All Sith are Jedi but not all Jedi are Sith... Are are they? How a force user handles their emotions.

I’d like to start by saying that is a great space fantasy action book.

I don’t mind reading one part in the middle of a series, especially if it’s an audiobook from the public library. My main criteria is that the book has its own plot with a beginning and an ending. Denning satisfied that requirement in Apocalypse.

The reason I didn’t award more stars is a difference in opinion about Jedi and Sith and their emotions. Perhaps I’ve missed something in the series that takes the New Jedi Order into a comfort zone with the force that the film characters, and Dark Horse Comics Dawn of the Jedi graphic novels don’t go. So I guess I’m only taking a snapshot of Denning’s work with Star Wars and forming an opinion.

In defense of that opinion, the title start with Star Wars, I drink coffee from a Darth Vader mug and dress my toddler up like an Eewok when its NOT Halloween. Some of my earliest childhood memories are babysitters putting a VHS tape of Return of the Jedi on to watch. Jedi master their emotions, Sith cultivate power within their passion, I know that better than the Pledge of Allegiance. It wasn’t always inaccurate, and the Jedi often overcame their dilemma.

People who meditate often enjoy a bit of isolation from the immediacy of emotion, it’s still there, but more in the background, allowing their rational thoughts to prevail. Anakin never mastered his emotions, that led to his turn to Sith. Luke was baited into anger in The Empire Strikes Back, but he lost that fight, and went back into training. Then in Return of the Jedi, Luke had mastered his emotions and was able to enact a plan that eventually succeeded in rescuing Anakin back from the dark side (SPOILER ALERT!).

Like I said, aside from that, which sat funny with me, this was a very fun adventure story. One Jedi made a valiant sacrifice that made me weepy. Luke, Leah, and Han all play pretty good roles and I think Denning portrayed them very well.

The plot revolves around political intrigue that gives a galaxy far, far away a very close to home feel.

This story does not follow the events in episode 7. I’m okay with that. I wonder how the careers of writers like Mr. Denning will be impacted by the new films. Did their access to Star Wars license change? I’m curious, but not enough to research. Please share a link or answer in the comments if you know.
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For such a drawn out series, with a whole planet of Sith and a being of almost immeasurable power, this just sizzled fizzled.

Abeloth never struck me as a good antagonist. It was over the top, silly and then completely beatable.

And then to find out it was all about wanting a family, a made up family? It was like someone took the worst Freudian example they could and stuck it in the Star Wars universe.

This series SHOULD have been about the Sith. And it wasn't. and it was disappointing.

I think that sums up my feelings for this whole Fate of the Jedi: Disappointing. I had strong hopes from the first book, but then it all just went downhill. ( )

Denning is my favorite Star Wars author, but he fell short of my high expectations for him here.

This is very anti climatic. For finishing the 9 book series, in one of the longest Star Wars novels, I was really hoping for more. It still ends as if preparing ofr a next book. Maybe they wanted to do another 9 book series that tracked back to, but I think the change in "Star Wars Legends" forced by Disney is going to make that not happen.

The love story between Skywalker and Kei fades out in a way that makes little sense.

The Story of Han/Leia and their daughter-in-law/granddaughter is better than the rest, like usual. Amelia ( )

I felt like they left a lot of loose ends for a 9 book series.

However, Most of them are loose ends I'm interested in reading about in the future so I guess that is a win for the authors if I'm still interested after all this time.

The politcians were represented as they have usually been in the past. Some decent, some willing to do whatever it takes to advance themselves, and some wrong about how things should be and sincerely trying to shove their worldview down others throats. I appreciated that the government isn't viewed as bad or good of itself, but can be either horrible and unjust, or good depending on the people running things.

Overall, this series was not as good as the New Jedi Order series. The stakes didn't feel as high and I never felt the classic characters were possibly going to be die.

Nor was this as good as the Legacy of the Force series which explored what happens when someone you love turns to the dark side to solve problems.

I felt that towards the end the Solo's grandaughter acted a bit to old (though to be fair she spends most of her time with adults and none with peers so that shouldn't be shocking).

After reading Karen Traviss's tremendous books with the way she devloped the Mandos I felt the way Bobba Fett was characterized here was a little off but it improved towards the end. ( )

fun. ( )