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

I'll give it a 9.8.

Not the most perfect book, but damn near close. Finally, the stakes are raised and FotJ has hit into high gear. Couldn't put the book down from start to finish.

 

I can't give it anything lower than a 9.4

This felt like a SW movie and so much fun to read. If only he wrote the rest of the FotJ novels.

 

Average score: 367.63/47 = 7.82

 

I thought it was the best book of the series by far. Can't wait to see where this goes.



Rating: 8.5

 

Average score: 376.13/48 = 7.84

 

I'm gonna give it an 8. I really like how Denning is attempting to bring back some of the mysteriousness to Star Wars with the Luke/Ben storyline. Abeloth creeps me out. A lot. I'm not sure what to make of that character. I'll also point out that it never says Corran punched out a media guy, Jaina just thinks he probably did. The only thing I remain crabby about as each book passes is that Valin and Jysella are still in carbonite. The Corran I fell in love with would never allow that.

 

Average score: 384.13/49 = 7.84

 

People on these boards have wondered why it is that Troy Denning got to write the "last word" in Legacy of the Force and now in Fate of the Jedi.

The answer is simple: He's the best writer in the franchise. The people at LucasBooks recognize his skills, and most of the readers do as well.

I'm sorry for the gushing, but somehow I'm always astounded by Denning's work. His craftsmanship and dedication make the choice to plop down $25 for one of his books an easy one.

Coming into Abyss, I really wasn't sure how this series was going to shape up. I thought the series' previous entries meandered, and no real weight. Now, after reading Abyss, I can see where this is all going because Denning's ability made the material reach its potential. You can still have a lighter adventure, but still convey that heavy subtext that comes with any Star Wars film.

And if you can accomplish this, and STILL create Star Wars escapism, then you have a true Star Wars novel. Denning has done all of this with Abyss. I really felt Luke and Ben were in danger as they explored new territory and even planes of existence. At times during Luke's journey, I was reminded of the film The Fountain (which I love).

It's also good to see that Denning hasn't lost his touch with Han and Leia, even after adding Alana to the mix. Their passages are priceless.

As for Jag and Jaina, I really think Denning has isolated the challenges they face and brought them to the reader so effortlessly.

Daala even seems more viable in Denning's hands. I love the theme of Daala using the courts as a political weapon -- that strongly resonated with me.

Finally, the Sith ... it was so awesome to see their philosophy play out even in the middle of combat -- even to Luke and Ben's astonishment. And speaking of combat ... NO ONE in Star Wars writes violence like Denning. I've read interviews with him where he explains how much attention he puts in this area, and you can tell. I felt out of breath during Luke and Ben's battle with the Sith.

If I had any criticism at all, I'd say that parts seemed a tad lazy. Sentence structure wasn't as clean as Dennning's previous works, and there were passages where Denning could've done some "showing" rather than "telling".

Another great effort by Denning. I can hear John Williams' score as I read his books. The pacing, the sense of time and place, the humor, the subtext ... everything great.

9.8

 

He's definitely better than most, and the best of the current series' authors. However, I can't get over Invincible...I will hate Denning forever for that book...

That being said, this book is great. Exactly what this series needed. The only thing I want to comment on that nobody else has...is the ending!

I don't know what it was exactly...I won't elaborate as I'll probably just babble on incoherently, but Luke telling Ben that what Jacen saw on the Throne of Balance doesn't matter, and 'it never will' just seemed so appropriate. IMO, the best ending to a star wars novel we've had in a long time...

8.7

 

9/10.

I really liked this book after the disappointing Omen. This book earned most of its marks from the Luke and Ben scenes, Luke was back to his ass kicking goodness but this was mostly because he actually had a decent, somewhat intelligent and respectful opposition. I was really looking foward to Sith/Skywalker showdown and Denning didn't disappoint.

Still mulling over the Mara scene but I'll work through that on the Mara thread.

I was cheering in the Jacen scene, hope that there will be minimal reconning of his actions during LotF. Thanks to Denning's, 'Jacen is damned' scene at least we now know that Jacen was somewhat responsible for his actions and no spirit/ virus/ mind whammy can wave that fact away. Unless the afterlife in the SW galaxy is very warped.

Anyway, looking forward to the next installment.

 

Average score: 411.63/52 = 7.92

 

I give it a 7.5/10

Denning is a talented SW author, however I think some of the editing could have been better (the most annoying of which that I've already mentioned in my Jaina thread).

 

Average score: 419.13/53 = 7.91

 

Average score: 428.13/54 = 7.93

 

As far as Jacen's fall... I thought the point of his series was to give us answers? I'm not happy speculating that Jacen saw Luke on the throne and therefore went dark to ultimately stop Luke from going dark. If that's the reason, fine, say it... don't dance around it. Jacen's fall was confusing and made worse by all these differet theories on why he fell. We need an answer.

That said, I will not be happy if it was Luke on the throne. It would be unbelievable and out of character for Luke to go dark now.

 

9.4/10

Abyss has recaptured my interest in the this series. First book in the series that I didn't want to put down. Even though the Coruscant scenes were still good, especially the Han/Leia/Allana stuff, I found myself glancing at the first pages of the upcoming chapters to see how long it would be before I got back to the Luke/Ben stuff. Their parts were so compelling and Denning did a great job with building mystery. The Sith parts were great as well. I loved how Abeloth connected with both plot lines. Her parts were so creepy and I can't wait to find out more about her. The little hints have me so intrigued like when, I think it was Mara who called her "ancient." I can't wait to read Backlash.

Denning's style of writing sometimes annoys or even confuses me (like the location of Abeloth's planet in relation to Sinkhole and a few other things) but it is a minor complaint.

 

Average score: 437.53/55 = 7.96

 

After skipping Omen, Denning has restored my interest in FOTJ with Abyss.

Normally, a new population of Sith would be a very formidable villain for any series but creepy Abeloth is possibly more dangerous than a planet full of them.

Luke and Ben's portion had more purpose than their vacation with the Baran Do Sages - even if the mind-walking bit was sorta trippy.

I thought the Anakin and Mara encounters were cheap - a bone thrown to fanboys but unneccesary. I was intrigued by Luke's conversation with Jacen but I wish it had occurred while Caedus was alive and kicking, not in some quasi-real or was it trip beyond shadows.

The Coruscant/Jedi/Daala portion were more interesting than they were in the first book, too.

Bravo, Troy. Good SW writing once again.

7/10

 

Average score: 444.53/56 = 7.94

 

I'll try not to repeat the same negatives, but just say I agree on the Coruscant plot line. It was almost unbearable. Having just read Omen, with a nice, sensible, even keeled Kenth Hamner... I was pretty astounded at his charatization in Abyss. All I can think is that he's got the virus and just isn't feeling himself. I wanted to smack Han and Leia before the end of the book and found myself actually skimming the Jaina and Jag parts. And the Mandoz suck feeling was pretty much the anti-LOTF Mandoz!!1. Uh, we get it now?

The Luke/Ben plot was good, and except for the Abeloth (she reads a some sort of weird plot device to me) character, I was pretty pleased with how all that went down.

The Sith plot was good until we get to the "Everbody must hurry up and die to move this along", then it all kind of fell apart. Suddenly they're busting the doors downt to the station and fighting Luke.


Not enough good to pull it fully into the positive for me.

3.5/10


And with this, I'll be getting them from the library from now on.

 

I've gotta give this book a straight 10.

Why? Well, as a huge Luke fan, FOTJ so far is like Del Rey's way of saying, 'We're sorry for screwing up Luke so badly since we got the contract from Bantam, so here's a series with the Luke Skywalker you know and love.'

Honestly, Outcast, Abyss, and Omen are the first works since the Bantam era in which, when I read Luke's lines, I can CONSISTENTLY hear Mark Hamill's voice SAYING them. Sure, some of the books have had great lines, like the DNT had the great 'No, I need STRENGTH, and that's something you only get from MY way of using the Force', which is really, really Luke, but for the most part, the authors just haven't been able to write Luke consistently in-character from cover-to-cover.

So far, Fate of the Jedi doesn't suffer from this at all. Not only is Luke so completely in character, he's probably the most powerful Luke we've ever gotten.

In fact, that fight with the Sith on Sinkhole Station? Whole time I was reading it, I kept flashing back to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvod3y8XVbs
Yeah. This isn't Wimpy!Luke, this is the Son of the Chosen One, Grand Master Luke. HECK YEAH.

As for Abeloth, AWESOME! We haven't had this great sense of deep, unexplained mysticism in YEARS. It's always been extragalactic threats or space bugs or whatever with Del Rey- but Abeloth and the Force Psychosis hearkens back to the early days of Marvel Star Wars.

If there was any downside at all, it was that Denning seemed to want to rub it in our faces that Jacen hadn't even been tempted while Luke was, and the whole Luke-being-worried-HE-was-the-Dark-Man bit... yeah, only downsides to an otherwise perfect book, and not enough to dampen the score.

Sorry if I'm gushing a bit much, but getting this AND Invasion all at once? It's a VERY good time to be a Luke fan.

 

Average score: 458.03/58 = 7.90

 

9/10

I love the last few lines of the book when Luke says Ben he doesn't have to worry about what Jacen saw, and that he never would. Can't wait for the next one.

 

Average score: 467.03/59 = 7.92