Rating: 
Summary: Putting the Pieces Back Together
Review: This is why I love The Truce of Bakura, Kathy is putting it back together. She developes the characters beautifully and at an even pace. The relationship between Luke and Mara is growing stronger than ever, Han and Leia are on the mend. The young jedi are growing up. I even begin to understand the Vong a little better. Don't get me wrong, the battle is not over by no means.I finished the book in 2 days because I couldn't put it down. Don't miss this book, it is the best of the NJO series. Now if I can only find the patience for the next one that will not be out until April. Hang on Star Wars Fans this is one ride you don't want to miss.
Rating: 
Summary: Best NJO book so far!
Review: "Balance Point" is the best book in the New Jedi Order story arc to date. Many previous novels in this series have been disappointing but Kathy Tyers, who has a competent Star Wars track record, seems to have gotten everything just about right. She portrays most of the characters as well as anyone, and her rendition of Mara Jade is as close to the original Timothy Zahn as any other author. Not only are all the characters well done, but the other elements that set Star Wars apart from all other science fiction are also present. The type of technology, the phrases people speak and the settings in which the story takes place have been hit-or-miss in past books but feel completely genuine here. If that weren't enough, the way the Jedi use the Force in this book is better than anything we have seen since "Vision of the Future". This book really was a joy to read. Still, "Balance Point" could have been better. The novel ends too quickly and its overall length was too short for a hardcover book. I don''t understand why the publisher won't put out novels longer than 350 pages. Do they think Star Wars readers would be too intimidated? When Bantam was publishing the books we got a few hardcovers that were of considerable length and the fans loved them. The only other criticism worth mentioning is that this book is part of the New Jedi Order story arc which I'm awfully tired of. That whole concept would be more appropriate for Star Trek than Star Wars. I can just imagine how much more enjoyable the book would have been if the author did not have to carry the baggage of this generally disappointing series.
Rating:
Summary: A bright spot in an otherwise dark and dismal series.
Review: Both the plot lines of Balance Point and Kathy Tyers' writing bring much needed hope and light to the NJO. Tyers' style is a breath of fresh air after the heavy-handed writing of several previous books in this 5 year story arc. If I had one complaint about BP, it would be the shortness of the book. This seems to be the trend in DelRey's Star Wars books, as though they are afraid that a long book will scare off potential readers. I wonder why so many 5th graders happily read over 700 pages of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," but we adults are given half that for our reading enjoyment? I would gladly read a Star Wars book as good as BP even if it was as long as a Tom Clancy novel. I understand that Ms. Tyers is not the sort of author who zips off a 500 page novel in a matter of weeks, she takes the time that a good novel deserves. Perhaps the publisher should have given her the time needed to write a longer story. There is so much to say about the Skywalker/Solo clans, and Del Rey seems bent of giving it to us in little tiny bits. Short as it was, BP skillfully packed it's mere 333 pages with a lot of plot advancement and wonderful characterizations. Tyers writes the Solo children with a mother's understanding of teens in transition. I found that I actually liked Jacen right from the start. I worried about him. No other author has made me care that much about Jacen.
The other characters are equally well written. Mara Jade is right on target. Finally we see again the Mara that Luke fell in love with in Vision of the Future. Luke is back in fine form as well.
It was good to see Han and Leia presented as a mature married couple, coping with not only the Galactic perils of invading barbarians, but the accumulated years of disharmony faced in many marriages of long standing.
The Vong are as nasty as ever, perhaps all the more chilling as the author doesn't not rely on fountains of gushing blood to show their cruelty and utter inhumanity. Much of the continuing plot was set forth by the NJO creators, but Kathy Tyers brought these ideas to vibrant life. There are several bright spots in the novel and even though the ending seems ominous, it is really a ray for hope, for both the SWU and the readers. The new direction of the war with the Vong should make for more interesting story lines than we've seen to date. Let's hope that future authors prove worthy of the story. Even though Balance Point seems to be a fan favorite already, Del Rey should not assume that the remaining NJO novels will be greeted with the same enthusiasm. Ms Tyers has a large following of loyal fans who know her to be a proven Star Wars author and as much as fan of the Skywalker epic as they themselves. We expected great things of Balance Point and we got it. But the publisher and Lucas Films need to realize that BP is merely one good book in a LONG series.
Rating:
Summary: Quite good, but a few disappointments
Review: This book has excellent characterization and the plot isn't as dark as the previous NJO books. I enjoyed this book much more than the previous NJO books because it concentrated on the characters and not so much on the action. The Solo kids have depth and are intriguing to read about, in particular Jacen and his personal dilemnas. For those of you who were annoyed by him in JE, Balance Point will likely tempt you into liking his character once more. Leia is seen as loving and warm, instead of the passionless workaholic many writers make her out to be. However, I was thoroughly disappointed with the treatment Han and Leia's romance was given. I disliked their estrangement in the previous books, although I agree it was very plausible and in character, and looked forward to an incredible reunion scene when they finally got back together. I thought the reunion scene given was much too brief, not very romantic, and I was disappointed that they weren't given any more romantic scenes after that. I thought it very unfair that Luke and Mara, who had not just gone through a painful, long separation like Han and Leia had, were given ample love scenes in this novel. I like Luke and Mara as a couple, but I feel there is far too much disparity in the treatment of Luke and Mara as a couple and Han and Leia as a couple. Other than that personal gripe of my own, I thought the book was extremely well-written and in character, in my opinion, the best of the NJO yet.
Rating:
Summary: Greatest of the New Order books so far!
Review: I haven't actually finished reading it yet but I have to say that this is MUCH better. So many so far have been depressing but this is so much. Luke and Mara are actually behaving as if they are married and things don't seem all doom and gloom. The only problem I have - and I haven't finished it yet so I don't know whether this is resolved - is that Han and Leia are continuing to have problems. Overall it's a good book and highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful! Nothing else describes it!
Review: This is easily one of the best and most gripping books yet. This installment in the New Jedi Order series had me sitting on the edge of my seat from page one. I never wanted to put it down! I highly recommend this one to any Star Wars fan!
Rating:
Summary: Best Book of NJO so far!
Review: In this, the newest book of the NJO series, the planet Duro is the setting of most of the action, as all of the main caracters end up there (together at last!) The plot is a complex interlacing of different ideas and storylines coming together to form what is, in my opinion one of the best Star Wars books ever written. At this point in the story Jacen and Anakin Solo have begun to drift farther apart, with Jacens ideas to the extreme pacifist, and Anakin always ready to charge in and save the day. Meanwhile, Jaina Solo is flying with Rogue Squadron, and in the first three weeks has scored enough kills to be one of the best pilots in the galaxy. Unfortunatly, she is wounded guarding refugee transports, and temporarilly loses her vision. Han Solo is in charge of one of the settelments on the planet Duro's toxic surface. When the settelment collapses he and Leia are reunited. Nom Anor is back to wreck more havoc (again!) You really should read this book!
Rating:
Summary: Family matters!
Review: Thanks to VECTOR PRIME (VP), mortality has become a welcome, or unwelcome, presence in the Star Wars Universe. It has added an element of suspense to every proceeding book. Kathy Tyers uses it, or the threat of it, to great effect in BALANCE POINT (BP). The last 100 pages were absolutely intense. I couldn't put the book down. The ending was such, that the next five months (which is how long it will be until the next book comes out) is going to test the limits of my patience. The ending owes much to the events that occurred in the first five books in the New Jedi Order series. Without those events, Kathy Tyers would not have enjoyed the rich array of emotional and personal states we find our familiar gang of SW characters in at the beginning of BP. I will right now personally admit to not being much of a fan of Luke and Mara. I like them, but they have never been a favorite because they are both Jedi. They are too alike. So while their storyline in BP is interesting, the real reason I loved the book is because of the Solo family. Ever since THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, Han and Leia have been my favorite characters in the SW Universe. They have been the princess and her knight-in-shining-armor, the Jedi and the scoundrel. Despite their differences, nothing had come between them. Then, Chewbacca died in VP. A relationship I once thought was unbreakable, started to crack. By the end of JEDI ECLIPSE, Han and Leia were barely speaking, and their children - Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin - were spread out all over the galaxy. As BP unfolds, the reuniting of the Solo family becomes a riveting examination of family dynamics. I found their intra-family relationships to be very realistic. With the Solo family, Kathy Tyers is able to show that while our families can create our greatest exasperations, they also provide us with our greatest strengths. At the end of BP, one hopes this realization has not come too late to prevent a tragedy. This book has my highest recommendation. Read it!
Rating:
Summary: The Best NJO Novel So Far!
Review: This latest novel has all the characteristics of an exciting, enjoyable read. Allthough very dark in nature (Jaina fans take heed!), this book does not leave the reader feeling depressed. Instead, this novel reinforces the much more serious tone of the New Jedi Order Series: namely, that actions have consequences and that the slate is not wiped clean at the end of the book. Jacen fans will be pleased that the main plot and development centers around the oldest son of Han and Leia, allthough he has changed much compared to the Young Jedi Knights novels. Unlike James Lucerno's novels, this book seems to tie everything together much more. When the explosive, fast-paced conclusion finally ends, the reader is left with a feeling of satisfaction, along with an obsessive need to read the next book. It is definitely crunch time for the New Republic, allthough Tyers adds enough light humor to prevent the reader from completely losing hope. Personally, I think that she does a much better job of keeping the characters true to themselves than Lucerno. overall, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality and the readability of this novel. I can only hope that future novels continue to give all of the characters a chance to change and develop as much as Tyers with Jacen Solo.
Rating:
Summary: Can we get rid of the pantywaist?
Review: After the suspense of Agents of chaos 1 and 2 I could not wait for Balance point to come out. Going by the title I thought it would have more to do with Centerpoint or something to that affect but I was wrong. While not as action packed and dark as the previous books I did like it in the end. Leia's up and close and personal meeting with the vong warmaster is bound to give her something to think about in the next installment. However, the most irritating thing about this book is Jason Solo. Waht a wimp! He takes the light/dark side thing to the limit; one hopes that Kyp might step in and set him right. I never seen such a nellie Jedi before! Its only when he is pushed to the breaking point that he finally sees that using the force wont turn him into grandpa Vader. I gave the book 4 stars for the last part of the book; prier to that the book for me dragged on. It was interesting to see Jaynna injured and such but there should have been a bit more action. And how about Luke and Mara; they are going to be parents now; sorry if I spoiled it for anyone. While this is a good sub plot and one which will benefit the Star Wars universe I can't help but think how homophobic Star Wars is in a lot of ways. We have this entire Galaxy, and surely there has to be planets where there live a few gay folk. While Star Wars is not the place for sexual politics; its an all ages universe after all, I think adding a diverse range of characters would not be a bad thing. It doesn't have to be explicit or anything but it would give a quick nod to the fact that there are different people out there. If we can have humans courting furry aliens and such why not a minor gay character? A gay Jedi? parish the thoght some might say. At any rate Star Wars is all about action good and evil and suspense filled adventure and I hope it will always stay that way. Buy this book for it does add to the NJO series and now lets look forward to the next one hwich will take us back in time.
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