Williams, Walter Jon

About the Author:

As well as being a Nebula award winning author, Walter Jon Williams has also worked a scriptwriter for film and television.  He lives in New Mexico, USA with his wife Kathy.

AVERAGE REVIEW SCORE:

5 out of 5

(1 book)

Star Wars: The New Jedi Order - Destiny's Way

The fourteenth book in the New Jedi Order series, set 28 ABY, and very much the turning point.  This book is about how the remnants of the shattered New Republic are reforged into the absurdly named Galactic Federation of Free Alliances, or Galactic Alliance, and how the tide of the war is turned against the Yuuzhan Vong. 

Williams presents us with everything we could possibly want from a Star Wars novel.  There are some interesting theological discussions between Luke, Jacen and Vergere, there is political manouevring as the Jedi attempt to see a sympathetic Chief of State elected and there are battle scenes galore, including one of the best in the series.  We are also introduced to a new Yuuzhan Vong villain, in the gigantic shape of Supreme Overlord Shimrra, who makes Warlord Tsavong Lah seem nice. 

My favourite scene in this book is where the young Jedi who we've come to know and love (the Solos, Tahiri, Alema Rar etc) are given the rank of Jedi Knight in a Galactic Alliance ceremony, although the massive battle, featuring all our various heroes, comes a close second. 

There are a couple of flaws, however.  The first is Vergere, whose constant whining about things being better when she was a Jedi really gets on your nerves and makes you question her intelligence (surely if she's smart she'll see that different times call for different measures).  The other flaw is Ackbar's plan.  I was hoping for some wonderfully cunning battle plan like those that Michael A. Stackpole and Aaron Allston write, but instead the plan turns out to be, basically, 'stop losing and start winning'.  Aside from those two issues, this is a very good book and one of the best in the NJO series.

Followed by 'Force Heretic I: Remnant' by Sean Williams and Shane Dix.

5 out of 5

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