Force Heretic Trilogy: Remnant, Refugee, & Reunion (Star Wars: New Jedi Order) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was surprised this book got so many bad reviews. I for one like the direction Dix and Williams are taking the New Jedi Order series. Their entry is a trilogy about the search for Zonama Sekot, the living planet. This first book follows the team as they enter Imperial space and fight off the Vong. Also, Han, Leia, and Jania go scouting the New Republic for systems that lost contact with the main government. Both are slower plot lines and allow the story to really develop. However, my favorite part of the book is all the attention paid to Nom Anor. His story of meeting the Shamed Ones and the Jedi heresy is the third major plot line of the book and really reveals more about his character. Of course, we see Nom Anor scheming to get back into power, but also some glimmers of other feelings. Overall, I'm glad the series is getting away from the major battles of the Vong war and allowing the characters to take these side quests.

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Force Heretic II: Refugee (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 16) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is a waste of money. I cannot fathom how nearly 400 pages can contain NOTHING to advance a storyline. Even if you are a fan who would normally buy it for your collection, my advice is to skip it altogether.
As with the first book in this trilogy, there are numerous spelling and grammar errors (particularly split infinitives, which might be acceptable for speech, but not for narration), fixations on particular words and/or phrases (e.g., "Be that as it may..." is used WAY too often), and inconsistencies. I still am unaware whether CEDF stands for Chiss Expansionary Defense Force or Chiss Expeditionary Defense Force, since it switches between them repeatedly. Or perhaps there are two such bodies, one with each name, that share the same acronym; it certainly is not clarified in this book.
As with Remnant, book 1 of the trilogy, there are three separate storylines. One following Luke and others on a quest to find The Rogue Planet (see that book for a story actually worth reading), the second follows Han and Leia et al. investigating comm breakdown from former New Republic Allies, the third focuses on Nom Anor and his infidel uprising on the former Coruscant.
All three story lines go nowhere. For Luke, there is an absolutely pointless and unresolved conflict that occurs on the Chiss homeworld, which we don't even get to see on the star chart, with everything still referred to as the Unknown Regions. Nevermind that they mention many planets and such, leaving the reader to guess where they might be. For Han and Leia, on Bakura, there is about 100 wasted pages of poor exposition, again with battles simply for their own sake, serving no plot advancing purpose. The resolution is disappointing, again with no surprise. Meanwhile, NOTHING happens with Nom Anor except that he gains an informer.
Honestly, this story reads as though written both by AND for a twelve year old. It is insulting that this is included in the storyline populated by quality writing earlier in the series. The best thing this book might be used for is recycling.

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Force Heretic III: Reunion (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 17) Review

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(More customer reviews)Holy cow I am glad this series is over. Almost nothing happend in the entire series. That to me was the most annoying part.
And I personally didn't care for the authors syle of writing. I prefere chapers as opposed to lenthly sections. And I have never been so frustrated in a book as this one. About half way through the book, he (the author) would write a few paragraphs of what is going on with these people get it all good and then jump to a totally different story line with different people. I don't mind that so much if you space it out some, but "blah blah JUMP!, blah JUMP, blah JUMP, bl__ JUMP! I was going nuts. You have to read the first few maby one inbetween and last few pages out of 40 or so to find out what happend to anybody. Heaven forbid you do a entire story about what happend to this person at this time and then go on to another person/story. Very frustrating
Like I said in my title, thank goodness this series is over; worst 3 books in NJO.

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The Jedi move one step closer to saving the embattled galaxy— only to confront a formidable wall of resistance. The harrowing search for Zonama Sekot is finally over for Luke Skywalker, Jacen Solo, and the others aboard the Jade Shadow. But joy turns to alarm when the living planet sends a defiant message: it refuses to follow them back to a galaxy full of war, exploitation, and misery.While Luke works feverishly to persuade the elusive planet to reconsider, the Yuuzhan Vong launches a full-scale attack aimed at the heart of the new alliance. Sent to defend a major communications base, Han and Leia find themselves hopelessly outnumbered. Reinforcements are just too far away to help before everything is destroyed. So the courageous pair must now fight an unrelenting battle against staggering odds. Whether they actually survive is another matter. . . .

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Remnant: Force Heretic I (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order) Review

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(More customer reviews)This was the first of the NJO series that I just couldn't finish. I kept putting the book down. The authors couldn't keep my attention. I guess I'll have to force myself to re-read it, if I'm going to endure their next books. Maybe this would have been better if only one author had worked on it, rather than the tag team of Williams and Dix.
I noticed there were some parts that I really enjoyed, like the story about the slave transport in the prologue, and the Imperial Remnant. There were other parts, like the story about Nom Anor and the Shamed that weren't very interesting, nor were they plausible. I just wish they were able to write the rest of the book with as much passion as they put into the prologue. Maybe this reflects the strength or weakness of the authors? Perhaps they each wrote different parts of the book, rather than collaborating on the entire novel?
I bought the book based on the teaser about Luke and Mara searching for Zonama Sekot. I wish I had opened to the last page to read that, even at the end of the book, Luke has not found the "force" planet. You get to read the next one or two or ten books to find out what happens.
Argh! I've followed the NJO series from the beginning. I don't mind waiting, but this is a new low. If you're going to tease us like this, at least let him find the planet, even if it takes another book to flesh out the story. I realize that maybe this isn't the author's fault. Perhaps I should get mad at the editor or publisher. Still, after 400 pages you expect that some part of the teaser will be resolved!!
I can understand stretching out the Vong story for 10 or 15 books, although my patience is starting to wear thin. However, trying to write 2-3 books about the subplot of Luke and the force planet, or Nom Anor and the Shamed Ones just won't work. There just isn't enough there to keep you entertained.
If the original trilogy had been done like this, "Star Wars: A New Hope" would have been written as a series of 10 books... the back cover would have a teaser about the destruction of the Death Star, and the last page would end with "Luke Skywalker turned off his targetting computer and trusted in the Force. Would he be able to destroy the Death Star? Whatever it took, he was going to do it. THE END"

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Dark Tide I: Onslaught (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 2) Review

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(More customer reviews)I gave this book 4 stars because I reserve 5 stars for really groundbreaking books with outstanding plots. In the Star Wars Universe, I have given 5 stars only to I Jedi (also by Stackpole), Vision of the Future, and the uproariously funny Star Fighters of Adumar. Onslaught isn't quite in that category. Mr. Stackpole is adding to an established story arc and must work within the confines of the arc. He does a tremendous job of making the plot and characters become true to the Star Wars name. This book focuses mostly on Luke and Mara, the Solo Children, Corran Horn, and Princess Leia. For those readers who missed Han Solo in this book, be patient. Han gets two books of his own soon. Jim Luceno (former writing partner of the late Brian Dailey, author of the Early HS trilogy) will be writing books 4 and 5 of the New Jedi Order. Han will get his day.
In Onslaught, Stackpole shows more about the new villains, and makes them seem very alien and threatening. These guys are really BAD! Even Corran Horn is astounded by their ruthlessness, and he's seen the dregs of the Galaxy. When Stackpole writes of Luke and Mara, we can see the depths of their love of each other. And Luke fans will find the Jedi Master at his best. The Solo children continue to blossom into real people in Onslaught. Stackpole does a marvelous job of combining the Solo children, as seen in the Young Jedi Knights and other books, with the almost grown up Solos of Vector Prime. He continues the growth that was started by Salvatore and adds the connections to previous works that was missing in Vector Prime. Corran Horn fans will will love Onslaught, he is well represented in Onslaught. Corran has "grown up" some since his Rouge Squadron days, but still has that delightful arrogance that only a former CorSec officer could have.
To sum it all up, Onslaught is not Stackpole's best work, but it is what was needed to bring the New Jedi Order to ALL Star Wars fans, old and new. Stackpole skillfully blends the best of Vector Prime and the New Jedi Order story with the Star Wars that so many of us have know and loved for so long.

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