Before the Storm (Star Wars: The Black Fleet Crisis, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Michael P. Kube-Mcdowell (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
The New Republic faces a terrifying threat from the darkest depths of the Empire.

Product Description
In the blockbuster bestselling tradition of Heir to the Empire comes this thrilling addition to the Star Wars(r) saga, as peace gives way to a new threat...

It is a time of tranquillity for the New Republic. The remnants of the Empire now lie in complete disarray, and the reemergence of the Jedi Knights has brought power and prestige to the fledgling government on Coruscant. Yesterday's Rebels have become today's administrators and diplomats, and the factions that fought against imperial tyranny seem united in savoring the fruits of peace.

But the peace is short-lived. A restless Luke must journey to his mother's homeworld in a desperate and dangerous quest to find her people. An adventurous Lando must seize a mysterious spacecraft that has weapons of enormous destructive power and an unknown mission. And Leia, a living symbol of the New Republic's triumph, must face down a ruthless leader of the Duskhan League, an arrogant Yevetha who seems bent on a genocidal war that could shatter the fragile unity of the New Republic...and threaten its very survival.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Bantam Spectra (March 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553572733
• ISBN-13: 978-0553572735
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (87 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #233,964 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Boring, Boring, Boring..... and inconsistant!, June 18, 2003

By	J. K. Moser "JKM" (Flemington, New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The one word that characterizes all the books of the Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy? BORING!!!!!!!!!! The book moves too slowly and is simply too inconsistant. Luke Skywalker runs off to become a hermit at Darth Vader's old retreat rejecting his Academy, his family and pretty everything else. Only a mysterious woman who is able to enter his stronghold induces Luke to leave with promises about his lost mother. Leia is shown much more as the Chief of State, an idea that did have merit, while Han Solo is shown more as the family man. The problem is, is that the story moves so slowly. The characterizations are weak: Princess Leia, the people's leader refuses to learn the names of her bodyguards preferring to ignore their existance. That is totally contrary to Princess Leia, Han Solo is done all right but that is because he really has nothing to do. Luke is done terribly. The Black Fleet crisis marks the epitome of stupid Jedi power Luke. It took Zahn coming back into the fold to save the expanded universe after the Black Fleet Debacle. The Lando adventure has possibilities but it too drops by the wayside due to just too much non-sensical writing. Perhaps this story should have been a one or two book set not a trilogy, at time it feels like the auther was just trying to fill space. In any event, this book needed some major editing and marked a dark period of Star Wars literature that not even the Jedi Academy Trilogy (horrible as it was)reached.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This is Star Wars?, March 27, 2000

By	Mike (San Ramon, CA United States) - See all my reviews

It isn't that it contradicted TPM, it isn't that it developed new characters, but something about this book is just plain bad. Luke goes off in search of his mother. . . And does NOTHING for the rest of the trilogy. Leia yells at senators. . . And does NOTHING for the rest of the trilogy. Han gets captured quickly. . . And does NOTHING for the rest of the trilogy. Lando, the droids, the jedi, none of them do anything that should make anyone want to read this book. It was clearly written poorly, and had a weak plot, and it clearly did not have a purpose for being. It was written by someone who obviously knows nothing about Star Wars, and really should never have been published. PLEASE don't buy this book, just to tell publishers and authors that if they can't sell us a decent product, they don't deserve any of our money.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Among the worst of the Star Wars books, January 18, 2008

By	Chris Greenwood "Tree" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Even die-hard Star Wars fans would not enjoy this book. As many other reviewers have already pointed out, it's boring! Practically nothing happens. A new and malevolent alien species appears, but there's no intrigue involved, no battles, and little suspense. Meanwhile Lando and Luke go off on their own missions that never develop into anything even mildly interesting. Everyone acts so out of character and there's so little plot that it gets frustrating to continue. Just avoid this whole series altogether. Somehow I stuck it out in spite of the boredom, but the conclusion of the trilogy did nothing to change my disappointment. Choose another Star Wars book to read; it's almost guaranteed to be better than this one.