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Author	Topic: THE JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: EXILE (Spoilers)
Havac Title: Lit Mod of War Registered: Sep '05	Date Posted: 2/21/07 11:17am Subject: THE JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: EXILE (Spoilers) - Date Edited: 5/29/08 5:44pm (2 edits total) Edited By: Havac
	The latest book in the Legacy of the Force series, and the first "repeat" among authors. Everyone has had their turn and we're back to Aaron Allston, who kicked it off with Betrayal. We're almost halfway through, folks. Some rules: rate Exile on a scale of 1 to 10, supplementing your rating with a review, if you want to (It's not necessary but is highly encouraged). However, please do not rate or review the book until after you've read the whole thing. Thanks. Go ahead and review. Some previous review threads: Republic Commando: Hard Contact, by Karen Traviss Shatterpoint, by Matthew Stover The Cestus Deception, by Steven Barnes Medstar I: Battle Surgeons, by Michael Reaves and Steve Perry Medstar II: Jedi Healer, by Michael Reaves and Steve Perry Jedi Trial, by David Sherman and Dan Cragg Yoda: Dark Rendezvous, by Sean Stewart Labyrinth of Evil, by James Luceno Revenge of the Sith, by Matthew Stover Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader by James Luceno Galaxies: The Ruins of Dantooine, by Veronica Whitney-Robinson Tatooine Ghost, by Troy Denning Survivor's Quest, by Timothy Zahn Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream, by Aaron Allston Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand, by Aaron Allston Traitor, by Matthew Stover Destiny's Way, by Walter Jon Williams Force Heretic I: Remnant, by Sean Williams and Shane Dix Force Heretic II: Refugee, by Sean Williams and Shane Dix Force Heretic III: Reunion, by Sean Williams and Shane Dix The Final Prophecy, by Greg Keyes The Unifying Force, by James Luceno Dark Nest I: The Joiner King, by Troy Denning Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen, by Troy Denning Dark Nest III: The Swarm War, by Troy Denning Outbound Flight, by Timothy Zahn Republic Commando: Triple Zero, by Karen Traviss Legacy of the Force: Betrayal, by Aaron Allston Legacy of the Force: Bloodlines, by Karen Traviss Darth Bane: Path of Destruction, by Drew Karpyshyn Legacy of the Force: Tempest, by Troy Denning Allegiance, by Timothy Zahn -----signature----- "Is there a captain's hat involved in this?" "I . . . don't know what department I want. I need . . . pants."
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Whizkid Registered: Sep '03	Date Posted: 2/21/07 3:01pm Subject: RE: THE JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: EXILE (Spoilers)
	I thought it came out next week. -----signature----- "Only a Sith deals in Absolutes" "Do, or do not. There is no try"
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LtNOWIS Registered: May '05	Date Posted: 2/21/07 4:22pm Subject: RE: THE JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: EXILE (Spoilers)
	Yeah but some people got it early. I got it this afternoon. -----signature----- A little bit about me: http://tinyurl.com/bnmcck
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Whizkid Registered: Sep '03	Date Posted: 2/21/07 4:27pm Subject: RE: THE JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: EXILE (Spoilers)
	How do people always manage to find new releases so early? Do certain websites ship them early? -----signature----- "Only a Sith deals in Absolutes" "Do, or do not. There is no try"
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000 Registered: Oct '05	Date Posted: 2/21/07 5:04pm Subject: RE: THE JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: EXILE (Spoilers)
	Certain book stores put 'em out early, too. Books a Million, for example.
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Havac Title: Lit Mod of War Registered: Sep '05	Date Posted: 2/21/07 5:54pm Subject: RE: THE JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: EXILE (Spoilers)
	I put the thread up as soon as I see a couple people saying that they've read it. Which, for this book, means today. -----signature----- "Is there a captain's hat involved in this?" "I . . . don't know what department I want. I need . . . pants."
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Darth_Hydra Registered: May '01	Date Posted: 2/21/07 6:09pm Subject: RE: THE JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: EXILE (Spoilers)
	000 posted: Certain book stores put 'em out early, too. Books a Million, for example. That's where I got my copy today. I'd suggest everybody check their local bookstores just in case. -----signature----- ANAKIN SOLO WON'T RETURN!
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Emerald_Lady Registered: Dec '06	Date Posted: 2/23/07 9:48pm Subject: RE: THE JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: EXILE (Spoilers)
	I got a copy at Wal-Mart yesterday. I just finished reading it tonight. It wasn't as good as Tempest, but it wasn't bad. There's a lot of politics in this one, as well as more Darth Jacen angst to set up Sacrifice. Ben gets a lot of page time, but isn't particularly likeable. The humor and dialogue are good, however, and the highlight for me was the few J/J/Z scenes, which should be enjoyable for 'shippers of both factions. (I'm a J/Zer, in the interest of full disclosure.) I give the book a 6.5 out of 10. -----signature----- "Maybe he'd smashed her like a bag of chips in his drive to get some."--Jacob Black, Breaking Dawn "Every time you say Zekk abandoned Jaina in DJ, the Force kills a kitten."--jedi_of_ennth
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AnnLouise Registered: Jul '05	Date Posted: 2/24/07 9:39pm Subject: RE: THE JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: EXILE (Spoilers)
	Emerald_Lady posted: I got a copy at Wal-Mart yesterday. I just finished reading it tonight. It wasn't as good as Tempest, but it wasn't bad. There's a lot of politics in this one, as well as more Darth Jacen angst to set up Sacrifice. Ben gets a lot of page time, but isn't particularly likeable. The humor and dialogue are good, however, and the highlight for me was the few J/J/Z scenes, which should be enjoyable for 'shippers of both factions. (I'm a J/Zer, in the interest of full disclosure.) I give the book a 6.5 out of 10. Does it actually move the Darth Jacen story arc forward, or contain yet more battle scene filler? I've enjoyed the series for the most part, each book just has a couple scenes of Lumy dropping a cryptic(or nonsensical) bit of advice, and Jacen kind of drifting into Sithdom. When will the rubber hit the road? -----signature----- http://outerrimsieges.com We're a fun group http://thehungersite.com http://www.endabuse.org http://www.librarything.com Catalog Your Books Online Violence Against Women Is Always Wrong
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Emerald_Lady Registered: Dec '06	Date Posted: 2/24/07 10:00pm Subject: RE: THE JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: EXILE (Spoilers)
	AnnLouise posted: Does it actually move the Darth Jacen story arc forward, or contain yet more battle scene filler? I've enjoyed the series for the most part, each book just has a couple scenes of Lumy dropping a cryptic(or nonsensical) bit of advice, and Jacen kind of drifting into Sithdom. When will the rubber hit the road? hmm. Well, Jacen continues drifting into Sithdom with the prerequisite battle scenes and cryptic advice, but plot developments are at least hinted at. Ben seems to be out of the running for Jacen's Sith apprentice. Jacen also decides that, whether they constitute his sacrifice or not, Mommy and Daddy have to die. I assume they're saving the rubber for Sacrifice, because I agree that there hasn't been much of it thus far. -----signature----- "Maybe he'd smashed her like a bag of chips in his drive to get some."--Jacob Black, Breaking Dawn "Every time you say Zekk abandoned Jaina in DJ, the Force kills a kitten."--jedi_of_ennth
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Jedi_Earnhardt Registered: Jan '06	Date Posted: 2/25/07 5:58am Subject: RE: THE JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: EXILE (Spoilers)
	7/10 This wasn't as good as Betrayal, but it wasn't bad. You can tell Aaron Allston read some of the darknest trilogy and previous LOTF titles. Except for breaking the blockade and the formation of the Confederation, nothing major happens and no major characters die. Kinda like a filler book, before we get to Sacrafice. It was cool to see Lando again, all spiffy with his cane and the Looooove Commander. Kyp was limited but I really liked how he had Luke's back during the meeting with Omas and Niathal. Kyp still thinks making Jacen a master would bring Jacen back into the fold, but he wasn't going to betray Luke in front of those politicians, Loyalty like that will keep the Order strong IMO. Luke and Han making ammends was nice, I don't think I would have liked seeing them at odds for the whole series. The Horn and Antilles family was a nice addition, Myri is just as quick whitted as her father. When Jacen traveled to that space station for the vote on the new Supreme Commander, I thought we'd see something similar to Anakin going to Mustafar and taking out the Sep Leaders, but the Confederation got the drop on Jacen. This and Tempest didn't feature Jacen much, but hopefully he'll be more prominent in Sacrafice. The parts with Ben dragged a little, but turned interesting when he reached Ziost. I think this book lacked the surprise factor and no one major died, unlike the first three books. It's paperback though, if you got 8 bucks you should pick it up. -----signature----- The 9 scariest words you'll ever hear -- "I'm from the government and I'm here to help." How's that hope and change working for you?
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Queengodess Registered: Jul '00	Date Posted: 2/25/07 7:38am Subject: RE: THE JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: EXILE (Spoilers)
	It was better than Betrayal and Tempest, but I did not enjoy it as much as Bloodlines. It really, really annoys me that certain developments are... retracted. Like, in Bloodlines Jacen realizes he has to sacrifiece Tenel Ka and Allana and it breaks his heart - and then he spends all of Tempest and Exile claiming that he could never do that. And wasn't Zekk supposed to be over Jaina? Now, character can change their minds, and a decision doesn't have to be final, but I would like some explanation for it. Of course, I rather do enjoy the small fights between Zekk and Jag (though I'm starting to think that they'd be happier with each other than either of them would be with Jaina... ) but still... Jacen's character is developing nicely. Well, not nicely. But you know... it's very interesting to follow, and it's done rather well. It's just happening rather slowly, step by step and it's fascinating to watch how he becomes more and more twisted. And, in Exile, aggressive in a way he hasn't been before. Snaps at people, more prone to revenge, openly shows his anger... I don't think he even realizes it, but he's really becoming a true Dark Sider - and like all of them, he thinks he can control it. (Honestly, I can quite anytime I want.) Alema Rar should die already. She's just annoying. She was an annoying, generic baddie in DN - she's no better now. Lumiya - no better and no worse than any other evil guy in SW galaxy. She will never be more than a pale imitation of Palpatine, but 'the puppet-master' is always a fun character. The cover made me expect more Han and Leia, but I'm not complaining. Wedge and the rest of Allstone's favourites was nice - they usually are when he writes them. Not quite as much funny dialogue as I was hoping, but then again, this story is rather dark and you're probably not supposed to giggle your way through them. The space battle was mercifully short (it was hardly even there, thank gods) and I did like the very-obviously-a-setup meeting where dear old Darth Stupid was made to look like a complete fool. glee It was heartening, and sad, to see that Mara, Luke, Han and Leia were all ready to dive in and risks their necks to save the prodigal son. However, how long is it going to take them before they actually accept that he is evil. Now, they wouldn't want to believe that of him - but Obi-Wan didn't want to believe it of Anakin (and one might argue that Jacen is much farther gone than Anakin was right up until the point where he actually snapped and started slaughtering children) and he still accepted the proof of his friend's corruption and went to kill him (which I disapprove of, too... Right, so there is no pleasing me). Maybe Luke and his friends do need a Yoda (the very thought of someone needing a Yoda! Argh!) to force them to face unpleasant truths. But... even though these books still make me think of Darth Helmet's quote "evil will always triumph because good is so stupid" - or something along those lines - I do appreciate the fact that the good guys seemed a tad more intelligent and Jacen a tad more stupid in this one. More balanced this way. Still, Mara falling for Lumiya's planted datapad thingie? Oh, dear... 6/10. Of course, that scores reflects its standing as a Star Wars novel. It can't possibly compare to the stuff I normally read, but hey - it's Star Wars, and that always gives me a happy. -----signature----- Carpe Jugulum - sieze the throat! Proud member of the Wrenga Jixton Virtual Blondies Club! Små kanoner dödar bara lite. Sidious can have his soul, but the nipples of the Chosen One belongs to ME!
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Havac Title: Lit Mod of War Registered: Sep '05	Date Posted: 2/25/07 12:22pm Subject: RE: THE JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: EXILE (Spoilers)
	Average score: 19.5/3 = 6.5 -----signature----- "Is there a captain's hat involved in this?" "I . . . don't know what department I want. I need . . . pants."
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DarthSanctimonious Registered: Sep '06	Date Posted: 2/25/07 2:36pm Subject: RE: THE JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: EXILE (Spoilers)
	Exile is the best LotF book so far in my opinion, and a vast improvement over Tempest. The characterizations were all recognizable and most of them good, nobody did anything implausibly and comically stupid, and the humor fit within the context of the story and scenes. Ben in particular is now a likable character again--the Ziost parts were probably my favorite chapter of the book. I liked seeing Lando, Corran, the Antilles family, and the Errant Venture again. As usual, Allston's greatest strength lies in making good use of original and minor characters such that the audience cares about them and they fit neatly within the context of a collaborative plot. My biggest complaint with Allston's writing is his near constant use of "he did x, y, z" type lists. Example: "For one, he was fully open to the Force, letting it flow through him, sustain him, support him in the air". There's nothing wrong with this kind of sentence structure per se, but it tends to pop up a lot and gets repetitive and grating. I was kind of miffed that Alema made it through the story in one piece, but then again she wasn't as obnoxious as in Tempest. The unexplained backtracking on issues such as Jacen's willingness to sacrifice Tenel Ka and Allana annoyed me as well, but Allston seems to be with the majority of authors on that plot point and so the inconsistency is neither his nor Troy Denning's fault. The exception to my earlier statement to the effect that nobody did anything implausibly or comically stupid lies in the extensive use of disguises, most of which were eye-rollingly ridiculous and would serve more to draw attention to the wearer than anything else. Whatever happened to fake mustaches? Rating: 8.5
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Havac Title: Lit Mod of War Registered: Sep '05	Date Posted: 2/25/07 2:54pm Subject: RE: THE JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: EXILE (Spoilers)
	Average score: 28/4 = 7.00 -----signature----- "Is there a captain's hat involved in this?" "I . . . don't know what department I want. I need . . . pants."
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Obi Anne Title: FanForce RSA Europe Registered: Nov '98	Date Posted: 2/26/07 1:39am Subject: RE: THE JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: EXILE (Spoilers)
	So the galaxy is continuing to sink deeper and deeper into darkness, but at least in Exile it's going down with some of the best characters together again. I'm not ashamed to say that I miss those days when reading a SW book meant that you could just relax for a moment, knowing that in the end everything will be alright. Now after NJO and more and more with LOTF it's getting harder and harder to see any light in the end of the tunnel, yet Exile felt like a bit of a breathing pause. With Han and Leia meeting up with Lando and the Horns and Antilles at least it felt a bit like those old times. When I realised that I thought so I also realised how the people responsible have failed to create any new heroes that I might feel the same for. J/J/Z has potential, but their dealings will probably be forgotten in the next book or something. Storywise I felt that the main importance of the book was to break up the blockade around Corellia, and make Ben start questioning Jacen. Maybe questioning is a bit of an exageration but at least he seems to have realised that Jacen is human too, I don't think Ben will wake up from his Jacen brainwash until what- or whoever is sacrificed by Jacen straight in front of him. At fist I thought the bits with Ben on his own little adventure were just boring, but they got really good once he arrived at Ziost. My favorite thing in the whole book was when Wedge told Jacen that he was a fanatic, since he had totally lost all his sence of humour. Since I've felt that much of the SW novels have lost their sence of humour lately I think the people at Del Rey should really read that passage over and over again. During the read I just wished that they could get rid of the bug on two legs, but at least she's funny in her total insanity. 8,5/10 -----signature----- "That is the beauty of grand opera; you can do anything...as long as you sing it" Anna Russell
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