Rating: 
Summary: A new kind of Jedi...
Review: 'Conquest' is the shortest novel in the New Jedi Order line thus far, but don't let that discourage you - it's also in many important ways one of the best. Like 'Hero's Trial' before it, 'Conquest' follows only one character, Anakin this time, through the bulk of the book. Though it is short, this entry reveals more to us about the Vong as a people, as a culture, than any three novels before it. In addition, it's nice finally to see a New Jedi Order novel that actually focuses on the Jedi. Greg Keyes certainly isn't the best author who's been inducted into the Star Wars fold recently, but he definitely *is* one of the most engaging. At times, Keyes' style seemed a little "fan fiction-ish" rather than "profic." The sentence structure and word choice sometimes just didn't feel professional, but that is easily overlooked because it didn't detract from the novel, it was just different.The plot is straightforward: Several months after Yuuzhan Vong Warmaster Tsavong Lah's offering to end the invasion if all the Jedi are turned over to him, the Peace Brigade, as well as planetfuls of desperate people near the path of the invasion route, are out hunting Jedi - pretty much completely unhindered by the New Republic government. Because of this, the schism that has been growing between the Jedi deepens drastically. Figuring that Yavin IV, home of the Jedi Academy, will be a Vong target, Luke sends Karrde to evacuate the trainees, but Anakin knows he won't get there in time, and rushes off, against Luke's direct orders, to help his friends. He arrives in the Yavin system to find that Karrde has not yet arrived, but the Peace Brigade has. Thus begins Anakin's trials and tribulations, which will last the rest of the book. As his quest continues, Anakin teams up with a renegade Yuuzhan Vong, a "Shamed One" who has apparently lost the favor of "gods and family" (although he quite vehemently denies it), through whom the young Jedi really begins to understand what the Republic is dealing with. Meanwhile, Tahiri, Anakin's best friend, has been captured by the Vong and is being brainwashed by members of their "Shaper" caste who want not only to understand what the Force is, but also want to have their own, Vong, Force-user. Previously, many Star Wars fans have complained that the New Jedi Order sequence has been to dark, too gruesome for their tastes. Despair not!, for 'Conquest' is much more upbeat both in terms of tone, style, and content. There is a little Vong brutality, but it mostly happens off-camera, and what is shown is handled tastefully, not in the over-the-top manner which we have seen so often previously. As I said earlier, Keyes is a very engaging author, with an easy-to-read style that allows you to fall right into the book. The action and suspense are gripping, but instead of following the move-by-move descriptive formula favored by R.A. Salvatore and Michael Stackpole, Keyes tended to focus on what the characters involved with the action were thinking and going through. In many ways the style of this novel would feel more at home in the Bantam or Young Jedi Knights series than in the New Jedi Order. In fact, character is what Keyes seems to do best. Luke, Mara, and Borsk all acted (or didn't act, as the case may be) in character, although sometimes their dialogue didn't sound quite right, but all the other characters were perfectly portrayed. And there were quite a few characters, mostly Jedi and others hailing from the Young Jedi Knights and Junior Jedi Knights lines of YA novels. The twins, Anakin, his best friend Tahiri, and others were all perfectly on-target in terms of characterization and attitude, and some previously unremarkable characters, such as diminutive Jedi Master Ikrit and Dorsk 82, were completely salvaged. In addition, look for a cameo by Corran Horn. As I have noted, this is an "Anakin novel," in much the same way that 'Balance Point' was a "Jacen novel." In fact, in many ways this book feels more like a follow-up to 'Balance Point' than it does a prelude to the events of the next novel, 'Rebirth.' In BP, Jacen essentially went on a journey of self-discovery, and while at it he learned much about the nature and balance of the Force. 'Conquest' builds on that, and complements it. Here, Anakin, while working to help his fellow Jedi, also "finds himself," and through his interaction with the Yuuzhan Vong begins to understand them, their actions, and their place in the Force. Yet although this is very much a character-driven novel, there is plenty of action in this book. Anakin starts the novel with the highest Vong hand-to-hand kill count, and that number rises drastically over the course of this novel. We get to see various offensive and defensive measures of the Force, some of which we have seen previously and some of which we have not, but all of which are quite interesting. As well as ground combat, there are plenty of aerial and space-born skirmishes and battles to keep even the most impatient of readers happy. And if Anakin learns a lot about the Vong, we as readers learn a whole lot more through the eyes of one of their Shapers." On the down side, Lando still has not showed up, and also notably absent are Han and Leia. Overall, Keyes is an extremely entertaining author with a fun style and a good grip of the Star Wars universe and the characters he was dealing with. This book was tight, fun, suspenseful, and very rereadable. Although 'Conquest' is not quite as good as 'Hero's Trial' or 'Balance Point,' it's a far cry above the abysmal 'Ruin' or the less-than-great 'Jedi Eclipse.' I can't wait for the next book. Definitely buy this one, even (or especially) if you have been feeling skeptical about the direction this series is taking overall.
Rating: 
Summary: NJO finally shines.
Review: This book is simply amazing, and actually might be one of the best Star Wars books ever written. Keyes shows here that he doesn't need to have five different plotlines in order to give a story momentum. Instead, the focus is on Anakin's race to save his best freind, Tahiri, a student at the Jedi Academy, from being turned into a Yuzzhan Vong. The plot might be predictable, but the characters are the true centerpoint of the novel. Keyes is the first NJO author to actually bring character depth to the Yuzzhan Vong. While the sequel, Edge of Victory II: Rebirth, might not be the best, this book will leave readers deeply satisfied.
Rating:
Summary: The best of them all!
Review: This book was very good, following Anakin (my favorite character) on his adventure to save the temple and his best friend Tahiri, from being shaped into a Yuuzhan Vong. The story is pretty fast paced and the book is full of action. The addition of Vua Rappung is very nice for helping the story along, and I thought the last 100 pages were the best of the book. Also, Jacen is not nearly as annoying as the previous books were he gave up using the force and wanted to become a hermit. An excellent read!
Rating:
Summary: simply awesome
Review: This is a really amazing book. greg keys knows what he is talking about. It has a great plot line and great characters. Anakin solo goes to yavin 4 in search of the judi children and his best friend tahari to save them from the peace brigade who are tring to give all of the jedi to the vicious and evil yuzong vong (did i spell that right? :) but anakin is better than that. or at least until his friend tahari attempts to help him fight and escape the peace brigade. every 1 cant fit in his X-wing so they must set off and steal a brigade ship. which happens to be a man named valin. they steal the ship to go save the jedi children but the ship gets shot down and a jedi master dies. tahari goes after the master but is captured. anakin promises himself that he will save her no matter what. so he and a few others try to fix the downed ship... until anakin has a dream about her with yuzong vong implants and scars. so he builds a madeshift speeder and goes after her. he meets a vong and becomes friends with him and sets out to save her in a epic mission.
Rating:
Summary: NJO finally shines.
Review: This book is simply amazing, and is the best NJO book written thus far. Keyes shows here that he doesn't need to have five different plotlines in order to give a story momentum. Instead, the focus is on Anakin's race to save his best freind, Tahiri, a student at the Jedi Academy, from being turned into a Yuzzhan Vong. The plot might be predictable, but the characters are the true centerpoint of the novel. Keyes is the first NJO author to actually bring character depth to the Yuzzhan Vong. While the beginning starts off a little shaky, in the end, this book will leave readers deeply satisfied.
Rating:
Summary: The Best of the Best
Review: Greg Keyes, let me just start off by congratulating you. You have made a wonderful beginning in the star wars universe and i hope you continue to grace its glory. This is the best book in the new jedi order. It is from this that the plot is really dominanted by the rest of the series. All of the shamed ones heretics, all of Tahiris problems, every thing stems from this book. This is the one star wars book that i can read over and over again. It follows Anakin Solo's quest to rescue his friend Tahiri from the Shapers. He meets up with a Shamed One who is trying to clear his name. So they join forces to take on all of the Yuzhan Vong. If you havent read this book go out and buy it right now and read it and dont get up till you've finished reading it.
Rating:
Summary: Edge of Victory I: Conquest (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order,
Review: I am an avid star wars reader and i found that this book was amazing. It had just the right mix of everything star wars fans have come to love about the series. With lightsaber battles in every chapter and interstellar space battles mixed throughout the book it gives a new meaning to action. I reccomend this book to anyone who loves reading.
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