Rating:  Summary: good but.... Review: I thought the Han shold have had a bigger part but otherwise the book was good still han solo should have had a much bigger part
Rating:  Summary: Excellant Improvement over the Disaster of Vector Prime Review: This book kept me interested the whole way. The characters had much depth to them, allowing me to get into their heads, and understand what they were thinking, and why they were thinking it. I couldn't say that much for Vector Prime. I actually felt the old charm of Star Wars coming back,the charm VP so ruthelessly took away. It was great seeing old characters like Corran Horn, and Gavin Darklighter back into the mix. I enjoyed this book immensely, and i hope Stackpole will continue writing Star Wars books.
Rating:  Summary: Not great, but still very good. A huge improvement. Review: I must say I am very relived. I am a huge fan of Star Warsbooks, and I despised Vector Prime (Not because of you-know-whos'death, but for general poor quality), so I am greatly pleased. Mike Stackpole does his usual good job, although I wouldn't say it's as good as I, Jedi or the better X-Wing books. Nor does it come close to the works of Zahn. Well, few things could. While Onslaught is a great book, I have a few complaints. First, I absolutely could not stand the first few chapters. The ludicrous actions of the Senate seem very unlikely, they just seem like a point to establish that Fey'lya is bad and Leia and Elegos is good. (as if we needed to know that Borsk was a jerk) I also couldn't stand the "We are right and they are wrong and anyone that follows them is stupid" atitude comming from Corran and Luke about Kyp Durron. Since Stackpole is writting it, Corran Can Do No Wrong, of course, so it can get a little annoying. Another thing I didn't like was that Han Solo was barely in it all. Also, it seemed a little short. But don't let my complaints deter you. This is a very good book.
Rating:  Summary: Decent but not great Review: The torrent of praise for this book is based, I think, not on its own merits (and it does have them), but on the fact that it is nowhere as godawful as Vector Prime. Which is not to say it's good. However, as the fans have found out, it could have been much worse.It's far too short for the lot of plot it is expected to carry; and the usual Stackpole elements obtain--plywood dialogue, plot cliches, and illogical behaviour being his specialties. The villains are lifelessly violent and dull. The characters lecture each other endlessly until you want to yell "Enough already!" The next generation is being showcased, but they are still tedium on the hoof. That said, he is familiar with the Star Wars galaxy, so the characterization errors of Vector Prime are missing and he does know the continuity. The action stuff is fine. It's better, but still not up to much.
Rating:  Summary: New Jedi Order Saga Continues Review: Another great story in the Star Wars saga. This book is action pack and hard to put down. Unfortunately, I found myself wondering what was the thinking on the other side of the line. There seemed to me very little development of the Yunnan Vong. Granted it is aparent that these new aliens are very ruthless. I finished this book with the feeling that by the time this series of books is finished, one or more major characters will die. So here is the real question, Will Luke Skywalker die at the end NJO?
Rating:  Summary: Great Way to Continue a Great Saga Review: I must say that it was a pleasant surprise when I saw this book on the bookshelf at Barnes & Noble only two weeks after I finished reading Vector Prime. After reading for about 30 minutes, I was deeply immersed in the book's plot. I believe that the whole story behind this saga is becoming a hit with these books. I wasn't at all surprised that R.A. Salvatore hadn't written it, but I do wish that he would write another book in this series. Michael A. Stackpole is a welcome addition into that writing family for this series. The plot that twists in a few places is cool, and the characters that are integrated into it are fantastic. I like how Mr. Stackpole placed two characters from Rogue Squadron (Gavin Darklighter and Corran Horn). This book truly deserves the credit it got from other reviewers and I eagerly await the next one.
Rating:  Summary: Stackpole brings life to the New Jedi Order Review: I gave this book 4 stars because I reserve 5 stars for really groundbreaking books with outstanding plots. In the Star Wars Universe, I have given 5 stars only to I Jedi (also by Stackpole), Vision of the Future, and the uproariously funny Star Fighters of Adumar. Onslaught isn't quite in that category. Mr. Stackpole is adding to an established story arc and must work within the confines of the arc. He does a tremendous job of making the plot and characters become true to the Star Wars name. This book focuses mostly on Luke and Mara, the Solo Children, Corran Horn, and Princess Leia. For those readers who missed Han Solo in this book, be patient. Han gets two books of his own soon. Jim Luceno (former writing partner of the late Brian Dailey, author of the Early HS trilogy) will be writing books 4 and 5 of the New Jedi Order. Han will get his day. In Onslaught, Stackpole shows more about the new villains, and makes them seem very alien and threatening. These guys are really BAD! Even Corran Horn is astounded by their ruthlessness, and he's seen the dregs of the Galaxy. When Stackpole writes of Luke and Mara, we can see the depths of their love of each other. And Luke fans will find the Jedi Master at his best. The Solo children continue to blossom into real people in Onslaught. Stackpole does a marvelous job of combining the Solo children, as seen in the Young Jedi Knights and other books, with the almost grown up Solos of Vector Prime. He continues the growth that was started by Salvatore and adds the connections to previous works that was missing in Vector Prime. Corran Horn fans will will love Onslaught, he is well represented in Onslaught. Corran has "grown up" some since his Rouge Squadron days, but still has that delightful arrogance that only a former CorSec officer could have. To sum it all up, Onslaught is not Stackpole's best work, but it is what was needed to bring the New Jedi Order to ALL Star Wars fans, old and new. Stackpole skillfully blends the best of Vector Prime and the New Jedi Order story with the Star Wars that so many of us have know and loved for so long.
Rating:  Summary: Could Have Been Better... Review: Sorry Folks I have to disagree with most of you. I think this book was a bit of a disappointment. Stackpole I'm sure could have done a much better job. My only hope is that they give the readers justice and have Timothy Zahn and Kevin J. Anderson write some of these novels. Hopefully Stackpole will "improve" book two if he is writing it... Cross your fingers...
Rating:  Summary: A Truly Awesome BooK! Review: This book is a great contribute to the Star Wars universe and Michael Stackpole, once again, has brought an imaginative story to new heights. You get to see a development in each of the Solo children and some of the bonding Luke and Mara share. I loved the return of Elegos and the way the story weaved in and out the Yuuzhan Vong threat which you also get some more info. on. Though Han is bearely in the story :( Michael brought back really cool battles on the ground and in the air. I love the tactics and ingenuity of it all but I will leave you to read this book and decide. Truly a SW book! Thanks again Mike!
Rating:  Summary: Mike Stackpole to the rescue! Review: When the new publisher decided to take the Star Wars story in a new direction I was initially intrigued. That optimistic curiosity dissipated about halfway through the first book, Vector Prime. That novel disappointed me greatly to the point where I decided to put Star Wars books on probation. If Vector Prime was going to set the standard and they didn't get better really soon, I would find something else to spend my 'disposable' income on. I don't promote mediocrity, especially considering some of the excellent Star Wars books that have come before. Well Onslaught, the first installment of the Dark Tide duology, brings back a lot of my old enthusiasm for the Star Wars saga. The characters are portrayed in a manner more befitting their development, the story is interesting and the aliens' bio-tech weapons are presented with much more believable descriptions. The level of technical detail falls somewhere between Stackpole's previous X-Wing novels and the more mainstream Star Wars novels. Long time fans of the "Expanded Universe" will find plenty of references to past stories that make this story feels as though it 'belongs' but new readers won't feel left out. This is how it should be. The one downside to this book is that it is not able to completely make up for Vector Prime's shortcomings but realistically fixes them and fills in as much as possible. Personally, I would like to have seen Mike Stackpole write the first NJO book as he is really familiar with Star Wars but the publisher wanted to use their better-known author as the book would probably sell better with his name on the cover. The resulting story, though it seemed to sell well, was controversial for a number of reasons and has chased a number of fans away. Hopefully, word that Onslaught is really good will bring some of those folks back. I'm really looking forward to the 2nd installment of this series, Ruin, due out in a few months.
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