Reviews Books The JC Lit Reviews Special: THE FINAL PROPHECY (TFP spoilers)

Counting 7 reviews: 56/7 = 8/10

 

8/10

I really enjoyed the book, fast paced, not alot of sitting around, we get to the point

I just wish we could have had a little taste of just exactly what Nen Yim discovered, rather than have EVERYTHING revealed in the final book

as for the people who are saying that there was too much Tahiri, do you understand that this book was supposed to FOCUS on Tahiri? to be the wrap up of the Edge of Victory books? She was the main character of this book. To say that Tahiri has become the focus of the series is akin to saying that Jacen was the focus of the series because he was the main character in Traitor, or that Jaina was the focus of the series because she was the main character in Dark Journey. That's ridiculous.

The series IS called, New Jedi Order after all; Jacen, Jaina, and Tahiri are the new Jedi. The series is not focusing on Tahiri. It is just dealing with Tahiri's subplot right now, as it did in Traitor with Jacen's subplot, in Dark Journey with Jaina's subplot, in the Enemy Lines duology with the New Republic subplot, and on and on. I don't think you should criticize the series just because Tahiri's subplot is one of the plots that lead into the final resolution.

I personally have enjoyed Tahiri's subplot, and am very interested to see how she will turn out after all she has been through.

But that's just me and my opinion.

 

5/10

I have generally liked all of the NJO books. This book along with perhaps Dark Journey are the only two NJO books that I did not like.

I did generally like Tahiri in this book. Greg Keyes does a good job of showing how she comes to terms with her two personalities.
The characters of Nen Yim and Nom Anor are quite good.

Unfortunately the campaign at Bilbringi was boring and had no relevance to rest of the book. The whole Bibringi portion of the book could have been cut out and it would not have had any impact on the rest of the story. As result this rather short book has ~100 pages that are not needed to tell the main story.

Perhaps the most irritating aspect of this book is how the revelation concerning the YV and Zonama Sekot is dealt with. By the end of the book, several characters are aware of a profound relationship between the YV and Zonama Sekot that is critcal for the future. The only new information I had on this relationship is that YV life is clearly related to the life on Zonama Sekot. Actually, I already suspected that the YV and Zonama Sekot were somehow related when I read Rogue Planet. The significance of Zonama Sekot to the YV seems to be much than a simple genetic relationship, yet none of this is revealed to the reader.

Overall, I thought this book adds very little to the NJO story.

 

It's a 300 page prologue to TUF.

7/10.

 

Why do I read this stuff? I haven't gotten the book yet, but please tell me that Pash didn't die.

Wedge is always good, and he lucked out again

it was sad to see Pash go, always like Pash


That really sounded like he's gone. *cries*

~Inyri

 

He's only been in four out of scores of SW books, two of them just as cameos.

 

I'm gonna have to agree with Gandolf...It was a neat book, an easy read, but was all about setting up TUF.....6/10.

 

As far as Star Wars Fluff goes it's a 5.5/10.

I dunno, it lacks the re-readability of Keyes's earlier star wars novels, but that doesn't detract tooo much from the book. I think the plot lacked direction...

1) Tahiri visits a planet w/ ppl and Nom tries to destroy it
2) There is a battle and our other favorite heroes are involved.

Keyes ventures bacl into the NJO, and again he makes up for his (relatively) simplistic writing style by compensating with strong character development.

The Yuuzhan Vong characters are depicted as far more three-dimensional (although the plot requires them to me) than they are written in usual books. Tahiri's a complex character and her grief and confusion and immaturity are well conveyed. My opinion of the Corran characterization, however, is still a mixed bag. I've been praying for an author to take Corran beyond the characterization that Mike Stackpole has drawn up. Yes, we know that Corran is UNCANNILY SUSPICIOUS and has WITTY DIALOGUE. I still wish for more, although I was charmed by the brief reflection on the Battle of Ithor.

Kudos to Keyes (or the continuity editors) for a smooth transistion from FH. The events in the book are a logical progression from Reunion. The only misstep I noticed was Jag Fel's eye color--note to authors: i know superfluously describing eye coloration is fun, but don't do it unless you're 100% certain you're correct.

Nen Yim...so much potential...unfair for her to die from a measly rock-a-bash. I'm leery about this particular plot twist because it reset Nom Anor back to 100% Machiavellian EVIL. Her little Vong Heart was in the right place--I think she deserved to survive the war (although now I suppose she's reunited with her dead heretic boyvongfriend). It's good to know that her personality lives on in Riina Kwaad...I wonder if Riina Kwaad can still access some shaper information and maybe become a shaper in the future? I would've loved if Nen Yim and Tahiri had talked about their dead boyfriends...although the brief conversations they had were already pretty satisfying.

Corran as Tahiri's new master is an odd twist. I wonder what Valin will say.

I miss Anakin, too, Tahiri.

The Wedge plotline did nothing for his character. Very little character development there....you could've replaced him with "Bob" and we wouldn't have known the difference. Likewise, Jaina, Jag, Han, and Leia's characters stayed pretty static. Was the Han and Leia hanky-panky thrown in the please the shippers? It made me wince. The plotline was uh, unecessary, although the Devis thing was a nice little Pellaeon characterization snit.

Jacen is such a nice guy. Hugging Tahiri and all. Geez. I wish I had a nice Jacen guy. And a nice Jacen hug. (He's the sweetest little Vong murderer in the world!)

Hopeless Pro-Returner Theory #345: If Nen Yim could be implanted into Tahiri, could Anakin be implanted, too?

And although we detest the emotional mush and squish, this quote upped the "Awwwwww" factor: "To all of our sons and all of our daughters, be they with us or beyond."

hear hear.

 

Counting 12 reviews: 87.5/12 = 7.29/10

 

THE FINAL PROPHECY

The longest introduction I have ever read. Let's face it, that's what this book is - setting the pieces in place for TUF imo. In every sense of the word.

CHARACTERS

Tahiri - the main character, it's nice to see Tahiri - and she's better portrayed than in FH3, thank goodness. She actually becomes a character I can enjoy reading again. Her thoughts are complex and delightful, and she seems much more mature in writing than Keyes' last foray; he gets the concept of the 'united Tahiri' along remarkably well. I hope that trend will be continued in TUF. She makes superb points - I love the fact Tahiri is now a new person, and therefore lacks much of the Jedi training. It was wonderful to see her asking to be Corran's apprentice, which was a nice (and unexpected) touch. I enjoyed much of her characterisation. The revelation of Nen Yim's mind being that from which Riina Kwaad came into being, now *that* was interesting; it makes me wonder if Mezhan Kwaad didn't graft all available Yuuzhan Vong subjects into parts of that Riina Kwaad persona.

Corran - an excellent character, it's nice to see him again, although in places he sounded almost like a traditional Cockney when he spoke. Some of his speech and characterisation felt a little mangled; while Keyes is wonderful with Corran, and Corran is obviously a firm favourite of his, he's no Stackpole. I really enjoyed seeing Corran again, nonetheless.

Nen Yim - wonderful to see her developed again. There were minor continuity errors with DW (I'm beginning to suspect WJW didn't make the later authors aware of all his Vong scenes, e.g. Nom Anor discovering there is no eighth cortex and Nen Yim's projects; remember in FH he had a memory lapse concerning the Shamed Ones too). It was sad to see her die; she's one of few Vong I actually like as a character.

Harrar - surprising to see him, Harrar felt a little ooc, but was enjoyable. Some of his conversations with Corran were inspirational.

Nom Anor - well characterised, imo.

PLOTLINE

Please no. The book is nothing more than a stage on which TUF will act, imo. The great secrets are never revealed; Nom Anor moves back to the place he must stand in come TUF (i.e. prepares for his potential ascendance); Zonama Sekot moves (to where, we are not told; it drops out of hyperspace with remarkable ease considering it was, in effect, interdicted by passing a nearby mass shadow); Pellaeon's son dies (perhaps giving him a vengeance mindset come TUF?); Zonama Sekot learns great secrets from Nen Yim (in a ridiculously contrived manner we are not told what these secrets are); the GFFA begins its' offensives again (Sovv having changed his tune since FH1); and Tahiri gets to Zonama Sekot. Here's hoping Tahiri's being apprenticed to Corran wasn't one of Keyes' 'blips', but will actually feature in TUF.

A quick snack on the way to TUF, with nothing of any real importance (hence the book stars side-characters acting alongside Yuuzhan Vong cast). Wedge's gambits are well written. It would have been more useful to see, when Jaina is accused of holding information from Duros, her reminding them of what she went through in DT2 - the very same issue. That would have added a nice sense of overall continuity to the series, but it was not to be.

6/10. A quick snack, bring on the meal.

 

I wish I had a nice Jacen guy. And a nice Jacen hug. (He's the sweetest little Vong murderer in the world!)

LOL.

 

****SPOILERS*****

7/10

I have to agree too, it seems like TFP is just all set up for TUF.

At least for me, just before I read this book I was wondering where Corran and Lando went. The fact that they were in it was a boost for me, but Lando wasnt in it near enough. Also its nice to see Thrawn pokes his blue little head into the NJO.

I have one question about the book. What exactly is "The Final Prophecy". Is it just that nen yim discovered what could be the downfall of the Vong??

 

Thrawn in the NJO????

OMG!!!!


How can that be????

I have to know! Tell me!!

 

LOL Wedge & co discuss him, and we deal with an aftermath of his long-ago Bilbringi attack as well.

 

Thrawn had something cloaked that was discovered, and then revealed in TFP. I'll leave it at that.

 

Counting 14 reviews: 100.5/14 = 7.18/10

 

7/10

Decent book that like GtG said is a prologue for TUF, which is a waste of a really good, proven SW writer, and IMO, a misplacement of a not so accomplished one, Luceno.

However, i am glad to see that the mess that was started with Tahiri's character was brought to a stop, it should have never happened, IMO. All the characters and were written very well, and fairly true to their characters in other books. The plot was fast paced and flowed well with the rest of the series. I do agree that the Bilbringi attack was bungled and the whole Devis angle was a little spuerfulous, but they did need a way to intorduce the HoloNet eaters, or whatever they were called. And it also allowed them to do away with an EU character, Pash Cracken from the old X-Wing series.

Overall an enjoyable book that raised my expectation for TUF just enough to buy it as soon as it comes out, which was its goal in the first place.

 

Well now we just have one book to go, and the NJO is finished. The Final Prophecy in my opinion was a good set-up to that finale.

The Tahiri/Corran/Nom Anor/Nen Yim/Harrar plotline did a lot to set up what is to come in The Unifying Force. I loved how Nen and Harrar both sort of came to understand the Jedi and 'infidels' in this book. Plus we now know Sekot has a lot to do with the Vong, what it is though will be revealed in TUF. Having Tahiri's implanted memories be Nen Yim's youth memories was good for that plotline in my opinion. It helped bring closure to Tahiri's troubles. I will admit part of why I loved this part of the story was Corran was in it, and he is one of my favorite characters, and you dont see enough of him.

Now as for the Wedge/Jaina at Bilbringi plotline, that left a little to be desired. I felt this was just thrown into the book. The previews of the book led us to believe Wedge would have been in real trouble. Yes, he was in trouble, but i never had the feeling he wouldn't get out of it. I just felt that this was put in the book, so Han, Leia, and Jaina had somewhere to be.

Overall, this book was very good in my eyes. I feel it has set us up for the finale well. Just think if this book wasn't added we would have went from Reunion to The Unifying Force, and I know I would have been like huh? When certain things that were revealed in TFP came up in the future.

My rating for this book is 8.5/10

 

I'll give it 8/10

I really like Keyes characterizations, but like others said, it didn't really do anything but set the stage for TUF. I do think that Tahiri's Vong memories originally being from Nen was a nice touch

 

8/10

 

I notice people complaining that this book read like a setup for THE UNIFYING FORCE. To which I only have to say: Yes, that's exactly what it is. That's what it was meant to be, and it fulfils that. What were you expecting from the penultimate story in a 20-book series?

I was very pleased with this book. There were a few awkward sentences and phrasings, and a couple of times when characters, particularly Han, sounded almost in character but not quite, but overall it was very satisfying. After the utter pointless drivel that was the Force Heretic trilogy, it was a particularly nice treat.

Keyes' strong points seem to be anthropology and characterization, and this book certainly reinforces that. He once again makes the Yuuzhan Vong seem real, more than just one-dimensional baddies, giving different Yuuzhan Vong different characters, motives, personalities, and having them play off of each other in ways that work in the context of both their characters and their culture. It is a shame that they waited until this far into the series to introduce some of the info about Shimrra's ascent to power and his fears and so forth, though. If they'd given that to us earlier, I think it would have been better. Keyes also takes Tahiri, who should have been the most interesting character in Force Heretic but wasn't because Williams&Dix don't seem to know how to take a character beyond the 1st dimension, let alone how to handle a character with Tahiri's problems, and finally uses her properly again. Overall, the characters (with the minor exception I noted) are in character, and while he Keyes doesn't exactly do anything new with Wedge or Corran, that's okay -- this book wasn't a Wedge or Corran book.

The saber scenes were also a treat. Not as good as Stover's (Stover's action is nonpareil), but Keyes' fencing background definitely shines through, and yet he remembers that lightsabers are quite physically different from swords. The space battles were competent -- pretty decent, but nothing particularly noteworthy.

I must admit to being mildly annoyed by everyone who became privvy to the Sekot/Vong connection either dying before they could reveal it or not talking, but it's only a month 'til TUF, so I can wait without too much trouble.

I would've liked to have seen some more of Luke/Jacen/Mara on Sekot, just to see what was going on elsewhere on that world, but the omission wasn't particularly distracting, either. Just a matter of preference.

I'm a little concerned about TUF, I admit. Everything's generally in place now, so it just remains to be seen whether Luceno can pull it off. He's certainly got the SW knowledge, the imagination and so forth -- I quite enjoyed Hero's Trial and Cloak of Deception -- and plotwise, I'm sure it'll be just fine; I'm just not sure that as a writer he's up to the task of pulling this thing off with the appropriate amount of emotional closure. But I'm optimistic.

So, in the end, I found TFP to be a very satisfying read that did what it set out to do quite well. 8.5/10

 

Counting 19 reviews: 140.5/19 = 7.39/10

 

I was a little disappointed that the storyline didn't move much in this book. I really think that TFP and the FH trilogy could have been merged in a duology or trilogy, and not spread it out over 4 books.

Tahiri seemed to regress in my mind. She seemed so mature by the end of FH3, but in this book she cried so much. It irked me to no end. It just seemed like she was 13 all over again instead of 17.

The Bilbringi-Wedge part of the story was good to show us that the GA is back on the offensive, but nothing was really greatly accomplished in my opinion. Sure, they liberated Fondor, but its going to be months before it can lend a hand to the war effort. Simply filler material.

Nen Yim and Nom Anor were two people I expected to survive this conflict, but alas I was off on one. Although I found her quite boring when she was first introduced in EoV, I had since grown to appreciate her.

Interesting twist with Riina really being Nen Yim.

Disappointed mostly with the fact that ever since Jaina killed Tsavong Lah, she has regressed more and more. She keeps getting captured, its getting kinda frustrating. Jag is really making her soft.

And the biggest question of all: Where is Tesar Sebatyne? He is a part of Twin Suns Squadron after all.

Rating: 6/10

 

Counting 20 reviews: 146.5/20 = 7.33/10

 

I'll give it an 8.5

I also think that Harrar isnt dead. It said his screaming ended shortly and Nom ANor never saw him land or saw how deep the valley was.