Rating: 
Summary: The New Republic Reaches for its Roots
Review: 'Destiny's Way' might be characterized as the turning point in the war between the Yuuzhan Vong and the New Republic. After losing the Capital World of Coruscant and countless other worlds, the death of Chief of State Borsk Fey'lya, and the loss of dozens of Jedi, the New Republic finally begins to pick up the pieces to take the fight to the Vong. Waltor Jon Williams creates a good Star Wars adventure to tell the tale of how the New Republic went from the defensive to the offensive.Jacen Solo has returned to the New Republic after escaping from the Vong with the mysterious Jedi Vergere. He is no longer the pensive brooding teenager that was captured by the Vong at Myrkr. Jacen is a changed man, and he returns to find his friends and family have changed as well in his absence. Most notably, his twin sister Jaina has adopted a grim outlook on her own future. The New Republic has relocated the Capitol to Mon Calamari. This was a great idea. It would have been better if more time had been spent providing some details of this world. The best descriptions came from the shipyards, where countless Mon Calamari Battle Cruisers were undergoing construction, and in the description of a floating city that Mara Jade Skywalker explores in a submersible. Hopefully, future novels in the series will explore this planet more. In addition to relocating the capitol, the New Republic begins the process of replacing the Chief of State. This part is very well done. Lando Calrissian and Talon Karrde move behind the scenes to attempt to swing the vote to the candidate of their choosing. Councilor Pwoe, who had assumed the title, disputes the legitimacy of the Senate electing a new leader. In the meantime, Luke Skywalker attempts to resurrect the fabled Jedi Council from the days of the Old Republic. The trouble is finding a candidate that will support it and a method for implementing it that does not appear to be a power grab by the Jedi. Through it all, Admiral Ackbar returns from retirement to design a battle strategy to defeat the Vong. It was good to see him back. Williams' battle scenes are good. He maintains a quick pace. A clever inovation is the invention of the Solo Sling, a maneuver created by the greatest hot shot in the galaxy--Han Solo, which becomes pivotal later in the novel. My complaints about the novel are small. First, Jaina Solo gets a new wingmate named Vale. In one part of the book, Williams calls her a Duro, but then later, she is called a Neimoidian. Minor, but those types of details annoy me. Second, the cast of characters in this book was so large, it was hard to do many of them the justice they deserved. That being said, I think Williams did a decent job helping some of them evolve. This is a problem with the New Jedi Order series in general, and is usually overcome by dividing duologies between sets of characters. Overall, I thought this was a tremendously fun read. After 'Traitor,' which was very dark and thought provoking, this was a nice change. I recommend this novel to all Stars Wars fans, but encourage the reader to start at the beginning of the series and then move forward.
Rating: 
Summary: Mixed Opinions
Review: The pros and cons of Destiny's Way are very numerous. The book was at best a 4 star performance (I would have said 3.5 if it was an option). Although the story is fascinating and there is major character development for some of the characters, others act completely out of character or are portrayed poorly. Grand Admiral Palleon is all of a sudden "Supreme Commander?" There was one problem. Another problem was his attitude portrayed by Williams. I was not pleased with either Solo Twin in this novel. Jacen Solo seems to regress from what he learned about Traitor. Perhaps he needed to continue his education, but I felt that it should have ended at Traitor with his escape from the Yuuzhan Vong. Jaina Solo's acceptance of imminent death was overplayed. Jaina continually avoided Jacen it seemed and Williams apparantly didn't want to do the whole brother-sister reunited thing. Vergere's life was cut short by Williams. That did not impress me. If Jacen is supposed to continue to learn then why is Vergere dead? There's a nice William's contradiction. Another thing is Vergere's personality is played well throughout the beginning of the novel, but is completely different in the second half then what we're used to. Where was Iblis? Wasn't he supposed to save the day? He had no lines yet was a major character! Tsavong Lah's behavior is completely Un-Yuuzhan Vong! In the end of the novel he knows he will die. And instead of going after Jacen Solo he goes after Jaina in a sneaky move that nearly kills her. That completely confused me. Very Un-Vong like. And they only Un-Vong person we really know is Nom Anor. This was a very rushed novel. Williams obviously doesn't understand the Jedi. The Jedi, at all costs, would not have a public ceremony of knighting Jedi or grieving for the dead. Some up sides character-wise were of course Cal Omas acting completely like a politician with the Alpha Red project. Although it displeased me that he acted like a politician, I could definitely see that Williams understood the politican better than the Officer or Jedi Warrior. In conclusion, although with many cons, this book could have been viewed as a 3-star performance instead of 4 (my real rating is 3.5). It was a good story, just too rushed. It also left butterflies in my stomach as I awaited the end (which was Anti-Climactic and dissapointed me). Vergere flying an A-Wing through the Tunnels of Ebaq 9 was just plain dumb.
Rating: 
Summary: Boring, but with some bright spots
Review: This book was decent. I'd go as far as to say it had some brilliant passages--Vergere's description of her time on Zonama Sekot was fantastic (the writing style sounded just like Traitor, which I loved), and the entire concept of Alpha Red was both intriguing and terrifying. Unfortunately, I found the book incredibly boring. The writing seemed very rote, the characters were underdeveloped, and the majority of the book was so lacking in dramatic action that I'm not entirely sure what the plot was. Destiny's Way wasn't sickeningly badly written, and the characters weren't horribly mangled--both things I've seen happen before in NJO. Instead, this installment was totally forgettable.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Continuation
Review: One of the better novels of the series. Destiny's Way, like the other hardbacks, seems to pull together all of the disparate parts of the storyline from the NJO plot. The practical application of Jacen talents was welcome; Luke's turnabout on the Force a forseen but well done event; Vergere's continually enigmatic character was intriguing as always; the Knighting of the next generation of Jedi Knights was a nice symbolic touch on many levels; everyone being IN CHARACTER; all made this book a wonderful read. My two favorite components: 1)Mara being a (behind the scenes, action-oreinted) spy again. It has been too long since my favorite character was in her element. Let's hope the future authors continue this trend. 2)Jaina as the Sword of the Jedi. *I cannot wait for the results of this.* Her reaction to this idea is wonderful, both in action and in thought. Jacen's reactionary concern for her is also apt. It is time for Jaina to take that kind of role permanently, not in the back and forth way that she's had for the previous novels.
This novel will make you want to read the next one immediately. The manner in which Destiny's Way pulls together the Jedi so definitively leaves the resounding question of 'what's next?' preeminent in your mind.
Rating:
Summary: Good Story but Rushed + Bad Characterization
Review: This is not a bad novel, but one that will probably disappoint the NJO fans - like myself. If you are following the series, then you have to read it - or you 'll miss a lot of important plot points. But even though the overall NJO story-arc is served very well, the Expanded Universe in general, is not. The problem seems to be that this should have definatelly been a much longer novel - perhaps even a trilogy. As it stands the book feels very rushed. The story begings strongly, from where Traitor left off. Indeed, the first half does an amazing job of tying up a lot of lose ends, both in particular subplots and the more abstract aspects of the NJO series: We learn Vergere's story; we find out what happened to Bel Iblis, Kre'fey and Wedge Antilles after Star by Star and the Enemy Lines duology; we witness the developing situation on Coruscant (Yuuzhan'tar), Nom Anor, Chavong Lah, Nen Yim and the rest of scarhead gang; and finally, after four books (since Star by Star) we catch up to the larger state of affairs in the New Republic. Also, the war seems to reach equilibrium: for thirteen books now I 've been thinking that , the element of surprise aside, there is NO way that a small extragalactic force can beat a galactic scale republic; in all warfare, resources will ultimately determine the outcome, unless the bigger of the two combatants is swiftly eliminated right on the outset. (see WWI, WWII etc.) In Destiny's Way the story finally reaches this rational stage. The New Republic is pulling itself together and switching to war footing, swinging the momentum back. So the first 200-or-so pages are great. However, after that the story falls apart; or, rather, it gets too rushed, even with the two chapters that became the eBook "Ylesia" ending up being cut. The story seems to get pushed to its predetermined conclusion and the play-by-play becomes color commentary. Diverse characters are used briefly to facilitate the needs of the action and then dropped without explanation. Williams switches from a day-by-day narrative to an event-by-event one, skipping between places and situations with dizzying speed. The final 200-odd pages should have been 200 + a 400 page Dastiny's Way II. That would have made this a 5-star effort, on par with Star by Star. The other big disappointment with Destiny's Way (probably related to the lack of space) is that A LOT of the best characters, suspiciously almost all of them having been created by either Timithy Zahn or Michael Stackpole, are portrayed very badly. They following favorites are all out of character: [ SPOILERS ] - Grand Admiral Pellaeon, acting like a stiff Imperial biggot all of the sudden, even though he is already Leia' s friend.
- Soontir Fel, who is momentarily referrenced as Jag Fel's father, "an Imperial Baron". Surely, there is waaayyy more to Fel than that! How about the Chiss and their part in the war? the relationship to Antilles? to Garnd Admiral Thrawn and his views on the galaxy?..
- Bel Iblis is asked by Luke to save the day, in a final titanic battle, as the New Republic is still short on ships. He shows up, gets not a single line and seemingly hands control of his entire fleet to Luke. I had to read it twice to try and figure out whether he was present at all.
- Antilles himself, the hero of Borleias, who has more or less singlehandedly changed the momentum of the war, is completely left out. Apparently he is in Kuat with Tycho. He is not recalled for the final battle, despite the fleet's shortages.
- Wraith leader Garik "Face" Loran makes a cameo, says "understood, Major" over his com unit and fades back into annonymity... .. which brings me to the final (perhaps minor) problem. The technical details of the Expanded Universe, which authors like M. Stackpole use so artfully to bring their stories to life are way off and inconsistent. Here Williams didn't do enough research.
- Fleets are called "squadrons", squadron flights are called "sections", warships are generically "cruisers" or "frigates", the Wraiths are flying "super fast snoopships", whatever that is and the author becomes infatuated with A-Wings.
- Apparently, two (!) new Super Star Destroyers are in existence, yet they are NOT used for anything, inspite the aforementioned ship shortages. Thank God for Booster's Errand Venture, the only Destroyer-class vessel that sees any action.
I realise that these are rather esoteric points, yet consistency and continuity are what has made Star Wars' Expanded Universe so addictive. This novel felt strange and a bit alien, like a PC user experiencing a Macintosh for the first time - to uncomfortable to be fully satisfied. I would still recommend this any Star Wars fans, but I do wish the editorial staff at DelRay would do a more thorough job in the future.
Rating:
Summary: Destiny Begins to Find its Way
Review: This is Book 14 of the New Jedi Order series, and has the remnants of the New Republic coming together after being scattered over the last few volumes. Jacen Solo comes back with the alien Vergere, a new Jedi Council is formed, and an old general comes back with a plan to defeat the Vong. Overall, this is an above-average entry in the series. It's certainly not the train wreck some readers have called it, but it's not up there with Allston and Stover's work either. The main problem is that the book is split in too many different directions and Walter Jon Williams simply couldn't give all the plot threads decent coverage. Parts of the story try to be their own political novel, while other parts are more philosphical and another demands massive space battles. Luceno, Stover, and Denning all wrote seperate Star Wars books detailing these kinds of stories, but Williams had to shove everything into one. It still works well, but can feel condensed at times with a lack of detail in certain places. The last few chapters definitely feel rushed. However, Williams' writing style is nice and involving. It may lack the elegance of Zahn, the humour of Allston and the detail of Luceno, but its perfect for a nice pleasure read in the afternoon. His characterization is pretty spot on, too. Any problems with Jacen Solo aren't because the character was written poorly, but because Williams was simply following Lucasfilm's guidelines and couldn't possibly know Stover would take Jacen to such philosphical depths in the previous novel. Jacen may not be as mature as in "Traitor", but he's not the whiny, unlikable kid from the early books either. It's just one of the cons that come from writing a series between many seperate authors. Overall I recommend Destiny's Way, as it definitely does its job in advancing the overall story and is a pleasure to read. It's just a pity Williams wasn't given a paperback duology to work on instead, as that's how the events in this book would've been better served.
Rating:
Summary: This is a great book.
Review: This is a great book. So STOP bashing it, New Jedi Order lovers. It is good. I do not understand why they disslike it. Maybe the ywould rather read books like Star by Star (boo)
Rating:
Summary: Destiny's Way
Review: With the fourteenth installment of the New Jedi Order series by Del Rey, Destiny's Way has a rounded out cast of twenty-four characters as well as their intertwining subplots. This book has several themes running through the story; the most significant themes concern the destiny of Jacen Solo and the turning point of the war with the Yuuzhan Vong. Walter Jon Williams does a wonderful job explaining the answers to many of the questions that have arisen in the New Jedi Order series. There are a few surprises and returning characters. In addition to seeing Mara in action, Lando and Karrade being inventive businessmen, and the makings of a romance between Jacen and Danni Quee, the reader is not disappointed save one: Ben Skywalker. Holovids and pictures of the youngster is not enough, will Luke and Mara ever become participants in their baby's life? We would like to see this family dynamic developed. I read this book in less than two days. However, with any novel, too many subplots and characters causes the story to feel slow in places and much needed character interactions are written as exposition. Overall, the novel is well written and enjoyable. Entertaining and enlightening, I recommend this novel to anyone reading in the Extended Universe. Want more reviews, visit:
http://www.oddworldz.com/thehallow
Rating:
Summary: Finally a well-written Star Wars book!
Review: After so many so-so books in this series, I was beginning to wonder if I should just give it up and go for some good "Orson Scott Card" instead. Walter Jon Williams restored my faith in "The New Jedi Order" series like nobody but Matthew Woodring Stover (author of "Traiter") has been able to do. This is the author's first effort in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, so some of the dialogue may seem "our of character" to readers that have dedicated their lives to this franchise. Personally I didn't notice it much except for some of Han's lines, but I read a few reviews where people complained about it. I found the story to be terrific and extremely captivating! I mean, This guy knows how to write! It's far more interesting to read a book by a guy who knows how to capture your interest and create a great story (that makes you want to stay up reading it rather than get some much-needed sleep), than it is to read hundreds of minute detail-references to previous Star Wars novels to prove that the guy has been following along with the franchise. If I want an author to show off his Expanded Universe knowledge, I'll read more of the Sean Williams' & Shane Dix' books. They know their Star Wars Expanded Universe extremely well! But unfortunately, they don't know how to write! With "Destiny's Way" I was actually caring about the characters and what happens to them. I love the way Luke re-establishes the Jedi Counsel and how the new Government is formed. It was a nice refreshing addition to the franchise and I highly recommend it. It is unfortunate that so many Star Wars fans have been reading nothing else so long that they forget what good writing really is. The trilogy of books that follows this one in "The New Jedi Order" series is a perfect example of how NOT to write (a) Star Wars book(s). I look forward to the series that Walter Jon Williams has been contracted for that will follow the events of the "New Jedi Order" series. I know that I can expect a good read.
Rating: 
Summary: Failure
Review: I tend to agree with blazingknight. This entire book was out of character and didn't make much sence. Throughout ALL of the other NJO series you have the Jedi backing the Military compltetely. Now, when the military brings about a weapon that will end the war, suddenly they want nothing to do with it. Throughout the book you are hammered with a different political and social views then that which have been used in the NJO series thus far. At one point in the book, the author writes that it is the ruling government that has to be taken down, not the entire society. The women and children don't have a choice in what they are doing (Afganastan and Iraq anyone?). The author attempts to make a relationship between this story and todays political and social issues, and that connectiong is not well made. For one thing, in the story, not just the governing body of these aliens wants to destroy, ALL 3 CASTES want to utterly annihilate everything in there way. Indoctrination or not, it is a kill or be killed situation, there are no options except life or death. As the Jedi are there to preserve life and have sworn to defend the New Reupublic, now the Galactic Aliance, (has anyone else noticed this series getting more and more PC?) they should be looking for ANY way possible to do that. While alternatives would be nice, at the time there aren't any that wouldn't cost thousands if not millions of more lives. I just think this author would have been better off writing a non-fiction, political novel and talking about it on the talk circuit then trying to force ideas into a sci-fi series where those views just don't fit. If you like Star Wars, let someone who's willing to hold to the story instead of making up completely new personality's on a whim.
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