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Topic:
The JC Lit Reviews Special: JEDI TRIAL (spoilers)
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Mastadge
Title:
Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Jun '99
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Date Posted:
10/19/04 6:40pm
Subject:
The JC Lit Reviews Special: JEDI TRIAL (spoilers)
- Date Edited:
10/19/04 6:42pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Mastadge
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Here we go again!
As usual, please rate JEDI TRIAL on a scale from 1 to 10. Please don't rate the book until after you've finished it. Thank you.
Also, please supplement your rating of JEDI TRIAL with a few words (or a lot, as you see fit).
Links to previous review threads, in case you missed 'em:
Republic Commando: Hard Contact
Shatterpoint
The Cestus Deception
MedStar I: Battle Surgeons
MedStar II: Jedi Healer
Galaxies: The Ruins of Dantooine
Tatooine Ghost
Survivor's Quest
Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream
Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand
Traitor
Destiny's Way
Force Heretic I: Remnant
Force Heretic II: Refugee
Force Heretic III: Reunion
The Final Prophecy
The Unifying Force
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"This will be our reply to violence:
To make music more intensely,
More beautifully,
More devotedly than ever before."
- Leonard Bernstein
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ATimson
Registered:
Nov '03
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Date Posted:
10/19/04 8:59pm
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: JEDI TRIAL (spoilers)
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My thoughts on Jedi Trial are mixed. The authors have created an interesting plot and backstories for characters. This time, the plot has a sence of importance to the war lacking from earlier entries. There's no obvious storyline continuity violations. They managed to portray Anakin without any out-of-place omnious foreshadowing. The book, overall, is fast-paced, if not quite gripping enough to be termed a "page-turner."
At the same time, the story is bogged down in places by the style, where things are unnecessarily explained and professional soldiers come across as immature. The characters, especially those new to the story, are little better than archetypes. Some (notably Neeja Halcyon and the battle droids) are inconsistent with their earlier appearances. There's too much name-dropping, be it inappropriate (the starfighter Azure Angel) or simply illogical (Jawa). There's a relatively major technology continuity violation whose sole purpose is to allow a pseudodeath (thankfully revealed in the next chapter). And Stephen D. Anderson still hasn't relearned how to avoid an overly busy cover.
Unfortunately these quibbles, while mostly minor, are constant and thus detract from the work as a whole. It doesn't help that the book is short, either--it appears to clock in at perhaps two-thirds the length of the earlier hardcover Clone Wars offerings. What could've been the best entry is reduced to simply middling.
Overall rating: 7.
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masterskywalker
Registered:
Nov '01
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Date Posted:
10/19/04 11:21pm
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: JEDI TRIAL (spoilers)
- Date Edited:
10/19/04 11:21pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
masterskywalker
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Er, how is name dropping a problem? It happens in nearly every SW story.
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ATimson
Registered:
Nov '03
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Date Posted:
10/20/04 6:47am
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: JEDI TRIAL (spoilers)
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Name-dropping as a general concept I can live with. And I can even deal with references to stuff in RL. I do, however, think that references by characters to stuff they shouldn't know about (or using concepts from the movies inappropriately--how do we have a Republic-trained doctor from Tatooine?) is a valid complaint.
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"Actually, VIPs are more important [than other users]." --The2ndQuest
It's nice to know that those who make the board possible matter.
If someone other than me edited this, please don't attribute anything in it to me in quotes. It's not mine anymore.
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Mastadge
Title:
Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Jun '99
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Date Posted:
10/25/04 1:35pm
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: JEDI TRIAL (spoilers)
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So, anyone else read it yet?
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More beautifully,
More devotedly than ever before."
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President_Sharky
Registered:
Jan '04
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Date Posted:
10/25/04 8:58pm
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: JEDI TRIAL (spoilers)
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I'm on page 200, I'll be done by the week's end.
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Official Fleet Junkie
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rhonderoo
Title:
Former Head Admin
Registered:
Aug '02
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Date Posted:
10/25/04 10:49pm
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: JEDI TRIAL (spoilers)
- Date Edited:
10/25/04 11:10pm (2 edits total)
Edited By:
rhonderoo
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I just finished it in one sitting. First time ever with a SW book.
The main characters were wonderfully characterized. I loved the secondary characters, also. I felt that they jumped off the page. They were vibrant, funny and endearing. I love Grudo, and Slayke is also cool. Even Pors Tonith is a different villian, and having him as a banking clan member that isn't sniveling or one of the many Dark Jedi™...is very refreshing.
There are interesting ironies in the book like Anakin's devotion to the Rodian soldier, and the matronly hostage. Especially considering that he later serves an alienless Empire. The relationship with him and Neeja also, as Neeja reminded me very much of Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon even makes an "appearance" alá AOTC.
And for once, thanks to all that is holy...wonderful, sane, down-to-earth characterization of the Clone Wars HERO that Obi-Wan spoke of and Luke saw beneath the armour. The war has wizened him and made him more mature. He and Obi-Wan share some nice words at the beginning. What little, tiny dark-side forshadowing there was didn't come off as bratty, evil, or even cliché. It was done very well. These writers got Anakin Skywalker better than anything I've ever read. And I've read a lot. 
And let me just say...romantics will love it with a few of the characters. There were a few references to Padmé, also referred to as "my wife", "his wife", etc. And Anakin and Neeja have a lot in common.
I was very skeptical about the battles and ground skirmishes (being a girl and all), but they SUCK YOU IN. It is very gritty and realistic in some places, but very well-written. You can tell these guys know their stuff. They take us from Anakin the Padawan/Jedi to the beginnings of Anakin the military strategist that was over the fleets of the Empire for twenty years. Something that has been SORELY missing in EU depictions of him. He learns to be a strategist and commander, but true to his character (even as Vader) - wants to be in the action with his troops/pilots.
I've never teared up about a SW book (except TUF) and this one did it to me several times. The realistic feeling of Anakin and Neeja writing their wives a letter before the battle and leaving their personal things with the captain to return if they died... The book also deals with the Clones and their mortality/humanity very well. I got vaklempt at one of the M*A*S*H-like scenes dealing with clones.  Great stuff.
And after reading, as close as Anakin and Neeja become (extremely close), I still think it could be made to fit that Anakin is Desertwind... 
9.75 out of 10 - the only reason it doesn't get the .25 is that it was too short.
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DT421  And the hot chick is really the sister of the good guy, but they don't know it, and they kiss. Which is kind of messed up. I mean, what if they had done it instead of just kissed?
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masterskywalker
Registered:
Nov '01
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Date Posted:
10/25/04 11:27pm
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: JEDI TRIAL (spoilers)
- Date Edited:
10/25/04 11:27pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
masterskywalker
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"And for once, thanks to all that is holy...wonderful, sane, down-to-earth characterization of the Clone Wars HERO that Obi-Wan spoke of and Luke saw beneath the armour. The war has wizened him and made him more mature. He and Obi-Wan share some nice words at the beginning. What little, tiny dark-side forshadowing there was didn't come off as bratty, evil, or even cliché. It was done very well. These writers got Anakin Skywalker better than anything I've ever read. And I've read a lot."
Wow, that means a lot coming from a fellow Anakin fan. I was really looking forward to this book anyway, and now I'm just plain psyched. 
Tommorow, yes precious...
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SlackJawedJedi
Registered:
May '04
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Date Posted:
10/25/04 11:46pm
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: JEDI TRIAL (spoilers)
- Date Edited:
10/25/04 11:47pm (1 edits total)
Edited By:
SlackJawedJedi
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Okay... two question for you folk who've read the thing...
1. Is there anyone esle whom that bald woman on the cover might be besides Ventress?
and
2. Assuming Ventress shows up, there's no lightsabre duel shananigns, are there?
EDIT: Hmph. Probably should have put this in the order thread. Oh well.
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Master_OB1_Kenobi
Registered:
Oct '04
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Date Posted:
10/26/04 3:15am
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: JEDI TRIAL (spoilers)
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Dang it how r yall reading this already. I didnt know it was out already. Im a part of a book club and it says it ships Oct 26th, so i guess i'll be getting it soon.
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Master_OB1_Kenobi <<<<<<<<<<<<<< Idiot
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Mastadge
Title:
Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Jun '99
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Date Posted:
10/26/04 4:34am
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: JEDI TRIAL (spoilers)
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Counting 2 reviews: 16.75/2 = 8.38
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"This will be our reply to violence:
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More beautifully,
More devotedly than ever before."
- Leonard Bernstein
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dp4m
Registered:
Nov '01
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Date Posted:
10/26/04 10:43am
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: JEDI TRIAL (spoilers)
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Now that the review embargo date is over...
I give it a 9/10.
It's a solid, military-SF book done in the SW universe. You get Anakin dealing both with being a hero and a general as well as still coping with the death of his mother (twice now) and his keeping secrets from the Jedi Council.
Plus the decision to Knight him.
Plus Qui-Gon speaking to him.
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"Looks like you're about to get pwned" - Eric Cartman
"Awarding experience points for cleverly and creatively generating an enjoyable experience. How warped is that?" - Darths & Droids
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JediTrilobite
Registered:
Nov '99
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Date Posted:
10/26/04 11:59am
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: JEDI TRIAL (spoilers)
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Give me a couple days, and I'll finish this, if I don't tonight.
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ATimson
Registered:
Nov '03
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Date Posted:
10/26/04 12:40pm
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: JEDI TRIAL (spoilers)
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Now that the review embargo date is over...
Ah. That'd explain how you get copies, then....
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It's nice to know that those who make the board possible matter.
If someone other than me edited this, please don't attribute anything in it to me in quotes. It's not mine anymore.
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dp4m
Registered:
Nov '01
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Date Posted:
10/26/04 12:53pm
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: JEDI TRIAL (spoilers)
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Ah. That'd explain how you get copies, then....
Nope.
I just choose to honor the embargo as to not have my source dry up...
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"Looks like you're about to get pwned" - Eric Cartman
"Awarding experience points for cleverly and creatively generating an enjoyable experience. How warped is that?" - Darths & Droids
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ATimson
Registered:
Nov '03
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Date Posted:
10/26/04 1:01pm
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: JEDI TRIAL (spoilers)
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Ah. Never mind, then. 
(I wish I had sources....)
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