Rating: 
Summary: Best characterization of Princess Leia ever!
Review: I love this novel! I picked it up a couple of days ago AGAINST the advice of some nay-saying friends and couldn't put it down until it was fininshed. The characterization is deep and richly textured and Princess Leia in particular shines, which impressed me a great deal becuase I feel quite often her character suffers the most in the novels for lack of understanding of her personality. I also liked the fact that there is hardly a chapter of this book that dosen't contain at least one of the main characters. A lot of times, authors are so infatuated with thier own creations, they'll dedicate chapter upon chapter to them. Not so with Kube-McDowell, who realizes I'm reading the novel to learn more about the characters I know and love(Luke, Leia, Lando, even Ackbar). It's well writing, interseting and talky(which I like. The movies aren't all action sequences, you know). Possibly my favorite SW book of all time!
Rating:
Summary: Oh My G/D!
Review: Wow! This is great! The writing was to perfection. It is very good
Rating: 
Summary: Trilogy takes off, disintegrates in flight (vol. 1)
Review: There really ought to be a place where you can rate these trilogies as a unit. Trying to write reviews as if they were independent volumes doesn't make a lot of sense.The 'Black Fleet' trilogy takes a long time to take off in volume 1, seems to develop some promise and momentum in volume 2, and it isn't until you finish volume 3 that you really realize how much of a waste of time it was to read it. The first volume takes some time getting three plots moving. The main plot is the war between the New Republic and the evil and aggressive Yevetha, who are planning to take over their star cluster (and then the universe) with the help of some Imperial ships they captured a few years back. This gets going really slowly, as Leia spends most of the book getting utterly duped by the evil Yevethan viceroy who engages her in long and pointless "negotiations" in which he apparently does nothing but talk about how badly his people were mistreated by the Empire. The war has hardly even started at the end of volume 1. Leia spends much of the trilogy fighting off evil politicians who want to depose her from the presidency, but I have to say that she doesn't have any great claim to the job from the skills she exhibits. Meanwhile, Luke starts off deciding to be a hermit like Obi-wan and Yoda before him, but is quickly derailed by a mysterious and irritating woman named Akatha who promises that he can find out some information about his mother if he hares off across the galaxy to who knows where with her and listens to pious lectures about how bad it is that Jedi kill people. Luke is somewhat of a disappointment here, since he seems to be a strange mixture of 3 parts mature Jedi sage and 7 parts Luke the Kid from Episode IV. Obi-wan wouldn't have been as naive as Luke here on his worst day. And in plot number 3, Lando, Lobot, C3PO and R2D2 go off to help investigate a mysterious Flying-Dutchman type ship. Also, Chewie goes off to his homeworld to help his son get through a coming-of-age ritual, but he isn't seen again until volume 2 when it will be necessary for him to return to help out Han. This is not giving away a secret, since there is a lot of discussion of Chewie's life-debt to Han, so you just know he is going to have a chance to pay it off. Like I say, it's slow going, but the writing is competent and you may be willing to trust the author in the hope that he will bring these plots together in some interesting way down the road. Well, it is my sad duty to tell you that this hope is in vain. One of the subplots ends up having ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with everything else. The war will not get resolved in an interesting way, and the bottom line is that you will end up feeling disappointed. Or at least I did. The writing might merit 3 stars for volume 1, 4 stars for volume 2, and 2 stars for volume 3, but if it winds up on a 2-star note it's a 2-star trilogy in my book.
Rating: 
Summary: Good Trilogy
Review: The Black Fleet Crisis trilogy is one fun read. It goes deep into the feelings of Luke and Leia sepearately and explores their problems, making them much more detailed characters. As for the bad guys in this trilogy...PURE EVIL. Written so well I was shocked. I recommend this trilogy to all Star Wars fans that are reading the novels.
Rating:
Summary: Kept me reading
Review: Other than Nashira being Luke & Leia's mother's name, I found the book very interesting. I suppose it's possible that she was known to the Fallanassi by this name, instead of how we know her through Phentom Menace. I could completely picture Han and C-3PO with their lines. I couldn't wait to get the 2nd book and I'm almost ready to get the 3rd. I was very surprised to read all of these harsh reviews, because I have been enjoying this trilogy. I guess you have to open your mind to other possibilities. However, I don't think anyone should start with this trilogy if they've never read any SW books, because some background is needed. All in all, I'm satisfied.
Rating: 
Summary: This is Star Wars?
Review: It isn't that it contradicted TPM, it isn't that it developed new characters, but something about this book is just plain bad. Luke goes off in search of his mother. . . And does NOTHING for the rest of the trilogy. Leia yells at senators. . . And does NOTHING for the rest of the trilogy. Han gets captured quickly. . . And does NOTHING for the rest of the trilogy. Lando, the droids, the jedi, none of them do anything that should make anyone want to read this book. It was clearly written poorly, and had a weak plot, and it clearly did not have a purpose for being. It was written by someone who obviously knows nothing about Star Wars, and really should never have been published. PLEASE don't buy this book, just to tell publishers and authors that if they can't sell us a decent product, they don't deserve any of our money.
Rating:
Summary: Koornacht Cluster [cough] Crisis
Review: This book would be good if it wasn't sooooooo bad. TRULY uninspired combat that is made up for by a fragmented story line that never quite adds up. A terrible ending sequence, poor set up, and Han taken out of the action makes this trilogy not worth buying. In addition, if you are buying this book and not the others in the trilogy, then be warned: Before the Storm does not have a traditional ending. In fact, I'm not sure that its ending tied off ANY loose ends. I kept expecting that something would come in the next page or two that would salvage all fifteen hundred pages of the trilogy, and it never came.
Rating:
Summary: One of the better Star Wars reads
Review: This one seens a little reminicent of Tim Zahn's stuff, but that's just compared to The Crystal Star. It explores the government, which some other books seem to ignore. While Luke's story may seem contradictory to Episode I, it still holds interest. And who can say "no" to a good Lando story?
Rating:
Summary: It's me again
Review: I have already reviewed this book but I have to speak up again. This book is great. Mostly. The plots start off with a bang in this book. The second book of this series is where the failing is. It slows to such a snail's pace you are ready for everyone to just die. Also, if the author hadn't split all three plots into seperate sections then the Lando story would have been better, Luke's story would maby have been a tiny bit interesting and Leia's story would have been excellent. In the third book the author tries to speed up but just falls flat on his face. The Lando plot created a lot of mystery in the first two books but the solution just kind of makes you say, "WHAT IN THE WORLD?" Luke's story, such as it was, actually finally ties in with Leia's story. A pity that the stories couldn't have a better ending. ALl in all, the series did not live up to the first book.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: This is a really excrllrnt book. It's ont the best when it come to action but a terrific storyline. Not that I don't like action but I like a really good storyline.
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