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Is it me? Am I finally done with Star Wars novels or is this series just plain boring? Yes, so far each of the novels has had its strong moments and Vortex is no exception. Still, its first half was so dull that reading felt like a chore, and I must really credit it to my willpower that I finished.

As was to be expected it quickly turns out that Luke did not truly defeat Abeloth, so it is up to him and Ben to figure out what truly happened to her to find a way to defeat her for real. Initially, the Skywalkers are still on Abeloth’s planet in the Maw keeping up their flimsy alliance with the Sith. After this very lengthy reconnaissance mission concludes with the inevitable Sith betrayal and Abeloth leaving the planet, they end up following her tracks to Pydyr with Vestara in tow. Luke is familiar with this planet as it is where the Fallanassi have taken refuge and, incidentally, its other inhabitants are currently plagued by an elaborate Fallanassi illusion. Abeloth is in need to recover from her previous encounter with Luke and as she appears to have the ability to somehow absorb other beings� strength it makes sense for her to seek out powerful Force users such as the Fallanassi. This is a great opportunity for Luke to run into yet another long-lost love of his, Akanah. Naturally, she, too, eventually turns out to have been possessed by Abeloth and this trope is already getting old (during the “big reveal� I could not help thinking about the iconic “He’s Squidward, you’re Squidward, I’m Squidward� scene from Spongebob Squarepants). The Skywalkers end up in a pretty tough spot and in dire need of some Jedi support, which is taking its sweet time getting to them.
While the Jedi are well aware of the Skywalkers� predicament the unresolved issues they are facing on Coruscant are keeping their ships grounded. The Temple remains under siege and the Jedi Coucil is pressuring standing-in grand Jedi Master Kenth Hamner to finally take action while increasingly growing tired of his leadership style. He has repeatedly acted of his own accord, concealed valuable information from the Council, and not paid any heed to the often very reasonable concerns voiced by his fellows. In the end it is Saba Sebatyne who steps up and implores him to resign. Interestingly, the issue that pushes her over the edge is not any of the pressing concerns that could directly and direly affect the Jedi, i.e. Abeloth or the re-emergence of the Sith. Rather it is Kenth’s reluctance to support the many slave communities across the galaxy that have recently started rebelling against their oppressors. Of course, it is easy to agree with Saba on this matter as from a moral point of view helping free slaves is unquestionably the right thing to do. However, Kenth also has a point in being reluctant to stir the pot any further given how tumultuous the situation and how tense the relationship between the Jedi and the government already is.
I would never have anticipated that Kenth would actually go so far to downright attack Saba with the intention to kill. This goes to show just how far over the edge he has gone and how he has clearly lost track of the core Jedi principles. On top of that he chooses to do so in a very public place in the presence of other Masters, who would certainly side with Saba, making his belief he might actually get rid of Saba seem quite delusional. The ensuing fight between the two Jedi Masters is one of the high points of this novel and it ends in a prolonged, albeit needless cliffhanger. Denning clearly suggests that at least one of the combatants does not survive and then switches to other plot strings for 70+ pages before clearing things up (boo).
With the fight over and Kenth’s interference thwarted the Jedi can finally take off and come to the Skywalkers� rescue. In a relatively suspenseful showdown, the Pydyr subplot is then promptly concluded.
While the main plot is moving forward, Tahiri’s trial also continues throughout Vortex. In principle, I think hers remains an interesting conflict posing the whole question of blame and morals vs. duty etc. (I think I have expanded on this in my last review). However, instead of truly advancing this sub-plot, Denning chooses to mix things up a little by giving Tahiri an additional, allegedly more competent defense lawyer. There is a lot of back and forth with her original lawyer not wanting any support and threatening to resign and a disproportionally large number of pages is dedicated to this strife. This composition choice would not be an issue per se if it weren’t entirely irrelevant in the end. As things turn out, the new lawyer ends up being dismissed, so it was all pointless not particularly interesting filler material. Speaking of inconsequential additions to the plot, apparently there are Sith pirates now. This is mentioned in the very first chapter just to be of zero relevance for the rest of the plot. I don’t know what exactly Denning was trying to achieve in adding pointless new details but it kind of feels like there was a minimum page count that needed to be met.

Taking everything together, Vortex passes for a mediocre Star Wars novel. It has many lengthy chapters and especially the first half or so was tough to get through. Yet, it has a few stand-out scenes and in one or two instances manages to push the plot in unexpected directions. Generally, I think the novel could have easily been shortened by 100+ pages, which might have turned it into a thoroughly enjoyable read. As it stands it is about 50% bland and 50% intriguing. Vortex fits well with the other installments of the series so far, which is � as of yet � is nowhere near as enjoyable as the equally long Legacy of the Force series. Even the nineteen-book New Jedi Order series with its fair share of mediocre duds did not feel so lengthy. Of course, I am committed to finishing the whole series and I am hoping that as it slowly draw to a close, it will actually become gripping.