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A review by melsage1823
Jedi: Battle Scars by Sam Maggs
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
An Intresting Prequel Story That Quickly Breaks Down Due To Poor Writing And Pacing.
This story is not as bad as people have made it out to be but some of the critisms are super valid. I do think it sets up the full reason why the group of The Mantis disbanded well but I also feel like the book would have been better if it took place right before the group went their separate way. It was full of action and had beautiful character development for Merrin. I felt like Greez and Merrin were the best written characters.
It's a mix bag but definitely not the worse thing out there. I really did enjoy the action as well as all the fight moves being adapted from the games. This is truly a story that wether you like it or not will depend on your own personal enjoyment. It tries its best too pay tribute to the games whilst also having it's own orginal story that shows the impact of the Doctor's brain washing.
Despite it being a mixed bagged I did enjoy it. Let's talk about some of the negatives and then I'll share the main positives of the novel.
First I feel like 279 pages was not enough for a fast paced tense novel like this. The video game story spans several hours whilst Battle Scars feel like it only lasts 2 hours. Maybe it's because the Mantis Crew don't work in any other form but video games but the whole story felt way too rush and that I didn't have enough breathing room to let the story sink in. It was action from beginning to end and as a result we didn't have time to develop the characters or let certain moments of the story sink in, especially with what happens to Greez when its a common star wars tradition but also a heartbreaking one for Greez. More pages also would have better fleshed out The 5th Brother as he felt wasted too.
Secondly the portrayal of Cal. Cal is one of my favourite characters and it's such a shame that Sam Maggs absolutely assassinates Cal's character and development. He feels more like a caricature then himself. It's why I wish one of the writers from the games helped co write the book as it would have helped things feel less icky. It's all part of the development process but Cal is just terribly unbearable for a large chunk of this book. Fret and Merrin weren't the weakest part of that love story it was Cal's blind jealousy and simping. I also felt like he was unesssacary nasty to Cere in times where she didn't deserve it. Their dynamic seems to be that of Obi-Wan and Anakin in Attack Of The Clones and I hate it.
Finally the writing. I don't know what it was about the writing but it felt way too different from what your typical Star Wars novel is. It felt more fanfictiony than an actual story. The dialogue felt very stale and it seemed all hallow. Rather than being the full on Prequel it needed to be it felt all fan servicey and a weak tribute to the games. It also felt like the novel was misleading and that Cal and Merrin should have mentioned having equal roles. The sentence structures also felt clunky and very jumbled which in the gets you feeling very tired after reading each chapter.
Okay so onto the positives, first the action and thrills. As poor as the pacing is, the action is constant and holds the whole book together as well as creating wonderful high stakes. This book could have failed but it didn't because of how wonderfully well written the action issue. It perfectly replicates the games in a way that's wonderful. Maggs also perfectly integrates the moves from the video games and incoperate the games moves to the point that they don't feel too overpowered and fit in seamlessly. It's also great too see some of Merrins powerful magical moves from the second game as well.
Next I loved the exploration of the damage the empire does. Star Wars has always been political and I love that through the character of Fret we get to explore how the Empire entices ordinary people to work for them. Fret is also particularly fascinating as it explores how people think they can change a fascist system from within that they delude their self. It showed a really fascinating side of the empire where everyone are willing puppets. Fret as awkward as her romance with Merrin is, her character arc really pays off in a satisfying way. No spoilers but her backstory hits really hard and she's a fantastic addition to the crew.
Finally the foreshadowing. Although it's not the best Prequel it's very good and detailing the reasons for why our characters have ended up where they have in Jedi Survivor. It's a sort of stepping stone. Through character povs it allows us to get into the characters heads and truly understand them. Cere is trying to keep on the light and preserve the orders history, Greez is tired of all the death and wants to retire. Merrin is still finding her place and Cal wants to strike a foot into the Empire. It spreads the sprinkles of Survior and pays tribute to it very well.
Overall this is a story where I think it's best you make up your own mind and don't let other people influence you. Some people love it, others hate it and some like me are meh. It all depends.
Overall Rating: 3.75 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟
This story is not as bad as people have made it out to be but some of the critisms are super valid. I do think it sets up the full reason why the group of The Mantis disbanded well but I also feel like the book would have been better if it took place right before the group went their separate way. It was full of action and had beautiful character development for Merrin. I felt like Greez and Merrin were the best written characters.
It's a mix bag but definitely not the worse thing out there. I really did enjoy the action as well as all the fight moves being adapted from the games. This is truly a story that wether you like it or not will depend on your own personal enjoyment. It tries its best too pay tribute to the games whilst also having it's own orginal story that shows the impact of the Doctor's brain washing.
Despite it being a mixed bagged I did enjoy it. Let's talk about some of the negatives and then I'll share the main positives of the novel.
First I feel like 279 pages was not enough for a fast paced tense novel like this. The video game story spans several hours whilst Battle Scars feel like it only lasts 2 hours. Maybe it's because the Mantis Crew don't work in any other form but video games but the whole story felt way too rush and that I didn't have enough breathing room to let the story sink in. It was action from beginning to end and as a result we didn't have time to develop the characters or let certain moments of the story sink in, especially with what happens to Greez when its a common star wars tradition but also a heartbreaking one for Greez. More pages also would have better fleshed out The 5th Brother as he felt wasted too.
Secondly the portrayal of Cal. Cal is one of my favourite characters and it's such a shame that Sam Maggs absolutely assassinates Cal's character and development. He feels more like a caricature then himself. It's why I wish one of the writers from the games helped co write the book as it would have helped things feel less icky. It's all part of the development process but Cal is just terribly unbearable for a large chunk of this book. Fret and Merrin weren't the weakest part of that love story it was Cal's blind jealousy and simping. I also felt like he was unesssacary nasty to Cere in times where she didn't deserve it. Their dynamic seems to be that of Obi-Wan and Anakin in Attack Of The Clones and I hate it.
Finally the writing. I don't know what it was about the writing but it felt way too different from what your typical Star Wars novel is. It felt more fanfictiony than an actual story. The dialogue felt very stale and it seemed all hallow. Rather than being the full on Prequel it needed to be it felt all fan servicey and a weak tribute to the games. It also felt like the novel was misleading and that Cal and Merrin should have mentioned having equal roles. The sentence structures also felt clunky and very jumbled which in the gets you feeling very tired after reading each chapter.
Okay so onto the positives, first the action and thrills. As poor as the pacing is, the action is constant and holds the whole book together as well as creating wonderful high stakes. This book could have failed but it didn't because of how wonderfully well written the action issue. It perfectly replicates the games in a way that's wonderful. Maggs also perfectly integrates the moves from the video games and incoperate the games moves to the point that they don't feel too overpowered and fit in seamlessly. It's also great too see some of Merrins powerful magical moves from the second game as well.
Next I loved the exploration of the damage the empire does. Star Wars has always been political and I love that through the character of Fret we get to explore how the Empire entices ordinary people to work for them. Fret is also particularly fascinating as it explores how people think they can change a fascist system from within that they delude their self. It showed a really fascinating side of the empire where everyone are willing puppets. Fret as awkward as her romance with Merrin is, her character arc really pays off in a satisfying way. No spoilers but her backstory hits really hard and she's a fantastic addition to the crew.
Finally the foreshadowing. Although it's not the best Prequel it's very good and detailing the reasons for why our characters have ended up where they have in Jedi Survivor. It's a sort of stepping stone. Through character povs it allows us to get into the characters heads and truly understand them. Cere is trying to keep on the light and preserve the orders history, Greez is tired of all the death and wants to retire. Merrin is still finding her place and Cal wants to strike a foot into the Empire. It spreads the sprinkles of Survior and pays tribute to it very well.
Overall this is a story where I think it's best you make up your own mind and don't let other people influence you. Some people love it, others hate it and some like me are meh. It all depends.
Overall Rating: 3.75 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content and Death of parent