Customer Reviews

Balance Point (Star Wars, The New Jedi Order #6)

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

While the first five books in the New Jedi Order cycle have their emphasis on galactic events, and essentially serve as an introduction to the means and methods of the invading Yuuzhan Vong, this book focusses a lot more on character development. All of the previous entries in this series have pretty much had the characters spread out all over space, only to almost coincidentally end up in the same area at the end for the huge battle finale, this book refreshingly takes place almost exclusively on the planet Duro, where the Solo clan is helping refugees settle in.

This is definitely a welcome change in pace. In most of the previous books, the emphasis on action often lead to unsatisfactory character development, often with key characters being left out of a story entirely. Here, however, each character has ample "screen time," and Kathy Tyers obviously knows every one of them very well.

Balance Point is a "Jacen book." Finally, the kid seems to be coming into his own, and coming to terms with himself. Unlike in previous novels where he's just seemed like a whiny brat, I could actually sympathize with him here. And the author also took a little time to explain why his character is so different in the NJO series than in the Young Jedi Knights line.

Also in this book we have the best Luke/Mara interactions I've yet seen. Unlike the "witty repartee" we saw in Mike Stackpole's books and the somewhat forced dialogue from Jim Luceno's, Kathy Tyers hits their relationship right on the nose, and gives it a surprise twist. Jaina and Anakin also continue to grow believable as characters, and Han and Leia finally spend some time together again. And, for I think the first time ever, I actually felt sorry for a Hutt.

This volume also expands the Yuuzhan Vong culture, making it more understandable, and brings back Nom Anor and Warmaster Tsavong Lah with a vengeance. It was especially refreshing to see how Mara reacted to Nom Anor's presence. The author also tied up some loose ends from earlier in NJO and the SW saga as a whole, most notably concerning Lando, and she had obligatory plethora of cameos.

Don't let all my talk of character discourage you, though...this novel also has plenty of action. Lightsaber fights, ship battles, dogfights, evacuations-under-fire, undercover Jedi, and all kinds of cool stuff.

I guess my only complain about this book is that Danni Quee is still nowhere to be seen. But now that the first year "introduction" to the New Jedi Order has ended, the series is really taking shape, and this book is easily the best one yet. I very definitely recommend picking this one up. Thank you, Kathy, for a great read.

Kathy Tyers wrote her last book for The Star Wars Galaxy in January of 1994, when she penned "The Truce At Bakura". In the intervening six and one half years she clearly has developed both as an Author, and placed herself among the top writers for Star Wars fans, with her new book "Balance Point".

This is the 8th book in this new series, and while subtle shifts are beginning to take place, or at least hinted at, The New Republic does not fair any better this time around, and the group that should be beyond reproach is threatened with persecution. The threat is particularly sordid and indicative of how badly the traditional alliances have become blurred, because the threat is delivered by a member, and in a place, that such an action has previously been unthinkable.

The theme of this book is not vastly different from the previous installments. However fans should enjoy that, instead of being spread across the galaxy, the members of the Solo Family, and the Skywalker pair of Luke and Mara are fighting together this time. Han is again prominent in the story, and the action sequences, whether individual combat, or large-scale invasion are very well done.

The Solo Kids are no longer Kids, they have all come into their own albeit it different ways. Even Jacen seems to have sorted out what direction he will take in his relationship with the Force. The mood is still dark, and the friends we have followed into a third decade, while not fragile, are now sporting some gray hair, except for those...but that would be a spoiler and a humorous one at that.

There are few light moments, but one will become a classic. Again I cannot spoil the scene, but Anakin is no longer a child, and the view from a 16 years old perspective, is...different. There are also some gestures/sacrifices that come from the least likely of players, and it was instances like these, that give the slightest bit of hope, that the end of this series will not end all we have come to know and enjoy.

There is a long way to go in this story line, and this particular installment ends as dramatically as any of the previous seven, and perhaps even more so.

Kathy Tyler has delivered a great book, enjoy!

Another good New Jedi Order read! I had stayed aways from the Star Wars books for awhile but i got caught up once again with the New Jedi Order Series. The portrayal of Luke and Mara in this book is great. Reminds the reader of Han and Leia a long time ago. It was also great to see Han and Leia caring for eachtother was again since Chewie's death. The situation with Jacen is kinda frudstrating but towards the end he uses his power again and gets back to being a jedi. The portrayals of Anakin and Jaina are great! Kathy Tyers brings the old Star Wars charachters back to their original selves, just like in The Truce at Bakura ( another great read) I love this realationship between Luke (my fav) and Mara....and there wonderful news in this book! I can't wait till the whole family knows! ONly one hope for the future of the New Jedi Order books, I would like to see more of Luke and his feelings and thoughts, He's been pushed aside with the development of Mara and the kids. But A definite must read!

This is really a great book. It reads tremendously quickly because it has a good pace. It has good action sequences, and the set-up to get to these scenes are great.

The characters have good development, which I like to see. Jacen is starting to make inroads on his Jedi dilemma. Luke and Mara are closer than ever, and looks like Han and Leia are on the back to their old selves. This novel brings everyone back like the "old days." That was rather refreshing.

Leia's encounter with the warmaster is one of the high points of the NJO series. The subtle "behind the scenes" mysteries are great also (like which side is Duros gov't on and when is Senator Shesh going to be discovered?).

The only problem I had with this installment was that is just seemed to end. I guess I got so involved with the story, that I hated to see it end. Welcome back to the Star Wars galaxy, Kathy Tyers!

This book picks up about two months after Jedi Eclipse. In the first few pages Jaina, who is still flying with Rogue Squadron, is injured in battle and temporarily loses part of her sight. On the planet Duro, where refugees from those worlds captured and destroyed by the Yuuzhan Vong invaders are being brought, Jacen is working at his father's side. Ever since the events at Centerpoint, he has been especially confused and conflicted. He knows that the Vong must be fought, yet he is afraid that by using the Force to strike back, he will step over to the dark side. Back on Coruscant, Mara discovers that she is pregnant, and she worries that her disease might harm her unborn child. When Mara and Luke discover that a Jedi apprentice went missing on Duro, they take Anakin and head there to check it out. The main plot in this book was Jacen's dillema. After the events in the last book, Jedi Eclipse, I found his character to be quite irritating, but how he resolved his issues in this book redeemed him for me. I liked how Mara and Jaina were featured more than they were in the Agents of Chaos duology, especially seeing as how they are two of my favorite characters. I thoroughly enjoyed this latest addition to the New Jedi Order, which is easily the best so far. I am looking forward to the next book.

"Balance Point" is the best book in the New Jedi Order story arc to date. Many previous novels in this series have been disappointing but Kathy Tyers, who has a competent Star Wars track record, seems to have gotten everything just about right. She portrays most of the characters as well as anyone, and her rendition of Mara Jade is as close to the original Timothy Zahn as any other author.

Not only are all the characters well done, but the other elements that set Star Wars apart from all other science fiction are also present. The type of technology, the phrases people speak and the settings in which the story takes place have been hit-or-miss in past books but feel completely genuine here. If that weren't enough, the way the Jedi use the Force in this book is better than anything we have seen since "Vision of the Future". This book really was a joy to read.

Still, "Balance Point" could have been better. The novel ends too quickly and its overall length was too short for a hardcover book. I don''t understand why the publisher won't put out novels longer than 350 pages. Do they think Star Wars readers would be too intimidated? When Bantam was publishing the books we got a few hardcovers that were of considerable length and the fans loved them.

The only other criticism worth mentioning is that this book is part of the New Jedi Order story arc which I'm awfully tired of. That whole concept would be more appropriate for Star Trek than Star Wars. I can just imagine how much more enjoyable the book would have been if the author did not have to carry the baggage of this generally disappointing series.

This is why I love The Truce of Bakura, Kathy is putting it back together. She developes the characters beautifully and at an even pace. The relationship between Luke and Mara is growing stronger than ever, Han and Leia are on the mend. The young jedi are growing up. I even begin to understand the Vong a little better. Don't get me wrong, the battle is not over by no means.

I finished the book in 2 days because I couldn't put it down. Don't miss this book, it is the best of the NJO series. Now if I can only find the patience for the next one that will not be out until April.

Hang on Star Wars Fans this is one ride you don't want to miss.

Thanks to VECTOR PRIME (VP), mortality has become a welcome, or unwelcome, presence in the Star Wars Universe. It has added an element of suspense to every proceeding book. Kathy Tyers uses it, or the threat of it, to great effect in BALANCE POINT (BP). The last 100 pages were absolutely intense. I couldn't put the book down. The ending was such, that the next five months (which is how long it will be until the next book comes out) is going to test the limits of my patience.

The ending owes much to the events that occurred in the first five books in the New Jedi Order series. Without those events, Kathy Tyers would not have enjoyed the rich array of emotional and personal states we find our familiar gang of SW characters in at the beginning of BP. I will right now personally admit to not being much of a fan of Luke and Mara. I like them, but they have never been a favorite because they are both Jedi. They are too alike. So while their storyline in BP is interesting, the real reason I loved the book is because of the Solo family.

Ever since THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, Han and Leia have been my favorite characters in the SW Universe. They have been the princess and her knight-in-shining-armor, the Jedi and the scoundrel. Despite their differences, nothing had come between them. Then, Chewbacca died in VP. A relationship I once thought was unbreakable, started to crack. By the end of JEDI ECLIPSE, Han and Leia were barely speaking, and their children - Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin - were spread out all over the galaxy. As BP unfolds, the reuniting of the Solo family becomes a riveting examination of family dynamics. I found their intra-family relationships to be very realistic. With the Solo family, Kathy Tyers is able to show that while our families can create our greatest exasperations, they also provide us with our greatest strengths. At the end of BP, one hopes this realization has not come too late to prevent a tragedy.

This book has my highest recommendation. Read it!

While I would love to be a writer in the Star Wars universe, I don't think I would touch the New Jedi Order with a 50-foot pole! Not even Zahn could save this series (and I have GREAT faith in his abilities and love for his Star Wars vision).

Tyers gives it her all, but there is just nothing interesting here. The characters of the series are little more than matte paintings that are hard to care about. The whole series has ruined any great potential stories for the Solo children, and offers up a Jedi Order where no two Jedi follow the same path. Any time one of them begins to get interesting they do a 180 in the next book and go back to ambiguity. This mixing of the young Jedi series in to the New Jedi Order only serves to further remove the true Star Wars feel.

Balance Point gives us another "big shocker" (which is now an expected trademark of the series -yawn) but does not redeem the book in anyway. It further sets in motion new plots for Jacen and Jaina...but nothing that you really care about or rather nothing that gets developed extensively (thus far), later in the series.

I have often sat around with fellow fans trying to come up with something to "fix" the series or give it focus, but even our best efforts cannot undo the growing apathy many of us have for the series.

The book is critical if you are trying to keep up with the series in hopes it will get more interesting but beyond that I can't recommend it. As a Star Wars fan I keep plugging though them like a junkie who realizes a bad fix is better than no fix, but I'm seriously thinking about rehab.

Throughout the last few books of the New Jedi Order, it's been rush, rush, defend our lives, senate meetings, debates, fight for our lives, rush and run. This book kind of slows it down a bit and we get to concentrate on the characters. To me, they're more realistic in this movie, they feel like real people. They care for each other, get annoyed at each other and ultimatly try to protect each other. This book kinda ties some loose ends together that have been floating around for the last few entries. There are those who are starting to get annoyed with Jacen and his stubborness. I think your opinion of the kid may change after this book. He's gone through a lot and he's cautious, but we can actually kinda understand him here. He actually works through the problem in this book and finally (hopefully) comes to a decision. It was just great to see the Solo's as a family for once, all together. They act like a real family.

Another thing is, of course, Leia and Han finally try to work through their problems. This little plot was starting to wear thin as it just started to get repetitive. Now they are going forwars with it.

As for Jania, I feel she's starting to grow as a character, and she realistically acts as a sister or daughter would. She's got problems, she loves her mother and brother, yet at the same time she's frustrated by them. I like how she was portrayed. Unfortunately, Anakin didn't get as much focus as the twins or their parents, however, he continues to show great promise to become even greater than Luke himself.

Speaking of the great one, I'd really love to see a book focus on Luke for once. To me, the movies were about the Skywalkers, their dreams, triumphs, faliures and redemptions. Luke has so much responsibility going on that it's hard for him to come off as a normal guy (well, his is Luke Skywalker), but I would love to see a story focusing on Luke.

The Vong are still as repulsive as ever, and I can't help but to want to see how they would fare if they attacked the galaxy while Obi-Wan Kenobi and his pals were still in their prime. But even though this book kinda slows it down, don't feel safe for these people. This may be a bright spot in the dark, but our heroes are in more trouble than they've been in since Vader decided to stop playing with kid's gloves and proceeded to kick their collective butts from one side of the galaxy to the other in "The Empire Strikes Back." ]

Even though it's focus is on the characters here, the book still offers good action and is paced really well. There's still a fair share of lightsaber fights and climatic space battles, so any action fan should be satisfied.