Rating: 
Summary: The Turning Point
Review: Destiny's Way is the 15th New Jedi Order novel. In the previous volumes, the Yuuzhan Vong have been bloodied at Coruscant and Borleias. Now it's the turning point and Jacen is coming home. In this novel, Jaina initiates a plan to destroy a major Yuuzhan Vong flagship carrying the Supreme Overlord at Obroa-skai, the library world; using Trickster, her captured frigate analogue, Jaina seems to flee with a New Republic task force in pursuit. When the Yuuzhan Vong take the bait, the New Republic force uses their new tools to jam communications and sow confusion. Only one Yuuzhan Vong frigate escapes the trap. Athough Jaina recognizes that the battle was a significant victory for the New Republic, she is still disappointed to learn that the Supreme Overlord was not on the flagship. Although Jaina doesn't know it, the New Republic has just destroyed the last mobile reserve force available to the Yuuzhan Vong. Now the Supreme Overlord is forced to consolidate and regroup, thereby giving the New Republic some breathing room. The New Republic senate chooses a new head of state and the New Republic military begins to replace its losses. Moreover, they accept a plan devised by Admiral Ackbar to train the replacement forces and then to lure the Yuuzhan Vong into a killing ground. Jacen has come to see the Yuuzhan Vong as part of Life and therefore worthy of Jedi protection. Moreover, he convinces Luke that the absence of the Yuuzhan Vong within the Force is a failure of Jedi perception and Luke changes Jedi policy toward the Yuuzhan Vong. Jacen also learns that he has the ability to coordinate large numbers of ships while in meld with other Jedi and becomes an integral part of Ackbar's plan. Moreover, he continues his secret contact with the World Brain on Coruscant and advises the Brains on ways to harass the Yuuzhan Vong. Truly, the turning point has come. Either the New Republic will began to regain lost ground or will be destroyed. This novel is a must read for those who have followed the New Jedi Order series. While it has plenty of soul-searching and sorrows, it is also jam-packed with action. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: I'm Rating The Praxis
Review: Walter Jon Williams is one of the best sf writers, and his latest novel (first in a series) The Praxis is currently available only from Amazon UK as it's not yet published in the States. Great galaxy-spanning story, with overtones of Foundation and The Lensman Series. I finished this late at night on a cross country flight, and I was almost having heart palpitations when the Naxids were preparing to board Martinez' ship! Williams always has great female characters, and Carolyn Sula is one of his best. If you're an sf fan go to Amazon UK and pick this one up -- you'll have a year head start on the chumps this side of the pond!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed but it is a book truly for Star Wars fans...
Review: As an avid reader of the NJO series I've read many great moments during the series and had many more disappointments. This book is up there with the disappointments. My biggest recommendation for authors coming to the EU is do the research first!
The character relationships are totally out of character and sometimes I'm left to wonder where we are going in this book. Jacen's return should have been hailed as a major event to friends and family but is lackluster and didn't the author know about Winter and Tycho's relationship (case in point about doing your research) and it seems we have more talking about safeguarding the galaxy than doing it. With the series seemingly coming to end in 2003 early 2004 I hope all this talk about destiny pays off.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, however, where is this all going?
Review: Okay, it's book 14 of the NJO series (not including some of the eBook content on the net) and finally what's left of the New Republic seems to shift the tide of the war against the Vong. However, even at the conclusion of this novel it appears the readers that are staying on this train are in for a long ride. Now that Jacen has returned and has been reunited with his family, the enigmatic Vergere begins to reveal her true nature and origin and claims that Jacen Solo is headed for his true destiny. Of course Luke, Mare and others are wary about Vergere's actions and keep a close eye on her. Admiral Ackbar returns (with Winter in tow) and devises a new plan that will decisively turn the war around. However in order to bring this plan to fruition the New Republic government needs to lend its support. In doing so, a new Chief of State must be elected and as this happens a new Jedi Council is formed. Han Solo is re-activated as a general and must pull together other scattered remnants of various characters to lend their hand in Ackbar's plan. Leia briefly visits the Empire and requests their help early in the book, but nothing really becomes of that (I kinda wonder why this was included unless it's sowing the seeds for a future novel, but otherwise useless here). Jaina Solo continues to battle with her emotions, often teased by the dark side. She recognizes this and embraces the upcoming battles and her re-uniting with Jacen to distract her, but the question is for how long?
Good, however, where is this all going? Another sub plot concerns the fact that a ultra secret New Republic operation has produced a biological weapon that will kill the Vong once and for all, however, the Jedi and a few others see this as a super-weapon with designs all too familiar with Emperor Palpatine's horror attached to it. They must act to dissuade its use or slow down its activation before its too late so of course an epic showdown between the Vong and the forces of the New Republic must meet. On the flip side the Vong introduce yet another new character, the Supreme Overlord over warmaster Lah and executor Nom Anor. The Vong begin to realize that their forces are spread thin, and resources are becoming more limited. They need a large victory to continue their efforts. Enter the continual scheming of Nom Anor (such a great character). I think the author did a superb job of action pacing and made very logical developments that held this book together. I think the reader will be pleased. Now my problems: Many known characters are absent, the meeting with the Empire was pointless, Jacen's destiny (without giving it away) is un-resolved and un-clear?, other plot threads in previous books were ignored, and most seriously...where is this all going? Again, after 14 books (and two other currently being written) is there an end in sight? I'm starting to feel that the overall picture of the NJO is getting stale and drawn out.
Rating:
Summary: Its getting there
Review: Jacen is back--alive out of captivity he brings with him the increasingly mysterious Voygee. Together they have new information, the Yazen Vong ARE in fact members of the force, just the force in a way Jedi cannot sense it. This proves to be of little use to the New Republic at present, it is scattered and its people have lost almost all confidence in the leadership. With the help of the frail Admiral Akkbar the forces of the new republic prepare for a huge gambit this could be a reversal of fortune for the Republic. My thoughts I didn't like this one as much as I liked Rebel Dream or some of the others. While the last 60 pages or so make up for a book otherwise lacking in a lot of action, all everyone seems to be able to do is TALK!! TALK TALK TALK!! These people are supposed to be out there guarding the galaxy shouldn't they do something more then talk about how they WILL safeguard the galaxy? Now in this case, with the elections for new senate members I can understand the necessity of doing this. However if you don't like a lot of talking this book is not for you. Overall-I consider myself a simple man, give me a lot of stuff in a Star Wars book, then blow it up for me then I am happy. The last 60 pages or so make up for a lot of this. So in the end I decided to give this book 4 stars. I can't wait for the next book, the whole series is starting to look very promising again.
Rating:
Summary: The jihad continues, but our heroes make a comeback
Review: Wow! Usually it is Star Trek that parallels America's political landscape. Who would have guessed in 1998 when the first New Jedi Order Volume appeared that in 2001 religious warriors would declare war on America? Of course, the latest books no doubt draw on what is blowin' in the wind of our culture these days. Despite the polytheism of the Vong, it is very easy to make parallels between their warrior culture and that of the Muslim jihadi. It adds some external interest to the read.
This book is fun for the questions it answers, the tightness of the adventure, and the resolutions it offers for discrepencies that have come about due to the movie prequels. It is not my favorite, certainly. The Enemy Lines duology is the best in the series at capturing the joyful exuberance of the first Star Wars Movie. Still, our story is oved along. And our guys finally pull off some big victories!
Rating:
Summary: great read, whether or not its worth [the money I spent] ... is another ?
Review: I have found the New Jedi Order series to be an exciting deviation from the nosediving extended universe literature that came after Zahn and Stackpole. Destiny's Way is no exception to the rest of the NJI series. Although I did read this book in less than six hours one afternoon, yet I never put it down. The plot of this series was clearly plotted out in detail by a myriad of authors who divided up the writing tasks and an excellent job they did. The only thing that bothers me is the mentioning of the Yuuzhon Vong in prequal books that take place before the 6 episodes. These seem to eclipse the real Star Wars story and kinda bummed me out as pathetic as that sounds. Anyway, I enjoy a good, well-written read but despice garbage printed for the money they bring. With my basis in mind, I recommend this book to any who dont want to wait till paperback.
Rating:
Summary: Hum...
Review: Not to sound repetative of what has already been written, if you are SW fan, read the book, but do not expect too much.
The good thing:
The novel is not as dark and depressing. There is a lot of plot development. We learn where Vergery comes from.
The bad thing:
The author clearly is not familiar with EU. More than a few times you are left scratching your head at his descriptions. Somehow Force is something that you can turn on and off, and is in generaly described as nothing more then a convinient tool. And what is up with the "squadrons of capital ships"? I can complain further about how a lot of characters are described in very bazzar ways and do not seem like themselves, but I think that it has been mentioned several times already in other reviews. My last problem lies with his style. He skips from subplot to subplot way too much within a chapter. Sometimes it is hard to follow. And the athour needs to get a Thesourus. Using same word in several consecutive sentences reads very poorly. In short, a must read, so that you are not lost next book, but I suggest getting the book from the library first.
Rating:
Summary: Destiny's Way
Review: This is the best book of the series! The reasoning for this is because the plot lines are already established from the previous books, but beyond Star by Star, the rest of the books lack flow and solution. Although I will concede that Williams may not have found the right voice for all our favorite characters, he understood the need to have a change in the writing style and direction. This book resolves issues, instead of dragging them on and on. I am sure that a well followed series are obvious to a Publisher, and instruct their authors to spread the wealth and story line, but I find that to be greedy and it disrespects the faithful reader. I would read another NJO by Williams in a heart beat...Keep them coming.
Rating:
Summary: Out to pasture
Review: Being fourty-ish myself, I was hoping Luke and Mara would
contribute something to this "disaster". Although I enjoy
the adventures of the new generation, I wish the original
heros could do more than talk. After all they are in their
40's not their 80's.
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