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A review by crystalstarrlight
Dark Tide II: Ruin by Michael A. Stackpole
4.0
"It is only through functioning together that we can succeed"
The war against the Yuuzhan Vong continues. Leia attempts to bring Paelleon and the Imperial Remnant into the fight, while Luke and Mara try to keep the Jedi Order together. And Corran, Ganner, and Jacen go on an important fact-finding mission to Garqi.
NOTE: Based on audiobook and novel.
I went into Ruin with eager expectation, on a high after reading [b:Onslaught|320343|Onslaught (Star Wars The New Jedi Order, #2; Dark Tide I)|Michael A. Stackpole|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1287347069s/320343.jpg|952200], which was probably a bad thing. Not the reading order, just my unrealistic expectation. It would explain my "meh" reaction at finishing this entry into the New Jedi Order series.
Now, don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad book, by no means. Stackpole's worst is better than many authors' best (Kevin J. Anderson? Barbara Hambly?). But nonetheless, I couldn't help the wandering mind as I listened.
Character-wise, we get some nice growth from people like Corran, Jacen, and Ganner. Particularly Ganner. I really like the direction that Stackpole took him. Even Corran's arc was nicely done. I love how he ended up being the scapegoat and having to leave the Order to save face. Nice bit of political manuevering there. Even the ever-ambivalent Jacen is pretty nice, as he temporarily sets aside his need to figure out his destiny. When I first read these books ages ago, he had irritated me. "Why are you thinking about where you belong when there's a war going on?" would be a common complaint bouncing around in my head as Jacen hemmed and hawed. Now, I kinda understand what he's going through (ah, aging, it does wonder to your life).
However, other characters end up on the chopping block. Han is barely present, and only there to remind us that he is still mourning. Leia secures Paelleon's help and then promptly disappears from the narrative. Luke and Mara are reduced to propping devices for Anakin's character development. Two new, very minor characters (Daeshara'cor, a Jedi Knight investigating superweapons, our favorite plot device, and Anni Capstan, Jaina's wingmate) are barely given any time before they are dramatically killed. In Daeshara'cor's case, her story was boring; in Anni Capstan, not enough time was spent on developing her as a good friend to Jaina, so when she died, I was like, "So what?"
Even the storylines were more boring this time around. Leia goes to Paelleon to ask for aid. Whoopee. Luke and Mara hunt after Jedi 372 who wants to use a superweapon. Been there, done that. Even the interesting new character, Chalco, only serves as a surrogate Han to poor Anakin. And then, suddenly, everyone has to hurry to Ithor (ah, how I dislike abridged audiobooks) to have a fight on the surface (but aren't weapons banned from the surface?). We could also go into how characters (Ganner, Corran, Daeshara'cor) tend to monologue about their revelations and their views of the Force, but I don't want to come across as beating a dead horse.
Fortunately, Corran and Ganner's mission isn't boring and was kept me interested. I loved how Ganner was brought down to size, and even how Corran learned a lesson in humility. What happened with Elegos was heart-breaking and the devastation of Ithor was even worse. And, as I said above, I liked how Corran had to bear the burden of fault for Ithor. Nice "messianic" vibe from a non-Skywalker.
So, if you adored Onslaught, just be wary opening Ruin; you may not exactly get what you expected.
The war against the Yuuzhan Vong continues. Leia attempts to bring Paelleon and the Imperial Remnant into the fight, while Luke and Mara try to keep the Jedi Order together. And Corran, Ganner, and Jacen go on an important fact-finding mission to Garqi.
NOTE: Based on audiobook and novel.
I went into Ruin with eager expectation, on a high after reading [b:Onslaught|320343|Onslaught (Star Wars The New Jedi Order, #2; Dark Tide I)|Michael A. Stackpole|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1287347069s/320343.jpg|952200], which was probably a bad thing. Not the reading order, just my unrealistic expectation. It would explain my "meh" reaction at finishing this entry into the New Jedi Order series.
Now, don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad book, by no means. Stackpole's worst is better than many authors' best (Kevin J. Anderson? Barbara Hambly?). But nonetheless, I couldn't help the wandering mind as I listened.
Character-wise, we get some nice growth from people like Corran, Jacen, and Ganner. Particularly Ganner. I really like the direction that Stackpole took him. Even Corran's arc was nicely done. I love how he ended up being the scapegoat and having to leave the Order to save face. Nice bit of political manuevering there. Even the ever-ambivalent Jacen is pretty nice, as he temporarily sets aside his need to figure out his destiny. When I first read these books ages ago, he had irritated me. "Why are you thinking about where you belong when there's a war going on?" would be a common complaint bouncing around in my head as Jacen hemmed and hawed. Now, I kinda understand what he's going through (ah, aging, it does wonder to your life).
However, other characters end up on the chopping block. Han is barely present, and only there to remind us that he is still mourning. Leia secures Paelleon's help and then promptly disappears from the narrative. Luke and Mara are reduced to propping devices for Anakin's character development. Two new, very minor characters (Daeshara'cor, a Jedi Knight investigating superweapons, our favorite plot device, and Anni Capstan, Jaina's wingmate) are barely given any time before they are dramatically killed. In Daeshara'cor's case, her story was boring; in Anni Capstan, not enough time was spent on developing her as a good friend to Jaina, so when she died, I was like, "So what?"
Even the storylines were more boring this time around. Leia goes to Paelleon to ask for aid. Whoopee. Luke and Mara hunt after Jedi 372 who wants to use a superweapon. Been there, done that. Even the interesting new character, Chalco, only serves as a surrogate Han to poor Anakin. And then, suddenly, everyone has to hurry to Ithor (ah, how I dislike abridged audiobooks) to have a fight on the surface (but aren't weapons banned from the surface?). We could also go into how characters (Ganner, Corran, Daeshara'cor) tend to monologue about their revelations and their views of the Force, but I don't want to come across as beating a dead horse.
Fortunately, Corran and Ganner's mission isn't boring and was kept me interested. I loved how Ganner was brought down to size, and even how Corran learned a lesson in humility. What happened with Elegos was heart-breaking and the devastation of Ithor was even worse. And, as I said above, I liked how Corran had to bear the burden of fault for Ithor. Nice "messianic" vibe from a non-Skywalker.
So, if you adored Onslaught, just be wary opening Ruin; you may not exactly get what you expected.