Customer Reviews

Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Dark Tide II: Ruin

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I fondly remember Michael A. Stackpole's X-Wing series and I, Jedi. He's perhaps the best writer when it comes to dogfights and Rogue Squadron. I don't think he's as strong in the New Jedi Order series. I do think Dark Tide II: Ruin is better than Dark Tide I: Onslaught. However, both are plagued by similar problems.

Stackpole presents a world in which all politicians are aping morons and all military men are honorable and intelligent. I understand this is Star Wars, and the prequels weren't exactly a civics class, but sometimes Stackpole takes this too far. Some of his characters' comments about politics are just unbelievable. It seems in every chapter at least one character makes a snide comment about how the military needs to get its work done before the politicians interfere. For example, Fel, an Imperial Tie Fighter pilot, snubs the New Republic politicians and bows only to its military officials. When asked why, he goes into a monologue about how politicians just argue and only military men solve problems. Meanwhile, the politicians seem almost treasonous in their stupidity and unwillingness to confront the Yuuzhan Vong threat. In the real world, if anything politicians have been almost too willing to hype threats and seize more power, rather than to ignore them. Although I did find the touch of a Bothan admiral to be a nice departure from normal conventions.

Fortunately, unlike the first Dark Tide book, Stackpole presents several interesting plot twists, from an alliance between the New Republic and Imperials to a potential bioweapon against the Yuuzhan Vong. These developments make for a more dynamic situation in which we're not just confronted with despair but also dashes of hope and intrigue. Elegos, the Caamasi senator, becomes particularly important as the New Republic envoy to the Yuuzhan Vong. We see him grow and change in unexpected ways. Still, even with these segments, I thought Stackpole too often took the easy route. I know Admiral Pellaeon is noble, but still it seems utterly unrealistic for the Imperials to agree to an alliance with the New Republic so easily.

Despite its weaknesses, Dark Tide II: Ruin is a fun story and advances the New Jedi Order series admirably. Overall, 3.75 stars.

i think the dark tide series were great you know i've read a couple NJO books and they've left the Jacen and Danni Quee love story in the dust.

The series started out good but really turned out to be a stinker. Its full of whiney young Jedi constantly trying to either one-up each other or prove themselves to, what, who knows because the author never hits the point. The bickering between the military and the politicians got overwhelmingly annoying and childish with idle threats this way and that. And the military strategy was simply terrible. The final "battle" made absolutely no sense what so ever. What were supposed to be strong military commanders of the Vong, the Remnant, and the Republic just came up with the most ridiculous plan of all. And the final "duel" was anticlimactic to put it lightly. I'll never read another Stackpole novel again.

I absolutely loved this book and all the rest of the NJO. I would definitely recommend this to any Sci-Fi reader.