Customer Reviews

Star Wars: Survivor's Quest

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

One of the nice things about Del Ray's series of Star Wars books is that they are not just concentrating on their New Jedi Order books. They are also producing some books that take place further back in the Star Wars novel history, when Bantam was running the show. Thus, they can refer to events that took place in earlier books (such as Tatooine Ghost), and they can even supply sequels. Timothy Zahn's Survivor's Ghost is one of those, and it's quite thrilling.

Luke Skywalker and Mara Jada Skywalker, married for three years now, are helping Mara's old boss, Talon Karrde, go straight by informing some of his old friends that he will no longer be doing business with them. After rebuking one irate customer, Karrde catches up with them and gives them a message to go to Nirauan (the planet where they faced down the Hand of Thrawn in Vision of the Future). There, they are told that Outbound Flight, an exploratory mission sent out by the Old Republic 50 years ago, has been found by the Chiss (who happen to be the species of their old enemy, Admiral Thrawn). Outbound Flight was a ring of six massive dreadnaught battleships bound to an inner core, resulting in a huge ship, but the Chiss reportedly destroyed it years ago. The Chiss have asked Luke and Mara to come and inspect it, representing the New Republic. They have to keep their eyes and ears open, however, as old enemies show up as well as new. Who will be their allies and who will betray them? Mara also has to come to terms with her former life as the Emperor's Hand during the time of the Empire, making a decision that could change her life forever. Luke and Mara have to stretch their Jedi skills to the maximum to make it out of the bowels of Outbound Flight alive, as well as preventing a galactic war.

I love the fact that the recent Star Wars non-NJO books have focused on only a few of our favourite characters. This gives the book an opportunity to really expand on their characterization, as well as explain certain changes between the old series and the New Jedi Order books. Survivor's Quest focuses exclusively on Luke and Mara, their relationship, and Mara's past. I've always enjoyed Mara, as she's one of the most dynamic new Star Wars (i.e. non-movie) character around. She's gone through massive changes since Zahn's first novel, where she wanted nothing more then to kill Luke Skywalker. Now they're married, sharing a bond that goes beyond love, a bond through the Force. When they first meet up with Commander Fel (the son of one of their old enemies) and his stormtrooper squad, memories flood her, memories of her time with the Empire. She begins to fall into old habits of command. She has a case of "survivor's guilt," as she realizes that while the Emperor was horrible, some of the Imperial policies may have actually been good. She and Luke have seen the New Republic struggle with petty wars and other conflicts among member planets, and the Imperials were efficient. Watching her thoughts is very intriguing.

The best thing about this is that Zahn doesn't push this in the reader's face by trying to explain it. Instead, the reader gets to see some of her thought processes as she handles the situations that come up during the events of the novel. Luke occasionally presses her to talk, but he's usually unsuccessful. Instead, he just has to be supportive as well as being a good teammate. Watching them work together was a real treat. We've seen it in the New Jedi Order books, but this is when it was still fresh, and it was a wonder to see.

Mara is Zahn's creation, so it's not surprising that he handles her well. The good thing is that he handles pretty much everybody else reasonably well too. This is especially true of Fel and, to a lesser extent, the stormtroopers. The troopers are individualized as far as having names goes, though they aren't given a great deal of character. One negative is that a big deal is made of one of the troopers being an alien, which would have been unheard of in the Empire's time where anti-alien prejudice was prominent. However, nothing much is made of it other then the odd mention or two. Still, the book does a good job (along with Tatooine Ghost) of making the troopers much more competent then they were in the movies. Fel is an interesting character to watch as he leads his squad in action. He's thoroughly competent and intelligent, and the best thing you can say about him is that you're not wishing for the book to go back to someone else when he's on screen.

There are some unanswered questions that bring the book down, however. There is a scene in the middle of the book where Fel and one of his troopers talk about hiding something on the Chiss ship, but it's never referred to again. After this scene, you keep expecting the Imperials to eventually do something that they never do. It was jarring. Secondly, the animosity that the Outbound Flight survivors have toward Jedi is never explained. These feelings have a major impact on the story and the result, but we are given no reason why it exists. Is it just because the Jedi failed to successfully fight off the Chiss when they attacked? If so, it seems rather harsh to be feeling that way 50 years later.

All in all, Survivor's Quest is an effective tale, full of action and great characterization of the main characters. While there are some plotting difficulties as mentioned above, it's an enjoyable read, especially for those who are getting a bit tired of The New Jedi Order. Give it a shot.

David Roy

For those of us who are either casual or even serious Star Wars readers, the name Timothy Zahn usually means one thing in particular: a REALLY GOOD BOOK. Zahn's original Trilogy still remains the absolute BEST Star Wars novels in print, and I am happy to say that for the die-hard Admiral Thrawn fans out there, we finally get to see a glimpse into where he came from. The Chiss, as they are called contact the New Republic -- specifically Luke Skywalker -- to offer a gesture of good will by informing them they have located the remains of the original Outbound Flight where the original Jedi Master C'Baoth disappeared some 50 years before on a quest to map out the Unknown Regions of Space. Thrawn intercepted this flight under orders from Emperor Palpatine and utterly decimated all within -- or so we were told.

From the very beginning, this story absolutely ROCKS. I would describe it as a finely tuned mystery that, like an onion, is peeled away slowly but surely as the chapters fly by at Lightspeed. Someone has intercepted the message meant for Luke and as they travel deep into Chiss space, they discover abruptly who it is who made that interception, and along the way Luke & his wife, Mara find more than they bargain for. Mysterious problems happen on the Chiss spaceship, seemingly to be nothing more than choreographed diversions for other more interesting crimes to take place. Along the way we meet another race of aliens who wish to pay tribute to the Jedi who fought to save them from enslavement by a mysterious unknown race of ruthless conquerers and very nearly slaughtered them all. When Outbound Flight is finally reached, Luke, Mara & the Chiss are rather surprised to find out that not only are the 6-Dreadnaughts in remarkable shape considering their crash-landing, but they also find the last thing they ever expected: survivors -- survivors who apparently wish to have nothing to do with Jedi. A chance to discover what really happened to Outbound Flight and what role the Chiss really had in their destruction is quite a mystery indeed -- a journey that is very much worth taking.

For those of you who ONLY enjoy Star Wars tales that include all of the major CORE characters (Luke, Leia, Han, Lando, R2D2 & C3PO etc) you just may be slightly let down. For the rest of us who read ANYTHING written by Timothy Zahn, you will NOT be disappointed in the slightest. As this story unfolded I found myself absolutely wrapped in the mystery and I had a very difficult time putting it down to do mundane things like eat and sleep. I was also VERY thrilled to hear that Zahn is also planning an additional novel based upon the actual mission OF Outbound Flight scheduled for release sometime next year. Fans of Timothy Zahn Rejoice! This is just an additional adventure in that Galaxy Far, Far Away that truly lives up to the Grand Adventure that began with Episode IV back in 1977. Great Stuff!

'Survivor's Quest,' by Timothy Zahn, features Luke Skywalker and his wife, Mara Jade-Skywalker (often referred to as Mara or Jade). In the last two novels by Zahn ('Specter of the Past' and 'Vision of the Future), Luke and Mara had travelled into Chiss space and encountered the Empire of the Hand. This Empire was what remained of Grand Admiral's Thrawn's efforts in the 'Heir to the Empire' trilogy. In those novels, the destruction of the Outbound Flight project at Thrawn's hands was used as the back drop as to why Thrawn had been exiled from the Chiss Ascendency and had gone to work with the Empire.

It is now three years later. Luke and Mara receive word from Talon Karrde that the Empire of the Hand is trying to contact them. Responding to the message, the Skywalkers travel to Chiss space to discover the Chiss have found the remains of the Outbound Flight project. This project was established during the Old Republic. Its mission was to travel out of known space, and possibly out of the known galaxy, to colonize other worlds. Thrawn's attack ruined those plans. Aristocra Formbi, from one of the nine ruling families of the Chiss Ascendency, invites the Skywalkers and representatives of a race calling themselves the Geroons to investigate the ruins....

There are several features that make this novel a worth while read. First, there are storm troopers in the novel. With the New Jedi Order (NJO) and many prequel novels in recent years, storm troopers have been missing from Star Wars literature for the most part. Its good to have a recognizable face from the Empire back. Second, the Skywalkers are featured. Mara gets a fair amount of face time in the NJO, but most of the time Luke was left out so the story could feature Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin Solo and their Jedi friends. Third, more details of the legendary Outbound Flight project come to life in this novel. Its a nice supplement to some of Zahn's earlier work.

The novel has its not so good points as well. First, in my opinion, the Skywalkers were frequently misused in action sequences. They seldom got a chance to have a good old fashion stand up fight. Instead, they are frequently using overly complicated Jedi force tricks to get themselves out of yet another seemingly imminent death. A little guile is one thing, but Luke and Mara are supposed to be some of the most reknowned Jedi in the galaxy. Let's see them take it to the enemy.

Second, everyone is hiding something from someone else. The Geroons, "Ambassador" Jinzler from the Republic, Aristocra Formbi, the survivors of the Outbound Flight, the Imperials, and even the Skywalkers are hiding things from everyone else. Frequently, Zahn hints at a secret someone is hiding to build up the mystery, only to let down the reader when the revelation proves not to be a big deal. The intrigue, in the end, is just artificially inflated.

Third, the plot frequently plods along at a snail's pace. The best section of the book is the opening few chapters and the ending few chapters. The Jedi and storm troopers are in action, and Zahn succeeds in revealing crucial plot points to the reader. The middle, however, bogs down with bickering between the characters and a very slow exploration of the ruins of the Outbound Flight.

Overall, this novel is a good read. It builds on both prequel era material and points towards events revealed in the NJO. Zahn has another novel, 'The Outbound Flight,' that will soon be published that should reveal the rest of the mystery of exactly what happened with the Outbound flight. I'd recommend this novel to Star Wars fans, but if you really want to know the story of Mara and Luke, start with Zahn's original trilogy and then read his duology that precede this novel first.

Overall Grade: 3.25 stars.

Okay, so this is not exactly a masterpiece, but it is a great read. It's got an interesting mystery and awesome action. I understand that many reviewers have mentioned the fact that there are a lot of loose ends, and I agree. But, I know that Zahn is also coming out with a book that takes place during Outbound Flight next year, so that is probably why he didn't get all that detailed about the Outbound Flight Project.
So, with that said I'd also like to thank Zahn for making this about Luke and Mara because their relationship was way too corny in the New Jedi Order series and Mara hardly even acted like Mara. Now Zahn, who already had to do this once, has corrected some errors in other SW books. Like making Luke and Mara an interesting couple that doesn't drip with cheesiness.

Timothy Zahn is one of the most original Science Fiction writers writing today. His contributions to the "Star Wars" Universe, especially Grand Admiral Thrawn, are some of his best work.

"Survivor's Quest" is set 22 years after the first "Star Wars" Film (Episode IV - A New Hope). Luke Skywalker is now a Jedi Master, and is married to Mara Jade, who was formerly the Emperor's Hand, but is now a Jedi Knight.

Luke is sent a message by a race called the Chiss: they have discovered the ships of a Jedi-led exploration mission called "Outbound Flight" which had left the Old Republic on a voyage to another galaxy some 50 years before.

Outbound flight had never made it out of the home Galaxy. A Chiss commander called Mitth'raw'nuruodo - who later served Emperor Palpatine as a Grand Admiral and was known by his core name, Thrawn, which humans can pronounce - intercepted Outbound Flight and apparently destroyed it.

The Chiss government had not been pleased by Thrawn's actions, and he had narrowly escaped being cashiered and exiled. Having found what is left of the ships of Outbound Flight, the Chiss want to give them back and hold a commemoration ceremony to formally apologise for their destruction. Luke and Mara are invited as representatives of the Jedi and the New Republic to take part in the ceremony and explore the remains.

But what starts out as the investigation of an old tragedy turns into a deadly pattern of intrigue and plots. Several of those who turn up to take part in the ceremony commemorating Outbound Flight are not what they seem, and it soon becomes apparent that a number of hidden agendas are in play.

Furthermore, it turns out that there are survivors from the original crew of Outbound Flight. Their experiences fifty years ago have made the survivors, and their descendants, paranoid about anyone entering the remains of the expedition. This presents some difficult challenges, but is far from being the worst danger which Luke, Mara, and their companions face.

Subsequent to writing this book, Zahn went back fifty years and published the novel "Outbound Flight" which tells the story of the original expedition. If you're minded to read both stories, I recommend that you tackle "Outbound Flight" first.

Knowing too much about what is going to happen may somewhat dampen your pleasure at reading "Outbound Flight" if you read the books in the order they were written. I also found a number of details in "Survivor's Quest" more powerful when I re-read that story after tackling the book about the earlier events.

It's difficult to illustrate this point without giving away either story, but let me give one example: two important characters in "Outbound flight" are faced with a choice between two options, one of which will mean their own deaths, the other those of the other remaining survivors of the expedition. They choose the former, and a communications failure means that nobody knows about their sacrifice.

Fifty years later, Luke and Mara find the bones of those two people in the wrecked bridge of Outbound Flight, with an item which enables one of them to be identified. Luke and Mara draw the right conclusion, that the individual concerned had died to save the people of Outbound Flight, and convey this to the next of kin of that person, on the basis of a wholly wrong assumption about what had been going on. It's very poignant if you read the two books close together, but this is one of a number of details which make more sense if you read "Outbound Flight" first.

Other good things about this book: the partnership of Luke and Mara is well described and highly enjoyable to read about. The plot and action setting are first rate.

If you enjoy Zahn's Star Wars fiction but were disappointed in most of the other books set in the Star Wars Universe, there is one other writer whose Star Wars books I can strongly recommend, and that is Roger MacBride Allen. His Corellian trilogy is nearly as good as Zahn's "Heir to the Empire" trilogy, and that is saying a lot.

Overall both "Outbound Flight" and "Survivor's Quest" are worthy additions to the Star Wars canon and I recommend them.

I'll have to admit that before I bought this book I read some bad reviews people had given it. I think I had a bit of thier criticism when I started reading, so the book seemed to start slowly. As a read deeper into this adventure, I found myself getting hooked and couldn't put the book down. I'm sorry I ever listened to other people's opinions, and I should have trusted more in my favorite Star Wars author Timothy Zahn. I give this book four stars because it was a wonderful, captivating adventure, yet doesn't deserve five stars because I reserve five stars only for my very favorite.

In response to Page7's review on January 10th - This story takes place before the New Jedi Order, that's why no mention of the Yuuzhan Vong, ravaged Coruscant, etc. It's also not the first of a new series, but an extention on an old one (Hand of Thrawn duology: Vision of the Past and Specter of the Future). Anyone reading the reviews should know this so they don't get confused.

All in all, Zhan has continued the saga of characters he created well. The question of why Thrawn destroyed Outbound Flight is even more murky by the end of this book, something that should be wrapped up neatly by the Outbound Flight book coming out in 2006. The book is paced much slower than his previous outings, but for me it kept the eerieness of the situation more alive.

When it comes to the Star Wars Expanded Universe, Zhan is still king. We can only hope that his forthcoming offerings maintain the past expectations.

I have to admit that I was disappointed. After suffering through the last half of the New Jedi Order series, I was hopeful when I saw that Zahn had written another Star Wars book. While the story itself is not bad, I just found myself not caring much for any of the new characters and felt that many of the questions raised early in the story were simply left unanswered.

First, the fact that any part of Outbound Flight survived for 50 years half-buried on a planetoid in the middle of a star cluster didn't seem to make much sense. If Thrawn was supposed to have attacked Outbound Flight, I never got the impression that it would have survived at all. But six Dreadnaughts have survived, and they are found by the Chiss, who promptly ask Mara and Luke to help visit the site to pay their last respects. Luke once again goes in a quest to find any information about the Jedi of the Old Republic.

I was hoping for more information on the original Jedi Jorus C'Baoth, but there is only a passing mention of him. There is essentially nothing about the Jedi in this whole book, and it turns out to be yet another story of how Luke goes to find one thing but instead discovers another. This time the new discovery is a group of survivors of Outbound Flight.

One question that is brought up, but never really answered, is how the remains of Outbound Flight and its survivors got to where they are. It is suggested that Thrawn, or someone else, may have carried or left it there, although why remains a mystery. It is more strongly suggested that Outbound Flight crash-landed, but that seems like an easy answer and doesn't make sense that Thrawn, continually put up as the most thorough and cunning villain since the Emperor, would not have checked for survivors. Everything just seemed half-hearted.

One other glaring thread that was left untied was why the survivors of Outbound Flight despised and hated Jedi. We never find out what the Jedi of Outbound Flight did to garner such hatred, to the point where Force-sensitive survivors are banished from the rest of the community because of the fear and hatred of all things Jedi. I still have no idea where this came from, and the fate of the Jedi aboard Outbound Flight, except for one, is never ever touched upon.

I just thought this whole story was an excuse to have Mara and Luke get a story of their own, after taking a backseat for most of the NJO. It was good to see Luke and Mara in action, and Zahn writes their personal interaction as well as ever. The dialogue in Zahn's books is always much better than in other Star Wars novels, although lately that is not saying much. But this story, which wraps up a little too nicely, did not have the punch to it that I had hoped for.

Overall, I loved Zahn's Heir to the Empire trilogy and thought those books read like something I would love to see as films. The Hand of Thrawn duology was okay, but to be honest I didn't get too into it. And now this book is not even as engaging as those prior attempts. It is worth reading, but only in paperback.

One final note for those reviewers who explain away a story's shortcoming because it is "setting up a sequel," that is exactly the problem with the Star Wars series. Nothing can be told in one book and readers are required to buy volume after volume to fully read a story that could stand in one book, and unlike Zahn's other outings, which were billed from the beginning as a trilogy (Heir to the Empire) and a duology (Hand of Thrawn), nothing suggests that Zahn is revisiting this story any time soon. So if any of the glaring plot holes are purposely left open so another substandard writer can fill them in later (Dix and Williams, anyone), then I doubt I'll keep shelling out money for stories that fall flat.

It was a sad, sad day for the Star Wars Extended Universe when Lucasfilm turned over the book publishing license to Del Rey. Bantam, the publisher previously holding the license, ended its admittedly sometime shaky run on terrific high note: The X-Wing Rogue Squadron series; I, Jedi by Michael Stackpole; and especially The Hand of Thrawn duology by Timothy Zahn. In the latter two titles, Stackpole and Zahn smoothed over the more rocky moments of the Bantam continuity, reset Luke Skywalker from comic book Jedi god to a much more likable, relatable and human character, and set up new horizons and new relationships to be explored. The future of the Star Wars Extended Universe looked bright.

But alas. Del Rey, for reasons unfathomable other than to cater to a certain sect of whiny fanboy, proceeded to hire authors more suited for video games than for literature. The resulting drek, under the New Jedi Order, Legacy of the Force, and Fate of the Jedi labels, have turned the once beloved universe into an unrecognizable, highly stinky morass. The Del Rey run can be summed as follows: battles, battles, characters forget everything they've previously known, can't win yet because the series isn't over, someone BIG! dies, let's create a new Force power, cardboard characters have a cardboard conversation, battles, battles, someone BIG! dies, characters act stupidly out of character, battles, battles, can't win yet because the series isn't over, let's change the concept of the Force as it exists in the movies, cardboard, cardboard, more character stupidity, battle, battle, Phew! Pyrrhic victory. Oh, and someone BIG! dies. Rinse and repeat. Ad nauseum. Emphasis on nauseum.

(In fact, the writers literally turned the galaxy unrecognizable in the New Jedi Order by terraforming most of the known planets. Way to be subtle.)

So what does this have to do with Survivor's Quest?

FINALLY.

A book that finally remembers it is set in the Star Wars universe, not Alien or Predator or Halo.

A book that finally has FUN. Remember fun? The feeling that swept over you when you sat in the movie theater watching Luke, Leia and Han run around the Death Star? Fun. Something left out of the other Del Rey books featuring Original Trilogy movie characters.

A book that finally treats its characters as capable, quick-witted, resourceful, intelligent adults. Luke and Mara make a fantastic team as they investigate the mystery surrounding the sudden discovery of Outbound Flight. And it takes both their strengths (Mara's hard-nosed pragmatism, Luke's optimism and calm) to save the day.

A book that finally treats Luke and Mara as true Jedi. Forget the conflicted, indecisive, omniscient and all-powerful when it serves the author, clueless and passive otherwise Luke of the NJO Del Rey books. Luke is still seeking to learn more about the Force, as is Mara, but here the use of their powers is appropriate, in character and consistent. Ah, Force bond, so nice to see you used properly. And Mara's danger sense. And Luke's superior lightsaber skills and strength. And Luke's respect for life.

A book that finally remembers that it is, after all, a book. And not a video game spin off. Survivor's Quest actually has...themes. Yes, themes, in a Del Rey Star Wars book. The last I felt them was in the presence of...The Hand of Thrawn duology.

The title of the book refers not only to Outbound Flight and the fate of its survivors, but also to Luke and Mara. As the last survivor of the Old Republic Jedi (the last to be trained by them, in any case) Luke struggles with the legacy he is leaving his order of the Jedi. In specific, did he do the right thing in marrying Mara, as attachment was supposedly forbidden previously? Mara struggles with her guilt as one of the few high ranking Imperial operatives to survive Palpatine's fall. Why did she live when so many others fell? And is the New Republic really the right place for her? The characters' internal struggles are informed and shaped by their external struggle to learn more about Outbound Flight, the Vaagari and the Chiss. It's a terrific piece of writing, and shows a grasp of storytelling concepts sorely, egregiously missing from other Del Rey Star Wars books.

In short, SURVIVOR'S QUEST is a long, sweet, tall drink of much needed water compared to the cesspool that is the New Jedi Order timeline. Read it. Then throw the future timeline books away. Far away.

The only negative to the book is that, by contrast, it only makes the missed opportunities that much more visible. And it is all the more bittersweet for being an all too brief glimpse of what the Star Wars Extended Universe could have been, if only left to Timothy Zahn and other equally talented authors who share his respect for the characters and their world.

This book certainly deserves a 5 Star rating! Timothy Zahn is by far the best of the Star Wars novel writers. This book takes place just prior to New Jedi Order and prepares you for the invasion of the Yuuzhan Vong. This book also serves to close out the project known as "Outbound Flight"
Timothy Zahn was the author to establish the relationship between Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade (now Mara Jade Skywalker). You get to see the unique bond between 2 married Jedi and Luke questions why Jedi were forbidden from marrying in the past.
This book will also provide you some insight into the lives of the Chiss people. This is the first time we see much about the Chiss since the fall of Thrawn.
There are some good battle scenes in this book between the Skywalker's and the Vagaari. The Vagaari were valiant warriors, however they of course were not powerful enough to defeat Luke and Mara. Unfortunatley the Vagaari are never heard from again after this book.
Timothy Zahn did a great job of tying the older Star Wars era to the age of Star Wars past the movies. Luke and Mara have about a 9 page battle with a Droideka (last heard from prior to the rise of Vader). Also covered are the Storm Troopers from the 501st, who where Darth Vader's special force of Storm Troopers.
If you read the book "Outbound Flight" you owe it to yourself to read this book. If you are new to reading Star Wars novels, this book is a great place to start! Timothy Zahn you get 2 thumbs up from me!