Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Abyss
by admin on Jul.01, 2010, under Star Wars
- ISBN13: 9780345509192
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
Peace is the way of the Jedi. But with deadly enemies on every side, war may be the only way out.
On Coruscant, an epidemic of madness is preying on the ranks of the Jedi Order—driving the Galactic Alliance to martial actions. As Han and Leia Solo, along with their daughter, Jaina, join the fight to protect more stricken Knights from arrest, Jedi healers race to find a cure for the rapidly spreading affliction.
Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker continues his quest to find the reasons behind Jacen Solo’s dark downfall and to win redemption for the Jedi Order—a journey that draws Luke and his son, Ben, to the forbidden reaches of the Maw Cluster. There dwell the Mind Walkers: those whose power to transcend their bodies and be one with the Force is as seductive as it is potentially fatal. As Luke and Ben push their Force abilities beyond known limits, they draw closer to a nexus of dark-side energy unprecedented in its power, and to an explosive confrontation from which only one Master—good or evil—can emerge alive.
July 1st, 2010 on 2:29 pm
First and foremost, my expectations for this book were pretty low. Denning’s somewhat lackluster conclusion to the Legacy of the Force series, coupled with Christie Golden’s plodding second entry to FOTJ gave me reason to wonder if Star Wars Legacy literature had run out of steam. However, upon finishing Abyss I was pleasantly surprised in many respects.
Denning has managed to set the series back on track and given it potential as another enjoyable read in our favorite mythos. For once this series begins to feel like the epic it is meant to be. Luke and Ben finally discover something on their journey that may directly impact the destiny of the jedi, and the galaxy itself. More importantly, we are introduced to a true villain for the first time in this series. Not to give too much away, but it’s a character that will genuinely send a chill up your spine. And for those of you frustrated with lingering plot threads left over from previous series, don’t you worry, there are some neat little surprises tucked away near the end of the book.
While the second half of the novel has some great scenes of action involving some of our favorite Supercommmandos and an intriguing, but unsettling journey ‘beyond shadows,’ the first 200 pages or so are more formulaic and predictable. However, the payoff is more than worth the trip for any Star Wars fan. Take a deep breath, and leap into the abyss.
Rating: 3 / 5
July 1st, 2010 on 4:37 pm
I’ve been a Star Wars fan ever since I originally saw the saga begin as a little boy in 1977. I’ve followed just about everything I could since then including the expansion of the mythos into the “Expanded Universe” where these books are included.
I enjoy the direction this series is taking particularly that it delves deeper into the mystery of the Force and that its not as simplistic as Dark and Light. Just as our worlds religions are not just a single or duel faceted.
My only complaint is that the books are coming in at longer intervals. If it was a single author, such as the fantastic Mr. Denning (who wrote Abyss) then I could understand the 8 month to a year delay between each book, however that is not the case, there are several authors, just as in Legacy of the Force, that are working on the series.
Maybe its a financial tactic by the publisher? ANyways, for a Star Wars fan, it is another solid series… But if you are reading the series, you already know this!
Rating: 4 / 5
July 1st, 2010 on 5:00 pm
Troy Denning resists his demons from past Star Wars novels and writes a story that I couldn’t put down. Chapter Twenty-Two by itself is worth the 4-star rating. A refreshing change from that Dark Nest crap!
The book doesn’t get 5 stars from me b/c Denning is still giving in to old habits that we saw during the Vong series. Namely, he keeps trying to UNwrite the books the preceded his, by writing open threads into dead-ends. AND, he keeps trying to inject the aforementioned Dark Nest crap back into this series. Stop it, Troy! Nobody liked it! If you just let it go we won’t be upset.
[SPOILER!!!] Like you all, I’m sure you shuddered when you saw a key character on the cover of a Denning novel. Fear not my friends! He manages to not kill-off anyone you love in this book. Perhaps he has learned that doing so is not worth the resultant animosity from the public? We’ll have to wait and see….
Rating: 4 / 5
July 1st, 2010 on 5:31 pm
With ‘Abyss,’ Denning delivers a credible entry to the ‘Fate of the Jedi’ series, capably wrapping up the 1st third of the proposed 9 book series and paving the way for what promises to be an unexpectedly pivotal story arc in the Extended Universe. Although it seldom deviates far from the proven story formula, ‘Abyss’ manages to take in the reins after a lurching start (owing mostly to the uneven freshman entry ‘Omen,’ by Christie Golden) and sets the series on a more resolute foundation. In particular, the book’s third movement finally manages to provoke some of the avid page turning that was missing from most of the ‘Legacy of the Force’ and the start of ‘FOTJ.’
On the character front, Vestara Khai is shaping up to be one of the most fleshed out new additions to the dramatis personae in some time. I appreciated the touches of dimensionality Denning applied to her character in this installment, and I’m eagerly awaiting the inevitable second encounter between Vestara and the Skywalkers in ‘Backlash.’
Speaking of the Skywalkers: I can’t say that I came away from ‘Abyss’ feeling much better about Luke. While there has been a significant amount of work done by Denning and other authors in both ‘LOTF’ and ‘FOTJ’ to atone for the miscarried leadership of Grand Master Skywalker in the “Legacy” era, ‘Abyss’ has done very little to convince me that Luke Skywalker actually deserves to retain his title and reputation. Bluntly put, Luke has spent the majority of the last decade putzing around and generally being unaccountable for the atrocities that have happened on his watch. This notion of Luke building a potential weapon of mass destruction (i.e., reestablishing the Jedi Order) and then failing to effectively steward its acolytes (Jacen Solo being the worst example of this) has left the character of Luke Skywalker a shell of his former self. Coincidentally, or likely purposefully, this is exactly the way that he is portrayed throughout most of the ‘LOTF’ and ‘FOTJ’ series. I can’t lay the blame for all of this at Denning’s feet, so it doesn’t really factor into my review, but if the publisher happens to be reading this then, please, either reveal your master plan for this character, or put him and the rest of us out of our misery.
All things considered, ‘Abyss’ has convinced me that not all hope is lost for the EU. With the introduction of Abeloth, ‘FOTJ’s’ principal antagonist appears to have finally taken form and the stage is set for an intriguing, if not always exciting struggle between the forces of good and evil. Now it’s time to settle in to a higher gear and see if Allston can sustain this momentum going forward.
Rating: 4 / 5
July 1st, 2010 on 8:29 pm
After a promising beginning with “Outcast”, the tempo of the “Fate of the Jedi” series slowed somewhat in the 2nd installment, “Omen”. However, Troy Denning has got the series back on track with a action-packed third installment, “Abyss”.
Action lies on different fronts. On Coruscant, the battle between the Jedi and Chief of State Natasi Daala continues to escalate. More and more Jedi are falling victim to a strange psychosis, and Daala has it in her mind to bring the Jedi under State control before the psychosis becomes an epidemic. However, Han and Leia Solo, along with the rest of the Jedi order, are determined to oppose Daala, overthrow Master Hamner’s leadership, and restore stability to the Jedi. Still, no cure has been found to heal the affected Jedi and, with Daala and her mercenaries breathing down their necks, how long will it be before the remaining Jedi succumb to her tactics?
Meanwhile, Ben and Luke Skywalker continue in their search for clues about Jacen Solo’s fall to the dark side. Having learned little from the Aing-Ti, Luke and Ben have journeyed to the mysterious Maw cluster, complete with black holes. Living amongst the black holes are the mind walkers; mysterious beings who have the ability to become one with the force. It is through the mind walkers that Ben and Luke have the ability to communicate with Anakin Solo, Mara Skywalker, and even Jacen Solo. But, will Ben and Luke find the answers they’re looking for? Plus, there not the only ones who have journeyed to the Maw. Sith lord Lady Rhea, her apprentice Vestara Khai, and a host of other sith have followed Ship to the same location as the Skywalkers. Now, a battle of good vs. evil begins, but only one master can survive. Who will it be?
I’ve enjoyed reading the “Fate of the Jedi” series and, after a slight letdown, the series has picked up the pace. “Abyss” is a very good book that is full of action. The battle between the Skywalkers, Lady Rhea, and Vestara was one of the best parts of the book. I also enjoyed reading about Luke and Ben’s mind walking and encountering Jacen, Mara, and Anakin.
This series continues to get better with each new book, and I’m already anticipating reading the next book in the series. This series is an essential read for all Star Wars fans.
Rating: 4 / 5