Rating: 
Summary: Great Book!!
Review: Incredible plot. Well written(despite what may have been said about Troy Denning). The Best New Jedi order book to date (Hero's Trial is second).
Rating:
Summary: Why Are So Many Of You Complaining
Review: Okay people. Why are you all complaining about how bad this excellent book? And saying that Troy Denning is a horrible author just because the plot he was assigned to involved killing off an important character? Thats just ridiculous!!! I give this novel five stars because Denning truly did tell a tremedous story and by far te best in the series. I don't like the fact that Anakin died anymore they you guys. He was the character that gave hope to the entire galaxy, but come on. When Chewbacca was killed off it seemed as if some people were going to stop reading the series right there, but now after the ninth book I can honestly say i don't even miss him anymore. As for the books plot: Top Notch and worthy of the name Star Wars. I won't give anything away but Many characters die, Important planets fall, and this series is elevated to a whole new level!!!!
Rating: 
Summary: On the Fence
Review: I have not yet decided whether Star by Star deserves to be praised or vilified, if it ranks up there with the original Zahn trilogy or Rogue Squadron. Unfortunately, it's most powerful event, the death of a major character, had been spoiled by reading the summary of Jedi Knights in the Star Wars Insider; I knew the character was going to die, just didn't know when or how. In the event, the death seemed . . . contrived. For no apparent reason, the character (already wounded) decides he must take on several dozen enemy, ultimately failing to kill Nom Anor even though he's a hairsbreath away from him . . . .And there is an example of why Star by Star, I think, doesn't get more than three stars. Putting aside the plot points (for which Denning probably deserves neither blame nor praise, save that for the editors who control the series!), too many of the battle scenes were too difficult to follow. There's a lot of head-scratching: "How did that character end up over there? What happened to the other guy? Now, wait a tick, who was that guy, again?" Zahn, Stackpole, and Allston were masters of the large space battles; Dennings end up more confusing than anything else. As for those plot points . . . well, it is depressing and frustrating to have spent so much time watching a character develop only to see it end. This character was, perhaps, the most thought out character of the whole NJO series and now he's no more. Beyond that, judgment, I think, should remain suspended until the series ends. Sure, there's a lot to complain about it if you're into complaining. Personally, I was getting tired of the latest "superweapon" plot; I laughed in derision when Darksaber came out. In the end, if we're not satisfied, we can always pretend it never happened. That's what I did with the atrocious Dark Empire comic series, after all . . .
Rating: 
Summary: Good...not great
Review: In terms of literary merit, Vector Prime is still the best of the series. In terms of drama, this one's the king. Anakin was getting on my nerves, so I was glad that they offed him. This book did a good job of showing how the whole galaxy is coping with the Yuuzhan Vong, not just the Jedi. It did end rather abruptly, and the fall of Coruscant was depressing, but other than that it was a good book.
Rating:
Summary: Who needs fantasy when real life is this engrossing?
Review: I've read a lot of reviews for the NJO series and I will say that I can understand and at times agree with much of the criticisms given (ie. lack of focus, books aren't fun, no humor, etc.). However, I also feel that it is necessary to give credit when it is due. With this book, it certainly is. The fact of the matter is that the entire NJO series has attempted to make what has been at times an almost ridiculously fantastic universe (see Luke's feats in Children of the Jedi and Courtship, among others) and brings it back to a world in which reality has at least a marginal grip. As I see it, this book accomplishes that task as well as any yet, and is a thoroughly engrossing read because of this. Not only is there the obvious stuff to say (I really didn't think they had the guts to kill off Anakin, and I don't like it as a fan, but as a reader it was AWESOME dramatically)), but in the little details in this book is where it shines. All of the characters can be related to as people (not necesarily humans, but you know what I mean) and as such the joys and pains they feel are conveyed to the reader. The mark of a good book is whether or not you find yourself immersed in the environment, and this book does that. As far as the sadness and very unsatisfying ending (perhaps one more chapter would have helped on that...), one has to remember that the NJO series is actually the story itself - not each individual book. So, before complaining about the story, wait until it's over. Otherwise, it's like leaving Empire Strikes Back when things are going bad and never finding out who Vader is. I realize that much of that wasn't really about this book in particular, so I'll just say this - this book is a magnificent addition to the Star Wars universe, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Rating:
Summary: Anybody notice this as well?
Review: I could be wrong, but I read this book as well as all the others...and have noticed that there is a character, Vergere, the Fon(d) speicies (bird like who has jedi powers) who was Elan the Priestess's familiar and is now an advisor to Tsavong Lah. She is with Jacen at the end of this book and she supplied tears for Mara Jade in one of the earlier books. Now, am I wrong, or was she also in Rogue Planet(pre-Episode 2) as a jedi-knight who went to investigate the Rogue Planet but happened upon a new species from outside of the galaxy and convinced them to leave and take her with them..... Also, if anyone has some good expanded universe discussion boards, post here please.
Rating:
Summary: Stunned
Review: I just cannot believe it! I just cannot believe you'd end a young boy's life, even before he reaches the apex of his existence. I was greatly affected, that I believe I did mourn for him for a few weeks. And that left me confused. I was expecting him to pull a rabbit out of a hat trick, inorder to defeat the vong. But man this leaves me confused! I just wished you didn't that. You could have put him in stasis, suspended animation or any other sci-fi way of making him take a vacation before coming out to save the day later but KILLING HIM!!! Man that is too much!!!
IS HE COMING BACK???
Rating:
Summary: new ground
Review: I thought the whole point of writing this series was to get the Rebels to start losing again. Think about it. They've defeated every opponent they've ever faced for twenty some years without suffering any major loss. That gets really boring after a while. Giving the characters challenges like the Vong allows the series to have more depth, and makes the reader (well me, at least) feel more for the characters. As for Anakin dying, well...let me just point out that Obi Wan died in the first movie, and he hung out for eight years after the fact. Overall, the book is good, and has a lot of twists and turns that hopefully this board hasn't ruined for everyone who hasn't read the book yet. It loses its flow somewhere in the last 200 pages, but you kinda expect that in a 600 page book. It definitely breaks interesting new ground for the series as a whole.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: Troy Denning closes an amazing tale with his conclusion in Star by Star. One of the best of the 80 or more Star Wars novels released so far. He handles a difficult plot with sensitivity, and gut-wrenching pain with a dark sense of truth. I don't think its possible to read through this book, after knowing the characters for some eight years, to not have a powerful emotional response. Ignore the petty reviews of people who think that novels are made to create joy as you read them. The universe gets stale far too quickly, and needed a shake-up. Get used to it. I wouldn't be surprised to see more pain in the future. Nothing is more perfectly beautiful than a fallen hero.
Rating:
Summary: This is getting sad (not what happened in the book)
Review: Reading all these reviews you people post about how you will never read any Star Wars books again because they killed Anakin off disgust me. The whole NJO series is, to me, better than the Trawn Trilogy and Duology combined, it shows just how human the characters really are, his death shows just how dire the battle against the Vong really is, and that noone is invincible as they once were, so to speak. Think of the whole NJO series as a movie/movie saga, movies have their happy points, sad points, and depressing points, this book would be part of the depressing part of the movie. The original trilogy was just like it these books in a way, that it had tragedy mixed in, if New Hope (Episode 4) was never a movie, was split up into seperate books, and one of the books ended with Obi-Wan dieing, would you give up on the series? If you would, then you are not a true fan at all.
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