Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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:
Yes
1.5/5
I really did not enjoy this book. This New Jedi Order series of books is so uneven; generally I have found the stories to be unfocused a boring. I found the story in this book fairly boring. I have committed to finishing this series of books, but so far it's been a big let down.
I really did not enjoy this book. This New Jedi Order series of books is so uneven; generally I have found the stories to be unfocused a boring. I found the story in this book fairly boring. I have committed to finishing this series of books, but so far it's been a big let down.
Excellent comeback for NJO that was going steep downhill past few books. Lots of action and less politicing
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I've found the books of the New Jedi Order series to be of varying quality so far, and honestly, I wasn't particularly excited to read this one based on the description, just because it felt like another side story that wouldn't contribute much to the overall storyline. But I was pleasantly surprised to find I not only enjoyed Conquest, but I found it to be the best book in the series since the first one, Vector Prime. I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that most of the action was focused on a single character, Anakin Solo, who is increasingly becoming one of the most interested in the Legends canon for me. With such a large amount of characters and subplots, many Star Wars books tend to jump back and forth between multiple narratives and perspectives, which is fine. But it was a nice change of pace to stay focused on a single plotline for the majority of the action.
I also really enjoyed Greg Keyes' portrayal of the Yuuzhan Vong, and found this book to have the most interesting individual characters from that species than any New Jedi Order book so far. The main antagonists, with motivations and methods that diverge from the Yuuzhan Vong's rigid and fanatical religious philosophy, were less predictable and more intriguing that the usual villains from this series. And what they were attempting to do with their capture Jedi (which I will not spoil) was a really interesting storyline. Even better was Vua Rapuung, who I consider the best and most interesting individual Yuuzhan Vong character we've seen so far. His unique back story was intriguing right off the bat, but his relationship with Anakin Solo is really the heart and soul of this book, leading Anakin (and us) to a deeper understanding of the Yuuzhan Vong species, and culminating in a mutual respect between the two characters that, as unlikely as it would appear, feels natural and plausible by the conclusion of the novel.
Plus it was cool to see Qorl again. :P
I also really enjoyed Greg Keyes' portrayal of the Yuuzhan Vong, and found this book to have the most interesting individual characters from that species than any New Jedi Order book so far. The main antagonists, with motivations and methods that diverge from the Yuuzhan Vong's rigid and fanatical religious philosophy, were less predictable and more intriguing that the usual villains from this series. And what they were attempting to do with their capture Jedi (which I will not spoil) was a really interesting storyline. Even better was Vua Rapuung, who I consider the best and most interesting individual Yuuzhan Vong character we've seen so far. His unique back story was intriguing right off the bat, but his relationship with Anakin Solo is really the heart and soul of this book, leading Anakin (and us) to a deeper understanding of the Yuuzhan Vong species, and culminating in a mutual respect between the two characters that, as unlikely as it would appear, feels natural and plausible by the conclusion of the novel.
Plus it was cool to see Qorl again. :P
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
Strong character development:
Yes
This was the refresher that the New Jedi Order needed. While the previous books weren't bad, I just felt like after Vector Prime, the series was just ok. However, this book was great. I loved that the story chose to focus on Anakin, a character who needed more screen-time and his arc is definitely what made this book. So far, this is my second-favourite book in NJO after Vector Prime.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
For 2021, I decided to reread Del Rey’s first attempt at a multi-author book series in the Star Wars universe: The New Jedi Order, which was published between 1999 and 2003. This shakes out to 19 novels, two eBook novellas, three short stories, and a tangentially-related prequel era novel.
This week’s focus: the first book in the Edge of Victory duology, Edge of Victory: Conquest by Greg Keyes.
SOME HISTORY:
Originally, [b:Balance Point|320346|Balance Point (Star Wars The New Jedi Order, #6)|Kathy Tyers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1330833461l/320346._SY75_.jpg|311099] was going to be followed by Michael Jan Friedman’s Knightfall Trilogy, which would have featured scientist Danni Quee and Jedi Knight Jorallen in the aftermath of the Warmaster’s ultimatum. The Random House online catalog revealed the names of the trilogy’s individual volumes—Jedi Storm, Jedi Fire, and Jedi Blood--and cover artist Terese Nielsen released a rough sketch of Jedi Storm’s cover on her website in June 2000. But Lucasfilm and Del Rey decided to shift things up before [b:Star by Star|35448|Star by Star (Star Wars The New Jedi Order, #9)|Troy Denning|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1331005005l/35448._SY75_.jpg|349891], so Friedman’s trilogy was cancelled. Greg Keyes was originally contracted to write one novel, but instead found himself assigned two Anakin Solo-centric stories: the Edge of Victory duology. Edge of Victory: Conquest made it to number fifteen on the New York Times paperback bestseller list for two straight weeks--from the week of April 22 to the week of April 29, 2001.
MY RECOLLECTION OF THE BOOK:
I remembered how central Anakin and Tahiri were to this novel, but had forgotten that there were other characters involved! Karrde and Shada’s presence took me by surprise here.
A BRIEF SUMMARY:
Warmaster Tsavong Lah has demanded the heads of all the Jedi. Now the young students at the Jedi academy on Yavin 4 are in terrible danger: the Peace Brigade is already in-system, and a Yuuzhan Vong fleet is not far behind. At Luke Skywalker’s request, Talon Karrde mounts an expedition to rescue the young students, but Anakin Solo has his own ideas…
THE CHARACTERS:
After enjoying Anakin’s arc in the Dark Tide duology, I felt like he fell away from focus in the books that followed. So if you’ve been missing Anakin’s presence in the NJO, Conquest is the book for you. Anakin has a tendency to rush into action without thinking things through, but the events on Yavin 4 make him question that approach. Tahiri, Valin Horn, and Sannah behave recklessly because of the example Anakin has set, and Anakin realizes that he needs to consider the influence he has on the younger Jedi.
He also comes to some realizations about the Yuuzhan Vong--they’re outside of the Force, so he can even consider them of the Dark Side? As he learns more about them and interacts with Vong, he decides that he can still judge them by the morality of their actions; and their violence, their hatred towards others, their enslavement of people they consider beneath them, and their disregard for life definitely tip the scale towards “evil.”
Another cool bit involved Anakin’s familiarity with everything on Yavin 4: since he can sense all the life on the planet, the Yuuzhan Vong show up as dead spots in the Force (like ysalamiri). The Jedi have previously had to actively sense for the voids that Vong present in the Force, but Anakin is able to sense them in an easier, more natural way.
We’re reintroduced to Tahiri Veila, Anakin’s best friend from the Junior Jedi Knights series. (I think she appeared briefly in [b:Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse|157984|Agents of Chaos II Jedi Eclipse (Star Wars The New Jedi Order, #5)|James Luceno|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320522545l/157984._SY75_.jpg|152469], but this is the first time we’re told of their mutual friendship.) She’s a chatterbox, she has decided opinions about things (girl, me too), and she feels like she’s been left behind. Instead of evacuating to some form of safety with the other Jedi students, she stays behind to help Anakin, and that directly leads to her capture by the Peace Brigade. She’s handed over to the Yuuzhan Vong shapers, who physically torture and brainwash her.
Tahiri’s plotline was hard for me to read--not just because I dislike torture scenes, but because we can see how her captivity affects both her and Anakin. She’s confused and in pain, and her memories don’t feel right anymore.
Master Ikrit also returns from the JJK books. He’s a centuries-old Jedi Master, but he manages to feel distinct from Yoda. He delivers a prophecy that Anakin and Tahiri will birth something great, and then sacrifices himself to save Anakin, Tahiri, Valin, and Sannah.
I liked seeing Kam Solusar and Tionne, but mostly I was reminded of how we never got the story of their relationship?? They just appear in the comic Union as a longterm married couple, but I would have loved to get the backstory there. I particularly enjoyed seeing Tionne again, because I find her rather interesting--she’s not particularly strong in the Force, but she is highly empathetic. And as a Jedi historian, she’s acquired the most knowledge about how the Jedi used to operate.
Luke Skywalker is still dealing with division in the Jedi Order...I can’t side with Kyp Durron, because he seems to be attacking the Yuuzhan Vong without any greater strategy in mind, but it’s also hard to root for Luke because he’s so passive and indecisive. (Why can’t he come up with a good plan??) He dispatches Talon Karrde to the Yavin system to evacuate the children, and I enjoyed seeing Karrde and Shada again—perhaps moreso because they felt more like themselves than they did in [b:Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse|157984|Agents of Chaos II Jedi Eclipse (Star Wars The New Jedi Order, #5)|James Luceno|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320522545l/157984._SY75_.jpg|152469]. Karrde uses his pet vornskrs to track down Kam & Tionne and the students, but that may have been a bad idea; the Yuuzhan Vong are now very interested in these creatures that can hunt Jedi.
But we also meet a number of Yuuzhan Vong. The books have varied in their approach towards the Vong: in [b:Dark Tide I: Onslaught|320343|Dark Tide I Onslaught (Star Wars The New Jedi Order, #2)|Michael A. Stackpole|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320523304l/320343._SY75_.jpg|952200] we didn’t get any Vong POVs until the end, so they remained very much strange and unknowable. But subsequent books have began to flesh out their culture and society, and Conquest further humanizes the Vong (although they might take offense at that phrase!) We’re introduced to the shapers, the YV equivalent of biotech scientists. The Master Shaper Mezhan Kwaad and her Adept Nen Yim secretly map out Tahiri’s nervous system, which is heresy--the Yuuzhan Vong religion has become completely closed off to any concept of innovation. Nen Yim is interesting to read about, because she’s one of the few Vong who currently recognizes that things can’t stay the same.
We also meet Vua Rapuuung, a former warrior, cursed by his ex Mezhan Kwaad and now living as a Shamed One. He teams up with Anakin as the best form of exacting his revenge, but working with someone who uses technology goes against all the innate qualities of his culture. He’s full of rage and bitterness, and despite allying with a Jedi, his values are still completely abhorrent to Anakin. The Shamed Ones are a new caste, composed of Yuuzhan Vong whose bodies can’t accept the alterations that are now essential for YV advancement. Anakin has a number of conversations with a Shamed One woman named Uunu, and it reiterates how ingrained and static their orthodoxy has become.
ISSUES:
Similar to [b:Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial|836080|Agents of Chaos I Hero's Trial|James Luceno|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320522548l/836080._SY75_.jpg|311083], this book relies heavily on knowledge of previous, slightly niche stories--in this case, the Junior Jedi Knights series and a little bit of the Young Jedi Knights series. Like Luceno, Keyes did a ton of research here. Kam Solusar and Tionne from the Jedi Academy trilogy are now a married couple running the Jedi praxeum together, Master Ikrit from the Junior Jedi Knights series is still present on Yavin 4, and Tahiri and Sannah (also from the Junior Jedi Knights series) are itching to join the fight against the Yuuzhan Vong.
I enjoyed encountering all of them again, but wonder if it might be confusing for readers who have never met Ikrit or Tahiri before. We get the barest of introductions to them, and I’d argue that this weakens the emotional resonance of their fates. Anakin says that Tahiri is his best friend, but we haven’t seen them interact until now; Ikrit’s death visibly affects Anakin and especially Tahiri, but he’s only been present for a few chapters before his sacrifice.
I was also confused by Conquest’s sense of time and sense of scale. There was a disconnect between Anakin’s time on Yavin IV and the “outside world.” I assume he spent days traveling from the crash site to the shaper camp, because we hear about time passing and his food running out and his lack of sleep. At the same time, Karrde stays and harasses the Vong ships while Shada escapes with the students to Coruscant. But once Anakin meets Vua Rapuuung and enters the Shamed Ones’ village, the Vong seem too entrenched on the planet for the length of time that has elapsed--they have crops already, rotations in place, and the Great Temple has been completely leveled. It feels like we jump from invasion to occupation with little of the in-between steps. Anakin also spends a long time pretending to be a slave--Vua Rapuuung says that he will meet with Anakin after seven-plus days have elapsed, but it feels even longer.
Finally, a minor issue: Anakin and the lambent crystal. This is a big development in the NJO, as Anakin is able to sense the Yuuzhan Vong in a non-Force way. But I found the scene where he repaired his lightsaber a little unclear. A Jedi must use the Force to join their weapon together, but the lambent is outside (??) the Force. However, it is telepathically attuned to Anakin, so he’s still able to join everything--and his connection with the lambent crystal gives him some non-Force telepathic awareness of the Vong. It just seems really complicated!
IN CONCLUSION:
Edge of Victory: Conquest is tightly focused on Anakin Solo, which was honestly refreshing and much-needed, and I found the further development of the Yuuzhan Vong both interesting to read about and essential to sustain the series. I think it also helps that Conquest is a shorter read--only 291 pages--so while I was confused in parts, the story never felt bogged down. I think Conquest was maybe my favorite NJO book thus far, because at its heart, it was about Anakin & Tahiri & their friendship.
Next up: the second book in the Edge of Victory duology, [b:Edge of Victory II: Rebirth|35429|Edge of Victory II Rebirth (Star Wars The New Jedi Order, #8)|Greg Keyes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388187398l/35429._SY75_.jpg|72183] by Greg Keyes.
My YouTube review: https://youtu.be/xkXV_uKY9wU
Post-Balance Point timeline update: https://youtu.be/Iq2mCt-VDDk
Knightfall Trilogy Cancelled: https://web.archive.org/web/20180922125320/http://theforce.net/books/story/knightfall_trilogy_cancelled_74835.asp
This week’s focus: the first book in the Edge of Victory duology, Edge of Victory: Conquest by Greg Keyes.
SOME HISTORY:
Originally, [b:Balance Point|320346|Balance Point (Star Wars The New Jedi Order, #6)|Kathy Tyers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1330833461l/320346._SY75_.jpg|311099] was going to be followed by Michael Jan Friedman’s Knightfall Trilogy, which would have featured scientist Danni Quee and Jedi Knight Jorallen in the aftermath of the Warmaster’s ultimatum. The Random House online catalog revealed the names of the trilogy’s individual volumes—Jedi Storm, Jedi Fire, and Jedi Blood--and cover artist Terese Nielsen released a rough sketch of Jedi Storm’s cover on her website in June 2000. But Lucasfilm and Del Rey decided to shift things up before [b:Star by Star|35448|Star by Star (Star Wars The New Jedi Order, #9)|Troy Denning|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1331005005l/35448._SY75_.jpg|349891], so Friedman’s trilogy was cancelled. Greg Keyes was originally contracted to write one novel, but instead found himself assigned two Anakin Solo-centric stories: the Edge of Victory duology. Edge of Victory: Conquest made it to number fifteen on the New York Times paperback bestseller list for two straight weeks--from the week of April 22 to the week of April 29, 2001.
MY RECOLLECTION OF THE BOOK:
I remembered how central Anakin and Tahiri were to this novel, but had forgotten that there were other characters involved! Karrde and Shada’s presence took me by surprise here.
A BRIEF SUMMARY:
Warmaster Tsavong Lah has demanded the heads of all the Jedi. Now the young students at the Jedi academy on Yavin 4 are in terrible danger: the Peace Brigade is already in-system, and a Yuuzhan Vong fleet is not far behind. At Luke Skywalker’s request, Talon Karrde mounts an expedition to rescue the young students, but Anakin Solo has his own ideas…
THE CHARACTERS:
After enjoying Anakin’s arc in the Dark Tide duology, I felt like he fell away from focus in the books that followed. So if you’ve been missing Anakin’s presence in the NJO, Conquest is the book for you. Anakin has a tendency to rush into action without thinking things through, but the events on Yavin 4 make him question that approach. Tahiri, Valin Horn, and Sannah behave recklessly because of the example Anakin has set, and Anakin realizes that he needs to consider the influence he has on the younger Jedi.
He also comes to some realizations about the Yuuzhan Vong--they’re outside of the Force, so he can even consider them of the Dark Side? As he learns more about them and interacts with Vong, he decides that he can still judge them by the morality of their actions; and their violence, their hatred towards others, their enslavement of people they consider beneath them, and their disregard for life definitely tip the scale towards “evil.”
Another cool bit involved Anakin’s familiarity with everything on Yavin 4: since he can sense all the life on the planet, the Yuuzhan Vong show up as dead spots in the Force (like ysalamiri). The Jedi have previously had to actively sense for the voids that Vong present in the Force, but Anakin is able to sense them in an easier, more natural way.
We’re reintroduced to Tahiri Veila, Anakin’s best friend from the Junior Jedi Knights series. (I think she appeared briefly in [b:Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse|157984|Agents of Chaos II Jedi Eclipse (Star Wars The New Jedi Order, #5)|James Luceno|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320522545l/157984._SY75_.jpg|152469], but this is the first time we’re told of their mutual friendship.) She’s a chatterbox, she has decided opinions about things (girl, me too), and she feels like she’s been left behind. Instead of evacuating to some form of safety with the other Jedi students, she stays behind to help Anakin, and that directly leads to her capture by the Peace Brigade. She’s handed over to the Yuuzhan Vong shapers, who physically torture and brainwash her.
Tahiri’s plotline was hard for me to read--not just because I dislike torture scenes, but because we can see how her captivity affects both her and Anakin. She’s confused and in pain, and her memories don’t feel right anymore.
Master Ikrit also returns from the JJK books. He’s a centuries-old Jedi Master, but he manages to feel distinct from Yoda. He delivers a prophecy that Anakin and Tahiri will birth something great, and then sacrifices himself to save Anakin, Tahiri, Valin, and Sannah.
I liked seeing Kam Solusar and Tionne, but mostly I was reminded of how we never got the story of their relationship?? They just appear in the comic Union as a longterm married couple, but I would have loved to get the backstory there. I particularly enjoyed seeing Tionne again, because I find her rather interesting--she’s not particularly strong in the Force, but she is highly empathetic. And as a Jedi historian, she’s acquired the most knowledge about how the Jedi used to operate.
Luke Skywalker is still dealing with division in the Jedi Order...I can’t side with Kyp Durron, because he seems to be attacking the Yuuzhan Vong without any greater strategy in mind, but it’s also hard to root for Luke because he’s so passive and indecisive. (Why can’t he come up with a good plan??) He dispatches Talon Karrde to the Yavin system to evacuate the children, and I enjoyed seeing Karrde and Shada again—perhaps moreso because they felt more like themselves than they did in [b:Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse|157984|Agents of Chaos II Jedi Eclipse (Star Wars The New Jedi Order, #5)|James Luceno|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320522545l/157984._SY75_.jpg|152469]. Karrde uses his pet vornskrs to track down Kam & Tionne and the students, but that may have been a bad idea; the Yuuzhan Vong are now very interested in these creatures that can hunt Jedi.
But we also meet a number of Yuuzhan Vong. The books have varied in their approach towards the Vong: in [b:Dark Tide I: Onslaught|320343|Dark Tide I Onslaught (Star Wars The New Jedi Order, #2)|Michael A. Stackpole|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320523304l/320343._SY75_.jpg|952200] we didn’t get any Vong POVs until the end, so they remained very much strange and unknowable. But subsequent books have began to flesh out their culture and society, and Conquest further humanizes the Vong (although they might take offense at that phrase!) We’re introduced to the shapers, the YV equivalent of biotech scientists. The Master Shaper Mezhan Kwaad and her Adept Nen Yim secretly map out Tahiri’s nervous system, which is heresy--the Yuuzhan Vong religion has become completely closed off to any concept of innovation. Nen Yim is interesting to read about, because she’s one of the few Vong who currently recognizes that things can’t stay the same.
We also meet Vua Rapuuung, a former warrior, cursed by his ex Mezhan Kwaad and now living as a Shamed One. He teams up with Anakin as the best form of exacting his revenge, but working with someone who uses technology goes against all the innate qualities of his culture. He’s full of rage and bitterness, and despite allying with a Jedi, his values are still completely abhorrent to Anakin. The Shamed Ones are a new caste, composed of Yuuzhan Vong whose bodies can’t accept the alterations that are now essential for YV advancement. Anakin has a number of conversations with a Shamed One woman named Uunu, and it reiterates how ingrained and static their orthodoxy has become.
ISSUES:
Similar to [b:Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial|836080|Agents of Chaos I Hero's Trial|James Luceno|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320522548l/836080._SY75_.jpg|311083], this book relies heavily on knowledge of previous, slightly niche stories--in this case, the Junior Jedi Knights series and a little bit of the Young Jedi Knights series. Like Luceno, Keyes did a ton of research here. Kam Solusar and Tionne from the Jedi Academy trilogy are now a married couple running the Jedi praxeum together, Master Ikrit from the Junior Jedi Knights series is still present on Yavin 4, and Tahiri and Sannah (also from the Junior Jedi Knights series) are itching to join the fight against the Yuuzhan Vong.
I enjoyed encountering all of them again, but wonder if it might be confusing for readers who have never met Ikrit or Tahiri before. We get the barest of introductions to them, and I’d argue that this weakens the emotional resonance of their fates. Anakin says that Tahiri is his best friend, but we haven’t seen them interact until now; Ikrit’s death visibly affects Anakin and especially Tahiri, but he’s only been present for a few chapters before his sacrifice.
I was also confused by Conquest’s sense of time and sense of scale. There was a disconnect between Anakin’s time on Yavin IV and the “outside world.” I assume he spent days traveling from the crash site to the shaper camp, because we hear about time passing and his food running out and his lack of sleep. At the same time, Karrde stays and harasses the Vong ships while Shada escapes with the students to Coruscant. But once Anakin meets Vua Rapuuung and enters the Shamed Ones’ village, the Vong seem too entrenched on the planet for the length of time that has elapsed--they have crops already, rotations in place, and the Great Temple has been completely leveled. It feels like we jump from invasion to occupation with little of the in-between steps. Anakin also spends a long time pretending to be a slave--Vua Rapuuung says that he will meet with Anakin after seven-plus days have elapsed, but it feels even longer.
Finally, a minor issue: Anakin and the lambent crystal. This is a big development in the NJO, as Anakin is able to sense the Yuuzhan Vong in a non-Force way. But I found the scene where he repaired his lightsaber a little unclear. A Jedi must use the Force to join their weapon together, but the lambent is outside (??) the Force. However, it is telepathically attuned to Anakin, so he’s still able to join everything--and his connection with the lambent crystal gives him some non-Force telepathic awareness of the Vong. It just seems really complicated!
IN CONCLUSION:
Edge of Victory: Conquest is tightly focused on Anakin Solo, which was honestly refreshing and much-needed, and I found the further development of the Yuuzhan Vong both interesting to read about and essential to sustain the series. I think it also helps that Conquest is a shorter read--only 291 pages--so while I was confused in parts, the story never felt bogged down. I think Conquest was maybe my favorite NJO book thus far, because at its heart, it was about Anakin & Tahiri & their friendship.
Next up: the second book in the Edge of Victory duology, [b:Edge of Victory II: Rebirth|35429|Edge of Victory II Rebirth (Star Wars The New Jedi Order, #8)|Greg Keyes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388187398l/35429._SY75_.jpg|72183] by Greg Keyes.
My YouTube review: https://youtu.be/xkXV_uKY9wU
Post-Balance Point timeline update: https://youtu.be/Iq2mCt-VDDk
Knightfall Trilogy Cancelled: https://web.archive.org/web/20180922125320/http://theforce.net/books/story/knightfall_trilogy_cancelled_74835.asp
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes