Edge of Victory II: Rebirth (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, No. 8)

With Edge of Victory II: Rebirth, Greg Keyes continues his salvation of the New Jedi Order series of Star Wars books. Keyes manages to create situations and characters that entice the reader to keep moving, to plow through his books as if there were nothing else in the world you could possibly conceive of doing. While Rebirth isn't quite as good as Conquest, it more than holds its own with the other books in the series. Unfortunately, Keyes bites off just a little too much and, with the limited page count, the book feels a little cramped. I have just one word to say about the ending of Rebirth. Hallelujah!!! While I do have some issues with how many separate plots Keyes jammed into this 290 page book, I am very pleased to say that he avoids having them all end up in one place! He avoided it last book, too, but that was mainly because there was only one main plot. This time, there are several, and Keyes avoids the coincidence. On the other hand, because there are so few pages, the book is kind of hindered by them ending separately, as they feel a little diffuse. Still, I was thrilled to see it. Surprisingly, even none of the plot lines feel like their neglected too badly, other than the Luke/Mara one. Keyes mainly avoids this by having the assault on the Vong world ship not take up too much room in the narrative. As much as other authors would use this as a high point, with a lot of space ship action, juking and jinking, explosions, and the like, Keyes makes this more about the relationship between Kyp Durron and Jaina Solo, as well as his relationship with the rest of the Jedi. There is still plenty of action, but there aren't a hundred pages of it, which was refreshing. As for the rest of the threads, Keyes is the master of making a small amount of space go a long way, making each thread feel like it's taking up more space than it actually is. Even with all of this going on, we get a lot of wonderful characterization. There's the return of the old Han and Leia, with the banter between them back to the sarcasm hiding deep affection that characterized their relationship for so long before Chewbacca. They're still a little unsure of each other, and the hurts between them have not disappeared, but both realize that they love each other and they are stronger together than apart. They even have some bonding time with their son, Jacen. The scenes between all of them are wonderful, especially the one between Jacen and his mother in the docking bay, where she's wondering if he's going to leave them. There are deep philosophical differences between the two male Solos, but both are able to put them aside to do what they know they have to do. It was also nice to see the return of Corran Horn, even if Michael Stackpole wasn't writing him. I've wondered about him since Ruin and I was hoping we'd see him again. He does a great job of mentoring Anakin, trying to curb some of his impulses. Anakin appears to have learned some from his exp

First of all, those who say this book is no good frankly don't know what they're talking about. Sure, maybe the writing style wasn't as good as some of the previous ones, but the characters were well developed and true to themselves, the battle scenes are capable of making you feel as though you're there, and is there anything else that really matters in a Star Wars book? Ha! If I wanted a perfect work of art, I'd go read Shakespeare! Anyway, while this book is by no means perfect (and I like it that way), Mr. Keyes has once again created a fine window into the Star Wars universe, wide enough (unlike Conquest) to include many characters in several intertwining plots. The first, and most important IMO concerns Luke and Mara. Our favorite Jedi couple is days from expecting their firstborn, so when Fey'lya manages to secure an order for their arrest, it could not have come at a worse time. To make matters worse, as they are preparing to flee, it becomes abruptly clear that Vereger's Tears, which had been keeping Mara's disease safely away, are a danger to her unborn child, and she must decide (and quickly) whether to take the Tears and save herself, or protect her child as best she can with the Force, while sparing little to protect the rest of her body. Of course, if you know anything about Mara Jade, it's fairly obvious what she chooses, so she and Luke head for the Errant Venture, where most of their students are in hiding, while Mara's health gradually deterierates... Luke, realizing that with the galaxy's hateful attitude against Jedi, he can no longer afford to have them divided between himself and Kyp, sends Jaina to find him and try to convince him to return to the rest of the Jedi. When she gets there, there is some decidedly...creepy dialogue and interaction between them, Kyp and Jaina that is (am I mistaken or is this former darksider, massmurdering, sneaky, manipulating jerk of a thirty five year old man trying to hit on seventeen year old Jaina?), and through the course of this it he manages to convince her that the Vong have grown a massive super-weapon, and that she should use her influence with Rogue Squadren to go defeat it. You'll have to read the book to find out what comes out of this situation, but tell you right now, it ain't pretty. Meanwhile, Han, Leia and Jacen are on the Millenium Falcon trying to create a networking "underground railroud" for Jedi and young students in danger from the rest of the galaxy. Han and Leia gradually repair their broken marriage, something that will definitely please you if you're a fan of this couple, while Jacen continues to struggle with his inner confusion on how the Force should be used, and what his place is in the universe. At the same time, Anakin (now sixteen), Tahiri, and Corran Horn head out on a simple supply run, only to find themselves at the mercy of the Jedi hunting Peace Brigade. During the course of this, Anakin and Tahiri begin to come to terms with their changin

After reading the first several books of the New Jedi Order I found myself looking for a book more epic in scope, similar to Timothy Zahn's first trilogy and the first book of the series, Vector Prime. Balance Point and Edge of Victory I were both very close to this mark, but couldn't seem to break through. In comes Gregory Keyes's new book Edge of Victory II: Rebirth, with its multiple plot lines that keep you enthralled. My favorite part of the book was the scenes with Luke and Mara, they seem to be ignored in some of the more recent books. In this book Luke is shown as caring and prudent character, not as a super-powerful Jedi Master. The action occurs basically in the all the rest of the scenes with the various other main characters, especially with Anakin, Jacen, and Jaina. Lots of star fights and some hand-to-hand combats keep the book interesting, while vague chapter ending keep you eagerly wanting more. The book ends with a couple twists that should make for a more interesting saga through out. Take note everyone this is the way a Star Wars book should be written, talk about the new characters, while not forgetting the old characters that made the original so memorable and popular. Excellent read, and though it is a page turner, I would not exactly call it an epic, though it sets up the series to become epic in scope. Hopefully the next book will be as good as this, and I will definetly continue reading. Defintely recommended for fans and non-fans alike.

The much-awaited sequel to Keyes' Conquest, Rebirth is worth reading even as a stand-alone. In this novel, Han and Leia (seem to) patch things up and the death of Chewbacca is now a quiet ache in both their lives. Anakin explores his relationship with Tahiri, and takes Corran Horn, who went into hiding after the Ithor disaster, along for the ride. Jacen comes to grips with his views on the Force, seeing just how arrogant he was, fighting alongside his mother and father in their own war against the Peace Brigade, the galaxy's most vengeful collaborators. On the Vong side, Nen Yim, disgraced shaper adept, has been exiled to a ship of disgraced Yuuzhan Vong, a ship that is now dying. However, she receives a visit from a Master Shaper who is more than he seems, leading Nen Yim further on the path towards murder and greater heresy. Also, Vergere returns...but not to the New Republic. She boards the Sunulok to meet with Warmaster Lah in an attempt to capture Jacen Solo aboard the Millenium Falcon. And not to be outdone, Mara comes to term with her pregnancy (literally) and with the birth will either be a new hope, or a greater darkness than the Jedi currently face. Nonstop action, coupled with Keyes' elegant prose, makes Rebirth the standout novel of NJO so far. Highly recommended to the fans of The New Jedi Order and those who just like things the way they were.

Unlike it's predecessor, Conquest, this book dealt with multiple plotlines, but the author handled all of them excellently, especially considering the book's short length. Luke and a very pregnant Mara are awaiting the birth of their son, but just as Mara's Yuuzhan Vong disease begins to effect her again, they are forced to flee Coruscant to avoid arrest. Anakin, Tahiri, and Corran go on what should be a simple supply run for the Errant Venture, but run into the Peace Brigade and must flee into hyperspace. Kyp convinces Jaina and Rogue Squadron to help him destroy a new Vong superweapon located at Sernpidal. Han, Leia, and Jacen are on a mission to set up a system to bring people and information out of occupied territory. And meanwhile, among the Yuuzhan Vong, Nem Yim continues her heresy. In my opinion, this was one of the best books from the New Jedi Order series. I especially enjoyed reading about Luke, Mara, and their child, and Anakin and Tahiri's growing romance was very cute. I reccomend this book to all Star Wars fans.