force strength and swordplay, that he is– beyond a shadow of a doubt–the greatest Jedi Master in the galaxy.

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