Reviews

Star Wars: The Living Force by John Jackson Miller

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scarletpaul's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

galacticvampire's review against another edition

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4.0

This book is beautiful. It shows the core of what being a Jedi was like, a multitude of different ways they impacted lives. The plot was interesting, specially the more action-driven Depa and Mace's povs.

Even then, I think it would've been a more tight story if we had fewer narrators. The idea of letting us see the perspective of each High Council member plus other surrounding characters like Qui-Gon helped shape and give life to the institution, but it made for a clunky narrative.

boardgamebryan's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

"Star Wars: The Living Force" by John Jackson Miller unfolds a fascinating narrative that delves deep into a community grappling with a sense of abandonment by the Jedi. This captivating tale, steeped in intrigue and conflict, explores the power vacuum that arises in the wake of the Jedi's perceived withdrawal. As unscrupulous elements, primarily criminals, seize this opportunity to assert their dominance and exploit the situation, the story takes a compelling turn. The narrative arc beautifully captures the subsequent reactions and strategies of the Jedi as they confront this challenging predicament, providing readers with an engrossing exploration of this unique aspect of the Star Wars universe.

coruscant's review against another edition

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funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

John Jackson Miller returns for The Living Force which takes place a year prior to the events of The Phantom Menace. The book asks the question: what does it mean to be a Jedi? Qui-Gon Jinn for one is troubled by what he perceives as a failure of responsibility on the part of the Jedi Order. He reconvenes the Council and makes a challenge of them: help just one person. The Council, in part amused by this friendly provocation and otherwise sympathetic to it, agrees to meet on Kwenn where they will answer this call.

I struggle to think of Star Wars literary release that has faced such broad hype from the community as this one. The return of John Jackson Miller to the franchise as well as the inclusion of so many fan-favourite characters from an era celebrating a milestone anniversary spurred a perfect storm. Ironically, this posed something of a challenge of its own.

Jackson Miller's strength in character craft is evident throughout. He finds a unique voice for each of the characters, especially those who we are less familiar with. It will be unsurprising to anyone familiar with his prior works that his Kenobi is charming and true; however it is his Baylo, Saesee Tiin and Yarael Poof that I will carry beyond this book. The distinct levels he hits not only within his depictions of these individuals but moreso in their interactions with one another is the beating heart of the book.

The Living Force offers a refreshing reflection on who the Grand Masters of the Jedi Council are outside the limits of Coruscant. Seeing these leaders of the Jedi Order wrestle with the needs of the many versus the needs of the galaxy offers a sympathetic insight into choices that seem otherwise foolish.

Jackson Miller writes for the Star Wars fans as a Star Wars fan. Where some of his editorial choices could come off as tasteless or fan service in other hands, they are convincing and credible in his. This book, perhaps more than any other released since the beginning of the High Republic, weaves a thread between the two eras. The imprint of the Jedi presence on Kwenn is stark against the uncomfortable realisation of their decline since.

The Living Force in its conception had grand amibitions and I think Jackson Miller achieved these heights — in part.

The main hurdle this book faced was sewn into its fabric. How do you create any sense of stakes in a book so tightly confined to a period of time we know so much about? With The Phantom Menace just around the corner, we know these familiar faces are still alive and kicking beyond the events of the book. We know the Jedi are still heavily enmeshed with the Republic and grounded by their responsibilities on Coruscant. We also know they remain blind to the emerging Sith presence. More to the point, do we really believe the smallest pirate faction in a declining corner of the mid rim can come up against the might of 12 Jedi Grand Masters?

The unconvincing antagonist(s) gave way to an unconvincing climax. There was a clear struggle between the word count and the many perspective demanded by the story. Even at 400+ pages the book felt stretched thin at times.

Whilst the action scenes left something to be desired, I have never picked up one of John Jackson Miller's novels for the love of a well-choreographed battle scene. True, there were several shifts in perspective that felt cumbersome yet, equally, I enjoyed each individual's journey throughout. Did the final act become overdrawn? Yes, I believe so. Equally, I wouldn't trade the moment Yoda stumped Zilasta's seemingly foolproof plan.

Jackson Miller is successful in The Living Force precisely because he recognises the pitfalls of writing such a novel and he knows his audience. This book proves to be one of the more broadly enjoyable Star Wars reads and I struggle to think of a Star Wars fan who couldn't enjoy something in this book. LucasFilm published this book as a celebration of the prequel era and in this regard Jackson Miller knocks it out of the park. I'm unsurprised many felt disappointed or that The Living Force didn't meet its own hype but I can't escape the feeling that I would read another version of this book in any other era in a heartbeat.

elysiumdream's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional informative lighthearted mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

thecurseofchris's review against another edition

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adventurous funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

4/5. There are times when this book is a 3/5, but there are also times when it's a 5/5. I was struggling for awhile on where I might land with my rating, but after the thrilling ending, I think a solid 4 is more than fair.

First off, The Phantom Menace is my favorite Star Wars movie, so anything around/before that time will automatically appeal to me. I absolutely loved having the entire Jedi Council go on what is essentially a mission of goodwill together. JJM does a surprisingly good job at giving all of them their own character traits and making them feel different from each other. There were times when I felt like it was a little "too crowded," but I did enjoy the various Council members getting the chance to interact with each other.

Some of the situations the Jedi found themselves in were interesting and others downright hilarious. A few storylines were just okay, or felt thrown in just because the character was there.

That said, I think the story itself, while not really anything remarkable or memorable, has enough in it AND all comes together in the final third to be a really awesome tale prior to the (re)introduction of the Sith in TPM. Prequel fans will find this book to be a blast!