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Author	Topic: The JC Lit Reviews Special: CORUSCANT NIGHTS I: JEDI TWILIGHT (Spoilers)
Havac Title: Lit Mod of War Registered: Sep '05	Date Posted: 6/25/08 6:54pm Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: CORUSCANT NIGHTS I: JEDI TWILIGHT (Spoilers) - Date Edited: 7/8/08 5:48pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Havac
	The start to the new Coruscant Nights trilogy, Jedi Twilight promises to be an exciting Dark Times read! Some rules: rate Jedi Twilight 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 for it. 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 Legacy of the Force: Inferno, by Troy Denning Death Star, by Michael Reaves and Steven Perry Republic Commando: True Colors, by Karen Traviss Legacy of the Force: Fury, by Aaron Allston Darth Bane: Rule of Two, by Drew Karpyshyn Legacy of the Force: Revelation, by Karen Traviss Legacy of the Force: Invincible, by Troy Denning -----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_Monopoly Registered: Jun '06	Date Posted: 6/26/08 8:09am Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: CORUSCANT NIGHTS I: JEDI TWILIGHT (Spoilers)
	I'm going to give this a 10/10. If you even have a minor interest in Star Wars, do yourself a favor and read this book. Believe me, its worth it. First off, I'm going to give my minor gripes, which aren't enough to detract from my score. -The use of the phrase "private investigator" on the back cover is misleading, because this is found nowhere in the book, instead, Jax is a bounty hunter. Maybe later in the series, though.... -The Yevetha. While I can believe that one or two might leave home over the course of the years, I find it hard to believe that Nick, someone who's only been off his planet for a few years, recognized one immediately. And then, the good: -The whole book. -The cast of characters is excellent, from Nick Rostu, Den Dhur, and I-5; to the Jedi Jax and Laranth; and even Kaird and Xizor; they were all portrayed excellently. -The suspense was very well done. -Many, many other things that you will have to read the book to find out. I know I'm going to read it again. The ugly, just for fun: -I'd have to say Nick's new injury coupled with his old. He's going to have a nice looking scar now. In closing, if you read Darth Maul or Medstar and even halfway enjoyed them, read this now. In fact, read this now no matter what. Its that good. -----signature----- Everything I tell you is a lie.
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AdmirableAckbar Registered: Jan '08	Date Posted: 6/26/08 9:30am Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: CORUSCANT NIGHTS I: JEDI TWILIGHT (Spoilers) - Date Edited: 6/26/08 9:32am (1 edits total) Edited By: AdmirableAckbar
	I'd give this 8.5 out of ten. The plot is excellent, the characters are interesting, there's a few bits of humour, and it all comes together nicely at the end. There were a few downsides, though just little thing. Per the above poster, the appearance of a Yevetha kinda irked me, as well as casual mentions of rancors and Noghri. Not a big deal, but still... I also found that Lorn is infinitely more likable than Jax, and, overall, I think Shadow Hunter was more enjoyable. Too, the lack of private investigation was disappointing, because I was looking forward to the private investigator angle. Oh, and Stinger's continuity just got even more messed up. Overall, this was an excellent novel. Nice to see Even Piell doing something for the first time since Malastere, and one can never have enough Xizor. EDIT: on, and it had Ganks. Ganks!
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T-boy-wan Registered: Jun '06	Date Posted: 6/26/08 12:42pm Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: CORUSCANT NIGHTS I: JEDI TWILIGHT (Spoilers)
	10/10 excellent. I was just so glad I was reading about a group of non-film characters and wish we could have a group of interesting characters like this in the NJO era. Anyway I love Reaves's style and his characters are quite down to Earth and believable. the story is fast paced and there's a lot of mystery in the air-I will deffo have to get the next one! Also loved the use of characters like Xizor, Nick Rostu and Even Piell-all characters we haven't seen too much of. Looks like Typho will be in the next one and I hope the same happens with hims and perhaps some more lesser developed characters. I was a bit iffy with the Yevetha issue too, but then I'm quite unfamliar with them as I've only just started Shield of Lies (about 3 years after I read Before the Storm) After the train wreck that was LOTF, I'm glad we can still get quality like this for the EU.
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Jedimarine Registered: Feb '01	Date Posted: 6/26/08 1:56pm Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: CORUSCANT NIGHTS I: JEDI TWILIGHT (Spoilers)
	What about Coruscant? Does it actually play a part in the fabric of the story...or is it just "where". Is it inventive...do they stick with traditional landmarks, characteristics for the world? This was my primary excitement about this series...and so far I've heard nothing on this area. Does Coruscant shine in this book? -----signature----- So Devaronian females are suppose to have thick fur, eh? Has anyone seen one outside an essential guide? ... When even the creative teams refuse to make fuzzy Devaronians...it should be a clue, folks. Thus endeth the lesson.
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Charlii Registered: May '05	Date Posted: 6/26/08 2:58pm Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: CORUSCANT NIGHTS I: JEDI TWILIGHT (Spoilers)
	Well, Reaves & Perry always deliver, regardless if the co-operate or go solo. I love these little bands of heroes that they create for us. Believable characters with lots of different insights into life and the situations they're put through. Some descriptions felt a bit off, such as the much-debated Yevetha issue and also the that the city was repeatedly described as having buildings hundreds of meters high instead of kilometers. This might have more to to with the fact that the author seems to have forgotten how the metric system works altogether, for a human male 1.50m is slightly below average? (or whatever the exact quote was) That's short, nothing else! Anyway, the storytelling is superb, and I'm really looking forward to the next part! 9/10
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Fettster Registered: May '03	Date Posted: 6/26/08 3:10pm Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: CORUSCANT NIGHTS I: JEDI TWILIGHT (Spoilers)
	Jedimarine posted: What about Coruscant? Does it actually play a part in the fabric of the story...or is it just "where". Is it inventive...do they stick with traditional landmarks, characteristics for the world? This was my primary excitement about this series...and so far I've heard nothing on this area. Does Coruscant shine in this book? I've only read the first few chapters, and it seems Reaves has thus far chosen to stick with the underworld he explored in Shadow Hunter.
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Master_Keralys Title: Manager Emeritus Registered: Oct '03	Date Posted: 6/26/08 3:14pm Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: CORUSCANT NIGHTS I: JEDI TWILIGHT (Spoilers)
	Please take discussion to the discussion thread - if you have questions, ask them there. Keep this for the reviews, and uncluttered, please. -----signature----- God made man. Man rejected God. God became the man Jesus Christ, died and rose again to life, saving man from himself. The craziest story ever told. The truest.
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TIEPilot051999 Registered: Mar '02	Date Posted: 6/26/08 4:21pm Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: CORUSCANT NIGHTS I: JEDI TWILIGHT (Spoilers)
	Finished reading the book on Tuesday, and found it to be the first Star Wars book I've read since Unifying Force (way back in 2003) that I can honestly say I enjoyed. Good cast, strong plot and plenty of enjoyable moments (my particularly favorite bit was was the scene between Xizor and the other two BS guys near the start where the bird guy, I forgot his name, figuratively...well, you know.) That said, I have to give it only a 9/10, and knock it down a point for providing (even more) evidence that LucasBooks stance on canon is slipping, for providing a background character in the form of a Yevetha, a full generation or so before their species was ever encountered. -----signature----- Devi is my Padme Angel All Hail Megatron! The Tenth Doctor In Sleepy Tower - Third Place Winner
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Havac Title: Lit Mod of War Registered: Sep '05	Date Posted: 6/27/08 10:25pm Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: CORUSCANT NIGHTS I: JEDI TWILIGHT (Spoilers)
	Great, fun book. I really enjoy Reaves's writing, and I'm convinced he's better on his own than with Perry. While I was let down by some of my hopes -- it wasn't that noirish, Jax wasn't a PI, and in fact was kind of an ass and not a character I really got into -- for what it was, the book was excellent. Nick wasn't as fun as he was in Shatterpoint, but he was still great. I-Five was an absolute riot. Den went in interesting directions. The Jedi Paladin was totally random, but such an awesome idea that I've so longed to see (a Jedi who uses only guns, and damn well). The Elomin was a little one-note, but worth it for the portrayal of the sheer gut-wrenching terror that is working for a Sith Lord, and seems like he's going interesting places. Kaird was kind of random in MedStar, but he really fit in here, and I like the building Black Sun intrigue plotline involving Xizor. I hope to see that continue. And Vader was . . . awesome. Inside his head in Death Star was disappointing, but the POVs of others around him in that book were fantastic reflections of his utter fantastic uberness. That carries over here, with the POVs showing Vader's complete badassery but no POVs of him himself to break the spell. The plot moves briskly, even if the MacGuffin is kind of silly. What I really love is that this book is tying together the PT and building a secondary cast. The PT, unlike the OT and post-OT eras, lacks a supporting cast. It's the major film stars, a handful of Jedi, and no other supporting cast. And Jedi don't count as supporting cast because dammit, Star Wars isn't just about Jedi. I want my Han and Lando. However, the PT hasn't developed such a thing, mostly because Reaves and Luceno are the only authors to have written novels in it twice. Luceno doesn't really build casts -- he uses what he already has -- and Reaves has built a recurring cast of second-string characters who have absolutely nothing to do with the mains. In this book, Reaves brings in cross-creator characters and is weaving a genuine supporting cast together. They're not quite supporting anyone else yet, but they're tying things together and creating a prominent pool of characters to tap. I approve. The main drawback was continuity. Casual drops of Yevetha and Noghri are silly, and anachronisms like the Lancer-class frigate show up oddly. It's truly strange. However, that only minorly impacts the overall story, which is really shaping up. I can't wait for the next installment. 9.2/10 -----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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Havac Title: Lit Mod of War Registered: Sep '05	Date Posted: 6/27/08 10:27pm Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: CORUSCANT NIGHTS I: JEDI TWILIGHT (Spoilers)
	Average score: 55.7/6 = 9.28 -----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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Fettster Registered: May '03	Date Posted: 6/28/08 6:26am Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: CORUSCANT NIGHTS I: JEDI TWILIGHT (Spoilers)
	10/10, and glady. Can't wait for the next one.
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GrandAdmiralJello Title: Emperor • EUC • JCC Registered: Nov '00	Date Posted: 6/28/08 3:21pm Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: CORUSCANT NIGHTS I: JEDI TWILIGHT (Spoilers) - Date Edited: 6/28/08 3:57pm (1 edits total) Edited By: GrandAdmiralJello
	10/10, with the caveat that a score of ten indicates a excellent Star Wars novel and not a perfect work of literature. I'll just copy paste from the discussion thread, since my post was sort of a review there anyway: 'Just finished. I loved it--the prose was clear and sweet, and the book as a whole was well-written. My biggest problem with it was the "translation" of real world sayings into SWsified ones, but I didn't mind other terrestrial things like cloudcutters for skyscrapers. I found the notion of epic poetry being written about Jedi heroes of the TOTJ period to be fascinating, and I enjoyed the classicization of the Temple--what with tesselated floors and all that. I liked the Black Sun scenes, surprisingly, and the glimpses of Coruscant high society through the lens of the lower levels was fascinating. I also enjoyed the Imperial background--the references to the Palace and Imperialization were nice. The Empire just makes anything in Star Wars far more flavorful. Vader was wonderful. Reaves has him perfectly--he's no clunking brute, but a delicately nuanced mastermind who plays with wheels within wheels. I enjoyed how he was described as "unfailingly polite" and that his voice was "silken yet menacing," "velvety baritone," or "cultured as always." Seeing him use "if you please" was great--Reaves rightly captures the elegant enunciation Vader uses in ESB, which was always his best portrayal ' Ultimately, it's exactly what I'd wanted with EU--take the grander sweep of a familiar area but fill in the gaps with other stories with all that familiar background. Vader's role was perfect--he was the main antagonist but did not dominate the story at all. Familiar characters are fine when they're used like that. This is the same model that X-wing and MedStar used, and I think it's the most successful in the EU. -----signature----- SPQR Vates Jυλιαδις Moribus antiquis res stat Romana virisque - Ennius Tu regere imperio populos, Romanæ, memento; hæ tibi erunt artes; pascisque imponere morem, parcere subjectis et debellare superbos - Virgil
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PadmeA_Panties Registered: Oct '03	Date Posted: 6/29/08 10:45am Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: CORUSCANT NIGHTS I: JEDI TWILIGHT (Spoilers)
	Finished it just the other day while at the beach. In total; I would give it a 8... naw, an 8.5/10. Its a decent novel. Fast-paced and probably the quickest of any Bantam/Del Rey SW novel I've read. Interesting note: The paladin Jedi; only uses blasters. That would be akin to a Paladin (in fantasy lore) only using bows. Minor gripes: * Yevetha * Piell just being a plotpoint * Nick Rostu basically just being a plotpoint (hoping Streets of Shadow changes that) * Jedi Paladin group - Just HOW MANY JEDI survived Order 66? And how many off-shoot "not strict Jedi but are still Jedi" are going to survive since they decided to back-out of the Clone Wars at the last moment * Why aren't the Jedi the concern of Vader anymore? They would seem to me that they should still be due to his anger if nothing more, and that being the basis of his character to a degree (as Vader) * Every new Jedi introduced as some key-tie-in to Anakin/Vader * Rhinan - interesting character, thrown away basically by the end. I would have liked to have seen him only doing that post-book 1 (middle of book 2/end of book 2) * Coruscant... being well; quasi-Coruscanti but not 100% Coruscanti ----- I know Reaves/Luceno/Perry know Coruscant better than anyone else; but for some reason, and I think its mainly due to the title, Coruscant here just didn't mesh quite well with me. Overall gripe of this timeframe: * No slow gradual move from Palpatine to Emperor Palpatine * No Slow gradual move from Republic to Empire. He declares it. Boom, everything changes. * No slow gradual change of Anakin as Lord Vader to Lord Vader as Darth Vader in a suit. Like one of the reviewers up above said; Vader plotting wheels within wheels is how he should be..... why? Anakin in the PT seems unable to do much plotting stuff. He was all action, action, action, very little thinking - that was one of the many weaknesses of his. But instantly when he becomes Vader, he becomes a plotting character ala Palpatine, Xizor, or Fey'la. .....just my opinions. -----signature----- Come visit my MiniCity: <a href=http://rypcordia.myminicity.com/> Rypcordia</a>
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PadmeA_Panties Registered: Oct '03	Date Posted: 6/29/08 10:49am Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: CORUSCANT NIGHTS I: JEDI TWILIGHT (Spoilers)
	One last minor grip: sucrease - nearly every character is sucrease every other page! -----signature----- Come visit my MiniCity: <a href=http://rypcordia.myminicity.com/> Rypcordia</a>
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Jedi Ben Registered: Jul '99	Date Posted: 6/29/08 1:06pm Subject: RE: The JC Lit Reviews Special: CORUSCANT NIGHTS I: JEDI TWILIGHT (Spoilers)
	PadmeA_Panties posted: Overall gripe of this timeframe: * No slow gradual move from Palpatine to Emperor Palpatine * No Slow gradual move from Republic to Empire. He declares it. Boom, everything changes. * No slow gradual change of Anakin as Lord Vader to Lord Vader as Darth Vader in a suit. Like one of the reviewers up above said; Vader plotting wheels within wheels is how he should be..... why? Anakin in the PT seems unable to do much plotting stuff. He was all action, action, action, very little thinking - that was one of the many weaknesses of his. But instantly when he becomes Vader, he becomes a plotting character ala Palpatine, Xizor, or Fey'la. .....just my opinions. 2 suggestions that may help your difficulties: - Vader is indeed different to Anakin and this is how that difference is most clearly expressed. - The Emperor already had the blocks of Empire in place, all that was missing was the name. This was the other puropse of the Clone Wars: To induct the galaxy into an Imperial mindset. Now onto the book itself.... Read this today, like all of Reaves' work it's a fast paced action story that is highly entertaining. It's also an excellent example of how immense darkness can sit alongside highly active, likeable and engaging heroes that are set in opposition to it no matter how low their chances. The various linkages to other pieces and eras of the EU was well-done too and quite seamlessly, they just appeared as part of the plot. Vader was a complete bastard in this, but an elegant one. It's notable that Vader tends to be polite only insofar as those around him defer completely to his lead. So, all in all? It's a solid 9. -----signature----- Excellence: "You are the forum's Quick Ben." SW EU fans: John Ostrander needs your help! http://www.comix4sight.com
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