Customer Reviews

Exile (Star Wars Legacy of the Force4)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

There were only two real noteworthy things that happened in Exile, Ben being sent unknown to him on a Sith test and the Skywalker-Solo (minus Jacen of course) clan coming to realize that their family being split may be exactly what the enemy is wanting. I liked Ben's test being him alone on a Sith planet where he and only he can choice which path he'll follow and struggling to survive. The second part it was nice to see the Skywalkers-Solos come to the realization. I had hoped with this being the fourth book we would have more answers about the war, the reasons behind it, about Lumyia or something instead the rest was nothing more then Jacen still deciding who his Sacrifice would be and setting up for his plan at the end of the story at painstaking slowness that by the time the it got to the point I was asleep. I hope the next book will better. More answers, more things happening and less endless slowness.

So far, I've rather enjoyed the Legacy of the Force series and have eagerly devoured the first three books of the series. Exile, however, took me almost two weeks to get through and then didn't leave me feeling particularly satisfied. I'm sad to say that this is probably my least favourite book of the series so far and, for the first time, I'm starting to doubt if the LotF can really span out over five more books and still stay interesting. Spoilers follow.

There honestly isn't a lot that happens in this book; or nothing of great importance, at any rate. The main points are Ben being sent on a secret Sith test, the Skywalker- Solo families coming together and realizing the significance of their unity, and the siding of a few key planets with Corellia. Between these points is some well-written filler, ending with a failed attempt by Jacen to infiltrate a conference of the new Corellian Federation.

The main problem is that nothing really happens. Don't get me wrong, the book isn't absolutely horrible; in fact, what is important is very well done and will most likely have a significant impact on future events. The main points are surrounded in filler and some interesting, but ultimately unimportant events (such as Leia, Han, the Antilles family, and Alema doing their thing on the Errant Venture). Ultimately, the plot isn't really developed any further than it was at the end of the third book.

Still on the run from the Galactic Alliance and the Corellia system, Han and Leia find their way to Lando Calrissian, who repairs their ship and aids them in travelling freely via disguise. From there, they meet up with the Antilles family and board the gambling ship Errant Venture in hopes of gaining access to Corellian space. Somewhere in this line, Leia comes to the realization that only the unity of the Skywalker-Solo clans can bring the galaxy together and keep it at relative peace. Alema, still on her quest to bring Balance to the galaxy, also secures a place on the Errant Venture and eventually squares off with some of the Jedi. Predictably, no one is hurt, Alema flees once again, and everyone is right back to where they left off at the end of the previous book.

Ben, now back at the Jedi Temple, receives a secret mission from Jacen to retrieve a powerful artifact and eventually ends up stranded on the Sith planet of Ziost. The planet pushes Ben to his physical and mental limits, testing him for his ability to become a Sith apprentice, while, at the same time, Ben struggles with wanting to please Jacen and wanting to fulfill his duty as a Jedi. Unbeknownst to him, the mission is really a test orchestrated by Jacen and Lumiya to determine whether or not Ben will make an acceptable apprentice for Jacen. The attempts on Ben's life are foiled by the young Jedi and he escapes the planet safely with the amulet. The ultimate failure or success of his mission is not yet known.

Lumiya, in the meantime, has been setting up an alliance between Commenor, Bothawui, and Corellia, leading to the formation of the Corellian Federation. Jacen attempts to infiltrate a conference of the new federation, failing miserably and abandoning his parents (who eagerly rush to his rescue) and other family members in the scuffle the follows his failure.

There are also a few side plots unfolding. Jag is back, seemingly for good this time, and has teemed up with Jaina and Zekk on a Jedi-aided mission to stop Alema from carrying out her evil intentions (and he introduces a nifty little invention the transfers things immediately into the long-term memory). I thought the strained relationship between Jag and Jaina was refreshing to the series and brought back and personally well loved aspect from the New Jedi Order series. Now that Zekk has abandoned his infatuation for Jaina, I'm eager to see if the love that once existed between Jaina and Jag will be rekindled (I've always preferred that couple to the Jaina/Zekk pairing). The tiresome "Sword of the Jedi" prophesy returns, much to my dismay. This idea didn't work that well in the New Jedi Order series and, honestly, I don't see it doing much for the Legacy of the Force, either. It seems like a half-baked idea invented and brought back just for the sake of throwing something else into the mix. I, for one, hope it either proves to be a deciding factor in the conflict (and finally proves its worth) or fades back into obscurity.

Luke and Mara continue to play a rather small role in the grand scheme of things. Despite not being a fan of Mara, I have to wonder why the two aren't stepping up and rising to the occasion like they usually do. They have the motive (their son possibly turning to the Dark Side and throwing the galaxy out of balance) and the skills; perhaps it's their age holding them back? Whatever the reason, it seems odd that they more or less just sit in the background while the events of the first four books unfold around them.

Allston is a great writer and contributes great things to the Star Wars universe, but Exile just failed to deliver. Nothing really happens, the characters don't develop past where they were in the previous book, the plot doesn't really develop, and we still don't know why the Galactic Alliance has suddenly become so Empire-like or why the rift between it and Corellia has formed. I now wonder how the LotF can continue over five more books without becoming stale and uninteresting.

This fourth volume in the Legacy of the Force series brings us now to near mid-point in the planned nine-volume series and leaves us in much the same spot as we were at the end volume three, with all the major heroes and villains having had another go at one another without serious injury, death, or development of plot.

Now on the run from both The Galactic Alliance and Corellia, the exiled Han and Leia Solo seek the aid and assistance of Lando Calrissian, who joins his old friends in disguise as owners of a gambling and pleasure ship. Together they arrange GA license to operate in Corellian space, where they sit, watch, and wait for the disfigured and deranged Twilek, Alema Rar. Back from his own exile is Chis pilot Jagged Fel, whose personal mission dovetails nicely with Han and Leia's and who under Luke's orders is assigned to work with Jaina and Zekk to capture or destroy the former Dark Nester and agent of the series' arch villain, Lumiya.

Jacen, meanwhile, sends Ben on a mission to test his cousin's suitability as a Sith apprentice, a mission that ends with Ben stranded on the ancient Sith home world of Ziost fighting for physical survival. While Ben struggles to balance the imperative of his mission with the Jedi imperative to protect life, other worlds join Corellia in seceding from the GA, widening the potential conflict and setting up Exile's final scene, in which Jacen infiltrates a meeting to elect a military commander for the newly christened Corellian Confederation

That particular mission turns rather predictably to failure, an end clumsily telegraphed to any reader passingly familiar with action/adventure/fantasy fiction, in which the details of military plans are glossed to preserve suspense for the actual battle scenes. Here, though, author Aaron Allston lays out the entire scheme, a clear sign that the plan is not what it seems - or will very quickly be made moot once the action starts. Authorial ruse was evident as well in Jacen's insistence that he himself act as the spy at the election meeting when under circumstances not dictated by the need to maneuver the characters Jacen would have sent a less noticeable agent.

Allston also treats us to some spiffy new technology, including a device that delivers an electric shock to transfer short-term memories to long-term memory, effectively short-circuiting Alema Rar's ability to erase her presence from the minds of those who have seen her. As electric shock has in the real world been found to cause memory loss, we're left to wonder is this idea is based on anything but imagination.

Still now we don't know exactly what caused the rift between the GA and its member worlds, except for some vague pronouncements, provided in Exile from Leia, that the conflict between the GA and Corellia was the "inevitable conclusion of their respective political directions." Read into that whatever you will. The authors are not likely to provide anything more.

About the only things noteworthy in Exile, besides a few good one-liners, are Allston's revival of the "Sword of the Jedi" prophecy, foreshadowing Jaina's return to center stage (and her possible role as Jacen's foil), as well as his Solo-Skywalker thesis, that the universe has been kept whole only because these families have worked in concert. The corollary, of course, is that the universe is now going to pot because this alliance has been fractured and its members now set against each other. If the Legacy series continues as it has thus far developed, the Solo-Skywalker thesis will probably not be explored in future volumes, although the title for the upcoming fifth volume, Sacrifice, and the announcement of Jacen's Sith name, suggest author Karen Traviss may be giving us something more than another predictable battle-royale.

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Frankly, this review will doubtfully get any "helpful" votes. Quite simply, this book does nothing. It is stagnant throughout and the only bit of interest doesn't begin until around page 260 out of a 337 page book. That isn't good. We see a return of Lando who is present to, I guess, help Han and Leia sneak into and out of Corellia... again. Booster Terrick's Errant Venture star destroyer-turned-travelling casino sets up business in the blockade of Corellia. Bothewai and Commenor side with Corellia and the blockade is broken. Ben learns how to steal and manipulate people as he chases after a purported Sith artifact. Ho-hum. Really nothing in the story is propelled forward and I felt I wasted my time with this episode in the story-arc. Others have said it with less critique (and generously giving it 3 stars) but it is just plain boring. Once again, this entire book could have been condensed down to a 50-75 page story.

A good book, but ultimately falling short of the previous in the series. Allston does a much better job than Traviss with the dialogue in particular, but this particular novel felt like it lost focus. The action was good, the plot developments made sense, and Jacen's transformation into a galactic douchebag is nearing completion. The war between the Alliance and the Confederation is reaching fever pitch and Allston does a very good job at playing up the tensions. However, unlike most books in the EU series, this book fails to take one of the primary characters as a focus and follow them throughout developing events. This was a trend developed during the Yuuzhan Vong series that worked really well, giving you different perspectives of the major crises as they developed from different viewpoints and locations. This book started with an exiled Han and Leia, and I was really excited as they reunited with Lando and began probing for clues to the origin of the current galactic crisis, but that storyline becomes watered down by others about half-way through the novel and I got the feeling that Allston couldn't make up his mind whether or not this was a Han and Leia story, a Ben story, or an Alema story. I think he spread himself too thin and I was left rather unsatisfied all around.

The most interesting parts for me were Ben's trials on the ancient Sith world of Ziost. Really it's a place of mythology for most star wars fans, and the location doesn't pop up much, especially considering it's the homeworld of the rival, dark force path that continually threatens the galaxy throughout the series. Seeing Ben travel there and just getting a feel for the atmosphere of the place and its hints of malevolence was interesting. Allston does a good job making Ben an ambivalent character, I found myself rooting for the kid to make the right moral assumptions, cringing when he fell short and egging him on when he made the right choice. This is the son of LUKE for God's sake, and to see him struggle so much just humanizes him in a way that Luke can't be -- he's too perfect.

I'm not really looking forward to the next book. It's Traviss again, and she gets to narrate the climax of the story. Ugh...

This Star Wars series has been less than inspiring in many aspects, giving us a tour of various Star Wars authors, reaquainting us with their strengths and weaknesses, and all the while following a very slow moving master plot. When you are used to looking at the films, with their clear plot objectives and movement outlined with very little else, and then, with Legacy of the Force, are given vague plot objectives and movement with a whole lot of extraneous material, it has a tendency to have a diluting effect. Only if you read like a banshee, and get from books 1 to 4 in a flash, do you get find some things starting to move.

Exile is the major turning point in the series, where motives are discovered, and we can begin to understand the focus of the master plot by simply having the characters figure it out for themselves. Not only that, but each character in the stories is given time to develop, strategize, and be tested in new and dramatic ways.

In terms of who to look for in this book, Ben Skywalker is of the most interest, and Alema Rar is a close second on the "darkside" of the coin. Jacen is clearly not the star of this book, but his parents, Han and Leia, along with old buddy Lando drive a good portion of the plot. While their story brings a lot of the old good buddy smuggler comradarie back into the story, given it a nice warm appeal, the things going on around Han and Leia are sometimes more interesting the things that they do themselves. This is saying a lot, because really, Han and Leia have a pretty exciting ride.

Aaron's debut to the series was really a long way from the quality of this novel. This novel had heart, which the first one did not, and this novel had focus, while the first novel was completely scattered. I really feel like a lot of the good ideas for this series originated with Aaron, and perhaps he wanted to do too much with the plot of the first novel and forgot to just sit down and write a good book. This book was a success on a number of levels, and almost seemed to be an amalgam of the best traits of all the authors so far. Clearly, Aaron should be the star writer of this series, and is very necessary to advance the main plot.

This book was hard to put down, and vallidated my faith in the series. Kudos to Aaron.

Highly Recommended.

I just finished EXILE and it was GREAT... The interaction between the characters was the same as in the movies. The way it moved to the climax of the book, was at times slow and others to fast, but it was a good read over all.

I still do not like the references to the Dark Nest Trilogy, I did not read it so I kept getting lost in translation, the same way I did in Tempest.

The cliffhanger was awesome, eventhough I already knew who the sacrifice would be. If you read carefully and knowing who the sacrifice would be, the book gives you hints of the identity.

Star Wars fan this is one of the GOOD ones, go for it.... but read Dark Nest Trilogy if you do not want to get lost

I own and have read almost every expanded universe book that has been written, and obviously some of them are great, some are okay and some are just bad. I am still deciding what to think of this new series. The whole idea of taking the most dynamic and powerful new jedi (Jacen) and making him look like a manipulated child just is not seeming right to me. Of all the people in the universe he would have been the last one I would have picked to be duped by a wanna be sith warrior. But anyway, the best part of the opening book in this series was the Boba Fett angle, and I have been sorely disappointed that he just disappeared from the last 2 books. I realize he is going to be back in the next one but I am not sure that I want to fork out the money for a first run hard back book if it does the same as this one does and goes nowhere.

I almost feel as if they have taken a story line that could have been told in, at most, a trilogy, and stretched it out to fit into a long drawn out series. I am thinking that maybe the days of "Heir to the Empire" and "Star by Star" are gone for good and now the Star Wars universe is just going to be milked until it is dead.

I just hope that in the next book something interesting and suprising happens. I am finding myself less and less excited about the star wars universe.

This is another solid novel in the new series. It follows the events surrounding the war between the Galactic Alliance and Corellia, which escalates to include other systems. It also follows the regular cast of characters (the Solos, Skywalkers, etc.), as to be expected - although, strangely enough, R2D2 is missing in this novel?!?!

Jacen continues down the dark path. The similarities between him and his grand father, Anakin/Darth Vader, become more apparent in this novel, as he continues to make mistakes and justify his actions. You can see his feelings about his parents coming to a climax. Jacen, like Anakin, continues to make great errors in judgment, but continues to deny his errors, remaining ever prideful.

Ben is developed more as a character in this novel than in any other, and it's great to see a relatively new character begin to take his place in the novels. He's a very interesting character, and he is increasingly being placed in the middle of some very trying events concerning his parents and Jacen.

There is much manipulation in this novel by the various dark forces: Alema, Lumiya, Jacen, etc. Alema continues to see to bring what she sees as balance back to the force and revenge on some major characters. Lumiya continues to manipulate just about everything, as well as tutor Jacen in the Sith ways. And Jacen of course, continues, much like his grand father, to try and bring what he sees as order to the galaxy.

The novel definitely ends very well, with many issues remaining to be decided in future novels. It's a great cliffhanger! It's going to be interesting to see what happens in future events. Don't pass on this book if you are a Star Wars fan!

There is a rule I've heard in several places. The second in a trilogy is always the worst. Now the glaring exception to this rule is the Original Star Wars trilogy, where the Empire Strikes Back was probably the best, but in general, it seems to be true. This isn't part of a trilogy, but each author writes three books, and I'm hoping the rule applies to that too. Why? Because Allston's second book wasn't as good as I was hoping.


That's not to say it's bad! I've rated it 8/10, which is still a high score. It's just not at quite the same level as the previous three in the series. There are three reasons for this, the first of which is the plot.


There is nothing bad about the plot. But there's nothing outstanding about it either. While it did follow on from Denning's "Tempest" rather well, it didn't seem to move the story along in many ways. And in some ways I understand this. In fact, I quite enjoyed reading about the war in a way that reflected real wars, rather than wars which only seem to have battles caused by the heroes/villains. Obviously the Heroes/Villains are involved, we wouldn't see them otherwise, but they generally aren't the driving force of the individual battles - that's the job of the tacticians and other military personnel. So it was good, if not progressive.


The second reason for the slightly lower score is that the different story-lines aren't quite as riveting as each other. In the first book, "Betrayal", I found that I wanted to know about all of the story-lines, all of the characters. Similarly in "Bloodlines" and "Tempest". But in this I found that actually, Jacen's story wasn't very interesting. Han and Leia's was mildly interesting, and Luke didn't seem to really have his own storyline, he just popped up in other people's every now and again. (Slight exaggeration there - he DID have a storyline, but it wasn't a major focus). There were two particularly outstanding story-lines: Alema and Ben. Without revealing too much, Alema's obsession with finding Han and Mara is joined with a new 'partner' and provides a little comedy to the plot, while still maintaining the overall tone, and is also another viewpoint on the situation.


But by far I found Ben's storyline to be superior to the rest. It's the first time we've really seen Ben in this much focus, despite him being quite important in events so far, and Allston does a very good job of writing his scenes. But it's the character development that makes Ben so interesting here. As Jacen's apprentice, he is constantly being tempted by the dark side, and as a teenager he is experiencing growing up. So it's an interesting mix, and I almost wish that Aalston was writing the next book just so that I could see what happens with Ben.


The third thing is rather petty in some ways, and is about two paragraphs from the whole book. Basically, the Author sums up the battle. Now since they're at the end I can't tell them without saying what happens, but I've tried to write a similar thing for the end of the clone wars:


"In the end, the Emperor decided he'd won. The Jedi thought they'd lost, and decided to all go and hide."


Ok, so that "pseudo-quote" probably unjustly, and badly, written. But the point I'm trying to make is that it was just a simple statement of who won. More suited to a report, or dissertation than a novel. If a character had said it, it would have been much more appropriate. It just seemed out of place, and distracted me from the escape a novel can provide. Normally not too much of a problem, but close to the end, it's something I remember vividly.


But as I said, that's a petty point. And overall, there was very little to fault with the novel. I was expecting it to be higher quality, but was in no way disappointed by what it was. I still found it impossible to put down, and would still recommend this series. Next stop: Sacrifice(Book 5).