The biggest problem with book series is that when you hit a sour point and you will, you have to read through it, rather than just letting it happen to you on screen and moving on to a part you like.
ok let me ask you something, do all the 19-20 books of the NJO focus on the Vong? Or do the enemies and challenges change later on in the series. I do know what happens to Jacen but is that during the Vong war???
Well, the Vong is the main enemy, but certainly the groundwork for what happens with Jacen later is laid in the NJO. There are also plenty of other challenges for the heroes, like the poor reaction of the government to the threat, ineffectual leadership, etc. It's pretty complicated, but it's unlike any other book series in the EU, and I'd say it's definitely worth reading.
Personally, I loved the NJO. As many have said, there are certainly some duds, though. For me, I wasn't fond of Balance Point, the Agents of Chaos bks, or the Final Prophecy, but some of my favorite EU moments take place in this series. The Stackpole books are what genuinely got me excited about the series as a whole. I loved reading Luke's rescue of Jacen, Corran's whole role in the series, and Anakin growing in the force. By the time I finished Edge of Victory: Conquest, Anakin had become my favorite character in the series. I thought all the authors did an amazing job showing him grow as a character. I feel like I could go on and on about parts of the series but I wouldn't want to spoil anything for first-time readers. The NJO really is a roller coaster and I think it needed to be a lengthy series in order for everything to feel organic (no pun intended). 19 books may be too long, but the series benefits by having the space to breathe and allow the characters to see and experience the consequences of everything that happens.
What happened to Anakin was the only time an EU novel made me cry. It was terrible. I didn't care much for drunk Han either, and so I enjoyed the Agents of Chaos books as he struggles to right himself. I was only truly satisfied when he and Leia were reunited though.
The brilliant thing about NJO is the series and then the miniseries within it. Typically books like Vector Prime Balace Point Star by Star and Unifying Force are focused on the Skywalker Solos and other important characters. Other books like Stackpoles focus on certain characters like Ganner and Corran. Agents of Chaos was a Han Solo series. The point of series was you could step away from a character then pick up later in the war with the character. As opposed to LotF and FotJ where it is basically one story from beginning to end. No side stories or character development beyond the Skywalker Solo clan
I would definitily read all the NJO books. Like most have said, there are some slower points, but doesnt every story? Being the most radical series the EU produced, its bound to have people who loved it and hated it, but for my money, it was outstanding. Im surprised no one has mentioned this yet, but a must read besides some of the others IMO was Traitor. Very philosophical and sets alot up for Jacen afterwards. This was probably one of my favorite books, period.
Traitor was good... Dark Journey not as much... Final Prophecy, I liked but then again any book that features Corran Horn is a plus in my book
kataja: I think it's both. I know there were a lot of people like me who didn't like the series at all. I finished it, but many gave up midway through the LONG four years of the NINETEEN book single story. Most of those people aren't posting on these boards any longer. I will say that as much as I disliked the NJO, it looks better to me when compared to the DN trilogy, LotF, and FotJ....
Reading through NJO for the first time now and am on Dark Journey. It's not as bad as some people are making it out to be, but it is taking me longer to finish. It's not the page turner that some other SW books have been.
Like anything it has it's bright spots. Not to worry however, the Unifying Force will come and go and you will be like, wait a moment... What just happened? I thought I just started a book
I actually really enjoyed Dark Journey maybe that is just because I enjoyed reading a more mature Kyp.
For the past 2 years I've been reading most of the New Jedi Order series and recently since a week and half ago I bought the last 3 New Jedi Order books to wrap it up. The whole series was and still is great. You will shed a few tears with a few deaths and total destruction of a planet of a favorite alien species.
I am looking forward myself to reading it for the first time. I recently bought 15 of the first 16 off of ebay for a really good deal and will start reading it this summer after I read a couple of books that I want to read first, such as I, Jedi.
I am not normally a fan of first person books but I am a huge fan of Corran since the first X-Wing book, so figured that is worth the read right there.
Corran Horn is amazing. I agree with not enjoying the first person but Corran does give us insight into the mundane as well as the galactic story. It is REALLY good. Still I wished it was written in third person
i liked "I,Jedi "over all but iwas very annoyed about a certain contest between corran and Luke, and how it went down, and how it made Luke look. If it was not for a scene in the end of the book, this would have been unforgivable.
I would say that the later actions in the EU between Luke and Corran more than redeem that scene. Let us remember that Luke would probably not want a Yes man, so having a fellow Jedi that speaks his mind but is on the same page in the way the Jedi should act would quickly become a confidant to the Jedi Master.
