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A review by colinmcev
Dark Apprentice by Kevin J. Anderson
2.0
So I enjoyed Dark Apprentice perhaps a bit more than the two-star rating indicates (Goodreads really needs to allow half-stars in their rating systems!) but for the most part, I found this book to be a disappointing follow-up to Jedi Search. While I found the first book to be an enjoyable read, with strong new characters and original, interesting storylines, Dark Apprentice felt a bit thin to me.
There were so many subplots that felt arbitrary and pointless, as if they were filler content that could have been excluded altogether. Like Lando and Han constantly losing-then-winning-then-losing-again the Millennium Falcon from each other in card games, or Han and Kyp going skiing together, or the Jedi twins Jacen and Jaina wandering off and getting lost together, or the random romance between Wedge and Qwi Sux, etc. etc. None of these narratives really did anything to drive the plot of the book forward; on the contrary, they slowed everything down and were at times quite dull.
Meanwhile, Kyp Durran's descent into the Dark Side, which should have been one of the most crucial developments in the novel, felt a bit rushed to me. It felt like Kyp had barely begun his training with Luke Skywalker when he was all of a sudden under the influence of a darker power, and then he switched from good to bad almost instantly. It didn't feel earned, and as a result wasn't as effective as it should have been.
All that being said, there were certainly elements of Dark Apprentice I enjoyed. I continue to find Admiral Daala interesting, and Exar Kun seems like a particularly strong new character with a lot of potential. I also enjoyed the subplot revolving around Admiral Ackbar's fall from power, starting with a tragic accident (or so it seems) at the start of the book and leading back to his home planet of Calamari. Ackbar's moment of glory, where he finds redemption by taking control of his planet's forces and launches a successful defense, is one of the stronger points of the novel.
Overall, Dark Apprentice was a disappointment, and there's more to dislike here than there is to like. That being said, I fully intend to finish the trilogy with Champions of the Force, and – my issues with this book notwithstanding – actually look forward to it.
There were so many subplots that felt arbitrary and pointless, as if they were filler content that could have been excluded altogether. Like Lando and Han constantly losing-then-winning-then-losing-again the Millennium Falcon from each other in card games, or Han and Kyp going skiing together, or the Jedi twins Jacen and Jaina wandering off and getting lost together, or the random romance between Wedge and Qwi Sux, etc. etc. None of these narratives really did anything to drive the plot of the book forward; on the contrary, they slowed everything down and were at times quite dull.
Meanwhile, Kyp Durran's descent into the Dark Side, which should have been one of the most crucial developments in the novel, felt a bit rushed to me. It felt like Kyp had barely begun his training with Luke Skywalker when he was all of a sudden under the influence of a darker power, and then he switched from good to bad almost instantly. It didn't feel earned, and as a result wasn't as effective as it should have been.
All that being said, there were certainly elements of Dark Apprentice I enjoyed. I continue to find Admiral Daala interesting, and Exar Kun seems like a particularly strong new character with a lot of potential. I also enjoyed the subplot revolving around Admiral Ackbar's fall from power, starting with a tragic accident (or so it seems) at the start of the book and leading back to his home planet of Calamari. Ackbar's moment of glory, where he finds redemption by taking control of his planet's forces and launches a successful defense, is one of the stronger points of the novel.
Overall, Dark Apprentice was a disappointment, and there's more to dislike here than there is to like. That being said, I fully intend to finish the trilogy with Champions of the Force, and – my issues with this book notwithstanding – actually look forward to it.