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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
Annihilation is that last of the The Old Republic stories, and brings that series to a decent close. Here, we have a group of undercover rebels infiltrating a powerful Imperial ship, hoping to stop it before it does serious damage to the Republic. The novel doesn't bring about the end of the Imperials, but then again, neither did Return of the Jedi. Both stories, though, suggest that the events depicted represent the beginning of the end, which with some stories is enough.
It's been neat watching the different stories people write for the Star Wars universe. We've seen horror and space opera with the last two books, and now Karpyshyn gives us a cyberpunk story, complete with slicers (hackers) and direct data jacks into the brain. The book is more Star Wars than Neuromancer, though, so fans who might not like cyberpunk shouldn't be afraid to read this book.
Annihilation uses a couple of characters established in Fatal Alliance, making this the first book in the series that directly follows from an earlier one. I also understand that the chronological order of these books differs from the published order (and that Revan takes place long before the other three), which might account for some of the characters not being present in all books. It's just interesting that these books are all ostensibly under a single series, when the stories differ so much in character, time, and setting.
I wish that the series had been a bit more contained, with a clearer beginning and end. If the series is supposed to be about the Old Republic, I would have preferred that the books start with the formation of said Republic, and ended with its demise. Or something. I get that the books were part of a multimedia marketing ploy to cash in on the game's popularity, and the novels were satisfying as standalone books, but for books that are published as part of a series, they ought to focus more on what that series is supposed to be about.
The Old Republic has been an engaging, interesting series. The first two books, I think, were better than the last two, but the last two were better stories than, say, Into the Void or Lost Tribe of the Sith. I'm not sure it compares to Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy, but let's be honest here: how could they?
It's been neat watching the different stories people write for the Star Wars universe. We've seen horror and space opera with the last two books, and now Karpyshyn gives us a cyberpunk story, complete with slicers (hackers) and direct data jacks into the brain. The book is more Star Wars than Neuromancer, though, so fans who might not like cyberpunk shouldn't be afraid to read this book.
Annihilation uses a couple of characters established in Fatal Alliance, making this the first book in the series that directly follows from an earlier one. I also understand that the chronological order of these books differs from the published order (and that Revan takes place long before the other three), which might account for some of the characters not being present in all books. It's just interesting that these books are all ostensibly under a single series, when the stories differ so much in character, time, and setting.
I wish that the series had been a bit more contained, with a clearer beginning and end. If the series is supposed to be about the Old Republic, I would have preferred that the books start with the formation of said Republic, and ended with its demise. Or something. I get that the books were part of a multimedia marketing ploy to cash in on the game's popularity, and the novels were satisfying as standalone books, but for books that are published as part of a series, they ought to focus more on what that series is supposed to be about.
The Old Republic has been an engaging, interesting series. The first two books, I think, were better than the last two, but the last two were better stories than, say, Into the Void or Lost Tribe of the Sith. I'm not sure it compares to Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy, but let's be honest here: how could they?
I have to say, the only reason I am writing a full-ish review for this is because I have reviewed the other 3 books in this series. This one was entertaining and fun, but didn't leave a lasting impact for me. I didn't learn much in terms of overall Star Wars world building, which is typically what I look for if I am not invested in any of the characters. Unlike the previous book in this series, Fatal Alliance, the characters were enough to keep me entertained, if not invested. So for me, I am calling this one an embodiment of a three-star read for me: not good, not bad.
Since the review is short, I'll use this to wrap up the Old Republic books:
Revan: 3 stars
Deceived: 5 stars
Fatal Alliance: 1 star
Annihilation: 3 stars
Is reading the Old Republic books worth it? Eh...as someone who hasn't played the Knights of the Old Republic games, I didn't get much from these. But I would absolutely recommend reading Deceived. It's the best of the four and overall a great Star Wars book.
Since the review is short, I'll use this to wrap up the Old Republic books:
Revan: 3 stars
Deceived: 5 stars
Fatal Alliance: 1 star
Annihilation: 3 stars
Is reading the Old Republic books worth it? Eh...as someone who hasn't played the Knights of the Old Republic games, I didn't get much from these. But I would absolutely recommend reading Deceived. It's the best of the four and overall a great Star Wars book.
Meh. Karpyshyn's slipping. This was uncompelling reading and nowhere near the calibre of his Darth Bane books. The end battle made it somewhat worth reading to the end. Somewhat.
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
2.5 stars
I really only read this because the main character is my boo Theron Shan. its really just the same quality book as other companion novels, which is to say not great. Overall kinda meh
I really only read this because the main character is my boo Theron Shan. its really just the same quality book as other companion novels, which is to say not great. Overall kinda meh
I loved the Darth Bane series and I think Drew Karpyshyn outdid himself with this book. The story is engaging and Theron is easily one of my favorite characters in the EU. I love how he's so fiercely loyal to the Republic, and also to his friends and family. It could only have been difficult to grow up knowing your mother is the Grand Master of the Jedi Order... knowing that she chose the Republic and the galaxy over you. It's no wonder Theron has issues. And when he finds out who his father is... well I think Teff'ith summed it up quite nicely toward the end of the story when she says "Grand Master mom and Supreme Commander dad. No wonder Theron's so messed up."
Theron is a great character. He thinks and reacts on his feet and he's at his best when he doesn't have many rules to play by. Master Gnost-Dural complements him nicely. Gnost-Dural is disciplined but also has humor and knows when to throw the rule book out the window and go with the flow as well. I thought him and Theron made a great team.
I was a little disappointed the Teff'ith didn't play more of a role in the main action, but she served her part. I was a little put off by her speaking of herself as "we" but it was pretty easy to overlook.
I wanted to give this five stars but had to dock points because there was a whole other story that we didn't get to see. The mission that cost Theron's guardian, Master Ngani Zho, his life and when Theron met Teff'ith, and also managed to take down a member of the Dark Council. I felt like I missed a book in there, but as far as I know, this is the first book about Theron Shan. So the backstory was a little bit frustrating, I wanted to know what happened to bring about these particular events.
In the end, Theron Shan has been added to my list of favorite EU characters and if there is another book starring him, I will pick it up in an instant.
Theron is a great character. He thinks and reacts on his feet and he's at his best when he doesn't have many rules to play by. Master Gnost-Dural complements him nicely. Gnost-Dural is disciplined but also has humor and knows when to throw the rule book out the window and go with the flow as well. I thought him and Theron made a great team.
I was a little disappointed the Teff'ith didn't play more of a role in the main action, but she served her part. I was a little put off by her speaking of herself as "we" but it was pretty easy to overlook.
I wanted to give this five stars but had to dock points because there was a whole other story that we didn't get to see. The mission that cost Theron's guardian, Master Ngani Zho, his life and when Theron met Teff'ith, and also managed to take down a member of the Dark Council. I felt like I missed a book in there, but as far as I know, this is the first book about Theron Shan. So the backstory was a little bit frustrating, I wanted to know what happened to bring about these particular events.
In the end, Theron Shan has been added to my list of favorite EU characters and if there is another book starring him, I will pick it up in an instant.
While not necessarily groundbreaking, Star Wars Annihilation was a refreshingly fun entry into the Old Republic series. In an era almost exclusively defined by the ongoing galactic conflict between the Jedi and the Sith, following a protagonist devoid of Force sensitivity provided a unique and grounded perspective. Toss in some good ole fashioned family drama, and this book ended up being much more interesting than I originally anticipated.
It’s not often that a Star Wars novel focuses on the destruction of just one ship, as they are normally faced with many different enemies throughout the story, but in Annihilation, the Republic is plagued with the destruction of the Ascendant Spear - a super weapon commanded by Sith. This novel puts together an unlikely crew of Republic soldiers, Jedi, and crooks to take down the super weapon through any means possible.