Hello everyone!

Despite the fact that I've been neglecting my NJO reviews, (I just couldn't find the time to write 19 book reviews...) I thought I could write one for the entire series, now that I'm finished reading it. So, without further ado, here is my New Jedi Order series review!

As a whole, I incredibly enjoyed the series. I do have to admit, I was starting to tire (for lack of a better word) of the single-story pro-ROTJ novels, and I really needed a continuing, long term story to excite me. I have always loved TV shows that have continuing stories (such as BSG, Alias, The 4400), and I think this love definitely translated into my love of SW novels.

I think I loved NJO because it actually did something! Characters grew and changed, some perished, and the galaxy as a whole was redefined. All the characters I had come to love in previous SW novels were forced to band together and really face the problem at hand as a whole. I had found that many of the characters had become stagnant because of so many single stories that allowed no real room for change. The NJO gave the authors great opportunity to move the characters' lives along, and let them grow!

The biggest changes, I thought, were in the Solo children - Jaina, Anakin, and especially Jacen. They started off as teenagers, and they grew throughout the course of the five year Yuuzhan Vong War into strong young men and women. They were forced to grow up far too fast, in my opinion, being thrust into a war in which they had essentially no choice but to fight in.

And of course, Anakin did not make it out of the war alive. This tragedy, along with Jacen's kidnapping (which I'll get to later...) and Jaina's rampage, was for me the pivotal moment for all the characters. At that point they all became (or started to become) the people they were at the end of the war. As much as it kills me to say this, if it weren't for Anakin's death (who was my favourite character next to Mara... *tear*) the NJO would not be the epic that it is.

We lost another beloved character, Chewbacca, very early on in the series, and it pains me to say that I didn't really miss him. After about the end of the Dark Tide: Ruin (book 3), when Chewie's death stopped being mentioned a lot, I didn't really notice that he wasn't there. That's not to say that I didn't think about and remember him at times, but his death didn't really cut me too deep. Anakin's, on the other hand... I was devastated.

Which leads me to the twins, Jacen and Jaina. I found myself liking Jacen so much more than his sister... this might be because of his unwillingness to fight, as I'm very pacifistic, but I honestly can't tell you why I am fonder of him. That aside, I think the other thing that made the NJO what it is (besides poor Ani's death) was Jacen's training by Vergere. Vergere became an instant favourite of mine, despite her original mistreatment (as some would say) of Jacen. She was so interestingly mysterious, and I think she, in a way, bettered Jacen as a person (LOTF notwithstanding...). Some of things that Vergere taught Jacen were amazing (many of which were immortalized in quotes, which I listed in this blog), and I think she had some good intentions and insights into the Force.

[While bracing himself for the arguments for the above paragraph, the brave blogger kyle228 continues typing...]

Now for the Yuuzhan Vong themselves. I think the YV (to which they will be henceforth referred to...) were a fantastic addition to the SW saga, in only because they were a completely different, unknown enemy that made the characters rethink everything. In other words, no more Palpatine clones, Luuke clones, or dark-side users. Their religion really got to me, but in a different way than it did to most of you. I'm an atheist, and my belief that religion causes many issues in the world (not to offend anyone, of course... I'm talking about extremism and whatnot) really rang true with the YV. Also, from a reader's perspective, I think they forced the Jedi and their loose Order to rethink everything they thought they knew of the Force. The YV (especially Onimi) taught the Jedi that the Force is definitely a privilege, and that every privilege can be abused. I think the Jedi's New Order - one that included not only Jedi but non-Force sensitives - was a result of seeing that they truly were lucky to have this gift, but that they had to share it and be open about it in order to stay true to their principles.

One last thing - Zonama Sekot. First off, I think it is completely too far-fetched that Yuuzhan'tar sent a seed through the void and landed in the SW galaxy, and then the YV found their way to the exact same galaxy years and years later. I understand that they were supposed to be drawn to their seed-planet (is that what they referred it to?), but I still found it a bit unbelievable. After I put that aside though, I absolutely LOVED the idea of a living world where everything lived in harmony with everything else. A pacifist's dream come true!

Well, I've taken up enough of your time, so I'll finish off with that. Obviously there is much more that I could say, but if I said everything I could I would go on forever.

Final rating: 95%

The New Jedi Order was the best thing that has happened to SW novels in a long, long time, and I cannot wait to jump into Legacy of the Force (which I'll do after I finish the Dark Nest trilogy, which I'm about 100 pages into now). I can only hope that Legacy will make me just as happy as NJO did.

May the Force be with you, always!
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"'It is almost as though the desirre for war has spread like a plague through the life forms of this galaxy. [...] From what have seen, peace does not seem to be the natural state of universe.'"
- Sekot (Force Heretic III: Reunion)