Customer Reviews

Omen (Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi, Bk 2)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I mostly liked this book. It had a lot of interesting character moments, some decent action, and some interesting plot points.

That said, I have a few problems with this title, but only one of them can be placed at the feet of the author, Ms. Golden. I like her writing, she is great at characters (See Star Trek: Voyager Homecoming). Here is my one problem with Golden's writing. Several times during this book, Jedi ignite their lightsabers to cut through a door or wall. They've done this in the past, and they'll do it in the future. My problem is that each time, Golden goes on for several paragraphs about how difficult it actually is to cut through a wall with a lightsaber. Look, its a valid point, and something the other authors have ignored, but I got it after the first time. WE GET IT! ITS HARD TO CUT THROUGH A DOOR WITH A LIGHTSABER!

And I also would have liked to see some mention of the droids, and some of the other peripherial characters, but since other books do this to the expense of the big 3 (Han, Luke, Leia), its a minor complaint.

My other complaints with the title are more related to how it fits into the overall series and I believe these issues are the fault of the editors giving Golden strict guidelines.

-I love the father-son moments with Luke and Ben. Love them. I love the Father-Daughter moments with Han and Jaina. All of these scenes were great, but there were a lot of them. My problem here is that if you look at the first book in the series (Exile), you see almost none of it. This book felt very heavy on such moments, and light on important events. The editors need to encourage the writer's to balance this out more, to include a better balance in future books.

-Leia and Han getting their granddaughter a pet is NOT enough of a plot line to last the entire book. This is again the editor's fault, for telling Golden that Leia and Han must be in almost the exact same condition as they were before the book started. There are a plethora of crisis going on, and Leia (who has been instrumental in solving all crisis within the past 40 years) decides to go to a pet show? HUH?

-Acting Jedi Grand Master Kenth Hamner. Where do I begin? How about here: I can't remember him ever being introduced. We know almost nothing about him. The first mention of him that i can recall is in NJO: Edge of Victory Part 1 where he warns Luke and Mara that they are about to be arrested. Golden tried to get into his head, but the editors wouldn't let her create more of a backstory for him, and therefore, he still has almost none. And also, isn't he a JEDI MASTER? How can so many people lie to his face? I also can't remember him ever using the force.

-Also problematic is the visit with the Aing Tii. Many of the scenes here could have replaced "Aing Tii" with "Baron Do" and we never would have noticed the difference. The two visits were framed in very similiar manners.

-Also, editors: Amelia scenses something from the moon of Kessel in "Exile", tells Leia about it, and SHE DOESN'T INVESTIGATE!? Heh?

-And, lastly for now, my last complaint with the editors handling of the series: Why in the name of the force would Luke leave R2-D2 with Han and Leia? R2 is great with information and repairs, surprisingly good in a fight, doesn't take up that much space, and oh yeah HAS BEEN BY LUKE'S SIDE EVERY MINUTE FOR THE PAST 40 YEARS! Luke has risked his life multiple times to rescue R2, and now just dumps him on his sister like he's a nuisance? Now I haven't seen blueprints, but it seems to me like there's room on the Jade's Shadow for him.

All of this said, I loved the Sith on Kesh (even though it was obviously an afterthought), and Sylgal having an increased role is really cool. I am chomping at the bit for the next book. I just hope the editor's pay more attention.

Is LucasFilm Ltd. so hard up for money that it justifies charging $27 for a book that is essentially a repeat storyline of Allston's Outcast, and a short one-- fewer than 300 pages-- at that?

Two Jedi go insane, wreck havoc, are captured ; Luke and Ben go to the next stop on Darth Putz's scavenger hunt and learn... not much, just that there's another mystical destination ahead! Vestara was a mildly interesting new character, but the parts devoted to her especially read like a YA book. I have nothing against YA books, many of them are better written and more compelling than a lot of dreck aimed at the adult market. However, Omen was not one of these.

The most ridiculous element in the book was the subterfuge employed in order for Jag and Jaina to... go on a date. Honestly, I kept thinking there was going to be more to it, that all the fuss and bother and resources were going to lead to a covert mission. But no; it was just a silly, junior-high-esque caper so they could presumably hook up privately. It was so reminescent of a fanfic written by a squealing tween fangirl I expected to see in print "Jag & Jaina sneak off for a date!!! Chaos ensues!!!"

Save your money on this one and borrow it from your local library or spend an afternoon in a bookstore cafe reading it; it won't take that long. Sadly it seems to be an on-going trend with the franchise that the books' promise does not live up to the execution.

Oh, and Ben saying "Lubed" will never not be unintentionally hilarious.

I really don't think the author was aware of some of the basic rules for writing a Star Wars book.

First, she wrote about characters that don't interact with the main characters. This "support" or "proper back-grounding" is utterly alien to the Star Wars expanded universe. I mean, what's the fun if you know stuff about people before they suddenly appear to attack or save the day?

Second, she wrote conversations between Luke and Ben that have nothing to do with saving the universe! Establishing familial ties between father and son is also something that Expanded Universe fans don't want to see!

Third, she wrote simple, but still very expressively. If you miss they days of Zahn, writing about Bothan fur ripples, you're in for a surprise! It's almost like she hasn't read all of the star wars book and therefore probably doesn't worship them!

Have you figured out that I'm being sarcastic yet? This is a GREAT book, true it was destined for paperback, but I really enjoyed the pacing and the thought that obviously went into it's construction.

I almost wanted to take back every bad thing I have said about woman that write Star Wars books (Almost..., I'm still nursing that grudge against Barbara Hambly for 'Children of the Jedi')

Thanks again Ms. Golden. It's nice to see the expanded universe (& Sith) growing in this new exciting story! I'm actually looking forward to the next book in the series, as well as your future contributions.

I just finished reading Omen, and i thoroughly enjoyed it. Christie Golden is a talented author who writes very well-developed characters and has helped re-invigorate the star wars universe. The character of Vestara was particularly well done.
However, i was disapointed in the length of the book. I felt like the plot could have gone deeper and longer and i was dissapointed that i was not able to enjoy this book for longer than a few hours. My only complaint in regard to the story is Jaina. I might be biased because Jaina is my favorite character but she is in the prime of her jedi years and should be a bigger focus! As much as i love the old characters- and the very new ones- i believe Jaina should get the same attention in these books as Ben Skywalker. They both are going to be the ones to carry on the Skywalker legacy after all.
That said, i still cant wait for Abyss!!!

-MJ

At 250 pages long and with not much new to distinguish it from the first book in the Fate of the Jedi series, Omen is a disappointment and the perfect example of what is wrong with the all-hardcover approach to this latest series of Star Wars novels. With Legacy of the Force, three of the books were hardcover, and you could maybe convince yourself that it was worth it to buy and read those immediately rather than wait for the paperbacks to come out a few months down the line. The problem with making all of this series in hardcover editions is that not every book (and certainly not Omen) is worthy of a $27 cover price. What might have worked in an $8 paperback is revealed for what it truly is in hardcover: stealing money from the pockets of hardcore fans. (Unless you do what I did and borrow it from your local library!) Perhaps Omen would have worked better trimmed down and distributed as an e-novella between two more substantial books.

Major complaints:

The author spends way too much time describing how the Aing Tii aliens lick Luke and Ben's face. Luke even has to tell Ben to "get used to being licked." Enough with the face-licking!

A major part of the book happens at the Coruscant equivalent of a livestock show, where Han and Leia are being all grandparent-y with their secret granddaughter. What's next, they show up for Open House at Coruscant P.S. #138?

No more gratuitous memories of the movies! Would Han Solo really lay in bed and think "about the various creatures he'd had to ride during the course of life..., most memorably tauntauns." He then goes on to remember cutting one open to save Luke. This is Han-frakking-Solo! I don't want to read about him lying in bed reminiscing about the pony he owned on Corellia!

Finally, this book's three plotlines are the same as the first book with some changed names/locations and sometimes two bad things happening where in the first one only one bad thing happened. Skip this one and jump right to Abyss. You will not have missed anything vital.

Getting through this book was an unpleasant slog.

I've read almost all the Star Wars books from the "X-Wing" series through this one -- forty or so books. Usually they are enjoyable, sometimes they are excellent, but not this time.

There are some interesting developments: Sith are portrayed in a positive light. Also, Natasi Daala, Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance, has come to the conclusion that I've long held: the Jedi are a terribly dangerous loose cannon and have caused untold misery. But still I had to drag myself back to read this book.Maybe it's the leaden prose -- some of the worst I've seen in a Star Wars novel. In particular, the depictions of Luke and his son Ben are just tedious. Or perhaps I'm just tired of the "delusional Jedi disease" that is the central motif of this story arc.

Whatever the reason, if the next novel isn;t better, I'm going to have to get by with reading the Cliff notes.Maybe it's time to delve into the Old Republic stories.

What a terrific disappointment from the first book in the series. This book feels like a placeholder in the story. There are minor developments, but other than that, seems like a direct derivation from the previous book by Aaron Allston. Plot-wise, there are almost no new developments beyond the introduction of some shadowy new villains. In that respect, all Golden manages is an introduction too. Other than that, everything pretty much goes on it's humdrum way. More Jedi fall to the mysterious illness that consumed Valin Horn in book one, each one constituting a mini-crisis in the political conflict between Daala and the GA and the Jedi Order and provides a touch of action to an otherwise stale book that reads more like a travel diary than a Star Wars epic.

Making matters worse is the poor editing and poor writing by Golden. Maybe it's a pet peeve, but I really can't stand it when writers use dialogue to recap things for readers. There's a lot of, "Well let's not get ahead of ourselves gang. Remember last week, when __________?" and "Don't forget that two weeks ago this person did this and that's why." These things feel part of the narration or something that should be in an interior monologue. Not dialogue. It just feels clumsy and reveals the author's hand way too much. It makes it harder to immerse yourself in the story and visualize everything.

The other major disappointment, which I dearly hope is rectified by the next book, is the episodic and cyclic nature of the story. Feels like this saga is developing a bad habit where in each new book, a new Jedi goes crazy and causes havoc and Luke and Ben visit yet another world on their journey to find out what happened to Jacen Solo. Reminds me too much of the Smallville freak-of-the-week formula and I will be sorely disappointed if it continues.

Here's hoping to an improvement in the next book. The idea is solid, and so was the set-up. I just hope other authors can execute better than Golden.

Yeah. That was short. It just kind of smacked into me at page 236. I hadn't factored in the Abyss preview. I don't think this book is a tough call. Golden did alright. She had a handle on the characters and rhythm of a SW book. It was lacking at least one subplot to lengthen the book. An ACTION driven plot perhaps? Han, Leia and and gang go to a petting zoo? I actually liked the short sequence but that's all they're given? Not that I want them galavanting to some moon having a (seemingly) irrelevant adventure as in Outcast.

I like the Force-Crazy plot, which didn't really develop any further than in Outcast, but I have to ask myself, why break out The Lost Tribe now? It looks like the Jedi are self-destructing quite well on their own. Finally, though, we have a bevy of plots and none of them Mandolorian. All good things.;)

I thought the Aing-Tii plot was better and a bit more thoughtful than the Baran Do adventure but in the end Luke and Ben kind of brought another stagnant Force culture to adapt to changing times. Honestly, I'd like Luke and Ben to find a group that truly challenges Luke Skywalker. He's breezed through the Baran Do and Aing-Tii material like Einstein in eighth grade remedial math.

I like Vestara. I like this Sith. They seem more ancient and less like vampires. Less comic book-esque. The One Sith is great for Legacy but I'm glad they're gone from The FOTJ playing field.

Though it wasn't a page turner, I enjoyed everything Golden gave us. What little she did give us.

Let me start by saying that there were elements I liked. The Sith were interesting, and there were tidbits of storyline continuation that were great. But, it's taken me twice as long to read this book over the others in the series, because it's just not as interesting. When I read Aaron's or Troy's books I just didn't want to put them down. There were many moments I just said "wow".

That being said, I'm glad I didn't pay $27 for the hardcover. Although I also had storyline issues, my main issues were with the writing. I was very disappointed that considering how short this book was, how much of it was consumed with "feelings". A lot was spent on explaining how characters were emotionally tormented and crying. I love character development. In some cases it's very necessary (such as introducing new characters). But, many times in this book I found myself rolling my eyes and wanting to skip ahead past sections.

One example of many of the over-the-top "feeling" discussions happened in the first few chapters, when Jysella Horn anguishes excessively over her brother's imprisonment. OK, I get it already, she's upset and it's a tough situation... but it takes 2 chapters for her come to grips with her feelings and work her way out of the temple. That's 10% of a short book. That's time that could have been spent on Luke Skywalker or the Sith (or even spending more time on the prologue) or some lightsaber battles.

One other issue on the character side was that the transformation in the sanity of the young Jedi, when explained, was unbelievable. One would at least have some sort of struggle to make sense of their situation maybe asking... "If these Jedi are impostors, why have I not sensed it until now? I mean literally 1 second ago this person was not an impostor and right before my eyes they now feel like an impostor. I KNOW what the symptoms are and I seem to have them." Instead there was literally zero struggle. It's like a light switch went off, and the characters said "every one is an impostor". I mean Jysella curling up and just crying over her brother is explained, but there's no emotionally struggle in coming to grips with an irrational feeling?

Overall a necessary read, but I think if you want this to be a $27 hardcover, it has to be more substance and leave the emotional fluff out (unless you're going to add it in ADDITION to more content).

Summary:
Luke and Ben meet the Aing-Tii, which put them on the path to finally understanding what's going on with the psychotic Jedi. Han and Leia get a pet for their granddaughter. Meanwhile, there's a new possible threat and Sith leader.

TL;DR Version:
If this is an omen of things to come, I almost don't want to read the rest of the books, especially if I had to buy the hardcover versions. Christie Golden seemed like she was really trying to increase word count without saying anything, and nothing actually happened in this book. Underwhelming is a word that comes to mind.

Review:
I was really excited to start this novel, after reading Outcast. There was a lot of potential there, and the set up was ripe for a solid Force push in the stomach by an awesome story. And I definitely didn't get that from Omen-at all.

In my last review, I took each storyline and spoke about it separately, and planned to do the same thing for this book initially. After reading about 150 of the book's scant 276 pages (only 250 in hardcover...wow!), I realized that this book's stories are almost exactly the same as Outcast`s! The only really "new" storyline, to me, was Vestara's, who is an up and coming Sith, about whom the ship fortuitously named Ship is apparently enamored with. (Golden goes out of her way to insist that the characters know that ship is male as well. Very confusing for a Star Wars novice like myself, since no ships ever have male/female identity until now...). Even though all of Vestara's scenes were written in a different way (Worrying about whether there's a shower and a place to relieve herself in the new barracks, giving away her possessions, etc) than I am used to in this genre, her story has so much promise. Yet it simply disappeared, giving way to the next story.

So, what is the next story? Well, we get two more "Force psychoses", in exactly the same manner as Valin, Jysella's brother, in Outcast. The different between the way Allston wrote it, though, and the way Golden wrote it, is night and day. In Golden's version of the "insanity", the style is cumbersome and there is absolutely no suspense about it at all. Maybe that's because I kind of know what to expect when I see "Not-Han" and "Not-Leia" but... still!

Then there's Luke and Ben. Well, they're flying through space, looking for a race of creatures known as the Aiing-Tii, who have unique Force prowess. It's Ben's thought that perhaps these Aing-Tii will be able to either explain what happened to Jacen Solo that led him down the path of the Dark Side to become Darth Caedus, or in some other way, Ben and Luke will be able to figure it out. I don't want to give too much away, except I do want to say that Luke tells Ben that he should "get ready to be licked a lot", and that I don't think the Force should ever be referred to as a rainbow. As Luke and Ben leave the Aing-Tii after a scene of events about 1/3 of the entirety of the book, it struck me that you could replace "Aing-Tii" with "Baran Do" from Outcast and have roughly the same exchange.

The next big storyline was like, "what the heck?" Well, it reminded me a lot, again, of Outcast, when Han and Leia took their not-granddaughter to visit good ol' Lando Calrissian (A great role model for a kid, let me tell you!). In this book, it's not Kessel, but instead a zoo! I did like the reference that Han made back to the movie, when he mentioned slicing into a Bantha to save Luke. There was a big smile on my face there! But, seriously, we're in the middle of this big Galactic Alliance crisis and they're going off to a zoo? It just seemed, weird and misplaced.

I want to know more about Vestara and the Sith! Hopefully the next book will actually have some progression in a storyline aside from just introducing a new one!

Cover/Title/First Line Critique:
I like the cover, except that I think it's supposed to be Vestara, and I don't remember any reference in the book to her dual-wielding a dagger and a lightsaber. While she is indeed given a lightsaber (And in a Neo-esque moment, receives one of the original Sith lightsabers), it just seems out of place. This book opens up right in front of a planet, whereas Outcast opened up right in front of a ship (or kind of below). I don't know, seems odd to me. And I think, to properly appreciate the title...I'll need to read the next book. That is, to properly see if there was actually an "omen" in this book or not.