Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't ask for more!!
Review: While I have found most of the books in this series better than the averedge Star Wars book of the earlier series', and very entertaining for the most part, none so far in the New Jedi Order has come close to this one! Kathy Tyers did an excellent job with The Truce at Bakura, but it's easy to see how much she's developed as a writer between this book and that one. (especially since here, her talents are not clouded by the annoying character of Gaeriel.) The writing is immpecable, the characters flawlessly portrayed and deeply emotional without being too sappy, and the general flow and plot gripping, realistic, and understandable. The author also manages to make this story uplifting and a bit dark at the same time, without using pages filled with blood and gore as some of the previous authers did, and this story was still just as compelling, if not more so, than it's predicessers. By this time in the series, the Vong have taken nearly half the galaxy, and the countless billions of terrified refugees pouring from the Vong occupied war zones is enough to make even the most generous and patriotic of planets unwilling to house them. This has become a major problem, so what remains of the fractitios New Republic government strikes a deal with the people of Duro, a planet so ruined and torn by wars on the surface that most of the inhabitants live in floating cities above the atmostphere. The refugees will work to restore Duro to a livable state, and Duro's government will allow the refugees to live there with them in peace and relative safely for the duration of the war. The deal is readily agreed to, but it isn't long before cultural diferences and and the strain of being in close quarters begin to rise between the New Republic and Duro, and the refugees themselves. Han and Jacen are sent there to help, not knowing that Leia is only "klicks" away working partially against them, while barely seventeen year old Jaina (having been with Rogue Squadren for months now) is shot down and badly wounded (as in temporary blindness, messed up legs, broken ribs, etc) as well badly scared, her confindence perhaps permenantly shaken. Meanwhile, Luke and Mara get news that a young Jedi apprentice has gone missing, so, finding the listless New Republic government unhelpful as usual, they take Anakin and strike out on their own to find the girl. At the same time, Mara's been feeling a little...strange, and so, fearing her remission has ended, and her disease is about to flare up again, she tries to destroy with the Force whatever it is, only to discover that it's no biological terror that is growing inside her... Anyway, as I already stated, altogether this was one of the best and most entertaining Star Wars books I've read in a while, and I have to say I'm more than impressed with this author's ability to carry a story begun by previous authors. While this book mainly focused on Jacen, it did not exclude everyone else, and was thus a diverse, well built story. While other books tended to portray Jacen's plaintive soul-searching and confusion as to to his place in the universe as weak and pointless, I was pleased to at last see an author who not only remembers what it's like to be a teenager, but also refused to condescend to Jacen, or us, in that way. For once, I didn't feel that the older characters were compromised in favor of the younger ones, (something that's been bothering me for a while in this series) yet at the same time it could easily be seen that the kids are coming into their own, whether they're ready to or not. I was also quite pleased at the abrupt new developments in Luke and Mara's relationship; since Heir to the Empire, this is what I've been waiting for. Luke and Mara have been my favorite couple for a while, and I was deeply pleased to finally see the focus switching back to them. This author portrayed their relationship almost on a par with Zahn, and it's fairly obvious how well she knows and cares for these characters. Han and Leia were interesting for a while, but now they've been married upwards of seventeen years and even their kids are all grown up, (and I must say have far more interesting relationships than they do) and they just remind me more of my parents than anything else. Luke and Mara make the older generation as lively and interesting as the new one, but without compromising the much needed wisdom only an adult can have. Anyway, this is an excellent book, that (unlike others in this series) I would recommend to all lovers of Star Wars!
Rating: 
Summary: Goods vs. Bads
Review: Good: Mara is pregnant with Luke's child! Finally, after so long, the two of them are going to be parents. 1st Bad: At the end of Darktide II, we got a glance of Jagged Fel, a possible love interest for Jaina Solo. Now, I was expecting he would show up. But thus far, he's a no show and it doesn't look like he'll be showing up anytime soon. Note to the future author of NJO: You can't introduce a character into the SW community people will love and then not write about him into later books. Espicially since so many of us want Jag & Jaina to get together! Another bad: I really didn't like that Jaina was put out of commission because she was a blind. She's a Jedi, the best pilot in the Squadron and she was taken out by the Vong! Something is very wrong with that!
Rating: 
Summary: Could be better, could be worse...
Review: Let me explain the title of my review starting from the end : "could be worse..." The book would have been worse if it was not fast-paced and engrossing, characteristics that I attribute to the author. The truth is I could not put down the book, following one by one the different events. Very well done, Mrs Tyers! And thank the Force for the long due development in the Luke - Mara story-line. And now let me explain the "could be better" part of the title. Well, for one, let me exclaim, like many previous reviewers of this and other NJO books : Why can't anyone write Luke and Mara anymore? After Zahn, I mean? Especially Luke, the Luke Skywalker who fought & defeated so many enemies of the New Republic, is portrayed as hesitant to use the power for which he has paid such a price. Yet Yoda, the powerful Jedi Master who was his greatest teacher, did not hesitate to ask him to kill Vader, although he was Luke's own father, and the Emperor as well, in order for the Empire to be overthrown. And although Luke chose not to fight his father, the death of the Emperor was inevitable, and if he didn't kill him the first time, at the movie, he did kill him later, in the comic Dark Empire. So how come now, that he is the Jedi Master, he wavers? Setting this aside, is it possible that the Yuyzhan Vong triumph everywhere? Not even the Emperor, not even Thrawn, my favorite vilain, were infallible & invincible, despite their power in the Force and their intelligence & cunning. Creatures so obviously bigoted as the Vong must have some weakness : religious fanaticism is blinding, and how come it doesn't create problems in their home planets and fleets? The greatest religions have had their heretics & their dissidents, how come the Vong are all so unanimous in their lust for pain? And how come there is no resistance at all in the planets they conquer? And why are so many characters left outside? Corran Horn, for once, and the Chiss warriors, and Lando and my other favorite, because he manages fine even without the Force, Talon Karrde? Have they nothing to offer to the plot? Is the New Republic composed only of weaklings, cowards, self-serving politicians and traitors? And finally, Jacen. Who would believe the son of Leia & Han would prove a pathetic ninny. Because that is what he has become, a cry-baby! Such a powerful young Jedi, full of promise, and the son of Han Solo, and he allows people to be killed around him while he is arguing philosophy?!?! Not to mention the disaster of Centerpoint in the previous books, for which, curiously enough, he is neither punished nor remorseful. And it takes an attack to his own mother to make him fight back? Great! Enough though. I am a great fan of Star Wars, and with all its shortcomings, I try not to miss a book of the NJO. However, I think it is time for the tales of gloom & doom to end. All stories are getting predictable, more than predictable in fact. Having one book after another describing how the Vong conquer planets with hardly any difficulty while the New Republic is helpless in the hands of useless politicians & traitors is starting to remind me of the previous series, where one superweapon followed another, and one fame-crazed admiral took over its predecessors in trying to reestablish the Empire. Let's have some new elements in the scenarios, please, or we will start thinking that te NJO is planned to have as many books as possible, in order to give to Lucas & DelRey as much money as possible!
Rating: 
Summary: Painfully bad
Review: I grew up with and continue to love the movies and the Star Wars mythology, but I must admit that I've never read a Star Wars novel before. I picked this up in an airport so I'd have something to read. Wow! Was this terrible! Balance Point is a case study in weak character development and failed dramatic tension. Jacen is, as others have pointed out, pathetic (wait, that implies that we _care_ about him) and annoying in his Force-ambivalence. The author clearly has a hard time imagining the inner life of a Jedi -- any of them. This novel gives the impression that Jedi warriors are lacking in any real spiritual virtue. The only thing "noble" about them is that they question when it's appropriate to use their spectacular power. Finally, the book lacks anything resembling a compelling narrative structure. Even the most important events lack emotional impact. Whole worlds fall to the enemy with such a passing mention that, as a reader, I hardly noticed, much less felt compelled to empathize. In short, if we think these are good novels, I suggest we broaden the scope of our reading material!
Rating:
Summary: Poor but fast
Review: I found this book to be someone dissapointing but i went through it fast it did not take very long to read. But i hated the struggle jacen had with the force.
Rating:
Summary: Balance Point
Review: This book was very easy to read and passed by quikly i read it in less than a day. A good book for any die hard star wars reader.Although it has one fall back the annoyiness of jacens struggling woth the force. But the rest was good. I also enjoyed that all the characters finally met up again.
Rating: 
Summary: Poorly done
Review: While I admit Kathy Tyers writes well; this book is very UNbalanced, ironically. Several plotlines which have been developing over the past few NJO books are just dropped completely - mainly the Han/Leia reunion should have been developed much more than it was. Han's coming to terms with letting his famiy back in is glanced over as well. Kathy Tyers instead writes a bunch of lovey-dovey scenes with Luke and Mara which do not add anything to the ongoing storylines and detract from the main purpose of the book. Mara Jade becomes the ultimate "Mary Sue" in this book - becoming drop-dead gorgeous to the point where her 15 year old nephew drools over her, apparently ageless, her supposedly life threatening disease is a mere inconvenience, Luke adores her sooooo much, and of course she can kick all the bad guy's [butts]. Then we have Leia, the original heroine of Star Wars, who is shown as being a bad mother, a neglectful wife, shunned by everyone, bald, weak in the Force (this is the daughter of the Chosen one?), and then is eventually mutilated and tortured. Mary-Sueism. If Kathy Tyers were a TRUE professional writer, she would have sucked it up and written the assignment given to her, not completely changed the focus of the book around to Luke and Mara instead of the Solo family. It's too bad.
Rating:
Summary: Jeremy Culberg
Review: I enjoyed this instalment of the Star Wars universe, a great deal of development of the Jedi problems and the internal politics of the Vong. An excellent read. Well worth it for those already reading through the new series.
Rating:
Summary: Better off reading something else
Review: As a book, Balance Point was well written and hard to predict. It does a good job of picking up where Agents of Chaos left off and leaving Edge of Victory with a starting point, but the book itself is boring. The story is mediocre and moves far too slowly, and the ending doesn't take enough time to make up for everything leading up to it. I would suggest that you leave this book alone unless you are reading through the New Jedi Order series, because it provides key background information for Edge of Victory I and II.
Rating:
Summary: A turning point
Review: this one was good, but it was also very sad. The Vong finnaly declare what they are after, which is basically to ride the galaxy of Jedi. I like this one for one piece of it- the author reveals that Mara is pregnant. What does that mean? It turns out it will explain more in edge of victory 2. I can't wait!
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