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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Books The Old Republic: Annihilation by Drew K

Discussion in 'Literature' started by Todd the Jedi , Feb 29, 2012.

  1. SithStarSlayer

    SithStarSlayer Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2003
    If his apprentice is a Togruta...
     
  2. Slowpokeking

    Slowpokeking Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 21, 2012
    Did the book mention what happened to Darth Jadus?

    Too bad Theron Shan is not Malgus' child.
     
  3. Slowpokeking

    Slowpokeking Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 21, 2012
    The writing is decent, the plot is quite similar to Lost Sun beside the family issue-destroy a super weapon, and this time the superweapon is put on use, so it's also a bit like KJA's works. An agent destroyed a superweapon from within.

    Darth Gravus was killed by Karrid because most of the council prefer him to take the seat after the death of Darth Hadra, and he ordered his troops to attack her when she tried to take the "trophy" of victory from him.

    I think the romance of Satele Shan was poor written just like in ToP. We saw several flashbacks but it's still a bit vague and not interesting. The family issue is a bit better. But I think Satele Shan and Jace's dialog and action in the later part of the book is not like the Grand Master of the Order and the Supreme Commander of the Republic, it's like some ordinary family's parents. Especially there is no need for Satele Shan to go with him in the battle.

    Karrid's characterization is ok, typical young ambitious sith, nothing new. Not enough as the antagonist.

    Darth Marr is the one who tried to hold the council together, as well as make some change like Maglus pointed out but looks like it's not working well. Darth Mortis is more stubborn than I thought, he didn't want to accept Karrid because of her race while he supported Karrid after Gravus' death.

    OK seriously CAN WE HAVE A VICTORY FOR THE EMPIRE SIDE? We already saw so many victories of the Republic and the novel pointed it out several times. This is not like other era, it's a MMO which players could choose sides and there are more Empire players than the Republic, and there are 1400 years of blanks so no hurry to end this war so soon.
     
  4. DarthNefaris

    DarthNefaris Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 11, 2011
    So as I thought, K did again write an average Star Wars book full of cliché (Sith = bad, cunning, mwhahaha like) with poor characterization, and a linear plot. I have already criticized his books and he keeps conforting me in my opinion. The Darth Bane trilogy destroyed Jedi vs Sith, tied incoherently with Revan (seriously, Bane discovers Revan, goes on Lehon and CONVENIENTLY finds his holocron? The Rule of Two is not Bane's idea. Same about Andeddu which is a bad copy of what happened in Legacy.... by the way, Bane with only one line in a book discovers Andeddu's location, that guy is a genious.). Only Revan and Rule of Two were correct. But this book should have never existed as it is a stand-alone story (like Fatal Alliance) with poor usefulness.
     
  5. Slowpokeking

    Slowpokeking Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 21, 2012
    Well other Sith' characterization is fine, Marr is just like I expected, wanted to keep the council united, put away personal matter and racism and retake the upperhand. But Karrid, the antagonist's characterization is meh.
     
  6. Slowpokeking

    Slowpokeking Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 21, 2012
    Oh Darth Gravus, in the novel he's a dumb ass, totally different than the cunning Sith Lord in the game.
     
  7. AusStig

    AusStig Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Feb 3, 2010
    GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH


    Forget it I am going F2P.

    They kill off EVERY SINGLE IMPERIAL NPC, even the cool one from Taris. So **** you SWTOR you won't get my money any more.

    LAJ Edit - the whole word has to be starred.
     
  8. Darth_Kiryan

    Darth_Kiryan Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 13, 2009
    well, this book sounds awesome!
     
  9. Zorrixor

    Zorrixor Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 8, 2004
    You people clearly just can't appreciate the Allstonian and Lucenoan genius of Drew's latest work.
     
  10. Slowpokeking

    Slowpokeking Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 21, 2012
    Well I hate another pub victory, and the quality is really not good enough.
     
  11. instantdeath

    instantdeath Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2010
    Drew isn't associated with Bioware anymore, no need to take your anger towards Annihilation out of TOR :p

    Zor was being sarcastic or was really drunk. Most likely both.
     
  12. Esg

    Esg Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    So once again Drew K makes a book that sucks super monkey balls
     
  13. instantdeath

    instantdeath Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2010
    I'm reluctant to say that, since I personally find all of Karpyshyn's novels have some good elements or scenes in them, just they often fall short of being a good full package. And, y'know, I haven't read it, but that's a small detail. [face_whistling]
     
  14. DarthNefaris

    DarthNefaris Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Sep 11, 2011
    That is where your point fails....

    Karpyshyn is a bad writer, not in his style (his writing is decent) but he is so basic in his mind. For him a Sith is a stupid cliché : " me sith, me kill, Dark side mwahhahahaha". He doesn't know at all how to handle characters : just look at Gravus, he killed the character both in his characterization and literally, Karrid is a cliché... He destroyed the universe implement by Jedi vs Sith in his path of destruction novel. I won't talk about Dynasty of Evil which is a complete fail.
    I'm glad he is off Bioware, he had to be stopped. I still can't understand how a man who was part of the creation of Baldur's gate II and the first Kotor can destroy an established universe and create so dull stories after that.

    Annihilation should have never existed.
     
  15. instantdeath

    instantdeath Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2010
    I swear, there should be a "sarcasm font"...

    Anyway, my personal theory on why Karpyshyn comes off so much better in his video game writing is because he has a multitude of people to take his ideas and iron out the edges. Like KJA, Drew Karpyshyn is a decent idea man, but a bad writer. You can tell with Mass Effect, for example, the fairly simplistic ideas and plot are made much better by the care for the characters and the writing. Even so, I'm of the opinion that Mass Effect 3 is the best written Bioware game, with or without the ending, and that's totally Karpyshyn free.

    You can see that in his novels, as well. His dialogue is abysmal, his characterization is one-dimensional, but he does have a decent grasp of plot structure and a flair for the dramatic. He really should be the one supplying basic plots, with someone else handling the actual writing.
     
    Zorrixor likes this.
  16. Slowpokeking

    Slowpokeking Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 21, 2012
    But this one's basic plot is not much different than Lost Sun.

    I like his games' plot, but this novel is really not what I expected.
     
  17. instantdeath

    instantdeath Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2010
    Yeah, I'm definitely not pretending to know anything about Annihilation in particular. His Mass Effect books are easily his best novels, far and away above his Star Wars work, and even they suffer from "decent idea, poor execution" in my opinion.
     
  18. Slowpokeking

    Slowpokeking Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 21, 2012
    I think if it's the cunning Gravus in the game Karrid would not be able to beat him, especially in short time, so his persona was slaughtered.
     
  19. AusStig

    AusStig Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Feb 3, 2010
    mAybe Gravus tricked her, so he didn't have to join the DC, Dark Council, that's what game Gravus would have done.
     
  20. Arawn_Fenn

    Arawn_Fenn Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Jul 2, 2004
    ...Remind you of anyone? :p
     
    RC-1991 likes this.
  21. Zorrixor

    Zorrixor Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 8, 2004
    My thought exactly. :p
     
  22. Slowpokeking

    Slowpokeking Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 21, 2012
  23. King of Alsakan

    King of Alsakan Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 25, 2007
    I just finished it, it was certainly nothing special. It was very predictable and boring. Then of course the usual crazy minimalistic stuff always makes me sad.
     
  24. instantdeath

    instantdeath Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2010
    So I assume my hope for seeing Revan in this novel isn't fulfilled? :(. Was hoping we'd get to see the conversation between him and Satele that is referred to in the game but never shown.
     
  25. Slowpokeking

    Slowpokeking Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Sep 21, 2012
    Revan didn't make any appearance, also Satele's characterization sucks.
     
    Esg likes this.