Tuesday, 14 June 2011

Omen (Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi - Book Two)

Omen (Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi, Bk 2)Title: Omen
Author: Christie Golden
Superseries: Star Wars
Series: Fate of the Jedi
Preceeded By: Outcast (Aaron Allston)
Succeeded By: Allies (Troy Denning)

Ratings

Score: 6/10
How likely I am to read the next in the Series: I will read it.

Review

The first thing that I thought when I picked up 'Omen' was "Wow, This is thin." It's visibly shorter than the other two of the first three books, and of those in Legacy of the Force. But Quality is more important than Quantity and so I started reading (after all, there is another seven books after this one...).

And I have to say. I'm disappointed that there still isn't a plot. Not really. I could summarise it in maybe two or three sentences. There is nothing that really happens. Except for one small plotline, the Lost Tribe of the Sith are involved at this book, and the ending for that hints at a larger plot arc, which hopefully becomes a stronger one throughout the next few books.


The other two plotlines, that of Luke's Exile and of the Political Attack on the Jedi, continue at much the same pace as in Allston's Outcast. That is to say, slowly. There is a small amount of stuff that happens - but only one thing that's particularly exciting. The rest is dialogue and learning. It's interesting, I did enjoy reading it, but it's not as exciting as I feel a long series needs to be.

And to be fair, the Plot is the only problem I had with this book. The characters are really good - Luke and Ben in particular. I quite like the way that they are spending time together, occasionally remembering Mara Jade - especially since they've taken her ship. It's nice, and uplifting, to read. Han and Leia are generally done well, and Golden doesn't break this pattern. Allana seems a bit more adult than a seven year old should be, but I enjoyed her scenes. I'm glad that we get to read more about Jaina, as I was disappointed by the lack of her in Legacy of the Force.

And so far that's all I can really say about it. It's a similar style to Outcast, and I got about the same enjoyment from it. But the lack of a strong overall plot is more disappointing in this second book. I was initially worried that Golden wouldn't write as well as Traviss did in the Legacy books, but Although she writes differently, I still enjoyed it - although I did miss Boba Fett. Reviews for book three are promising though, so I won't give up on this series. I enjoy reading them, I just hope something happens soon.

More Information

Main Protagonist(s): 2 Male, 3 Female
Main Antagonist(s): Mixed
Main Relationships: Heterosexual
Genre: Science Fiction, Space Opera
Brief Synopsis:

The Jedi Order is in crisis. The late Jacen Solo’s shocking transformation into murderous Sith Lord Darth Caedus has cast a damning pall over those who wield the Force for good: Two Jedi Knights have succumbed to an inexplicable and dangerous psychosis, criminal charges have driven Luke Skywalker into self-imposed exile, and power-hungry Chief of State Natasi Daala is exploiting anti-Jedi sentiment to undermine the Order’s influence within the Galactic Alliance.

Forbidden to intervene in Jedi affairs, Luke is on a desperate mission to uncover the truth behind Jacen’s fall to the dark side–and to learn what’s turning peaceful Jedi into raving lunatics. But finding answers will mean venturing into the mind-bending space of the Kathol Rift and bargaining with an alien species as likely to destroy outsiders as deal with them. Still, there is no other choice and no time to lose, as the catastrophic events on Coruscant continue to escalate. Stricken by the same violent dementia that infected her brother, Valin, Jedi Knight Jysella Horn faces an equally grim fate after her capture by Natasi Daala’s police. And when Han and Leia Solo narrowly foil another deranged Jedi bent on deadly destruction, even acting Jedi Grand Master Kenth Hamner appears willing to bow to Daala’s iron will–at the expense of the Jedi Order.

But an even greater threat is looming. Millennia in the past, a Sith starship crashed on an unknown low-tech planet, leaving the survivors stranded. Over the generations, their numbers have grown, the ways of the dark side have been nurtured, and the time is fast approaching when this lost tribe of Sith will once more take to the stars to reclaim their legendary destiny as rulers of the galaxy. Only one thing stands in their way, a name whispered to them through the Force:
Skywalker.

 -Amazon

ISBN: 978-0345509130
Amazon Link: UK | US
Pages: 304
Published: 25 May 2010
Publisher: Arrow

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