| Dark Nest 3: The Swarm War ***Spoilers*** | |
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Alex Dkana - Staff  |
Well i thought i would do a review of sorts of the latest book to be released, and also the one currently furthest ahead in the timeline. I don't know if this will be any good but i thought i'd give it a shot, i hope i did not miss anything important or ramble on anything too long ehe  The Swarm War (TSW) is written by Troy Denning, author of Tatooine Ghost, and the controversial Star by Star. The book is set aproximetly 36 years after Episode IV: A New Hope, its the third book in the 'Dark Nest' trilogy set 5 years in the aftermath of the brutal war with the Yuuzhan Vong, and is a lead up to the next star wars 'era' set 3 years later in the Legacy series. In the first book of the trilogy the survivors of the tragic mission to Myrkr during the War, where Anakin Solo was slain are called through the Force to a place in the Uknown Regions, there they meet the Killiks an ancient insect race with strong psychic abilities that allows them to mentally link people to their colony making them 'Joiners', all the survivors become at least partial joiners during there time there, some like Jaina Solo and Zekk became mentally attuned to each other and finished each others sentances. They also came across Raynar Thul believed dead after Myrkr, he was now the Unu of the Killiks and very powerful. Welk and Loni Plo, dark jedi who were with him on the ship they escaped from Myrkr on also survived, Welk was slain by Luke Skywalker, and they discovered Loni Plo had become the Dark Queen of the Gorog, a dark nest of evil killiks dragging them into a war with the Chiss. TSW picks up a short time after the events of The Unseen Queen (book 2) the Killik's and the Chiss are at war and on the verge of dragging the whole galaxy into an eternal battle as Jacen Solo had foreseen in a vision. The action is split throughout the book, between Jaina and Zekk waging war on the Chiss in the Uknown regions, Luke Skywalker and the other jedi, and also Han and Leia Solo's various excursions. Early on in the book Luke Skywalker calls the whole Jedi Order to him with a powerful urging in the Force, all arrive that can except Jaina Solo and Zekk who disobey in order to stay and help fight the Chiss with the Killiks. Dismayed with how the order has split in his abscence Luke makes a speach asking anyone who could not make the Order their number one priority to leave, he takes control of the Jedi becoming a 'Grand Master' in the hope of forcing the other Masters together, this is not succesful and he remains the leader throughout the book, although hinting at the end he would be forming a new Jedi Council. Tenel Ka and Danni Quee both resign, and there is an awkward moment between Tenel Ka and Leia Solo when Leia brings up her new child (Leia does not realise her son Jacen is the father of newly named Allana) Corran Horn also attempts to resign, however Luke gives him a much needed reality check and telling off, after telling him how important it is that he stays Luke gets Corran to agree. Jacen has become more and more powerful since the end of the Unifying Force, after the war he went on a 5 year sojourn to the various other force using cultures around the galaxy, and he learnt many things, in the book he often displays knowledge and abilities that others Luke Skywalker included consider impressive. I felt that after this book he was one of the most developed characters, i am looking forward to seeing where his character goes in Legacy, i just hope that he is not needlessly sent to the Dark Side when his character is so much more interesting. After they betray his trust in them by telling someone about the Jedi plans to take down Raynar Thul, Luke scolds Tahiri, Lowbacca, and Tesar Sabetyne, although not removing them from the order he sends them to Dagobah to meditate informing them he will call them when they can return. Leia has also come a long way with her jedi skills, she has by this point been training with Jedi Master Saba Sabetyne for over a year and has become much more powerful. She and Han go on a mission to Killik space where they come across Galactic Alliance spies Tarfang (an Ewok) and Jae Juun (a Sullustan), they are warned about a betrayal planned by the three Squibs they met back in Tatooine Ghost. They escape and warn the Alliance and the jedi of an atempted coup on many worlds with insect populations, such as Thyferra the only planet where large quantities of the healing substance Bacta is made; although Thyferra falls, they succeed in preventing other coups. While Jaina continues to battle on the world of Tenupe; Jacen, Luke, Mara, and many other Jedi including our own Kyle Katarn attempt to destroy the dark nest and Lomi Plo. Although they infiltrate the Nest and confront Plo, Luke struggles to fight her and when Mara goes down badly wounded he freezes up, Jacen saves Mara from Lomi Plo but in doing so is stabbed badly and they both barely escape with their lives. A running theme of the trilogy has been Luke Skywalker discovering about his Father's past through holo recordings taken by R2D2. In TSW he see's Anakin Skywalker choke Padmè on Mustafar, and Obi Wan confront him but cannot watch any more fearing his father kills his mother; however after Lomi Plo exploits his fear for others safety in their battle, Jacen shows him Mara's death using the force in order to make him see his weakness, and he agrees to see how his mother dies. After watching his mother's death (and also he and Leia's birth) and although torn up with emotion he casts off his fear for others and goes to face Raynar and Lomi alone, hoping to bring Raynar back alive despite Jacen's misgivings. In the meantime Leia, Han, Juun, Saba, and Tarfang are intercepted by Chiss on the way to Tanupe, and interrogated, Leia thinks she see's Han get his ear cut off (luckily not to the bubblegum pop tunes of "K-Billy's Super Sounds of the 70's"  however it turns out to be a holographic trick and they manage to escape, thanks to the Noghri and Leia's abilities. Jaina and Zekk are urged to go after some Chiss craft which are carrying a parasite capable of wiping out the Killiks entirely, they get badly beaten up, partly because Jagged Fel is leading the Chiss against them, however Alema Ra appears and destroys the two ships. Ra has become a dark jedi twisted and evil, she works for the Dark Nest and has fought Leia more than once, the last time Leia coming off much better. Two bombs survive and fall unexploded into the jungle, in trying to prevent them exploding and spreading the parasite Leia has to shoot down Jag, he is presumed alive at the end of the book but is still missing in a canyon. Leia and Saba go to look for the bombs and in the jungle teeming with dangerous creatures Leia duels with Alema, Leia comes off better and manages to cause Alema to fall into the clutches of a giant 'Spider Sloth Thing' (  ) Alema is MIA presumed dead and the bombs are defused safely.Luke meanwhile battles through the captured Star Destroyer the Admiral Ackbar with a raiding party of 'Bug Crusher' YVH droids, while Admiral Pellaeon (now grand admiral of the Galactic Alliance fleet) holds the Killiks back. He confronts and easily defeats Raynar, Raynar lose a hand in the battle but is kept alive, before he can return however he fights Lomi Plo a final time, in a viscous battle, the dual saber weilding Plo is eventaully brought down by Luke with a broken leg, after she lunges a final time Luke finishes the Dark human bug hybrid monstrosity once and for all, and retreives his true lightsaber taken from him in TUQ. He returns with Raynar where actions are taken to make sure Raynar cannot once again take control of the Killiks, they have diplomatic talks with the Chiss who agree to not press the attack on the Killiks now they are fragmented and war is averted. Leia also becomes a true Jedi Knight at last, and is told to make a new saber by her master Saba; Luke tells Pellaeon that despite being faithful to the Alliance he will remove a jedi prescence from the advisory council and instead form a Jedi Council. There is also an excerpt from an upcoming book based on the Republic Commando game, the sequal to Hard Contact, Triple Zero. Its a very cool section featuring Jango Fett, another Mandalorian and some Clone kids. Overal i liked this book, although the whole trilogy has been a little weird to read, perhaps because of the innate strangeness inherent in the Killiks. The characters that have developed the most over the trilogy and TSW, are undoubtably Jacen and Leia, Jacen has many peoples respect by now, including Mara's, at one point she even thinks to herself that he is shaping up to be the person to take over the Order from Luke. Leia's knighthood is good to see, and you can tell from the books just how much more effective she is now. The characters i have felts have been written well or also developed in small but meaningful ways would start with Luke Skywalker himself; he has undergone some big changes in this book and i think Denning pulled it off well, Luke really seems to be the Master Jedi in this book and yet keeping aspects of his personality that are important. Saba and Han are both written very well, the three Denning seem best at writing are Han and Leia Solo, and Saba, a Barabel Jedi Master with a brilliant sense of humour. In contrast i did not feel Jaina, Zekk, Tahiri, or Formbi (a Chiss) were written very well, but that is mine opinion of course. Another negative is that Denning and other authors towards the end of the NJO no longer describe saber fights that well, an instant gripe with me is that they often do not describe the saber color of a jedi involved, without a color i personally find it hard to imagine a fight; in this book we are told Raynar's is Gold, and Alema's Blue/Black as well as Lomi Plo's White/Purple combo, its often the Jedi's colors not described. Some people say Mara is poorly written in this but i disagree i do however think she has undergone changes, perhaps since Ben Skywalker was born. Ben, her son chose to withdraw from the force yet feels safe to use it with Jacen, its Partly because that she begins to put a lot more trust in her nephew, and she greatly respects his skills. A couple of small sidenotes, a new Bothan admiral called Bwua'tu is introduce who seeminly has prediction skills rivaling those of Thrawn's, Pellaeon is written well and if this is to be his final book with reasonable content then its a worthy one, finally Kyle Katarn seems to be getting more action with each book, i for one hope it continues as it shows hope for a new EU based JK game. Here is a cookie if you read all that _______________ To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield | Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken | Rhaiko D'kana - SWTOR EU Guild Co-Founder | Is it what the teacher, teaches? Or what the student learns? A Dkana |
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Mindrith Pride - Student 
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its late and i cant be bothered to read all of that but i will read it sometime after work experience tomrrow  _______________ [proud owner of talions 200th, 700th,1111th coment AND 1400th , DJK's 3001th coment! , saz's 400th coment! liso's 800th coment! Kitmitsu Aratan's 1200th comment! Cau's 100th comeent, Alexander's (aka CC) 210th, 888th and 2200th comments! Moriarti's 800th comment , Piccolo's 2000th comment! lirael's 505th comment , Quom Farlance's 120th comment, Alexander's 1800th comment , Eica's 1400th comment , Wicek's 3200th comment lady C's 999th comment, Echuu's 1100th comment, Takaru's 325th and 400th comment, Redeye's 200th comment picc's 3600th comment, Ostith's 50th comment, Elmo's 555th comment] |
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Alex Dkana - Staff 
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Quote: Excellent job! I have read nearly all of NJO and only the first of this trilogy. I agree with the comments about Jacen. It looks like he is becoming or will become the most powerful jedi, but also the most peaceful one too. Definitely one of my favourite characters, but also one that as you say, has developed the most. Thanks for this and again, excellent job thanks man, glad you like it! _______________ To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield | Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken | Rhaiko D'kana - SWTOR EU Guild Co-Founder | Is it what the teacher, teaches? Or what the student learns? A Dkana |
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Jade - Student 
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Excellent job! I have read nearly all of NJO and only the first of this trilogy. I agree with the comments about Jacen. It looks like he is becoming or will become the most powerful jedi, but also the most peaceful one too. Definitely one of my favourite characters, but also one that as you say, has developed the most. Thanks for this and again, excellent job _______________ "You don't know the power of the dark side....Buurrp!" This comment was edited by Jade on Jan 06 2006 03:28pm. |
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