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35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Bittersweet Ending, November 22, 2004
It is very hard to review this book on it's own as it is the wrap up to the ambitious New Jedi Order Series. I'll try to comment on both of them in their appropriate place.
There are some problems with this book, I felt it was too long for one and the first 300 pages dragged. I'm reviewing it now and I got it in hardcover when first released. However the ending picks the pace up and manages to keep the reader enthralled.
There are obviously no real surprises here. The ending has been telegraphed fairly well over the last 4 novels or maybe more. That being said although we know where the journey is taking us, Luceno, not one of my favorite authors, makes the journey a pleasant one. We get to see Luke absolutely kick butt, we see the annoying Solo children of the previous publisher's books come into their final fruition. Though I didn't like Jacen's temporary godhood it was the telegraphed culmination that he would be the new "balance of the Force".
The ending was particularly well done, bittersweet farewells of tired damaged warriors in a tired damaged galaxy with some very nice human moments.
What can we say about the NJO? I don't think it did all it set out to do, but it came pretty close. It was light years above the New Republic series of the previous publisher. The lows of the NJO came nowhere near the many many lows of the previous series. We saw main characters die, we saw characters change, we saw the philosophy of the Force through many viewpoints. We saw a high level of writing overall and some pretty good editing to contain the very large story arc. We got new stories in the Star Wars universe with an intriguing culture in the Vong. We got Nom Anor, the most despicable creature ever who went from being an absolutely loathed cardboard villain to someone the reader knew inside out. We saw many characters have very real crises of faith, hit rock bottom and come back in a fashion that didn't make it seem predictable or cliche.
Thus it is somewhat sad to see it end. It needed to end, don't get me wrong, it had gone on long enough and it was time. The Clone Wars novels are now the spiritual successors to the NJO, showing the greater depth and complexity of the shaded morality of the universe that we first saw here.
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Luceno knows his Star Wars, November 13, 2003
Warning: if you haven't read most of the Star Wars books in existence, many of the wonderful, unexpected moments in "The Unifying Force" will probably pass you by. It is extremely satisfying to see so many characters from, and references made to, older books in the Star Wars saga. All of our favorites are back in character, and we get to see some new sides to certain characters, that just might change your opinions of them. To name names would be to spoil the surprises. For those looking for a little philosophical thought, I'll just say that I'm still trying to completely figure things out. What I have figured out is that the notion of the Force at the end of this book is quite different than the one we see at the beginning of "The Phantom Menace". And, this evolution in thought makes sense. What I loved best about this book was that the Jedi did not dominate it. While they still played a very important part, it was made obvious that everyone had an important role in saving the galaxy, even the enemy. In other words, the galaxy needs its Han Solos just as much as it needs its Luke Skywalkers. Did Mr. Luceno tie up all the loose ends? Most of them, yes, and for one in particular, it was done in absolutely fitting fashion. But, he also raised a few interesting questions, for which no answers were given. I hope to see these addressed in future books. In closing, I'd like to thank Mr. Luceno, and all the other NJO authors, for continuing the action and adventure in a galaxy far, far away. The journey wasn't always smooth, and a few good friends were lost along the way, but in the end, the magic was back, and I knew just exactly why I had become a Star Wars fan in the first place.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thrilling conclusion to the New Jedi Order series, November 15, 2003
When I heard James Luceno would write the final chapter in the epic New Jedi Order series, I was a bit worried. Sure Luceno wrote the very good Prequal Era book: Cloak of Deception but he had also written two of the not so good entries into the New Jedi Order Series the Agents of Chaos books. I needn't have worried. Luceno's final entry into thet NJO series The Unifying Force is an excellent Star Wars book and a fitting conclusion to the New Jedi Order series. Almost all of our old Star Wars friends make some sort of impact in the story. While some of the twists and turns are more predictable, overall this book is a top-notch effort. The biggest criticism I have, is that perhaps this book might have been better expanded into 2. The conclusion at the end leaves something to be desired, but overall the book is extremely well written, although it downplays some of the more romantic elements in previous books and ignores some important information from Keyes Final Prophecy about Tahiri and Corran Horn. Overall I find very little to critisize as I write my final New Jedi Order review. From outrageously excellent books like Star by Star to the not so good like the Force Heretic series, its been one hell of a ride.
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