The Unseen Queen (Star Wars: Dark Nest, Book 2)

Star Wars Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen is a brilliant entry into the Dark Nest Trilogy, it takes place one year after The Joiner King and shows that while a war between the Killiks and the Chiss was halted it was only a temporary solution. The Killiks have been relocated to the Utegeta Nebula however they are now causing trouble for the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances and Luke and Co go back to meet with Raynar Thul to see what is going on. This is the setup of The Unseen Queen and it again has great characterisations by Troy Denning with Luke, Han and Leia all acting spot on perfect. The Unseen Queen shows that during the one year since The Joiner King Luke Skywalker has been showing the Jedi Order through his example the path back to being less severe and agressive in the way they tackle situations. However there is a very good subplot that shows that there is still room for a stronger leadership within the Jedi Order, for during the book with Luke being out of contact from the Masters Council the Jedi Order is split on what course they should take with regards to the Killik situation. Leia also is shown progressing with her Jedi studies under the guidance of Jedi Master Saba Sebatyne, with lots of humour and action it's great aspect of the book. These are just two of the plots of the book with many more interesting parts, including a startling revelation for Jacen Solo and Ben Skywalker which is obviously a large plot point to be developed in future books. Troy Denning delivers a very enjoyable middle installment to the Dark Nest Trilogy, full of humour, intrigue, action and setup for the books to follow in the final book of the Trilogy and the 9 book Legacy of The Force series. Bring on Star Wars Dark Nest III: The Swarm War which is coming out very soon.

In many subtle ways, Troy Denning analyses what it means to be a Jedi. Not out and out, like in "Traitor" by Matthew Stover , but in a far more elegant fashion. The book first shows us how Luke Skywalker's life is a constant struggle against his weaknesses. Luke learns about his parents, thus neatly tying this book to ROTS. But mainly, two revelations: Luke learns that the only real limitation he has is DOUBT. He also learns that while he has a strong moral compass, not all the other Jedi do. Luke's courage and faith in the Light shine through his actions in the book. His is the path of the True Jedi.By that, i don't mean necessarily the Jedi of the Old Republic. However hard everyone else has been trying to improve on the Jedi Order, Luke is THERE already-he's become the greatest Jedi Master in the Galaxy. And from the "Swarm War" synopsis, we see that he's going to show us what he is pretty soon. We see a lot of Saba Sebatyne's quirkiness, Troy Denning really writes a MEAN BARABEL!! Leia is well on her way to becoming a full fledged Jedi. Choosing Saba as her Master was the perfect decision to make. We're gonna see some character complexity from now on. And also, we get to see a Han-Luke team-up, which I don't think we've seen for a looooong time. We see that however greatly a Jedi understands the Force, he himself is still fallible. I'm talking about Jacen here, who has started to justify serving himself by saying that he's serving the Force, and that it's the same thing. By his own definition from Dark Nest I, Jacen's now slipping to the Dark Side. Will he be another Ankain Skywalker? Is the Force dooming these cycles of Light and Dark to repeat? First Anakin, then Luke, and now Jacen falling to the Dark Side after serving the Light for a long time... But the former two did pull back, successfully in Luke's case. And we know Jacen's an idealist-let's hope for the best! Yeah,also, Ben Skywalker's potential is hinted at again and again. Remember, his is the legacy of the Force itself, after all, the Force birthed Anakin Skywalker. We can expect great things from this kid in books to come. He gives us a taste in this book. I'm waiting on tenterhooks for the next book! Kudos, Troy! A must-read!!

This has to be one of the best Star Wars books I've ever read. The surprises keep coming one after another. And just when you think, "No,(insert random character)isn't going to do that!?!" They do. And the parallels between Jacen Solo/Anakin Skywalker in this book are shocking, frightening, and saddening. Cause if anything this series looks to be putting a new refrain on that old addage, "Those who keep the past locked behind several layers of security protocols are doomed to repeat it."

I really couldn't put this book down. What a great read. I wanted to start reading the next book right away but have to wait another 2+ months. I really wonder if we are going to see another death of a major character in the final book of the trilogy. I haven't heard anything, but just a feeling. I would recommend this book to anyone. It is also cool that Luke is finally learning more about his parents. Way to go Troy!

A year after the events of The Joiner King, the threat of Dark Nest has appeared again. Sent to investigate, the Skywalkers and Solos visit the Utegeta Nebula, the new home of the Killiks. Confronting UnaThul with their concerns with Dark Nest, things go unexpectedly wrong when they find themselves accused of aiding in the mysterious attacks on Killiks nests. Han and Luke stay behind to look into the source of the attacks and find more answers about Dark Nests, while Mara and Leia are sent back. Summoned by Queen Mother Tenel Ka to Hapes, Jacen Solo finds he is responsible to protect a special secret that she reveals to him. An attack by the former queen of Hapes in alliance with Dark Nest, alerts him to danger they face. Jacen is also the recipient of visions that show the looming disaster of another galactic war. The Unseen Queen was an excellent second book in the Dark Nest series. The pace was a little slower than in the Joiner King but that's normal for a middle book. I love the way Denning has added the scenes where Luke discovers the recordings R2 has of Anakin and Padme. Leia's involvement in a more Jedi capacity has also been great to see. I'm looking forward to reading the final book in Dark Nest, The Swarm War.