Late last night I finished a series of Star Wars novels that I began reading in 1999. The New Jedi Order series spans 19 books and chronicles the five year war between the New Republic (allied with essentially everyone else in the galaxy) and an extra-galactic alien species called the Yuuzhan Vong. I was quite impressed by the scope of the series and its implications for the Star Wars universe. In past Star Wars novels, it seemed like the good guys would fight the bad guys, the good guys would win, then the novel would end. In the NJO, most of the time the good guys were on the run, barely managing to continue fighting as they faced endless defeats as the Yuuzhan Vong conquered or annihilated world after world. Most NJO novels ended on a depressing or only slightly optimistic note. For the first time, major characters died. The main characters have always been invincible and survived the most dangerous predicaments. With the deaths of Chewbacca, Anakin Solo, and Admiral Ackbar, Star Wars as a whole seemed to mature.
The NJO introduced numerous memorable characters: Nom Anor is definitely one of the most fascinating Star Wars villains. His duplicity, knack for survival, and determination make him greatly entertaining. I also loved Nen Yim, Harrar, Vergere, Onimi . . . the list goes on.
The Unifying Force was a superb conclusion with many surprises and revelations. I'm a little sad that the series is over; I’ve been reading these books for the past five years, practically one fourth of my life! At the same time, I’m also a bit relieved that it’s over; I’m ready to see the Star Wars universe expand in new directions. I'll miss seeing words like yorrik coral, dovin basals, villips, and vonduun crab armor. I still have plenty of Star Wars novels to read, and with Episode III coming out next year, many new Clone Wars era novels will be on store shelves soon. The war with the Yuuzhan Vong will have many repercussions in following novels, without a doubt, and I’m eager to see what will come next.
The New Jedi Order
1. Vector Prime, R.A. Salvatore: 91%
2. Dark Tide I: Onslaught, Michael A. Stackpole: 84%
3. Dark Tide II: Ruin, Michael A. Stackpole: 82%
4. Agents of Chaos I: Hero’s Trial, James Luceno: 83%
5. Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse, James Luceno: 71%
6. Balance Point, Kathy Tyers: 73%
7. Edge of Victory I: Conquest, Greg Keyes: 81%
8. Edge of Victory II: Rebirth, Greg Keyes: 72%
9. Star by Star, Troy Denning: 86%
10. Dark Journey, Elaine Cunningham: 68%
11. Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream, Aaron Allston: 76%
12. Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand, Aaron Allston: 81%
13. Traitor, Matthew Stover: 85%
14. Destiny’s Way, Walter Jon Williams: 74%
15. Force Heretic I: Remnant, Sean Williams & Shane Dix: 82%
16. Force Heretic II: Refugee, Sean Williams & Shane Dix: 82%
17. Force Heretic III: Reunion, Sean Williams & Shane Dix: 72%
18. The Final Prophecy, Greg Keyes: 61%
19. The Unifying Force, James Luceno: 82%
Total pages: 6,974
(sadly, I actually added this myself. I think I need a girlfriend . . . er, that would actually multiply my problems, I guess. Never mind).
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