Rating: 
Summary: Unifying Force
Review: The Unifying Force by James Luceno was a mastery of a book. That is not to say it up there with the best books ever, but to a fan of the universe created by George Lucas it is one of the best ever. It deserves a ranking up there with Zahn's original trilogy. I have read all of the books in New Jedi Order as they came out along with all of the Star Wars books. The Unifying Force deserves a spot among the best in the New Jedi Order. My personal opinion is the top two are Star by Star and Unifying Force. I almost didn't jump on this one right away because the past few NJO novels have been OK and not stellar. I was glad I did. The book was fantastic. It had something for everyone. The war and massive space battles, and through statistics thrown in you get a sense of how massive this war is. The use of all the leaders throughout ALL of the previous Star Wars books, from Wedge Antilles to Ackbar, through Kre'fey to Sovv, including Bel Iblis and so many more. Your favorite was in this book. Unifying Force brought back all the favorite characters from other books. Some of my favorites, Shada, Talon, Crev Bombassa, Lando, and Tendra were all involved. The politics were there in limited form, same with love stories. Even though the Jedi and their affiliates really did get the focus in this story, Luceno made it not seem too focused on them and some other books have done. The best part of The Unifying Force, I believe, is the grandeur and absolute enormous size of it. It is huge in every sense. The Galactic Alliance is making a huge stand. While all the other books did a very good of bringing back a few old friendly faces, this book brings back EVERYONE. There is not a single important person not mentioned or that doesn't make an appearance. It is some much fun to see all your "old friends" in action playing important roles. I have only a few minor complaints with this book. I didn't want to put them in, but I feel I have to include them to be fair. The battles seemed rushed sometimes. Han, Leia, and Luke specifically seem to get into impossible situations with captures and fights all over the place, and they always conveniently get out. It seems almost as if the author was told that he was in no way or form to kill anyone important, which makes sense but kind off kills the suspense. Also, at times there seemed to be too many characters running around inside the Coruscant system and you sometimes lose track of them. However, as I said before, I have very few complaints with this novel. This book meant a lot to me personally. It was meant to have a feeling of closing. There is a very good chance this will be the last book to be set this side of the Galactic Civil War. The Unifying Force did this very well. I finished the book in a very happy mood, a very content one. The loose ends from all over the place were tied up. The New Jedi Order comes to a close with a great novel in The Unifying Force.
Rating:
Summary: The End of One Era, The Beinging of Anotehr
Review: The war is coming to an end, but who will win? Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker are stuck on the living planet Zonama Sekot, a planet that could be the salvation for both the Galactic Alliance and the Yuuzhan Vong. But Supreme Overlord Shirma would rather see every planet in the galaxy burn to ashes then to surrender, that's why he has hatch a five thousand plus ship fleet to Mon Calamari, temporary capital of the Galactic Alliance, to crush the native inhabits of the galaxy in massive stroke. But the Alliance commanders and the Jedi have a few tricks up their sleeves, but so do the Yuuzhan Vong. From the first to the last page, The Unifying Force will keep you reading for an uncountable amount of time. James Luceno, who wrote Agents of Chaos, (NJO books 4 and 5) comes back to write the conclusion of the New Jedi Order, a series of books that have broken the rules of fantasy and science fiction. It has kept it's readers glued to the page for five years, even though this series has 19 books (not including two ebooks), it doesn't seem to be enough to tell the tale of one of literature's most brutal wars. One closes the book of the New Jedi Order feeling as if he or she had just survived a massive cataclysmic disaster, but knows that they will be able to tough out any future conflict. This is not the end of the Expanded Universe, after the war with the Yuuzhan Vong, the Jedi find that they must redefined what the Forces is, lines between the Light and Dark have become permanently blurred. The Mandilorians, lead by none other then Boba Fett(he's only in the book for about five pages, then fly's off, so stop drooling), scored major brownie point with the Alliance by liberating several systems single handedly. But what do these small, but incredible strong warriors have in store for the rest of galaxy?
Rating: 
Summary: Was Ok but lacked some
Review: I liked the book but felt it lacked in the way it dealt with the vong, with them going from this large group to all of them being placed on the living planet. Also I was expecting a better explanaiton of how the vong where stripped of the force, since vigri did it to Jacen shouldn't there have been some analogy there. I agree with the on commmenter about Luke showing his Warrior side again, was nice to see.
Rating: 
Summary: A Masterful Resolution
Review: Wow! I have almost nothing but entousiastically positive comments for this excellent grand finale of the New jedi Order's 19-book saga. Once again, James Luceno has risen to the challenge. The expectations were very high indeed, not only because the series needed to be completed with the bang, but also because of the Herculean task of tying up the myriads of loose ends. To compound the pressure, four of the last five NJO novels had defiintely been sub-par. Unifying Force more than makes up for it. The scale is positively epic. The cast is huge, the action is constant, the narration gripping. I read the whole 500+ page novel in one straight sitting (and had to visit the chiropractor after because my neck was sore!) And yes, all the loose ends have been finally taken care of. Luceno is big on continuity and it shows. Part of the creative team at Lucas Books, he has been largely resposnsible for the NJO story arc. He claimed in the past that he read ALL of the previous Star Wars novels to prepare and I definitely believe him. Everything feels right in this book. The species, the technology and most-of-all the people. All major characters, as well as just about all secondary ones are used - thoroughly. And they are all true to form. The story is mostly carried by Luke, Han and Leia, but I was happiest about Jacen Solo, who finally returns to the thoughtful and complex superhero of Matthew Stover's Traitor. What I liked the most was that, somehow, the story actually felt very much like the classic trilogy, especially the Return of the Jedi. The settings, the heroics, the final confrontation with everything hanging in the balance, Luke's determination, Han's sarcastic commentary, they were all vintage Star Wars that will appeal very strongly to the franchise's fans. Also the suspense: In more than one occasion I was convinced that Luceno was going to kill another favourite character. My criticisms are minor (but cost the novel a 5-star rating!): (a) the story doesn't quite reach the level of complexity of Timothy Zanh's novels or Luceno's own prequel era Cloak of Deception - it is too busy trying to resolve everything (b) it also lacks the creative millitary tactics of Mike Stackpole or Aaron Allston novels. Overall, the four stars are probably not enough. This one is certainly worth the price of the hardcover and more. NJO Commentary Now that the whole series is over, my final thoughts are as follows:
- the NJO was great. It was finally adult sci-fi, Star Wars having very much grown and matured with its fan base.
- I really like the new Jacen, while Jaina never quite lived up to the Sword of the Jedi billing or the Trickster Goddess persona.
- I was a bit disappointed that the Chiss (even though they have been preparing for exactly such an eventuality, ever since Thrawn's time) never quite participated in the war, like for example Hapes. Jag Fel's contributions were mostly incidental.
- The final solution to the Yuuzhan Vong question was a bit light or realism, particularly the logistics of fitting them all on one single planet. If their population is not that large, what did they need all these other planets for and how did they manage to occupy them??
Rating:
Summary: Luceno knows his Star Wars
Review: Warning: if you haven't read most of the Star Wars books in existence, many of the wonderful, unexpected moments in "The Unifying Force" will probably pass you by. It is extremely satisfying to see so many characters from, and references made to, older books in the Star Wars saga. All of our favorites are back in character, and we get to see some new sides to certain characters, that just might change your opinions of them. To name names would be to spoil the surprises. For those looking for a little philosophical thought, I'll just say that I'm still trying to completely figure things out. What I have figured out is that the notion of the Force at the end of this book is quite different than the one we see at the beginning of "The Phantom Menace". And, this evolution in thought makes sense. What I loved best about this book was that the Jedi did not dominate it. While they still played a very important part, it was made obvious that everyone had an important role in saving the galaxy, even the enemy. In other words, the galaxy needs its Han Solos just as much as it needs its Luke Skywalkers. Did Mr. Luceno tie up all the loose ends? Most of them, yes, and for one in particular, it was done in absolutely fitting fashion. But, he also raised a few interesting questions, for which no answers were given. I hope to see these addressed in future books. In closing, I'd like to thank Mr. Luceno, and all the other NJO authors, for continuing the action and adventure in a galaxy far, far away. The journey wasn't always smooth, and a few good friends were lost along the way, but in the end, the magic was back, and I knew just exactly why I had become a Star Wars fan in the first place.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing Absolutely a must for any Star Wars Fan
Review: Unifying Force was the best conclusion to the New Jedi Order Series. Which is a must read series for any Star Wars fan. I think Mr. Luceno really did an amazing job with this book. The intricate plot is woven around the utterlly intrigueing Star Wars expanded universe. I recomend you read the other 18 books before this one. Believe me its addictive I read it over 20 times. Email me what you think of the book I love reading other Fans Opinions.
Rating:
Summary: All good things...
Review: All good things must come to and end. And this book has lots of good things and a masterful ending. Unifying Force is the climactic conclusion to the New Jedi Order story arc. This story arc started 18 books ago with Vector Prime, a novel in which we were introduced to an enemy the likes of which had never been seen in the Star Wars universe. Vector Prime set in motion one the most grandiose and ambitious stories I have ever read. The story wound its way through several different events, characters and authors, falling in the hands of James Luceno to tie it all together. In Unifying Force, Luceno had to bring the story a close, as well as, meet every expectation ever set forth for this series. Luceno, like the story itself, succeeded in grand fashion. There are so many great aspects of this book, but to name them specifically would spoil the story for anyone who reads this review before the book. Lets just say Luceno gives equal attention to the main story arc, tying up loose ends, and the little details that enrich and deepen the story as a whole. With the main story, Luceno does a great job with scene changes to touch on the varied events going on simultaneously. With such a large and varied cast, this helps keep the novel well paced with constant action. Tying up the loose ends, in my opinion, was going to be the hardest part. This was, to an extent, the heart of the story. So many questions had been set forth that had to be answered for the conclusion to, in any way, be satisfying. In the end we get the answers to everything: why the Vong are devoid of the Force, why the Vong left their galaxy, why Zonama Sekot seemed so familiar to the Vong, why Shimrra kept Onimi as a pet, what Nom Anor's role was, and what the Vong culture was like. In tying up all these story lines, Luceno gives us a clear glimpse into an enemy that baffled the Galactic Alliance and the readers for the duration of the saga. He also presented us with an ending that was as satisfying as it was intriguing. Luceno's attention to the little details has as much to do with his commitment to continuity as it does with his references from other books and materials that make up the entire Star Wars saga. In one scene aboard Right to Rule, Han and Leia met with Grand Admiral Pellaeon. As a way to express his gratitude, Pellaeon gave Leia a moss-painting by the Alderaanian artist Ob Khaddor. Just after Han and Leia were married, they went to Tatooine and tried to retrieve it as a part of Leia's lost homeworld. It ended up in Grand Admiral Thrawn's private collection. The painting made it way into Pellaeon's hands and he felt that Leia was the person best suited to have it. This example illustrates the accurate use of previous Star Wars material, as well as, including a little detail, that while it is of no real significance, it adds a little extra depth to the story and the friendship between Leia and Pellaeon. All and all, the NJO story arc was as grand as it was enjoyable. With the disappointments of the Prequel movies, NJO delivered a story Star Wars fans could enjoy as much as the original trilogy. Furthermore, NJO was good enough that it could have been used for Star Wars Episodes 7-9.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful read!
Review: This was a tough book to put down. It was refreshing to see the Skywalker clan find solace and closure at last. The war's end was inventive, with a few slightly surprising twists along the way. The end of the book provided a very good resolution to the greater Vong/Alliance conflict, though it could have been a bit more detailed. Overall, I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good
Review: As sad as this is to say, I am happy this series is over. It was a noble concept which did keep me longing for the next book in the series. I was a little disappointed in the first 1/4 - 1/3 of the book which went over the whole series. Anyone who read this series knows what happened and most likely didn't need a recap. But, for the most part, this was a fun quick read. The ending was pretty good. The action scenes were great. Definitely worth the read.
Rating:
Summary: This at the least is equivalent to Lord of the Ring 3
Review: This probably the best book I've read. From the space battles at Selvaris to the battles of Caluula. And to spice it up even more, the ending is extremely satisfying. I HIGHLY recommend this book.
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