Rating: 
Summary: Well...Uh...
Review: "Sheild of Lies" should be in a garbage can, not a bookstore! A few months ago, I read "Black Fleet Crisis" book number one. It reeked too. The plot, if there is any, should only fill three pages, not three books. There was none of the action and good stuff here that I have come to expect from a "Star Wars" novel. All this book is, really, is the lengthly explanation of a boring government that doesn't even excist. It's downright stupid and boring if you ask me
Rating: 
Summary: Better than most SW stuff lately...
Review: ...and yeah, I know that ain't saying much. But Kube-
McDowell's trilogy looks promising, even if I do question
the direction it takes at times. Kube-McDowell has made the
herculean effort to stretch the boundaries of the Star
Wars universe, something few authors in this loosely-bound
series have dared to do. The results, while mixed, are
always interesting. This second book, instead of
interleaving the three major plots (Lando and the mystery
ship/Luke's search for mom/Leia's political troubles),
separates them into three distinct parts. While this makes
it easy for you if you're only interested in one plotline,
it makes the three plotlines seem even less related than
they already are. I find myself curious about the
direction Leia's character development has taken; she is
always questioning her role in the government, even though
her character background shows a woman who was a senator
when most of us are still in high school. Ack well, I'm
not the author.
Rating: 
Summary: Lando/Luke themes can get tedious and self-repetitive...
Review: Although I personally enjoyed the political section (PART 3) of this novel (General Abaht's fleet and Ackbar/Leia/Ben-kahl passages interested me especially) the other two sections: Lando/Alien Ship and Luke/Find Mother can lead to repeat themselves chapter after chapter and become predictable. Luke Skywalker was build up in the past novels as a now serious, dedicated Jedi Master. In this novel he is brought back down by the author as a joking pilot with little confidence in the Force. Also, the White Current deal can tend to agrivate; we hear nothing of what kind of Force-users they actually are! And the idea that Luke Skywalker keeps seraching for his mother even during such an intergalactic crisis (genocide, Yevetha, etc.). Also, Lando, Lobot, and the droids become rather expendable, and their actions repeat themselves throughout the first part of their book (which would cause many readers to put down the book). On the contrary, Nil Sparr, Admiral Ackbar and their lackies form a rather interesting war (a Cold War through most of the novel, really), which would provoke some interest. I enjoyed the first novel a lot more, without three parts, each one dedicated to only one plot. Some of the characters were flaky without all that depth; although Ackbar, Han, and Leia are portrayed nicely. Finally we see Leia as a real person...and get a break for the Leia/Train to be Jedi theme. Overall, it was a worthly novel to read to understand the timeline, yet not a worthly novel to read for enjoyment alone.
Rating: 
Summary: Trilogy takes off, disintegrates in flight (vol. 2)
Review: As I wrote in my review of volume 1, I really wish there were a place to rate trilogies as a whole. While we're wishing, let's wish that authors would just save up and write a single big fat book! Or put all three volumes out at once!Some of the reviews here were written in 1999 before volume 3 was available, and they complain that the book doesn't go anywhere. Well, this is slightly off base, because it's not an independent work, it's a Middle! As a middle it is not OBVIOUSLY bad. The writing isn't bad, some of the action is potentially interesting, and, although the plots don't seem to be going anywhere, and the loose ends are being tied up, you might be willing to suspend your judgment and wait to see how they are volume 3 is going to bring everything together. However, now that we have read the third book, we find that most of this never DOES get tied together. The subplot involving the automated ship that has taken off with Lando and company into Imperial space - well, that will never get integrated with any of the rest of the action AT ALL. The subplot involving Luke's joyride with Akatha - none of the activity in volume 2 will contribute in any way to the resolutions of things in volume 3. It is all just killing time, basically. As for the war, all the espionage and information-collecting they are doing, they might as well not do, since the war is going to get resolved without it. This had the potential to be a 4-star middle, but unfortunately it's nestled in a 2-star trilogy.
Rating:
Summary: Bad even by this trilogy's standards
Review: Based on the first book in the trilogy, I wasn't expecting much from this book, and I was not disapointed. Before I make all the accusations though, here is the basic plot of the book. Lando and Lobot are on some derilict ship built by some weird species trying to figure out how it works. Leia is trying to hold the New republic together while tensions run high because of some species who decided to cause problems. Luke (having had a huge fight with Leia in the previous book) has completely cut off contact with her and the rest of his family and is off with some girl on a mission to find his mother, whom he believes may still be alive. Anyway, now that bad things about this book. First of all the three main storylines have absolutely nothing to do with each other! Even in the first book they didn't seem to corruspond with each other very well, but this book makes it even worse by dividing them up into three seperate sections "Lando", "Luke", and "Leia" and telling only one of those characters activities at a time. Also, I can't believe Luke would actually believe this idiot Akanah's lies and just go along with her. She is a weak, whiny, completely dependant jerk who cries every fifteen minutes it seems. And the whole "white current" thing is just plain stupid! We already have one superpower (the Force, duh) why do we need another one? After a while, Akanah's whining coupled with her constant self rightous attitude of "all jedi are murdering barbarians because they carry lightsabers" and her feeling she needed to "save" him made me want to scream and throw the book across the room. Just who's side is this author on anyway? So, a summery of my perseption of this series would be the political stuff makes me yawn, the Luke/Akanah stuff makes me sick, and the Lando stuff has nothing to do with anything! Stay away from this one at all costs, unless you are a comeplete die-hard fan who has to read every bit of Star Wars fiction out there.
Rating: 
Summary: A great book!!
Review: Contrary to popular belief (referring to most of of the other reviews on this page) Shield of Lies is a great book! A must read for any and all fans of the adult-novel line up. It's got action, intrigue, all the good things that are Star Wars!!
Rating:
Summary: A Good Book, Underated
Review: First off let me say that this book isn't as bad as everyone seems to think it is. Interesting, well written and a good, fast read, I gave it four stars only because I didn't like it quite as much as the first, 'Before the Storm'. I liked the character of Akanah and her interaction with Luke. Of all the woman they've invented in the novels as companions for Luke(Callista, Gariel, etc.) I found her to be among the most well drawn and fleshed out. Lando's story is fascinating and I really feel Lobat coming to the forefront in this one. As Lando himself says early in the novel, "Lobot, you have unexpected depth." Leia's story is by far the most interesting. She continues to be the best characterization of the Princess I've ever seen in the novels, and she really gets a chance to show her strength in the polititcal forum. Now to address the issue of the book being divided into the three sections. This seems to unnecessarily upset people. To me, it allowed me to focus on one story at a time, and of the three sections, I read two in the same sittings I started them. Overall, a good follow-up to a great book.
Rating:
Summary: Suffers by Nature
Review: Here Kube-MacDowell tried to bind two parts of a trilogy together and, alas, failed in his venture. Far too much time is spent on the flaws, uninteresting 'Luke' and 'Lado' storylines and not enough on the 'Leia' storyline, which actually exhibits intelligence. While 'Before the Storm' had at least some interaction between storylines and lots of politics and military work, 'Shield of Lies' has absolutely no inter-story interaction. The 'Leia' storyline is still good (unless you thinkg Ewoks beating up stormies is cool) but doesn't get enough attention. The Battle of Doornik-319 is the best part of the book by far, and even then there are far better parts elsewhere in other books. It's hard to say if I reccomend the book or not, alas. 2/3 of it are a waste, but the other 1/3 is worth reading and connects well with the rest of the series. Decide for yourself after reading the 'Leia' segments of 'Before the Storm' if its worth the money.
Rating:
Summary: Suffers by Nature
Review: Here Kube-MacDowell tried to bind two parts of a trilogy together and, alas, failed in his venture. Far too much time is spent on the flaws, uninteresting 'Luke' and 'Lado' storylines and not enough on the 'Leia' storyline, which actually exhibits intelligence. While 'Before the Storm' had at least some interaction between storylines and lots of politics and military work, 'Shield of Lies' has absolutely no inter-story interaction. The 'Leia' storyline is still good (unless you thinkg Ewoks beating up stormies is cool) but doesn't get enough attention. The Battle of Doornik-319 is the best part of the book by far, and even then there are far better parts elsewhere in other books. It's hard to say if I reccomend the book or not, alas. 2/3 of it are a waste, but the other 1/3 is worth reading and connects well with the rest of the series. Decide for yourself after reading the 'Leia' segments of 'Before the Storm' if its worth the money.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting ideas, but some areas should be off limits . . .
Review: Here, again, this series has been heavily panned in favor of other books by other favorite Star Wars authors, but I think it's only fair to say that not everyone can write in the same style. What I liked: The Yevetha crisis. Something to get the Republic off their butts and back into the action. It brings the military back into the picture, which, other than in the X-Wing series, occasionally gets glossed over. I, for one, am interested in the politics of the New Republic - we must remember that politics are behind much of the action. It's not always all about the shoot-em-up action on some remote planet. The ideas behind Nils Spaar - a megalomaniacal character who is incapable of holding equal ground with any species but his own. Surprise! Leia's human. We, the readers, get so accustomed to her superhuman mentality that some can't accept when she stumbles or questions her judgement. This self-doubting keeps her three-dimensional, instead of turning into an Ivory Tower heroine. She's forced to do without Luke for a while, which is refreshing. What I didn't like: The whole "Luke looks for mom" storyline. I had been under the impression that in the "old days" (ie Heir to the Empire), that it was an established rule not to discuss this. Now, especially in light of the new movies, this storyline comes dangerously close to contradicting itself, I fear. When Luke first went into hiding, I though that this might be an interesting devlopment, that we might find some things out about what goes on in Luke's head. Instead, he gets drawn into the whole mom thing, by this girl who plays on his momentary lapse of self assuredness. I did not like this female character, and I didn't like the "White Current" storyline behind her. Nowhere in the Star Wars universe have we heard of this sect before, yet the stories of the Jedi and the Sith go back for millenia. Even in "Courtship of Princess Leia," the women acknowledge the Force. I have really yet to understand what this "White Current" is all about - are they healers? witches? What can they do? The Lando/ship thing is dragging badly, and that's sad. I love Lando's character, especially after reading the Han stories, and this could have been something really interesting to drop him into, but instead, well, it's just blah. The mystery of what the ship is, and what it's for is dragging on too long. We want answers; cool, plot-twisty ones, and so does Lando. And LOBOT! Wow, we haven't heard from him since Bespin - and frankly we haven't heard much from him here either. In the future, please don't treat Lando as an expendable character. He's got an great background, and deserves more than he got here. I know he must be bored by now. This series is ok, but before Mr. McDowell writes more Star Wars, the writing needs a bit more spit and polish.
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