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dr_matthew_lloyd's review against another edition
4.0
There's something quite comforting about Crucible, a relatively low-stakes adventure for Han, Luke, and Leia that largely ignores the fact that the characters are in their sixties and seventies to send them through a roller coaster of space battles, sabacc games, and weird Force energy. I was coming back to the old Star Wars EU having not read anything set after Luke married Mara Jade (although I kept up with things using Wookipedia sometimes), but it didn't really feel like I needed much background. They were off on an adventure in a new bit of the galaxy, meeting up with Lando along the way for an extra bit of movie-related nostalgia. To be honest, it almost feels like at this point there wasn't much left to connect this back to the movies apart from the character names and some words - the Force powers Luke and Leia unleash are unlike anything a Jedi does in the movies; there are just loads of Sith hanging around, out there somewhere; far, far more of the back-references are to events of the last in-universe twenty years than the battle against the Empire of the heroes' youth, some forty years ago. And while it didn't entirely feel like the novel had any stakes, it was fun to go on a last ride with these guys.
As I listened to the audiobook, I should comment on Marc Thompson's narration. Thompson does a really good Harrison Ford and a pretty good Mark Hamill. But his Leia... Well, it's actually an awful lot like his Padmé and several other women's voices. Some of these women are supposed to be quite deep voiced, but not when Thompson voices them! It's kind of off-putting, especially given how good his Han and Luke are.
As I listened to the audiobook, I should comment on Marc Thompson's narration. Thompson does a really good Harrison Ford and a pretty good Mark Hamill. But his Leia... Well, it's actually an awful lot like his Padmé and several other women's voices. Some of these women are supposed to be quite deep voiced, but not when Thompson voices them! It's kind of off-putting, especially given how good his Han and Luke are.
skywalker07's review against another edition
1.0
Yikes. That might've been the worst Star Wars book I've ever read. Literally never held my attention, and it was just a series of Luke, Han, and Leia being brutally injured and useless the entire time, and didn't progress the story at all. What a depressing send off for the Legends era.
davidpaige's review against another edition
1.0
This is Star Wars meets Alice and Wonderland while using LSD.
It's a race to the bottom to write the worst Star Wars book.
Skip it.
It's a race to the bottom to write the worst Star Wars book.
Skip it.
belgianwaffle's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
lmcox's review against another edition
4.0
This was a good retirement of the Big 3 characters (plus Lando). I wasn't a fan of their enemies, because they seemed too contrived, coming out of nowhere, or really any of the new characters introduced in the book, but Denning did a wonderful job capturing the spirit of Leia, Han, and Luke. The last few chapters of the book are a bit cheesy - there's a moment when Han and Leia discuss their entire lives together, clear fanservice to remind the reader how much they love the characters, and the end of the book has an extended conversation describing exactly where all of the characters are going to go next. This is also one of the more scientifically ambitious Star Wars novels, one that draws much more on traditional aspects of science fiction, and although I liked the attempt, I think it fell back to the fantasy-pretending-to-be-sci-fi genre that Star Wars usually is. Denning also attempted to create a more nuanced view of the Force, blurring the distinction between the light side and the dark side, but again he fell short of his goal, doing so with a heavy-handed inner monologue and with little-to-no plot relevance. Still, I enjoyed it, and I wish more of the Star Wars novels would head in these directions.
Also, I listened to this as an audiobook, and there seems to be a trend among Star Wars narrators where male narrators will make all females sound like whimpering little girls, which is absolutely not what Leia, Savara, or Mirta Gev are.
Also, I listened to this as an audiobook, and there seems to be a trend among Star Wars narrators where male narrators will make all females sound like whimpering little girls, which is absolutely not what Leia, Savara, or Mirta Gev are.
spazenport's review against another edition
4.0
I went into this expecting more of the excitement from the Legacy of the Force novels, but came out of it a little disappointed. In several instances, the Jedi are more powerful than they usually are, and then when it counts, their power is strangled to create more tension. I didn't feel any sort of unity in Luke's abilities, or that of his sister.
One major theme for the novel, that I'll omit for those that wish to read it, could have easily tied into the entire Jaden Korr novel series and thus created a lot of changes and excitement. I thought that this was a direction that was being set up for them to go, and yet it never took that turn. It makes me mostly wonder what the entire point of that plot arc was for.
Mostly, this book is for anyone who's read most of the rest of the Star Wars books, especially the Legacy of the Force series. If you haven't read it, than you won't enjoy it nearly as much as you could. That being said, I give it a 4 out of 5 stars (because I have read the rest of them).
One major theme for the novel, that I'll omit for those that wish to read it, could have easily tied into the entire Jaden Korr novel series and thus created a lot of changes and excitement. I thought that this was a direction that was being set up for them to go, and yet it never took that turn. It makes me mostly wonder what the entire point of that plot arc was for.
Mostly, this book is for anyone who's read most of the rest of the Star Wars books, especially the Legacy of the Force series. If you haven't read it, than you won't enjoy it nearly as much as you could. That being said, I give it a 4 out of 5 stars (because I have read the rest of them).
nightxade's review against another edition
2.0
The original Star Wars EU is apocrypha now, but there's still value in checking out these far reaching stories for old times sake. Han and Luke and Leia's adventures and struggles have continued long beyond the death of the Deathstar. I am renaming this book: Star Wars: Old People, but, while age and battle has taken its toll here and there, bacta tanks and the Force can still do wonders for our intrepid heroes. Maybe it's time for a little break. But first, let's save the galaxy, one more time!
The Sith are probably still lurking around somewhere, but the more pressing concern is the questionable dealings of a pair of Columi brothers in the Outer Rim that threaten Lando's successful mining operations and the ever fragile peace and prosperity of the galaxy.
It was initially kind of neat to read about the Columi, whose armour I've been sporting for some time in Star Wars: The Old Republic. But the actual characters -- giant brained supposed genius who trip all over the jealous siblings tropes, complete with one of them obsessive over a girl -- were kind of creepy. And not the interesting kind of creepy. The aforementioned girl obsession left much to be desired, as did most of the awkward sexual tensions and flirtings that went on. But I guess that awkward flirting is part of the Star Wars canon.
Or at least it was, until the invention of Poe Dameron.
Crucible most certainly has a problem with the Force as a catch all plot device. I have not read many of these EU books that take place far into the future, but, if this one is to be believed, them damn Jedis are powerful enough to mess up everything, like allll the time. Frankly, the Emperor was right to cull that OP herd to balance the scales. It's not all that fun when you know your heroes are going to win every time (but I don't complain about the concept of Leia Jedi flipping around in Twi'lek cosplay -- which was the one highlight of the story for me.). Speaking of heroes winning, if you're supposed to be geniuses, Mr. and Mr. Columi, why would you decide to "torture" notorious gambler Han Solo by making him play Sabaac? This was one of many silly things that happened in this book, and the silly just kept going right to the end. Because why not throw all these things into an increasingly convoluted plot that takes the heroes into this titular Crucible, which reminded me of something more like a space house of mirrors, complete with clones and time travel. You can never go wrong with time travel plot devices!
This was a fun read, I guess, if only for the opportunity to hang out in the Star Wars realm again, but, if you are interested in the defunct EU, there are far better books out there.
www.bibliosanctum.com
The Sith are probably still lurking around somewhere, but the more pressing concern is the questionable dealings of a pair of Columi brothers in the Outer Rim that threaten Lando's successful mining operations and the ever fragile peace and prosperity of the galaxy.
It was initially kind of neat to read about the Columi, whose armour I've been sporting for some time in Star Wars: The Old Republic. But the actual characters -- giant brained supposed genius who trip all over the jealous siblings tropes, complete with one of them obsessive over a girl -- were kind of creepy. And not the interesting kind of creepy. The aforementioned girl obsession left much to be desired, as did most of the awkward sexual tensions and flirtings that went on. But I guess that awkward flirting is part of the Star Wars canon.
Or at least it was, until the invention of Poe Dameron.
Crucible most certainly has a problem with the Force as a catch all plot device. I have not read many of these EU books that take place far into the future, but, if this one is to be believed, them damn Jedis are powerful enough to mess up everything, like allll the time. Frankly, the Emperor was right to cull that OP herd to balance the scales. It's not all that fun when you know your heroes are going to win every time (but I don't complain about the concept of Leia Jedi flipping around in Twi'lek cosplay -- which was the one highlight of the story for me.). Speaking of heroes winning, if you're supposed to be geniuses, Mr. and Mr. Columi, why would you decide to "torture" notorious gambler Han Solo by making him play Sabaac? This was one of many silly things that happened in this book, and the silly just kept going right to the end. Because why not throw all these things into an increasingly convoluted plot that takes the heroes into this titular Crucible, which reminded me of something more like a space house of mirrors, complete with clones and time travel. You can never go wrong with time travel plot devices!
This was a fun read, I guess, if only for the opportunity to hang out in the Star Wars realm again, but, if you are interested in the defunct EU, there are far better books out there.
www.bibliosanctum.com
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