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Reviews Books The JC Lit Reviews Special: JEDI TRIAL (spoilers)

Discussion in 'Literature' started by Mastadge, Oct 19, 2004.

  1. GrandMasterKatarn

    GrandMasterKatarn Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 8, 2008
    I remember reading this a couple of weeks ago. And I still found it to be very enjoyable. Great characterization and battle scenes. Nice to see how a battle is planned and what goes into the process. 10/10
     
  2. Grey1

    Grey1 Host: 181st Imperial Discussion Group star 4 VIP

    Registered:
    Nov 21, 2000
    I normally don't write for the review threads, but since we did the novel last July in the 181st discussion group (I revisited it for the first time since the paperback came out in 2005), it can't hurt to simply copy what I concluded there. Well, at least it can't hurt as much as the novel. 0/10.

     
  3. PadmeA_Panties

    PadmeA_Panties Jedi Youngling star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 25, 2003
    I just finished this the other day and asked for this to be unlocked so I could put my review in here.

    This is just one of those ESSENTIALLY HORRIBLE novels that serves entirely zero purpose and unneeded. And of course; as per typical forums here, I come on to review it - to see someone write a simple 2 sentence blurb and give it a 10/10 because, after all, it says "Star Wars" on the cover.

    Prose:
    * Horrible. Dictated and read; obviously a collaboration between two authors - which usually results in jumpy and sporadic and bad prose to begin with. Case in point: Jedi Trial.
    * Military Jargon. Here. This is the "purpose" for this novel. "We need to make a military novel to show how the Clone Wars is a "MILITARY" operation, its a WAR, so lets make it like real-world Earth [American/English] military! Perfect!"

    Plot:
    * Is there one? Intergalactic Communications Center? WTF? What is that? Something entirely not mentioned before in-universe [or out], and basically the sci-fi cliche of "we need a system that serves the purpose of communications". For war novels/sci-fi warring; this means a key planet for each faction to fight over to control the valuable communications of the universe. Does this work in SW? Nope.
    * Obviously due to the TCW/even due to just the other novels; the timing of this novel is off. No way could it be 30 months; it'd basically have to be 1 month after AOTC.
    * Neeja/Anakin/Slayke. Wow; what a horrible usage and waste of 3 possibly interesting characters. Way to screw over Neeja, Anakin, and a brand new just made character [Slayke] all in one sitting sirs. Congrats.
    * Erk/Odie. We get it. They get from one scrap to another and go from one different military type position to another to flesh this out and to show us all of the different facilities of war; from air, to recon, to fortressing, to artillery, to ground, etc. *yawn*
    * Military jargon. Again. We get it; you have military backgrounds, you want a military book for the clone wars. But where.... WHERE do you think its a good idea, funny, intelligent, witty, or good idea or worthwhile to spend literally 2 pages of hardcover on a military droid just listing his different abilities; and to use these pages within the last 40-50 pages of the novel. In the "Going home" stretch of the novel. Where you want to ramp up the climax and excitement.
    * We'll spend 20 pages trying for you to get to know Anakin/Neeja at the sacrifice of the obvious stupidity of Anakin/Obi-Wan not teaming up like they should/would as per "protocol" (funny that a military protocol novel decides to overlook this for purposes of the obvious "hey lets get two married in secret Jedi together"), then we'll spend 20 pages beginning the war, then we'll spend 150 some pages showcasing the ground battle.... then 5 pages of deuce ex machina [aka Anakin]; then another 5 pages of the climax "space battle" that decides the battle... and we'll finish it with a 2 page celebration and 2 page marriage. Umm.... WTF?!
    * Numbers. Million droids. Million this. Pages devoted to usage of water consumption, etc. Understandable to show this side of the war novel, and is obvious "duh, never thought of that, but armies do use water". But it 1) is not really needed in a SW novel and doesn't fit the universe; 3) overlooks how clone troopers armor recycles moisture. The other constant usage of numbers in the novel constantly seems off compared to all the various other novels/sources from this time period. Also at a few places in the novels; it uses KPH for vehicle speeds, but distance was measured in miles (I believe I encountered the word 'miles' twice in the novel). Credits - in the numbers category; the CIS is talked about with his research and credits... but we're talking about them overmatching an entire Republic as far as R&D goes. Doesn't seem quite to fit. Maybe at start of war it does.... but not when the novel wants you to think it is (30 months post); basically one of the last operations in the war.
    * Technology. The technology seems off. Planet-wide jamming is new? Is it? I know it was done in t
     
  4. Grey1

    Grey1 Host: 181st Imperial Discussion Group star 4 VIP

    Registered:
    Nov 21, 2000
    Oh, zero isn't allowed? My bad. 1/10 it is, then.
     
  5. Havac

    Havac Former Moderator star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 29, 2005
    Average score: 392.33/65 = 6.04
     
  6. COMPNOR

    COMPNOR Jedi Grand Master star 3

    Registered:
    Aug 19, 2003
    I was thumbing through this book last Friday at the local bookstore; just a cursory examination showed that it was pretty bad. Yeah, the authors are vets, but come on:

    Erk H'arman--Named after the Luftwaffe pilot who is the greatest ace of all time, but did you have to use a Luftwaffe pilot?
    JG-51--H'arman's call sign, the same as one of the top Luftwaffe squadrons in World War Two. An Allied fighter squadron would have been nicer instead.
    Eiley, Izable, Kaudine--Now we're in French Indochina, at the siege of Dien Bien Phu. I guess "Beatrice", "Gabrielle", and "Dominique" don't translate very well into Star Warsy names.

    I think I'm going to buy this book anyway--used, of course--just because it's one of the hideously awful things you can't take your eyes off of.
     
  7. Barriss_Coffee

    Barriss_Coffee Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 29, 2003
    I'm going to necro this awful book's thread because I just had the most amazing conversation with the sentient rakghoul in SWTOR about how the price of Dianoga Tea was disturbed by the Jedi/Sith war and I was like

    [​IMG]
     
    QuinlanSolo and Nom von Anor like this.
  8. Nom von Anor

    Nom von Anor Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 7, 2012
    Pors Tonith’s dianoga tea-stained teeth are just about the only thing I remember about this novel… other than how awful it was.