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Author	Topic: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers)
Havac Title: Lit Mod of War Registered: Sep '05	Date Posted: 4/4 8:57pm Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers)
	Average score: 288.25/36 = 8.01 -----signature----- "Is there a captain's hat involved in this?"
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Qui-Gon_Reborn Title: Qui-Gon's Personal SWC Modsaber Registered: Dec '08	Date Posted: 4/4 9:31pm Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers)
	I give it a straight 10. Excellent character development, story development, plot advancement, and a book that moves foward without resorting to the "Guess what, guys? The galaxy's gonna go through the war to end all wars and we're all going to be destroyed...again!!!" that we're so used to by now. I loved Dorin, I loved Ben, and I think I'm going to love the series. Good work, Mr. Allston. -----signature----- To be a true poet is to become God. - Dan Simmons Now bring me that horizon. - Capt. Jack Sparrow High Priestess in the Holy Order of the Circle-in-the-Sky Worshippers
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xoubara Registered: Mar '03	Date Posted: 4/5 1:58am Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers)
	Well, my hopes for this series have increased quite a lot. I remember Betrayal was also a really good beggining, but Outcast has a better plot, overall. I'm sure, as some of you have said, that the Kessel storyline will find its path towards Luke's, and probably towards the jedi illness. So, despite Han and Leia's plot wasn't all that exciting, I think it was full of mistery because of that. Even more so if we consider that they could be the Celestials (and that an energy life form was Dark Horse's idea for their NJO storyline...). As for the characters, I think this is one of those few times where everyone is well portrayed, especially Luke, who is the most problematic one when it comes to show his wisdom and power. In Outcast it is not reduced even for a bit, and his relationship with Ben is amazing. I also loved seeing more screentime for several jedi masters/knights like Octa Ramis, Seha Dorvald and Tekli. The same could be said about the old Rogues and pilots on the Kessel mission. It was interesting Valin's POV. I think that if no one knew about the illness, many would have believed that was a fake Mirax. I think it was very well done. Loved Hellin's portrayal, too. As a JAT fan, I was especially happy to read so many references to it. I hope this includes a bigger role for Kyp in future books. Oh, and no one dies... Well, I think the only bad things I found are Daala's portrayal, which has already been mentioned, and the length of the book. I hope we get a 500 or 600 long book, like SbS or VotF. So, I'm giving it a 9,5.
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Jedi Vince Registered: Aug '99	Date Posted: 4/5 9:58am Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers)
	Outcast has definitely marked a change in tone and overall approach to this period, and I like the ideas. The execution, however, seems to be a little ... off. As I read Outcast, I couldn't help but think it was a bit rushed. Alston, who I believe has improved as an author with each entry — especially in terms of his sentence structure — hasn't reverted back to any of his old ways, but I think he could've used a little more editorial assistance in his latest effort. Outcast features some lazy and clunky prose, and that doesn't help a book where its characters go off on adventures that don't have any immediate effect on the story. Again ... I like the ideas, and the structure of the novel — it was a nice Star Wars read. It just seemed stretched out to get it around 300 pages — especially in the Kessel parts. Sloshing through these passages reminded me of some of the old Kevin J. Anderson books that would simply meander for pages upon pages at a time. I also wish Luke and Ben's journey would've produced a little more tangible results. Again, since this series strays away from huge, immediate, galaxy-shifting events, it needed more definitive results to resonate stronger. As for Corran, I felt like he should've played a more active roll in the proceedings. Calling in favors "off screen" just didn't seem like a proactive approach for a guy that joined the Jedi Academy to learn how to take down the people who kidnapped his wife. Daala also bothered me. I just wish Luke would've at least fired back at her for all of her past indiscretions. Oh well ... I'll roll with it. Outcast is a good start -- could've been a great start. I just feel like this was a C- effort. 7/10 -----signature----- The PIGMAN: Drawing the line against Jihad http://fawstin.blogspot.com/ http://www.jihadwatch.org/ Don't tread on me.
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Ceillean Title: Scattergories and 20 Questions Hostess Registered: Nov '01	Date Posted: 4/5 11:43am Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers)
	I loved the book. I really did. I just wished it would have gone on. I was mortified when I reached the last page and the next few pages were only an excerpt of the new book. Meh. Luke and Ben make a great team and the humor was nice as well. Compared to LotF, FotJ seems to be a bit more humorous. Hamner as Grand Master was a good pick, too. I'd never expected the man to do such a great job. What I really loved is the fact that the characters seem so normal. Everyone has changed, grown up -- besides Jaina. That's the only annoying thing. And I am fed up with this whole Sword of the Jedi stuff. Enough already. Tahiri needs to grow up, too. So she nearly gets a heart attack when she sees Dab? Like it's his fault he looks like Anakin? Seriously, grow up. Anakin is gone, has been gone for years -- a fact Tahiri really needs to come to terms with. Han and Leia's little sojourn on Kessel was interesting. Now all I want to know is who was talking with Allana? All in all, a very good book and I'm annoyed that I have to wait another two months for the second book. 10/10 -----signature----- All for one and one for all: JC MUSKETEER!! I claim Kyp Durron.
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Ebonn101 Registered: Jan '02	Date Posted: 4/5 12:41pm Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers) - Date Edited: 4/5 12:44pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Ebonn101
	I give this a 6/10. I have to say, I was hoping for more from Allston. There were parts of the book I found myself really enjoying/thinking about, such as the voice speaking to Allana from the garrison moon. I also liked that Luke and Ben are finally doing something together as father and son. Luke is what, 60 years old now? And this is largely the first time that I can recall them having any extended interaction in the EU. Good, because as of now, I'm not too optimistic about Ben taking the mantle from his dad when Luke inevitably dies. However, like many people, I was not exactly thrilled with the whole Kessel side-story, finding it to be a "we need something for Han and Leia to do" section, although I guess it's possible the entire sequence was set up in order to provide the extremely brief, yet extremely interesting bit with Allana. And Luke's unwillingness to stand up for himself before Daala was just silly, although maybe as the Grand Master, he has a bigger, broader vision of the galaxy's future than I do . Finally, perhaps the only thing I miss from the NJO is the commitment to meaty, sizable hardcovers. I've moaned about it here before, as have many others, but please please please give us a longer, more detailed, thorough book! 9 hardcovers is a lot to ask of a reader, please reward our loyalty with another 400+ page hardcover! I know this is a different story, but I don't feel as much anticipation about FOTJ as I did when I closed the cover of Betrayal. Regardless of how you feel about LOTF as a whole, most of you will probably agree that Allston did a great job setting it up with that novel. With the exception of finding out who the mysterious voice on Kessel was, I can't say I feel the same way about FOTJ. There is certainly potential. If it turns out that Jacen was a victim of a Valin Horn-esque disease, I will be supremely happy, as I think Jaina, Leia, and Han will feel the regret they deserve for casting him out to the wolves so early on, and then ultimately plotting his murder. We'll see, I'm glad we're getting some fresh blood with Christie Golden, and am confident she will deliver! Looking forward to reading Omen. My cumulative review of FOTJ to date (not an average): 6/10
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darthbangkok Registered: Oct '03	Date Posted: 4/6 2:00pm Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers) - Date Edited: 4/6 2:02pm (1 edits total) Edited By: darthbangkok
	I just finished the book yesterday. Overall I thought it was fine and I am still looking forward to the rest of the series. The Luke/Ben side trip was fine enough for me even though I usually don't go for those kind of things. I thought it a little ironic that Luke was exiled in part because of the Jedi going around doing things with no regards for the consequences and then they went and did the same thing while in exile. That place will never be the same again. Granted, it was probably the right thing to do, but I just thought it was strange that he didn't even have doubts about doing it. Also, I can't even remember what he learned while there, so why did he go again? My thoughts on Daala echo every other complaint in this thread so far. I could see another government doing what she is doing for legitimate reasons, but I don't think she is so there has to be some nefariousness somewhere. Maybe it will come out later. I didn't read any Han/Leia passages after they got to Kessel and I realized they were going to be geologists. They used to be the only ones who can save the universe, now they are the only ones who know about plate techtonics. I wish they would just leave these two out of the books all together rather than include them with these assinine plots. I hate having to worry that I am missing something integral to the plot, but I just can't read anymore of their crap. I thought it rather strange that Jag can disappear and run around on secret missions even if he does have a body double. The book was fine for the most part though. 7/10.
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Havac Title: Lit Mod of War Registered: Sep '05	Date Posted: 4/6 8:53pm Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers)
	Average score: 337.75/42 = 8.04 -----signature----- "Is there a captain's hat involved in this?"
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sidious618 Registered: Apr '03	Date Posted: 4/7 4:58pm Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers)
	This was a good book. Parts of it were a little slow but overall I quite enjoyed it. It certainly felt more like part one of two (or nine, in this case) as there were a lot of things thrown out but not all of it makes a ton of sense quite yet. Things are still a little bit too shady and I'm not entirely sure where it's going. Nevertheless the book is promising character wise and those last few paragraphs have me thinking that some bad stuff is coming down the line. Some really bad stuff. Which is good for me, the reader! Characterization was spot on in this novel, especially with Luke and Ben. I really hope that we see a lot more of their adventures together before the inevitably return to the Jedi situation back on Coruscant (probably by book five, I'd imagine, since five is always the turning point). I sense the Ben is going to be the key character as the yars go on and I'm fine with that. I never really wanted Jacen or Jaina to take over because they never really connected with me. In this case I'm okay with Ben becoming a lead down the line. Han, Leia and Allana were awesome as well even if their plot was a little light. Sure, that voice Allana heard will probably be crucial but the inside of Kessel plot left some things to be desired. That said, the scenes with the spiders were sufficiently creepy and effective. I like Kenth Hamner as the new lead of the Jedi Order and I hope we'll see a bit more of him in the future. I've seen some people comment on Luke not attacking Daala (verbally) but that seemed consistent to me. Luke's a subtle guy and he's already planting the seeds of how he'll take back the Order. All in all, a good start to this series and I think it has quite a bit of promise. 8.8 -----signature----- But in purple, I'm stunning!- Londo Mollari, Babylon 5
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Havac Title: Lit Mod of War Registered: Sep '05	Date Posted: 4/7 9:55pm Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers)
	Average score: 346.55/43 = 8.06 -----signature----- "Is there a captain's hat involved in this?"
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Liliedhe Registered: Feb '09	Date Posted: 4/10 2:54am Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers)
	Ok, call me impressed. I really liked this book, even though it started to drag somewhat in the second half. The start was very tightly paced, with all those threads starting to develop and the ominous pall of government interference drawing tighter and tighter. Like the prequels, this starts out very political, and also melancholic. When Luke realizes all of the heads of states are Imperials, not only does he prove that he is someone to look PAST affiliations at the persons behind the uniform, but also that he is just as readily taken unaware as his predecessors of the Old Order. One almost could start to get conspiracy happy... Distract everyone with one war after the next so nobody realizes they are just handing over their fates to their mortal enemies... Ring a bell? After Millennium Falcon kind of drew the universes (of the PT and the OT) together, in Outcast they finally feel as one. It is subtle, but for me, who always liked the PT better and is prone to cheer when there's a PT reference in a post Episode VI book, it was very satisfying. Luke decides to be the pawn that is sacrificed for peace, but as Jaina puts it at one point, it's probably a bad idea. I can't shake the feeling that this starts another road to hell paved in good intentions, like the Clone Wars did. The observers seem like a calculated provocation, especially Dab, who might be a decent enough fellow, but his mere presence is a slap in the face. As for the Force Psychosis thing, so far there isn't much to speculate about. It seems like somebody flicks a switch in the person's head and they go over the edge. The idea that it has to do with the Maw and the voice that spoke to Allana is convincing, but so far nothing is certain. I'm a bit sad the Han/Leia/Allana plot was relegated to the background so much, because I like those three and would have enjoyed seeing more of them. Dorin was an interesting place, but after Luke and Ben reached the shelter of the "dead", it took a turn for the worse. Somehow this plot felt to me like all of those "unenlightened savages who need the noble white men to save them from their ignorance" stories of less politically correct times. This didn't do Plo Koon's people justice. Although, I suppose the Hidden One's paranoia might have something to do with the madness that infects the Jedi and maybe even with Jacen's visit. What if it is the other way round? What if it wasn't something Jacen learned that drove him over the edge, but it was him who infected those who taught him? Although Tahiri's speculations on "finding out when he broke" also have merit. Lots and lots of juicy points to speculate on. Of all the plot threads in the book the Darkmeld thing was the least exiting for me. Although Jag's conversation with Dab had me laugh loudly. Really, the humour was great. This book had many funny lines and conversations - but most of all it had an all pervading sense of melancholy. Death was a very dominant theme, from the narrowly prevented destruction of Kessel, to the black 'eyes' that stare on Dorin, the prophesied next purge of the Jedi Order, Luke's goodbye to his friends and the political points I already addressed. I can't shake the feeling that the black holes are important, and that their influence on force users, established in a very throwaway manner will come back to haunt everyone. The equipment on Kessel was monitoring gravity wells. The black holes over Dorin are eyes. Abysses do stare back in Star Wars. So a very promising start to a new series. 8/10 -----signature----- Joint Winner - PT Trivia Challenge 18+New Edition
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Havac Title: Lit Mod of War Registered: Sep '05	Date Posted: 4/10 1:05pm Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers)
	Average score: 354.55/44 = 8.06 -----signature----- "Is there a captain's hat involved in this?"
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Inara Registered: Aug '05	Date Posted: 4/10 2:23pm Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers) - Date Edited: 4/10 2:26pm (1 edits total) Edited By: Inara
	I also posted this in the Outcast discussion thread, so apologies to those who read it twice. 1. I loved Luke and Ben's relationship. They make a great pair, and it was nice to see so much of Mara reflected in Ben. I didn't feel her absence as keenly as I thought I would. 2. While I also found the three separate story lines disconcerting at first, there are eight more books to go, so hopefully they'll be tied together sometime soon. I'm also kind of glad the book explored Kessel - it's such a weird planet that I've always wanted to know more about it. 3. I'm really really really tired of this Tahiri/Anakin thing. Let the girl move on for goodness sake. It's been YEARS since Anakin died. And yet her obsession with him is turning into a running gag. It'd be nice if the profic authors could stop beating this plot line because it should have died ages ago. I'd be happy to see her settle down with some ordinary guy on some ordinary planet somewhere. Really, just anything to end this needless Tahiri torture. Even this Dab/Tarc/Creeper is in the story just to revisit Tahiri's Anakin issues. If they end up together, I'll be pissed. 4. And since I'm griping about Tahiri...I'm also getting tired of the repeated mentions, either by her or the other characters, of her past actions and how people are still mad at her about it. What about Ben?!?! He's being treated as a normal teenager despite committing so many crimes of his own. I don't buy the "oh he was only 14 and therefore not really responsible" nonsense. Padme was a queen of an entire planet at 14 and Leia was a senator at 16. So the fact that no one has any hard feelings towards Ben but only towards Tahiri is troubling. Plus I was hoping to see Ben a bit more affected by Jacen. It's been three years, but you'd think that he'd still bear a little trauma as opposed to being a perfectly normal teenager whose biggest concern is not being seen in public with his dad's haircut. 5. For the first time since the Thrawn Trilogy, I find myself liking Jaina. I never thought it would happen, but I guess if anyone can resurrect a character, it's Allston. On the other hand, I'm now creeped out by Jag. I don't know if it's his political maneuverings or his incessant horniness, but something doesn't seem right about him. 6. I was totally disappointed by the Baran Do storyline. I was hoping for some interesting insights into their unique Force philosophy, which might have explained some of Jacen's later viewpoints. Instead, all Luke learned was how Jacen could block a brain scan and that the Baran Do Sages are insane. I can't believe it took Luke an entire book to figure that out. Jacen journeyed for five years - I don't know how Luke plans to piece together Jacen's travels because even ten years doesn't look to be enough. 7. I was thrilled to see Kenth Hamner do more than show up at Council meetings with a long face. He's got a biting personality, which is awesome. I think he'll play a bigger role as the series progress. It looks like Allston was setting him up to eventually be in a position of conflict with Luke's crew, so it'll be interesting to see how that plays out. 8. After I got over the ridiculousness of Daala being in charge of the GA, I realized that I missed the sadistic Daala of the JAT days. Not that she's particularly nice in Outcast, but I sense character whitewashing. Sure she had Valin imprisoned in carbonite, but the Daala in the past would have pushed him out an airlock. The quality of the writing was superb, the characterizations were mostly great, and the pace was quick and kept things interesting. Most of the issues I'm irritated with have more to do with the direction Del Rey is taking the series than this one single book. No doubt Allston is writing what he's been told to write. So I give the book an 8/10. -----signature----- "The Sun Crusher was originally conceived as a humane alternative to Kyle Katarn." http://www.thedarknest.com Dark!Horny!Jacen 1 6177 86515
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darthadimentsu Registered: Jan '07	Date Posted: 4/11 10:23am Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers)
	I am stunned by the good ratings of this book, especially so much about characterisation... every page of this book reads with a single voice, Allston's, which is fine when it's Wraith Squadron, because that is their character, but when they are complex, established characters, simply doesn't work. Compare this with Enemy Lines, where the balance is much better struck, and you'll see how much more homogenous the characters appear in Outcast. Other problems include the all-too-easy resolution of the Jedi observer legal problem, the Luke vs. Daala argument, the jarring bizarreness of the Baran Do paranoia, the trivialisation of Luke (again, mostly because of the Allston voice), the compulsive need for a secret resistance that will inevitably disappear a couple of books later (Insiders, I'm looking at you), and the forced precursors to Legacy which in no way seem plausible to the situations or characters. Good parts, by contrast, are the hints at Celestials on Kessel, the brief return of Maarek Stele and the idea that Jacen in LotF wasn't really the Jacen of the NJO. 4.5/10 -----signature----- http://marvintheparanoid.deviantart.com The above is for poetry and short stories The below is for proving I've been around a little bit longer formerly yalphaath http://boards.theforce.net/UserPages/Profile.aspx?user=yalphaath
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JediMatteus Registered: Sep '08	Date Posted: 4/11 12:13pm Subject: The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST (Spoilers)
	C'mon man this is a good book. no it's not Vector Prime or the first book of the Thrawn trilogy, but it is very good. It is a very refreshing departure from what we have gotten the last few years. i give Betrayal a very slight advantage, but this is a good 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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