Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

Here's another time when I wish Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ 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.