carter1315's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Fatphobia
clevermird's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
I decided a while back to read every Star Wars EU book in in-universe chronological order. Into the Void is the first book in this project.
It's 25,000 years before the events of A New Hope, and while some things are the same, just as many are different. The Jedi Order - called the Je'daii in this era - are confined to a single solar system and practice a balance between Light and Dark. The book cuts back and forth between two stories throughout. Nine years ago, Lanoree Brock and her brother Dalian undertake a journey across the planet to complete their Je'daii training, a trip that widens the gap between them and will end in tragedy. In the present, a grown-up Lanoree chases the brother she thought was dead across the system, desperate to stop his mad dream that could destroy everything.
This book had a lot of potential. This is the very beginnings of the Jedi! How does the light-dark balance work? How is their role different on this smaller scale? And how does Star Wars react to having a smaller, more confined story than the usual galaxy-spanning epics?
However, Into the Void doesn't really deliver. While these Je'daii might carry swords instead of lightsabers, the differences over the vast spans of time seem to be mostly superficial. This could have been forgivable if the story told was compelling, but that too was lackluster. Lanoree feels superficial, like Lebbon was afraid to dive into her psyche and show us what makes her tick, and her arrogance and self-righteousness got on the nerves frequently. Some of the side characters had a bit of interest (the less-than-legit twi'lek with whom Lanoree finds herself unwillingly travelling was much more compelling than she was), but for the most part, the "main" story boiled down to a series of repetitive chase sequences. The teenage flashbacks were better from a worldbuilding perspective, providing an look at je'daii training, but also presented frustrations of its own as everyone seems to be in complete denial about the reality of Dalian's situation until it's far too late to do anything about it.
Overall, an interesting concept spoiled by a fear of really committing to the idea. I was never bored while reading it, but that's about all I can say.
It's 25,000 years before the events of A New Hope, and while some things are the same, just as many are different. The Jedi Order - called the Je'daii in this era - are confined to a single solar system and practice a balance between Light and Dark. The book cuts back and forth between two stories throughout. Nine years ago, Lanoree Brock and her brother Dalian undertake a journey across the planet to complete their Je'daii training, a trip that widens the gap between them and will end in tragedy. In the present, a grown-up Lanoree chases the brother she thought was dead across the system, desperate to stop his mad dream that could destroy everything.
This book had a lot of potential. This is the very beginnings of the Jedi! How does the light-dark balance work? How is their role different on this smaller scale? And how does Star Wars react to having a smaller, more confined story than the usual galaxy-spanning epics?
However, Into the Void doesn't really deliver. While these Je'daii might carry swords instead of lightsabers, the differences over the vast spans of time seem to be mostly superficial. This could have been forgivable if the story told was compelling, but that too was lackluster. Lanoree feels superficial, like Lebbon was afraid to dive into her psyche and show us what makes her tick, and her arrogance and self-righteousness got on the nerves frequently. Some of the side characters had a bit of interest (the less-than-legit twi'lek with whom Lanoree finds herself unwillingly travelling was much more compelling than she was), but for the most part, the "main" story boiled down to a series of repetitive chase sequences. The teenage flashbacks were better from a worldbuilding perspective, providing an look at je'daii training, but also presented frustrations of its own as everyone seems to be in complete denial about the reality of Dalian's situation until it's far too late to do anything about it.
Overall, an interesting concept spoiled by a fear of really committing to the idea. I was never bored while reading it, but that's about all I can say.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
piki_esp's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: War
Minor: Vomit and Grief
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