Rating: Summary: Can someone clear this up for me? Review: Seems to me that Leia and Han are goin through a bad time. With Han trying to deal with Chewies demise, Leia is trying to help but Han yells at her. Also is Han ever going to go back home?
Rating: Summary: Han's back! Review: This book was awesome! It's not truly a matter of who wrote it but how well it's written and this book was written excelently. Han's trip, the Jedi assasin, espessally Han's interaction with his Ryn companion. Han finally comes to terms with Chewie's death and make amends with Anakin by the end of the book.
Rating: Summary: Oh Come On! Review: Don't get me wrong - I love the Star Wars novels and wouldn't miss one for the world. Also, I feel that the New Jedi Order series has been quite excellent so far overall. But did NO other reviewer get really fed up with the constant (and I am talking nearly every page here!) references thrown in to adventures 20 or more years in the Star Wars time line's past? They were so constant that it became quite taxing to read. The new stuff with the Vong was a worthy continuation of the plotline; however, the references to Solo's past and the lack of almost any original dialogue from any of the principle characters detract severely from this book's readability.Also, it contains a couple of errors that were annoying in a pesky kind of way - such as when earlier on in the book he mentions that Solo's donated his blaster to the New Republic's war museum and then about 50 pages later he's pulling it out of a cupboard in his apartment and dusting it off... Loyal readers will, like me, continue to buy books like this to keep up with the story; however, if the style is indicative of things to come, then I will be sadly disappointed.
Rating: Summary: Hot and Cold (3½ Stars) Review: I really enjoyed a great many things about this book, not least of which is the fact that it revolves around Han Solo, but delves substantially into his more emotional side. It also seeks to resolve certain elements within the escalating conflict between the New Public and the Yuuzhan Vong. However, James Lucerno's chaotic writing style makes events hard to grasp insofar as actual resolution is concerned. This hampers an already convoluted plot by the Yuuzhan Vong to infiltrate an assassin into the New Republic so that they can murder as many Jedi as possible with a poisonous virus carried within the lungs of the assassin. It also lays Chewbacca to rest in a private ceremony on his homeworld of Kashyyyk, and Lucnerno thankfully had the good sense not to have Chewie's relatives assume the life debt, even though it was suggested. Han skillfully manages to avoid having another Wookie as a first mate, since that would have diminished Chewie's death greatly. Instead, Han must come to grips with Chewbacca's death by himself and in his own fashion, which usually means periods of brooding introspection and occasional verbal attacks on family members, including Luke, Leia, and Anakin, who bears the brunt of Han's wrath while the lad must come to terms with the guilt he feels over Chewie's death, and his father's accusations that he left Chewie to die. The Vong fake an attack on a New Republic ship and sacrifice a vessel so that an escape pod bearing the priestess, Elan and her bizarre avian companion, a Fosh named Vergere. Beforehand, however, they connive a plan whereby Elan ingests a virus that will collect in her lungs and incubate until she is brought before the Jedi with vital information about Mara's illness. Then she exhales the virus which quickly multiplies and immediately causes hemorrhaging and an agonizing death. The reader steadily becomes suspicious of Vergere until it is revealed that she is actually from a region of the galaxy near the Corporate Sector. Doubly so when Elan wonders if the Yuuzhan Vong will ever come to master the Force, and Vergere states that the Vong aren't really worthy of it. A rather amusing chain of events ensues as a band of traitorous humans known as the Peace Brigade learn that Elan is in New Republic hands, but isn't aware that it is a plot by the Vong. The Peace Brigade is a band of traitors who have sold out to the Vong, and believing they will be rewarded for the return of one of their own, hatch a plan to capture Elan. In the Ord Mantell system, Han meets up with Big Bunji, from the old Han Solo books, just as the Yuuzhan Vong attack. Things turn inane when the Vong attack a space station known as Jubilee Wheel with a giant elephant trunk that begins vacuuming people out of the station! However, that aside, the ensuing dialog between Han and a Ryn named Droma escalates into a rousing series one-liners that had me laughing out loud. Escaping the Jubilee Wheel, Han and Droma board the Queen of Empire, a passenger liner ferrying refugees Coreward. It becomes pretty obvious that Han has found a new first mate in the pleasantly goofy Ryn, Droma. I found however that Lucerno's writing style isn't well suited to depicting the Yuuzhan Vong. As Stackpole and Salvatore have done in the past with the aliens, Lucerno's Yuuzhan Vong have very little menace to them. Nom Anor is reduced to being little more than a toady, gone is the malevolence that he displayed so wonderfully in 'Vector Prime'. Plus Lucerno lacks Stackpole's ability to write space combat sequences. Whereas 'I, Jedi'; 'Onslaught'; and 'Ruin' gave the reader vivid accounts of X-wings having it out with coralskippers, complete with pilots' input and battle chatter, Lucerno's battles are more sterile and come across as if viewed from a distance or dispassionately. There are too few cameos, except from characters like Kyp Durron and Wurth Skidder. All in all not a bad go, but something of let down after the first three books. I only hope 'Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse' has a little more focus to it. On the up side Lucerno does portray Han Solo very well, and seems more like his old 'Stars' End' self rather than an aging space pirate. My other hopes is that the series doesn't wimp out with its conclusion by trumping up some silly deus ex machina ending, but instead something with vastly more grit and mettle to it. We're not reading Star Trek here, because Star Wars gas always been something better. May the Force be with you.
Rating: Summary: Solo's back, and it's just like old times Review: Finally, an author that has studied up on his subject and actually researched the SW history before writing the book. He has successfully combined elements from every area of the SW timeline without messing up like others who have treid this. The battle scenes in this book are well-written, on par with Stackpole. In fact, I wouldn't mind seeing Luceno write a Rogue Squadron book sometime. He did a great job in developing Han's character (and pulling him out of his hole of grief and self-pity). The plot was well-developed with great care to the details. I would have liked to have seen some Jedi action, but the book was about Han, so it's understandable. I also loved the way he ended the sixty year long cliffhanger about a lost Jedi. In short, the was a great book, masterfully written. Mr. Luceno, you did a wonderful job.
Rating: Summary: Finally Han is Back!!! Review: I love the New Jedi Order Series, it is finally a dose of reality to the beloved Star Wars Universe, but I have really been dissappointed that since Chewie's death, Han has been non-existent. No need to fear any longer, SOLO IS BACK!!! This book is outstanding also in the fact that it gives "Tom Clancy-Like" details on the bio-weaponry of the Yuzhan Vong. Keep them coming, this is becoming an even greater epic!
Rating: Summary: Han Solo fans rejoice! Review: Although our favorite rogue turned hero has been missing in the last two New Jedi Order novels, he returns to the forefront and in great form. Finally coming to deal with the loss of Chewbacca and the rift that loss has created between him and his son Anakin. The Vong this time around try a more subdued attack rather than the brute force we have seen in the last several novels and once again are fleshed out with the new caste we see. I greatly enjoyed this book, and I am awaiting the next in the series happily!
Rating: Summary: ITS HERE- THE BREATHTAKING CONTINUATION OF A GREAT SERIES!!! Review: Only one word can be used to describe this book- WOW!! Han Solo finally came out of his depression and transformed into the risk taking rogue we all know and love. I seriously could not put this book down. It is a wonderful addition to the Star Wars universe. I strongly recommend this book to any who loves Star Wars.
Rating: Summary: Darker story, but a happy ending. Review: I like this book, though the author has Nom Anor back. It starts at Obroa-Skai, after it is captured by the Vong. Then they start translating the history information and then talk about infecting the rest of the Jedi with Mara's illness, using the guise of a defecting Vong preistess, an assasin in disguise. Han is back and back for blood. Chewie's son,Waroo, and his nephew,Lowbacca, want to continue the life debt. Han says that he'll think about it, and goes off on his own little journey, eventualy running into the Vong preistess. All in all, a great book. Something happens to Mara on p. 335, but I'm not telling.
Rating: Summary: Great Star Wars book! Review: I've loved Star Wars from the very beginning. As a community librarian, naturally I'm book oriented and I've read every Star Wars book ever printed. I really love the New Jedi Order series, especially how they all interconnect. Poor Han was getting very dull, just vegging into middle age and then getting hit with Chewie's death really woke him up. I know other people have complained about Han moping around in the previous novels, but he had to go through that to finally realize he had to get back to his real self in order to finish grieving for his pal. It was interesting to read about Vergere, Elan's "pet" and wonder whether this is the same former Jedi Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi were looking for in Rogue Planet by Greg Bear. Please read this book; you'll be pleasantly surprised.
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