DARKSABER is one of the few EU books, written at any time (post 1983), that I do like. I don't see it as a retread of the Death Stars, but as an allegory on terrorism (which was very intriguing in 1996, in a pre-9/11 world). The book was basically asking, what if? What if, instead of the cunning and wealthy Empire, the worst threat actually came from the outsiders and the criminal elements not associated with a government? In 1996, the Darksaber malfunctioned, but if Kevin J Anderson (my favorite post 1983 EU writer) had written the book five years later, maybe it would have worked.

I hated it... there were parts I liked, but overall I hated it.....