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jecamp86's review against another edition
4.0
Solid ending to a solid trilogy
This was a good series and the final book disappoint. My only complaint was the most interesting villain was out by the halfway point in the book and the final villain was kind of goofy.
This was a good series and the final book disappoint. My only complaint was the most interesting villain was out by the halfway point in the book and the final villain was kind of goofy.
jediprincess's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Meh. This is not great but not awful. The story was silly n interesting like how I find most legends, but the characterization was Bad.
rhganci's review against another edition
1.0
Horrible book. Yes he introduced Patrick Rothfuss to the world, but he can’t write about Star Wars characters to save his life. He may have killed my interest in reading post-RotJ EU books.
juicepouch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
wyrmbergmalcolm's review against another edition
4.0
As before, there is a lot going on in this book. There are many unrelated plots running paralelle to each other, with only the occasional cross over. Despite this, these many threads do seem to have been woven together pretty effectively. As with all tales told this way, it's only natural that the reader will prefer one thread than another but I found even the less interesting threads good enough to be happy about it.
I very much enjoyed Lando's shameless optimism when trying to woo newly reformed Mara Jade and the bureaucratic idiots in charge of the Death Star were downright hilarious, if admitedly a little characatureish.
On the whole this was a solid trilogy with some interesting and ket developments. Looking back, it feels like I've just read three trilogies, not one.
I very much enjoyed Lando's shameless optimism when trying to woo newly reformed Mara Jade and the bureaucratic idiots in charge of the Death Star were downright hilarious, if admitedly a little characatureish.
On the whole this was a solid trilogy with some interesting and ket developments. Looking back, it feels like I've just read three trilogies, not one.
novelinsights's review against another edition
4.0
This was the third and final installment in the Jedi Academy Trilogy, and though not ingeniously plotted, I thought it tied up the series pretty well.
Though I disliked the way that Anderson handled Kyp's descent to the dark side in the second book, I thought that the character's growth occurred more naturally and logically in this book. I also thought that the development of other characters, such as Ackbar and Terpfen, proceeded logically, as well.
Another thing that pleased me about this book was the manner with which it handled the topic of amnesia. This is a topic often depicted with extreme inaccuracy in the media, but here, it was done well. The character in question experiences retrograde amnesia, the type of amnesia where memories of the past are forgotten. Most stories depict characters which obtain this type of amnesia from brain damage, but this is unrealistic, as physical damage usually causes a different kind of amnesia. However, in the case of this novel, memories are forcibly (pun intended) ripped from the character's mind, justifying the result. The book also considers the fact that not all memories are lost in amnesia and that muscle memory is not affected.
All that said, this book wasn't perfect. In fact, it had a very glaring flaw in the basic plot. At the start of the book, Luke is in a coma and the spectral remains of dead Sith Exar Kun is trying to kill him. Because he is merely a spirit, he must resort to tricks to try to kill Luke, manipulating organisms in the environment to do the work for him. This made sense at first, but eventually, Luke's Jedi students stand up against Exar Kun, and he quickly begins Force choking them all into submission. That was where the whole thing fell apart for me, because there was no reason he couldn't have just choked Luke to death from the beginning.
I also didn't like how Anderson handled the mass of Jedi students. Apparently, there were 12 total students, but he only bothered to describe about half of them. He gave these students names, races, and basic personalities, and every time all 12 students got together to do stuff, he would describe what these named students were doing, then generically mention that there were other students there doing stuff, too. It fell very flat and really just left the impression that those extra students weren't there, at all. I would have preferred if the students were handled in a more Hunger Games-ish fashion, where you could tell the author at least knew a bit about every one of them, even if some got more attention in the narrative than others.
Overall, I gave the book 4 stars because it felt like a solid conclusion to the trilogy, even if the writing of this series in general was never perfect.
Though I disliked the way that Anderson handled Kyp's descent to the dark side in the second book, I thought that the character's growth occurred more naturally and logically in this book. I also thought that the development of other characters, such as Ackbar and Terpfen, proceeded logically, as well.
Another thing that pleased me about this book was the manner with which it handled the topic of amnesia. This is a topic often depicted with extreme inaccuracy in the media, but here, it was done well. The character in question experiences retrograde amnesia, the type of amnesia where memories of the past are forgotten. Most stories depict characters which obtain this type of amnesia from brain damage, but this is unrealistic, as physical damage usually causes a different kind of amnesia. However, in the case of this novel, memories are forcibly (pun intended) ripped from the character's mind, justifying the result. The book also considers the fact that not all memories are lost in amnesia and that muscle memory is not affected.
All that said, this book wasn't perfect. In fact, it had a very glaring flaw in the basic plot. At the start of the book, Luke is in a coma and the spectral remains of dead Sith Exar Kun is trying to kill him. Because he is merely a spirit, he must resort to tricks to try to kill Luke, manipulating organisms in the environment to do the work for him. This made sense at first, but eventually, Luke's Jedi students stand up against Exar Kun, and he quickly begins Force choking them all into submission. That was where the whole thing fell apart for me, because there was no reason he couldn't have just choked Luke to death from the beginning.
I also didn't like how Anderson handled the mass of Jedi students. Apparently, there were 12 total students, but he only bothered to describe about half of them. He gave these students names, races, and basic personalities, and every time all 12 students got together to do stuff, he would describe what these named students were doing, then generically mention that there were other students there doing stuff, too. It fell very flat and really just left the impression that those extra students weren't there, at all. I would have preferred if the students were handled in a more Hunger Games-ish fashion, where you could tell the author at least knew a bit about every one of them, even if some got more attention in the narrative than others.
Overall, I gave the book 4 stars because it felt like a solid conclusion to the trilogy, even if the writing of this series in general was never perfect.
crowmaster's review against another edition
4.0
I would usually rate a book like this 3 stars but since the plot of exar kun and kyps story arch interested me so much I will have too bump it up on star. Other than that I dont like how dumb the imperials are in this series. Overall not a bad ending to this series. Definitely beats dark Apprentice.
rhubarb1608's review against another edition
3.0
I will admit that there was a certain lack of enthusiasm as I embarked on this third book in the acclaimed trilogy. As I got to the halfway point, I had a pair of linked epiphanies. First was a realization of what makes the third book in Reaves' many several trilogies so weak, which was also at play here -- the books really betray the fact that the writers are operating under a severe deadline and trying to milk three books out of a two-book plot, specifically by the fact that the third book spends a good chunk of its pages rehashing what happened in the first two. That device is certainly more useful when it's been a year since the reading (or however far apart they were released) than when it's been a week, but after a third iteration of how Luke found Streen and Gantoris, a third description of how Kyp's family was torn apart by the Empire, and a third rehash of Qwi Xux's brainwashing under Tarkin, a certain weariness overtook me.
The second epiphany was that Kevin J. Anderson was clearly writing with a television show in mind. I realized this when I finally placed certain sight gags time-honored by countless of 90s shows from Everybody Loves Raymond to The X-Files and the overly-dramatic chapter endings reminiscent of a pre-commercial-break hook. Oh, Mr. Anderson, this is a book, not an episode of Twin Peaks! I experienced some frustration there.
According to my initial research, I dated this book at 01148 but now I think it's probably more like 01149. It picks up pretty much right after the events of book 2, which further suggests that Anderson really only had two books' worth of material but had to write a trilogy because "duologies" are so awkward. Luke's spirit has been knocked loose from his body and Leia comes to Yavin IV in a desperate move to help. Kyp Durron is wreaking havoc with the Sun Crusher. Qwi Xux is trying to recover from his brutal erasing of her memories. Wedge is preparing to invade Maw station.
I like that Han has a chance to do more than spout catchphrases; he chases after Kyp, taking more of a mentor interest in him as he tries to save the boy from his descent to dark side madness. Chewbacca being elevated above comic relief is nice, and Wedge's taking care of memory-wiped Qwi Xux is a new facet of his military commander personality. Anderson was a little heavy-handed with the two-and-a-half-year-old Jedi twins in the first books, so it was nice that they were toned back in this one. (He credits a child in his dedication, which suggests that he recently discovered little kids and for some reason had to pump the book with charming little kid foibles. The scenes go on a little long, but I still want to buy a stuffed bantha cub. . . .)
And yet I struggled to start this third one because its first chapter is my absolute least favorite scene in any Star Wars book. (If you're concerned about a spoiler from a book almost old enough to order alcohol in the US, then cover your ears.)
I find this scene the most frustrating and pointless, and therefore most painful of any scene in any book I've ever liked.
But. That being said. Regardless of the lackluster finish on the trilogy, there are many aspects of this book that make it a worthy successor to the two I love so much. Disembodied Luke makes for a surprising twist in the plot as he and Exar Kun trade bodiless threats and he relies on his untried students to save him when he can't even communicate with them. There is wisdom in the declaration that shadows are eliminated by flooding them with light.
This review via The RebeLibrarian
The second epiphany was that Kevin J. Anderson was clearly writing with a television show in mind. I realized this when I finally placed certain sight gags time-honored by countless of 90s shows from Everybody Loves Raymond to The X-Files and the overly-dramatic chapter endings reminiscent of a pre-commercial-break hook. Oh, Mr. Anderson, this is a book, not an episode of Twin Peaks! I experienced some frustration there.
According to my initial research, I dated this book at 01148 but now I think it's probably more like 01149. It picks up pretty much right after the events of book 2, which further suggests that Anderson really only had two books' worth of material but had to write a trilogy because "duologies" are so awkward. Luke's spirit has been knocked loose from his body and Leia comes to Yavin IV in a desperate move to help. Kyp Durron is wreaking havoc with the Sun Crusher. Qwi Xux is trying to recover from his brutal erasing of her memories. Wedge is preparing to invade Maw station.
I like that Han has a chance to do more than spout catchphrases; he chases after Kyp, taking more of a mentor interest in him as he tries to save the boy from his descent to dark side madness. Chewbacca being elevated above comic relief is nice, and Wedge's taking care of memory-wiped Qwi Xux is a new facet of his military commander personality. Anderson was a little heavy-handed with the two-and-a-half-year-old Jedi twins in the first books, so it was nice that they were toned back in this one. (He credits a child in his dedication, which suggests that he recently discovered little kids and for some reason had to pump the book with charming little kid foibles. The scenes go on a little long, but I still want to buy a stuffed bantha cub. . . .)
And yet I struggled to start this third one because its first chapter is my absolute least favorite scene in any Star Wars book. (If you're concerned about a spoiler from a book almost old enough to order alcohol in the US, then cover your ears.)
Spoiler
Kyp Durron, having been seduced by Exar Kun into tampering with dark side powers, has stolen the superweapon Sun Crusher from the heart of Yavin IV and gone tearing off to wreak havoc on the Empire. His first stop is the Imperial training base on Carida. He demands knowledge of his press-ganged brother, they put him off with a story about his being dead, and Kyp fires the super torpedo into the heart of the Caridan sun. With twenty minutes to spare, the administration discover his brother on the planet and he makes a mad dash to rescue him. He fails and watches his brother incinerated before his eyes because of his own action.I find this scene the most frustrating and pointless, and therefore most painful of any scene in any book I've ever liked.
Spoiler
Maybe Kyp would have believed their false report and pushed the button. But at the very least, he would have been able to use the Force to drag his brother onto the ship and to safety. This is the kid who could pilot a black hole cluster with the Force -- there's no reason he would try to use the Sun Crusher's tractor beam and not the Force. Also, there's no catharsis in Zeth's pointless death. Kyp the fratricide should have become irredeemable, a psychotic mess. Anderson either kills the brother 1) because Kyp must be punished for his deeds, "justice" -- or 2) he had no idea what to do with a brainwashed Stormtrooper zombie. Possibly a touch of 3), cheap emotional jarring for the reader. And I hate that.But. That being said. Regardless of the lackluster finish on the trilogy, there are many aspects of this book that make it a worthy successor to the two I love so much. Disembodied Luke makes for a surprising twist in the plot as he and Exar Kun trade bodiless threats and he relies on his untried students to save him when he can't even communicate with them. There is wisdom in the declaration that shadows are eliminated by flooding them with light.
This review via The RebeLibrarian
urbino's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
blancwene's review against another edition
1.0
For 2020, I decided to reread (in publication order) all the Bantam-era Star Wars books that were released between 1991 and 1999; that shakes out to 38 adult novels and 5 anthologies of short stories & novellas.
This week’s focus: Champions of the Force by Kevin J. Anderson.
SOME HISTORY:
Bantam continued to bang out Star Wars books at record speed. Champions of the Force was released in October of 1994, making it the fourth of five books that Bantam would release that year. It made it to number four on the New York Times paperback bestseller list for the week of October 2, 1994, and it was ultimately on the NYT list for 8 weeks. The end of the Jedi Academy trilogy was not the end of Anderson’s foray into the Star Wars universe; he went on to write [b:Darksaber|513210|Darksaber (Star Wars The Callista Trilogy, #2)|Kevin J. Anderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1326718683l/513210._SY75_.jpg|1178996] and co-write the Young Jedi Knight books with his wife, and edit three themed collections of short stories.
MY RECOLLECTION OF THE BOOK:
I remembered the huge plot points, but not a lot of the smaller details. I had also forgotten how weirdly this book builds to multiple climaxes of different subplots, over and over again.
PRINCESS LEIA COSTUME CHANGE COUNT:
Yeah, I got nothing. She’s certainly present in the book, we just get no insight into her (doubtless) extensive wardrobe.
A BRIEF SUMMARY:
Luke Skywalker lies comatose, and his pupils are forced to face the evil spirit of Exar Kun on their own. Han heads off in the Millenium Falcon to dissuade Kyp Durron from his destructive path of vengeance. And Wedge Antilles and Chewbacca head to the Maw Installation to liberate the Wookiee slaves and neutralize its threat.
THE CHARACTERS:
Luke proved himself a poor teacher in [b:Dark Apprentice|760111|Dark Apprentice (Star Wars The Jedi Academy Trilogy, #2)|Kevin J. Anderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1326717545l/760111._SY75_.jpg|501181], but he’s even less useful in this book. He spends the first half as a Force ghost of sorts, only able to communicate with his toddler niece and nephew. (In one memorably horrific scene, he possesses? assists? his toddler nephew in wielding his lightsaber to kill some Sith alchemical monsters.) Once returned to his actual body, he promptly forgives Kyp Durron, and then is merely along for the ride as they dispose of the Sun Crusher. I hate to say it, but he’s so boring in this book.
Leia, meanwhile, returns to her bystander role from book 1 and just tags along on things. You could remove her from many of her scenes, especially the foiled kidnapping attempt on baby Anakin, and you wouldn’t lose anything. Mon Mothma steps down as Chief of State and hands the role off to Leia, and other than coercing the Senate into letting Kyp get rid of the Sun Crusher, we don’t see much of her job duties. Poor Leia.
Han has things to do in the first half of the book--he’s the only person that Kyp Durron will listen to, and is able to talk him (very quickly) down from his revenge plot. Unfortunately, that means that Han is now useless for the second half, and ends up tagging along to the Kessel & Maw Installation subplot merely because Lando needed a ride.
Lando is still flirting with Mara Jade. I’m also confused about how Lando’s million credits from Umgul are apparently enough to take over the Kessel mines. I would think you would need a lot more than one million credits to revamp all that? And that’s not even getting into the question of who exactly would be your market for an addictive drug that gives you telepathic power. How is the glitterstim market legal?
I am confused by the emphasis on Jaina and Jacen as “the Jedi twins,” and Anakin as “the Jedi baby.” Surely there are other Force sensitive children out there in the galaxy? Why all the focus on Han and Leia’s offspring? (Nepotism. The answer is nepotism.) And while I loved [b:The Last Command|216422|The Last Command (Star Wars The Thrawn Trilogy, #3)|Timothy Zahn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1451092026l/216422._SY75_.jpg|397139], I am now blaming Zahn for all these Solo children kidnapping plotlines. Ambassador Furgan tries to kidnap baby (!) Anakin so they can have a new Emperor. Insert that Gru meme here...
The Jedi-in-training continue to be amorphous, two-dimensional creations. We can identify them by their archetype--Cilghal is the healer, Tionne is the bard--but otherwise they’re not remotely fleshed out. They manage to defeat Exar Kun with light and teamwork! It’s strangely anticlimatic.
Moruth Doule dies in the mines, consumed by spiders. Cheating death in the Cauldron Nebula, Admiral Daala returns to the Maw Installation to cause mayhew. She then has ANOTHER fakeout death. I would say that I’m surprised that she is this stupid and yet has survived this long, but Daala is pretty much the cockroach of the GFFA so this is par for the course.
ISSUES:
Crystal Starr Light mentions in her review that Champions of the Force is a jumble of plotlines and conclusions, and I agree. The book is weirdly paced, in that we’ll be hurtling towards a climax, get a brief denouement, and then start hurtling towards the climax of a totally different plotline. Kyp Durron destroys Carida in the first chapter; the Jedi pupils defeat Exar Kun AND Han stops Kyp at almost exactly the halfway point. There’s very little sustained action, just constant lurching from one *pivotal scene* to another, and it’s difficult to read.
Other reviews have mentioned Anderson’s flubbing of basic sci-fi elements like black holes, but I was most bothered by the incorrect military ranks! We find out in [b:Jedi Search|760110|Jedi Search (Star Wars The Jedi Academy Trilogy, #1)|Kevin J. Anderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327958212l/760110._SY75_.jpg|863900] that Wedge Antilles is now a General. Previously, Wedge was a starfighter pilot and then a starfighter commander; I would assume that he’s part of the New Republic naval forces. However, a general is usually an army officer (think Han being in charge of the ground mission on the forest moon of Endor). General Wedge is overseeing construction, then serves as the personal bodyguard to Qwi Xux, then heads up the Maw Installation mission. Why isn’t he an Admiral? And why is he doing all these jobs that seem totally outside of his purview?
My main issue, though, concerns how Kyp Durron atones for the destruction of multiple planets and millions (maybe billions) of people.
THE ATONEMENT OF KYP DURRON:
I liked Anderson’s treatment of Kyp’s debacle on Carida. He shows up, demanding that they give him info about his brother, and fires a missile when he hears that Zeth is dead. Of course, the Imperials lied to him; and of course, he’s not able to save his brother before the star goes supernova. He heads off, destroys another solar system, and then Han reaches out to him at exactly the moment that Exar Kun is defeated. Kyp gives in, and he’s sent before the Senate for sentencing.
Mon Mothma orders that only Luke Skywalker can decide what to do with him. Luke sends Kyp to face something like the cave on Dagobah, and Kyp doesn’t use his weapon. Hurrah! He’s a Jedi now!
WHAT.
I’m not saying that Kyp Durron deserved a prison sentence, or the death penalty, or anything, but he murdered millions. Sure, they were Imperial worlds, but there were probably more people like Zeth, who had not chosen to align themselves with the Empire but were forced into it.
Morality issues in Star Wars can get a little iffy when you look at them too closely, and this is a classic example. Kyp never fully atones for what he’s done, and so Luke’s immediate reacceptance of him feels off putting and not properly attained.
IN CONCLUSION:
I can’t stress enough--the Jedi Academy trilogy is pivotal to the 90s era Star Wars books. It introduces a lot of characters and concepts that we will see again! But Champions of the Force in particular is weirdly paced, weirdly plotted, and handles both the OG characters as well as the newer ones so haphazardly that it’s not even close to an enjoyable read.
Next up: another doozy, [b:The Crystal Star|263012|The Crystal Star (Star Wars)|Vonda N. McIntyre|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327875096l/263012._SY75_.jpg|254951] by Vonda N. McIntyre.
My YouTube review: https://youtu.be/0Wmnp8TD_aI
This week’s focus: Champions of the Force by Kevin J. Anderson.
SOME HISTORY:
Bantam continued to bang out Star Wars books at record speed. Champions of the Force was released in October of 1994, making it the fourth of five books that Bantam would release that year. It made it to number four on the New York Times paperback bestseller list for the week of October 2, 1994, and it was ultimately on the NYT list for 8 weeks. The end of the Jedi Academy trilogy was not the end of Anderson’s foray into the Star Wars universe; he went on to write [b:Darksaber|513210|Darksaber (Star Wars The Callista Trilogy, #2)|Kevin J. Anderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1326718683l/513210._SY75_.jpg|1178996] and co-write the Young Jedi Knight books with his wife, and edit three themed collections of short stories.
MY RECOLLECTION OF THE BOOK:
I remembered the huge plot points, but not a lot of the smaller details. I had also forgotten how weirdly this book builds to multiple climaxes of different subplots, over and over again.
PRINCESS LEIA COSTUME CHANGE COUNT:
Yeah, I got nothing. She’s certainly present in the book, we just get no insight into her (doubtless) extensive wardrobe.
A BRIEF SUMMARY:
Luke Skywalker lies comatose, and his pupils are forced to face the evil spirit of Exar Kun on their own. Han heads off in the Millenium Falcon to dissuade Kyp Durron from his destructive path of vengeance. And Wedge Antilles and Chewbacca head to the Maw Installation to liberate the Wookiee slaves and neutralize its threat.
THE CHARACTERS:
Luke proved himself a poor teacher in [b:Dark Apprentice|760111|Dark Apprentice (Star Wars The Jedi Academy Trilogy, #2)|Kevin J. Anderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1326717545l/760111._SY75_.jpg|501181], but he’s even less useful in this book. He spends the first half as a Force ghost of sorts, only able to communicate with his toddler niece and nephew. (In one memorably horrific scene, he possesses? assists? his toddler nephew in wielding his lightsaber to kill some Sith alchemical monsters.) Once returned to his actual body, he promptly forgives Kyp Durron, and then is merely along for the ride as they dispose of the Sun Crusher. I hate to say it, but he’s so boring in this book.
Leia, meanwhile, returns to her bystander role from book 1 and just tags along on things. You could remove her from many of her scenes, especially the foiled kidnapping attempt on baby Anakin, and you wouldn’t lose anything. Mon Mothma steps down as Chief of State and hands the role off to Leia, and other than coercing the Senate into letting Kyp get rid of the Sun Crusher, we don’t see much of her job duties. Poor Leia.
Han has things to do in the first half of the book--he’s the only person that Kyp Durron will listen to, and is able to talk him (very quickly) down from his revenge plot. Unfortunately, that means that Han is now useless for the second half, and ends up tagging along to the Kessel & Maw Installation subplot merely because Lando needed a ride.
Lando is still flirting with Mara Jade. I’m also confused about how Lando’s million credits from Umgul are apparently enough to take over the Kessel mines. I would think you would need a lot more than one million credits to revamp all that? And that’s not even getting into the question of who exactly would be your market for an addictive drug that gives you telepathic power. How is the glitterstim market legal?
I am confused by the emphasis on Jaina and Jacen as “the Jedi twins,” and Anakin as “the Jedi baby.” Surely there are other Force sensitive children out there in the galaxy? Why all the focus on Han and Leia’s offspring? (Nepotism. The answer is nepotism.) And while I loved [b:The Last Command|216422|The Last Command (Star Wars The Thrawn Trilogy, #3)|Timothy Zahn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1451092026l/216422._SY75_.jpg|397139], I am now blaming Zahn for all these Solo children kidnapping plotlines. Ambassador Furgan tries to kidnap baby (!) Anakin so they can have a new Emperor. Insert that Gru meme here...
The Jedi-in-training continue to be amorphous, two-dimensional creations. We can identify them by their archetype--Cilghal is the healer, Tionne is the bard--but otherwise they’re not remotely fleshed out. They manage to defeat Exar Kun with light and teamwork! It’s strangely anticlimatic.
Moruth Doule dies in the mines, consumed by spiders. Cheating death in the Cauldron Nebula, Admiral Daala returns to the Maw Installation to cause mayhew. She then has ANOTHER fakeout death. I would say that I’m surprised that she is this stupid and yet has survived this long, but Daala is pretty much the cockroach of the GFFA so this is par for the course.
ISSUES:
Crystal Starr Light mentions in her review that Champions of the Force is a jumble of plotlines and conclusions, and I agree. The book is weirdly paced, in that we’ll be hurtling towards a climax, get a brief denouement, and then start hurtling towards the climax of a totally different plotline. Kyp Durron destroys Carida in the first chapter; the Jedi pupils defeat Exar Kun AND Han stops Kyp at almost exactly the halfway point. There’s very little sustained action, just constant lurching from one *pivotal scene* to another, and it’s difficult to read.
Other reviews have mentioned Anderson’s flubbing of basic sci-fi elements like black holes, but I was most bothered by the incorrect military ranks! We find out in [b:Jedi Search|760110|Jedi Search (Star Wars The Jedi Academy Trilogy, #1)|Kevin J. Anderson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327958212l/760110._SY75_.jpg|863900] that Wedge Antilles is now a General. Previously, Wedge was a starfighter pilot and then a starfighter commander; I would assume that he’s part of the New Republic naval forces. However, a general is usually an army officer (think Han being in charge of the ground mission on the forest moon of Endor). General Wedge is overseeing construction, then serves as the personal bodyguard to Qwi Xux, then heads up the Maw Installation mission. Why isn’t he an Admiral? And why is he doing all these jobs that seem totally outside of his purview?
My main issue, though, concerns how Kyp Durron atones for the destruction of multiple planets and millions (maybe billions) of people.
THE ATONEMENT OF KYP DURRON:
I liked Anderson’s treatment of Kyp’s debacle on Carida. He shows up, demanding that they give him info about his brother, and fires a missile when he hears that Zeth is dead. Of course, the Imperials lied to him; and of course, he’s not able to save his brother before the star goes supernova. He heads off, destroys another solar system, and then Han reaches out to him at exactly the moment that Exar Kun is defeated. Kyp gives in, and he’s sent before the Senate for sentencing.
Mon Mothma orders that only Luke Skywalker can decide what to do with him. Luke sends Kyp to face something like the cave on Dagobah, and Kyp doesn’t use his weapon. Hurrah! He’s a Jedi now!
WHAT.
I’m not saying that Kyp Durron deserved a prison sentence, or the death penalty, or anything, but he murdered millions. Sure, they were Imperial worlds, but there were probably more people like Zeth, who had not chosen to align themselves with the Empire but were forced into it.
Morality issues in Star Wars can get a little iffy when you look at them too closely, and this is a classic example. Kyp never fully atones for what he’s done, and so Luke’s immediate reacceptance of him feels off putting and not properly attained.
IN CONCLUSION:
I can’t stress enough--the Jedi Academy trilogy is pivotal to the 90s era Star Wars books. It introduces a lot of characters and concepts that we will see again! But Champions of the Force in particular is weirdly paced, weirdly plotted, and handles both the OG characters as well as the newer ones so haphazardly that it’s not even close to an enjoyable read.
Next up: another doozy, [b:The Crystal Star|263012|The Crystal Star (Star Wars)|Vonda N. McIntyre|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327875096l/263012._SY75_.jpg|254951] by Vonda N. McIntyre.
My YouTube review: https://youtu.be/0Wmnp8TD_aI