What do you think of Vector Prime?

I first read Conquest and was very dissapointed about the hole Yuuzhan Vong (Crap name anyway)
But now I have begun on Vector Prime and its not that bad at all.
But the hole ''Maras sick thing'' makes me sick.
I does´nt mind the solo children.
But I don´t think its good when they overshadow the real main characters as they do in Conquest.

 

I thought it was a half-hearted effort by an author who has the tallent to do much better. It read like a rush job (Del Rey id give him a very tight deadline). If he would have bothered to do some basic research and been given more time, (and if Del Rey hadn't decieded to make the Vong and their biotech so preposterous) it could have been better.

 

I enjoyed VP but why are you reading conquest 1st?

 

Yeah, why are you reading the NJO out of order. From beginning to end is the only way to go.

 

To be honest it was not a convincing start of the saga. It only really got interesting from Ruin/Heros Trial.

I think it was becuase RAS wasn't given the freedom to do all he could have done. Having read most of his other works he is easily one of the best fantasy writers out there, but he was constrained to what he could do by Del Ray. Had he been given a trilogy in the Bantam line, or a duology in the last year of the NJO it would have been his best work yet.

 

I thought it was pretty good, but not the best way to start a new series. But I read DT first before VP.

 

I was leery about reading "Vector Prime", because I have such a great loathing for Drizzt Du'Urden, but I didn't let that stop me. I enjoyed "Vector Prime" a lot and was able to forgive little errors like X-wings having ion engines. I also didn't like the Mara's ill arc, because it started at nothing and ended at nothing, unless it will in some way affect little Ben. Salvatore is an excellent author, and what brief messages we have shared here, also indicates he's a pretty awesome guy to boot.

 

Kier - why dont you like Drizzt? I think he is one of the few charecters in fiction who actually have substance to them, although id prefer Jarlaxle and Artemis Entreri

 

I liked VP alright; I read it twice (the first night I got it while I was at work, and then again after BP). The characters seemed a little off, and some of the interaction between Luke and Mara seemed a little forced (although that is hardly Salvatore's fault.) Mara's illness actually made me a little nervous; I was sure they were setting her up to die. Chewie's death outright sucked, and the whole moon crashing thing was ridiculous. Otherwise, though, an enjoyable read after not having a SW novel for a while.

 

I read in an interveiw that Mara's Illness was there because he was'nt aloud to read any of the bantom line so he made the illness to explain mara going out of character!

 

I liked it, and liked that Mara was sick. She needed to be humbled a t bit. She thought she was invincible, but no one is. Nothing brings more genuflection than a debilitating illness. Gives you lots of time to think. I also think it served to put her in her age group, so that the Solo children could come to the forefront. (Am I right ? ) lol.....

I did like all the new Vong stuff, it's very interesting. Everyone has a weakness, they just haven't found the Vong's yet.

 

Couldn't stand the writing. Haven't bought a Star Wars book since.

 

I have to admit I loved VP. The book introduced us to an entire new enemy but didn't give too much away. I think out of the NJO to date it has primarily involved the original cast more than most (which for me is what I want) but for those whom have not read the Kid Jedi books (training at the jedi temple etc) it introduced the NEW JEDI ORDER. This is surely what the story ark is about. The book is a mere introduction to the whole story and therefore will leave a good number of unanswerd questions, which I feel is most peoples problems. Chewies death scene, I felt, was handled well and heroicly, just how those whom grew up wanting a wookie as a co-pilot would imagine him to go. Since this book there has been a diminshing involovment of our child-hood heroes. I have read/re-read each book wanting more of Han, Luke etc but the story is surely about leaving the old etc. I have to admit if our heroes leave after this story I shall finnish my reading of the GFFA until then I shall continue to enjoy reading the books (including VP a well written introduction to a new story).

Anyway Well done to the Gooners. Arsenal are through to the second stage of the champions league thanks primarily to our own force sensitve star (Theiry Henry). Many thanks for a Luke style performance.

 

Kier - why dont you like Drizzt? I think he is one of the few charecters in fiction who actually have substance to them, although id prefer Jarlaxle and Artemis Entreri

I have been an avid and experienced AD&D player since 1981, (Gawd, I'm gittin' old), so when every single drooling fanboy munchkin wants to play a Chaotic Good Drow Ranger (or similar), it just gets OLD very fast. No one wants to play a lowly human or halfling or regular elf, 'cuz they're just not as kewl as a Drow. So I guess it's not a loathing of Drizzt per se, rather just people who hero worship him. I've seen blinkin' Drow Paladins, for cripes sake! And in truth, the only character I really liked was Cati Brie, no relation to Shira Brie It's always been 'Drow This' and 'Drow That', they're the bloody master race of the Forgotten Realms and like the Chiss are to Star Wars in some instances. Worse, there are apparently no end to Drow underdark cities- I swear, there are more drow under the Realms than there are all of the other races combined on the surface.

 

I loved Vector Prime. It wasn't out yet when I first heard about the NJO, but knowing that Salvatore was writing it was one of the reasons I knew the series was going to be fun from the start.

For me, Mara being sick was the first indication of just how menacing the Vong were going to be. Not only were they threatening a strong character, they were doing it in a way that would really challenge the Jedi.

As for Chewie and the moon . . . well, it couldn't have been anything less. He was a bigger than life character, and it just wouldn't have done to have him fall to an amphistaff or thudbug or something that might kill a normal character.

 

Vector Prime is my favorite Star Wars book. It was the most engaging EU book i have read and i thought it was excellent. To me, the rest of the NJO hasn't compared to VP. Just my opinion.

 

Welcome, Troy.

For me, Mara being sick was the first indication of just how menacing the Vong were going to be. Not only were they threatening a strong character, they were doing it in a way that would really challenge the Jedi.

Nope, didn't work for me because it didn't really lead anywhere. It didn't hinder her enough that she failed any task she set out for, and I never felt that she was in any palpable danger, (Call it a hunch, but if Mara Jade died the fan outcry would shake the continents back into the oceans).

 

Troy... Mr Denning, a pleasure to see you posting this evening.
I liked Vector Prime too. ANd I love Drizzt. I especially love his journal entries between chapters where we really get into his psyche and see what it is to live as an outcast all your life.
I'd love to see Bob publish a book with nothing but Drizzt's journal in the future... perhaps after the dark elf has been laid to rest.

 

Vp rocked and to those who havent read a star wars book since, your loss i guess. salvatore is an amzing author who added depth to mara and gravity to the whole cast. great book, great start to NJO.

 

I believe this is a fair judgement of my appraisal of Vector Prime.

 

I remember reading that a while ago. Very poignant, eloquent, and if I might say, didactic. It was well thought out, good job.

 

It was great talking to you all. Just starting to get the hang of the boards, so forgive if I'm a little behind the thread.

Off to bed for me--gotta work tomorrow!

 

I must whole-heartedly agree to the positive sentiments regarding VP. RAS doing Vector Prime is the sole reason I have plunged into the NJO as far as I have. He is by far one of my favorite authors with an authority in storytelling like no other IMO.

Mr. Denning, it's good to see you! I have read your Dark Sun series, and I must admit I'm anxiously awaiting Star By Star.

 

Vector Prime was merely 'okay'. Unlike most of the Star Wars books I've read, such as Ruin and I,Jedi, I wouldn't read this over and over again. Granted, it did have some good parts, Kyp getting his butt kicked, Anakin leading his sibling trough a maze of asteroids [my favorite part], and even the death of our beloved friend, Chewbacca's saddening demise. However, it was poorly written, I can't blame the author though, he did the best he could in the limited amount of space he had to write in. Things were rushed, and the characters were all screwy. So, I'd have to say, that this was simply a book like any other, lacking the Star Wars magic I've come to know and love.

 

I hadn't enjoyed a Star Wars novel in many years. When I started reading VP I couldn't put it down. I was very engrossed in the story. There's been only two other NJO books that were that engrossing for me, Hero's Trial and Rebirth. I thought that the main characters were dead on with the exception of Lando toward the end of the books.

I liked how the adult couples were portrayed in VP. It was a lot more realistic than what we have been seeing in the later books. The exception would be the portrayal of Han and Leia in Hero's Trial, that was realistic even though I hated the estrangement story arc.