Reviews Books The JC Lit Reviews Special: FATE OF THE JEDI: OMEN (Spoilers)

I posted my review up, and it's available here.

I felt the need to provide this book with a 0.8/4 with translates into 2/10

 

I agree completely.

-The Rebel Gungan

 

I really thought Christie Golden is going to give us something good, frash and new, but "Omen"... "Omen" is a disaster. It's too short, completely unimaginative and feels like "Outcast" 2.0. Two major plotlines - Coruscant and Skywalkers' adventure - are exactly the same, as they were in the first book. It's nothing more than "copy-paste".

4/10 from me. Why so high? Omen has some really good dialogues and wonderful climate. And it's nice to see that Golden did her homework on EU material.

 

7/10

WAAAAYYYY too short.

I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but it's funny. After I was done, I went and told my wife and she (being a very, very casual Star Wars fan) asked "So, what happened?" I drew a deep breathe, ready to explain, and then froze. "Well...nothing really," I finally replied, much to my own shock.

But, the characterization was pretty good. I like the Ben/Luke bonding though their subplot seemed to be wrapped up REALLY quick and served no larger purpose than to usher them on to the next stop on their Jacen Tour. I'm excited at the prospect of Allana having a nexu, though

On the bad side, the "insta-podium" was very, very dumb. Jag's dialogue in his "uber-smooth-champagne & foot massage" proposal was a bit off-putting. I get he's a dignitary, but his "voice" was just really uppity and overclassed and didn't seem to fit with the character that I knew. I mean, this is just Jag, right? I like Jysella's little mini-cast at the beginning, but I have no idea why they're called "The Unit". It made them seem super-covert or like a task force (which would have been okay), but...there was nothing. Didn't understand that. Maybe more to come? No climatic battle, either. While I really liked the Good Pets Go Bad battle, it didn't seem to be the culmination of the novel, you know? There really wasn't an End to the story we just read, the story just sort of stopped.

What I really liked, however, and what gives it such a good rating in my book, is the Tribe and Vestara. Very interesting characters. I was really when I heard this was going to be about the rise of the Sith (again), but these Sith had enough differences and little quirks to make them feel like new variations on an old enemy. So, I'm excited to see where that goes.

Overall, I thought the writing was competent and the author did her homework. But, I really hope we start getting some new twists and soon.

 

My thoughts are in the discussion thread.

Big things did happen(Jag & Jaina and Tahiri), but overall it kinda flunks out for me.

4/10

 

Overall, I give it a 5/10.

For starters, I want to compliment Christine Golden on her first entry into the Expanded Universe of Star Wars. I was very pleased with her ability to write the characters we all know and love. When I was reading a scence with Leia, or Cilghal, or Ben, I really felt that they were in-character.

I would also give her extra credit for continuity. This novel was a perfect continution of the story that Aaron Allston told. She put references in the right spots, connected current events to older ones, and kept things watertight.

However, the overall direction of FOTJ at this point appears to be fairly boring, or at least uninspired. As others have mentioned, the Sith have literally gone from being one of the best mysteries is the SWU to the most overused and exploited villians.

The One Sith of the Legacy comics were perfect, in that they were fresh and exciting. However, since Legacy has come out we have encountered the remnants of Lumiya's Sith Order and this new Sith Tribe. The more the authors of the FOTJ novels rely on the Sith, the less interesting their stories. Especially considering that we all know that the One Sith are the group that will eventually gain power.

However, I did like the development of the Tribe and especially Vestara's character. I think that they are building her to be a character that eventually leaves the Sith and embraces the Light Side (ie, Ben Skywalker), but I would be ok with that if it was done properly.

Admiral Daala continues to vex me considerably, especially because the scences that are from her point of view make it clear that she thinks she is noble and doing the right thing for the galaxy. Had Del Rey chosen some new character at the end of LOTF to be Chief of State, I would be ok with the plot. However, it is becoming increasingly hard to believe that the galaxy would be happy with Daala, unless there was some major retcons that negate much of what she did in the old KJA books.

I am curious to see how FOTJ plays out. It could still become much more interesting, but I find myself increasingly part of the camp of fans who would like to see the Big Three fade into the background, allowing for greater focus on a new generation. I love Han, Luke, and Leia, but the time has come to give them a smaller role. When I focus on all the reason that I prefer the Legacy comics over the current Del Rey EU novels, I find that the lack of older characters makes things feel fresh and exciting.

Anyways, to sum up my thoughts, it was not a bad book, but not a great book either. However I stand by my assertation that Christine Golden displayed great promise as a SW author and I look forward to seeing more of her work in the future.

--Adm. Nick

 

I think they're dangerous because they get kind of selfish at the expense of other people's safety. They're goal-oriented people and trample all the little innocent folk in the process. I don't know if there's anything "special" about Jacen, but with his behavior, the government finally got fed up and said look Jedi, ya'll need to either control yourselves or go away because it's getting a bit ridiculous with all of these dark Jedi going around like they own the place. Kind of like the straw that broke the camel's back.

I'm hoping this series will give some insight into why he turned bad. With 9 books and the pace they're making the authors take, it's going to take forever.

 

I don't know what score I'd give this thing. I'm not entirely excited by it, but it didn't hurt to read like some of the LOTF books did.

I'm positive about most of it, but there were a few things that grated at me. I already mentioned them in the discussion thread.

1. Jedi Temple recollections. Kenth Hamner shouldn't be remembering gazing out of the central spire of the old Jedi Temple and Jysella Horn should definitely not remember walking up the steps to the main entrance of the old Jedi Temple. It was either not there, or in ruins when both of them became Jedi. It wasn't being put to use by Luke or anyone else until Allston included a Force well in its basement in Enemy Lines. Then we got a glimpse of what is presumably the ruins of the Jedi Temple in Union when Luke is watching Kam and Corran have a training duel.

2. Same as most, length. I'm getting these through SFBC so I won't have to pay as much for an entirely hardcover series... and I still feel like I'm being ripped off. This needs to change and change quick. Maybe it's a sort of damned if you do, damned if you don't kind of thing. If we got long books at the beginning that are just filler until things start to really happen, then we'd probably complain. As it is, we are complaining. And I don't think there'd be as much complaints if these weren't in hardcover format... paperbacks are where these short novels belong. I don't think I've picked up so short a Star Wars novel since the novelizations of the OT! We can only hope that Denning will be dropping a massive novel #3 on us to get us basically the third act of a three book "First act" of a trilogy. Maybe FOTJ is shaping up to actually be a trilogy of trilogies that are very cohesively tied together. I mean, even stylistically the presentation is the same. With locations heading chapters where we move from one setting to another. Maybe books one through three are supposed to be like one entry into a trilogy or something. I don't know. At any rate, it comes down to Del Rey and LFL bilking us out of hard earned credits in a karking recession!

Other than that... nothing really happened happened. I like the retracing of Jacen's footsteps going on with Luke and Ben. The Force crazies are shaping up to be interesting with an underlying connection that goes back as far as EoV and SBS. As for the Lost Tribe of the Sith... at first I thought they would be Those Behind The Veil, but now I think they aren't going to be any kind of a threat to the galaxy at large. They are basically in the same position as the Sith Empire was before Jori and Gav Daragon stumbled upon them. Only these guys are going to go after Luke kriffing Skywalker... and they have fore warning about his abilities. And yet, they have absolutely no idea. Luke's going to mop the Maw with them, and Ben's likely to turn Vestara to the light because it's only obvious with all his talk about redeeming folks and watching for the signs and what with him being 16 and her being 16. Might even be a little romance in the works there.

 

Average score: 228.15/34 = 6.71

 

The series should have been shorter, an actual trilogy. I'm sad to say that I'm getting tired of having entire series so planned out and connected in such a preconceived way with NJO and LOTF. It may be the "cure" for the haphazard adventures of the Bantam books, but at least I remember each stand alone or trilogy from back then. They stand out. I'm not getting that feel so much for FOTJ.

 

Please leave comments to the discussion thread and keep this thread for reviews.

 

I listened to it on audio. Golden did a good job with the characters and she made the ang-ti enjoyable. The lost sith tribe wasn't evil enough. Also not a lot happened. I don't really know what to give this book as a rating. I enjoyed listening to it, but the lack of any kind of adversary really degraded it. 7/10

 

I enjoyed it. It was a quick read and it wasn't dragged out. 7/10


Good Stuff

 

Average score: 242.15/36 = 6.73

 

This was at once an enjoyable book and a very disappointing one. I enjoyed all the characterizations and plot threads, but there just wasn't enough meat- I wish we could have seen more of Luke and Ben with the Aing-tii and their philosophy, more about the Jedi on Coruscant trying to get to the bottom of the Force madness, and definately more of Vestara. I like reading about new cultures and civilizations- the Vong in all their horrible, fascinating glory were one of my favorite things about the NJO- and I like the idea of a group of Sith exiles who have strayed a lot from their roots, but still hold to that fierce pride and ambition nonetheless. What we got on the Tribe was good, but seeing more of Vestara's training would get into more detail about the philosophy, powers, and personalities of our new bad guys, and exactly what to expect when they meet our heroes. I think that the book did a good job of building up on previously established threads regarding whatever it is that's lurking in the Maw, which will probably turn out to be our ultimate Big Bad for this series.

Daala as Chief of State is still ridiculous- even though she's obviously calmed down/become less psychotic since we last saw her, it's still totally unbelievable that anyone would trust her with a landspeeder, much less a galactic government. But I thought Golden did about as well as you possibly could with the plotline, and I agree with the general sentiment that there's more going on with Daala's aide and then his aide than meets the eye. Continuity errors regarding the Jedi Temple were annoying, but ultimately minor.

Overall, my feelings towards FOTJ remain the same as they have been- cautiously optimistic. We're early on yet, and the plot threads going on right now could come out rather nicely, as long as they get enough attention. I hope we get some longer-than-average books later on to balance out for this one. 7/10.

 

This book epitomizes the word "mediocre"

6/10

 

Elori:
I was being rhetorical.

 

Average score: 255.15/38 = 6.71

 

With the obvious new direction of the Fate of The Jedi -- both in tone and story -- it's fitting that a new author was introduced to the universe. Having extensive experience in the Star Trek universe, Christie Golden is a natural choice to pen three entries of a series that sheds episodic, galaxy-shaking events in favor of exploration and a more deliberate pace.

For the most part, I feel she succeeded with Omen. There's a nice sense of voyaging into the unknown, and I feel a genuine subtext to the story -- things are boiling and there's going to be consequences for actions.

Unfortunately, I can't get a grasp of Golden's complete skill set because she's obviously working in a defined template. Structurally, this book is almost identical to Outcast, and I have no problem with that. I think Troy Denning will probably break from this a bit in the next novel, so I won't get too upset there's even one more book with this structure. But after each author gets their chance at a set-up novel, things better change, or I'm going to lose patience with this series.

I say that because I like the approach of this series, but I think it may be better in theory than in execution. We'll see.

This doesn't completely free Golden from criticism. I found her prose to be slightly above average, and too many times she resorted to "telling" and not "showing." Changing this could've strengthened the book -- especially in terms of characterization, which I thought she did well with anyway.

Stepping back two years to introduce this new Sith was handled well, and ended up providing something fresh to the story. It paid off greatly in the last 40 pages, which went a long way in leaving a positive taste in my mouth.

Thematically, I thought the book resonated. I LOVE the fact that the media is portrayed as basically a state-run entity -- Golden seems pretty adamant as portraying the reporters to be slime. She also seems particularly averse to dealing in moral equivalence, which is great for a Star Wars author.

For everything I liked about this book, I'm still left with the feeling that it didn't contain anything to stand by itself as a great book. Things are put in motion, but I don't think I'll remember anything about this novel in the future.

7/10

 

Average score: 262.15/39 = 6.72

 

It was too long. I couldn't finish it.

Now I know what you're saying: Too long?!

Yep, that's right. Because I'm two thirds through it (and I just read the summary in the other thread to wrap it up) and NOTHING has happened. About a quarter of the way I thought it had a bit of promise (barring the idiotic Daala scene after Horn's breakdown). The prose was not good but that could be forgiven if there's a good story and good characterization. But there was essentially no story and the characterization is hit and miss. The Sith scenes were decent but even they dragged after a time which should've been impossible.

2/10.

 

I listened the audiobook, and to be honest, it took me a week to finish it. My biggest complaint is that NOTHING happened!
The most interesting part which should have been elaborated were the Sith, who didn't seem that even.
It should have had more going on, instead she just said they were just stealing ships and making a fleet? Dark Empire anyone?
The Han and Leia scenes were pathetic to the point I skipped over them. Come on, going shopping for a pet? Boring.
I hope that this series can really pick up and become interesting rather than mediocre as it is now.

Also, whats with her describing when people are eating so frequently? Ben talking with his mouth full?

Jaina and Jag scenes and the Dark Meld crazy jedi thing, again the plot didnt move forward at all.
I'm just glad that it picked up a little to make me want to read the next one.

So far FotJ still more interesting two books in, and I'm glad there's no Mandos yet.

4/10

 

I posted my review over in the discussion thread, so I'll just give a rating here.


8.0


... I docked a point for the short length of the book, and another for some continuity issues. All in all, though, it was a good read.

 

I posted this elsewhere, and it serves as a review well enough:

Omen is not as bad as the TFN reviews would have you think, but then again, it's not that great either. Mostly it just reads like Outcast part two. There are some genuinely interesting parts, such as the new Sith Tribe, but much of the book is a rehash of the first book. A Jedi or two going insane? Check. Luke and Ben meeting a different Force tradition? Check. Daala making vague threats against the Jedi? Check. And the book does not even end really, it just kind of stops. For a book as criminally short as Omen, that is unacceptable. Yet, I think many of the problems here are the format itself. If this followed the LotF formula of one hardcover followed by three paperbacks, this would have been a paperback and relatively inoffensive. Instead, we get a book that really serves no purpose in being a hardcover besides getting the lemmings like myself to fork over more money. Not necessarily Ms. Golden's fault, but she still faces the burden of it.

Taking all that into consideration, and making note of other things that annoyed me (Like 20-somethings calling themselves "The Unit" in all seriousness), I can only give this a 6.5/10. Ms. Golden has potential, but this book falls on the format it finds itself stuck in.