Revelation (Star Wars: Legacy of the Force, Book 8) by Karen Traviss Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Revelation (Star Wars: Legacy of the Force, Book 8)
Book Review: Can't wait for the next one
Summary: 4 Stars
While I will admit there wasn't as much fighting in revelation as I would like, it was interesting and kept me reading. I think that the author has sown the seeds for possibly seeing Jaina walk down a similar path that Jacen has. But I'm not sure if that will addressed in later books.
The only two irks I have with this is that Jacen is not as good of a villain as I hoped he would be. I know not everyone can be as good of a bad guy as Vader. Few can actually. But still, Jacen has been lucky more often than I would like a villain to be. Not as intelligent or sinister as say Sidious.
Also I found the Fett storyline to be more of a distraction than a good thing. Again this may be only personal preference, I like the Fett's I really do.
But there is a lot of good with this book and definitely worth your consideration.
Book Review: Too Many Books, Too Little Substance
Summary: 4 Stars
Karen, again, sets herself apart from Troy Denning and Aaron Allston with Revelation. The writing is crist, and enjoyable, although the storyline and plot development is somewhat predictable. I will temper the predictability comment with the notion that, for fans of her work and of the Expanded Universe of Star Wars, not much is unpredictable. It's not so much about being shocked by the plot, but returning to familiar friends in a familiar universe for ongoing tales of the Jedi and Sith. I think Karen puts forth some interesting sentiments regarding the Sith and Jedi in her Mandalorian conversations, and presents the universe from a perspective that really only she has taken the time to dive into.
I think there have been too many books in this series, and the development of the story arcs is too long in forming. Nine books is a lot, and it's a commitment from fans to stick with it all the way to the end. When you put that many titles into a run, you take the chance of losing your audience along the way. One book that falls below the fans' tolerance may end an individual's commitment to following the story through the end. Really, three books is enough to tell most stories. This one is big, so maybe four or five. I think Timothy Zahn really set the stage for what can be accomplished in three books a decade ago with his Thrawn trilogy. I would prefer to see Karen split off and do a trilogy (a proper one) of the Mando histories, but from a perspective other than her Fett favorite. He's an interesting character, but enough. Lets tell someone else's story now.
I look forward to Invicible, and hope this storyline ends as well as it began.
Book Review: Glorified Fan Fiction.
Summary: 1 Stars
This book could have focused on Jacen, it could have made him a more believable villain; Instead what we get is a writer with a Fett crush this book reads like an amateur fan fiction about Boba Fett. I can't understand why any other writer would put up with Travis's Bobaphila.
Book Review: Parts better than the whole
Summary: 4 Stars
The penultimate installment of Legacy of the Force gets off to a slow start, has far too much material that doesn't drive the plot, but is nevertheless one of the more interesting chapters in the series.
While you might not notice it among the large number of pages devoted to the Mandalorians, a few things actually happen in Revelation. The Imperial Remnant and Joint Chief of State Niathal turn against Jacen, a lovable EU character bows out while another one shows up literally out of nowhere to save the day, the Skywalkers and Solos finally wise up to Jacen, plus there's one of Legacy's most suspenseful space battles. Amongst all the happening, you'll also find the most genuine writing of the series, including what has to be one of the most touching scenes in the Extended Universe.
The first half of the book is rather plodding. A large part is written as a police procedural, with Ben out to gather forensic evidence necessary to convince his family (and prove to himself) that Jacen killed his mother, Mara. While unnecessary for the reader - we knew Jacen was the killer before we even read the fifth chapter, Sacrifice - a solid presentation of the facts is required for the Skywalker and Solo families, who, as a Mandalorian healer remarks to Jaina, have "been hoping that [Jacen will] see the light and [won't] have to do the dirty work."
Unfortunately for the series as a whole, there's been far too much material on the Mandalorians, material largely irrelevant to the main plot, and that's especially so in this volume. The editors at Del Rey should have suggested a side-project for Traviss where she could have developed the material more fully and without having to try to find ways to justify its inclusion here. The ostensible purpose for the Mandos in this volume is Jaina's search for a method or means of capturing or killing her twin brother Jacen. She goes to one of the galaxy's most feared Jedi hunters, Boba Fett, who fits her in armor, shows her how to use a metal blade, but most importantly teaches her the need to be someone else: "A nasty Jaina. A crafty, cheating Jaina. A bounty-hunting Jaina." The training itself doesn't require that many pages. What does is concluding the drama of Boba Fett and tying up loose ends from Traviss' Republic Commando series, both of which happen to fit neatly into the thematic foundation of the book, if not necessarily the plot. The revelations include Boba's poignant sacrifice for his wife, a Jedi disclosing his true identity, Jaina's calling, Mara's murderer, and a Sith's coming out.
Once all the preliminaries are out of the way, the second act is a page-turner featuring one of the most unusual space battles of the series, in which not one but two new players and two new fleets join the fray. The Galactic Alliance is riven mid-battle by a defection, and the planet being targeted becomes the planet from which a new alliance forms up against Jacen, driving him home to Coruscant to make what will most likely be his last stand in the final volume, Invincible.
The extended epilogue tidies up the Mandalorian saga with the most sincere and genuine writing of the series. This is perhaps the only Star Wars novel that ever got me choked up. And not once, but twice within the last 20 pages. The hardened mercenary unburdens himself, opens his heart and finds himself accepted, taking the first step to winning back the love and the family he had quietly cherished for more than 50 years. The Jedi deserter Gotab has at last a chance to explain himself to a fellow Jedi, to stop hiding and at last be welcomed within his adopted community for what he is, and not what he has pretended to be. Jaina learns to look outside herself, finding a reason and a will to do what 's necessary to take care of her evil twin brother. And in the last two pages, Traviss delivers the most understated and touching scene from the Star Wars Extended Universe, a quiet ending with Ben and Luke in the still of the Endor night. Read it and weep.
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Book Review: Good thing Karen Traviss can write
Summary: 5 Stars
Whenever I read a book, I ask myself a question: was I entertained? The answer in this case was yes.
Was it the best book I've ever read? Not really.
Was it a worthy read with some great points that handled Star Wars lore competently? Yes.
Was the ending good, yes.
Fett overload or not, Karen Traviss knows how to write the Mandalorians well. Reading the bit in the back about the next book Invicible, I was struck several times at how utterly awful Troy Denning is at portraying Fett. Perhaps that is a testament more to Karen Traviss' strong characterization than an actual flaw with Denning, but I've a few major nits with Denning's past works - Star Wars meets bugland, 3 books vying for the worst book ever written...)
I digress. Back to Revelation. The title's not that inventive, but I love the sheer anticlimatic bit where the Revelation is an internal, yes "introspective" thing and not a huge explosion, literally or figuratively. The book's title can be applied to several events in the book, and that ambiguity is awesome.
It is definitely a set up of future books, but let's face it, Star Wars sells... so they're going to capitalize on that fact. Part of the lure of Star Wars literature is the fact that it intertwines with past books. The Clone Wars novels were largely pathetic, but there were a few redeemable stories and it helps to know the history to understand this present darkness. Look, it's freaking hard to avoid reusing old material. The fact that the authors have managed to take a good-boy-gone-bad plot point and made it do anything is an accomplishment.
I recommend this book for those who have been following this series, but if you have been, you've probably already bought your copy and read these as a sidekick to avoid your work. So, I'm probably just wasting my breath. In any case, it's a worthwhile read with some nice characterization. Very political, actually, and of course, I wish there was more mention of Tenel Ka and Han, Leia, and Luke, but there's only so much page space, people, show a shred of patience.