Reviews Books The JC Lit Reviews Special: LEGACY OF THE FORCE: FURY (Spoilers)

Aaron Allston's final addition to Legacy of the Force, Fury is the beginning of the end of Legacy of the Force. We're in the homestretch, and the situation is heating up. Big developments ahead.

Some rules: rate Fury on a scale of 1 to 10, supplementing your rating with a review, if you want to (It's not necessary but is highly encouraged). However, please do not rate or review the book until after you've read the whole thing. Thanks.

Go for it.


Some previous review threads:

Republic Commando: Hard Contact, by Karen Traviss
Shatterpoint, by Matthew Stover
The Cestus Deception, by Steven Barnes
Medstar I: Battle Surgeons, by Michael Reaves and Steve Perry
Medstar II: Jedi Healer, by Michael Reaves and Steve Perry
Jedi Trial, by David Sherman and Dan Cragg
Yoda: Dark Rendezvous, by Sean Stewart
Labyrinth of Evil, by James Luceno
Revenge of the Sith, by Matthew Stover
Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader by James Luceno
Galaxies: The Ruins of Dantooine, by Veronica Whitney-Robinson
Tatooine Ghost, by Troy Denning
Survivor's Quest, by Timothy Zahn
Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream, by Aaron Allston
Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand, by Aaron Allston
Traitor, by Matthew Stover
Destiny's Way, by Walter Jon Williams
Force Heretic I: Remnant, by Sean Williams and Shane Dix
Force Heretic II: Refugee, by Sean Williams and Shane Dix
Force Heretic III: Reunion, by Sean Williams and Shane Dix
The Final Prophecy, by Greg Keyes
The Unifying Force, by James Luceno
Dark Nest I: The Joiner King, by Troy Denning
Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen, by Troy Denning
Dark Nest III: The Swarm War, by Troy Denning
Outbound Flight, by Timothy Zahn
Republic Commando: Triple Zero, by Karen Traviss
Legacy of the Force: Betrayal, by Aaron Allston
Legacy of the Force: Bloodlines, by Karen Traviss
[link=http://boards.t

 

Most of my thoughts you can see in the discussion thread, but this is a great book in which Allston really pushes the story forward -- more happens in this than even in Inferno. Secondary characters get their chances to shine, though I was somewhat disappointed that some other secondary characters were somewhat marginalized. Still, it's a fantastic book full of action and largely great characterization. Let's just hope the momentum carries.

9.5/10

 

Average score: 16/2 = 8.00

 

Allston has delivered two very good books for this series, and coming off the heels of Legacy of the Force's best book so far, Inferno, I was definitely looking forward to Fury. Overall, I was very pleased with it.

The Cover: Hideous. The worst cover so far, and that's saying something. Ben Skywalker looks more like Ben Stiller.

Moving onto the stuff that actually matters...



What Worked: Fury is a really terrific adventure, with fast-paced chapters, and lots of action. Gone are the dead-spots that slowed down Exile and Betrayal, giving it a streamlined feel, much like Denning's Inferno, and making for a very quick read. Though Allston also manages to deliver some vivid descriptions here and there, allowing the reader just enough to create a setting around all the chaos.

What is most striking about Fury, is how much it feels like a New Jedi Order novel (And I mean that as a compliment). In fact, it seems like the first proper follow-up to that series, with a true ensemble cast of characters moving the story along. After the NJO did so much work pushing a new crop of characters to the forefront, letting the Big 3 take a step back? not a backseat, exactly, but not every problem has to be solved by Han, Leia, or Luke? it was nice to see that actually having an impact in post-NJO EU. Jaina, Jag, Zekk, Tenel Ka, Kyp Durron, Saba Sebatyne and even Kyle Katarn (w00t!) and Valin Horn play pivotal roles in this one, and it makes the galaxy feel much larger, and much more interesting. Prior to this it seemed as though the only time we'd see any Jedi outside of the Skywalker/Solo's is in the tired Council meetings where they have the repetitive debate over what to do with Jacen and how to deal with the war, and Jaina made little more than small cameo action appearances interspersed with a teenage love-triangle.

Fury is a vast improvement, in this respect.

Allston also includes his old favorites, most notably Wedge Antilles and Tycho Celchu, as well as the increasingly cool Syal Antilles and hilarious, unabashed Gary Stu, "Dr. Seyah."

One of the bright spots of LotF so far has been Jagged Fel. I'm not really much of a Jag fan, certainly wasn't during the NJO, but he's been given a very interesting storyline that allowed him to return to the fold and added new depth to his character. I love the entire exile plot thread and his single-minded determination to kill Alema Rar. And Jag owns this book. I'm not even sure why he wasn't on the cover instead of Ben. He basically kicks ass from beginning to end, and stole the show from the rest of the ensemble.

It was great seeing him set Jaina straight and I almost applauded when he told Jaina she was training herself to be killed. And Jaina... Her preparing to fight Jacen is pretty much what I've been waiting for the entire series.

All of the characterizations were really solid? I can't really think of a single one I didn't like, or that I took issue with. There were also poignant emotional scenes in Fury, like when Ben realizes his dad wants to die so he can be with Mara, or when Leia discovers that Allana is her grandchild. Allston seems content to let the dialogue communicate the emotion, following the same less-is-more formula, and it works very well here.

What makes Fury such a fun ride is that there is so much going on. Alema Rar using "Sith Phantoms", Jacen kidnapping Allana and using her as leverage against Tenel Ka and the Hapans, Centerpoint Station becoming active again and annihilating whole fleets, our first real look at the resources and defenses the secret Sith Order commands, an amazing final battle with Alema and "Ship", an awesome assassination attempt against Jacen on Coruscant, and a pair of daring missions boarding the Anakin Solo. Allston lets us crisscross the galaxy in true Star Wars fashion from one thrilling adventure to the next.

I'm so glad the Sith forces are making more than a cameo in this series in order to connect them with Legacy, and loved that we're finding out more about their structure a

 

Average score: 25.1/3 = 8.37

 

There was something screwy about the pacing. While there were some good drawn-out scenes (like Luke and Ben's "OMG YOU ARE SO EMO, DAD" "OMG I AM NOT! WAIT. I AM. OKAY. I'M BETTER NOW "), a lot of the book seemed choppy and rushed to me (case in point: the quick and easy destruction of Centerpoint and... that thing with Commenor that seemed kind of unrelated to everything else?). That's really a bummer because there was some great plot advancement in this book -- "Jacen's my daddy," Alema dying, Centerpoint being blown up. And the humor was nice. Can't say I liked how Jaina and Zekk were dealt with in this book. Zekk, who's firmly renounced the Dark Side since YJK, gets smacked upside the head by Lumiya's crazy asteroid? Jaina throwing people into trees just because she was beat in a practice round? But everyone else was good. Glad to see Syal back, glad to see Seha back.

7/10.

 

Average score: 32.1/4 = 8.03

 

I second Havac's 9.5. Rather than regurgitate my long-winded review, I'll link to it for anyone who's interested in why I was so amazed with this book. Allston delivered in a way that nearly singlehandedly makes up for the shortcomings of the entire series.

 

9/10

This book was vintage Allston- nice bits of humor, excellent continuity, and plenty of fun cameos. I have broken down the pros and a few cons below.

Pros

1. "Let me make this clear, though. We serve the Galactic Alliance. When Jacen Solo is no longer a factor, we will return our seat of authority to Coruscant. We retain trust in Admiral Niathal."

Never was a finer line written thus far in LOTF. Sums up Luke's position, which is heartening to me. Interesting to how that since Sacrifice the authors have been softening up Niathal's image. She is slowly evolving into a far more complex and intriguing character.

2. Wedge, Tycho, and Janson

Good to see so many old Rogues mentioned. In fact, Rogue Squadron getting any mention was good enough! I was sad to see Wedge's impromtu squadron have to fight through the Rogue's to acchieve their goal of reaching Jacen's flagship. Poor Lensi, a Rogue member since the YVW was vaped, but it was nice to see character POV's still considering the mere sight of the Rogue's enough to scare off any foe.

3. Jedi, Jedi, Jedi

First off, thank the Force for Allston's decision to make Kam Solusar survive his apparent death in Inferno. Having him and Tionne survive was a relief for me. Kudos to Allston as well for giving Kyle, Cilghal, and other Masters some scences. I espeically enjoyed seeing the Master's practice duel. Seeing Cilghal use her lightsaber was exciting, reminding us that even Masters who focus on the art of healing can be formidable. I was sad to see poor Thann Mithric die, however. His character was interesting, as well as utilzing a species we rarely see.

4. Syal Antille, Valin Horn, and the next-next generation

Both fun, both well written, and both full of tremendous potential. I really hope both appear in any post-LOTF series.

Cons

The only real con for the book was minor. For a Fleet Junkie POV, Allston was less descriptive with fleet battles than he normally is, which seemed a bit out of place. I also felt that ot was a bit slow in a few spots, and that we saw to little of Phennir, who most likely will not appear again in LOTF except for a possible mention by Denning.

Other than that, it was one hell of a book.

--Adm. Nick

 

The Pros:

-Continuity. Allston did a great job bringing back minor characters from the previous LotF books (Toval Seyah, Thann Mithric, Kolir Hu'lya, Tarla Limpan, Tebut, Turr Phennir, Sadras Koyan), as well as introducing new characters (Sanola Ti), bringing back some old characters from before LotF (Valin Horn, Kral Nevil, Wes Janson, Cheriss, Volu Nyth, Twool), and tying things together more neatly than Luceno binging on aderol.

-Plot Development. Like Inferno, stuff happens in Fury. Alema gets the axe. We find out more about the New Sith Order. Centerpoint Station goes up. Jag, Jaina, and Zekk's love-triangle comes to a sort of fruition. Allana's parentage is finally revealed to everyone. The war spreads. The Jedi kick ass. And Jacen is left broken and alone.

Perfect movement for the final two novels.

-Humor. We all know Allston is the king of humor. He shines once again. Despite the overall seriousness and gravity of the events occurring, there are quite a few laugh-out-loud moments. My personal favorite was when Rakehell Squadron was checking in. As the pilots drone out their callsigns, Rakehell Twelve simply asks: "Is it over?" Rakehell Twelve, of course, being Janson.

And even Kyp had a hilarious exchange during the Centerpoint operation:

"Radius of the explosion?"

Seyah shrugged. "A few thousand kilometers? I'm guessing here."

Kyp nodded, his expression fatalistic. "Facts, exact numbers, reassurance...a Jedi seeks not these things!"

The Cons:

-Loose Threads. Sadly, while Allston cleaned up a lot of previous loose threads (Seyah's mission to Centerpoint, Five World leadership after Gejjen, Brisha Syo, etc.), he created a few more. The entire Commenor scene was cool, but led to nothing of substance. I was really hoping for Fyor Rodan to return as a Confederation big-whig in this novel. Here's hoping Traviss or Denning can turn Commenor into a decent plot thread.

-Abruptness. Fury seemed to possess a chaotic tendency to jump from one development to another. While a lot happens between its covers, the transition isn't necessarily smooth. An extra thirty pages or so would've helped.

Overall, for its action, its grand scope, its characterization, and its plot development, I give it a 9/10.

 

Thanks for those great reviews. Mostly I posted this to see if my account is still active. Apparently it is.

 

Wow.... Ive been a member on this site since the late 90's and its been a while since I have posted. I just checked my profile which hasnt been updated in years... the funny thing is that now Cigam Retah and I are now Engagded. HA! How fun is that?

Read about a third of Fury so far. Great book!

 

Average score: 59.6/7 = 8.51

 

Couldn´t have said it any better.

9.75/10

 

Average score: 69.35/8 = 8.67

 

Definitely a solid 9.5/10.

I loved this book for all of the above mentioned things: a plethora of characters, new, old, and obscure (even mentioned Jaden which was cool), and good characterization to go along with it. Good plot, progression, and pacing. I felt the ending was a bit rushed, but only really minor. As said before, the worst thing about this book was the cover. Horrible. Really looking forward to Revelation and Invincible. This series is really starting to get good. I just hope Denning and Traviss don't drop the ball when it comes to these characters that Allston has given new life to and spotlighted: Kyle (was so excited, but so scared when I thought he had bit it), Valin, Allana (now know who she is, and others knowing; I was surprised they let it out in this one and not revelation), etc.

 

Average score: 78.85/9 = 8.76

 

9.5

I finished this book in two sittings. An absolute, gripping page-turner. The only reason that I do not rate this book a 10 is that, due to the fast pacing, there were some scenes that did seem a little rushed and choppy, with Luke and Ben's aforementioned "emo" scene being the clearest example of this. I also feel that each author has or will give us some variant of this scene (just as this scene was repeated several times in the NJO), so I don't expect true resolution of it until the final book of the series.)

The pacing also seemed to accelerate Jacen's descent into madness. I don't fault Allston for any of the conclusions he has Jacen leap to: they are perfect for the character. In fact, I'll say that Allston does the best job at characterizing Jacen, giving him an ever-increasing blend of hubris and paranoia that have long been the mark of non-Palpatine darksiders. But it seems that, in the last several chapters, Jacen becomes so full of himself that he does notice that he has become predictable.

Now, for a highlight of the things I did like...

1. Intelligence
I really got a sense that we reading about a group of people who were very, very good at the kind of small-unit hero stuff that makes up most of the action in this book. The plans were as necessarily convulted and forceful as any attempt to capture or kill Force-users/superweapons should be, and were as prone to failure as they were to success. The main characters seemed to work together quite well, with everyone contributing thier own speciality and skill to the fight. Jag, in particular, was very much improved.

2. All together now
Without giving too much away to the unspoiled, many of the classic major players now find themselves on the same team, and we get some of that classic, family feel that has come to define the clique of main characters we've been following for years.

3. Surprises
Jacen's murder spree on the way to kidnap Allana still came as a shock, believe it or not. So did Leia's meeting with Jacen aboard the Anakin Solo. Lando's baby. Tycho. Finding out Syal was engaged in the most tragic way possible And, most importantly, the death of Alema Rar.

This one I really didn't see coming, just because I didn't think anyone but Denning would kill her off. She is clearly a pet character of his, and I had just resigned myself to her being around until the final book in the series. Even more surprising that it was Jag, and not Leia or Jania, that killed her. It was a fitting end for her; she was something of a perpetual failure who was never quite as intimidating, menacing, or dangerous as she thought herself to be, and was thus killed by who she would have considered the least dangerous member of the strike team set after her.

4. Continuity
Denning's work seemed to flow fairly seemlessly into Allston's, something that has been lacking from these big multi-author series (and, if the preview at the end of the book is any indication, may be an issue again). This may have something to do with the fact that I just finished Inferno a week or so ago, and thus the storylines are fresher in my mind, but everyone seems to be on the same page here.

5. Minor Characters.
Kyle Katarn actually got some screentime! The mentions of Jaden Korr and Cheriss ke Handi were very nice, even though things seem to have not gone well for poor Cheriss. Allston also made superb use of one-shot characters that added a bit more personality and depth to the war.

6. Action
Stuff happens. A LOT of stuff happens. Much of it involving lightsabers.

All in all, I was very satisfied by this book. It's one of the best EU reads I've had in a while, and may rest only behind the RotS novelization as my favorite SW book of all time (have to allow some time to pass to get a proper perspective on that one). A hearty to Mr. Allston, and I can't wait to see how this series finishes.

 

Average score: 88.35/10 = 8.84

 

Legacy of the Force: Fury

THE GOOD: You know how the first few LOTF books seemed to crawl around like a stuck Hutt? Yeah, they would appear to have fixed that. There's soo much going on in this book, and it really advances the plot.
I loved the Allana plotline, as well as Jagged Fel's dynamic characterization and likeability. I was honestly shocked when I realized that Wedge was going to have to take out Rogues. To me, that just about summed up how messed up and upside-down the galaxy's become.
The action flowed quickly and briskly. Good job, there.

THE BAD: I guess it's part of the character development, but Jaina just straight-up torqued me off when she slammed Jag into the tree. That's not only un-Jedi, but are also beyond the bounds of normal civilized decency. Luke really should pay more attention to Jaina, or else he's going to have another Caedus on his hands.

THE UGLY: I don't know if anyone else has this problem, but on my copy of Fury. Ben looks like he's just a shade shy of a unabrow.
...
Word.

Score: 8/10

 

Great point. What made it even better on Allston's part is that he didn't overtly state "I'm firing on the Rogues, the galaxy is messed up!" That conclusion was left for the reader to realize, and was one of many subtleties that Allston expertly placed in the book.

 

Average score: 96.35/11 = 8.76

 

Another great one.
9.5/10

 

I give it a 9.5 as well.

I don't know if I can give a review without gushing so I'll keep bullet points.

- Valin Horn = awesome! Seeing him more developed gives me hope for the future.

- Jag Fel = badass! Seeing him open up and become less rigid with things was spectacular. Allston even did it in a funny way which is why I like Allston as an author. The scene with him putting his head on his hands, unintentionally hilarious on Jag's part.

- Ben and Luke - these two are written well, Ben was conducting himself as an apprentice during the raid and Luke finally breaking out of grief was done in the best way possible.

- Jaina - I sure hope the direction this book lead her in doesn't disappoint me. I want her to be the one to take Jacen out in the worst way and everything is leading up to it happening.

- Family ties - Like I said above with Valin, I liked seeing the other family members of characters being used. Syal proved herself in the battle, Valin proved himself as a Jedi, Myri cracks me up in hearing about her endeavors.

1 small beef:
Do lightsabers 'absorb' blaster bolts? Have we seen this before and my memory is failing me?