Rating: Summary: The Jedi are into Moritist psychology Review: This book reads like a "Twilight Zone" episode--very small cast of characters (only 6 people) and a psychological feel to it. Jacen Solo shares the limelight with only one other person--mystic Vergere in her first starring role. This is quite a departure from other NJO novels, which at this point in the timeline revolve around everyone else but Jacen--he's MIA. This story is not for the faint at heart--much of the early chapters center on the pain suffered by Jacen while he's serving as an experimental animal in the custody of Vergere, until he learns to master that pain. There's a bit of explicit carnage in the book as well. The whole Y-V cycle has a dark tone to it, but this story well surpasses even that. Jacen also learns from Vergere that there's more than one perspective about the Force--his own is a bit simplistic and dogmatic. Which makes its own kind of sense--a new generation of Jedi aren't likely to have the same old philosophies as taught by Yoda and Kenobi. But one of the basic tenets of Japanese Moritist psychology surfaces here when Jacen comments at one point that the greatest weakness of the Yuuzhan Vong is their insistence on making over the Galaxy into what they think it should be as opposed to coming to terms with it as it actually is. Anybody who thinks this story is going to be wall-to-wall X-wing dogfights and turbolaser volleys is advised to skip this one. If Matthew Stover wasn't a psych major in college, it was the field of study next in line.
Rating: Summary: Mr. Stover, thank you. Review: I really don't know what to say about such an incredible piece of literature, except that it is perhaps the greatest character journey ever written in Star Wars novels. Though this is just one book, and not very long (at only 290 pages), Traitor gives the reader a truly epic story, something reminiscant of the Star Wars novel trilogies of old. I truly believe that anyone can enjoy this book, even if they haven't read any of the New Jedi Order series. Traitor is an absolutely wonderful philosophical study of the Force and those who weild it, while still keeping the Star Wars action rolling right along. Thank you Matthew Stover for bringing the New Jedi Order out of the dark ages created by Troy Denning and Elaine Cunningham. (P.S.: If there are any of you out there who are currently reading Star by Star or choking through Dark Journey, don't loose hope, the next few are actually good.)
Rating: Summary: I have to tell someone about this!!!!!!!!! Review: I have just, I repeat, JUST finished the last page of this book, and I still feel like simply screaming out loud. THIS IS DEFINATELY THE BEST BOOK EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's about time there was something in Star Wars besides battles with x-wings shooting every blasted thing out of existence (even though that is pretty cool). Throughout the entire book, everything Vergere said positively muddled my mind. WHY DIDN'T SHE MAKE SENSE? But as soon as I closed the book, EVERYTHING BEGAN TO MAKE PERFECT SENSE! There was a reason for every crazy and iritatingly confusing thing that ever came out of her mouth! Unlike a lot of other Star Wars books, this one had real DEPTH and MEANING. If you only like Star Wars for the battles and blasters, this book is definately NOT for you (so I guess I understand why some people don't seem to like it). This book is calling out for some readers who want to do some PHILOSOPHICAL reading. If I could, I would rate this book 6 stars, and it would deserve every one of them!
Rating: Summary: Self evaluation Review: This was a very different type of story for me. It made me think and ask questions about what Jacen and I thought of as truth and ourselves. The NJO is a very strong dark series and I feel that Traitor is going to be very pivitol in the next books. In a world that has good and evil, right and wrong Traitor brings a new look into the thoughts of the Force and ourselves. I highly reccommend Traitor to be read with the understanding that it is slow in some parts. And I'm very interested on what the future holds for Vergere and Jacen Solo.
Rating: Summary: Excellent Reading Review: This book is good reading. It develops Jacen's character from a indecisive bleading heart to a man who is very sure in himself. I like the development between him and Vergere. It is one of the most dynamic and confusing since Jagged and Jaina and Luke and Yoda. I like the ending the best and how it plays into the problems that the Vong are suffering in the current book.
Rating: Summary: a poor execution of a fairly good concept Review: traitor is not like other star wars novels. there is no luke, no leia or han. the dramatis personae lists a scant six characters, in contrast to two or three pages' worth in the novel's predecessors. it is a nice change of perspective, and jacen solo's personality is much better realized in this book than ever before. vergere continues to be exasperatingly enigmatic, and aspects of the force recently opened to the jedi are probed even further.sadly, the story's discussion of thought-provoking subject matter is greatly hindered by stover's narrative voice. his writing style is needlessly nebulous, and the book regularly becomes tedious and aggravating to read. traitor was a major emotional letdown. I only hope destiny's way shows some hope of a final victory over the yuzhaan vong, before the galaxy is too utterly broken to care.
Rating: Summary: Gets you thinking of what you do not see. Review: This book is more than a "Star Wars" story. Like every good tale, it is first a story about a truth. This author not only gave a look inside these characters, but did so by giving the reader a doorway in to the real world - if you choose to step through. We all ask questions. In the story, Jacen asks many and learns to see his own answers - and also new questions. I am not saying this book is a guide to self discovery, but it is a push in the right direction. Yes, several of the books in this series are dull and SSSSSSSSLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWWW reads, but this book comes at a perfect time, and in a perfect way to put the previous 12 books in a new light. This one book makes the others better.
Rating: Summary: The Force: Good and Evil or Neutral? Review: This book focuses on Jacen, the lost Solo. Veregere begins to teach him a new way of the force, through Yuuzhan Vong pain as well as trial and error. The new way that she presents the force is extremely mind boggling. She says that it is nuetral, and that humans make it bad or make it good. Needless to say, I contemplated on that for a long time. I didn't particularly like the writer's stlye of writing, but he certainly took the story and gave it a hard 180 degree turn. Overall, a wonderful read.
Rating: Summary: Holy Smokes.... Review: All I have to say is that this was a GREAT book. I've been upset since Anakin died, and I felt that the books were rather plotless after that. But now I can see that there's even plot in that: Jacen having visions of his brother that aren't real. I was amazed at the amount of detail the book went into. It really got into the phyche of the Yuzaahn Vong, and I understood more of why they do what they do. Very interesting. All in all, this book kicked ... Excellent job, Mr. Stover.
Rating: Summary: Interesting & Revealing but.. Unidimmensional Review: As a stand-alone sci-fi novel the book is ... average or a bit higher. But if you 're a fan of the NJO series, you should probably read it. It's quite well thought out and goes into quite a bit of detail about the Vong and their culture, as well as the nature of the Force in the Star Wars universe. Jacen's character certainly develops more and so does Vergere's. On the other hand, the overall story line really goes nowhere. Indeed, the entire book is dedicated to the character development of Jacen Solo and any additional characters are there only for his benefit. (with the possible exception of Ganner, who's heroic subplot pretty much made the entire novel for me). Indeed, other than Ganner, NO other New Republic, Jedi, Imperial, Chiss, Happan - whatever! - characters are in this book at all! The course of the War and the overall galactic situation is never discussed. In a sense, Traitor is the counterpart to Dark Journey, dealing with Jacen, instead of Jaina. Not bad yet not quite Zahn-callibered either..
|