Street of Shadows (Star Wars: Coruscant Nights II)

"You're being hunted by the best, Jax" After reading the first one, I realized I had no choice but to read number two! Jax Pavan, LaranthTarak, Den Dhur, and I-Five are back and this time they have a murder to solve. Ves Volette, a Caamasi artist, has been murdered! Was it his partner, the gorgeous Dejah Duare? Or someone else? And can they solve the crime before Aurra Sing finds and kills Jax? I Liked: This time around, Michael Reaves wrote his novel as a mystery, which is sort of the marketing for this series of the Star Wars Expanded Universe. And he does an okay job with it (more later). What really stood out to me, however, was the further depth given to Laranth's character. She really gets fleshed out, from being stoic action girl, to a woman who is beginning to develop feelings for Jax...feelings that, unfortunately for her, aren't reciprocated (which makes me want to slap Jax silly!!). I love how Reaves didn't overwrite her feelings, how he kept it subtle and delicate. Well done! Also, gotta give Reaves a hand for writing two characters not seen much in Star Wars novels: Captain Typho and Aurra Sing! While I didn't much like his character, Typho was interesting to see (and to see what happened to him!) and his twist (his unrequited love for Padme) brought some definition to his character. Aurra Sing was well done, a cold-blooded killer, yet also half-crazed. Lastly, Reaves knows how to finish off his novels with a bang! Not only do you get the mystery wrapped up, but let's also throw in a righteous battle between our heroes and Aurra Sing! I Didn't Like: I just didn't enjoy this book as much as the first one. I didn't like Dejah Duare, the perfect, sexy Zeltron female (who is, of course, always wearing nice, sexy clothes that make the guys eyes pop out) introduced in the book (gag me already). Jax was still an annoying character whom I wanted to throw across the room. No one says what happens to Nick Rostu. The mystery was very so-so and not very interesting at all (though who did it makes a nod at the mystery genre cliches and got me laughing!). The pacing I felt was rather plodding. People just seem to float for pages on end, not really doing anything that seems all that important and just saying the same things over and over (Typho's quest for vengeance, how Aurra will bring in Jax, finding the murderer of Ves, etc.). I understand that second novels/movies/whatever are a challenge, but this one seemed particularly "saggy". Dialouge/Sexual Situations/Violence: Star Wars invented language if anything. Dejah is, of course, a gorgeous, beautiful, sexually appealing woman. This is mentioned frequently. Also, some of the denizens of Coruscant's underworld could be interpreted as sexual. Ves Volette is murdered and while it isn't gory, he still does die. There are a few lightsaber battles, chase scenes...nothing that great overall. Overall: It's really hard to rate this book for me. I didn't hate it, but I felt that

Street of Shadows is the second book in the excellent Coruscant Nights trilogy by Michael Reaves. We are still in the lower levels of Coruscant. Jax Pavan, one of the few remaining Jedi after Order 66, is managing to survive by avoiding Darth Vader's attempts to capture him and by spending his time helping people escape Imperial Center through Whiplash, a system of routes and safe places established by the remnants of the Rebellion. Jax has an unusual band of individuals to help him in his efforts. Den Dhur, the Sullustan ex-reporter, is still around as is the unique droid I-5YQ, one of my favorite characters in the entire Expanded Universe. Haninum Tyk Rhinann was once an aide to Vader and is now part of Jax's group. Laranth Tarak is a female Twi'lek and a Gray Paladin, basically a Jedi who prefers to use blasters instead of a lightsaber. She still uses the Force and is an invaluable member of the team. An important new introduction is Dejah Duare, a female Zeltron who comes to Jax asking for help. Two main stories wind through the book. Dejah is a partner of the famed light sculptor Ves Volette, and things get complicated for everybody when Volette meets with an untimely demise. Jax and his crew are involved with finding the murderer. We also get to welcome back an old friend, Captain Typho of Naboo. He is determined to find out the truth about Padme Amidala's death and avenge her if at all possible. His efforts lead him into a confrontation with the famed bounty hunter and Jedi killer Aurra Sing. She is on Coruscant on assignment from Vader to bring in Jax Pavan. Mr. Reaves ties all of this together very nicely and leaves us wanting more. Bring on Coruscant Nights III: Patterns of Force.

The first and second books were excellent I can't wait for the third one to arrive in January.

This is a worthy sequel to the first book in the "Coruscant Nights" series, "Jedi Twilight". This time the life of Jedi on the run Jax Pavan is a bit closer to the back of the book blurb claim that he is a private investigator. Actually he and his motley crew are working with Whiplash, the embryo of what will become the Rebel Alliance (and in one memorable scene there is a woman who may be Mon Mothma, the eventual leader of the alliance). They try to help a woman discover who killed her artist lover, while Darth Vader continues to weave his plot to capture his one-time friend Jax (who, like everyone else, has no idea Vader is Anakin Skywalker). (And we're still wondering what is this thing that Pax has that Vader wants so much.) Even having been brought up celibate from an early age in the Jedi temple, Pax does seem a bit naive in missing the obvious feelings his Jedi sidekick Laranth Tarak has for him, as well as her jealousy over the artist's attractive ex-lover. As in the first book, there is a walk-in from the Star Wars film galaxy, in this case Padme's former head of security Captain Typho. This book is lots of fun, and I look forward to the third volume.

I'm really enjoying this series - this book is just as good as the first in the series - so keep reading! As I said in my review of "Jedi Twilight" I am just thrilled to see a whole new cast of characters in the Star Wars universe and I really am glad to see their further development in this book. In this book you have the main core of characters really dealing with a few unrelated plot lines at the same time. In one plot line you have Jax Pavan and his comrades trying to solve a murder mystery in order to clear their own names - since they are under suspicion for it. In another they are acting as agents of the secret organization "Whiplash" - which is a resistance movement to the Empire and having to deal with an assasin hired by Darth Vader. A third plot line has Padame's old security chief, Typho trying to avenge her death - and in the process he crosses paths with our main characters. For a just a 300 page book a whole heck of a lot happens - but Reaves gets the story telling done very nicely. All of the different aspects of the story are fit together very nicely and without any overkill. I was very impressed at how well every jived together. Although it is still there - there wasn't as much "large" vocabularly as there was in the first book in the series - which seemed to be a complaint of some readers. Also - Reaves really does a good job in his descriptive telling of the light-saber and laser fights in this story. There is absolutely no equal to R. A. Salvatore in writing fight scenes - but I would consider Reaves of the same caliber when it comes to churning out hand-to-hand, close quarters combat on the written page. Best Star Wars to hit the stands recently (though the other stuff is good) - and these characters and stories are better than those from the latest "Force Unleashed" craze!