Rating: 
Summary: where to take it?...
Review: I don't know where to take this book, I read through once, and I intend to read darksaber and Children of the Jedi, only because I'm curious about the way she handles things in that book. I mean some things in this book is hard to follow, I enjoyed it none the less, but I've read Courtship of Princess Leia too... which is by far a better book but as someone that doesn't swear by star wars with an undieing loyalty of some. I won't cut this book down. I don't like to read the trilogies only because I don't like the Idea of having to read three novels just the get the whole story line hence the reason I like the stand alone novels but anyway... I don't hinder anyone from reading this book but do read " Courtship..." which I do highly recomend.
Rating: 
Summary: When will it ever END!?
Review: I am in the process of reading all of the Star Wars novels. Of course, some are better (anything by Timothy Zahn, also Steve Perry) than others (Kevin J. Anderson). And I have not yet read them all. However, the only time reading this series of books that I enjoy so much felt like work, was "reading" Barbara Hambly's two books "Children of the Jedi" and "Planet of Twilight". I swear I would rather read the technical manual for the space shuttle, and I'm sure it would be easier to follow! I couldn't believe as I labored through "Children", that anybody could ruin a Star Wars story for me. But, she managed it. As I tried to get through her maze of endless descriptions of abosolutely nothing having to do with ANYTHING, in the second book. I had to use a strategy of glazing over the endless ranting like I was speed reading, just to move forward. This is painful reading at best. I honestly can't understand what this horrible "author" was thinking, when she decided to write about something that she clearly doesn't get at ALL!! Her two books are THE worst examples of the Star Wars series I have heard of. Read only if you HAVE to, and PLEASE DON'T buy it!!!
Rating:
Summary: A Phantasm of Real 'Star Wars'
Review: This is a good example of why I like the Empire -v- Republic storyline. For one thing, the idea of a potent plague is laughable in the SW universe. In addition to that, Hambly puts in various absurdities that can only be expl;ained by a desire to oust Anderon's 'Darksaber' for the title of 'most ridiculous SW novel'. Sentient crystals? A mutated bug that looks human? A dueling Jedi Hutt? I've always hated the idea of giving a tangible nature to the Force, whether they be in the form of Midichlorians of Force-enhancing minerals. Absurb. The Empire -v- Republic themes, whle possibly repetitive, offer infinite possibilites that delve in philosophical and dramatical depths via the all-encompasing classic tale of upheaval and revolution. This.... I don't know what the bloody sithspawn this is, but it's no dramatic, class, powerful upheaval.And to make matters worse, after Luke's big quest for Callista all he gets is a simple plassing glance and they both go away to get ready for Galactic Menace #3221110 or #14407, depending on who you're talking about. Very disappointing even for one such as myself that wondered often if Zahn would have to physically go over to these SW author's home and shove the last scene of 'The Last Command' in front of their faces. (In the end he obviously had to just write Luke and Mars together himself.)
Rating: 
Summary: I'm kind of neutral on the whole thing, but...
Review: personally, I didn't like Planet of Twilight just because it doesn't seem to line up with all of the other stuff that is out there. It just seems to be little details of continuity in the writing that keep me from liking the work. Hambly can write well, but flowery, descriptive sentences that go on and on (early on in the book I think there was a sentence that took six lines to painfully unfold), is not what the typical Star Wars fan is looking for. We are used to seeing the story unfold and move at the speed of light in the Star Wars books and it just doesn't happen here. As with her other book, Children of the Jedi, I find myself falling asleep much more quickly in my pre-bedtime reading ritual.
Rating:
Summary: By far the worst Star Wars book I have read to date...
Review: This is truly an awful book... The only reason I was able to read it until the end was because it's a Star Wars book. I've got A LOT of problems with this book, but here are just a few. 1) It's too disjointed, bouncing between characters to the point of confusion 2) It isn't consistent with the other books. Luke is made into a relative weakling in terms of the for. One small example: Luke's starfighter crash lands, and his locker is jammed shut. Not only is Luke not strong enough to open the locker physically, the force also fails him, and he doesn't think to use his lightsaber. A small detail, but important to real fans of the series. 3) Plots involving Callista and Admiral Daala are wrapped up too abruptly, too conveniantly, and not realistically. Not to be too negative, but it's just a pathetic book...
Rating:
Summary: read it
Review: CHILDREN OF THE JEDI is better but this one is still enjoyable. The openeing is good and the head bad guy is a clever and gruesome creation. The relationship between Luke and Callista was so well built in CHILDREN OF THE JEDI and DARKSABER that it ends dissapointingly here.
Rating:
Summary: read it
Review: CHILDREN OF THE JEDI was better but this one is still enjoyable. The opening is good and the master villian is a clever and gruesome creation. The relationship between Callista and Luke was so well built in CHILDREN OF THE JEDI and DARKSABER that it ends dissapointingly in this one.
Rating: 
Summary: What are these peoples' problems with this writer?
Review: I keep reading reviews that dump on Barbara Hambly's book and her others. What is your problem people? They aren't THAT bad! I thought CHILDREN OF THE JEDI was a good book along with PLANET OF TWILIGHT. If you thought these two books were bad, then I might know your problem: not quite understanding the books. Try reading them again, carefully and unbiasedly. When I first read the trilogy of BEFORE THE STORM, SHEILD OF LIES, and TYRANT'S TEST, I hated them and thought they were confusing becouse I didn't pay careful enough attention to details and kept getting bogged down in confusions of characters (especially Lobot because I accidentally skipped over his intro and couldn't figure out if he was a person or a robot because of his name), but by the end of the trilogy I had untangled some of the snarls and when I went back and read the three books again and more carefully I understood what was going on and loved them. What I am eventually going to say is that if you disliked PLANET OF TWILIGHT or CHILDREN OF THE JEDI then you should read them again and very carefully, and if you haven't read them, then do, and read them at least twice before denouncing them as total failures. GIVE EVERY BOOK A CHANCE TO BE GREAT!
Rating:
Summary: Pretty awful, but not as bad as Children of the Jedi
Review: While I didn't hate this book as much as Children of the Jedi, (no doubt because of the general absense of Callista) it most certainly "made up" for it in other ways, such as setting such a slow and boring pace that even I (a person who normally enjoys characters more than action anyway) had a difficult time finishing it and I litterally had to force myself to read it. All the characters are skewed as well, as I shall further explain in a moment. Anyway, the basic plot was that Leia is on some mission to some planet, but is soon captured and kept constantly drugged to cloud her thinking. Luke is still brooding and pineing over Callista and he finally tracks her down to a dirtball planet called Nom Chorios. Han basically sits at home and worries and takes care of his kids. And that is basically all that happens! Except for the last chapter or two which had a pretty good conclusion, which I won't go into at the moment for those of you who havn't read it yet (if it really matters). Now, the problems of this book are well, just about everything! First of all, Leia is totally weak, she is meant to be a Jedi! She is one of the twins, the chosen ones! Why is this so much of a problem for her? Luke disapointed me as well, and he is usually my favorite character (aside from Mara Jade). All he does is wail and lement over Callista! Why would he waste a whole year of his life searching for this idiot? She was stupid enough to dump him in the first place (Luke Skywalker! The perfect guy!) Luke should have just given up and moved on. Also I have said it before and I'll say it again, Callista is the worst girlfriend they could possibly have come up with for Luke! She never should have been brought into the story at all since at the time Children of the Jedi was written, several Star Wars books taking place after it had already been written and she is never mentioned in them, so her only purpose is so that Luke can be miserable over a girl again. I felt sorry for him, not for Callista's sake, but because he can't yet see that this is better for him in the long run...(hint Mara Jade) Callista couldn't even face Luke to tell him why she "had" to leave him. Instead she tries to make Leia do it! And I thought it couldn't get any worse! They should have just let her die in Darksaber, since a nobel end like that might have made me actually respect her a bit, not as Luke's girlfriend, but as a marginally strong female. Keeping her alive, and Luke in constant agony throughout the book, just adds to my contempt for her. Also speaking of agony, what is it about this author and Luke and pain in general? She seems to need somehow to keep him suffering for some reason. In Children of the Jedi she plagued him with physical ailments, (broken leg, concusion, etc..) and in this book she keeps him in emotional anguish the whole time. Why? This is all a true shame, since I truly enjoy this author's writing style, and I think she is truly talented, but those things mentioned above really ruined the book for me. Anyway, if you really need to know who Callista is or if you are bent on reading all the Star Wars books (as I am) then I suppose you should read it, but if you are just a casual fan, definitely skip it and read Heir to the Empire or something. Actually, read anything else!
Rating:
Summary: Lay of Barbara or else
Review: I don't know what everybody is complaining about. I've read many Star Wars books from Zahn to Hambly and I found the book quite enjoyable and recomend it to any Star Wars fan. It was a little slow at first but from there it turned out to be a great book. It had a change of pace from all the other novels. It was very informative and I enjoyed it very much. So lay off Barbara she wrote a novel that I think was just fine.
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