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mg101lol's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
clarks_dad's review against another edition
3.0
Just when I was about to give up hope on the EU! This was not bad at all. I have to admit, I was hesitant about the whole Skywalker as anti-hero idea, even if it was a descendent of Luke's and not the main man himself. As I've mentioned in other reviews, I'm partial to morally unambiguous characters and I worried (still worry?) that I may not fully embrace young Cade Skywalker's cavalier and decidedly un-Jedi attitude, but I'm willing to roll with it and see where it goes. The reason, quite simply, is that Ostrander has done wondrous new things. Freed from the constraints of the timelines of the EU, and set over one hundred years after the Battle of Yavin, Ostrander is able to create a whole new galaxy, explore ideas that are foreign to the existing EU and create brand new characters. I think this is what the SW galaxy needs. As beloved as Luke and the gang are, they're old; and while I think I'll always have a soft spot for them and want to know more about them, I think the time has come to pass the torch. In the latest EU novel series, that's not being done very well. While some authors have created remarkable new characters, they've done them little justice and most of the high expectations I had for their development have fizzled.
Cade Skywalker and the Jedi as a whole have fallen on hard times. Once again, the order is being persecuted and hunted down after a joint Sith-Imperial conquest of the galaxy. The Galactic Alliance has finally fallen and the order that Luke so painstakingly recreated from the verge of extinction once again faces the same fate. The question, this time around, is whether or not the Skywalker line's destiny once again includes a chosen one capable of reunifying the order and freeing the galaxy from this new breed of Sith. You'd think so, until you meet Cade, a depressed, death stick junkie who's just as powerful as his ancestors, but a selfish, closed-minded wreck. Ostrander introduces several intriguing brand new characters and factions that are easy to identify with and rival the Skywalker progeny in the storyline for protagonist, which is befitting a multi-arc epic - something the novelists of the EU fail to realize. Does it have to be a Skywalker that saves the day in the end? Not really, but Ostrander knows including one grounds long-time fans in the story. He also echoes the original trilogy just enough to give those fans a sense of the familiar in this strange new galaxy he's created. It's brilliant, because it prevents you from rejecting this new arc as strange and unappealing (a problem that the entire Tales of the Jedi series had taking place thousands of years before the heyday of Luke, Han and Leia).
The writing is pretty solid, with usual comic-ese dialogue that occasionally makes you wince, but still manages to remain a cut above the drivel Christie Golden is producing in the novels. All-in-all, the pacing is tight and there don't seem to be random jumps along the plot line, which is always a danger and weakness of stories in this format. The story opens with the Sith conquest of the galaxy and a lot of interesting new questions. Ostrander jumps into the story in media res, with plenty of sword-swinging, swashbuckling action to hook you. Along the way, you're teased with the odd line referencing something that has happened in the immediate past, which of course, you want to know more about, so the hook is enticing enough and the treats spaced out enough to keep this a page-turner. There's also just the right amount of nods to the existing mythology for long time devotees to be satisfied that this is happening in the same beloved universe.
I'm eager to continue.
Cade Skywalker and the Jedi as a whole have fallen on hard times. Once again, the order is being persecuted and hunted down after a joint Sith-Imperial conquest of the galaxy. The Galactic Alliance has finally fallen and the order that Luke so painstakingly recreated from the verge of extinction once again faces the same fate. The question, this time around, is whether or not the Skywalker line's destiny once again includes a chosen one capable of reunifying the order and freeing the galaxy from this new breed of Sith. You'd think so, until you meet Cade, a depressed, death stick junkie who's just as powerful as his ancestors, but a selfish, closed-minded wreck. Ostrander introduces several intriguing brand new characters and factions that are easy to identify with and rival the Skywalker progeny in the storyline for protagonist, which is befitting a multi-arc epic - something the novelists of the EU fail to realize. Does it have to be a Skywalker that saves the day in the end? Not really, but Ostrander knows including one grounds long-time fans in the story. He also echoes the original trilogy just enough to give those fans a sense of the familiar in this strange new galaxy he's created. It's brilliant, because it prevents you from rejecting this new arc as strange and unappealing (a problem that the entire Tales of the Jedi series had taking place thousands of years before the heyday of Luke, Han and Leia).
The writing is pretty solid, with usual comic-ese dialogue that occasionally makes you wince, but still manages to remain a cut above the drivel Christie Golden is producing in the novels. All-in-all, the pacing is tight and there don't seem to be random jumps along the plot line, which is always a danger and weakness of stories in this format. The story opens with the Sith conquest of the galaxy and a lot of interesting new questions. Ostrander jumps into the story in media res, with plenty of sword-swinging, swashbuckling action to hook you. Along the way, you're teased with the odd line referencing something that has happened in the immediate past, which of course, you want to know more about, so the hook is enticing enough and the treats spaced out enough to keep this a page-turner. There's also just the right amount of nods to the existing mythology for long time devotees to be satisfied that this is happening in the same beloved universe.
I'm eager to continue.
kaboomcju's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting, but if you really like the look and feel of the original Star Wars movies, stay away from it. Seems a bit too "modern" (remember, this happened a long time ago). Don't really like the army of Sith running around, but the book actually brings that up as to why so I can forgive them. In the end, anything Star Wars is good in my book.
novelhaus's review against another edition
2.0
3.5 Stars really. Entertaining but not like !!!!!!!!!
wyrmdog's review against another edition
2.0
I'm going to comment on the whole run. It's remarkably consistent throughout, which is saying something.
It does a decent job of being a big space epic centered around a few small-scale characters who step up to do grand and legendary things. That the side characters are occasionally allowed to do big things is refreshing. Go Azlyn!
Problematically, the main character (Cade Skywalker) is a petulant, whining, moron. There is quite literally nothing compelling or redeeming about him. He's so self-absorbed every time he's in a panel I groan. He's not just unlikable, he's frequently just stupid.
At least the narrative seems at least somewhat aware that he's a dick and that he's playing dangerously with the way he uses the Force.
His friends Syn and Blue are mostly just props for him to bounce his narcissism off. He treats them as if they are not really his friends all the time, but they keep coming back for more. He takes and takes from them but they (particularly Blue) set aside any possible motivations of their own to do whatever they can to help this abusive friend of theirs.
The rest of the supporting characters are just as happy as his friends to roll over for Cade's tantrums. They're just as abused for the sake of promoting Cade too. Celeste Morne's arc is particularly squandered. Come to think of it, a lot of supporting characters are more interesting than this horrible man-child at the center of it all, yet they're all either squandered or are just never explored in a satisfying way.
The story itself? Not bad. It's fun enough I read the whole thing, despite my aforementioned issues. Krayt was visually uninspired but was otherwise an acceptable baddie. I liked his backstory, even if it did seem a bit much.
One thing: If you haven't read the Heir to the Empire stuff (the Zahn novels or the graphic novel versions), you won't understand all the references in the story. It tries to supply the information you need, but it still seems to expect that you have some familiarity.
The art is good. Not great. Good. As I said before, Krayt's character design is a bit silly. Talon is hyper-sexualized in the most stereotypical fashion possible. The space battles are as uninspired as Krayt. But the artist/s on this series do a pretty great job with expressiveness during action. The rest of the time, people just tend to look sullen.
If you like Star Wars and are hungry for some recently-rejected-and-now-no-longer-canon stories set after the original trilogy, this is worth reading. If you aren't a huge fan of Star Wars (and I do mean huge), I'd say skip it.
It does a decent job of being a big space epic centered around a few small-scale characters who step up to do grand and legendary things. That the side characters are occasionally allowed to do big things is refreshing. Go Azlyn!
Problematically, the main character (Cade Skywalker) is a petulant, whining, moron. There is quite literally nothing compelling or redeeming about him. He's so self-absorbed every time he's in a panel I groan. He's not just unlikable, he's frequently just stupid.
At least the narrative seems at least somewhat aware that he's a dick and that he's playing dangerously with the way he uses the Force.
His friends Syn and Blue are mostly just props for him to bounce his narcissism off. He treats them as if they are not really his friends all the time, but they keep coming back for more. He takes and takes from them but they (particularly Blue) set aside any possible motivations of their own to do whatever they can to help this abusive friend of theirs.
The rest of the supporting characters are just as happy as his friends to roll over for Cade's tantrums. They're just as abused for the sake of promoting Cade too. Celeste Morne's arc is particularly squandered. Come to think of it, a lot of supporting characters are more interesting than this horrible man-child at the center of it all, yet they're all either squandered or are just never explored in a satisfying way.
The story itself? Not bad. It's fun enough I read the whole thing, despite my aforementioned issues. Krayt was visually uninspired but was otherwise an acceptable baddie. I liked his backstory, even if it did seem a bit much.
One thing: If you haven't read the Heir to the Empire stuff (the Zahn novels or the graphic novel versions), you won't understand all the references in the story. It tries to supply the information you need, but it still seems to expect that you have some familiarity.
The art is good. Not great. Good. As I said before, Krayt's character design is a bit silly. Talon is hyper-sexualized in the most stereotypical fashion possible. The space battles are as uninspired as Krayt. But the artist/s on this series do a pretty great job with expressiveness during action. The rest of the time, people just tend to look sullen.
If you like Star Wars and are hungry for some recently-rejected-and-now-no-longer-canon stories set after the original trilogy, this is worth reading. If you aren't a huge fan of Star Wars (and I do mean huge), I'd say skip it.
lewis_fishman's review against another edition
5.0
everything the force awakens should have been part 1
authorjbr's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting concept. Pretty well written except for a few lines of dialogue. A few places of overt exposition. Mostly good art. Good enough to send me off to the next one. Somewhere between 3.5 and four stars.
ratcousin's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0