Rating: 
Summary: Exceptional!
Review: I've read several Star Wars novels. Some of them are quite good (Zahn's original Thrawn trilogy), and some of them make me wonder how they ever found their way to print (Anderson's Jedi Academy trilogy).But nothing in the entire Star Wars line up has impressed me the way Michael P. Kube-McDowell's "Before The Storm" does. The book is exceptional. I could not put it down. It is not only THE best Star Wars book I've read, it's one of THE best novels I've ever read. The book holds its own against the best works by Tom Clancy. I'm not kidding. Gone are the silly situations that Star Wars is sometimes known for (Ewoks beating a Legion of the Emperor's best troops; Jar-Jar taking out several attackers because his foot stuck in the wires of a downed droid). What you get instead are the more "adult", serious types of situations, like the attack on the Death Star or the battle against the giant Walkers on the ice planet of Hoth. The story is a very believeable look at the "empire building" the New Republic is engaged in 12 years after the events of "Return of the Jedi". If you like the political intrigue evident in "The Phantom Menace", you get much more of it in this book. I like what Kube-McDowell did with Leia--she's not infallible. You also get some gruesome, realistic action, that takes you to a Star Wars universe that is more akin that of "Babylon 5" or "Aliens" than the sometimes too childish "Star Wars" flicks and books. For example, take a peek at this paragraph describing the reaction to a planetary bombardment: ---- On what had been one of the wide, flat landing pads of Ten South, those who had come out to watch the visitors land were evenly divided between the stunned and the screaming. A man near Plat Mallar went to his knees and vomited. Turning away from the sight, Mallar found a woman clawing madly at her allsuit with such force that she was bleeding profusely from beneath what was left of her nails. The sight galvanized Mallar out of his paralysis, and he began edging his way toward the east edge of the pad. ---- If you want to read something more believable than your average, every day Star Wars book, I suggest this one. If you want the more "fantasy" style of stuff, then you might want to look elsewhere. I give this book my highest rating and recommend it to anyone interested in reading Star Wars. It's a new take on a familiar universe. Kenneth.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as bad as some others, but definitely not my favorite
Review: Well, I read this book with a clear open mind, (for the most part anyway :-)) and the first thought that struck my mind when I finished was well, this author knows nothing about Star Wars! Nothing about it in any way fits in with the subtly developing storylines that seem to flow through these books, and the intire series might as well have never happened for all the attention novels that take place after it pay it. Anyway, the basic plot was that Luke seems to be going through some early mid-life crisis or whatever, and he is very restless and unsure of himself. This leads him to actually turn the Jedi Academy over to one of his former students, seemingly for good, and go hide alone and be a hermit. Meanwhile, the entire galaxy is about to fall apart politically, as Leia struggles to raise her family and hold together the government, which gets increasingly harder as this "wronged" species of aliens decides to rise up and cause problems. At the same time, some magic witch girl hunts Luke down, and tries to convince him to help her find her lost people. At first he refuses, but then he changes his mind when she tells him she knows some information about his mother... Anyway, besides lack of Star Wars knowledge in general, this author seemed to also have no idea whatsoever what characters he is writing about. If Luke was a Jedi master, why would he be so weak and gullible and wishy-washy? Leia is also completely mischaracterized. Where is the strong-willed, kind-hearted undisputedly tough female we all loved from the previous novels and movies? Here she is a mean, selfish workaholic who is so eaten up by her work she litterally has no time for anything else. Also, I don't believe she would ever, ever treat Luke that cruelly! Just for wanting to know more about his mother! I mean really, she treats him this way, and then people wonder, "gee, why is Luke so depressed all the time?" And who is this Akanah supposed to be? I have never liked most of Luke's female companions (except Mara Jade) but this one has to be the worst ever. I thought Callista was pretty bad, and she was, but at least she had a scrap of something that might be called 'personality', which is more than can be said for this idiot. I can't believe Luke would believe her lies and just run off with this girl he doesn't even know! And while the whole Lando storyline was interesting, it doesn't really have anything to do with the rest of the story, and only seemed to be there to give him something to do so they wouldn't have to leave him out of yet another novel. That's another thing, where's Mara, and why is she being left out of yet another book? Anyway, unless you "have" to read all the Star Wars books, (as I do) I wouldn't recommend this series. Not only does it have nothing to do with anything that comes before or after it, but it also completely mischaracterized just about everyone and everything.
Rating: 
Summary: An interesting trilogy to add to my collection
Review: I was recommended this trilogy by a friend, and was very impressed with it after I read it. Drama, characterization, and well-defined plots are all there. I did not stop reading this trilogy except when working, eating, or sleeping. As for contradictions of canon facts, the only things that can truly be considered canon are those established in the movies. Lucas has said that he is free to contradict anything in the expanded universe.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the best but better than MANY ...
Review: I've read through all the reviews and was surprised to see this book (and the entire trilogy) attracting as much anger as it did. There are dreadful Star Wars books by Rusch, Hambly, Anderson and Macintyre that are truly deserving of such malice but not this book or the trilogy it starts. True, the star ships described were not traditional Lucas-types, an unnecessary mystical energy type similar to "the Force" is introduced and the Lando adventure was unlike anything else in the Star Wars series but that does not justify the expression of wrath below. I suppose if it did not pretend to be a Star Wars book it would have been better received (but would have sold far fewer copies). I found it overall pretty good but since I'm awfully picky, I can only give it 3 stars. It would have been a much better Star Wars series if Kube had been kept on a shorter leash by Lucasfilm. I get the feeling they surrendered often to Kube's zeal to put all sorts of odd (non Star Wars) sci-fi details in this book (and trilogy).
Rating:
Summary: Awful, Awful, Awful
Review: although book 1 of 'Black Fleet Crisis' is the best of the three, dont waste your time. It only gets worse. The characters we've come to know and love are totally out of whack. I struggled through these books just so i can get to Zahn. Its not a must read, and unless you want to bore yourself, dont read this.
Rating: 
Summary: Star Bores
Review: I am currently focing myself to read the third book in this uninspired trilogy. I won't go into story details, but it seems that the characterizations are off. Han Solo is reduced to being a baby sitter, Luke is a weakminded man with a mid-life crisis,who bows to every whim of his shadowy traveling partner,and the princess is a grump who doesn't like anybody.Aside from the characterizations, these books are boring.They read like a technical manual.The books are full of technical details,political manuevering, and military protocal, but almost no story, or substance.
Rating:
Summary: Boring, Boring, Boring..... and inconsistant!
Review: The one word that characterizes all the books of the Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy? BORING!!!!!!!!!! The book moves too slowly and is simply too inconsistant. Luke Skywalker runs off to become a hermit at Darth Vader's old retreat rejecting his Academy, his family and pretty everything else. Only a mysterious woman who is able to enter his stronghold induces Luke to leave with promises about his lost mother. Leia is shown much more as the Chief of State, an idea that did have merit, while Han Solo is shown more as the family man. The problem is, is that the story moves so slowly. The characterizations are weak: Princess Leia, the people's leader refuses to learn the names of her bodyguards preferring to ignore their existance. That is totally contrary to Princess Leia, Han Solo is done all right but that is because he really has nothing to do. Luke is done terribly. The Black Fleet crisis marks the epitome of stupid Jedi power Luke. It took Zahn coming back into the fold to save the expanded universe after the Black Fleet Debacle. The Lando adventure has possibilities but it too drops by the wayside due to just too much non-sensical writing. Perhaps this story should have been a one or two book set not a trilogy, at time it feels like the auther was just trying to fill space. In any event, this book needed some major editing and marked a dark period of Star Wars literature that not even the Jedi Academy Trilogy (horrible as it was)reached.
Rating:
Summary: Bad ... book
Review: Luke going to Vader's castle, Luke doing research on his mother, the Jedi's frying that Star destroyer at the expense of their fellow Jedi-all that was friggin tyte!
It's been about 5 yrs since I read this book but those were the parts that I do remember about this trilogy.
Rating:
Summary: Star Wars
Review: While this is not one of my favorite Star Wars books it is still a good book. It is part of a three book series. It is a must have for all Star Wars book readers. All of the books fit together so you have to read all the books (and some of the comics) to get the full story.
Rating:
Summary: Glum and Blah
Review: I own and have read this entire trilogy, but I wish I hadn't wasted my time or money. It is a very slow read, and quite inconsistent with the rest of the Star Wars universe. The story in and of itself isn't bad, but combined with the writing style and carelessness of the author, gets prertty borring. For example, a lot of the story is focused on Lando and Lobot, while good chunk of the action is taking place elsewhere. Actually, it put me to sleep quite a few times, which says something about an intense Star Wars fan. The recaps that take place in the other books more than make up for what you will miss if you do not read these books.
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