"The Crystal Star," by Vonda N. McIntyre [Bantam, 1994]

[image=http://www.theforce.net/books/images/tcs_.jpg]

Synopsis:

Princess Leia's children have been kidnapped. Along with Chewbacca and Artoo-Detoo, she follows the kidnappers' trail to a disabled refugee ship, from which children are also missing. Here she learns of a powerful Imperial officer with a twisted plan to restore the Empire. Meanwhile, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker are cut off from Leia by the death of a nearby star, which has caused a disruption in the Force. They have gone to the planet Crseih to investigate a report of a lost group of Jedi. Instead they find a charismatic alien named Waru whose miraculous healing powers have attracted a fanatic following. As Leia follows the path of her children across space, Luke and Han draw closer to the truth behind Waru's sinister cult. Together they will face an explosive showdown that will decide the survival of the New Republic ... and the universe itself!

 

Let me show you all how a negative review should be done on this Forum...

To me, this is: Worst. SW novel. Ever. Why?

Because it is the only book that I started reading (other than Lord of the Rings) and put it down after a chapter or two and said "I can read no more!" It is still the only Star Wars book I have never finished after starting to read. At least with LOTR I can make it to chapter 8 and only not readit because it puts me to sleep, and not through lack of quality.

From what I understand, those that have made it through the rest of the novel only dislike it worse -- so I'm at least spared that.

That is why I grant it 1/10. If I could assign it "i" (the square root of -1, and thus, an imaginary number) -- rest assured that I would.

 

ya, what he said.

its just plain bad.


EDIT: for one the novel is dark, and dark is bad. because unless there are some really good evil alterier motives darkness just leads to boaring.

Luke has this terrible brooding attitude all through the novel which simply serves to drap it down more into slow, pointless, boardem.

PLus the end all fact that the stroy has no purpose. it advances no story, it has nothing importent in it at all. all and all a novel that should not have been written.

 

Well, let's just say that I had pretty much the same experience that dp4m had.

I read the first line and said something like, "Oh my...". Gave it about 3 pages and I couldn't take it. That is probably the only Star Wars book that I actually started reading and didn't get more than a few chapters through. Sure I've abandoned some of them because I got distracted with other things etc, but that's the only one I stopped reading because I felt it was pretty bad from the get go. I feel horrible that I didn't really give it much of a chance, but come on, how can I be expected to continue when I can't handle a few pages? And from what I hear, the book just gets even worse.

 

Well, I won't post a review for this. But let's just say that I enjoyed it until a certain 'anti-Force' and 'parallel universe' topic came up and threw the Star Warsness right out the window! It has to be the cheesiest of all Star Wars novels, and the worst that I have read so far. I'd give it a 5 out of 10, because I wasn't that disappointed that I'd give it 1! If a book was that bad, then it would have to be really, REALLY BAD, if you know what I mean.

 

I gave it a 6. While the whole Luke/Waru stuff was just stupid, I liked the minor character development of Han, as well as the major character development of the Solo kids.

 

I gave this book a 1


I was so excited when I got this for christmas, the synopsis sounded so interesting. Boy was I wrong. Only book I read twice that only took me maybe a day to read. I didn't like that it had a strange ending and how Luke's character was butchered.

 

I'm just glad I didn't spend seven dollars on this. This writing is terrible, and literally *everyone* is out of character. Plus, you have to deal with the Solo babies. I actually found myself skipping the chapters with the adults, the story was so dull. Luke's character is attached to McIntyre's shoe after she stepped in poo and smeared it on the carpet that is SW EU. Don't read it, it's not worth it. When you would rather read about that idiot Hethrir and the Solo babies than that other idiot Waru and the main characters.

Boba

 

..Well, i gave it a 6..


Maybe it was before i possessed the ability to discern good Star Wars from bad (perhaps this book was the one that caused me to develop the 'skills' that led me to recognize how bad COURTSHIP OF PRINCESS LEIA was), but i remember not minding this one..

I don't remember much ABOUT it (though Waru does sound familiar), but i made it thru the book, so it at least deserves a 6 for that...

 

I gave it a 1, the story went nowhere. I mean, this is Star WARS, but yet, I found the book to be severely lacking in action. I also found the characterizations to be completely wrong. All in all, it was probably the worst Star Wars book I read.

 

I almost gave The Crystal Star a 1, I so dislike this book. I usually find something enjoyable in all Star Wars books/comics etc, and I read this book a second time to give it another chance, but it only got worse. It's so bad it's not even funny. I give it a 2 only because it's a Star Wars book and continues the saga...somehow

Edit: And the Crseih Research Station was kinda cool.

 

4 - Probably the worst Star Wars book that I have read.

 

2. Very, very bad.

Waru... ugh!

 

Bad characterization. Repetitive ideas (somebody wants to kidnap the Solo kids, cool, nobody had thought of that before, eh?). Un-SW-ish ideas (that strange blob, what was his name, Waru?). The only cool addition was Xaberri, but that's not nearly enough to avoid a 1.

 

Oh, come on, guys. It's not THAT bad...

...

...well, OK. Maybe it is, but I don't think it deserves a 1.

5/10

 

I wanted to give it a 10 just to be a jerk. but this book was so bad I couldn't do it. I had to give it a 1.

 

I read this about the same time I was starting to get sick of the reputition of the SW novels. Let me tell ya', with Han's attitude, the cliche dark Jedi, the cliche Solo kids kidnap plotline, and Luke's, "Take me Waru!",--(not meant to be sexual, for anyone who might take that wrong), it didn't renew my interest. I gave it the 1 it deserved.

 

One word: Vomitus.

 

A bit of a mess. What is wrong with Luke? Great to see the Solo Kids in action though.
6/10

 

A 1. Definitely the worst Star Wars book written...and possibly one of the worst books period.

 

6. It wasn't as bad as all that. And the kids were cute.

 

Good but still only a 6

 

I gave it a 6 I didn't think it was that terrible. The stuff with Luke and Han confused me greatly (probably because I skimmed it due to bordem), but I actually liked the stuff with the Solo kids. I found that part of this book a fun read, even though the rest of it was not good

 

I too gave it a 1.

The only good thing about the book is that it came out around 9 years ago, and over time I have forgotten just about everything that happened in it.

Latre!