Rating: 
Summary: Fitting Conclusion
Review: I read started this book the day after I went to see the Matrix Revolutions. Where that movie completely failed to tie up any loose ends and become a fitting conclusion, this book is the epitome of what the final chapter in an epic saga should be. It is intense, it is fast paced, and it comes packed with all of the philosephy that readers of Star Wars books that have to do with the nature of the Force should be hoping for. I really think that this is the best book in the whole series, something that many conclusions fail to be. Back to my Matrix example: where that movie ties up absolutely no loose ends, this book comes up with a satisfying ending, while not going the tired route of having everything returned to normal after the war is over. The good: Leia, Han, and Luke's charaters are written exactly as they were played in the movies, and Jacen is becoming easily the coolest character in the EU. The battle scenes are absolutely stunning, which I was surprised by because I dont remember the action standing out in the two other NJO books that James Luceno wrote. The plot is brilliant, and most if not all loose ends are tied up. You finally find out why the Yuuzhan Yong are outside the Force! And my least favorite character FINALLY bit the dust. The not-so-good: pretty small complaints here, but there were some typos (i remember Jaina being referred to as Jaina Skywalker, when her last name is Solo). But aside from that my only problem was that some of the space battles got a bit too confusing for me. But overall I am COMPLETELY satisfied by this book, and the series. Kudos to James Luceno, and all of the other authors and minds behind the NJO series!
Rating: 
Summary: Mixed Thoughts
Review: Ok so as an avid Star Wars fan I had high expectations for this book which disappointed me in some ways and exceeded my expectations in others. The book had an excellent story line. It wasnt that difficult to follow and the book certainly did tie in everything from the series. However I do have some complaints that would only bother some people. At some points I found the vocabulary to be to sophisticated for the series. I kind of got the impression that Luceno was trying to impress us with his knowledge of the english language but whatever. I also realized that Luceno (or the editors dont know which) made some mistakes in the book that only a follower would notice. For example, with the word "Jedi" in the book. Most Yuuzhan Vong pronouce it "Jeedai" except for Nom Anor. I found that at some points they had Nom Anor saying "Jeedai" which he has never said before and they had Shimmra saying "Jedi" which bothered me immensely. But thats just trivial. The book was lengthier than the other in the series. I think it could have been made into two shorter books just because so many things happened that could be separated. I enjoyed the book immensley but it did take a little while before it got into the usual Star Wars action. Contrary to all these negativities, I did enjoy the book. I just felt like mentioning those just so the fans out there who pay as close attention as I do are forewarned. I felt that Luceno did a good job tying most of the things up that have been left undecided. Some things could have used a little more description for me because now I'm left wondering. Maybe a follow up later?? Who knows. I did enjoy this book and I would definatly recommend this to any NJO fan.
Rating:
Summary: The Final Act
Review: It's been four years in the making, but the final novel in the "New Jedi Order" saga has arrived. While the series had its ups and downs, the finale does not disappoint. Luceno had an arduous task in front of him, threading all the plotlines that were left by the previous authors (which, of course, was anticipated). The book is deftly written, with a swiftness unseen in the NJO for quite some time; it is a gripping page-turner not merely because one wants to see how it ends, but also because one is enraptured by Luceno's mastery of prose. The 529 pages fly by, and upon finishing, it will leave one feeling content and satisfied at having made it this far. The synopsis about Mon Calamari being under seige with a lone station defending it, about the giant sacrifice--not really the point of the novel. The latter is finished rather quickly, and the former is nonexistent; Mon Cal is never under siege. However, that is not to say the Yuuzhan Vong have relented; no, they are preparing for a final assault on Mon Cal but are met wtih equal force by Galactic Alliance forces. The tide of the war turns with the long-awaited arrival of Zonama Sekot into the night sky of Coruscant. The entry, as seen through the eyes of Nom Anor, is fascinating; the consequences of entry are far more impactful than anyone imagined. It is refreshing to see Luke fight again, but that is not the highlight; this arrives when Jacen Solo comes to experience the vision he had years ago on Duro, before his meeting with Tsavong Lah. Jacen comes to terms with the Unifying Force on Sekot, as do the other Jedi; Mara, Tahiri, Luke, and Corran all begin to question light and dark. Harrar assists in this new view as well; he is alive and well after Nom Anor's failed treachery. As are Judder Page and Pash Cracken, both of whom were presumed dead after the Bilbringi (this is another early revelation). Things happen quickly in this novel; the Vong are hesitant to advance on Sekot once it reverts to known space, and the Alliance ships on-station in the Coruscant area are also hesitant to act. However, the military has good reason not to be terribly concerned; Han, Leia, and Kyp witness firsthand the effects of Alpha Red on Vonglife. As feared, Shimrra finds a way to use the virus against the Alliance forces, but in a most unexpected way. There is one very important death that occurs in the novel, though we only hear of it from Tycho during a briefing; Admiral Ackbar passes away quietly into the night. The Smuggler's Alliance also makes an appearance--Talon Karrde, Booster Terrik, Crev Bombassa, Lando and Tendra Calrissian--as does a group of individuals donned in Mandalorian armor whom we are lead to believe is headed up by none another than Boba Fett (at least, this is Han's inference). In the end, it is the new Jedi who come to shine; Jacen and Jaina play the major roles with Traest Kre'fey occupying that spotlight, and for the Vong we have the long-awaited revelation regarding Shimrra and Onimi, whom I have always suspected was more than he let on (a fact that wasn't too well concealed by several other authors in the NJO saga). Nas Choka, Nom Anor, and Shimrra are the main Vong we hear from in the novel; Choka comes to term with some buried questions (he was instrumental in assisting Shimrra in overthrowing Quoreal, the previous Supreme Commander) and Nom Anor's role as The Prophet has reprecussions for Shamed Ones, Elites, and the Alliance itself (ever the opportunist, though he does receive his commeupance), and the conclusion is both stunning and expected. There are no new mysteries, but the old ones are concluded, and there is indeed room for a follow up sequel or two. The prophecy of the twins does not play up as it could have (thought to a small extent it shows in the Force) nor do any of the possible romantic relationships hinted at earlier in the novels. This is a fitting conclusion to the long-running, sometimes tedious saga, and it does not disappoint. Even if you haven't followed the NJO saga faithfully, read this novel; it illuminates characters new and old in breathtaking fashion. Well worth the cover price, this is by far one of the better novels to come out of the Star Wars genre in quite some time.
Rating:
Summary: Great Way to End the War
Review: I applaud Mr. Luceno for ending this war on a high note. I thought that after Anakin's death that the series would fall to shambles. Whoa, I was wrong. This book is simply mind blowing. After reading Final Prophecy, I thought i would know how the series would finish off. I was mostly right but at the end there is a suprise twist. O and I don't think anything can stop Jacen and Luke now.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty Good
Review: The book was pretty good.
But not Great.
The ending was definately a surprise....
The action was good and plentiful...
But somehow this book left me not completely satisfied.
The best NJO book to me is still "Destiny's Way".
Rating:
Summary: What a finale...
Review: I absolutely loved this book. I could not put it down. I don't want to spoil anything for those of you that haven't read it but there are old characters coming back to the fold. The characterization of the heroes was handled perfectly by Mr. Luceno. It's great to see Luke back in action. The real question is this: Where can the Star Wars universe go from here?
Rating:
Summary: powerful saga conclusion
Review: The Galactic Alliance reels under the assault of the Yuuzhan Vong horde. Even when an important moral boost occurs by temporarily slowing the advance, the enemy fails to blink as they continue their unstoppable assault. The vanquishers subjugate world after world as they defeat the Jedi and its allies stepping closer to dictatorial galaxy ascendancy. Coruscant falls in a crushing defeat with numerous prisoners to be sacrificed to the Gods of the Yuuzhan Vong. Desperate Luke Skywalker pleads with the living world, Zonama Sekot, to join the final stand, which appears to be a space station already under ferocious attack. Allies consider using weaponry so deadly that not only will it eliminate the Yuuzhan Vong, it will devastate the galaxy in a pandemic devastation. Still there is no turning back for either side. Book nineteen is the final novel in the long running "New Jedi Order" series. Thus the pressure on James Luceno must have been immense because the author was expected to tie loose ends up yet provide a thrilling finale to a strong collection. Mr. Luceno accomplishes that and more. The story line is hyperspace speed fast yet enables the reader to understand the enemy horde and keep key players like Luke and Han consistent to Mr. Lucas' original intentions. Star War fans will take immense delight with this powerful saga in a far away galaxy, but newcomers would be better suited to search for the previous books (as momentous of a feat as defeating the Yuuzhan Vong). Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not great
Review: As the old saying goes, "To many cooks spoil the broth." In my opinion this is the problem that has plagued the New Jedi Order Series. The mood and themes of the books change with every author. For example, in one book Jaina Solo would be madly in love with Jag Fel, while in the next book, she can't decide what she really feels. There is also a lack of consensus concerning the nature of the force. One author might have the characters saying that there is no Light or Dark side, only the force, while another author might have them saying there is indeed two sides to the force, good and evil. I rated the book a 4 basically because of minor points like these. While I didn't particularly agree with how Luceno dealt with the Vong at the end, it was an acceptable explanation. One thing I did like about the ending was that Luceno did a good job of tying up loose ends and answering several questions that readers have had throughout the series. All in all it was a good read and well worth the $19.00 I paid for it.
Rating: 
Summary: Glad it's over
Review: While this review comes under the novel 'The Unifying Force', I am writing it more as a review of the entire NJO series.
'The Unifying Force' is actually a well written novel, penned by one of my favourite authors, James Luceno. The novel ties together a lot of plot points very well, and provides a fitting ending to the series.
That being said, I disliked the NJO series as a whole. The books have shown a savage invasion of known 'Star Wars' space, by a ruthless and extremely violent enemy. Right from the start, the writers seemed to WANT to violate Star Wars lore, with the deaths of Chewbacca and Anakin Solo, the destruction of the planets Ithor and Coruscant (among others), and, finally, the destruction of the New Republic.
The writing of the NJO novels themselves seemed very basic and elementary, and the series was obviously written to accommodate younger readers around the 10-12 years of age literacy level. Such destruction and violence are often entertaining to younger people who do not understand the full implications of such acts, and have never really trusted in something enough to be saddened when it's ripped away.
For older Star Wars readers such as myself, such violations of the Star Wars story are distasteful. I read a great deal of the initial New Republic novels, from the Zahn trilogy to the Zahn duology, and everything in between. While those novels had their ups and downs, for the most part I found them very entertaining reading, and I read with fascination as the Empire crumbled and the New Republic, having struggled in it's infancy, grew to thrive. Events such as Han and Leia's marriage and subsequent children, Thrawn's campaign against the New Republic, the establishment of the Jedi Academy, the Black Fleet crisis and the peace treaty with the Empire were interesting and logical extensions of the story presented in George Lucas's initial 3 films (Episodes IV, V and VI).
The NJO series ripped down a lot of this work, with much of the known galaxy falling under the oppressive heel of an alien race that views pain as something akin to religion. These new aliens enslaved people by the use of parasitic seeds implanted inside of them, rendering the hosts susceptible to influence, but also causing the hosts ever increasing pain as the seeds grew within them, eventually driving the hosts into insanity before the seeds would hatch. This is merely an example of the 'new' aliens and what they inflicted on the galaxy.
The NJO series, in addition to crushing what past novels built up, also featured excessive and bloodthirsty violence. While violence and action have always been part of the Star Wars story, the NJO took it to a new, and distasteful, level. Reading about these acts (such as the before mentioned parasitic enslavement of people) isn't entertaining or interesting at all, and I actually felt sick to my stomach while reading parts of the NJO novels. It's no surprise that Timothy Zahn and Kevin J. Anderson, two of the most respected Star Wars authors, kept their distance from the entire NJO series.
I'm glad that 'The Unifying Force' has finally ended the NJO saga, although I suspect that the damage done to the Star Wars saga is irreparable. I'm immensely saddened to see what has happened to Star Wars, which used to be a story that I loved and eagerly awaited each new novel.
While 'The Unifying Force' is a good novel by NJO standards, and with all due respect to Mr Luceno, there can be no going back on what the NJO series has done to Star Wars. I merely see it as the end to a miserable saga, and I'm glad that it's over.
I personally believe that the Star Wars publishers should have ended the Star Wars publications with 'Vision of the Future', from that fantastic Timothy Zahn duology. I believe that showing a peace treaty between the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant would have been a fitting end to the saga, but that is a matter of opinion.
I don't recommend 'The Unifying Force', and the entire NJO series for that matter, to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book!
Review: This book was extremely well written and a perfect ending for the series. The book was nearly non-stop action cover to cover. The characters were very well written and detailed plus the ending was fantastic. I am looking forward to the Dark Nest Trilogy this summer. If you like Star Wars and want an excellent read, read the whole NJO series!
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