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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
This didn't help my opinion of Kevin J. Anderson, December 10, 2001
By A Customer
I can't say that I was particularly pleased with the first book in this trilogy, Jedi Search. However, this fact did not stop me frombeing even less pleased with the second entry into the series. Once again, we are treated to a lengthy series of escapades involving incompetant Imperials, grandoise superweapons and, of course, the omnipotent Jedi. Why did I read this series? I'll start with the Imperials, more specifically Daala. Somehow, despite all the build up Anderson gave her, she manages to come off as little more than a cartoon villian, who dreams up wild plots, pats herself of the back for her supposed cleverness, and then fails miserably. If I wanted to see this type of character, I would turn on a children's cartoon! On a side note, the original idea behind Daala seems a little derivitive of Thrawn (character whose brilliance allows him/her to overcome a prejudiced environment). Sadly, unlike Thrawn, Daala is never able to live up to her reputation. What the heck is up with the suncrusher? I could live with the Death Star (it was a very original idea the first time). Heck, I can tollerate a second Death Star. However, taking basically the same concept and going one better with it (we destroy stars now, instead of planets) pushes my limit. Especially when said weapon is invencible (it survives supernovas) and has the manueverability of a TIE fighter. Death Star? Who needs it? We can wipe out entire star systems with this little number. And, for good measure, its utterly indestructable. (Of course, we can't have such a weapon in Imperial hands. So, naturally, the rebels somehow get a hold of it. Go figure.) Kyp. I rarely hate characters in Star Wars (why waste hatred on people who don't exist?), but Kyp annoyed me terribly. A brazen young hotshot whose limitless power in the force (conviently overlooked by the Empire) seems to me to be little more than a testiment to Anderson's ego, demonstarting that he can create a seemingly allmighty character. Oh well. I shouldn't complain TOO much, since I honestly enjoy writing rants more than pleasent reviews (where's the fun in just saying nice things about a book?). Still, I can think of better ways to spend one's time, such as reading The Thrawn Trillogy, or The Hand of Thrawn. It is a free country, so I therefore conclude by saying that you are, as always, entitled to form your own opinions.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
This is where it falls apart, November 28, 2001
The second book of a trilogy can make or break the overall product. This book falls into the latter category. Dark Apprentice is a cliched mess that's not worth picking up. First, let's start off with characterization. The best characters in the book are two dimensional. The others...well, the others make cardboard cutouts seem lifelike. Kyp Durron, a kid with a hard life, is Luke Skywalker's most impressive apprentice. We all know what happens next. Kyp is tempted by the Dark Side, and ultimately rebels against his master. Admiral Daala, the biggest threat since Grand Admiral Thrawn (or, at least, Kevin J. Anderson would like us to believe so), is a bumbling idiot. She is as inept in subtlety as she is in conventional warfare. Another problem that plagues this book are the multiple, and unneccessary, plot threads. There's Luke and his Academy, Kyp and his temptation, Daala and her desires of vengeance, Leia and her children, Ackbar and his pouting. With such a jumbled mess, it's of no wonder that the fundamentals are sorely lacking. Perhaps the only thing of good worth mentioning is the Academy itself. Kevin J. Anderson actually does a fair job with explaining the history of the Jedi, the origins of the Sith, and various techniques the Jedi use to teach others in the ways of the Force. Unfortunately, even this is ultimately marred by another of his unending supply of cliches. This is a poor book of a poor series, and unfortunately the trilogy only gets worse from here.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
The Force still isn't with Kevin J. Anderson, October 17, 1998
I'll admit that this was a better book than "Jedi Search," but that still doesn't save it from a one-star rating. The plot, while slightly more thought out than "Jedi Search," is still mundane and predicatable and doesn't offer anything beyond the cliches of other Star Wars novels of similar caliber. (Just how many superweapons are out there, anyway?) Anderson still does not have a foothold on the characters his stories revolve around. Luke and Han and all the rest of the regulars are portrayed so blandly you'll hardly recognize them. And Anderson's "new" characters really aren't new; they're just stock characters lifted from other stories and given new names. I guess Anderson thought we wouldn't notice. Anderson's dialouge continues to leave much to be desired. When his characters talk to one another, it's either plot exposition or quoting catch lines from the Trilogy. "I have a bad feeling about this," "Never tell me the odds," etc. I guess this kind of mindless regurgitation is what passes for creativity these days. There are Star Wars fans who will tell you that the Jedi Academy trilogy is worth reading just to learn the characters and plot elements that are referenced in other books. If such is your atttitude, I recommend skipping straight to part three of this trilogy, "Champions of the Force." Despite what some readers will tell you, you don't really have to read the first two books to understand the third. The characters and storyline are pretty straight forward and Anderson rehashes the plot often enough for you to figure out what's going on. If you aren't quite so interested in the ongoing Star Wars universe of Bantam Spectra and just want to read a decent Star Wars book, I'd like to recommend "Heir to the Empire" by Timothy Zahn. Once you've read Zahn's trilogy, Anderson's can be better seen for what it is.
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