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Author	Topic: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: Inferno (Spoilers)
Havac Title: Lit Mod of War Registered: Sep '05	Date Posted: 8/28/07 5:31pm Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: Inferno (Spoilers) - Date Edited: 10/16/07 9:05pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Havac
	Troy Denning's second entry and the sixth book in the Legacy of the Force series, Inferno is the book where LOTF starts cooking. We're two-thirds of the way through and each author now has two of their three contributions in. Some rules: rate Inferno 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 Legacy of the Force: Exile, by Aaron Allston Legacy of the Force: Sacrifice, by Karen Traviss -----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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Havac Title: Lit Mod of War Registered: Sep '05	Date Posted: 8/28/07 5:35pm Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: Inferno (Spoilers)
	Many of my thoughts have been given already in the spoiler thread, but I'll say that this is the book where the books of buildup -- which I've enjoyed -- really pay off, and the powder keg Sacrifice lit goes off. Denning knows how to portray Luke as human yet the Grand Master of the Jedi Order. A vitally present supporting cast, good background detail, and pure action make this book -- a fairly short one yet without feeling short -- lots of fun with a great Star Wars feel. I remain dubious of the new direction flowwalking is taking, once was more than enough with Jae Juun and Tarfang, but overall I'm very impressed with this book and the subtle touches Denning puts into his writing. The superbly intriguing addition of the Korriban Sith (not-so-coincidentally in the middle of the Claws of the Dragon arc of Legacy and just before the big flashback issue) is also a big plus. Overall, a very strong book with good characterization and solid plot. 9.7/10 -----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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Jinn_Soresom Registered: Jun '07	Date Posted: 8/28/07 6:37pm Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: Inferno (Spoilers) - Date Edited: 8/28/07 6:38pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Jinn_Soresom
	This is my first book review, so bear with me here-if I do anything wrong, feel free to shout me down. Inferno is the sort of book that makes you sit back and go "Woah." This one book had more action than the rest of the series put together. Scratch that. It's not that there's more action, it's just that the action feels more relevant. More momentous. I liked Tarfang, but I felt that he was a little overdone. However, the sight of Wookiees being astonished by the Evil Death Ewok was pretty funny. When I read the spoilers, I thought "Han Solo's being arrested by...Wookiees?" I would have thought that the Wooks would have taken in the Solos and protected them without reservation, but the deeper look into Wookiee politics and society proved how shallow my understanding of the Wookiees are. They are not a homogenous society. Denning brought back Lowie, and Jacen's thoughts on his own actions were just amazing. I loved the visceral feel of the fights in this book-that's because they're fights, and not duels. I felt those hits when I read. This is the sort of book where Luke Skywalker tries to gouge someone's eye out, Darth Caedus shatters someone's knee, and Ben just goes nuts, stabbing a guy then cutting him almost in half to get the lightsaber out, then unleashing the Almighty Backstab (Thief fan...sorry) on Caedus. So...yeah. They mean it in this book and there's no holding back. Love it. Loved Luke, too. Inferno converted me from the "Let's Whack Luke!" camp into the "Have Luke Fry the Little Sithling!" camp. He was the galvanizing slap in the face that this series needed. He was powerful, he was decisive, he was mighty torqued off, and in the end, he made a decision that I feel was refreshingly...human. For once, here's a character who does the right thing without jumping through flaming hoops of distorted logic that end up leading him to a choice that is technically correct, but leaves us feeling dirty. Say what you will, but I agree with Luke's decision to spare Caedus. I haven't felt this much hope for the series since Allston had Ben go back for Kiara. I can't wait for Allston's take on Ben since the events of Sacrifice and Inferno. Do you realize that Jacen is going to be a Sith Lord for two whole books before it's common knowledge? I'm just sayin'... The GAG was pwned, and pwned hard in this book. I like that. Darth Caedus has come within a hair's breath of death...how many times in the last two books? Let's see...Mara (1), Lowbacca's Shadow Bomb (2) Ben's Lightsaber Assassination Attempt (3...though it's unknown if Lowie accidentally saved Jacen's life, the fact is that a Shadow bomb in the bridge is an instantly life-threatening.) Ben's Vibroblade Backstab (4) and almost getting blown up in the end of the space battle, escaping with a battered ship under the most marginal of circumstances. (5) Luckiest. Sith. Ever. Anyways, I liked the space battles, though I do believe that Allston writes them better. I'd also like to read more space battles in this era from Michael Stackpole, but if wishes were fishes, than the Mon Cal would be on top...and they're not, no matter what Niathal says. It was nice to see Gavin again too. Jaina threw down and kicked some butt. 'Nuff said. Alas for poor Kam and Tionne...I know that the loss of her husband will hurt her far more than the loss of her limbs ever could. Looks to the sky Rock on, you magnificent Bruce Willis-looking bastard. Rock on. Reading about Darth Caedus's reactions to others was...interesting. I liked how he could sense the battle-meld and wistfully look back on a time when he was part of it. He seemed to genuinely regret what he was doing...though not enough to stop. Even the GAG seemed stunned and repulsed by his Gratuitous Dar-oh, never mind. It was nice to read Denning's characters alluding to events in Traviss's books and characters. Keep it up. Oh, and before I forget, about Flow-walking-Denning's mocking me. I can tell. I know, I just know that these guys are messing with me. Why? Well, first Allston had that Anakin Sal-Solo bot in Betrayal. Then Denning had a GAG star destroyer named the Anakin Solo. He might as well have named it the Anakin Solo's Kriffing Dead and He's Never Coming Back, so Quit Yer Whining! And then this...it's like we're Tahiri, and the LOTF authors are mocking us with little glimpses, allusions, and perversions like the Anakin-Bot. The way I figure it...they messed up, they killed one of their best heroes and the lead of a new generation, so they'd bloody well better develop Ben nicely, or else they're completely boned. I can see Ben becoming the Solid Snake of Star Wars. Well, that about wraps up my thoughts on Inferno. Overall, I felt that this book snapped the series into action and is probably a major pivot point. All the players were put into position in Sacrifice, and now the first moves have been made. This book put the exclamation point on Sacrifice, set up the stage for Fury, and brutally jack-slapped Luke out of his moron stage. But what this book also did was the most important task-it entertained me and left me wanting more. If the other authors wrap up the story with books like this, then I would consider Legacy of the Force to be a success. 9.8/10 -----signature----- "Nihilistic little bastard, isn't he?" Kyp Durron, speaking about Darth Caedus. Anakin pointed his lightsaber towards Darth Caedus. "You." Jacen smiled and bowed. "Me." Anakin struck. VERSUS: http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/27412705/p1/?
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starlit_goddess Registered: Jan '07	Date Posted: 8/28/07 8:12pm Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: Inferno (Spoilers)
	I loved it. I think this was the most exciting Star Wars book I've ever read. I almost always normally end up skipping a few pages of a boring fleet battle or something with a minor character I don't care about. This book, every second I was hooked. So, the high points: Jacen. In the last book, he just wasn't really hitting it home as the Big Bad of the series, but he's really stepped it up. I actually can buy him as a creepy and valid villian. Tahiri. I love her getting more screen time. Her just always wanting that much more time with Anakin is heartbreaking. I like her, so I hope she realizes Jacen is a bad egg and doesn't end up dead at the end of this series, but ah, I have a feeling the death count just isn't high enough yet. Ben. Love him. He's 40% assassain, 30% Jedi, 20% teenager, and 10% confused. Luke. Whoever complains about Luke in this book is straight up crazy. I loved his scare tactics with Jacen, and even though I was disappointed that he didn't mess him up juuuust a little bit more, it's to be expected when there are still three books left. Like I said...his reaction to Mara's death was sad, but realistic. He was MIA for the first several chapters or so, but by the end, he was ready to do what he had to. Han and Leia. I loved their lines at the end about doing what they had to. Their story is probably the most boring in this series, but I did like the Leia/Tahiri interaction and how they've really just had a slow falling out with Jacen, and then, bam. Also, the part with them and the Wookiees, while not doing much to advance the plot, was pretty funny. Alema. Not a favorite character of mine, but she made me laugh in the book, her POV was great. I have a feeling she's another one that won't see the end of it, though. Jaina. She didn't have much, but I like what she did have. Also, based off this book, it seems to be heading towards J/J based on the fact Jag had waaay more page time than Zekk and most of it was with Jaina. Tenel Ka. Her chances of survival are dubious, but no one can say she's another Padmé--I was so proud of her when she told Jacen that he didn't get her fleet. 10/10 -----signature----- "I will rise above, I will live for love, I will answer to the call." - Starfield, "Revolution"
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Master_Skywalker20 Registered: Mar '06	Date Posted: 8/28/07 8:26pm Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: Inferno (Spoilers) - Date Edited: 8/28/07 8:28pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Master_Skywalker20
	8.5 I have mixed emotions about this book and all of it has to do with Caedus. I feel like in this book there are 2 sides to him. One of the sides is just flat out ruthless and evil and the other is the self sacrificing guy that is just trying to help out the galaxy. A guy that hates what he is doing, but realizes the sacrifice is necessary. I think that the authors need to pick one of these guys, instead of having every chapter be something different. For example, instead of Caedus desiring to have have friends and family he just needs to only love the Dark Side. Its like we have the grey Jedi Jacen Solo and the evil Darth Caedus and they are still fighting each other. One just wants a normal galaxy for everyone and peace and justice and the other is a crazied power freak. One regrets torturing Ben and the other mocks Jaina in a fight. One loves Jaina, the other tries to kill her. It seems like he has alot of internal conflict still. Its amazing, that even after all the evil done by Caedus you just end up feeling for him. At the end when he was so emotional that Tenel Ka had came to save him and he gets betrayed, I just felt for him. It was just so sad. I think that as much as Jacen has betrayed his friends and family, they have betrayed him. They hate him, yet they will not listen to him. They would refuse to understand his views. Luke betrayed Jacen. Jacen took it out on the Wookies. I dont know. I am just speechless. It was so sad, So much happened in this book. At the beginning its all calm and nice at the end its hell. You know that Jacens tactics are wrong, yet the authors write him in the sense that he is ok and he is doing everything for the right reasons. Also, what side is the Force on. When he became a Sith Lord, the force shifting like it was a good thing and there are also many signs of Jacen taking the right path. I dont really think that the Force takes sides. What do other people think? I think it just wants peace and justice and will help anyone that desires that. I do not see this series ending good for Jacen. It looks he will pretty much have to die, which is sad that they took a great character and changed him 100% and then killed him all in a 9 book series. Its so sad. I just felt for everyone in this book. Especially Han and Leia. There last son gone. Overall this series is really bumming me out. I think its interesting and everything, but there is just no way it can end happy.
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dp4m Registered: Nov '01	Date Posted: 8/28/07 10:16pm Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: Inferno (Spoilers)
	I'm mixed. I'm still not clear where the whole temporal mechanics thing leaves us with Star Wars (which is actually a bigger deal for me than most other things), moving it further and further away from Space Opera to more hard Sci-Fi. And I'm less than convinced with Ben's methods for getting close to Jacen. On the other hand, Luke, Han and Leia are always good via Denning. I'd say probably a 9.5, less 1.5 points for mucking with possible time travel for a final rating of 8/10. I'd subtract more points for the round-table interview but that's not REALLY a part of the book. -----signature----- "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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AdmiralNick22 Registered: May '03	Date Posted: 8/29/07 6:32am Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: Inferno (Spoilers)
	8/10 Overall, it was a great book. It is always nice to read Denning after Traviss due to his ability to really capture the feel of the Big Three. That is not a dig at Traviss, but merely a opinion that few write in Han, Luke, or Leia's heads better than Denning. Flow walking is to me the only truly horrible part of the book. I echo the opinions of others, like dp4m, who point out that time travel and other things of that nature bring too much "hard sci-fi" to the space opera that is Star Wars. I understand why Denning likes using it, but I cannot ever really be confortable with it. If Flow walking was a larger part of the book, my score definately would of dropped another point or two. That aside, the book was fast and fun. Seeing the Masters of the NJO is always a treat. By my own count, we get at least a brief cameo by Cilghal, Kyp, Kyle, Kenth, Saba, Kam, Tionne, and of course Luke. Sadly Kam is killed, though nobly in defense of the students he had committed his life to training. I would of liked the scence to have a bit more gravitas, especially since few remember that Kam is one of the first people Luke encounter before the establishment of the Jedi Academy on Yavin Four. Undoubtedly my favorite part of the book revolved around the growing distruct of Jacen within the Galactic Alliance. The military and other moderate members are begining to see him for what he is- a tyrant and someone who needs to be removed. Darklighter, Bwua'tu, Rabato, Limpan, and all the other military leaders have my support. And I still have a hunch Niathal may jump ship too. Tenel Ka impressed the crap out of me. Her devotion to the Alliance over Jacen is finally seen. She is no weak willed, dew eyed lover to Caedus. She is a strong, independent woman who is a accomplished Jedi Knight and ruler of a GA memberstate. I love her response to the Bothan Admiral Babo when his seems confused that she would fire on Jacen and yet still not join the Confederation. "In no way do we share or condone the Confederation's recent agression, and the Galactic Alliance retains our full support." Then the kicker- "Colonel Solo is not the Alliance." Thank the Force there are many within the Alliance who would agree with her. That line more than anything gives me hope that the Alliance itself will turn on Jacen. Omas was handling extremely well, despite the fact I am sad to see him leave. For al his flaws, he loved the GA and genuinly worked himself nearly to death to keep it together. His final sacrifice, though a failure in that it did not kill Jacen as he wished, put a nice noble tone to his death. In all, many great things are set up for the end of the series. I am eager to see what happens next. --Adm. Nick -----signature----- Fleet Junkie Founding Father Official Greatest Admiral Ackbar Fan "A peaceful Galactic Alliance is the strongest pillar of a peaceful galaxy." - Luke Skywalker "I will surrender, Admiral, when I can no longer fight!" - Admiral Gar Stazi A New Hope
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EwokStromboli Registered: Aug '04	Date Posted: 8/29/07 7:43am Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: Inferno (Spoilers) - Date Edited: 8/29/07 7:47am (1 edits total) Edited By: EwokStromboli
	What's the standard for when a round-robin interview is tucked into the back of a book? I guess that doesn't happen very often, but does it count for/against the book itself? Whatever. I didn't like the interview very much, for reasons I see that others have discussed in the main book discussion thread. I'll leave it be. 6.5/10 As for Inferno itself, I find it a bit choppy at times, a bit mechanical at others, and enjoyable for the remainder. I mean, it's a Star Wars novel; it is what it is, and I don't go in expecting high artistry. But a few things were problematic to me: The first problem is that I think we need to see the director's cut, so to speak -- or at least I hope so, because I hope strange editing decisions are why some substantial chunks of this book are missing. To wit: * Ben implores Jacen to "end it." Jacen replies, on the contrary, we have "just begun." End scene. Two or three scene breaks, and we're back. And Ben is stapped in the Embrace of Pain. Tell me I missed something here, please. (I read most of this book late at night; I might have missed something.) How Ben get there? Did Ben trip and fall into it? Was Ben so incapacited that Jacen just carried him over or simply gestured him there with the Force? Did Jacen trick Ben with promises of candy? What? I know an author can't dwell on every detail, but the sequence of events seems incomplete. I know an author can't waste time to explain every object or prop in a book, but for that matter, how'd Jacen get his hands on this device? Did he call GAG Acquisitions or CDW-G and dial up a spare Embrace of Pain? I know we're supposed to believe that Jacen has some remaining, hidden Vong connections given the past appearance of the World Brain, but simply putting a spare Embrace of Pain on a GAG Star Destroyer, without any explanation, strains credulity from my perspective. * More importantly -- and someone please correct me if I skipped a passage or a page here -- Luke is dead, everyone believes Luke is dead, Han's sad, Leia's really sad, Tenel Ka's really, really sad (though for other reasons), Luke is dead. Can you believe it?! Luke's dead! (Well, we don't believe it, but that's because it's a paperback.) Climax hits, falling action begins, and . . . hey, Luke's alive. Just conversin', you know, adding here and there that Jacen might've been using some Force persuasion and all that. What, no reunion scene? No reflection of Leia's astonishment and astounding relief? This struck me as the cheapest Luke's-in-peril plot point since The New Rebellion. * Super-duper Flow-walking, as opposed to garden-variety Flow-walking. What's with this? Anyway, Denning did many good things in this book. Most significantly, he pushed the action and the broader story forward after fits-and-starts and occasional digressions into Mandalorian industrialization and men's fashions (and socio-economics and military-industrial complexes). Without his metal-butted mentor, Jacen is more pragmatically evil than pragmatically conflicted (though still a bit conflicted, or at least sorrowful, at times); Ben has, after some hesitation, begun to think for himself; and Luke has, well, I'm not really sure what Luke is doing at the moment, precisely, but at least he's well out of his bathrobe now. This book, not Sacrifice, is the pivot point of the series. And, by all means, if you're going to have a Posturing Pet Character (PPC), you might as well have your PPC waltz into a Sith stronghold and come out all the more PPC. That section was pretty cool, and a nice little taste into the Legacy era (I guess). Nevertheless, although I read most of this book in two sittings (the late Sunday night read really killed my Monday workday), Denning tends to do some things that break me away from the page. One of those is a spontaneous combustion of bickering. This reached its peak in the Dark Nest Trilogy, which one several occasions featured tense conversations that quickly escalated to immature shouting matches, usually just outside the frame of some uninvolved character's sight. This tendency resurfaced, in a reconstituted form, with the two investigating Coruscanti police officers in Denning's earlier LOTF paperback, and showed up again, as I recall, at an odd time in Mara's funeral. This isn't nitpicking; it's just a bit immature for my tastes. I wish he would cut it out and play it a bit straighter at times. Leave the humor to Han and Leia, whom he writes well, especially Han. Finally, I'm going to spend a moment dwelling on this series more generally. I like it well enough for what it is, I suppose, but for me -- and only for purposes of my "personal canon" -- I consider it strictly Infinities. (Dark Nest, too.) In the round-robin, the authors tooted about LOTF's realism. I see what they're saying by realism, to a degree. Sometimes too much. The italicized, PowerPointy chapter headings Traviss uses could well be mistaken for something you'd find on MSNBC. To my mind, however, they hit on the wrong ism. This is sadism. It's going to the well again and again, summoning death, treachery, sorrow, and in-fighting on one family, and I've reached the point where enough is enough. A tiny piece of me -- consider it a bit of my EU fandom -- died when Leia admitted to herself that her son (her surviving son, that is) was gone. That means Denning did his job, and I realize that, and it probably means down the road that Jacen really isn't gone, and I suspect that, too. But it's all gotten to be too much. I'll take the happy ending of TUF, to be honest.
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Kidan Title: TFN EU Staff Registered: Jul '03	Date Posted: 8/29/07 8:02am Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: Inferno (Spoilers)
	My review is up on the main site here: http://www.theforce.net/books/reviews/r_inferno.asp I had to give it a 4.5/10 -----signature----- You sadistic Yank!! - McEwok http://www.TheExpandedUniverse.com Don't blame me, I voted for Ron Paul
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Queengodess Registered: Jul '00	Date Posted: 8/29/07 8:03am Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: Inferno (Spoilers)
	Just a short review - So far, this is the best of the LOTF series. I actually had problems putting the book down every now and then and that has not happened with a SW novel for a very, very long time. It's great to see the Jedi take some action - and to see Luke portayed as the Grand Master he is - and not just sit around and contemplate (and this from the Swedish girl who always considered Jedi to be little more than hypocritical butchers) their own platitudes. And it's wonderful to see people finally, FINALLY, starting to understand just how far Jacen has fallen. Go Tenel Ka! Go Luke! Go Han and Leia! Of course there were problems as well. Flow-walking? Okay, this is going too far. Tahiri being an idiot - where did this come from? And why the bloody hell does Luke and Ben just leave Jacen in the end? Not saying that they should have killed them, because I don't hold with that kind of stuff, but taking him prisoner? Gah. Looking forward to the next one... 7/10 -----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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jedimaster203 Registered: Dec '99	Date Posted: 8/29/07 8:34am Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: Inferno (Spoilers)
	9.8/10 Purely because of how hard Luke PWNT -----signature----- The next four years are gonna suck. -The lions in their dens tremble at his approach-
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EmperorsBlackBones Registered: Aug '07	Date Posted: 8/29/07 8:48am Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: Inferno (Spoilers)
	Luke holding Jacen into his chair with the force while he tells him off is by itself worthy of giving this book a 9.8! It's been a long time since I've read a Star Wars book this action-packed and exciting. I really got into the plot, and felt the emotions of the characters, like when Jacen is torturing Ben in the Embrace of Pain. And the introduction of the Sith on Korriban....wow. What kind of role could they play in the future of the series? All in all, Inferno has made me really excited about Fury and the rest of the series! 9.8/10 -----signature----- "And if I do end up collapsing the Jedi Order, remember one thing...you started it." -Zayne Carrick
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Rebelnuts2 Registered: Jul '03	Date Posted: 8/29/07 2:48pm Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: Inferno (Spoilers)
	9/10 for Inferno. Sacrifice now seems like the slow climb to the top of the rollercoaster and Inferno has hurtled us down it. Absolutely loved this book! Good to see Luke flexing his muscles and Tenel Ka not being anybody's fool; especially Jacen's. The book marches along at a dizzying pace and is action packed. I with hold top marks in anticipation of even better books to follow and a few quibbles: 1) Flow walking seems very in fashion. Yoda said through the Force they could see the future and the past - I didn't know this meant that they could go strolling around in it like a time traveller but is there any chance this flow walking is going to have some real relevance in the future? Like maybe Tahiri will flow walk back to Mara's murder and see who the real culprit is? 2) Not enough Jaina. Her parts felt a little bit tacked on - as if she is not integral to the story. Being Jacen's twin you would have thought there would have been more page time devoted to this. It seems that they had grown apart a long time before Legacy of the Force even began. Perhaps there is more to come. 3) Really missing a bit of Luke and Leia interaction. Guess this can't be helped whilst she's avoiding arrest 24/7. This has really whetted my apetite for Fury - can I wait for the UK release or will I have to order from the US again? I need to meditate on that - and then go and read Inferno again. -----signature----- It is you who are mistaken
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Havac Title: Lit Mod of War Registered: Sep '05	Date Posted: 8/29/07 6:11pm Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: Inferno (Spoilers)
	Average score: 100.6/12 = 8.38 -----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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Lord-DarthMerrick Registered: Jul '03	Date Posted: 8/29/07 6:47pm Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: Inferno (Spoilers)
	I give it 9/10 If only troy denning could write all the legacy books -----signature----- Those who live by the sword...live longer if they've had sword lessons. Loyalist to the legitimate government of Darth Caedus
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The2ndQuest Title: Manager: -Literature -LACWAC -Games Registered: Jan '00	Date Posted: 8/29/07 10:06pm Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: Inferno (Spoilers)
	I'll go with a 9.2. I really dug this one, and it's easily the best of the series so far, IMO. Denning's books always have abnormally fantastic pacing, which make them quick reads, but with all the action going on (and his excellent ability to portray incredibly intense and gritty duels/brawls), it's the appropriate approahc and a good change of pace from Sacrifice (whose first half was somewhat slowgoing but eventually coalesced into a fast-paced conlusion, so this feels like the proper continuation). Luke was incredible in the book- his "sit boy" scene with Jacen was the highlight (to quote Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back- "Don't **** with the Jedi Master."), and their duel was solid, but I can't get over the decision to not finish him off- I know it's necessary for the series, but it feels a bit artifical...however, with Luke seemingly pondering that very thing in the excerpt for the next book, I'm not going to hold it against this book quite as much as I would have otherwise. Only major critique (beyond flowalking qualms) would be that the Jaina/academy subplot really wasn't all that necessary, and I didn't actually realize Kam was killed until I saw it mentioned in this thread (I remember him being described has having taken a few hits, but it didn't seem fatal, especially compared to the more horrific nature of Tionne's injuries)- they really should have had something from is POV or something prior to that, or of Tionne afterwards (as she's now in the same place as Luke is, to a degree). -----signature----- "When your future self tells you to do something, YOU DO IT." K'Kruhk, 140 ABY:"Why haven't I come forth earlier to share my Jedi knowledge with Skywalker? Well, it's kinda a long story, see, I had this freaking sweet hat..."
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