 ""Embrace the pain, scarhead"" | 2007-10-05 |
| - Reviewed By justinsgaines |
After the cataclysmic events of Star by Star (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 9) (and the relatively pointless distraction of Dark Journey (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 10)), I was ready for another full scale New Jedi Order novel. Enter Star Wars veteran Aaron Allston (X-Wing: Wraith Squadron) and his Enemy Lines "duology".
Book 1 - Rebel Dream - finds our heroes finally making an effective strike at the Yuuzhan Vong by retaking the planet Borlais, which was used by the Vong as a staging point for their invasion of Coruscant. Allston brings Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade together with Han and Leia Solo, as well as Jaina Solo and her entourage of hotshot pilot Jag Fel and rogue Jedi Kyp Durron, all under the leadership of Wedge Antilles. Naturally plenty of members of both Rogue and Wraith Squadron are featured as well. Antilles and company know they can't hold Borleas forever, but they're determined not to let the Vong have it without one hell of a fight. On the Yuuzhan Vong side, Warmaster Tsavong Lah brings his father - the former Warmaster Czulkang Lah - out of retirement to make the Rebels pay for their actions.
Allston is definitely in his element here, crafting a story that has plenty of military strategy, starfighter dogfights, and covert operations. He's definitely at home with the majority of these characters, and manages to write the unfamiliar ones like a seasoned pro. Like fellow X-Wing novelist Michael Stackpole, Allston has a tendency to end every chapter with some bold statement by one of the characters, but that's a relatively minor flaw in an otherwise excellent story. Long time New Jedi Order readers will be relieved to see the good guys finally catch a break instead of being kicked around from one book to the next, and the end of the book will leave you chomping at the bit for book 2 - Rebel Stand.
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 "Exellent Book" | 2006-10-20 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3LG0FXLIMR825 |
This is really good book just like all the other Star Wars books! I reccomend before you read this one though you read the ones before in the series.
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| "wedges moment in the sun" | 2006-08-29 |
| - Reviewed By sebasto20002002 |
| an "inner circle" is formed.a secret jedi society to take out the vong like the alliance years before.mara jades in before she goes to the jungle with tahiri[whom i feel sorry for every time i see her poor broken hearted name] and luke.luke is on the inner circle also since he did form it.they travel to coruscant to battle a dark side enemy luke sensed through the force.as if the vong werent bad enough now here comes the dark side back.han solo joins the inner circle.han has an idea about being a crime lord with leia.this book is really centered around wedge and his elaborate plan to nail the vong.wedge is in the inner circle as it was partly his idea.i cant really go into detail but the vong give coruscant a makeover.the battle in this book is ar borelia which is near corelia where hans from.jaina solo forms a force based air strike team called the twin suns under her command.a big risk since she almost got brainwashed and almost went dark side within the last book.jaina begins having depression due to all the losses shes endured.jag and kyp join jainas team.princess leia considers becoming a crime lord with han............so lets review wedge is the focus,inner circle is formed,and a big fight. |
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| "Anakin Solo fans read this please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" | 2006-08-06 |
| - Reviewed By Anonymous |
| Now everyone knows that Anakin died in star by star so i say something if the force still has mysteries couldn't amys tery be to revive jedi or that anakin found a way to be reborn but i think somebody should make Anakin return because he was the geatest jedi from the three solo children he was smart and intelligent what if they cloned him but please spread the word and for all star wars authors and george llucas himself please find a way to make Anakin come back i mean since you killed Anakin Solo many fans have lost their interest in the star wars series and it's true in the junior jedi knights review many fans say they have lost their liking to the star wars series i myself find the book less exciting so please everyone help spread the word and don't take this review off you know what i say is true since Anakin died the star wars series haven't been the same, so my concluding in this review is that author Aaron Allston, Troy Denning ,Greg keyes, Timothy Zahn all of you even George Lucas himself please think of a way to make Anakin reborn or cloned or something i would think reborn andi'd put it that the force would let Anakin be renborn i would make it something like this "Leia was in a dream and Anakin was in it "Anakin" Leia said" oh Anakin we thought you died "Mother you are asleep but i am here through the force in a vision i have talked with jedi master Obi-Wan kenobi and Yoda even a Jedi master called Qui-Gon Jinn mother they ha ve found a way to make me reincarnate but it wi take you and every jedi in the galaxy dead and alive to make it they say that a dark time aproaches one that only i can stop it and they have decided that i should be reborn to stop the looming threat so come awake mother and tell this to everyone uncle Luke Jacen Jaina every jedi we are preparing over here mother so wake up wakeup leia."Anakink said "Anakin"Leia said "Anakin wait"but Anakin only said "Wake up Leia Wake up"Leia saw Han in in front of her He said "Leia leia wake up you were having a drea you kept saying Anakin"Leia wasnow wide awake she said to Han" Han Anakin's coming back he told me they're going to revive him i have to tell Lukee we have to makea ritual ofsome kind"she said and left the room".Now that's just a theory but it's good but all in all please find a way to make Anakin Solo come back please it's just not the same without him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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| "Now this is the Star Wars I've always loved!" | 2006-03-17 |
| - Reviewed By hist |
With Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream, Aaron Allston joins the pack of Star Wars authors for the New Jedi Order, and he gives us a rip-roaring adventure with a lot of what drew me to the Star Wars universe to begin with. Known (at least where this universe is concerned) for contributing to the X-Wing series, as well as introducing Wraith Squadron, he's definitely the master of exciting spaceship combat, and this book is no different. If you've found the New Jedi Order too depressing recently, that won't completely change here, but Allston does give us a lot more of what we all know and love as well. An excellent first book.
After the fall of Coruscant, the homeworld of the New Republic, the remaining members of the Council are frantic. The New Republic manages to capture the Vong base at Borleias, but General Wedge Antilles and the rest of the garrison there know that they can't hold it. That would seem to suit the Council just fine, adding even more political intrigue to an already horrendous situation. Wedge, his followers in the army, and the Jedi decide that the New Republic is dead, and that they must return to their rebellion roots to keep as many planets as possible from negotiating with the Vong. To this end, they send Han and Leia Organa Solo on a mission to various planets to begin this operation. Meanwhile, Luke senses a horribly dark presence back on Coruscant, and embarks on a seemingly foolhardy plan to go back and investigate, along with a team from Republic Intelligence hoping to set up a Resistance cell there. What Luke finds there may be the end of him, and the last hope of the New Republic could fall to the huge Vong invasion force determined to re-take Borleias.
Rebel Dream has a lot of stuff in it that I have been missing from the Star Wars books up to now. The characterization of all the regulars is fabulous. Wedge Antilles really comes into his own here, now that we have somebody who is very skilled in writing him contributing to the books (I believe Michael Stackpole also utilized him well in his two books, but I can't remember for sure). He's older, wiser, more seasoned, but he remembers what it was like to be a young, hot-shot pilot and the byplay between him and the rest of the cast is excellent.
Even better, however, and truly the saving grace of the book, is Han and Leia. They are sent out to set up resistance cells on planets whose governments may not be willing to help against the Vong, and they are the Han and Leia that I have missed since this series started. The banter between them is marvelous, the teasing with the deep love that is underneath, flowing between them like a bond that will never be broken, is back in full force. Don't get me wrong. This is not "reset button" characterization. Everything that has happened to them and their family still affects them, and they both have their wistful moments thinking of Anakin and Jacen, and their doubts about Jaina. The teasing between the two of them has often served to cover their insecurities, so it's logical that it's even more pronounced here. Literally every scene they have in the book is wonderful, at least where they are concerned.
In fact, that's the best part about this book. Despite the heavy content, the book is fun. That's something that I couldn't have said about many of the New Jedi Order books, and it's a refreshing change. Luke and Mara have a serious mission to Coruscant, but they have time for humorous asides as well. The Wraith squadron, which Allston created many years ago, comes back (or at least some members do) and their senses of humour are a shining beacon after so much darkness.
The only problem with this much humour is that Jaina's dalliance with the Dark Side of the Force is shunted aside a bit. Yes, at the end of Dark Journey, Jaina was on her way to dealing with it, but it seemed that there would still be a tough road ahead of her. In Rebel Dream, it didn't seem like it was that hard. That being said, everything she's gone through has led to some wonderful scenes in this book with both Jag and Kyp, as well as a wonderfully touching scene with her mother. Allston hits the right notes on all of these, whether it's darkness, light stuff, or some emotional scenes, everything is good.
That's not to say the book is perfect, though it is definitely a 5-star effort. The storyline involving the human spy that is under the control of the Vong is very predictable, and thus quite dull. One thing Allston is not is subtle. Tricky, yes, as he keeps Wedge's ultimate plan hidden from even the reader. But he's not subtle. The spy story is right there in the reader's face, very obvious to anybody who's paying attention. Unfortunately, that also makes the resolution seem too easy, and there's no real tension involved. It does lead into something nice for the next book, but in this one, it's just tedious.
Rebel Dream is a return to form for the Star Wars books. Yes, I have liked most of the New Jedi Order series, but there's always been a "but this isn't really the series I grew up with" feeling behind it. Allston succeeds in marrying what I have always liked about the series to what I like about the recent books, and making a perfect match. He should be commended, and this book should be read despite not really having much to do with the overall storyline. It's not an "important" book for the series, but it is definitely worth the side trip.
David Roy |
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| "New Republic in shatters - A New Rebellion in the Making" | 2005-09-02 |
| - Reviewed By ludahai |
Coruscant has fallen. The New Republic is in tatters. Borleais is held by New Republic forces, but the politicans give orders that would seem to not be in the best interests of the New Republic. Wedge does a creative job of interpreting orders to preserve his force, and to prepare for what must be done against the enemy in the face of politicians looking to pull a Neville Chamberlain.
The old heroes are together: Luke, Leia, Han, Wedge, and the younger ones as well. They are doing all they can to stay alive, and with them, the only hope for the various species of the galaxy.
This first installment of the Borleais theater of the war is well written. It bounces between the New Republic forces planetside along with Vong forces around Coruscant. We learn some about the politics of the Vong, the traitor Viqi Shesh, and once again, Luke shows death defying courage.
Long series like this always have the danger of becoming old and boring. This one seems to be gaining a second wind after a few slow books. |
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