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Star Wars: The New Jedi Order #12
Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand
Not since Emperor Palpatine have the Jedi battled such monstrous evil. Unless they succeed against staggering odds, the galaxy is doomed.
Luke Skywalker’s daring mission to halt the Yuuzhan Vong’s nefarious plot to overthrow the New Republic is struggling on all fronts. And time is slipping away for Han and Leia Organa Solo, trapped on a small planet whose rulers are about to yield to Yuuzhan Vong pressure to give up the Jedi rebels.
On Coruscant, Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker have made a shocking discovery that is preventing the Yuuzhan Vong from exerting complete control. But when the enemy tracks them down, Luke and Mara are thrust into a fierce battle for their lives. Suddenly, the chances of escaping appear nearly impossible. And in space, another battle rages, one that holds ominous consequences for the New Republic—and for the Jedi themselves. . . .
Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the Star Wars expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular Star Wars books of the last thirty years!
Luke Skywalker’s daring mission to halt the Yuuzhan Vong’s nefarious plot to overthrow the New Republic is struggling on all fronts. And time is slipping away for Han and Leia Organa Solo, trapped on a small planet whose rulers are about to yield to Yuuzhan Vong pressure to give up the Jedi rebels.
On Coruscant, Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker have made a shocking discovery that is preventing the Yuuzhan Vong from exerting complete control. But when the enemy tracks them down, Luke and Mara are thrust into a fierce battle for their lives. Suddenly, the chances of escaping appear nearly impossible. And in space, another battle rages, one that holds ominous consequences for the New Republic—and for the Jedi themselves. . . .
Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the Star Wars expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular Star Wars books of the last thirty years!
367 pages, Paperback
First published May 28, 2002
135 people are currently reading
2,719 people want to read
About the author
Aaron Allston
187books370followersAaron Dale Allston was an American game designer and author of many science fiction books, notably Star Wars novels. His works as a game designer include game supplements for role-playing games, several of which served to establish the basis for products and subsequent development of TSR's Dungeons & Dragons game setting Mystara. His later works as a novelist include those of the X-Wing series: Wraith Squadron, Iron Fist, Solo Command, Starfighters of Adumar, and Mercy Kill. He wrote two entries in the New Jedi Order series: Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream and Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand. Allston wrote three of the nine Legacy of the Force novels: Betrayal, Exile, and Fury, and three of the nine Fate of the Jedi novels: Outcast, Backlash, and Conviction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
September 23, 2024
Despite the criticism it gets, I think the New Jedi Order series is really good; it reads well, and has plenty of adventure and action. That's true of this novel as well.
August 7, 2024
Couldn't get a physical copy of this so decided to try the audiobook. It was pretty good. Narrator was great, sound effects and music solid and great atmospheric sounds. Overall a well produced audiobook.
Plot was enjoyable, very much mostly a side story starring Luke and some resolvement of other plotlines from book 1. Also find it funny Han and Leia are on the cover but they don’t appear at all in the audiobook. Overall the duology was ok but I think it will go in the mostly forgettable pile of the series.
I give it a 3.5
Plot was enjoyable, very much mostly a side story starring Luke and some resolvement of other plotlines from book 1. Also find it funny Han and Leia are on the cover but they don’t appear at all in the audiobook. Overall the duology was ok but I think it will go in the mostly forgettable pile of the series.
I give it a 3.5
January 5, 2016
“Rebel Stand� is the exciting second book in Aaron Allston’s Enemy Lines duology, and it is as action-packed as the first book, “Rebel Dream�.
Without giving too many spoilers away, the good guys win in this one. For the most part.
The Yuuzhan Vong has successfully taken Coruscant and begun their violent terra-forming. Millions of survivors, however, are still stuck on the planet’s surface without any chance of escape, so Master Jedi Luke Skywalker, his wife Mara Jade, young Jedi Knight Tahiri, and a small contingent of soldiers and scientists return to Coruscant in an attempt to gather intel and do what they can to help survivors.
Battling pockets of Yuuzhan Vong troops isn’t the problem. The problem comes in the form of an inexplicable creature that seems to be going on a rampage throughout the ruins of Coruscant, leaving a wake of dead Yuuzhan Vong and survivors. This creature calls itself Lord Nyax and seems to be extremely Force-sensitive. After some investigating, Luke and his team discover that the creature is actually the Dark Jedi Irek Ismaren (see Barbara Hambly’s “Children of the Jedi�), who has been genetically altered via experiments performed upon him by Imperial scientists and his mother, Roganda, a former assassin for the late Emperor Palpatine.
Meanwhile, Han and Leia are galavanting throughout the galaxy in an attempt to garner more support for the slowly-dwindling New Republic forces. Unfortunately, when they arrive on Aphran IV, they discover a government that is pro-appeasement. The Solo’s pitch for resistance gets them thrown in prison, leaving lovable droids C3-P0 and R2-D2 as their only hope for escape.
And, meanwhile, on Borleias, Wedge Antilles leads a daring attack on Yuuzhan Vong forces, the success of which hinges upon the Yuuzhan Vong’s belief that Jaina Solo is the reincarnation of the Yuuzhan Vong trickster goddess Yun-Harla.
Amidst all of this excitement, there is even a storyline involving Yuuzhan Vong commander Tsavong Lah, who discovers a conspiracy amongst his own ship’s scientists to assassinate him. There is also the continuing love story between Jaina Solo and rugged starfighter pilot, Jagged Fell.
Strangely enough, all of these storylines are handled extremely well. Allston is an excellent writer who knows how to balance action with human drama. He is, apparently, not new to the SWEU, as he wrote several books in the “X-Wing� series, a series that I have not read yet.
“Rebel Stand� is the 12th book in the New Jedi Order series.
Without giving too many spoilers away, the good guys win in this one. For the most part.
The Yuuzhan Vong has successfully taken Coruscant and begun their violent terra-forming. Millions of survivors, however, are still stuck on the planet’s surface without any chance of escape, so Master Jedi Luke Skywalker, his wife Mara Jade, young Jedi Knight Tahiri, and a small contingent of soldiers and scientists return to Coruscant in an attempt to gather intel and do what they can to help survivors.
Battling pockets of Yuuzhan Vong troops isn’t the problem. The problem comes in the form of an inexplicable creature that seems to be going on a rampage throughout the ruins of Coruscant, leaving a wake of dead Yuuzhan Vong and survivors. This creature calls itself Lord Nyax and seems to be extremely Force-sensitive. After some investigating, Luke and his team discover that the creature is actually the Dark Jedi Irek Ismaren (see Barbara Hambly’s “Children of the Jedi�), who has been genetically altered via experiments performed upon him by Imperial scientists and his mother, Roganda, a former assassin for the late Emperor Palpatine.
Meanwhile, Han and Leia are galavanting throughout the galaxy in an attempt to garner more support for the slowly-dwindling New Republic forces. Unfortunately, when they arrive on Aphran IV, they discover a government that is pro-appeasement. The Solo’s pitch for resistance gets them thrown in prison, leaving lovable droids C3-P0 and R2-D2 as their only hope for escape.
And, meanwhile, on Borleias, Wedge Antilles leads a daring attack on Yuuzhan Vong forces, the success of which hinges upon the Yuuzhan Vong’s belief that Jaina Solo is the reincarnation of the Yuuzhan Vong trickster goddess Yun-Harla.
Amidst all of this excitement, there is even a storyline involving Yuuzhan Vong commander Tsavong Lah, who discovers a conspiracy amongst his own ship’s scientists to assassinate him. There is also the continuing love story between Jaina Solo and rugged starfighter pilot, Jagged Fell.
Strangely enough, all of these storylines are handled extremely well. Allston is an excellent writer who knows how to balance action with human drama. He is, apparently, not new to the SWEU, as he wrote several books in the “X-Wing� series, a series that I have not read yet.
“Rebel Stand� is the 12th book in the New Jedi Order series.
August 9, 2021
For 2021, I decided to reread Del Rey’s first attempt at a multi-author book series in the Star Wars universe: The New Jedi Order, which was published between 1999 and 2003. This shakes out to 19 novels, two eBook novellas, three short stories, and a tangentially-related prequel era novel.
This week’s focus: the second book in the Enemy Lines duology by Aaron Allston, Enemy Lines: Rebel Stand.
SOME HISTORY:
Dave Seeley made a number of covers for the Del Rey releases, from to , but his first two assignments were the covers for Allston’s Enemy Lines duology. Seeley worked as an architect for ten years before switching to illustration in 1995, and his works combine digital and traditional media--he would often create the covers digitally, and then use oil paints over top. Enemy Lines: Rebel Stand made it to number thirteen on the New York Times paperback bestseller list for the week of June 16, 2002.
MY RECOLLECTION OF THE BOOK:
I remembered the revelations about Lord Nyax, but not the build-up to those revelations, and despite Han and Leia’s presence on the cover I had forgotten everything that happened with them in this book.
PRINCESS LEIA COSTUME COUNT:
The Wraiths and Jedi sport very convincing Yuuzhan Vong disguises on Coruscant, and even Han and Leia break out some costumes during their mission to Aphran IV.
A BRIEF SUMMARY:
Wedge Antilles and his forces continue to defend Borleias against Czulkang Lah’s fleet, while Han Solo and Leia Organa set off on a series of missions for the newborn Rebel movement. But on Coruscant, the joint Wraith Squadron/Jedi team discovers a new threat in the New Republic’s former capital�
THE CHARACTERS:
As Rebel Stand opens, we're presented with the beginning of a number of subplots: Jaina Solo and her Twin Suns Squadron remain on Borleias under the command of Wedge Antilles, well aware that the Yuuzhan Vong are still trying to capture her; Luke Skywalker, Mara Jade, Tahiri Veila, and the members of Wraith Squadron are inserted on Coruscant and have started their mission to scout out what is happening to the world; Han Solo and Leia Organa set off on missions for Wedge’s Rebel movement; and Tam Elgrin, the former Yuuzhan Vong spy, awakens in the medical bay and tries to live with what he had done in the previous book.
The Coruscant mission takes up an awful lot of the book, and is a huge focus here (we'll put a pin in that and return to it for my Issues section). It's very interesting to see how much Coruscant has changed in just a matter of months, and how truly devastating the Yuuzhan Vong invasion has been. Millions of its inhabitants have died because very few people were able to escape during the events of . The Yuuzhan Vong aren't just tearing down the buildings and removing the technology around them--they’re also altering Coruscant's orbit and changing how the planet behaves. Wraith Squadron is able to make contact with a group of survivors, but they slowly come to realize that their mission has to change. Coruscant won't possibly be able to return to what it once was, so rather than helping the people and letting them know that the New Republic forces will be back soon, it's more teaching them how to survive in a threatening, alien environment and hold out for an unknown span of time.
And while they're there, they discover a new threat: Lord Nyax. In keeping with the vision that Luke saw of Coruscant, there is a Dark Side presence there. Lord Nyax has the ability to manipulate people. He's very strong, and he's after something that for most of the book remains unclear--some source of power or some goal he's working towards that the reader and the Jedi/Wraith Squadron team are unaware of.
Luke comes to some revelations: mainly, that the Jedi's role is to stand firm. In some cases that does mean action, because if you're standing against an opposing force you can't just stand there passively--you do have to take an active stance at some point! Mara's portrayal felt a little cold compared to previous books--and that might just be her feelings regarding her absence from her son and uncovering Viqi Shesh’s presence on Coruscant--but it almost felt like a step back for Mara, back to the scary former assassin rather than the slightly more open woman we've gotten to know in some of the books.
Tahiri takes an entirely different approach to Lord Nyax’s influences--she uses some of the Yuuzhan Vong side of her to be able to counteract it. I wish we could have seen her doing more with that; the idea that she can manually cut herself off from the Force because of the Yuuzhan Vong shaping she went through is really interesting, and I would like to see more of an examination into it. It's cool, we just haven't seen it before--but I can suppose that as Tahiri comes to grips with herself, the death of Anakin, and everything that happened after it, she's also coming into better control of her abilities (and we might see more of those).
The Wraiths are a delight. I love Face; I love Kell; the new Wraiths are OK, but mainly I love Face and Kell. I love their banter, and I love that they were having some unspoken competition to see who could stay in their Yuuzhan Vong armor the longest despite the discomfort--that feels so much like them.
On the Jaina, Jag, and Kyp front: I didn’t get the sense from that Jaina had completely solved her problems, but I suppose she’s coping with her situation and good for now. She’s in a relationship with Jagged Fel for now. I’ll just have to accept that there won’t be any further development with her until or the subsequent books. (Side note: Jaina’s talk with Kyp about their partnership was very awkward to me, and I think it came down to Jag’s presence there. I know it was Jag’s idea for her to talk with Kyp, but that should have been a private conversation!)
Han and Leia’s missions don’t feel particularly important or like they’re moving the plot forward, so while it was nice to see them interact their scenes weren’t essential to the story. The first mission ended up being much simpler than I thought (I assumed Han and Leia were going to support the unnamed third candidate and play the other two off each other), and the second mission didn’t go as planned because the Falcon is too recognizable.
Tam Elgrin finds that a lot of people on Borleias do distrust him; he takes little Dab/Tarc (the boy that Viqi Shesh made to look like Anakin Solo) under his wing, and he uncovers a spy of his own. In the end he and Wolam Tser and little Tarq leave for points unknown--but presumably they're all going to be very happy making holo-documentaries together.
I wanted more with Wedge and Tycho. I enjoyed that we got to see them interact in the very beginning with Wes Janson (Janson! His presence makes me so happy!), but then it didn’t feel like we saw a lot of Wedge until the last 70 pages. Fortunately, the last 70 pages made up for that. My favorite parts have always been when Wedge has to use his skills or intellect to get himself out of an impossible situation, and that’s exactly what happened in the end. (But we will also put a pin in that, and return to it.)
On the Yuuzhan Vong front, we have the Warmaster Tsavong Lah realizing that there’s a plot between the shapers and the Yun-Yuuzhan priests (thanks to Nen Yim’s analysis), and the plotters are all killed by rancors, death by something Yuuzhan Vong being too good for them. So he’s got that problem sorted; he’s not going to be a Shamed One and he’s not going to lose his command. Viqi Shesh is assigned to the warrior Denua Ku to track down the Jedi on Coruscant, and in typical Viqi Shesh she escapes several times and finds an escape ship. After the Wraiths and the Jedi steal her ship, Viqi decides that she wants to choose her death on her own terms and throws herself out a window. (Farewell Viqi, you Kuati cockroach.) I continue to find Commander Czulkang Lah interesting; he continues his bombardment against Borleias, but in the end he and the Domain Hul worldship are destroyed because Wedge fed him false information. Wedge’s plot was to hide what he was really doing and leak what he wanted the Vong to assume he was doing, and Czulkang Lah falls for it. I wish we could have seen more of him, but I will put a third pin in that thought.
ISSUES:
The first 80% of the book felt heavily weighted towards the Coruscant mission. We would occasionally check in on Jaina, or Tam Elgrin, or the progress on the Lusankya, or Czulkang Lah’s bombardments, but the majority of the time seemed to be spent elsewhere: on Coruscant with the Wraiths and Luke, or with Han and Leia on their missions to Vannix and Aphran IV. We cut back to Coruscant a lot because there's a lot going on there: there's all the revelations about what's happening to the planet; there’s the Wraiths� attempts to contact survivors; and then there’s Luke’s discovery of Lord Nyax and their increasingly desperate attempts to stop him.
My problem here was that Lord Nyax seemed the most menacing the less we knew about him, like the threat in a horror film, and once we see and learn more about him he starts to get a little silly. I loved the scenes from his point-of-view: he’s trying to get into this wall, but he has no verbal skills and can only communicate by pushing thoughts into people’s heads. He doesn’t even have a name--the name he assumes is one that his minions gave him, that of a nightmare from the Corellian system. His sense of understanding is incomplete and warped.
But then we find out that he’s Irek Ismaren from , artificially induced to grow three meters tall, with armor embedded under his skin and lightsabers sticking out of every limb like a proto-General Grievous. He has no memory of who he is or what he should be doing, beyond some embedded sense of seeking out and possessing places of power. His backstory is honestly pretty sad (especially in regards to the fate of Roganda Ismaren) but a three-meter tall dude with lightsabers sticking out of every limb strikes me as an oddly goofy villain. The Jedi are able to defeat him precisely because he’s untrained (he’s operating on sheer instinct), but his looming threat gives the Coruscant mission the feeling of a wild goose chase. Instead of saving the galaxy, our heroes just went off after a red herring. But I suppose that was the point of the Coruscant mission, that they might not be able to retake it because the world will be irrevocably different.
The Coruscant mission’s monopoly on the plot wasn’t as huge of an issue as I originally thought, though, because the final Battle of Borleias was so good!! All of Wedge’s plots finally come into play--the fake Starlancer project (reminds me how Starkiller Base could fire beams halfway across the galaxy), and Operation Emperor’s Spear with the Lusankya, as well as the missile masquerading as Jaina Solo’s X-wing. And Wedge got to relive his former glory days in Blackmoon Eleven’s X-Wing and save a freighter, all while his comm unit doesn’t work and he’s missing an astromech. (Poor Wedge!) I just love that Wedge was able to hold Borleias for so long, and even when he decided to leave, his forces really made the Vong regret ever attacking it in the first place.
I wish we could have seen more of Czulkang Lah, because he was wily and interesting. He keeps his word, even when he thinks his orders are wrong, so I would have liked to see more of him--why he disagreed with the invasion plans and how his ideas differ from his son’s. The Yuuzhan Vong’s greatest strength has been their sheer numbers, but their weaknesses have been a rather poor understanding of strategy on an individual level. We have good strategists like Tsavong Lah and his father, but the Vong rely very heavily on the yammosks and external ways of keeping their troops unified and structured. Without the influence of the yammosk or a strong commander to hold everything together, they’re undisciplined and easily distracted, and even with those controls individual warriors tend to disobey orders to pursue matters of personal glory. I think (and I hope!) that the later books will show how the loss of their good leaders affects their invasion efforts, because at their core the Yuuzhan Vong are undisciplined and a bit too chaotic.
IN CONCLUSION:
More so than any of the three previous duologies, the Enemy Lines duology felt like one continuous story: Rebel Stand picks up not long after Rebel Dream ends, so you have to read Rebel Stand to get any sense of how events will end. It’s hard for me to judge them separately because you really have to read both of them! You need both the setup as well as the conclusion to accurately get a sense of what Allston was trying to accomplish. There are definitely things I can nitpick, but I love that our heroes got an overwhelming, undeniable victory here. I wish the book wasn’t quite so heavily weighted towards the Coruscant mission, but the Enemy Lines duology has been a nice change of pace after all the angst and drama that preceded it.
Next up: a Jacen-centric novel by Matthew Stover, .
My YouTube review:
FAQs on Aaron Allston’s website:
Run for Cover - Dave Seeley (September 1, 2005):
This week’s focus: the second book in the Enemy Lines duology by Aaron Allston, Enemy Lines: Rebel Stand.
SOME HISTORY:
Dave Seeley made a number of covers for the Del Rey releases, from to , but his first two assignments were the covers for Allston’s Enemy Lines duology. Seeley worked as an architect for ten years before switching to illustration in 1995, and his works combine digital and traditional media--he would often create the covers digitally, and then use oil paints over top. Enemy Lines: Rebel Stand made it to number thirteen on the New York Times paperback bestseller list for the week of June 16, 2002.
MY RECOLLECTION OF THE BOOK:
I remembered the revelations about Lord Nyax, but not the build-up to those revelations, and despite Han and Leia’s presence on the cover I had forgotten everything that happened with them in this book.
PRINCESS LEIA COSTUME COUNT:
The Wraiths and Jedi sport very convincing Yuuzhan Vong disguises on Coruscant, and even Han and Leia break out some costumes during their mission to Aphran IV.
A BRIEF SUMMARY:
Wedge Antilles and his forces continue to defend Borleias against Czulkang Lah’s fleet, while Han Solo and Leia Organa set off on a series of missions for the newborn Rebel movement. But on Coruscant, the joint Wraith Squadron/Jedi team discovers a new threat in the New Republic’s former capital�
THE CHARACTERS:
As Rebel Stand opens, we're presented with the beginning of a number of subplots: Jaina Solo and her Twin Suns Squadron remain on Borleias under the command of Wedge Antilles, well aware that the Yuuzhan Vong are still trying to capture her; Luke Skywalker, Mara Jade, Tahiri Veila, and the members of Wraith Squadron are inserted on Coruscant and have started their mission to scout out what is happening to the world; Han Solo and Leia Organa set off on missions for Wedge’s Rebel movement; and Tam Elgrin, the former Yuuzhan Vong spy, awakens in the medical bay and tries to live with what he had done in the previous book.
The Coruscant mission takes up an awful lot of the book, and is a huge focus here (we'll put a pin in that and return to it for my Issues section). It's very interesting to see how much Coruscant has changed in just a matter of months, and how truly devastating the Yuuzhan Vong invasion has been. Millions of its inhabitants have died because very few people were able to escape during the events of . The Yuuzhan Vong aren't just tearing down the buildings and removing the technology around them--they’re also altering Coruscant's orbit and changing how the planet behaves. Wraith Squadron is able to make contact with a group of survivors, but they slowly come to realize that their mission has to change. Coruscant won't possibly be able to return to what it once was, so rather than helping the people and letting them know that the New Republic forces will be back soon, it's more teaching them how to survive in a threatening, alien environment and hold out for an unknown span of time.
And while they're there, they discover a new threat: Lord Nyax. In keeping with the vision that Luke saw of Coruscant, there is a Dark Side presence there. Lord Nyax has the ability to manipulate people. He's very strong, and he's after something that for most of the book remains unclear--some source of power or some goal he's working towards that the reader and the Jedi/Wraith Squadron team are unaware of.
Luke comes to some revelations: mainly, that the Jedi's role is to stand firm. In some cases that does mean action, because if you're standing against an opposing force you can't just stand there passively--you do have to take an active stance at some point! Mara's portrayal felt a little cold compared to previous books--and that might just be her feelings regarding her absence from her son and uncovering Viqi Shesh’s presence on Coruscant--but it almost felt like a step back for Mara, back to the scary former assassin rather than the slightly more open woman we've gotten to know in some of the books.
Tahiri takes an entirely different approach to Lord Nyax’s influences--she uses some of the Yuuzhan Vong side of her to be able to counteract it. I wish we could have seen her doing more with that; the idea that she can manually cut herself off from the Force because of the Yuuzhan Vong shaping she went through is really interesting, and I would like to see more of an examination into it. It's cool, we just haven't seen it before--but I can suppose that as Tahiri comes to grips with herself, the death of Anakin, and everything that happened after it, she's also coming into better control of her abilities (and we might see more of those).
The Wraiths are a delight. I love Face; I love Kell; the new Wraiths are OK, but mainly I love Face and Kell. I love their banter, and I love that they were having some unspoken competition to see who could stay in their Yuuzhan Vong armor the longest despite the discomfort--that feels so much like them.
On the Jaina, Jag, and Kyp front: I didn’t get the sense from that Jaina had completely solved her problems, but I suppose she’s coping with her situation and good for now. She’s in a relationship with Jagged Fel for now. I’ll just have to accept that there won’t be any further development with her until or the subsequent books. (Side note: Jaina’s talk with Kyp about their partnership was very awkward to me, and I think it came down to Jag’s presence there. I know it was Jag’s idea for her to talk with Kyp, but that should have been a private conversation!)
Han and Leia’s missions don’t feel particularly important or like they’re moving the plot forward, so while it was nice to see them interact their scenes weren’t essential to the story. The first mission ended up being much simpler than I thought (I assumed Han and Leia were going to support the unnamed third candidate and play the other two off each other), and the second mission didn’t go as planned because the Falcon is too recognizable.
Tam Elgrin finds that a lot of people on Borleias do distrust him; he takes little Dab/Tarc (the boy that Viqi Shesh made to look like Anakin Solo) under his wing, and he uncovers a spy of his own. In the end he and Wolam Tser and little Tarq leave for points unknown--but presumably they're all going to be very happy making holo-documentaries together.
I wanted more with Wedge and Tycho. I enjoyed that we got to see them interact in the very beginning with Wes Janson (Janson! His presence makes me so happy!), but then it didn’t feel like we saw a lot of Wedge until the last 70 pages. Fortunately, the last 70 pages made up for that. My favorite parts have always been when Wedge has to use his skills or intellect to get himself out of an impossible situation, and that’s exactly what happened in the end. (But we will also put a pin in that, and return to it.)
On the Yuuzhan Vong front, we have the Warmaster Tsavong Lah realizing that there’s a plot between the shapers and the Yun-Yuuzhan priests (thanks to Nen Yim’s analysis), and the plotters are all killed by rancors, death by something Yuuzhan Vong being too good for them. So he’s got that problem sorted; he’s not going to be a Shamed One and he’s not going to lose his command. Viqi Shesh is assigned to the warrior Denua Ku to track down the Jedi on Coruscant, and in typical Viqi Shesh she escapes several times and finds an escape ship. After the Wraiths and the Jedi steal her ship, Viqi decides that she wants to choose her death on her own terms and throws herself out a window. (Farewell Viqi, you Kuati cockroach.) I continue to find Commander Czulkang Lah interesting; he continues his bombardment against Borleias, but in the end he and the Domain Hul worldship are destroyed because Wedge fed him false information. Wedge’s plot was to hide what he was really doing and leak what he wanted the Vong to assume he was doing, and Czulkang Lah falls for it. I wish we could have seen more of him, but I will put a third pin in that thought.
ISSUES:
The first 80% of the book felt heavily weighted towards the Coruscant mission. We would occasionally check in on Jaina, or Tam Elgrin, or the progress on the Lusankya, or Czulkang Lah’s bombardments, but the majority of the time seemed to be spent elsewhere: on Coruscant with the Wraiths and Luke, or with Han and Leia on their missions to Vannix and Aphran IV. We cut back to Coruscant a lot because there's a lot going on there: there's all the revelations about what's happening to the planet; there’s the Wraiths� attempts to contact survivors; and then there’s Luke’s discovery of Lord Nyax and their increasingly desperate attempts to stop him.
My problem here was that Lord Nyax seemed the most menacing the less we knew about him, like the threat in a horror film, and once we see and learn more about him he starts to get a little silly. I loved the scenes from his point-of-view: he’s trying to get into this wall, but he has no verbal skills and can only communicate by pushing thoughts into people’s heads. He doesn’t even have a name--the name he assumes is one that his minions gave him, that of a nightmare from the Corellian system. His sense of understanding is incomplete and warped.
But then we find out that he’s Irek Ismaren from , artificially induced to grow three meters tall, with armor embedded under his skin and lightsabers sticking out of every limb like a proto-General Grievous. He has no memory of who he is or what he should be doing, beyond some embedded sense of seeking out and possessing places of power. His backstory is honestly pretty sad (especially in regards to the fate of Roganda Ismaren) but a three-meter tall dude with lightsabers sticking out of every limb strikes me as an oddly goofy villain. The Jedi are able to defeat him precisely because he’s untrained (he’s operating on sheer instinct), but his looming threat gives the Coruscant mission the feeling of a wild goose chase. Instead of saving the galaxy, our heroes just went off after a red herring. But I suppose that was the point of the Coruscant mission, that they might not be able to retake it because the world will be irrevocably different.
The Coruscant mission’s monopoly on the plot wasn’t as huge of an issue as I originally thought, though, because the final Battle of Borleias was so good!! All of Wedge’s plots finally come into play--the fake Starlancer project (reminds me how Starkiller Base could fire beams halfway across the galaxy), and Operation Emperor’s Spear with the Lusankya, as well as the missile masquerading as Jaina Solo’s X-wing. And Wedge got to relive his former glory days in Blackmoon Eleven’s X-Wing and save a freighter, all while his comm unit doesn’t work and he’s missing an astromech. (Poor Wedge!) I just love that Wedge was able to hold Borleias for so long, and even when he decided to leave, his forces really made the Vong regret ever attacking it in the first place.
I wish we could have seen more of Czulkang Lah, because he was wily and interesting. He keeps his word, even when he thinks his orders are wrong, so I would have liked to see more of him--why he disagreed with the invasion plans and how his ideas differ from his son’s. The Yuuzhan Vong’s greatest strength has been their sheer numbers, but their weaknesses have been a rather poor understanding of strategy on an individual level. We have good strategists like Tsavong Lah and his father, but the Vong rely very heavily on the yammosks and external ways of keeping their troops unified and structured. Without the influence of the yammosk or a strong commander to hold everything together, they’re undisciplined and easily distracted, and even with those controls individual warriors tend to disobey orders to pursue matters of personal glory. I think (and I hope!) that the later books will show how the loss of their good leaders affects their invasion efforts, because at their core the Yuuzhan Vong are undisciplined and a bit too chaotic.
IN CONCLUSION:
More so than any of the three previous duologies, the Enemy Lines duology felt like one continuous story: Rebel Stand picks up not long after Rebel Dream ends, so you have to read Rebel Stand to get any sense of how events will end. It’s hard for me to judge them separately because you really have to read both of them! You need both the setup as well as the conclusion to accurately get a sense of what Allston was trying to accomplish. There are definitely things I can nitpick, but I love that our heroes got an overwhelming, undeniable victory here. I wish the book wasn’t quite so heavily weighted towards the Coruscant mission, but the Enemy Lines duology has been a nice change of pace after all the angst and drama that preceded it.
Next up: a Jacen-centric novel by Matthew Stover, .
My YouTube review:
FAQs on Aaron Allston’s website:
Run for Cover - Dave Seeley (September 1, 2005):
June 9, 2021
Star Wars: Rebel Stand by Aaron Allston is a Legends EU novel, and the 13th Entry intro the long running New Jedi Order Series. Aaron Allston is best known for his Wraith Squadron novels, but his two “New Jedi Order� novels � the “Enemy Lines� duology � are sneaky good, too. They don’t make as strong of an impression as other his “Star Wars� novels because they lack a main character or even group of characters. Indeed, “Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand� (2002) is a bit all over the place even when compared to “Rebel Dream� � which centered on a battle at Borleias � but it still offers some great little subplots.
My favorite is Han and Leia’s undercover mission to set up resistance cells. As established in “Rebel Dream,� people who want to fight back against the Yuuzhan Vong are going to have to do so outside the structure of the New Republic, as the Advisory Council has sold out the military. Meanwhile, many planetary governments have adopted policies of appeasement with the Vong or their proxies, the Peace Brigade. While some military veterans � bringing some materiel with them � are fighting at Borleias, any long-term success will require resistance cells.
Intriguingly, this means Han and Leia must rig an election on the planet Vannix. The Solos see that the people are favoring the appeasement candidate, Addath, but also that she doesn’t truly favor appeasement, only power.
Addath was no fool. She could analyze the Yuuzhan Vong’s relationship with ‘allied� worlds as well as anyone else. Addath simply could not give up the reins of power, and would hold them in clenched hands, whatever the cost. Since military opposition to the Yuuzhan Vong meant handing too much power to others, she was willing to steer this world into eventual oblivion � just so long as she was in control until that final moment.
Both the New Republic and Vannix specifically have systems where the political class and the military class are somewhat separate, a contrast to the modern U.S., where they are inextricably linked. Both systems are problematic, but it in the “NJO,� the slight separation between the classes allows for the military to break free and fight for just causes rather than being a pawn of politicians. It’s an interesting alternative approach, if nothing else.
The second most intriguing element of “Rebel Stand� is a good old fashioned mystery on Coruscant. I had feared the journey through the Vongformed capital planet by Luke, Mara, Tahiri, Danni and wisecracking Wraiths Face and Kell would be a bleak survival yarn. But it is spiced up by the introduction of “Lord Nyax,� named after a children’s horror monster in the “Star Wars� universe. As it turns out, this powerful Dark Jedi who is terrorizing Coruscanti survivors and Vong alike is Irek Ismaren, last seen in “Children of the Jedi.� In a secret former Imperial lab, Roganda Ismaren had used mad science to enhance her son’s Force abilities and turn him into this monster. Although I had completely forgotten about this character, it’s a cool callback by Allston, and a prime example of the fun of the massive EU continuity.
Allston also held my attention with more of the Jag-Jaina romance; some surprising humanizing of R2-D2 as we actually see the droid “speak� in Basic via Leia’s datapad; some more exploits for Tam Elgrin, the unsung holocam operator who unfortunately bows out of the saga here; and the conclusion of the arc of turncoat Viqi Shesh, who provides a human POV to the Vong’s actions on Coruscant, and ultimately commits suicide rather than let either side kill her.
“Rebel Stand� misfires in a few areas, so I have to rank it a bit below the previous entry, and the big problem is the continuing military action around Borleias. The X-wing-versus-coralskipper dogfights start to drag a bit, especially since they are just a way to tread water until the conclusion. Allston makes it clear that the Vong will take Borleias back � it’s just a matter of time � so it’s not entirely clear why our heroes are still hanging around. It’s also odd that the Millennium Falcon can go off on a mission and then safely return to Borleias � which has now started to feel like home to Leia � yet at the same time we’re told that the planet is not safe: the Vong bombard the rebel base from the air and are poised to conquer it.
I felt like the fake-out of Operation Starlancer (a multipronged super energy weapon, a working version of which was seen in “The Force Awakens�) was revealed in the last book, but it’s still a plot point here for some reason. And there’s a big, conclusive bit of trickery with the Super Star Destroyer Lusankya that didn’t quite make sense to me or hold my attention. Our heroes are slowly scuttling the ship before using it as a massive ramming weapon, but how would the Vong not notice all the personnel and weaponry moving off of it?
Overall, while there is arguably too much going on in this 366-page paperback, the majority of it is fun to read, and it’s not nearly as dark as most of the “NJO� � or should I say, the reputation of the “NJO.� But for now, Allston reminds us that the fun and light part of “Star Wars� is still alive and well. While Rebel Stand is the weaker entry into the NJO: Enemy Lines Trilogy I would definitely recommend giving it a read, for any fellow Star Wars fan.
My favorite is Han and Leia’s undercover mission to set up resistance cells. As established in “Rebel Dream,� people who want to fight back against the Yuuzhan Vong are going to have to do so outside the structure of the New Republic, as the Advisory Council has sold out the military. Meanwhile, many planetary governments have adopted policies of appeasement with the Vong or their proxies, the Peace Brigade. While some military veterans � bringing some materiel with them � are fighting at Borleias, any long-term success will require resistance cells.
Intriguingly, this means Han and Leia must rig an election on the planet Vannix. The Solos see that the people are favoring the appeasement candidate, Addath, but also that she doesn’t truly favor appeasement, only power.
Addath was no fool. She could analyze the Yuuzhan Vong’s relationship with ‘allied� worlds as well as anyone else. Addath simply could not give up the reins of power, and would hold them in clenched hands, whatever the cost. Since military opposition to the Yuuzhan Vong meant handing too much power to others, she was willing to steer this world into eventual oblivion � just so long as she was in control until that final moment.
Both the New Republic and Vannix specifically have systems where the political class and the military class are somewhat separate, a contrast to the modern U.S., where they are inextricably linked. Both systems are problematic, but it in the “NJO,� the slight separation between the classes allows for the military to break free and fight for just causes rather than being a pawn of politicians. It’s an interesting alternative approach, if nothing else.
The second most intriguing element of “Rebel Stand� is a good old fashioned mystery on Coruscant. I had feared the journey through the Vongformed capital planet by Luke, Mara, Tahiri, Danni and wisecracking Wraiths Face and Kell would be a bleak survival yarn. But it is spiced up by the introduction of “Lord Nyax,� named after a children’s horror monster in the “Star Wars� universe. As it turns out, this powerful Dark Jedi who is terrorizing Coruscanti survivors and Vong alike is Irek Ismaren, last seen in “Children of the Jedi.� In a secret former Imperial lab, Roganda Ismaren had used mad science to enhance her son’s Force abilities and turn him into this monster. Although I had completely forgotten about this character, it’s a cool callback by Allston, and a prime example of the fun of the massive EU continuity.
Allston also held my attention with more of the Jag-Jaina romance; some surprising humanizing of R2-D2 as we actually see the droid “speak� in Basic via Leia’s datapad; some more exploits for Tam Elgrin, the unsung holocam operator who unfortunately bows out of the saga here; and the conclusion of the arc of turncoat Viqi Shesh, who provides a human POV to the Vong’s actions on Coruscant, and ultimately commits suicide rather than let either side kill her.
“Rebel Stand� misfires in a few areas, so I have to rank it a bit below the previous entry, and the big problem is the continuing military action around Borleias. The X-wing-versus-coralskipper dogfights start to drag a bit, especially since they are just a way to tread water until the conclusion. Allston makes it clear that the Vong will take Borleias back � it’s just a matter of time � so it’s not entirely clear why our heroes are still hanging around. It’s also odd that the Millennium Falcon can go off on a mission and then safely return to Borleias � which has now started to feel like home to Leia � yet at the same time we’re told that the planet is not safe: the Vong bombard the rebel base from the air and are poised to conquer it.
I felt like the fake-out of Operation Starlancer (a multipronged super energy weapon, a working version of which was seen in “The Force Awakens�) was revealed in the last book, but it’s still a plot point here for some reason. And there’s a big, conclusive bit of trickery with the Super Star Destroyer Lusankya that didn’t quite make sense to me or hold my attention. Our heroes are slowly scuttling the ship before using it as a massive ramming weapon, but how would the Vong not notice all the personnel and weaponry moving off of it?
Overall, while there is arguably too much going on in this 366-page paperback, the majority of it is fun to read, and it’s not nearly as dark as most of the “NJO� � or should I say, the reputation of the “NJO.� But for now, Allston reminds us that the fun and light part of “Star Wars� is still alive and well. While Rebel Stand is the weaker entry into the NJO: Enemy Lines Trilogy I would definitely recommend giving it a read, for any fellow Star Wars fan.
May 5, 2022
Filler.
June 23, 2011
"I don't want to discourage your curiosity, but I have to remind you, if something goes wrong, this is an exceptionally embarassing way to die."
When we last checked into our favorite galaxy far, far away under fire from an alien invasion force, Luke and Mara were on Coruscant for a recon mission and Borleias was hunkering down for war. In Rebel Stand, Luke and Mara find someone on Coruscant who is even more scary than the Yuuzhan Vong and Jaina the Trickster Goddess helps secure a great big victory for the New Republic.
NOTE: Based on audiobook and novel.
First off, I'm going to complain about the audiobook. So if you don't want to hear me gripe, skip this part.
I understand these audiobooks are abridged, but frak it, does that mean completely omitting half the plot in the novel just so that the entire thing can fit on two two-sided cassettes? Just like how most (all!) of the Coruscant plot-line is omitted from the enormous, Star by Star, here most of the battle on Borleias, the resolution of Tam the spy, the tricks of Jaina the Trickster Goddess, and Han and Leia's exploits are gone. Nothing. Nada. When I read this as a young teen, the battle of Borleias was one of the only space battles recounted in a novel that sparked creativity and inspired me to make a (crude, disgusting, horrible) drawing. What happens to Tam? What are Han and Leia doing? And what about Jaina, her tricks, and her budding romance with Jag (BTW, I forgot to mention in the last review that Allston can totally write romance)? Or what about all the HUMOR that Allston is known for? Oh, no, sorry, they're not important. Instead, let's focus on Luke and Mara's recon mission to Coruscant, the mystery of Nyax and that damn Viqi Shesh and her stupid (and unfulfilled) quest to escape. GAH!
Okay, thanks for your patience. Now, back to the review--or what I can review.
In case you didn't read that huge paragraph rant, I want to say that this review, like my review for Star by Star, is going to be peppered with gaps that the audiobook skipped and my memory forgot from its first reading.
Allston definitely writes his characters well. Luke, Mara, Tahiri, Wedge, Jaina...all are in fine form, great friends whom I love to watch as they battle the fierce Yuuzhan Vong. I can't think of a single character he wrote that was bad.
The story was pretty interesting. I liked the return of Irek Ismaren to Star Wars continuity, even if Children of the Jedi (his debut) wasn't my favorite novel. I thought it a bit crazy to have him take up such a huge chunk of the story, but (again) that is a complaint more towards the audiobook. It was nice to see Luke, Mara, and Tahiri banding together to fight him. Of course, I always like to see more about Tahiri. She's a really interesting character.
Space battles were well-done, as was the trickery of Jaina the Trickster Goddess. Of course, Allston wrote several X-Wing books, so that should come as a no-brainer. If there was anything I didn't like, it was the death of a prominent Yuuzhan Vong at the end of the book. Once again, authors create a Yuuzhan Vong villain solely for their book and then kill him or her off by the end. It's aggravating.
It was also great how the New Republic won and lost at the same time. On one hand, they lost Borleias to the Yuuzhan Vong; on the other, they destroyed a worldship using Lusankya. It was obvious by how it was written that Allston had intended for this destruction to be THE big indication that the tide was turning, and he did it well. Of course, I couldn't help but also note that technically, the New Republic has been doing quite a bit of winning since Vector Prime. In fact, if you switch the Yuuzhan Vong and the New Republic, this book is a good example of how the earlier books should have been written. The New Republic should have "defeated" Helska, but the more prominent story was about how they lost "X". At least, that's my two cents.
Even with the abridged audiobook chopping this to pieces, I was still able to see the great story Allston wrote. It's a great book, exciting, funny, intense, and for those who have hated how the Yuuzhan Vong are unstoppable, this is the book that assures you otherwise.
When we last checked into our favorite galaxy far, far away under fire from an alien invasion force, Luke and Mara were on Coruscant for a recon mission and Borleias was hunkering down for war. In Rebel Stand, Luke and Mara find someone on Coruscant who is even more scary than the Yuuzhan Vong and Jaina the Trickster Goddess helps secure a great big victory for the New Republic.
NOTE: Based on audiobook and novel.
First off, I'm going to complain about the audiobook. So if you don't want to hear me gripe, skip this part.
I understand these audiobooks are abridged, but frak it, does that mean completely omitting half the plot in the novel just so that the entire thing can fit on two two-sided cassettes? Just like how most (all!) of the Coruscant plot-line is omitted from the enormous, Star by Star, here most of the battle on Borleias, the resolution of Tam the spy, the tricks of Jaina the Trickster Goddess, and Han and Leia's exploits are gone. Nothing. Nada. When I read this as a young teen, the battle of Borleias was one of the only space battles recounted in a novel that sparked creativity and inspired me to make a (crude, disgusting, horrible) drawing. What happens to Tam? What are Han and Leia doing? And what about Jaina, her tricks, and her budding romance with Jag (BTW, I forgot to mention in the last review that Allston can totally write romance)? Or what about all the HUMOR that Allston is known for? Oh, no, sorry, they're not important. Instead, let's focus on Luke and Mara's recon mission to Coruscant, the mystery of Nyax and that damn Viqi Shesh and her stupid (and unfulfilled) quest to escape. GAH!
Okay, thanks for your patience. Now, back to the review--or what I can review.
In case you didn't read that huge paragraph rant, I want to say that this review, like my review for Star by Star, is going to be peppered with gaps that the audiobook skipped and my memory forgot from its first reading.
Allston definitely writes his characters well. Luke, Mara, Tahiri, Wedge, Jaina...all are in fine form, great friends whom I love to watch as they battle the fierce Yuuzhan Vong. I can't think of a single character he wrote that was bad.
The story was pretty interesting. I liked the return of Irek Ismaren to Star Wars continuity, even if Children of the Jedi (his debut) wasn't my favorite novel. I thought it a bit crazy to have him take up such a huge chunk of the story, but (again) that is a complaint more towards the audiobook. It was nice to see Luke, Mara, and Tahiri banding together to fight him. Of course, I always like to see more about Tahiri. She's a really interesting character.
Space battles were well-done, as was the trickery of Jaina the Trickster Goddess. Of course, Allston wrote several X-Wing books, so that should come as a no-brainer. If there was anything I didn't like, it was the death of a prominent Yuuzhan Vong at the end of the book. Once again, authors create a Yuuzhan Vong villain solely for their book and then kill him or her off by the end. It's aggravating.
It was also great how the New Republic won and lost at the same time. On one hand, they lost Borleias to the Yuuzhan Vong; on the other, they destroyed a worldship using Lusankya. It was obvious by how it was written that Allston had intended for this destruction to be THE big indication that the tide was turning, and he did it well. Of course, I couldn't help but also note that technically, the New Republic has been doing quite a bit of winning since Vector Prime. In fact, if you switch the Yuuzhan Vong and the New Republic, this book is a good example of how the earlier books should have been written. The New Republic should have "defeated" Helska, but the more prominent story was about how they lost "X". At least, that's my two cents.
Even with the abridged audiobook chopping this to pieces, I was still able to see the great story Allston wrote. It's a great book, exciting, funny, intense, and for those who have hated how the Yuuzhan Vong are unstoppable, this is the book that assures you otherwise.
January 18, 2012
As a whole, the Duology that is Enemy Lines I & II acts a pivot point in the narrative of Star Wars: The New Jedi Order. Considering the steps that Aaron Allston took in Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream to give the reader the indication that hope was still to be found, Rebel Stand does not fail to deliver an intriguing story.
Following the mold of the first book in the Duology, Rebel Stand sticks very close to some of the less Force-Sensitive Characters while still allowing the Jedi who are present in the story to shine. From Calrissian to Wedge, it is oddly rewarding for the reader to enjoy the oft overlooked Characters they have come to know from other series.
The story overall is fast paced. Unlike the introspection concerning the Force that seemed to play a major part in other books of the overall series, the reader is in constant motion throughout Rebel Stand. One moment the reader will find that they are caught in the Dejarik game over Borleias; the next they are thrust to the surface of Coruscant in pursuit of what could possibly be an even bigger threat to the Galaxy than the Yuuzhan Vong. If this were not enough, in the midst of all the action, subterfuge abounds. Though the different elements progress rapidly, the reader never feels as though they are losing their grasp on the overall story.
Now, the story does hit a few speed bumps toward the end. With all of the imaginative build up, the reader is left wishing for something far more nefarious to be found on the surface of Coruscant. This, however, does not last for long. With the flip of a page (or two), the reader is thrust into the midst of a battle which becomes the last stand of Borleias.
An interesting addition to the Star Wars: New Jedi Order series, but in no way unwelcome. The approach to the story that Aaron Allston takes is appreciated while not seeming out of place. The development of some of the new characters was strong, while not treating the existing in an uncharacteristic manner. The plot points were strong and the story was easy to follow. The perceived climax of the story may be the only place that leaves the reader a little perplexed.
Overall, it is an enjoyable read and acts as a strong midway point of the entire series.
Following the mold of the first book in the Duology, Rebel Stand sticks very close to some of the less Force-Sensitive Characters while still allowing the Jedi who are present in the story to shine. From Calrissian to Wedge, it is oddly rewarding for the reader to enjoy the oft overlooked Characters they have come to know from other series.
The story overall is fast paced. Unlike the introspection concerning the Force that seemed to play a major part in other books of the overall series, the reader is in constant motion throughout Rebel Stand. One moment the reader will find that they are caught in the Dejarik game over Borleias; the next they are thrust to the surface of Coruscant in pursuit of what could possibly be an even bigger threat to the Galaxy than the Yuuzhan Vong. If this were not enough, in the midst of all the action, subterfuge abounds. Though the different elements progress rapidly, the reader never feels as though they are losing their grasp on the overall story.
Now, the story does hit a few speed bumps toward the end. With all of the imaginative build up, the reader is left wishing for something far more nefarious to be found on the surface of Coruscant. This, however, does not last for long. With the flip of a page (or two), the reader is thrust into the midst of a battle which becomes the last stand of Borleias.
An interesting addition to the Star Wars: New Jedi Order series, but in no way unwelcome. The approach to the story that Aaron Allston takes is appreciated while not seeming out of place. The development of some of the new characters was strong, while not treating the existing in an uncharacteristic manner. The plot points were strong and the story was easy to follow. The perceived climax of the story may be the only place that leaves the reader a little perplexed.
Overall, it is an enjoyable read and acts as a strong midway point of the entire series.
November 28, 2023
Another excellent book in NJO! This definitely solidified the Enemy Lines duology as some of my favorite books in the series.
One thing I really liked in this book, and the one preceding it, is that everyone had interesting things to do. I loved the plotline of Luke, Mara, and others infiltrating the Vong-controlled Coruscant and discovering some really intriguing stuff happening. I loved Han and Leia going off to different planets and engaging in some political diplomacy. I loved the plotline on Borleias and the New Republic fighting off the Vong there. Basically, every side of the plot was interesting and engaging, which usually doesn’t happen for me with these books—there’s normally at least one plotline I’m not quite into. The characters here were good as well. I really enjoyed Jaina, Han, and Leia, and the character of Nyax who first appears here was very interesting also. I loved the ending as well, which was very big, cinematic, and exciting. And of course, seeing more of the Yuuzhan Vong was interesting as always.
Not many big negatives here. I did think the Nyax stuff was perhaps a bit hard for me to swallow at first, in terms of how he was portrayed, but it was interesting.
Overall this was a really great one and an excellent duology!
Rating: 9/10
One thing I really liked in this book, and the one preceding it, is that everyone had interesting things to do. I loved the plotline of Luke, Mara, and others infiltrating the Vong-controlled Coruscant and discovering some really intriguing stuff happening. I loved Han and Leia going off to different planets and engaging in some political diplomacy. I loved the plotline on Borleias and the New Republic fighting off the Vong there. Basically, every side of the plot was interesting and engaging, which usually doesn’t happen for me with these books—there’s normally at least one plotline I’m not quite into. The characters here were good as well. I really enjoyed Jaina, Han, and Leia, and the character of Nyax who first appears here was very interesting also. I loved the ending as well, which was very big, cinematic, and exciting. And of course, seeing more of the Yuuzhan Vong was interesting as always.
Not many big negatives here. I did think the Nyax stuff was perhaps a bit hard for me to swallow at first, in terms of how he was portrayed, but it was interesting.
Overall this was a really great one and an excellent duology!
Rating: 9/10
May 19, 2022
Getting back into the old Star Wars Expanded Universe (EU) about 10 years after it got wiped out by Disney is a wonderful experience. Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand confirmed my earlier feeling that the old EU was of higher quality than the new canon. It is a lot more fun, more genuine, more quirky and is a quite a pleasant reading experience. The book is by no stretch of the imagination a masterpiece, it's just a guilty pleasure that is a must read for any fan of the charm of Star Wars that is gone nowadays.
November 1, 2023
Very good! I listened to the abridged version and I think they did a very good job with the important plot points. I know the book version had much more about Han and Leia trying to establish resistance bases and cells as well as having problems with one particular world. However, I get the feeling that it was more filler with that storyline. Han and Leia were in neither of these two audiobooks. While I'm glad that they omitted that storyline, I would have appreciated it if the audiobook made a mention or two about where they were so I'm not left wondering.
December 3, 2024
It's an...ok conclusion, but it doesn't feel as driven and exciting as book one. I just wish it had maintained the momentum, but in the end it feels like a Star Trek TNG two parter: it doesn't quite live up to the opening act.
April 13, 2022
The next novel in the New Jedi Order has been completed! And although this one took longer than I thought it would, most of that is due to life getting in the way. Because once again, Aaron Allston delivered a fun, exciting entry into this very long series.
was absolutely fantastic (in fact, I just went back to edit that review and rounded it up to a 5 stars). It was really fast paced with excellent action sequences, amazing dialogue, an impressive understanding of the characters, and a plot that continued the story of the New Jedi Order in a compelling, exciting way.
"Rebel Stand" may not quite be on the level of "Rebel Dream", but I still had a pretty good time with it, and it still ranks as one of the better novels in the NJO book series.
THE STORY: This novel continues right where the previous one left off. Now that Luke, Mara, and Tahiri have arrived on Coruscant, they begin their mission to search for survivors and build them up so they can fight back against the Vong. Their search doesn't take long, as they find a group of beleaguered Coruscanti citizens. However, these survivors are dealing with a boogeyman known as Lord Nyax- and Luke's team moves to hunt down this figure and put a stop to his villainy for the benefit of what they hope will become a full-fledged Coruscanti resistance. Han and Leia go on a planet hopping mission in an effort to set up other rebel cells, getting involved in political intrigue and other hijinks. Jaina Solo stays on Borleias to battle Czulkang Lah's Vong Fleet, participating in the continued defense of the planet.
THE BAD: There isn't much in terms of actual flaws in this novel, but it doesn't reach the highs of the first book or even something like or . Perhaps I was just riding high from Rebel Dream, but "Rebel Stand" didn't have quite the same level of 'oomph'. Don't get me wrong, I didn't dislike reading this novel, but it just felt like the first Enemy Lines novel accomplished so much more than this one did. I also understand that there's still seven more books to go in the NJO, but by the end, even though I enjoyed it, I wish more story or character development was accomplished- especially given that Rebel Stand is 60 pages longer than its predecessor and doesn't have the benefit of a relentlessly quick pace.
I think this one didn't feel quite as epic or worthwhile because there wasn't as much character development payoff as I thought there should have been. For example, Jaina Solo. After the major strides "Rebel Dream" made in getting me on board with Jaina, "Rebel Stand" fell a bit short in my opinion. I also thought progress stalled with Mara Jade. The previous book explored Mara's difficulty balancing her role as a mother with her duties as a jedi and as a front line fighter against the Vong. I didn't think this novel did much if anything to build on that. I also am still missing that scene where Han reconciles with and/or gets closer with Jaina following the events of and "Dark Journey". However, this clearly wasn't a priority, and between the current point in the story not having a place for it (Jaina is focused on her Trickster Goddess thing afterall), Han off on a different mission and not being in the same place, or it being saved for a future book, I wasn't bothered by it in this novel specifically. It's more of a recurring problem I've had with this point of the series overall.
Finally, Lord Nyax was a bit on the silly side. While it's nice to take a break from just battling Yuuzhan Vong over and over and indulge in a more traditional Star Wars setup, I think Nyax went a bit too far into over-the-top territory.
THE GOOD: While this book didn't quite live up to "Rebel Dream", "Rebel Stand" is still one of the better books in the series up to this point.
I still love Aaron Allston's writing, and much of what I loved about it in "Rebel Dream" is still completely intact here. He still has a really strong understanding of the characters and where they are at this point in the NJO series. The dialogue (especially the humor) and action sequences are both still fantastic and help to carry this novel. I still had fun following Jaina/Jag/Kyp, Luke/Mara/Tahiri, Han/Leia, and the other characters. For the most part, I wasn't bored reading this book. If anything, I just had difficulty accepting that the novel was just above average and not the near-perfection of "Rebel Dream".
In addition, I do appreciate that this book felt like a direct sequel to "Rebel Dream", making the Enemy Lines Duology far more cohesive and complete compared to the previous three NJO duologies. "Rebel Stand" stuck with the approach of being a fun ensemble adventure focused on our core characters, and avoided the pitfalls of the "Dark Tide", , and duologies before it (for each of these duologies, it told one type of story in book 1 only to jarringly shift into another type of story in book 2).
When it comes to the main characters, the standouts were Han and Leia. I really liked seeing them grow closer by symbolically adopting one another's most iconic character traits. We see Leia act a bit like Han Solo as she carries out her political maneuvering and brings planets into the fold of the newly formed resistance movement. Han, by contrast, keeps Leia from being too impulsive and jeopardizing both their personal safety and the mission. It's a perfect balance though- it never feels like they completely switch characterizations.
I also like what Allston does with some of the side characters. The pairing of Tam and Tarc was incredibly wholesome and sweet. I really enjoyed seeing Tam find peace and Tarc find belonging after the tragic situations forced upon them by the Yuuzhan Vong.
Speaking of the Vong (or more accurately, the villains' side)... their characters may very well be the highlights of this book. Czulkang Lah was really cool, I liked Harrar's moments toward the end, and I liked seeing the throughline with Tsavong and Nen Yim. However, the biggest standout (and the biggest surprise of the entire book), was Viqi Shesh. Allston did an outstanding job elevating this character from a boring and stereotypical evil greedy politician who left me groaning whenever I had to read a passage focused on her. Across the Enemy Lines Duology, however, I was not expecting to be engaged as I was in her storyline exploring what happens when a mole from the other side has outlived her usefulness. I found the direction Allston takes with this story much more satisfying than I expected too.
Finally, I really liked the exploration of occupied Coruscant. Allston does a really good job describing and walking us through this post-apocalyptic city landscape as we discover what the Yuuzhan Vong did to the planet alongside Luke, Mara, Tahiri, and the rest of their team.
THE CONCLUSION: Final Rating is 4 stars.
Is it as good as ? No. Is it still one of the better entries in the NJO? Absolutely.
Until I encounter a better novel in the series, the Enemy Lines Duology remains as the height of the New Jedi Order. These two novels collectively turned me into an immediate fan of Aaron Allston as a Star Wars author. It's a shame that it took me this long to discover his greatness, because now I have to live with the fact that he has passed away and I won't get to experience anymore new Star Wars books from him. Oh well, I will definitely look forward to going back and discover the rest of his SW novels from the Old EU days.
I think I figured it out: Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand is the book that I thought "Rebel Dream" would be, but then "Rebel Dream" Turned out even better than I could have imagined. Then I went into "Rebel Stand" with heightened expectations and rather than an amazing book I got merely a very good one. And that's perfectly fine. It was still an above-average novel, especially for the New Jedi Order. It was still a lot of fun, I still enjoyed the characters, I still laughed at the humorous moments, and I still was excited by the action.
Here's to hoping that the next novel in the New Jedi Order will be goo... wait a second... the next novel is ??? Ok then, I have a good feeling about this!
was absolutely fantastic (in fact, I just went back to edit that review and rounded it up to a 5 stars). It was really fast paced with excellent action sequences, amazing dialogue, an impressive understanding of the characters, and a plot that continued the story of the New Jedi Order in a compelling, exciting way.
"Rebel Stand" may not quite be on the level of "Rebel Dream", but I still had a pretty good time with it, and it still ranks as one of the better novels in the NJO book series.
THE STORY: This novel continues right where the previous one left off. Now that Luke, Mara, and Tahiri have arrived on Coruscant, they begin their mission to search for survivors and build them up so they can fight back against the Vong. Their search doesn't take long, as they find a group of beleaguered Coruscanti citizens. However, these survivors are dealing with a boogeyman known as Lord Nyax- and Luke's team moves to hunt down this figure and put a stop to his villainy for the benefit of what they hope will become a full-fledged Coruscanti resistance. Han and Leia go on a planet hopping mission in an effort to set up other rebel cells, getting involved in political intrigue and other hijinks. Jaina Solo stays on Borleias to battle Czulkang Lah's Vong Fleet, participating in the continued defense of the planet.
THE BAD: There isn't much in terms of actual flaws in this novel, but it doesn't reach the highs of the first book or even something like or . Perhaps I was just riding high from Rebel Dream, but "Rebel Stand" didn't have quite the same level of 'oomph'. Don't get me wrong, I didn't dislike reading this novel, but it just felt like the first Enemy Lines novel accomplished so much more than this one did. I also understand that there's still seven more books to go in the NJO, but by the end, even though I enjoyed it, I wish more story or character development was accomplished- especially given that Rebel Stand is 60 pages longer than its predecessor and doesn't have the benefit of a relentlessly quick pace.
I think this one didn't feel quite as epic or worthwhile because there wasn't as much character development payoff as I thought there should have been. For example, Jaina Solo. After the major strides "Rebel Dream" made in getting me on board with Jaina, "Rebel Stand" fell a bit short in my opinion. I also thought progress stalled with Mara Jade. The previous book explored Mara's difficulty balancing her role as a mother with her duties as a jedi and as a front line fighter against the Vong. I didn't think this novel did much if anything to build on that. I also am still missing that scene where Han reconciles with and/or gets closer with Jaina following the events of and "Dark Journey". However, this clearly wasn't a priority, and between the current point in the story not having a place for it (Jaina is focused on her Trickster Goddess thing afterall), Han off on a different mission and not being in the same place, or it being saved for a future book, I wasn't bothered by it in this novel specifically. It's more of a recurring problem I've had with this point of the series overall.
Finally, Lord Nyax was a bit on the silly side. While it's nice to take a break from just battling Yuuzhan Vong over and over and indulge in a more traditional Star Wars setup, I think Nyax went a bit too far into over-the-top territory.
THE GOOD: While this book didn't quite live up to "Rebel Dream", "Rebel Stand" is still one of the better books in the series up to this point.
I still love Aaron Allston's writing, and much of what I loved about it in "Rebel Dream" is still completely intact here. He still has a really strong understanding of the characters and where they are at this point in the NJO series. The dialogue (especially the humor) and action sequences are both still fantastic and help to carry this novel. I still had fun following Jaina/Jag/Kyp, Luke/Mara/Tahiri, Han/Leia, and the other characters. For the most part, I wasn't bored reading this book. If anything, I just had difficulty accepting that the novel was just above average and not the near-perfection of "Rebel Dream".
In addition, I do appreciate that this book felt like a direct sequel to "Rebel Dream", making the Enemy Lines Duology far more cohesive and complete compared to the previous three NJO duologies. "Rebel Stand" stuck with the approach of being a fun ensemble adventure focused on our core characters, and avoided the pitfalls of the "Dark Tide", , and duologies before it (for each of these duologies, it told one type of story in book 1 only to jarringly shift into another type of story in book 2).
When it comes to the main characters, the standouts were Han and Leia. I really liked seeing them grow closer by symbolically adopting one another's most iconic character traits. We see Leia act a bit like Han Solo as she carries out her political maneuvering and brings planets into the fold of the newly formed resistance movement. Han, by contrast, keeps Leia from being too impulsive and jeopardizing both their personal safety and the mission. It's a perfect balance though- it never feels like they completely switch characterizations.
I also like what Allston does with some of the side characters. The pairing of Tam and Tarc was incredibly wholesome and sweet. I really enjoyed seeing Tam find peace and Tarc find belonging after the tragic situations forced upon them by the Yuuzhan Vong.
Speaking of the Vong (or more accurately, the villains' side)... their characters may very well be the highlights of this book. Czulkang Lah was really cool, I liked Harrar's moments toward the end, and I liked seeing the throughline with Tsavong and Nen Yim. However, the biggest standout (and the biggest surprise of the entire book), was Viqi Shesh. Allston did an outstanding job elevating this character from a boring and stereotypical evil greedy politician who left me groaning whenever I had to read a passage focused on her. Across the Enemy Lines Duology, however, I was not expecting to be engaged as I was in her storyline exploring what happens when a mole from the other side has outlived her usefulness. I found the direction Allston takes with this story much more satisfying than I expected too.
Finally, I really liked the exploration of occupied Coruscant. Allston does a really good job describing and walking us through this post-apocalyptic city landscape as we discover what the Yuuzhan Vong did to the planet alongside Luke, Mara, Tahiri, and the rest of their team.
THE CONCLUSION: Final Rating is 4 stars.
Is it as good as ? No. Is it still one of the better entries in the NJO? Absolutely.
Until I encounter a better novel in the series, the Enemy Lines Duology remains as the height of the New Jedi Order. These two novels collectively turned me into an immediate fan of Aaron Allston as a Star Wars author. It's a shame that it took me this long to discover his greatness, because now I have to live with the fact that he has passed away and I won't get to experience anymore new Star Wars books from him. Oh well, I will definitely look forward to going back and discover the rest of his SW novels from the Old EU days.
I think I figured it out: Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand is the book that I thought "Rebel Dream" would be, but then "Rebel Dream" Turned out even better than I could have imagined. Then I went into "Rebel Stand" with heightened expectations and rather than an amazing book I got merely a very good one. And that's perfectly fine. It was still an above-average novel, especially for the New Jedi Order. It was still a lot of fun, I still enjoyed the characters, I still laughed at the humorous moments, and I still was excited by the action.
Here's to hoping that the next novel in the New Jedi Order will be goo... wait a second... the next novel is ??? Ok then, I have a good feeling about this!
December 26, 2022
“Luke, I don't want to discourage your curiosity, but I have to remind you, if something goes wrong, this is an exceptionally embarrassing way to die."
The curse is broken! It has finally happened! Aaron Allston's Enemy Lines II: Rebel Dream, the second half of the New Jedi Order's last duology, manages to both meet the standards of its predecessor and, dare I say, even succeed in my estimation - the NJO's duology model pays off greatly in its last iteration. While Rebel Dream's inherently jolly, triumphant tone is no longer as present here, this novel nevertheless delivers a greatly jubilant experience which satisfyingly concludes the Enemy Lines duology without ever quite falling into the same traps as its peers.
Coruscant
Of all the subplots which were built up in the previous novel, Luke's mission to Coruscant is the one I was most looking forward to with Rebel Stand, and, thankfully, the build-up was more than worth it. To sum up, Luke Skywalker, Mara Jade, Tahiri Veila, as well as a select few scientists and Wraith Squadron members are smuggled into Coruscant to make contact with its remaining population and establish an underground which could eventually help with retaking the New Republic's fallen capital. Allow me to start by talking a bit about Coruscant itself. Introduced in the Thrawn trilogy and later brought to the big screen with The Phantom Menace, Coruscant has been the "main player" of the EU's settings since pretty much day one. One giant cityscape, only interrupted by the Manarai Mountains and a couple of artificial resort areas, it has fascinated me since I first started delving into the Expanded Universe. The idea of a planet made up of so many buildings, so dystopian in a sense that buildings were ultimately stacked on top of one another to make room for more expansion - leading to the lower areas becoming abandoned and housing... biological anomalies - is simply one of the most interesting parts of the old EU to me. To see all of this worldbuilding come to a close in Star by Star was saddening, but it nevertheless gave way to a lot of narrative potential: how would the Yuuzhan Vong deal with this artificial hellscape, fittingly both their enemies' capital and perhaps the most offensive place in the galaxy for them? The answer is just as ingenious as it is horrifying; that is all I will say about it for now. As for the "strike team", they have great chemistry and interactions together. Allston's Luke is just such a jolly person, laughing at the face of danger and yet never feeling out of character. Mara, Tahiri, and Danni Quee are similarly great, though Danni still only exists to... do stuff in the plot, without ever developing further as a character. What a shame. Special mention has got to go to Face and Kell, who are just as gloriously funny here as they were in the Wraith trilogy.
As the team dives deeper into the city, making contact with local resistance cells, they hear legends of a nightmarish figure living on the planet, a figure bearing resemblance to a bogeyman from Corellian children's stories, referred to as... Lord Nyax. Oh boy. Spoiler warning from here.
Nyax is not the only antagonistic force present on Coruscant. Viqi Shesh, former NR senator and current traitor extraordinaire, has been ordered to accompany a group of Yuuzhan Vong and voxyn to Coruscant with the goal of dealing with reported jedi activity. Viqi has long been one of my favorite characters in this series, and Rebel Stand is her best appearance for sure. Now that she has managed to bluff her way out of capital punishment, only for that very bluff to turn out to have been true in a hilarious turn of events, she once more has to cling to her life, positioned between the NR and Nyax threat on the one side, and the Vong on the other. You reap what you sow, and being an infidel traitor doesn't leave you with a lot of options. One of Viqi's most enduring traits is that very ambition to stay alive, and it shines more in this novel than anywhere else. She works with the Vong, leaves the Vong, tries to reason with her fellow humans, is disgusted by the alien invaders' impulse to murder people, though only because they could still be useful to her, desperately tries to run from Nyax and other savages in the lower parts of Coruscant. Her storyline here is a constant fight for life, zigzagging between elation and depression by the minute, and it is exhilarating to read.
Aphran System, Aphran IV
Han and Leia have a plotline in this novel too, one that brings some appreciated levity. It doesn't really accomplish much - the two travel to a planet, successfully influence its politics to adapt an anti-YV stance, travel to a different planet, get arrested, and flee - but it makes up for that with its fun character interactions. I don't think Hand and Leia will ever truly get over the Myrkr mission, but they have nevertheless managed to get it out of their system to where they can appreciate life again. And appreciate life they do; I think the banter between the two in the entire NJO, but especially here dare I say makes them a better pairing than Han and Chewie ever were. The real highlight are surprisingly Threepio and Artoo, though. Whereas Threepio has been mainly concerned with questions regarding sentience, emotion, and the futility of life in the face of the Vong's anti-technology bias and the events surrounding his "family", Artoo didn't get any focus so far. So it makes me glad that Allston allows him to stage a truly awesome prison escape in which he uses a reluctant Threepio as a courier, disguises a blaster and lightsaber as food, hacks into the entire facility, and single-handedly frees and flies the Falcon. I fear that neither of the two will get a lot more to do in the NJO, sadly, but I'm glad that Allston gave us at least this little bit of content.
Borleias
Now for Enemy Lines' main plotline, the defense of Borleias. This plotline's breakout star has got to be Tam Elgrin. Previously introduced as a holocam operator turned Yuuzhan Vong spy, Tam managed to resist his Vong programming and is currently residing in the Borleias biotics facility again. Facing feelings of guilt and purposelessness after the events of the last novel, he nevertheless tries his best to do something productive and have at least some positive effect on the people around him. As I already mentioned in my Emissary of the Void review, I really like it when the NJO shows us different perspectives on the now and then, and the story of this awkward man trying to right his own wrong is exactly that. He's joined by Tarc, the kid introduced in Star by Star as an Anakin Solo lookalike, who is similarly directionless and is ultimately given stuff to do by Tam and his superior. A solid conclusion to this character, too. The Jaina/Kyp/Jag trio doesn't do quite as much here as they did in the previous two books, but their contributions are welcomed still. Kyp seems to accept Jaina and Jag as a pair and thankfully move on from trying to be Jaina's master or even more; they're simply partners now. I really do hope that Kyp continues to get better from here, but with him you never know. Lastly for the smaller details, Wes Janson is back!!! Yes, the Rogue turned Wraith turned Rogue again turned Taanab Yellow Aces leader makes a cameo appearance here and, of course, steals the show. Rebel Stand is worth it for these scenes alone. I just wonder what Hobbie is up to... Anyways, in the main plot, Wedge Antilles and Czulkang Lah are continuing their battle of wits. The New Republic's best strategist facing up against what is ostensibly the Vong's best strategist makes for great reading, and it really is the constantly built-up trickery that turns the battle.
To put it simply, Rebel Stand is a victory. It might not be quite as focused or "feel-good" as its predecessor, but it still features top of the line characterization, plotting, writing, comedy.. the whole package. Oh, to think that we were at our heroes' lowest point only three books ago. I suppose there's always a light at the end of the tunnel; I just hope that Jacen Solo sees things the same way. Enter the New Jedi Order's thirteenth part, Traitor by Matthew Stover. Sounds like a momentous occasion, that novel, huh?
The curse is broken! It has finally happened! Aaron Allston's Enemy Lines II: Rebel Dream, the second half of the New Jedi Order's last duology, manages to both meet the standards of its predecessor and, dare I say, even succeed in my estimation - the NJO's duology model pays off greatly in its last iteration. While Rebel Dream's inherently jolly, triumphant tone is no longer as present here, this novel nevertheless delivers a greatly jubilant experience which satisfyingly concludes the Enemy Lines duology without ever quite falling into the same traps as its peers.
Coruscant
Of all the subplots which were built up in the previous novel, Luke's mission to Coruscant is the one I was most looking forward to with Rebel Stand, and, thankfully, the build-up was more than worth it. To sum up, Luke Skywalker, Mara Jade, Tahiri Veila, as well as a select few scientists and Wraith Squadron members are smuggled into Coruscant to make contact with its remaining population and establish an underground which could eventually help with retaking the New Republic's fallen capital. Allow me to start by talking a bit about Coruscant itself. Introduced in the Thrawn trilogy and later brought to the big screen with The Phantom Menace, Coruscant has been the "main player" of the EU's settings since pretty much day one. One giant cityscape, only interrupted by the Manarai Mountains and a couple of artificial resort areas, it has fascinated me since I first started delving into the Expanded Universe. The idea of a planet made up of so many buildings, so dystopian in a sense that buildings were ultimately stacked on top of one another to make room for more expansion - leading to the lower areas becoming abandoned and housing... biological anomalies - is simply one of the most interesting parts of the old EU to me. To see all of this worldbuilding come to a close in Star by Star was saddening, but it nevertheless gave way to a lot of narrative potential: how would the Yuuzhan Vong deal with this artificial hellscape, fittingly both their enemies' capital and perhaps the most offensive place in the galaxy for them? The answer is just as ingenious as it is horrifying; that is all I will say about it for now. As for the "strike team", they have great chemistry and interactions together. Allston's Luke is just such a jolly person, laughing at the face of danger and yet never feeling out of character. Mara, Tahiri, and Danni Quee are similarly great, though Danni still only exists to... do stuff in the plot, without ever developing further as a character. What a shame. Special mention has got to go to Face and Kell, who are just as gloriously funny here as they were in the Wraith trilogy.
As the team dives deeper into the city, making contact with local resistance cells, they hear legends of a nightmarish figure living on the planet, a figure bearing resemblance to a bogeyman from Corellian children's stories, referred to as... Lord Nyax. Oh boy. Spoiler warning from here.
Nyax is not the only antagonistic force present on Coruscant. Viqi Shesh, former NR senator and current traitor extraordinaire, has been ordered to accompany a group of Yuuzhan Vong and voxyn to Coruscant with the goal of dealing with reported jedi activity. Viqi has long been one of my favorite characters in this series, and Rebel Stand is her best appearance for sure. Now that she has managed to bluff her way out of capital punishment, only for that very bluff to turn out to have been true in a hilarious turn of events, she once more has to cling to her life, positioned between the NR and Nyax threat on the one side, and the Vong on the other. You reap what you sow, and being an infidel traitor doesn't leave you with a lot of options. One of Viqi's most enduring traits is that very ambition to stay alive, and it shines more in this novel than anywhere else. She works with the Vong, leaves the Vong, tries to reason with her fellow humans, is disgusted by the alien invaders' impulse to murder people, though only because they could still be useful to her, desperately tries to run from Nyax and other savages in the lower parts of Coruscant. Her storyline here is a constant fight for life, zigzagging between elation and depression by the minute, and it is exhilarating to read.
Aphran System, Aphran IV
Han and Leia have a plotline in this novel too, one that brings some appreciated levity. It doesn't really accomplish much - the two travel to a planet, successfully influence its politics to adapt an anti-YV stance, travel to a different planet, get arrested, and flee - but it makes up for that with its fun character interactions. I don't think Hand and Leia will ever truly get over the Myrkr mission, but they have nevertheless managed to get it out of their system to where they can appreciate life again. And appreciate life they do; I think the banter between the two in the entire NJO, but especially here dare I say makes them a better pairing than Han and Chewie ever were. The real highlight are surprisingly Threepio and Artoo, though. Whereas Threepio has been mainly concerned with questions regarding sentience, emotion, and the futility of life in the face of the Vong's anti-technology bias and the events surrounding his "family", Artoo didn't get any focus so far. So it makes me glad that Allston allows him to stage a truly awesome prison escape in which he uses a reluctant Threepio as a courier, disguises a blaster and lightsaber as food, hacks into the entire facility, and single-handedly frees and flies the Falcon. I fear that neither of the two will get a lot more to do in the NJO, sadly, but I'm glad that Allston gave us at least this little bit of content.
Borleias
Now for Enemy Lines' main plotline, the defense of Borleias. This plotline's breakout star has got to be Tam Elgrin. Previously introduced as a holocam operator turned Yuuzhan Vong spy, Tam managed to resist his Vong programming and is currently residing in the Borleias biotics facility again. Facing feelings of guilt and purposelessness after the events of the last novel, he nevertheless tries his best to do something productive and have at least some positive effect on the people around him. As I already mentioned in my Emissary of the Void review, I really like it when the NJO shows us different perspectives on the now and then, and the story of this awkward man trying to right his own wrong is exactly that. He's joined by Tarc, the kid introduced in Star by Star as an Anakin Solo lookalike, who is similarly directionless and is ultimately given stuff to do by Tam and his superior. A solid conclusion to this character, too. The Jaina/Kyp/Jag trio doesn't do quite as much here as they did in the previous two books, but their contributions are welcomed still. Kyp seems to accept Jaina and Jag as a pair and thankfully move on from trying to be Jaina's master or even more; they're simply partners now. I really do hope that Kyp continues to get better from here, but with him you never know. Lastly for the smaller details, Wes Janson is back!!! Yes, the Rogue turned Wraith turned Rogue again turned Taanab Yellow Aces leader makes a cameo appearance here and, of course, steals the show. Rebel Stand is worth it for these scenes alone. I just wonder what Hobbie is up to... Anyways, in the main plot, Wedge Antilles and Czulkang Lah are continuing their battle of wits. The New Republic's best strategist facing up against what is ostensibly the Vong's best strategist makes for great reading, and it really is the constantly built-up trickery that turns the battle.
To put it simply, Rebel Stand is a victory. It might not be quite as focused or "feel-good" as its predecessor, but it still features top of the line characterization, plotting, writing, comedy.. the whole package. Oh, to think that we were at our heroes' lowest point only three books ago. I suppose there's always a light at the end of the tunnel; I just hope that Jacen Solo sees things the same way. Enter the New Jedi Order's thirteenth part, Traitor by Matthew Stover. Sounds like a momentous occasion, that novel, huh?
August 30, 2011
This second book in the Enemy Lines mini-arc was better than the first. It had more action, was more straightforward than its predecessor, and was even funny at times. Without trying to spoil the ending, I really enjoyed the final sequence when the Yuuzhan Vong make their last ditch effort to take Borleias, and Wedge Antilles and his small but determined band of soldiers & pilots fight back. I also started to really get a sense for Warmasters Tzulkang Lah and his son, Tsavong Lah. Both could be considered great leaders for their determination and desire to win, but the whole diabolically evil trait, Tsavong in particular, they display makes them both perfect foils for our heroes.
Now, where I think this whole novel goes wrong is the Lord Nyax story. It is just that, a story; a short story surrounded by the bits and pieces of a good tale from the Yuuhan Vong Invasion. It begins and ends within the 300+ pages of this book, and seemingly has nothing to do with the Yuuzhan Vong or their attempt to eradicate the "infidels" of this galaxy. I guess Aaron Allston, the author, needed to give Luke Skywalker something to do while the rest of the crew fought the Vong. Even Han & Leia's subplot line flls a bit flat, but it is at least loosely tied to the fight against the extraordinary foe they are facing. Another case of a good Star Wars novel being divided into a two book mini-series that drags on a bit too long.
Now, where I think this whole novel goes wrong is the Lord Nyax story. It is just that, a story; a short story surrounded by the bits and pieces of a good tale from the Yuuhan Vong Invasion. It begins and ends within the 300+ pages of this book, and seemingly has nothing to do with the Yuuzhan Vong or their attempt to eradicate the "infidels" of this galaxy. I guess Aaron Allston, the author, needed to give Luke Skywalker something to do while the rest of the crew fought the Vong. Even Han & Leia's subplot line flls a bit flat, but it is at least loosely tied to the fight against the extraordinary foe they are facing. Another case of a good Star Wars novel being divided into a two book mini-series that drags on a bit too long.
October 10, 2016
My actual rating is 2.5 stars.
This is the second book of a duology and part of a bigger series. The previous books must be read before this one. In this one, our heroes are in place to strike back at the Vong. Up to this point the Vong has been winning the war and hopefully this is where the tide turns.
I love how the author handles the characters and their dialogue. He includes our beloved characters from the movies and he also utilizes characters from other novels. I had no problem picturing any of the characters as he remains true to their character. And he provides some laugh out moments with their actions and their dialogue. Who doesn't want to read a scene where R2 is flying the Millennium Falcon and relishing in it. The problem with this book is the story. Luke and others are on Coruscant and something is terrorizing the inhabitants. Why am I reading about something that has nothing to do with the war and I am twelve books into the series? This is the definition of filler. We didn't get to the war story into the final act.
There has to be strong characters for a book to succeed. This book accomplishes that aspect. My problem is the placement in the timeline. I liked the story but this would have been better served if this was a stand alone novel outside "The New Jedi Order" series.
This is the second book of a duology and part of a bigger series. The previous books must be read before this one. In this one, our heroes are in place to strike back at the Vong. Up to this point the Vong has been winning the war and hopefully this is where the tide turns.
I love how the author handles the characters and their dialogue. He includes our beloved characters from the movies and he also utilizes characters from other novels. I had no problem picturing any of the characters as he remains true to their character. And he provides some laugh out moments with their actions and their dialogue. Who doesn't want to read a scene where R2 is flying the Millennium Falcon and relishing in it. The problem with this book is the story. Luke and others are on Coruscant and something is terrorizing the inhabitants. Why am I reading about something that has nothing to do with the war and I am twelve books into the series? This is the definition of filler. We didn't get to the war story into the final act.
There has to be strong characters for a book to succeed. This book accomplishes that aspect. My problem is the placement in the timeline. I liked the story but this would have been better served if this was a stand alone novel outside "The New Jedi Order" series.
October 11, 2023
Primeira Leitura: 2011
Releitura: 2023
Aaron Allston did it again!
Ainda assim, essa releitura me decepcionou um pouco. O livro continua incrível mas não conseguiria favoritar hoje em dia.
As batalhas são de tirar o fôlego e o desenvolvimento Jaina-Jag-Kyp é maravilhoso. Adorei a conversa entre os três. Todo o rolê quase romântico entre Jaina e Kyp ainda me deixa desconfortável mas a discussão envolvendo a relação complicada é super interessante.
A parte mais chatinha do livro foi todo o lance com o Nyax. Luke, Mara e Tahiri explorando uma Coruscant sendo transformada pelos Yuuzhan Vong e o "grande vilão" é um ser super aleatório que parece completamente deslocado da situação.
Czulkang Lah como antagonista é maravilhoso mas é bom demais ver os planos da Nova República dando certo.
Releitura: 2023
Aaron Allston did it again!
Ainda assim, essa releitura me decepcionou um pouco. O livro continua incrível mas não conseguiria favoritar hoje em dia.
As batalhas são de tirar o fôlego e o desenvolvimento Jaina-Jag-Kyp é maravilhoso. Adorei a conversa entre os três. Todo o rolê quase romântico entre Jaina e Kyp ainda me deixa desconfortável mas a discussão envolvendo a relação complicada é super interessante.
A parte mais chatinha do livro foi todo o lance com o Nyax. Luke, Mara e Tahiri explorando uma Coruscant sendo transformada pelos Yuuzhan Vong e o "grande vilão" é um ser super aleatório que parece completamente deslocado da situação.
Czulkang Lah como antagonista é maravilhoso mas é bom demais ver os planos da Nova República dando certo.
March 6, 2019
So good. And what a finale.
August 14, 2023
(NOTE: At the time of reading, this was the sixteenth "STAR WARS Legends" book I had read that takes place post-Return of the Jedi, with the others being the "Heir to the Empire" trilogy, "Darksaber" and the eleven books that introduce the Yuuzhan Vong, "The New Jedi Order". This review will only focus on this book; should I complete the series, the final review of the overarching series will be found in the nineteenth book.)
"The clock is ticking on Borleias.
As Han and Leia set out on missions to find allies to aid them against the Yuuzhan Vong invaders, Luke Skywalker and his small strike team continue to search for the powerful source of the dark side evil on the transforming Coruscant.
Unfortunately for the old heroes of the Rebellion, their tasks are not so easy. The Yuuzhan Vong are not the only enemies that threaten the heroes' plans, and even if they do, the threat of evil among the heroes still remains..."
The duology of "ENEMY LINES" comes to an end.
Though I did not favor this book as much as its first installment, I still liked it enough as a duology.
-----SPOILERS-----
(NOTE: I finished this book in April of 2023; at the time I am writing this review, it is July 26, 2023, and I had just finished "The Legacy of the Force" series on July 23.)
So, when it comes to duologies in the "New Jedi Order", the ones I had read up to this point in the series were "DARK TIDE", "AGENTS OF CHAOS", and "EDGE OF VICTORY". The first and the last were enjoyable for me, while I was mostly indifferent about the second, but I do remember not being too excited when I learned I had ANOTHER duology to go through.
Obviously, to those who saw my review for part one, "Rebel Dream", you can easily imagine how eager I was to finish this one.
So, after a couple of flip throughs and some brief reviews of my notes, I am finally ready to give a review.
A small thing I noticed was that Luke and his strike team know about "Domain Kraal" armor. I bring this up because though the narrator is in a third-person perspective, third person perspectives tend to echo more of the thoughts of the people that are being centered on. So, the idea that Luke and his team could tell "Domain Kraal" armor by that particular name rather than simple "Vong armor" gave me the impression that Luke and co knew about all the different domains.
However, in hindsight, I should recall that Tahiri was basically trained in the ways of the Vong, so if anybody could tell one armor from another, it should be her, so really this isn't that big of an issue.
I think the name "Reckless Abandon" is an ironic name for Jaina's call-sign. Maybe it's just me, but it seemed to be a jab at Jaina for her reckless attacks during the ending of "Dark Journey"...
- Tam, the cameraman who refused to obey Order 6� er, the Yuuzhan Vong implants is still alive. Not gonna lie, I expected him to be dead. Not because he's annoying or anything...it just seemed unlikely.
- The dialogue that opens page 25 (and others that follow) had me thrown for a loop; I could not decide if the words were italicized because it was a flashback or a vision, or the present time. Fortunately, things are made clear as the book progresses.
- The hunt for the source of evil leads the strike team to some kind of sentient red goo that can only be calmed in the Force, though it takes concentration to tell it not to eat people.
After turning a large wheel within the goo to gain access to an elevator Luke almost gets out to rejoin his strike team, only to be stopped by his wife, who has to point out the goo had eaten the clothes he was wearing...and I do mean ALL of them. It just felt....kinda dumb. Like, c'mon, I get a new secret elevator appeared, but Luke can't be THAT oblivious, right?
But, don't worry guys, Mara is here to help Luke think.
So they get on the elevator and wouldn't you know it, despite all the efforts to get this elevator working, and despite the fact it was going to explode in a short amount of time unless it was given the proper code, Mara just happens to remember a code she barely used as an Emperor's Hand, and that happens to be the code to stop the countdown?
Tank goodnass MaRa'S heeeehrrr!
(Ok, in all seriousness, Mara's character prior to these sequences is fine AND it's refreshing to not see her fretting over her son so much...it just was something I noticed.)
- As it turns out, the dark side source on Coruscant is emanating from a man who has been called "Lord Nyax". His short encounters with Luke had me feeling like he was something that was so different than the typical Sith VS Jedi. The fact he was called "Nyax" by locals was so interesting. He was pretty powerful though.
However, any mysticism about this character that just seems like a freak amalgamation of circumstances was lost to me when I learned :
1) Nyax was actually a man named Irek who had gone insane.
2) Irek had met Leia before (rumor has it it was in "Courtship of Princess Leia"? Research later.)
3) Irek was a potential son of Emperor Palaptine
4) Nyax had lightsabers on his wrists (I thought Assassin's Creed style, so I was like "Okay."), elbows ("Where?"),
and knees ("What??")
5) he died from a lightsaber wound to the skull, lost his literal brain activity...and survived because of an armored cybernetic suit and reprogramming.
- The goal of the villain is to harness the power of the Force Nexus under the Jedi Temple. He accesses it. And an insane amount of Force shenanigans happens.
Part of it involves chopping up Nyax so that as he loses body parts, he can lose his connection to the Force (personally, I was just thinking of the Black Knight from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" but with lightsabers).
Tahiri's involvement in this fight was cool, but kind of short lived.
I dunno, the portrayal of events and how much stuff was thrown around (basically the Jedi Temple was destroyed...again) made this plot, which has stakes because the Force is at risk of being disturbed, kind of meh. Fun action sequences, but it reminded me of "The Force Unleashed" in terms of power levels.
- Wraith Squadron was a good part of the Coruscant narrative.
- Viqi Sesh...since her introduction in "DARK TIDE", she has been an interesting villain. She helps Tsavong Lah discover a shaper conspiracy that had been tricking Lah into believing he was going against the will of his gods,
Alas, later, caught between the Yuuzhan Vong and the strike team of Rebels on Coruscant (and fearing for her life because of Mara's anger at her for the attempted kidnapping of Ben Skywalker in "STAR BY STAR"), Viqi's part in the story comes to an end in this book.
She deserts the Vong and attempts to escape her Vong captivity in a ship that some citizens never used to escape during the Vong attack on Coruscant, but in the end, while slowly fixing the ship, she gets recaptured by the Vong and the ship is stolen by the escaping strike team.
The leader of the Vong party sent to deal with the infiltrating rebels is mortally wounded, and before he dies, he attempts to kill Viqi.
Rather than let her death be controlled by enemy hands, Viqi throws herself out of a window. I hated her, but dangit, I also hated to see her go so soon in the series.
- The events of Borleias are just as enjoyable to read in regards to Wedge and his stand against the Vong. I loved his "leaked" plans, I loved the misdirection, the logic....so good.
Jaina is back at her goddess games, but her moments with Jag and Kyp were also pretty awkward....
There were also moments with Tam and Tarc, but meh, it was fine just not what I was interested in.
I almost forgot: despite being on the cover of the book, I barely remember what Han and Leia did specifically in this book.
They were contacting Rebel cells to help disaude planets from joining the Vong. They get arrested (by loyalists to the Peace Brigade), R2-D2 saves the day, and they keep going.
Honestly, the prison break sequence was funny at times. However, NO SHOT that Threepio would be able to identify weapons as food and get away with it without his protocols interfering! XD
OVERALL though, I will give it a 8/10;
despite some of the things I didn't like, the overall impact of this story and the overarching series just feels important enough to be considered as important to read, especially with the blows to Tsavong Lah.
MY NOTES:
- How did they know "Domain Kraal"? (pg 6)
- Reckless Abandon (Jaina's ship)
- Tam's alive (pg 24)
- The vision? (pg 25)
- Lord Nyax (pg 39)
- Ryuk (pg 60)
- blinking lights, mechanical toys (pg 65)
- Leia installed a music module (CA:TWS) (pg 68)
- Tam & Tarc (pg 74)
- Red goo eats Luke's clothes. (pg 105-107)
- Mara says code she barely used (pg 110)
- Tam finds panel (pg 166)
- Foods = Items (pg 186) ...no shot
- Leia has met Nyax (pg 238; potential son of the Emperor)
- Irek died; lightsaber to the skull, despite loss of brain activity, but survived (pg 240)
- Nyax has wrist, elbow, and knee lightsabers??
- loss of body functions disrupts the Force? (pg 292)
- Viqi commits suicide...
"The clock is ticking on Borleias.
As Han and Leia set out on missions to find allies to aid them against the Yuuzhan Vong invaders, Luke Skywalker and his small strike team continue to search for the powerful source of the dark side evil on the transforming Coruscant.
Unfortunately for the old heroes of the Rebellion, their tasks are not so easy. The Yuuzhan Vong are not the only enemies that threaten the heroes' plans, and even if they do, the threat of evil among the heroes still remains..."
The duology of "ENEMY LINES" comes to an end.
Though I did not favor this book as much as its first installment, I still liked it enough as a duology.
-----SPOILERS-----
(NOTE: I finished this book in April of 2023; at the time I am writing this review, it is July 26, 2023, and I had just finished "The Legacy of the Force" series on July 23.)
So, when it comes to duologies in the "New Jedi Order", the ones I had read up to this point in the series were "DARK TIDE", "AGENTS OF CHAOS", and "EDGE OF VICTORY". The first and the last were enjoyable for me, while I was mostly indifferent about the second, but I do remember not being too excited when I learned I had ANOTHER duology to go through.
Obviously, to those who saw my review for part one, "Rebel Dream", you can easily imagine how eager I was to finish this one.
So, after a couple of flip throughs and some brief reviews of my notes, I am finally ready to give a review.
A small thing I noticed was that Luke and his strike team know about "Domain Kraal" armor. I bring this up because though the narrator is in a third-person perspective, third person perspectives tend to echo more of the thoughts of the people that are being centered on. So, the idea that Luke and his team could tell "Domain Kraal" armor by that particular name rather than simple "Vong armor" gave me the impression that Luke and co knew about all the different domains.
However, in hindsight, I should recall that Tahiri was basically trained in the ways of the Vong, so if anybody could tell one armor from another, it should be her, so really this isn't that big of an issue.
I think the name "Reckless Abandon" is an ironic name for Jaina's call-sign. Maybe it's just me, but it seemed to be a jab at Jaina for her reckless attacks during the ending of "Dark Journey"...
- Tam, the cameraman who refused to obey Order 6� er, the Yuuzhan Vong implants is still alive. Not gonna lie, I expected him to be dead. Not because he's annoying or anything...it just seemed unlikely.
- The dialogue that opens page 25 (and others that follow) had me thrown for a loop; I could not decide if the words were italicized because it was a flashback or a vision, or the present time. Fortunately, things are made clear as the book progresses.
- The hunt for the source of evil leads the strike team to some kind of sentient red goo that can only be calmed in the Force, though it takes concentration to tell it not to eat people.
After turning a large wheel within the goo to gain access to an elevator Luke almost gets out to rejoin his strike team, only to be stopped by his wife, who has to point out the goo had eaten the clothes he was wearing...and I do mean ALL of them. It just felt....kinda dumb. Like, c'mon, I get a new secret elevator appeared, but Luke can't be THAT oblivious, right?
But, don't worry guys, Mara is here to help Luke think.
So they get on the elevator and wouldn't you know it, despite all the efforts to get this elevator working, and despite the fact it was going to explode in a short amount of time unless it was given the proper code, Mara just happens to remember a code she barely used as an Emperor's Hand, and that happens to be the code to stop the countdown?
Tank goodnass MaRa'S heeeehrrr!
(Ok, in all seriousness, Mara's character prior to these sequences is fine AND it's refreshing to not see her fretting over her son so much...it just was something I noticed.)
- As it turns out, the dark side source on Coruscant is emanating from a man who has been called "Lord Nyax". His short encounters with Luke had me feeling like he was something that was so different than the typical Sith VS Jedi. The fact he was called "Nyax" by locals was so interesting. He was pretty powerful though.
However, any mysticism about this character that just seems like a freak amalgamation of circumstances was lost to me when I learned :
1) Nyax was actually a man named Irek who had gone insane.
2) Irek had met Leia before (rumor has it it was in "Courtship of Princess Leia"? Research later.)
3) Irek was a potential son of Emperor Palaptine
4) Nyax had lightsabers on his wrists (I thought Assassin's Creed style, so I was like "Okay."), elbows ("Where?"),
and knees ("What??")
5) he died from a lightsaber wound to the skull, lost his literal brain activity...and survived because of an armored cybernetic suit and reprogramming.
- The goal of the villain is to harness the power of the Force Nexus under the Jedi Temple. He accesses it. And an insane amount of Force shenanigans happens.
Part of it involves chopping up Nyax so that as he loses body parts, he can lose his connection to the Force (personally, I was just thinking of the Black Knight from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" but with lightsabers).
Tahiri's involvement in this fight was cool, but kind of short lived.
I dunno, the portrayal of events and how much stuff was thrown around (basically the Jedi Temple was destroyed...again) made this plot, which has stakes because the Force is at risk of being disturbed, kind of meh. Fun action sequences, but it reminded me of "The Force Unleashed" in terms of power levels.
- Wraith Squadron was a good part of the Coruscant narrative.
- Viqi Sesh...since her introduction in "DARK TIDE", she has been an interesting villain. She helps Tsavong Lah discover a shaper conspiracy that had been tricking Lah into believing he was going against the will of his gods,
Alas, later, caught between the Yuuzhan Vong and the strike team of Rebels on Coruscant (and fearing for her life because of Mara's anger at her for the attempted kidnapping of Ben Skywalker in "STAR BY STAR"), Viqi's part in the story comes to an end in this book.
She deserts the Vong and attempts to escape her Vong captivity in a ship that some citizens never used to escape during the Vong attack on Coruscant, but in the end, while slowly fixing the ship, she gets recaptured by the Vong and the ship is stolen by the escaping strike team.
The leader of the Vong party sent to deal with the infiltrating rebels is mortally wounded, and before he dies, he attempts to kill Viqi.
Rather than let her death be controlled by enemy hands, Viqi throws herself out of a window. I hated her, but dangit, I also hated to see her go so soon in the series.
- The events of Borleias are just as enjoyable to read in regards to Wedge and his stand against the Vong. I loved his "leaked" plans, I loved the misdirection, the logic....so good.
Jaina is back at her goddess games, but her moments with Jag and Kyp were also pretty awkward....
There were also moments with Tam and Tarc, but meh, it was fine just not what I was interested in.
I almost forgot: despite being on the cover of the book, I barely remember what Han and Leia did specifically in this book.
They were contacting Rebel cells to help disaude planets from joining the Vong. They get arrested (by loyalists to the Peace Brigade), R2-D2 saves the day, and they keep going.
Honestly, the prison break sequence was funny at times. However, NO SHOT that Threepio would be able to identify weapons as food and get away with it without his protocols interfering! XD
OVERALL though, I will give it a 8/10;
despite some of the things I didn't like, the overall impact of this story and the overarching series just feels important enough to be considered as important to read, especially with the blows to Tsavong Lah.
MY NOTES:
- How did they know "Domain Kraal"? (pg 6)
- Reckless Abandon (Jaina's ship)
- Tam's alive (pg 24)
- The vision? (pg 25)
- Lord Nyax (pg 39)
- Ryuk (pg 60)
- blinking lights, mechanical toys (pg 65)
- Leia installed a music module (CA:TWS) (pg 68)
- Tam & Tarc (pg 74)
- Red goo eats Luke's clothes. (pg 105-107)
- Mara says code she barely used (pg 110)
- Tam finds panel (pg 166)
- Foods = Items (pg 186) ...no shot
- Leia has met Nyax (pg 238; potential son of the Emperor)
- Irek died; lightsaber to the skull, despite loss of brain activity, but survived (pg 240)
- Nyax has wrist, elbow, and knee lightsabers??
- loss of body functions disrupts the Force? (pg 292)
- Viqi commits suicide...
February 11, 2024
The second book of the Enemy Lines duology certainly has a different focus than that of the first. We shift to enemy-held Coruscant and follow Luke and his assembled team to find the source of his dark vision.
It was interesting to see the effects the Fall of Coruscant had on the general populace. Resorting to barbarism and cannibalism seems the likely response to the onslaught of a conquering species that hates you. The stuff with Lord Nyax was cool, and a neat little tie to Children of the Jedi. He was downright creepy at times, though ultimately he was no more than an unchained animal for Luke, Mara and the others to bring down. We don't really see his fate, but I believe he was really his own worst enemy. Tahiri got some cool scenes. She's not quite over Anakin's death, but she's not exactly reacting the same way Jaina was in Dark Journey. She accepts her losses and embraces her experiences as the hands of the Yuuzhan Vong and utilizes them against Nyax.
It was interesting to see that there are still some voxyn left, but they are rapidly failing in health. And oh, how the mighty have fallen, Senator Shesh. Betraying your government sure seems to be paying off, huh? I just can't feel bad for the woman, considering all she's responsible for. Though, the Wraiths were a bit cruel with the letter they left her. I did like, though, that she felt she was the only one who could kill her. Haughty to the bitter end, and saves the Jedi and Wraith strike team from deciding what to do with her.
Though this is a good continuation of Rebel Dream, the plots seem to be a little all over the place and unrelated to each other. Just saying, it could have flowed better. I did like that Tam Elgrin was recognized for his bravery in overcoming his strenuous situation. It would have been poor characterization for him to revert to a hopeless slave in this book, so I was pleased when he ended up proving himself against the other Vong saboteur. Once Luke and co. return to Borleias the final battle there is conveniently ready to begin. That said, Operation Emperor's Spear was really awesome. Coupled with the fact that Wedge's pipefighter plan fooled and distracted Czulkang Lah so thoroughly, and you have one awesome curbstomp battle. And what a way for the Lusankya to go out. She's had a long history, and went out in a fiery blaze of glory, delivering a devastating blow to the Vong war force. Though Tsavong Lah has dealt with the treachery behind his botched implant (in quite an awesome way, too, with rancors!) he sees the defeat of both the fleet at Borleias and the death of his father as a sign that the gods may not actually favor him.
Rancors aside, Wedge actually had the best moments of this book. It shows how good a commanding officer is when he makes sure he's the last person to evacuate, either that or he's just plain stubborn. Knowing Wedge, it's a little of both. Then he does the impossible and manages to hold his own against the enemy fighters for quite a while in a badly damaged X-Wing that doesn't even have an R2 companion. His exchange with Gavin when the latter arrives to save his ass is quite hilarious. Jaina also had some good moments, mostly by utilizing new techniques to confuse the enemies. Assigning her call sign to a missile for the Vong to chase is nothing short of brilliant, especially since it works. Han and Leia's plot was pretty good here. The prison break sequence was cool, even though the droids can't fly the Falcon if their lives depended on it.
I give Rebel Stand 4/5 stars for an interesting look at Coruscant under the control of the Vong, as well as an awesome conclusion to the Borleias arc.
It was interesting to see the effects the Fall of Coruscant had on the general populace. Resorting to barbarism and cannibalism seems the likely response to the onslaught of a conquering species that hates you. The stuff with Lord Nyax was cool, and a neat little tie to Children of the Jedi. He was downright creepy at times, though ultimately he was no more than an unchained animal for Luke, Mara and the others to bring down. We don't really see his fate, but I believe he was really his own worst enemy. Tahiri got some cool scenes. She's not quite over Anakin's death, but she's not exactly reacting the same way Jaina was in Dark Journey. She accepts her losses and embraces her experiences as the hands of the Yuuzhan Vong and utilizes them against Nyax.
It was interesting to see that there are still some voxyn left, but they are rapidly failing in health. And oh, how the mighty have fallen, Senator Shesh. Betraying your government sure seems to be paying off, huh? I just can't feel bad for the woman, considering all she's responsible for. Though, the Wraiths were a bit cruel with the letter they left her. I did like, though, that she felt she was the only one who could kill her. Haughty to the bitter end, and saves the Jedi and Wraith strike team from deciding what to do with her.
Though this is a good continuation of Rebel Dream, the plots seem to be a little all over the place and unrelated to each other. Just saying, it could have flowed better. I did like that Tam Elgrin was recognized for his bravery in overcoming his strenuous situation. It would have been poor characterization for him to revert to a hopeless slave in this book, so I was pleased when he ended up proving himself against the other Vong saboteur. Once Luke and co. return to Borleias the final battle there is conveniently ready to begin. That said, Operation Emperor's Spear was really awesome. Coupled with the fact that Wedge's pipefighter plan fooled and distracted Czulkang Lah so thoroughly, and you have one awesome curbstomp battle. And what a way for the Lusankya to go out. She's had a long history, and went out in a fiery blaze of glory, delivering a devastating blow to the Vong war force. Though Tsavong Lah has dealt with the treachery behind his botched implant (in quite an awesome way, too, with rancors!) he sees the defeat of both the fleet at Borleias and the death of his father as a sign that the gods may not actually favor him.
Rancors aside, Wedge actually had the best moments of this book. It shows how good a commanding officer is when he makes sure he's the last person to evacuate, either that or he's just plain stubborn. Knowing Wedge, it's a little of both. Then he does the impossible and manages to hold his own against the enemy fighters for quite a while in a badly damaged X-Wing that doesn't even have an R2 companion. His exchange with Gavin when the latter arrives to save his ass is quite hilarious. Jaina also had some good moments, mostly by utilizing new techniques to confuse the enemies. Assigning her call sign to a missile for the Vong to chase is nothing short of brilliant, especially since it works. Han and Leia's plot was pretty good here. The prison break sequence was cool, even though the droids can't fly the Falcon if their lives depended on it.
I give Rebel Stand 4/5 stars for an interesting look at Coruscant under the control of the Vong, as well as an awesome conclusion to the Borleias arc.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2021
Rebel Stand concludes the action-packed duology Enemy Lines within the New Jedi Order series in an exciting and mostly suspenseful way. While I enjoyed this duology, for me it nevertheless is among the weaker stories of the series, especially compared to the installments directly preceding it. Personally, the problem I have with these two books is that they are so filled with action scenes that they lack in other respects. There is hardly any room for the characters to have any meaningful interactions that go beyond instructions on a battlefield.
Out of the two books I liked Rebel Stand Better. It started off great and for the first half or so I was sure I would end up giving it at least a four-star rating.
Here, a small group of characters, led by Luke, returns to Coruscant. The galaxy’s former capital has been ravaged by its invaders and we are presented with a fascinating account of the rather inhospitable environment the planet, formerly bustling with life, has become.
To make things even more interesting Allston throws in a mysterious dark presence in the Force. Slowly more and more details about the individual emanating the dark energy are revealed and I personally loved how Lord Nyax ties in with the wider context of the EU. Unfortunately, with the revelation of Nyax� identity the suspension evaporates and what follows is one action scene after the other. Each of those is thrilling, some are a bit gory, but the outcome is always quite predictable and there are no more true surprises making the conclusion of this plot line a little underwhelming.
The same is true for the situation on Broleais, which is also wrapped up in this novel. There is an air of impending doom around all action taken by the forces left on this ill-fated outpost. For the bigger portion of the novel it is unclear what exactly the remaining forces� objective is making it easy to stay invested in the story. Eventually, however, the plan is revealed and from that point onward all that is left is one giant, seemingly endless, space battle. While there is nothing wrong with a well-written space battle, this one just feels excessively long to the point that it drags.
On a positive note, this novel also includes some light banter between Han and Leia, which is something we have been deprived of for a while (for good reason). While this is always appreciated on my part, I cannot help but feel that lightening up the mood is their sole purpose in this novel as I cannot seem to recall what exactly they contributed to either of the two lines of action.
Overall, Rebel Stand is a solid Star Wars novel, which lacks a little in comparison to the other installments of the New Jedi Order series. It neatly wraps up the courses of action set up in Rebel Dream and is definitely not one to skip.
Out of the two books I liked Rebel Stand Better. It started off great and for the first half or so I was sure I would end up giving it at least a four-star rating.
Here, a small group of characters, led by Luke, returns to Coruscant. The galaxy’s former capital has been ravaged by its invaders and we are presented with a fascinating account of the rather inhospitable environment the planet, formerly bustling with life, has become.
To make things even more interesting Allston throws in a mysterious dark presence in the Force. Slowly more and more details about the individual emanating the dark energy are revealed and I personally loved how Lord Nyax ties in with the wider context of the EU. Unfortunately, with the revelation of Nyax� identity the suspension evaporates and what follows is one action scene after the other. Each of those is thrilling, some are a bit gory, but the outcome is always quite predictable and there are no more true surprises making the conclusion of this plot line a little underwhelming.
The same is true for the situation on Broleais, which is also wrapped up in this novel. There is an air of impending doom around all action taken by the forces left on this ill-fated outpost. For the bigger portion of the novel it is unclear what exactly the remaining forces� objective is making it easy to stay invested in the story. Eventually, however, the plan is revealed and from that point onward all that is left is one giant, seemingly endless, space battle. While there is nothing wrong with a well-written space battle, this one just feels excessively long to the point that it drags.
On a positive note, this novel also includes some light banter between Han and Leia, which is something we have been deprived of for a while (for good reason). While this is always appreciated on my part, I cannot help but feel that lightening up the mood is their sole purpose in this novel as I cannot seem to recall what exactly they contributed to either of the two lines of action.
Overall, Rebel Stand is a solid Star Wars novel, which lacks a little in comparison to the other installments of the New Jedi Order series. It neatly wraps up the courses of action set up in Rebel Dream and is definitely not one to skip.
December 24, 2024
7/10
This book is tough to talk about on its own, since it really just serves as the second half of the previous enemy lines book. To be honest, it might function better if it was just added onto the previous one. About as enjoyable as the last one I’d say.
The biggest strength of this book was the Coruscant plot. A post apocalyptic horror story with Jedi, weird force powers, and a likeable cast of characters? Yes please! The setting of ruined Coruscant is so cool, and makes for some really unique set pieces and story beats. Lord Nyax in particular stood out as a very unique addition to the NJO, but I do wish he ended up being a bit more of a threat. The battle was hard, yeah, but his death was honestly pretty quick considering how great his build up was. The scene where he’s smiling at Luke from a distant window? So good.
Viqi Sesh finally became an interesting antagonist in this book, unfortunately right at the end of her story (spoilers). Her motivations and mentality are much clearer here, and to see her struggle to survive amongst the Yuuzhan Vong and Lord Nyax was pretty cathartic considering how little punishment she had received in the series so far. I thought her death was very in character as well.
Han and Leia’s stuff was pretty good, if rather unimportant in the grand scheme of things. The prison break was a highlight, and a great callback to a New Hope. I also liked their resolution with Tarc and Tam, characters who I was pleasantly surprised to see get a happy ending.
My main issue with this book is that the final battle at Borleias drags on a bit too long for my liking. I like the Emperors Spear plan (inspiration for the Last Jedi??) but the build up took too long. And, while better explained here, I still feel like project starlancer was a bit of a let down. I get it’s supposed to be a fake, but why not make it work? It seemed like the lambert crystal not working as a super laser was an intentional design choice, but I don’t understand why. Wedge’s last stand was cool, but again, should’ve really ended after he rescued the freighter.
This duology was a fun and unique addition to the NJO. While the earlier books tended to feel formulaic towards the end of the first half of the series, I feel like these books actually tried to do something different (Nyax, the Resistance, Wedge/Borleias). I hope the next books continue this trend, because I like that this story felt distinct from the others, whereas now I couldn’t tell you if some plot points were part of agents of chaos or Dark Tide.
So the next book is a very hyped up entry. Some say it’s not only the best NJO book, but the best Star Wars book period. I may take a break and read something else beforehand, but I am very anxious to move on to Traitor by Matthew Stover (my goat).
This book is tough to talk about on its own, since it really just serves as the second half of the previous enemy lines book. To be honest, it might function better if it was just added onto the previous one. About as enjoyable as the last one I’d say.
The biggest strength of this book was the Coruscant plot. A post apocalyptic horror story with Jedi, weird force powers, and a likeable cast of characters? Yes please! The setting of ruined Coruscant is so cool, and makes for some really unique set pieces and story beats. Lord Nyax in particular stood out as a very unique addition to the NJO, but I do wish he ended up being a bit more of a threat. The battle was hard, yeah, but his death was honestly pretty quick considering how great his build up was. The scene where he’s smiling at Luke from a distant window? So good.
Viqi Sesh finally became an interesting antagonist in this book, unfortunately right at the end of her story (spoilers). Her motivations and mentality are much clearer here, and to see her struggle to survive amongst the Yuuzhan Vong and Lord Nyax was pretty cathartic considering how little punishment she had received in the series so far. I thought her death was very in character as well.
Han and Leia’s stuff was pretty good, if rather unimportant in the grand scheme of things. The prison break was a highlight, and a great callback to a New Hope. I also liked their resolution with Tarc and Tam, characters who I was pleasantly surprised to see get a happy ending.
My main issue with this book is that the final battle at Borleias drags on a bit too long for my liking. I like the Emperors Spear plan (inspiration for the Last Jedi??) but the build up took too long. And, while better explained here, I still feel like project starlancer was a bit of a let down. I get it’s supposed to be a fake, but why not make it work? It seemed like the lambert crystal not working as a super laser was an intentional design choice, but I don’t understand why. Wedge’s last stand was cool, but again, should’ve really ended after he rescued the freighter.
This duology was a fun and unique addition to the NJO. While the earlier books tended to feel formulaic towards the end of the first half of the series, I feel like these books actually tried to do something different (Nyax, the Resistance, Wedge/Borleias). I hope the next books continue this trend, because I like that this story felt distinct from the others, whereas now I couldn’t tell you if some plot points were part of agents of chaos or Dark Tide.
So the next book is a very hyped up entry. Some say it’s not only the best NJO book, but the best Star Wars book period. I may take a break and read something else beforehand, but I am very anxious to move on to Traitor by Matthew Stover (my goat).
March 25, 2018
Here's another time when I wish ŷ allowed half-star ratings. Because three stars is probably too good for this book, but two stars seems a little harsh. Nonetheless, I know this book is not as good as the previous entry, Rebel Dream so I'm sticking with two stars.
For those who have been playing along at home, you may recall that Luke, Mara and Tahiri Veila, along with members of Wraith Squadron have gone on a covert mission to the Yuuzhan Vong controlled Coruscant. Meanwhile, Han and Leia are traveling from planet to planet, setting up cells for their new resistance movement. And back on Borleias, Wedge Antilles attempts to hold the planet as long as he can and make the recapture of it as costly as possible.
Of these three major threads, the storyline with Han and Leia offers the most entertainment. The combination of Leia's knowledge of politics and Han's smuggler ethos combine to make them a potent team. The battle for Borleias isn't bad either, as it plays to Allston's strengths as a writer of action sci-fi. The final offensive surprise that Wedge springs on the Yuuzhan Vong is vintage Allston, a clever trick that surprises the reader and makes our heroes seem almost superhuman in their chicanery.
Unfortunately, the strike team plot thread doesn't work as well as the others. Luke's team finds that there is something wandering through the lower levels of Coruscant that frightens even the Yuuzhan Vong. And whatever it is, it has a powerful aura in the Force. When I finally got to the big reveal of what and who that was, I found myself not caring very much. I didn't understand the stakes and the monster (for lack of a better word) felt like a level boss in a video game and nothing more. The creature doesn't feel like an integral part of the larger New Jedi Order plot. We'll see if that actually proves true. At this point, I've already read the next book in the series and I know that this plot piece receives only the briefest of mentions.
This is another episodic installment of the series that is probably only for completists.
For those who have been playing along at home, you may recall that Luke, Mara and Tahiri Veila, along with members of Wraith Squadron have gone on a covert mission to the Yuuzhan Vong controlled Coruscant. Meanwhile, Han and Leia are traveling from planet to planet, setting up cells for their new resistance movement. And back on Borleias, Wedge Antilles attempts to hold the planet as long as he can and make the recapture of it as costly as possible.
Of these three major threads, the storyline with Han and Leia offers the most entertainment. The combination of Leia's knowledge of politics and Han's smuggler ethos combine to make them a potent team. The battle for Borleias isn't bad either, as it plays to Allston's strengths as a writer of action sci-fi. The final offensive surprise that Wedge springs on the Yuuzhan Vong is vintage Allston, a clever trick that surprises the reader and makes our heroes seem almost superhuman in their chicanery.
Unfortunately, the strike team plot thread doesn't work as well as the others. Luke's team finds that there is something wandering through the lower levels of Coruscant that frightens even the Yuuzhan Vong. And whatever it is, it has a powerful aura in the Force. When I finally got to the big reveal of what and who that was, I found myself not caring very much. I didn't understand the stakes and the monster (for lack of a better word) felt like a level boss in a video game and nothing more. The creature doesn't feel like an integral part of the larger New Jedi Order plot. We'll see if that actually proves true. At this point, I've already read the next book in the series and I know that this plot piece receives only the briefest of mentions.
This is another episodic installment of the series that is probably only for completists.
March 15, 2021
Bloated yet entertaining due to Allston's experience and competency, Rebel Stand concludes an arc that distinguishes a major turn of hope for the good guys. Nevertheless I can't help but feel simultaneously awestruck, fascinated, and...disappointed by the Coruscant sequences, which are still arguably the most interesting bits of the book.
The heroes working their way through a leveled, alien Coruscant is extremely unique and likely something we'll never see again but having the dark side entity, Lord Nyax, turn out to be as vastly overpowered, incredibly ridiculous as he was is just as jump-the-shark as Kyp's blackhole maneuver. Having the good guys be hunted by a primeval dark force through the wastes of Coruscant yields such potential yet it boiled down to an edge-lord with lightsabers for knees/elbows/wrists. Lord Nyax and the surrounding elements are essentially a hollow rehash of Adam from Buffy the Vampire Slayer's fourth season. The duel on top of the Jedi Temple was extraordinary and another unique facet to the Coruscant experience here. It's nice to see legends finally marrying with the prequels in more concrete ways as the publication dates match up with the movie release dates. Glad to see Viqi Shesh finally meet her end, too.
The final escape from Borleias is extremely exciting and reminiscent of all heroic retreats in the saga - Hoth, D'Qar, etc. Interesting how well the Starlancer project has aged given that it and Starkiller Base essentially use technology relative to each other. However the escapades of Han and Leia seem completely unnecessary and feel more of an obligation to see what our other heroes are up to; their part could've been summed up in mere paragraphs instead of wasting valuable book chapters. Three cheers for the word anus being used for the first time in my memory in a Star Wars book. 3 1/2 organic building modules of 5.
The heroes working their way through a leveled, alien Coruscant is extremely unique and likely something we'll never see again but having the dark side entity, Lord Nyax, turn out to be as vastly overpowered, incredibly ridiculous as he was is just as jump-the-shark as Kyp's blackhole maneuver. Having the good guys be hunted by a primeval dark force through the wastes of Coruscant yields such potential yet it boiled down to an edge-lord with lightsabers for knees/elbows/wrists. Lord Nyax and the surrounding elements are essentially a hollow rehash of Adam from Buffy the Vampire Slayer's fourth season. The duel on top of the Jedi Temple was extraordinary and another unique facet to the Coruscant experience here. It's nice to see legends finally marrying with the prequels in more concrete ways as the publication dates match up with the movie release dates. Glad to see Viqi Shesh finally meet her end, too.
The final escape from Borleias is extremely exciting and reminiscent of all heroic retreats in the saga - Hoth, D'Qar, etc. Interesting how well the Starlancer project has aged given that it and Starkiller Base essentially use technology relative to each other. However the escapades of Han and Leia seem completely unnecessary and feel more of an obligation to see what our other heroes are up to; their part could've been summed up in mere paragraphs instead of wasting valuable book chapters. Three cheers for the word anus being used for the first time in my memory in a Star Wars book. 3 1/2 organic building modules of 5.
June 27, 2020
This is the weakest of Aaron Allston's Star Wars novels so far, but that criticism isn't as harsh as it sounds since he's still one of the best of all the Star Wars authors. There are three main concurrent storylines going on: the defense of Borleias, Han and Leia's mission to set up rebel cells, and Luke's mission to Coruscant.
The fighting at Borleias is by far the best of these plotlines, as we get to see a fair amount of military genius and trickery at work, plus some of the most humorous moments in the book.
Han and Leia's mission is probably important in the grand scheme of things, and moderately entertaining, but for the moment it felt like a mostly inconsequential side-quest. Like it was more of an excuse to let Han revert to his true scoundrel style for a time.
As for Luke and Mara's mission to Coruscant, this is where Allston kind of drops the ball. It started out interesting enough, but the reveal we get from this plotline was less interesting and less important than expected. The villain here turned out to be a rather uninteresting character who didn't need to exist at all. In fact, other than getting info of exactly how bad things are for the survivors on Coruscant, the entire quest yielded nothing of value. Ultimately a waste of pages. I did enjoy getting to see Kell back in action though. If you don't know who I'm talking about, go and read the Wraith Squadron books already! They're fantastic!
If you're reading The New Jedi Order series, then I still recommend reading this one. It's one of the more entertaining and satisfying books in this 19-volume saga, just not quite as good as I expect from Aaron Allston.
The fighting at Borleias is by far the best of these plotlines, as we get to see a fair amount of military genius and trickery at work, plus some of the most humorous moments in the book.
Han and Leia's mission is probably important in the grand scheme of things, and moderately entertaining, but for the moment it felt like a mostly inconsequential side-quest. Like it was more of an excuse to let Han revert to his true scoundrel style for a time.
As for Luke and Mara's mission to Coruscant, this is where Allston kind of drops the ball. It started out interesting enough, but the reveal we get from this plotline was less interesting and less important than expected. The villain here turned out to be a rather uninteresting character who didn't need to exist at all. In fact, other than getting info of exactly how bad things are for the survivors on Coruscant, the entire quest yielded nothing of value. Ultimately a waste of pages. I did enjoy getting to see Kell back in action though. If you don't know who I'm talking about, go and read the Wraith Squadron books already! They're fantastic!
If you're reading The New Jedi Order series, then I still recommend reading this one. It's one of the more entertaining and satisfying books in this 19-volume saga, just not quite as good as I expect from Aaron Allston.
September 8, 2020
I had a hard time making it through this one. I don't know if I'm getting worn out by the series or not, but I feel like the Vong technology-analog is getting thin. It seems like they keep making it make less sense. It also doesn't help that in this book there are several parts where Mr Allston breaks his own logic. For instance: towards the end of the book you have one Vong pilot complain they don't have voice comms in their starfighters, then, in the next chapter you have a lead Vong starfighter warn off the rest of his squadron to have a one-on-one dogfight with Wedge... Which is it? Another one: they supposedly determine ships by gravitic signature. I guess that's possible to some degree, but it'd be easy to manipulate. Switch ships, boom, different signature. Change load outs, boom, different signature. The gravitic signature is entirely dependent on the masses of the signature ship, the reading ship, and the distance between, so it'd vary based on distance, and would fluctuate based on mass. I think it's just becoming evident that they made the Vong a little overpowered, and now they're having to write themselves out of a corner. We're definitely heading towards the end of the series because the wins seem easier and more total. I think I might switch to audiobook for the remainder to get through it quicker...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2025
3.75
This is the 38th book of EU read through, we're sort of getting close to a third of the EU books. The rating is mediocre but let's get one thing straight, there's magic in here. When I read the last 80 pages or so of this book I had the same old feeling I used to have as a kid watching clone wars or the first time I saw revenge of the sith. I've been chasing that feeling every since and Allston gets it done. Fantastic action sequences all around, atmospheric descriptions of environment and snappy and on point dialogue really make this feel like Star Wars. The biggest issue is that the plot and pacing felt very strange in that the plots seemed unrealted to eachother and the cliffhanger of the first book of the duology even if they fit in the greater NJO story. I think this is an artifact of the plubisher having the author break what is really just one story into two books. Considering the plot lines of both books and assuming the Allston would have arranged them in a more balanced and sensible order, we have more peak Star Wars here.
Absolutley looking forward to more!
This is the 38th book of EU read through, we're sort of getting close to a third of the EU books. The rating is mediocre but let's get one thing straight, there's magic in here. When I read the last 80 pages or so of this book I had the same old feeling I used to have as a kid watching clone wars or the first time I saw revenge of the sith. I've been chasing that feeling every since and Allston gets it done. Fantastic action sequences all around, atmospheric descriptions of environment and snappy and on point dialogue really make this feel like Star Wars. The biggest issue is that the plot and pacing felt very strange in that the plots seemed unrealted to eachother and the cliffhanger of the first book of the duology even if they fit in the greater NJO story. I think this is an artifact of the plubisher having the author break what is really just one story into two books. Considering the plot lines of both books and assuming the Allston would have arranged them in a more balanced and sensible order, we have more peak Star Wars here.
Absolutley looking forward to more!
November 26, 2020
I love reading Aaron Alston’s Star Wars books. We always get time with our normal heroes, but he always has someone else in the background that is just or even more important. This book was no different.
They have known that Borelais was gone. They would have to stop defending and make a run for it. But could they make it with a large Yuuzhan Vong fleet in their way. A fleet being managed by an older Vong warrior, something that doesn’t happen often (aging as a warrior). They generally die in battle for the glory of the gods.
However, he is up against a hero of the rebellion, Wedge Antilles. Can Wedge, out maneuver the Vong. This will be a desperate campaign. At least he has the Rogues, Wraiths, Solos and Skywalkers backing him.
The two books in this series were so much fun. Such great characters. Tons of adventure and surprises on every page. I would recommend these books to other fans, but I’m not sure they would easily stand alone since there are overarching stories lines that would be confusing, like Tarc’s.
They have known that Borelais was gone. They would have to stop defending and make a run for it. But could they make it with a large Yuuzhan Vong fleet in their way. A fleet being managed by an older Vong warrior, something that doesn’t happen often (aging as a warrior). They generally die in battle for the glory of the gods.
However, he is up against a hero of the rebellion, Wedge Antilles. Can Wedge, out maneuver the Vong. This will be a desperate campaign. At least he has the Rogues, Wraiths, Solos and Skywalkers backing him.
The two books in this series were so much fun. Such great characters. Tons of adventure and surprises on every page. I would recommend these books to other fans, but I’m not sure they would easily stand alone since there are overarching stories lines that would be confusing, like Tarc’s.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2025
The Enemy Lines duology is one of the better moments of the NJO so far, imo. Finally, the good guys get some victories and a much-needed morale booster. Rebel Stand is a good wrap up of the storylines from Rebel Dream, and is just as action-packed. And finally FINALLY, we get the end of Viq the traitor from Kuat. About damn time.
The only part I didn't like was the Nyax part, mostly cause I didn't retain much from the Children of the Jedi cause of how bad it was. It really didn't interest me all that much, but I'm just glad the entire team got off Coruscant without any unnecessary casualties.
So the rebels are on the run again, but they've gotten a big victory to halt the Vong advance. Viq is dead, a Vong warship and fleet is destroyed, Jaina, Kyp, and Jagged all seem to be on good terms, Han and Leia manage to break free and escape, and the rebels seem to be ready for the next step.
The only part I didn't like was the Nyax part, mostly cause I didn't retain much from the Children of the Jedi cause of how bad it was. It really didn't interest me all that much, but I'm just glad the entire team got off Coruscant without any unnecessary casualties.
So the rebels are on the run again, but they've gotten a big victory to halt the Vong advance. Viq is dead, a Vong warship and fleet is destroyed, Jaina, Kyp, and Jagged all seem to be on good terms, Han and Leia manage to break free and escape, and the rebels seem to be ready for the next step.
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