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Manisphere Registered: Aug '07	Date Posted: 3/31 4:38pm Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers)
	I wanted to write something good and lengthy or detailed about how I felt about Outcast. I was really looking forward to it. Even more than LSatSOM! I will say that elements of this series is reminding me of Harry Potter and the Order of The Phoenix and Daala it's Professor Umbridge. But instead of the Order of the Pheonix we have, Darkmeld. This portion of the book, the Jedi madness/Jailbreak-in portion was fun. Jaina and Jagg aren't overly interesting on their own but it was fun. Ben and Luke's adventure with the Baran Do Sages was a nice little story. I love Ben and Luke together. Clearly the best part of this book was this plot but there was so little of it. I understand. They're pacing themselves. With these books all being hardcover, there will be no time for filler! And now the filler. The Han/Lando/Kessel/Leia plot bored me to tears. To bloody tears. I don't know if it's EU burnout or what but I wasn't really feeling Outcast. This plot pulled me out a book I was mildly enjoying otherwise. Even the Rogue Squadron appearance wasn't inspired, quirky or particularly funny. (And that's really strange for an Allston book) I'd like to go on and I'm sure I will in the discussion thread, but really, this wasn't close to Allston's best. That's fine. Was it a good start to the FOTJ? It was a start. It was no page turner, it was no Vector Prime or Betrayal but it was a...start. Honestly, I really wanted to love it as a whole. As it is... 7.0 -----signature----- "Head of State, a Sith is just a Jedi who's gone off his meds."-Natasi Daala
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Havac Title: Lit Mod of War Registered: Sep '05	Date Posted: 3/31 10:07pm Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers)
	Average score: 205.3/25 = 8.21 -----signature----- "Is there a captain's hat involved in this?"
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Robimus Registered: Jul '07	Date Posted: 3/31 10:27pm Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers) - Date Edited: 3/31 10:31pm (4 edits total) Edited By: Robimus
	This was a fun read overall. I enjoyed the Luke and Ben sections the most, thought they really carried the story in a strong way. Dorin was really cool, as were the Baran Do Sages and their little Wizard of Oz tricks. Luke's exile wasn't handled nearly as cleanly, but I guess its what they had to do to get Luke out of the picture for a bit. I still think the better angle would have been Daala going after Ben for his actons in the GAG, but Luke it is. Han, Leia, Lando, Tendra, Allana, C-3PO and R2-D2's part in the story was hard to swallow and a little contrived. Obviously Allana's voice from space will tie into the rest of the series but other than that the whole Kessel plot seemed like filler to me. And of course the Solo's idea of what parenting is hasn't improved that much in my eyes...it may have even gotten worse. Though I did like the suspence Allston built with the spider on the Falcon, only to have the spider prove impotent. The ending of the Kessle arc was easily the highlight, with Han allowing the spider to live. Other than that it was blah........... Jag and the Empire had a great little opening in this book, very ROTJ'ish, but it didn't go far from there. I was actually upset at Jag in the first chapter for not correcting Jaina when she called the Empire "The Remnant", but that was corrected a couple times later allowing me that Jag was just allowing her to get away with one freebie I would have liked a little more Imperial Development in this book. We got lots of the pretty boy, Jag Fel. We got a mention of a spy named Gerhold Razzik, but little else. How cool would it have been if instead of having Maarek Stele appear as a retired pilot at Kessel, he appeared as an Admiral in command of the Gilad Pellaeon? Allston uses the mass of characters very well. It was nice to see Telki again specifically for me. That said the Jedi Madness is a little weak and Seff Hellin and the Mandalorians seems to be in complete re-write mode in this one. Seff is now a madman, whe he clearly wasn't in Millennium Falcon. Armand Isard Correctional Facility and Grand Master Whango Mittphool and Sparky were great little additions as well. Though I thought it lacked emotion, Outcast was overall a fun read really carried by Luke's journey with Ben. 6.5/10 -----signature----- I am forever seeking the damutek of Hooley Krekk Oh, woe! Oh, misery! Oh, unhappiness. Hooley Krekk where are you? . http://www.cccomiccon.com http://www.actionfigurenews.ca
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Nobody145 Registered: Feb '07	Date Posted: 3/31 10:43pm Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers)
	Hm... how to score it... well, the book was written fine, though maybe I'm just a bit tired of reading Allston books, considering he wrote a third of LotF (although he probably wrote the best third of LotF). The Kessel scenes weren't that interesting, although I understand with the ancient tech, spooky voices, the Maw, and Centerpoint's destruction, it'll probably all be relevant sometime in the next three books. Or in the next Allston book. Its hard to really grade the book as we don't know how well it'll mesh with the rest of the series, style and continuity wise. At least some things changed already between the Millennium Falcon book and Outcast, as MF ended with one thing, and Outcast didn't seem to acknowledge it. And I thought Mandalorians would appear- not that I miss them, hated them after LotF, but instead of Mando commandos here to counter the Jedi, they've instead got some trigger-happy bounty hunters as the main lackeys. Oh well, guess we'll see in future books whether the plot changed between MF and now, or if other authors will remember them. I'll start with the bad, since that stood out more in my mind. Bad- Well, Daala as Chief of State sums up my biggest complaint about FotJ so far. Not bad enough that she was Chief, with little to no explanation how she got the position, and now that we know the Confederation is still around, I wonder whatever happened to Senate election or something like that. What really galls me is how they seem to be literally rewriting Daala's character, since last I checked, she worshiped Tarkin, and adored his "rule by fear" doctrine, even after she left the Maw, and now... she gets to threaten Kyp Durron over old crimes while in the same trilogy she was out causing havoc? And Luke counters by bringing up shame she felt after finding out about Tarkin? What shame?! Not sure if its an error, or they're just rewriting history- considering how much else they got from the JAT (Lando owning Kessel, the Maw, Kyp blowing up several stars), something like that seems too blatant to just be a mistake, especially given how in the recent Death Star novel she visited Tarkin and was the same old evil Daala. Although Imperials seem to be back in charge anyway, without a big war, since the major heads of state in this book are all Imperials, and funny enough, the actual Imperial Remnant leader is the nicest of the bunch. Jag's still ok, loosening up more, but just not interested in his and Jaina's continuing romance now that its been about 20 years since they met? The Unification summit was nice to see that at least the galaxy hasn't started killing itself again yet, but it also reminds me of how incomplete LotF's ending was. And the Jedi insanity seems to be spreading now. Interesting Valin POV, starting normal than shifting to crazy paranoid person. Its not really interesting, since the infected just go insane and start attacking everyone they view as a threat (which is everyone else), and its definitely not just Valin going crazy on his own considering Seff instantly recognized Valin as the same as him. And I'm mostly sure I won't like how it'll probably lead to a retcon of Jacen's fall from just manipulated by Lumiya to being mystically corrupted by whatever Luke will eventually find. Seff also became more boring though, since now he's just the same as Valin. And with both of them using Force tricks that only Jacen showed before... this isn't going to end well. Might just be me, but saw some elements from older Allston novels too- the crazy Jedi reminded me of the brainwashed aliens from Solo Command, one moment rational, the next crazy. And the Darkmeld group was ok, even if it just struck me as another incarnation of the Insiders, with how old Rebellion veterans being the only trustworthy people (or at least most dependable). Although glad to see more Jedi Knights other than just Jaina too, that was always a strongpoint of Allston books. And I guess I'm just sad that Luke allowed himself to be kicked off Coruscant for the sake of the Jedi Order, even if it was for a ridiculous charge. The Kuat desertion was almost logical, but blaming Luke for Jacen's fall primarily? And I'm mostly sure it was specifically said that only Luke was arrested on that ridiculous charge, so its probably just a power play for control of the order. While the rest of the GA was cheering Jacen on for a good deal of his career, or at least the early parts? I can see Luke sacrificing himself for the Order, just liking the galaxy of this era less and less with each book. The good- Well, Luke and Ben's time was nice, and also nice to dig up Mara's old ship, even if Mara's long gone. Nice to see another new Force sect, it seems like its been a long, long time since another one was introduced. Although the entire Luke and Ben at Dorin plot struck me as just the first part of possibly a long "get to place a, fix local situation, get one clue, move to place b, repeat". Just hope it'll be more interesting than the Zonoma Sekot and Millennium Falcon clue hunts were. Although nice to see a place where the populace isn't almost ready to lynch the Jedi. Nice to see Lando, any Lando appearance is a plus, especially Lando and his family. Kenth seems ok so far, acting agreeable, but not bowing to the GA's will. Nice to see at least some non-Jedi or non-Rebellion veteran people were sympathetic to the Jedi, or at least intelligent enough to regret being part of the mess. Although notably that respectful police officer was replaced, since he probably wasn't thuggish enough for Daala. Also nice to see that the Jedi are absolutely behind Luke, at least they appreciate a galactic hero. The Council seems to be focused, although so far they haven't really reached a controversial issue yet, so I'm hoping the Masters are mature enough not to end up arguing with each forever in the future. The ending was pretty upbeat... I've probably just read too much to expect it to last for more than half the next book, if not shorter, given the number of books in this series. I hope I'm remembering everything somewhat accurately, although a good deal of it is just opinion. Although I also know I probably like the book less than most people. Not as strong a start to a series as Betrayal was (although Jacen officially going evil is hard to match), though all my grumbling aside, I honestly do hope FotJ turns out better than LotF did. Perhaps a slower start will mean the plot won't seem so stretched out this time. A 6/10. -----signature----- Don't mind me, I'm nobody important.
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QueenMother_LK Registered: Feb '09	Date Posted: 4/1 10:40am Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers)
	I have to say, I was loving this book from start to finish. Overall, it sort of slowed down in the middle, and the ending wasn't super climactic, but I felt this book as a start to the series was heads and feet better than Betrayal. Betrayal moved very slow, and I get the feeling that Allston liked writing about the events/characters in this book more, (ihmo). So there were many things to love: The first 5 pages: As an avid Jaina fan, this was wonderful. I had to stop reading after the Jag/Jaina scene because I was so happy. The speeder/x-wing/MF chase through Coruscant. Just sitting back and thinking of the badassery that took place in this scene amazes me. I just kept thinking about how it would look as a visual, and I just get this image of a ton of speeders everywhere, holocams, crazy well-armed bounty hunters, Luke jumping around on an x-wing, jaina falling out of the sky while getting net-taser'd, and the huge, bulking MF shooting bounty hunters left and right. It was just awesome, and one of the scenes that I immediately went back and read. It was creep-tastic! Throughout the book there was just a level of supreme creepiness that was actually entertaining. First it was the scene in the Horn residence where you get Valin's POV when he first starts to go crazy. This was really frightening, and sad, yet enjoyable. (I especially liked Corran channeling his inner Obi-wan by trying to calm Valin down, but then kicking his ass when the time came) This has really given us a good feel for how seemingly out of touch these jedi like Valin are. Then there was the whole thing with the bogeys. I have to say that for some reason through LotF I hated having to read through much of the Han/Leia scenes, but with these creepy floating shiny things in the mines of kessel really had me stressed out, in a good way. Then there was the Kel Dors. Being stuck underground with paranoid weirdos = perfect setting for a scary movie. I was honestly worried about what was going on in this place, and after going to bed after stopping around the part where they go underground in the coffin things really bothered me, but again, in a good way. Ben: Throughout LotF, Ben was just trying to be like Jacen, which I think made his personality really ring of Anakin Solo, but in this book he seems to have picked up Mara's loveable trait of snarkiness during relatively serious situations. I really liked his characterization in this book, and I really do feel like he is actually mature in this book rather then the authors in LotF just beating us down by 'saying he is so mature' all the time. His jokes and comments are one of the best parts of this book. Jaina: As I said before, I'm an avid Jaina fan, and I couldn't have been more pleased with her characterization in this book. Allston kept her Jaina-ness, but also has shown us a little bit more mature side of her. I really hope this characterization holds, because it has her in great light. Luke: Mainly just him kicking ass at the end was great. And how he let Ben figure out everything on his own even though Luke already knew what was going on. Definitely loving Luke so far, and I can't wait for him to return to the order from his studies to make it even better than before. Tahiri: I don't like Tahiri very much at all, but I really liked her in this book. She seems to have found some balance and maturity to her life, and I hope Jaina will keep trying to steer her back to where she should be. Jag: I was happy to see that he wasn't just sitting around acting like the head of state that he is. Going and helping the darkmeld is awesome, and I hope to see more of that. Also, him pressuring Jaina more than once about coming to live with him. Someone needs to knock some more sense into this girl, and I'm glad he's the one trying. Han: when he taught Allana a valuable lesson about not having to kill everything. 5th time's the charm, Han and Leia... Kenth as Grand Master: When I first read a spoiler that said he was the new G. master, I was disappointed. I expected it to be Corran, and maybe even Kyp. But obviously Corran was unfit at the time because of Valin, and Kyp was being threatened to face Imperial courts for Carida, so it wasn't that surprising once I thought it through. Plus, I think he was doing the best he could, and his seeing his character fleshed out more here was entertaining. Allana acting like her mom: thank you Allston, for finally pointing out that she has a parent who isn't Jacen Solo. The bit that talked about her remembering Tenel Ka telling her to keep her feelings close was something that I've been waiting for. Things that left me wanting... Allana the rest of the time: I actually liked her characterization for the most part in the book, but I really think this girl needs to be getting force training from someone else other than Leia. She has the potential to be really powerful, and I just don't want to see her character wasted. Lack of Tenel Ka / Imps vs. Hapans (???) : While I understand why the Hapans were being ignored by the GA, I still wish we could have seen her character appear. What really bothered me was the whole "Hapans are giving the Imperials/Jag trouble" thing. This was introduced really quickly, and I don't understand why TK and Jag would be having problems with each other. They should be getting along fine! They're practically family! I just wish this had been explained a little better. Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems way out of character for that to be going on. People not respecting Luke: Pretty much self explanatory. I don't know why the public is such a hata'. The ending: Pretty much the last couple lines have me paranoid: "...[Ben] decided things could be worse. It was good to be alive". I don't know if this is just a play on the fact that they had been "dead" in the mines (I hope that is what it is) or if it's some sort of sadistic foreshadowing. Mainly it just left me nervous at the end of a book that I had enjoyed thoroughly. Overall, this is how you can make a book suspenseful, thrilling, and emotional without just killing people off. I hope Del Rey understands that and continues with stories like this. 9.5 / 10 -----signature----- Sith Apprentice to s65horsey I <3 Vivec
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KnightDawg Registered: Nov '07	Date Posted: 4/1 11:30am Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers) - Date Edited: 4/1 11:31am (1 edits total) Edited By: KnightDawg
	This was an amazing book and a great place to jump on if you are coming back into the EU. I really enjoyed how the book balances between the 3 main story plots. The only thing I didn't like was I feel like the didn't really get to the most interesting thing about Kessell.....who created those ancient machines? They mentioned the possibility it was the Celestials. And what is in the tombs that nobody can open that are scattered all over the faux plant? Unfortunately I feel they will not come back to these things and probably won't see it mentioned again in the EU. I can't wait to find out who or what was talking to Allana through the force!!! Score: 9.8/10 I've never rated a book this high!!! -----signature----- Mmmm...the Spring Jawa Juice smells yummy
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Havac Title: Lit Mod of War Registered: Sep '05	Date Posted: 4/1 7:21pm Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers)
	Average score: 237.2/29 = 8.18 -----signature----- "Is there a captain's hat involved in this?"
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Thrawn McEwok Title: TFN EU Staff Registered: May '00	Date Posted: 4/2 10:30am Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers) - Date Edited: 4/2 11:01am (2 edits total) Edited By: Thrawn McEwok
	Today's the UK release-date, and I realised I'd not added a link to the first main-site review into this thread (because the review went online before the thread did ). So, 3.7/4 = 9.25/10! (click here to read more!) - The Imperial Ewok -----signature----- A/T = OTP :===8[#]8===: Kyp/Jaina fans: stand up and be counted!
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Ackbar_Van_Gungan Registered: Oct '04	Date Posted: 4/2 6:08pm Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers) - Date Edited: 4/2 6:18pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Ackbar_Van_Gungan
	I just finished the novel and I was not impressed. If this wasn't a Star Wars novel, I don't think I would have any incentive to pick up the next release. I was interested in all of the three significant storylines, but only the Coruscant based Valin/Jaina/Seff storyline ended up paying off. The others were so lightly developed that they felt rushed and wasted. The Ben/Luke storyline was paced poorly and really fell flat. It seemed as complex a plot as a Scooby Doo mystery. The promise of learning about the Baran Do was initially interesting but we didn't end up with much. Other than the Hidden One, every Baran Do was interchangable with any other. I would like to know more about their philosophy, their history, and why Jacen sought them out. Instead we got a very episodic storyline that left us no further than we had been before. On to the next world! The Han/Leia storyline was abruptly introduced and didn't make much sense. Aside from Leia's Force powers, why would Han/Leia be able to anything better than some geologists/biologists/archeologists? If you are going to go with a Big Dumb Object, we need a little bit more information about it to make it interesting or worthwhile. Instead there are some floating energy harddrives and giant magnetic self-destruct sequences. We barely got a what and where, so don't even think about how or why. What upset me the most was the fact that it doesn't sound like there is going to be any answer to these questions. Another problem I had was how G-rated the book felt. While I understand they were trying to compensate for the backlash against the R-rated NJO and LotF, there was absolutely nothing approaching evil or danger anywhere in the book. Our heroes were fighting groundquakes, spiders, training matches, bureaucracy, and couch potatoes. The most pressing issue was that of Jaina and Co. on Coruscant, which I mentioned as my favorite part of the book. Also, Allston's humor works well to relieve the tension when facing impossible odds and death at any turn (as in the Rogue novels and also the OT). It seems like a realistic coping mechanism and is diluted by the seriousness of the rest of the story. With Outcast, so little of the story was actually serious that the jokes came too often, and started to grate. I think Allston's strengths are in creating individual characters, writing strong dialogue, comic relief, and fast pacing. His world-building is some what lacking as evidenced by the Baran Do and the Kessel BDO which while promising were not detailed enough to engage me. Overall, I didn't feel like I was reading the start to a series, as much as I was reading a complete standalone, and a poor one at that. I realize there were some hints with the ominous voice Allana heard and that Jacen was looking for a Force nexus but we could have just introduced those in the first few chapters of the novel and been spared the sparsely written Kessel and Baran Do plotlines. The book would have been greatly improved by an additional 25 pages of exposition. I didn't have as much a problem with what was in it than what wasn't. 6 out of 10 -The Rebel Gungan -----signature----- My SFF blog: http://www.yetistomper.blogspot.com/ 1st Post= Golden Ewok™ No Prize! Unfortunate Sacred Slab of the Church of Waru -Curator of the Byss Orbiting Holographic History of Space Flight Museum
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Dawud786 Registered: Dec '06	Date Posted: 4/3 12:52pm Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers)
	8/10. There are things that fell a little flat, things I still find to be completely ridiculous... like Daala and her accusations she likes to throw around conveniently ignoring her own crimes or acknowledging that certain folks may have done some bad things, but have since done deeds that more than atone for those. If Daala is allowed redemption, then she should be able to allow Kyp Durron redemption. He, after all, has arguably contributed more positively to the galaxy since JAT than she has or ever possibly could. Or is even looking to be doing... Kessel I felt was a bit stale, but I guess this is what old retired fighter jocks and smugglers do. Help the respectable one save his profitable planetoid drug business. The rest I was very pleased. I absolutely adored every chapter that started with "Jedi Temple, Coruscant" or anything that ended with "Dorin." Plus, the tone is so much lighter and yet no less ominous. -----signature----- http://blogs.starwars.com/slaveoftheforce
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Havac Title: Lit Mod of War Registered: Sep '05	Date Posted: 4/3 11:48pm Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers)
	Average score: 260.45/32 = 8.14 -----signature----- "Is there a captain's hat involved in this?"
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Jeff_Ferguson Registered: May '06	Date Posted: 4/4 1:53am Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers)
	Six... point... eight. Yeah. I like that. I posted a lengthy review/general impressions post here, and the general gist of it was... underwhelming and often frustrating, with some fantastic stuff in the Coruscant scenes to balance it out. Didn't feel like the kickoff of a nine-book series. These few sentences don't do it justice, so click my link, yo. -----signature----- "We are Imperial Knights. We do our duty by the Emperor and by the Force—no matter the cost." --- Sigel Dare "In the name of the true Emperor, Roan Fel, we come bearing greetings to our Jedi cousins." --- Marasiah Fel
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ChildOfWinds Registered: Apr '01	Date Posted: 4/4 8:31am Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers) - Date Edited: 4/4 8:34am (2 edits total) Edited By: ChildOfWinds
	I finished reading Outcast, and to my surprise, once I got past Luke's exile and Daala as "honorable CoS", I really enjoyed the book. I thought that all of the characters (excluding Daala) were pretty much in-character, and it was fun to read an adventure/mystery story instead of constant galactic conflict. I thought all three plots were interesting. I know that a lot of posters seemed to have a problem with the Kessel scenes, but I found the exploration of the caverns quite enjoyable and liked the resolution to Han's spider-phobia. For the first time, Jag didn't seem quite so cardboard to me, and I appreciated Jaina's maturity. Her role as leader of Darkmeld was a good fit for her and gave her character a new dimension. I was never a big fan of Jaina, but she really grew on me in this book. The Luke/Ben parts on Dorin were a lot better than I was expecting. Luke was portrayed as a wise and powerful Grandmaster, and it was great to see his strong relationship with his son. I really liked the "investigative teenager". I also liked that we got to see lots of familiar old friends that haven't been seen much, like Mirax and Winter, and that other characters, like Kenth Hamner, got some development. As others have said, the galaxy seemed much bigger in this book, and we got to see some new aspects, like its justice system and news media. There were two things that bothered me. The first was that Daala was presented as a "good and honorable" CoS, with no mention of her criminal past. I really didn't like that whole conversation between Luke and Daala. Luke seemed to cave too much when he certainly could have given her some great arguments. I also don't like the very premise of Luke being exiled as a common criminal. I know Luke did this to set a good example for the other Jedi, but I don't see how his pleading guilty for something he didn't do accomplishes that. If anything, I think it gives the other Jedi the wrong messages: 1. You don't have to be responsible because someone else will take the "rap" for you. 2. It doesn't pay to be a Jedi knight who risks his life and makes sacrifices for the people of the galaxy, because they'll turn on you and punish you if you don't resolve their problems quickly enough. So, for "good" Daala and the exile of Luke, I have to take off 2 points. My score is 8/10, which is remarkably high for me for a post Survivor's Quest book. I haven't enjoyed a post SQ book this much since TUF.
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JediMatteus Registered: Sep '08	Date Posted: 4/4 8:48am Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers) - Date Edited: 4/4 8:49am (1 edits total) Edited By: JediMatteus
	the tone is so much lighter and yet no less ominous. yes yes yes. i know kessel seems LIKE unimportant filler, but.... this voice thing with allana will be something. i loved this book. It was so refreshing... to see luke be luke, and Ben to be the ben we all want him to be. Daala chaffs yes, but i loved the stuff with valin, and seff, and jaina and jag. i give this a 8.5 out of 10. im just so relieved about luke and his legacy so far, and what an enjoyable novel this was to read. luke is luke again CHRISTINE GOLDEN, TROY DENNING PLEASE DON'T MESS THIS UP. I KNOW IT HAS TO GET DARKER WITH THE SITH AND ALL, BUT PLEASE MAKE LUKE =LIKE ALLSTON DID IN THIS BOOK!!!! -----signature----- "Every generation has its challenges to face, its own battles to win. Why should yours be any different? Running away from your responsibilities won't solve anything." -Luke Skywalker
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RebelJoseWales Registered: Sep '08	Date Posted: 4/4 7:25pm Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers)
	Hurm, to quote Rorschach. This book was by and large a disappointment to me. Plot All that really happened was Luke getting exiled (which was one of the worse breaks with logic that I've seen in a SW book) to the accompaniment of a ham-handed farewell by the Jedi on Coruscant, Valin Horn going matter-of-factly insane, the introduction of what is most likely the meditation sphere over Kessel, and the capture of Seff. All the rest is filler. Nonsensical, poorly done filler. Characterization Over the course of LotF, Ben Skywalker was portrayed as a thoughtful and intelligent individual who underwent a great deal of maturation through the course of the series. In the two IU years since, apparently, he's regressed to the maturity of a twelve-year-old and lost ten or fifteen IQ points for good measure. Tahiri is still shattered over Anakin, which means she crossed the line from angst to wangst approximately a decade ago. Daala has gone from a misandristic, axe crazy, brain-damaged (thank you, Death Star) paranoid psychopath to a level headed person while no one was looking. I actually find this somewhat believable, since she'd had about thirty years to work out her issues with men, realize that her "I have been thwarted so I MUST KILL ALL LIFE ON THE PLANET" approach doesn't work too well, undergo corrective surgery, and participate in regular sessions with a good therapist. Her being COS still grates, but that came from another book. Though I've never been a Jag fan, his portrayal irks me. Addmitedly, I haven't read NJO for a while, but I seem to recall a big deal in that book being his stiff personality. Allston seems to have abandoned that for something close to his generic fighter pilot character. Every state in the US has some provision in its child abuse laws that allows for spanking. Children like Allana are the reason behind this. Heinous and Unprovoked Assaults Against Logic Oh noes, mass-produced conventional explosives and proton torpedoes don't affect the weird machines! That's okay, we can just use the facilities of a spice mining operation and our skeleton crew to jerry-rig thermal detonator rockets for a wide range of military aircraft. These will of course be flown by a cross section of aging, retired, and/or otherwise employed famous pilots who we knew at one time or another, because Force knows it'll be easier to get them here on short notice than to hire any of the ridiculously high number of mercenary pilots overrunning the Galaxy. I mean, really, even assuming that any explosives experts that may have been involved in excavations were on Kessel at the time, where are they going to get the ballistics engineers knowledgeable enough to mate the thermal dets to the torpedoes? And an ancient correctional facility/mining operation has the capability to produce several hundred military-grade missiles? 4.5/10 -----signature----- http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/29862811/p1/?2 "Time Marches On" The Imperium of man has gone green; After all, the Astronomican is soul-ar powered.
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