Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)After reading the Force Unleashed and the Fatal Alliance, both books I found average at best, I was a little worried about reading this second installment. I was picturing our fearless and recently dead Jedi/Sith to once again go force crazy as he fought a "boss level" every third chapter, a storyline that was done to death in the first book. To my surprise and gratitude I was wrong. Sean Williams has out done himself with this one. He has woven a complex and intricate web of emotion and suspense that makes the reader feel as if they are in the head of the main characters.
Juno Eclipse is removed from being Starkillers chauffeur and promoted to a major player within the resistance. A promotion that later bites her in the rear-end as she finds herself in a very unforgiving position later in the book. Sean did a very good job delving into the mind of Juno using her personality and affection towards Starkiller to further the books depth.
Starkiller himself has returned from beyond the grave(maybe) and the shallowness of the gaming storyline to be a well-developed character that is more than just a point A to B stick figure that is heartless and mindless. Sean has taken this character and worked his magic, usually saved for his own non-Star Wars books, and made Starkiller a human who's complexities are far deeper than the savage force wielder slaughtering everything in his path.
As for the other characters we have come to know from the first book, Kota, PROXY, Vader and the Organa's, yes they are there and yes they play very important roles within the storyline but this book has a completely different feel in comparison to the first that leaves these characters as a more supportive than instrumental part of the story. With the story taking place during the resistance there are a few surprise appearances from characters we know and love and as many of you may already know from trailers and commercials Starkiller does come in contact with our beloved Yoda. But be warned, do not look forward to in-depth interaction with these characters, it is my guess they have been thrown in for the sake of the game and are not heavy factors within the book.
All-in-all this book has done wonders to reaffirm my belief that Sean Williams is more than capable of producing a well written, complex and fun story within the Star Wars universe. I have begun to wonder about some of the books being published by Del Ray these days as their story arch's are borderline two-dimensional with only a few "deep and emotional" stand alones coming out once a year.
As for the four star rating. The book is very heavy on emotion and character psychology and the balance between that and the action scenes can be a little muddled, but that is only a minor factor. I was more disappointed with the lack of substance with Yoda and the fact that a very heavy thread to the story was left dangling at the end, I'm sure intentionally for the next installment. A fact that overall was not a big deal, it's just with the ending the way it is it left me with a feeling that only one thing was accomplished by the end of 280 pages when there could have been a lot more.
4.5/5 stars for the story. 4.6/5 on the epic scale. One of my favorites and sure to be read again in the future. Wise you would be to read this book I think.ALL FEEDBACK IS HIGHLY APPRECIATED. THANKS AND GOOD READING.
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Star Wars: The Force Unleashed IINATIONAL BESTELLER The dark side could not seduce him.The Empire could not control him.Death could not defeat him.And now, nothing can stop him from seizing his destiny. As apprentice to Darth Vader, Starkiller was mercilessly schooled in the ways of the dark side and groomed for the ultimate Sith power play: assassination of the Emperor. He served without question, killed without remorse, and lost his heart without warning to beautiful Imperial fighter pilot Juno Eclipse, never suspecting that he was just a tool in the schemes of his masters—until it was too late to escape their lethal betrayal.Juno mourned Starkiller as dead, but now he is back, purged of all memories and programmed to kill—and this time, Darth Vader is determined not to lose his assassin. As fate brings Juno and Starkiller closer to reuniting, they will both have to make a stand. The prize could be freedom. The punishment for failing will be eternal enslavement to the dark side of the Force.Based on a story by Haden Blackman
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