nerdyrev's review against another edition
4.0
Usually, the first book of a new Star Wars series can be quite dull. There may be some action and excitement, but generally the first book is a set up for the next 6-7 books to follow. Crucible doesn't follow this pattern at all. This is a solid story filled with excitement, close calls, and centers around the four main people Star Wars fans want to read about- namely Luke, Leia, Han, and Lando.
The story follows after the end of the last one with some time in between. I am writing a review without spoilers, so let me just say that this is worth your time, if you are an extended universe fan. The ending is one that most fans more than likely have wanted to see. It has the four main, plus the return of Vestra (not a spoiler as it happens early) and the next generation of Skywalkers/Jedi, but really focuses on the four main.
Troy Denning is one of my favorite extended universe writers and I look forward to what he writes. There will obviously be more to come in this new series, but this book could almost be self contained. Be sure to pick this one up if you have been deep into the extended universe, but if this is your intro, it might be worth your time to read the last series, so you know the importance of some of the characters.
The story follows after the end of the last one with some time in between. I am writing a review without spoilers, so let me just say that this is worth your time, if you are an extended universe fan. The ending is one that most fans more than likely have wanted to see. It has the four main, plus the return of Vestra (not a spoiler as it happens early) and the next generation of Skywalkers/Jedi, but really focuses on the four main.
Troy Denning is one of my favorite extended universe writers and I look forward to what he writes. There will obviously be more to come in this new series, but this book could almost be self contained. Be sure to pick this one up if you have been deep into the extended universe, but if this is your intro, it might be worth your time to read the last series, so you know the importance of some of the characters.
dgignac's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first Star Wars book I allowed myself to truly enjoy for a while. The big epic multi book series were often so stressful to read. It was nice to be able to sit back and enjoy a book that wasn't part of a series. Having the big 3 or 4 characters was nice, and it was nice to actually acknowledge how old they really are. I was surprised by the ending, just because I didn't think the books would ever allow this to happen.
biblialex's review against another edition
3.0
Luke, Leia, and Han are a lot older than they used to be. They still get in a lot of firefights whilst trying to save the galaxy (again). The EU as a whole is crazy and uneven, but this is a solid entry with plenty of badassery all around.
eoghann's review against another edition
3.0
This is the latest book in the expansive "Expanded Universe" of Star Wars. That is stuff which is not movie canon but generally stays consistent within it's own existence. The EU has been around for a long time and it's built up a pretty complex continuity at this point which can be a problem.
So the core audience for this book is pretty specific. People who not only love the movies, but also have at least somewhat kept up with the expanded universe. And it shows because this book reads like a bridge novel between a bunch of adventures and the next adventure. Which is exactly what it is.
Allowing for that, how does it do? Well it does give us a high action, comparatively stand alone story for the majority of the novel. And while it does rely on what's come before, there's plenty of recap built into the novel so you don't get lost.
If anything it's guilty of over-recapping and in particular there are far too many movie references. Right from the beginning when we're told a bar reminds them of Mos Eisley. Let it go. We know it's Star Wars. You don't need to hit us over the head with it.
Still we get Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, Princess Leia and of course Luke Skywalker all back together again, along with some of the new blood the novels have introduced over the years. And it definitely has the swashbuckling Star Wars feel to it. Plenty of action, plenty of danger, just a hint of spirituality in The Force.
Speaking of which... did we have to be told it was Force lightning every time, or that Luke sensed it in the Force, or that they Force jumped, or that they were using the Force in their words? I know they're Jedi, I get how it works.
The writing in the book is functional, even a little pedestrian really. It does what it needs to do. It delivers the sort of plot a Star Wars fan is going to want. It just doesn't bring much in the way of style with it.
Bottom line, if you enjoy the Expanded Universe and the "new adventures of Luke Skywalker" you're probably going to like this. If you like Star Wars you'd be better starting off earlier in the series really, but if you want to jump in, you'll likely enjoy yourself.
So the core audience for this book is pretty specific. People who not only love the movies, but also have at least somewhat kept up with the expanded universe. And it shows because this book reads like a bridge novel between a bunch of adventures and the next adventure. Which is exactly what it is.
Allowing for that, how does it do? Well it does give us a high action, comparatively stand alone story for the majority of the novel. And while it does rely on what's come before, there's plenty of recap built into the novel so you don't get lost.
If anything it's guilty of over-recapping and in particular there are far too many movie references. Right from the beginning when we're told a bar reminds them of Mos Eisley. Let it go. We know it's Star Wars. You don't need to hit us over the head with it.
Still we get Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, Princess Leia and of course Luke Skywalker all back together again, along with some of the new blood the novels have introduced over the years. And it definitely has the swashbuckling Star Wars feel to it. Plenty of action, plenty of danger, just a hint of spirituality in The Force.
Speaking of which... did we have to be told it was Force lightning every time, or that Luke sensed it in the Force, or that they Force jumped, or that they were using the Force in their words? I know they're Jedi, I get how it works.
The writing in the book is functional, even a little pedestrian really. It does what it needs to do. It delivers the sort of plot a Star Wars fan is going to want. It just doesn't bring much in the way of style with it.
Bottom line, if you enjoy the Expanded Universe and the "new adventures of Luke Skywalker" you're probably going to like this. If you like Star Wars you'd be better starting off earlier in the series really, but if you want to jump in, you'll likely enjoy yourself.
jan_santanius's review against another edition
1.0
This is how the eu ends... massive Cliffhangers. A nice little story, a great last adventure of the big three but not a worthy end for the EU...
thesarahsilvester's review against another edition
5.0
Okay, so this was a completely bizarre read because of the canon. It’s the final book in the “old” canon, before things got rewritten to line up with The Force Awakens and everything after that.
(This review has no plot spoilers as such, just spoilers relating to this older canon, of which this is the last book so I guess if you read it you do end up knowing everything that went on previously)
So it’s kind of like a parallel Star wars universe, as Han and Leia have known each other 40 years here but things are very different to the movies we know now.
But in all of that it was incredibly cool seeing Leia as a Jedi Knight. I mean, give me more of that. And I think I preferred it to battle weary General Leia in a way. She was unbelievably fierce and awesome, and the confidence Han had in her ability was so attractive 🤣 as if I needed my Han and Leia situation to get any worse 😂😂😂
I listened on audio and it was fantastic, I ignored my whole family to finish without stopping.
So if you can get past the fact that the entire timeline is different (there’s no Ben Solo, for instance, no first order, Luke has a son) then this is really fun stuff. Weird, but fun.
If you don’t want to get into confusing alternate universes, then read Bloodline by Claudia Gray for the same Han and Leia effect as an older married couple, but within the realm of the current movie plot line.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
(This review has no plot spoilers as such, just spoilers relating to this older canon, of which this is the last book so I guess if you read it you do end up knowing everything that went on previously)
So it’s kind of like a parallel Star wars universe, as Han and Leia have known each other 40 years here but things are very different to the movies we know now.
But in all of that it was incredibly cool seeing Leia as a Jedi Knight. I mean, give me more of that. And I think I preferred it to battle weary General Leia in a way. She was unbelievably fierce and awesome, and the confidence Han had in her ability was so attractive 🤣 as if I needed my Han and Leia situation to get any worse 😂😂😂
I listened on audio and it was fantastic, I ignored my whole family to finish without stopping.
So if you can get past the fact that the entire timeline is different (there’s no Ben Solo, for instance, no first order, Luke has a son) then this is really fun stuff. Weird, but fun.
If you don’t want to get into confusing alternate universes, then read Bloodline by Claudia Gray for the same Han and Leia effect as an older married couple, but within the realm of the current movie plot line.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
bianca_horkan's review against another edition
2.0
If this is the "last" of the EU that we used to know -- I have to say that I'm disappointed.
Since we can't give "half star" ratings -- I gave it a 3 out of 5.
Yes, there's a "happy ending" of sorts. I don't know what to say -- somewhere around the last half of the book it turned and kinda stopped feeling like Star Wars.
I don't even know what to write...I'm so conflicted.
Since we can't give "half star" ratings -- I gave it a 3 out of 5.
Yes, there's a "happy ending" of sorts. I don't know what to say -- somewhere around the last half of the book it turned and kinda stopped feeling like Star Wars.
I don't even know what to write...I'm so conflicted.
rogue_leader's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
This one started out rather slowly, in fact, the only reason I kept listening was that the reader was amazing. His Lando and Han were spot on and he did a fantastic job with all the other characters as well. Even though it was a rather slow read, I really enjoyed the ending, it was the only part of the book that actually felt like it was Star Wars. The rest felt more like a corporate espionage novel.
This one started out rather slowly, in fact, the only reason I kept listening was that the reader was amazing. His Lando and Han were spot on and he did a fantastic job with all the other characters as well. Even though it was a rather slow read, I really enjoyed the ending, it was the only part of the book that actually felt like it was Star Wars. The rest felt more like a corporate espionage novel.
kayfett's review against another edition
2.0
Ok, we all know I have issues with Troy Denning Star Wars books and this one is no different. I always look forward to the latest installment in the post-Return of the Jedi era, but I'll admit I had my doubts about this one. It was being sold as a step back from the universe as we know it now; the book was going to mention but not include all the extra characters we had written about through the years and give us one more adventure that included the original and beloved threesome. Now, I love Luke, Han, and Leia (who doesn't?) but I knew I was going to miss these other really well developed characters I had grown to love (Jaina, Allana, Jag, etc.) and I was skeptical about how they could write a captivating story about three people over 70 years old (or however old. The point is, they are probably well past the age of being fast, strong, and flexible, Force or no Force).
Reading the book didn't leave me feeling any better about it. After complaining several times about the story, my boyfriend told me to just "stop reading it, already." But the horrible truth about Star Wars books is if you miss one in the timeline, you're going to miss a lot of essential information for the next book whether they're writing it as part of the same series or not. Here are my specific concerns with this book:
1. Leia's character was just down right wrong. Denning took this gentle, diplomatic, smart, and strong woman and made her annoying, vengeful, cruel, and harsh. I get that there were circumstances that would make normal human beings act that way, but this is Leia Organa Solo we're talking about. The woman has been through way worse and handled it much more gracefully. She was completely unrecognizable in this book, and it saddened me.
2. The threesome was barely together. Maybe for a chapter near the beginning and a chapter or two at the end did we ever see Han, Luke, and Leia actually together. Ok, I get that they're never really together in the movies either. Sure, make that argument. But when you're selling a book based on the fact that it's focusing on our original three heroes having an adventure together, you should probably have them together more than you did. And even when they were together, it always felt like someone was the third wheel. Han and Luke never really connected much in this book, it was either Han and Leia and Luke on the side or Jedi Skywalker and Jedi Solo with Han on the side. It just wasn't quite what it said it was.
3. Can Jedi healing trances really be that powerful? Everything seemed just a little too easy and convenient for our heroes because they could magically heal themselves with the Force. When did this become a mechanism in the books to just do outrageous stuff that should probably kill people? It's annoying, it makes the story seem cheap, and it leaves me not really worrying at all about the characters during any kind of conflict. Luke got shot in the face five times? Oh, don't worry, he'll go into a Jedi healing trance and be ok in 24 hours.
4. Dear Mr. Denning, congratulations that you were bold enough to kill off both Anakin and Jacen Solo. Now please, shut up about it and maybe focus on writing a good story. (Seriously though, every chance this guy got to mention the fact that Anakin and Jacen were dead he took. Why? We know they're dead. We know how everyone felt about it. Why didn't he ever mention Mara Jade Skywalker's death? Is it because you weren't the one that wrote about it?)
5. STOP IT WITH THIS ACID TRIP FORCE NONSENSE. IT'S NOT ENTERTAINING.
6. Why are you going to introduce elements to a story that could lead to a potential good story line and then just blow them up in the end. Literally. Super-smart alien brothers that are trying to control the galaxy and are two steps ahead of the Jedi? Blow them up. Biots that introduce the possibility of cloning and making a super army? Blow them up. A monolith that holds raw Force power? Well, this one wasn't blown up but everyone just decided to leave it alone and sweep it under the rug and never visit or talk about it again. I don't understand why you would set up all this stuff and then just throw it away in the end.
In any case, it seems like this might be the last installment in this timeline. I don't know how everything is going to work now that Lucasfilm declared everything that's not part of the movie's is no longer canon. Which is awful, because I love these characters and I hate to see them go. I always want more, and I think we definitely deserve something that's not this as the last book we'll ever read of this timeline.
Reading the book didn't leave me feeling any better about it. After complaining several times about the story, my boyfriend told me to just "stop reading it, already." But the horrible truth about Star Wars books is if you miss one in the timeline, you're going to miss a lot of essential information for the next book whether they're writing it as part of the same series or not. Here are my specific concerns with this book:
1. Leia's character was just down right wrong. Denning took this gentle, diplomatic, smart, and strong woman and made her annoying, vengeful, cruel, and harsh. I get that there were circumstances that would make normal human beings act that way, but this is Leia Organa Solo we're talking about. The woman has been through way worse and handled it much more gracefully. She was completely unrecognizable in this book, and it saddened me.
2. The threesome was barely together. Maybe for a chapter near the beginning and a chapter or two at the end did we ever see Han, Luke, and Leia actually together. Ok, I get that they're never really together in the movies either. Sure, make that argument. But when you're selling a book based on the fact that it's focusing on our original three heroes having an adventure together, you should probably have them together more than you did. And even when they were together, it always felt like someone was the third wheel. Han and Luke never really connected much in this book, it was either Han and Leia and Luke on the side or Jedi Skywalker and Jedi Solo with Han on the side. It just wasn't quite what it said it was.
3. Can Jedi healing trances really be that powerful? Everything seemed just a little too easy and convenient for our heroes because they could magically heal themselves with the Force. When did this become a mechanism in the books to just do outrageous stuff that should probably kill people? It's annoying, it makes the story seem cheap, and it leaves me not really worrying at all about the characters during any kind of conflict. Luke got shot in the face five times? Oh, don't worry, he'll go into a Jedi healing trance and be ok in 24 hours.
4. Dear Mr. Denning, congratulations that you were bold enough to kill off both Anakin and Jacen Solo. Now please, shut up about it and maybe focus on writing a good story. (Seriously though, every chance this guy got to mention the fact that Anakin and Jacen were dead he took. Why? We know they're dead. We know how everyone felt about it. Why didn't he ever mention Mara Jade Skywalker's death? Is it because you weren't the one that wrote about it?)
5. STOP IT WITH THIS ACID TRIP FORCE NONSENSE. IT'S NOT ENTERTAINING.
6. Why are you going to introduce elements to a story that could lead to a potential good story line and then just blow them up in the end. Literally. Super-smart alien brothers that are trying to control the galaxy and are two steps ahead of the Jedi? Blow them up. Biots that introduce the possibility of cloning and making a super army? Blow them up. A monolith that holds raw Force power? Well, this one wasn't blown up but everyone just decided to leave it alone and sweep it under the rug and never visit or talk about it again. I don't understand why you would set up all this stuff and then just throw it away in the end.
In any case, it seems like this might be the last installment in this timeline. I don't know how everything is going to work now that Lucasfilm declared everything that's not part of the movie's is no longer canon. Which is awful, because I love these characters and I hate to see them go. I always want more, and I think we definitely deserve something that's not this as the last book we'll ever read of this timeline.
a_chickletz's review against another edition
2.0
I'm giving this two stars because half the time I had no idea what the fuck was going on. The ending solidified it, too. I felt the best way to summarize this book is that it's an acid trip in the Star Wars universe.
The characters - Leia, Han, Lando, C3PO... they were all in character.
The reason I rated it down is that I didn't understand the story that well. I also noticed that it would have REALLY HELPED if I read the New Jedi Order series because there was a lot of characters that were carried over from then, and incidents that were talked about that happened that I had no idea if I should feel sad or happy about.
Probably would rate it higher if I knew what was going on behind the scenes, and if I discovered what the actual hell happened. I may come back to this book. The future is unknown.
The characters - Leia, Han, Lando, C3PO... they were all in character.
The reason I rated it down is that I didn't understand the story that well. I also noticed that it would have REALLY HELPED if I read the New Jedi Order series because there was a lot of characters that were carried over from then, and incidents that were talked about that happened that I had no idea if I should feel sad or happy about.
Probably would rate it higher if I knew what was going on behind the scenes, and if I discovered what the actual hell happened. I may come back to this book. The future is unknown.