Rating: 
Summary: A new breakthrough
Review: Greg Keyes proves his mettle once again. His earlier Star Wars novel, Edge of Victory I: Conquest, made its fame by providing an unparalleled view into Yuuzhan Vong culture and history.Now, in Edge of Victory II: Rebirth, Keyes comes back on the rebound, still kicking. He manages to weave Luke and Mara's child into a mix of Anakin and Tahiri's relationship, another Vong attack into Republic space, and the evil Warmaster Tsavong Lah in his hunt for Jacen Solo, all in a 292-page novel (as compared to the average Star Wars length of 400 pages). If you think the New Jedi Order has been lacking lately (and it was), or if you believe the series was too dark and pessimisstic (and it wasn't), this book is for you.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the best Star Wars titles to date
Review: Do not read this review if you haven't read Edge of Victory I yet! Now, Edge of Victory II:Rebirth, is definately worth buying. While not quite as good as Conquest was, I was so enraptured by this book that I literally didn't put it down until I had finished it. This book is much more tense than most Star Wars novels are, and certain events will keep you nervous about the possible deaths of some of the characters, which is certainly a possibility from the way the New Jedi Order series has gone in previous books. Greg Keyes does an excellant job of writing several independent stories and making them come together in the end. Keyes also made a very smart move in further developing Anakin's ability to sense the Yuuzhan Vong through the force, and it's more interesting now because he also made it much more complex. The best part of the book is, he doesn't resort to the somewhat cheesy ending to most Star Wars novels of making everyone somehow end up in the same battle together at the end of the book, instead he actually ends the book in several simultaneous battles in completely different locations, which makes for much more exciting reading. Edge of Victory II has the added bonus of Corran Horn being a main character in the book, which is very good for the story because he is one of the most well developed characters in the Star Wars galaxy. All in all, I say this is an extremely good book that deserves more than 5 stars, and I highly recommend reading it.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I really think that this book is a great addition to the Star Wars saga. It is pretty much action packed from the first page. It has a very quick pace (in fact, I read it in a day). Han finally comes to grips with the loss of Chewbacca, and Jacen finally starts to do something besides philosophize. In this installment, it appears that maybe the tides are turning in the war with the Yuuzhan Vong. I look forward to future novels in this series. I thought that the Edge of Victory I: Conquest, was a little better than this one, but the only negative point I have to register about this one is that it is a little short. I think more than 292 pages could be written about the events in this book, but it is still a minor complaint. Definitely read this duology, and we can all hope that this isn't Mr. Keyes' last work in the Star Wars galaxy.
Rating:
Summary: Great Depth
Review: This was a very good book with depth. You learn a lot about the Vong, and the Solo children are a main feature.
Rating:
Summary: not bad....
Review: Good book overall, I highly recommend it. Many times if you put the book down at the wrong point you think one of the main characters will die. At one point I thought Jacen was captured (beginning), Jania was going to die (in X-Wing) and that Wedge or the Ralroost was going to go down. Many surprises throughout the book with Anakin and Jacen. I think Jacen should have brought the E-Wing along for the raids. Good to see some open ends for the next books and hope for the Jedi to escape the Vong. Nice to see Borsk is up to his usual retarded schemes of trying to screw the Jedi over. Only bad thing I can say about the book is that I read it in under 5 hours. Next book must be longer!!! :)
Rating: 
Summary: Nothing special in a galaxy far, far away.
Review: Edge of Victory is a descent adventure book, but will not live up to its predecessor in the two book series. The plot centers on Anakin, again, but it also includes Kyp Durron, and the New Republic's lack of trust for the jedi. The story begins as Borsk Fey'lya orders the arrest of Luke Skywalker. Luke and his wife Mara go into hiding, with Mara's illness coming back again, harder this time. This is not really a part of the book, but it's pretty clear it will be important for the story line of the New Jedi Order. Jaina Solo and Kyp Durron's plot is actually quite interesting, probably the best big part of the book. It centers around a new Yuuzhan Vong shipyard that is far larger than even the Death Stars of old. They enlist the help of a few others in the Republic military in an effort to knock out the weapon before it becomes operational. While the "surprise" ending to that plot is a little bit incredible and not particulary interesting, the parts leading up to it are very well written and the book becomes quite difficult to put down during those sequences. Anakin, meanwhile, has gone off with his old friend Tahiri in search of supplies (Corran Horn follows them the whole time, but his part in the book has been reduced to rattling off little lessons that Anakin needs to learn).This part of the book was moderately interesting, but the ending was extremely disappointing and a bit inconsistent. The buildup to it was just not worth the trouble. When you consider that their little side trek could just as easily have been removed from the entire book without damaging the plot much it becomes apparent that Keyes wrote it either to take up space or because he was forced to. Han's morality lessons with Jacen were remarkeable only for their incredible lack of impact on anything. Joined by Leia, those two characters did almost nothing for the entire book, and their arguments rapidly became trite. I found their whole subplot boring and unimaginative. Their dialogue (especially noticeable with Han) was off, never really capturing their characters, and they had little impact on much of anything. Even with its flaws, Rebirth still does deliver things that make it worth buying for dedicated fans of the series. For one thing, its plot does seem to be very important. Many of the characters change during the course of the book, and for that it is worth reading. Nen Yim's (the shaper adept from the first one) plot was actually very interesting, and occasionally humorous. The character interactions (with the exception of Han/Leia/Jacen) were very good, and despite the disappointing ending on Givin that part of the book is worth sitting through. It is clear that Rebirth is intended to be a Rubicon for many of the characters in the Universe. Luke's "great river" may be seen as a metaphor for irrevocable decisions that several of the characters are forced to make. Their actions during such sequences are quite interesting. In spite of this, only people following the NJO should pick up the book. It fails to deliver the plot and generate interesting enough characters to justify picking up for someone who is only mildly interested in the series. If you have not yet started reading the NJO, pick up Balance Point or Vector Prime. Maybe even read Conquest just to see if you like it. If you don't, save some money on this one. If you do, great. Pick up Rebirth, too. You won't get a great read out of it, but you will advance the plot for the next series of books to follow.
Rating:
Summary: Very Well Done
Review: Greg Keyes writes as well as any other writer who has participated in the continuing expansion of the Star Wars Universe. It must be more and more difficult for writers to join this saga as it expands, as the detail and continuity issues are immense. Mr. Keyes not only manages those issues, but also sets a very quick pace, and shifts from one aspect of the story to another without breaking the stride of the reader. There is so much in this book that even while occupying fewer than 300 pages you will not be disappointed. As the title suggests there is a great deal of renewal and healing that takes place during the story. Mr. Keyes has also managed to bring back the mood of the relationship that Han and Leia had from their first meeting, and he does so without utilizing tired lines that have been endlessly repeated. All is not perfect, however the feeling of dread and futility that marked the earlier stages of this series has been tempered. The clash with The Yuuzhan Vong is far from over, however it is not as one-sided a fight as it has been previously. Anakin learns that there is a force more powerful than he, and it is called Tahiri, who is rapidly becoming a favorite character of mine. Anakin continues to expand the concept of what The Force might truly be, while Jacen still has some reticence about what it means to be a Jedi. Anakin also begins to feel the pressure of the expectations of others, what it means to him, and that it is his to deal with regardless of his personal feelings. This is a very good addition to the Star Wars Library, and I certainly hope that Greg Keyes becomes a continuing contributor to the saga.
Rating:
Summary: Jedi, Yuuzhan Vong, and an unknown betrayal
Review: The much-awaited sequel to Keyes' Conquest, Rebirth is worth reading even as a stand-alone. In this novel, Han and Leia (seem to) patch things up and the death of Chewbacca is now a quiet ache in both their lives. Anakin explores his relationship with Tahiri, and takes Corran Horn, who went into hiding after the Ithor disaster, along for the ride. Jacen comes to grips with his views on the Force, seeing just how arrogant he was, fighting alongside his mother and father in their own war against the Peace Brigade, the galaxy's most vengeful collaborators. On the Vong side, Nen Yim, disgraced shaper adept, has been exiled to a ship of disgraced Yuuzhan Vong, a ship that is now dying. However, she receives a visit from a Master Shaper who is more than he seems, leading Nen Yim further on the path towards murder and greater heresy. Also, Vergere returns...but not to the New Republic. She boards the Sunulok to meet with Warmaster Lah in an attempt to capture Jacen Solo aboard the Millenium Falcon. And not to be outdone, Mara comes to term with her pregnancy (literally) and with the birth will either be a new hope, or a greater darkness than the Jedi currently face. Nonstop action, coupled with Keyes' elegant prose, makes Rebirth the standout novel of NJO so far. Highly recommended to the fans of The New Jedi Order and those who just like things the way they were.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not a NJO best
Review: After reading through Rebirth and then checking out the reviews its gotten, I was actually pretty surprised that some people gave it 4 and 5 stars. I'm not saying its a bad book as I gave it 3 stars myself, but I just found the plot it too scattered and all over the place. Keyes tells four different stories which are almost completely unrelated, even at the end where only a couple of the threads tie together in an underwhelming final battle. The same can be said for the duology as a whole. This book doesn't seem to have anything to do with the first novel. I read the two books nearly a year apart and didn't feel lost at all in the stories. I heard that this duology was actually a fill in for a longer trilogy which was canceled at the last minute, which would explain the scattered plot. For a last minute gig Keyes did okay with it I guess,lol.
I also wasn't crazy about some of the dialog between Han and Leia especially earlier on in the book. They almost seemed to be speaking in Star Wars clich?s, and the dialog didn't seem natural to me at all. Maybe its just me though because others seem to think Keyes did very well with the various Star Wars personna.
Its a shame that Keyes was given a limited time frame to work with on this one, because he is a gifted storyteller. I'm excited to check out his new fantasy series. I found myself anxious to turn the page while going through Rebirth even though the story was underwhelming as a whole.
It seems that alot of people that reviewed this book also read every Star Wars book that comes along, so I doubt that even a terrible review would keep you guys from buying the book, but for those like myself who only have time to read a handfull, there are better NJO books out there.
Rating:
Summary: A New Generation Of Skywalkers?
Review: Luke and Mara Skywalker have faced many trials and have made it through them with each other's help. Now, just when they think that the Yuuzhan Vong is their biggest problem. the Senate has ordered their arrest in response to the Yavin 4 attack, citing that the two Jedi were responsible for the Vong having broken their treaty with the New Republic. To make matters worse, Mara begins to develop complications with her pregnancy which may or may not have something to do with her long-dormant, Yuuzhan Vong-inflicted disease. Meanwhile: Han, Leia, and Jacen search for paths to traffic the hunted Jedi to safety. Corran, Anakin, and Tahiri make a run from the Errant Venture for supplies that is anything but routine. And when Jaina attempts to lure Kyp Durron back into the fold, he reveals to her a new Yuuzhan Vong weapon - one that resembles the Empire's Death Star!
Some very fast-paced action in this novel. Excellent dog-fight scenes. We get some more insight into the Vong through shaper Nim Yen. It's also nice to see more interaction between Luke and Mara, which I believe has waned up to this point. Plus, this book features the return of Corran Horn, which is always a plus. You're kept guessing at the fate of the Skywalkers until the end of the novel. Great work by Greg Keyes!
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