Reviews Books The JC Lit Reviews Special: YODA: DARK RENDEZVOUS (spoilers)

I read this last spring and never got around to posting my thoughts....

This was a great novel. Yoda, I would imagine, is not an easy character to capture, but Stewart really pulls it off: Yoda is humorous without being hokey, wise without being arrogant; I don't think I've ever enjoyed the little green guy more. The rest of the characters were equally rich, especially Whie. The basic plot isn't particularly strong, and the end somewhat anti-climactic - but Stewart makes up for any weaknesses and then some with his great characters and prose.

9/10

x-posted to author's board.

 

Counting 83 ratings: 740.2/83 = 8.92

 

Well I really enjoyed this book, especially Whie and Yoda. I felt the two masters should have lasted longer, and i liked the droid that deactivated. (Forgive my lack of specificity, I read this book last year.) Overall, I'd say It deserves a 9/10

 

Counting 84 ratings: 749.2/84 = 8.92

 

Up by request.

 

Thanks, dp. I just reread the book, and I must say, I liked it. I really did. The insights into Yoda, Dooku, and Ventress were great. The humor was great too -- this is an eminently serious book, yet it's also great fun, and Stewart was able to pull that off well. The prose was good.

However, I do have a couple big problems with it. There are several points where Stewart loses the Star Wars feel -- Kidz Zone, Kut-Rate Kruises, Chuck Bratz, Donni Bratz, potatoes, come on -- this isn't Planet America, it's the Star Wars galaxy. That stuff doesn't belong, and it's really distracting. Additionally, I just didn't care about Whie and Scout. At all. They were so stereotyped, so cliche, so juvenile. Overall, it showed flashes of greatness, but also had significant weaknesses. I think it?s been rather overrated, but I don?t agree with the strongest critics that see nothing of value either.

9/10

 

758.2/85 = 8.92

 

10/10

So good that it doesn't deserve to be stigmatized as a "licensed novel".

 

768.2/86 = 8.93

 

I liked how they portrayed Sidious in the novel. Prior to reading this I really didn't give him all that much credit as a villain. The way he actually anticipates Dooku's attempt to leave the dark side and defect back to the Jedi made him jump up quite a few notches in my book.

10/10

 

778.2/87 = 8.94

 

9/10 fun, fast paced, interesting, although Obi-Wan and Anakin just seemed thrown in there. Yoda was great

 

787.2/88 = 8.95

 

10/10 from a very hard to please SW fan

 

It was good, wasn't it.
Don't let Ex catch us, though...

 

I loved the book! It is one of the best Star Wars book there is! I wish they would write more about it since it ended so unfinished, only to assume bad things happended to the main characters in Order 66. I would like to see some contiuation somewhere!


It was a little childish, and this is coming from a 14 year-old. TOO much Yoda talk too. There were commas everywhere!!!!!!

Overall, I would give it 9/10!

 

Average score: 806.2/90 = 8.96

 

Deception, the forum is rife with it. Heavy recommendation tricked me into getting Dark Rendezvous, Raven bear trapped me into buying Elizabeth Haydon books, 2ndQuest lured me into the realm of SW comics. Deceptionists, I call you! You'll not bait me into another DR diatribe! The arena is yours, along with the acklays.

 

Ex, did you ever read Moebius?

 

A tough boss in Nintendo Robo Warrior, cost me something like 30 flash bombs to take out . . . alright, I haven't the faintest clue what Moebius is. Enlightenment me away . . .

 

At the risk of being a deceptionist:

http://www.amazon.com/Incal-Epic-Conspiracy-Alejandro-Jodorowsky/dp/1401206298

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Incal

Get it, it's for you!

 

Oh, dear, I can't see you liking Alexandro Jodorowsky...at all.

Moebius is a French comic book artist who has worked with Jodorowsky in the past. I think he is a lovely artist, but I really don't have much time for Jodorowsky.

INCAL isn't...bad, but stay away from later Jodorowsky work like METABARONS.

Of course, I may have badly misjudged your likes and dislikes, but...I just can't in good faith recommend the works.

 

Well, at least one of us is a deceptionist...
And we're both very far off topic.

 

I loved this book. It's so different from many of the other books I've read, especially the Clone Wars books. Even with many of its heavy handed topics, much of the book felt light hearted. At first I wasn't sure what it was about this book that made me enjoy it as much as Stover's or the best of Zahn. Then I realized that reading this book was just plain fun. Plain and simple. When I read Shatterpoint and ROTS I came away amazed and really appreciating and loving the dark way he was telling those stories. Here, though, I would find myself smiling at some moments and laughing at others, whether it was amused laughter or one of those "what a cool moment" giggles, such as at the end when Asajj turns the corner and you get that inevitable but still completely awesome appearance of the Republic's Dyanamic Duo. In that respect, reading this novel was like watching the movies for the first time, where I was completely dazzled throughout.

Of course, there was much more to it than that. Personally, although it doesn't mesh as well with the PT, I loved seeing Yoda return to his Empire form. It's something that I really thought had been missing from the PT, aside from one scene in AOTC. Of course, in the PT that makes sense as most of the scenes we see Yoda in, he's acting as the leader of thousands of Jedi in a time of great crisis. It makes sense we don't see him as eccentric during the movies, but here where we get to see him behind the scenes in the every day life of the Jedi Temple allowing us to see that personality. It's refreshing and entertaining. Plus, it is this attitude that leads to one of my favorite images in the book: the restroom scene with the security droid and the astonished traveler. Just wonderful. From Yoda's impish mischief to his later more serious, weary, and wise behavior, this may be the best written Yoda I have ever seen.

The other characters are given wonderful and rich portrayals as well. Dooku, even in a somewhat limited role, is shown as a man with no turning back who still has his occasional doubts. The look into his past give some fascinating and wonderful insights. Ventress is expanded upon and we truly get to see things from her perspective and get her take on life, even more than we do in the comics. It's surprisingly deep.

As for the original characters, Scout, cast in that familiar role of the scrappy underdog who must fight, work, and think her way to even approach the level where she can compete with her peers, is easy to relate to, root for, and care about. Rarely have I warmed to a character so quickly. The same could be said for her eventual Master Jai Maruk whose short journey from the reluctant teacher, to the master who does care about his student, to the fierce but not quite capable enough combatant is interesting and feels complete. His death scene with Scout is truly touching and makes me feel for both characters. The other Master/Padawan duo is a little weaker, IMO, but only because I don't think their portrayals are as solid as Scout's and Maruk's. Even so, especially in Whie's case, they are rather interesting. Secondary characters that included the two droids and the Yoda impersonator added quite a bit to the book as well.

Even the small roles with Anakin and Obi-Wan were well written and added not only to this story, but to the movie that followed as well. If Sean Stewart writes another Star Wars novel, I will happily pick it up.

9.5/10