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Topic:
The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: REVELATION (Spoilers)
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Coonsan
Registered:
Dec '03
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Date Posted:
2/29 11:06pm
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: REVELATION (Spoilers)
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A solid 9.
Enjoyed pretty much the whole book, Daala coming back was amazing, and well done I thought. I wasn't quite sure who he was talking about at first (my first thought was Ventress, but that didn't make any sense.) Then it dawned on me a few pages before she showed up that it was going to be Daala. Pellaeon rocked in this book and he had a decent ending (although I hate Tahiri for doing it.) My only real gripes with it were some minor mishandling of the Remnant. I can't really place a finger on specifics, but things just didn't seem to flow well with the Remnant part of the story *shrug* Only other thing was that Tahiri was just plain annoying through pretty much the whole book, and I don't think she really fits the Sith apprentice mold she is being shoe-horned into. But all-in-all, another great installment of the LotF series, eagerly awaiting the end.
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"History is on the move, Captain. Those who cannot keep up with it will be left behind, to watch from a distance. And those who stand in our way will not watch at all."-Grand Admiral Thrawn
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Havac
Title: Lit Mod of War Against the Aztecs
Registered:
Sep '05
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Date Posted:
2/29 11:23pm
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: REVELATION (Spoilers)
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Average score: 178.25/24 = 7.43
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Slaughter is the best medicine
Recipient of Thrawn McEwok's Sexually Ambiguous Tusken Raider™ and a Special Golden Ewok™
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DarkLordoftheBanthas
Registered:
Sep '06
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Date Posted:
2/29 11:47pm
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: REVELATION (Spoilers)
- Date Edited:
2/29 11:53pm (2 edits total)
Edited By:
DarkLordoftheBanthas
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I'll start off with a portion of my review of Bloodlines:
"To wrap things up, I have to repeat that this is the worst novel released since the expanded universe was started. Both parts of the story are critically flawed. I hope they release cliff's notes of this novel so future readers can get the major plot points without having to read through this garbage. Legacy of the Force started out on a high note with a story that had great potential. This novel kills it. "
I was so disappointed by Bloodlines that I created this account and posted to vent and warn people just how bad it was. I gave it a 1.5. Needless to say my expectations weren't high for the rest of Traviss' entries in the LOTF series.
However,Revelation is a large improvement over Bloodlines and Sacrafice and is a decent addition to the LOTF series.
The Positives:
Pretty much all of the storylines in this book were enjoyable. Shevu and Ben's investigation, Jacen's growing madness as a Sith, Niathal's misgivings, and the return of Pellaeon were all done well.
The battle of Fondor was one of the most well written battles in the series and I didn't want to stop reading until it was over.
The biggest positive to me was that Traviss (probably out of sheer plotline neccessity) finally tied in the Mandalorians to the main storyline. While it's not a strong tie, having Fett train Jaina at least made it seem like Traviss wasn't writing The Life and Times of Boba Fett (Featuring a Legacy of the Force Bonus Story!)
The Negatives
Jason goes from being unable to live without Allana in Fury to noting her as an accpetable loss? It doesn't make sense.
The timing of Mara's ghost is way too contrived. Why didn't she appear any of the other times Ben was investigating at Kevan. Furthermore she appeared to Luke in the Transitory Mists. If she could appear offworld why didn't she point Jason out to either of them sooner?
While I'm glad he returend, Pellaeon was written a bit out of character. He seemed more like an arrogant old man than a confident, experienced tactician.
Overall this book was Traviss' strongest entry in the series. On the whole it's a flawed, but ultimately enjoyable read. 7.0/10
Also, the series as a whole has been interesting thus far but has serious flaws. The main thing that hurts the series is that Jason has yet to prove himself a credible threat. He can't win the big battles. He lost to Luke at Kashykk and Luke had to stop Ben from killing him. Furthermore he only got away because with outside help. He lost at Fondor and was only spared being killed because Fett wanted it to be Jaina who killed him. Palpatine not only managed to setup a long term plan behind the scenes, turn the most powerful Jedi against the order, but he also won (his fight against Yoda) when it counted. Sure Jason kills his fair share of Jedi and burns planents and cities, but the way he's been written thus far, it never seems like he's in a position to be successful. The second major flaw is the whole Mandalorian storyline. My criticism of the Mandalorian storyline was criticized because people felt it was too early to judge how it would play out. Well the whole storyline only became relvant in the 8th book and I believe it's now apparent that the prior parts of the Mandalorian storyline could have been condensed into 4-6 chapters in the prior seven books rather than taking up significant portions of Bloodlines and Sacrafice. I can't imagine this sereis rating more than a 6/10 as a whole unless Invincible is spectacular.
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Havac
Title: Lit Mod of War Against the Aztecs
Registered:
Sep '05
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Date Posted:
2/29 11:57pm
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: REVELATION (Spoilers)
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Average score: 185.25/25 = 7.41
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Slaughter is the best medicine
Recipient of Thrawn McEwok's Sexually Ambiguous Tusken Raider™ and a Special Golden Ewok™
"Reality doesn't care if you believe it." - Boba Fett
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EwokStromboli
Registered:
Aug '04
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Date Posted:
3/1 6:30am
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: REVELATION (Spoilers)
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Some decent action pieces, but the book is ultimately pretty much a mess, done in by some bad pacing.
4.6 out of 10 (and that seems generous in my estimation)
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xx_Anakin_xx
Registered:
Jan '08
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Date Posted:
3/1 7:37am
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: REVELATION (Spoilers)
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I never did give my rating. .06/10 would be the best I could do. I've already reviewed, but I agree with most of what others have found lacking in the books (Jedi - Sith) and the over-inclusion of the Mandos. The "My name is Darth Caedus and I'm a Sith" bits made me cringe. But the author had no choice but to do this because she and the other authors have done an absolutely miserable job trying to show that Jacen actually is a full fledged Sith - the only thing that could be done was to have Jacen, the Jedi and hilariously, the non-force sensitives proclaiming that he is most certainly a Sith to convince us.
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"Only a Sith deals in absolutes. I'll do what I must"
"You will try"
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Havac
Title: Lit Mod of War Against the Aztecs
Registered:
Sep '05
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Date Posted:
3/1 2:41pm
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: REVELATION (Spoilers)
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Average score: 189.91/27 = 7.03
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Slaughter is the best medicine
Recipient of Thrawn McEwok's Sexually Ambiguous Tusken Raider™ and a Special Golden Ewok™
"Reality doesn't care if you believe it." - Boba Fett
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Scruffy_Scoundrel
Registered:
May '03
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Date Posted:
3/1 4:58pm
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: REVELATION (Spoilers)
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6/10
Good
--Luke & Ben
--The Empire. The fallout of The Battle of Fondor 2 could set up the beginnings of the Fel Empire, which I'm really looking forward to.
--Battle of Fondor 2
--Jaina & the Mandalorian Ex-Jedi guy (i'm terrible with names)
Bad
--Mandalorians. Too much time is taken up with these guys. They're overpowered and boring at times. Their entire plot could have been used as a secondary role in one novel IMO. I liked them better as mysterious mercenaries for hire and could handle their own against Vong.
--Daala. She comes out of nowhere to help win a major battle?
--A cop outsmarting a Sith Lord.
--Tahiri used as a Sith apprentice. Couldn't a new character have been developed from the start of the series to fill this role?
Ugly
--Jacen being allowed to live by a couple of Mandos. Come on.
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iamobiwan1970
Registered:
Aug '05
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Date Posted:
3/1 6:10pm
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: REVELATION (Spoilers)
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I wavered on the number to score this latest addition to LOTF. The part of me who really enjoys Traviss' ability to get to the heart of the characters, to see their POV really liked the book. Traviss does a great job of showing a bigger galaxy, sure she focuses on Mando's, but through them and others like Shevu (a character I really really like) we see what the "normal" beings are like. So that was good.
Other "good" parts: clearing up that Mirta was not only too old for Ben (I'm so sick of that kid getting "shipped, but that she got married......the Jedi illusion to trick Jacen!!  Jaina and Mirta striking up a true friendship. And anything with Pellaeon.
Then there were so many "mixed" things:
Ben being too old. Why would Luke ask Ben to coordinate the Jedi pull out from Endor? You mean he couldn't have just asked Jag to do it and Ben to assist?
Caedus' mixed abilities, at one time able to drop a planet's shields, but later unable to sense deceit in Shevu? (I understand the exhaustion thing, but really)
Caedus and Tahiri (oh have a romantic fling! Maybe that might make you semi-interesting)
Daala...I've mixed feelings for her.
This was the first LOTF book I didn't read in one sitting. I just didn't feel the urgency. I knew there would be no surprises.
Traviss did create a setting that was easy to picture in my mind, from Beviin's farm to the Fondor battle to Tahiri's rescue. That and her strong characterizations are her best skill.
So, yes. I liked it, but not as much as Bloodlines. 7 out of 10.
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Qonas
Title: Co-Chapter Rep
& Book Club Leader of Detroit
Registered:
Feb '03
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Date Posted:
3/1 6:52pm
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: REVELATION (Spoilers)
- Date Edited:
3/1 6:53pm (2 edits total)
Edited By:
Qonas
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My thoughts on this novel have been posted in the discussion thread. I found it to be easily the worst novel Karen Traviss has ever written, and by far the worst novel since the ending of the NJO.
Not to say that I didn't like some things. The way she handled Ben and his arc was very well-done. I enjoyed seeing how he has matured from the petulant unappreciative teen he was in the beginning of Legacy. The political relationship between Pellaeon and the Remnant Moffs seemed dead-on as well.
But there were far too many errors and things wrong with this book. Continuity issues, Daala issues, socio-political commentary issues, Tahiri issues, anti-Jedi issues...it was just a big giant mess. For as staunchly as I've defended Traviss in the past from what I saw as baseless accusations (blatant anti-Jedism), everything negative said about her came to fruition in this novel. I can only hope in the future she returns to how well she can write. The Republic Commando series has been fantastic, and her other two entries into the Legacy arc have been good as well. Revelation, however? 1 1/2 out of 10
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The NJO is the Worst Thing to Ever Happen to the EU
"A really great people, proud and high-spirited, would face all the disasters of war rather than purchase that base prosperity which is bought at the price of national honor." - Theodore Roosevelt
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Havac
Title: Lit Mod of War Against the Aztecs
Registered:
Sep '05
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Date Posted:
3/1 6:55pm
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: REVELATION (Spoilers)
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Average score: 204.41/30 = 6.81
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Slaughter is the best medicine
Recipient of Thrawn McEwok's Sexually Ambiguous Tusken Raider™ and a Special Golden Ewok™
"Reality doesn't care if you believe it." - Boba Fett
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LucasBuiltMeHotRod
Registered:
Aug '02
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Date Posted:
3/1 10:13pm
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: REVELATION (Spoilers)
- Date Edited:
3/1 10:31pm (2 edits total)
Edited By:
Havac
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I finished the book this morning and man do I feel cheated!
The good...
-Pallaeon's death, while a bit too anti-climatic in my opinion, was well done.
-The return of Admiral Daala was a move I never saw coming! Niiice!
-Ben's investigation was kinda cool, especially with Mara's spirit.
-The space battle, while yet ANOTHER SPACE BATTLE, was fun and intense
The bad...
-Too much Niathal! Her presence made the majority of the book feel like a set up for the big action...that never really paid off....yes I know the Fodorian space battle got crazy, especially when Niathal and Caedus went at it, but at that point I sludged through so much pseudo-political pants that I totally lost interest....
-Jaina's training...I was very excited about this at the end of Fury, especially knowing that Traviss is the go to author for Boba Fett. But it seemed like her training consisted of getting punched in the gut and how to fight like you dont know how to fight. Weak!!!
-The mandalorians...okay okay, I know they are Traviss' bread and butter, but the mando-speak was just annoying!!! Totally thrown in their for the sake of the author's time and efforts not to be wasted.
-Boba Fett has been totally ruined in my opinion. He was my favorite since ESB and through the Bantam years/early DH comics, etc. But now he's basically a grumpy leader of a backwoods right wing militia group. And WE ARE READING ABOUT HIS MARITAL PROBLEMS?!?!?! Worst. Move. Ever!
-Tahiri...I dont understand all the praise her character has been receiving in this thread...I thought she came off like cardboard!!!
There are lots of other things about this book that bothered me that I dont feel like listing. Its all been said already.
But on a final note, it really bums me out that this is book 8 of a 9 book series....I feel like we should have been at this moment halfway through the series and left the last 4 for a more personal story, hence ROTS. Denning is awesome though and based on Inferno I totally have faith in him to pull it off.....and HALLELUJAH for this being Traviss' last LOTF book. May she stick with her video game books and say the hell out of the mainstream story line forever!!!
PUT ME DOWN FOR A SEVERELY DISAPPOINTED 2 OUT OF 10
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LBMH
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Havac
Title: Lit Mod of War Against the Aztecs
Registered:
Sep '05
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Date Posted:
3/1 10:32pm
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: REVELATION (Spoilers)
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Average score: 206.41/31 = 6.66
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Slaughter is the best medicine
Recipient of Thrawn McEwok's Sexually Ambiguous Tusken Raider™ and a Special Golden Ewok™
"Reality doesn't care if you believe it." - Boba Fett
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PadmeA_Panties
Registered:
Oct '03
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Date Posted:
3/1 10:38pm
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: REVELATION (Spoilers)
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Havac posted:
Average score: 206.41/31 = 6.66
I've yet to pick up the book - and haven't read any posts in this thread (or any other with Revelation spoilers) other than Havac's updated ratings... but the ratings just keep plummeting.
...not filling me up with a lot of hope.
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Havac
Title: Lit Mod of War Against the Aztecs
Registered:
Sep '05
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Date Posted:
3/1 10:45pm
Subject:
RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: REVELATION (Spoilers)
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Well, mathematically speaking, that's what happens. The average score range runs from about six to ten. So early scores in that range will create an average in that range. However, even just a small handful of people giving it abysmal scores can, early in the rating process, drag the overall score down, because a one is always further from the average than a ten. It doesn't necessarily reflect overall sour opinion -- just that some people are decidedly sour about it. Probably as many people have given it very good scores as have given it horrible scores. It's just that since the average is already on the higher half of the one-to-ten range, even a perfect split between one and nine ratings will bring the average down. That doesn't mean that the book is therefore better than the score suggests -- really, the score doesn't suggest anything. It's just a number. It's up to the reader to figure out if they like it or not, which is why reading the reviews and the viewpoints and the issues raised will always tell you more than a raw number. And even that is no substitute for reading it yourself.
The score just gives me something to do. 
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Slaughter is the best medicine
Recipient of Thrawn McEwok's Sexually Ambiguous Tusken Raider™ and a Special Golden Ewok™
"Reality doesn't care if you believe it." - Boba Fett
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