Title: Medstar I: Battle Surgeons
Author: Michael Reaves
Steve Perry
Pages: 309
Type: War/Medical
Time: 20 BBY

Novel quality
Two entire novels just about a group of battle surgeons? I wasn't sure I was going to like it. How much is there to tell about a such a group? Won't it get boring? Well, I'm glad to say that this novel exceeded my expectations by far. The beginning of the story is rather slow, not because of the writing but because of the getting used to you go through with all the new characters. I think it is a good move to bring in the Jedi Padawan Barriss Offee. If you've read "Approaching Storm" you should be quite familiar with her and she forms sort of a stable basis on which to judge the other characters. Right in the beginning she joins a group of battle surgeons on the planet Drongar. It is a very important planet for the republic since it is the main source of Bota (a rare sort of drug) in the galaxy. This is where the story really takes off. What Mr. Reaves and Mr. Perry have done exceptionally well is create the feeling of a hard-pressed field surgeons unit. The constant flow of wounded has the surgeons working under great stress and we see each of them respond to that in a different manner. Their interaction is also very well written and it adds tons of depth to their characters. In addition we have a Sullustan named Den Dhur, who is a reporter assigned to Drongar. In the beginning he's sort of an outsider, but as soon as they get more familiar Den and the team of surgeons start to develop a kind of friendship. His character is quite enjoyable and he adds to the "small-community" feeling that this novel so exceptionally creates. As in any small community there has to be someone who nobody likes. In this case it is the combat instructor end teras kasi master Phow Ji. He is a ruthless murderer and he is constantly annoying you through the novel. However annoying he may be, it does make the story more interesting. Especially his interaction with Barriss Offee is very enjoyable. To spice things up a little we meet a republic Admiral named Tarnese Bleyd. His motivations aren't what they should be and we soon find out that he is working secretly with the republic representative on the planet, a Hutt(!) called Filba, to move some of the Bota into the hands of the well known criminal organization Black Sun. This story is kind of woven in with the story about the surgeons through Den Dhur. All of this is done quite subtle and it makes the novel a real page-turner. Another great thing is the inclusion of a spy. This spy is working on the republic base and deals with both Black Sun and the Separatists. Although we see relatively little about this character, it soon becomes clear that this spy is manipulating events in order to reach a certain conclusion. A conclusion which will have to become clear in the next Medstar novel. I loved the way the spy is described. We don't get to know who it is, which heightens the tension; and we get a peak inside the mind of a spy, which is quite interesting as well. I could tell you a lot more about the novel, like the different characters in the team of surgeons, but I feel it is better to find it out on your own. This novel is perfect then? Nope. Although the story delivers something completely new to the Star Wars universe, the setting feels a bit uninspired. Yet another planet with a harsh environment, another Hutt criminal and another very important drug or resource. Although the choices are defendable, it would have been nice to see something different for a change. One could argue that this novel is more a war-story than a Star Wars-story, it almost feels like the real world and doesn't give you a nice fantasy world to dive into. The ending also isn't very uplifting. However, I think these points are a matter of taste and not of quality. Overall this novel is just great. Pretty much everything is as it should be and the mildly uninspired setting is forgiven easily. Although it may be a bit "different", I would recommend anyone this novel. Star Wars fan or not. Top class!
Rating: 86/100

Personal tilt
In case you haven't noticed it while reading the above: I absolutely love this novel! The character development is amazing,I really started to care for the "good guys" and I also liked the use of a republic Admiral as a drug trafficking criminal. This throws things around a bit from your normal criminal activity in novels. Phow Ji, the character who's sole purpose seems to be the frustrating of the main characters, is done very well too. I really didn't like him and I hoped Barriss would teach him a lesson. Good writing! The last character that is very interesting is the unknown spy. Mr. Reaves and Mr. Perry create a sense of impending disaster by putting a character like this in the mix and I believe it to be a stroke of brilliance. I also find the re-use of the characters I-Five and Barriss Offee very smart. I-Five was one of the highlights in the "Shadow Hunter" novel for me and his dark-humor really fits into the novel well. Barriss Offee was already an interesting character in"Approaching Storm" and is even more so now. No drawbacks then? No, not for me. I frankly don't care about uninspired settings if the rest of the novel is this good. Actually.. There is one possible drawback: Because I liked this novel so much, It's sequel: "Medstar II: Jedi Healer" will have a hard time to live up to the name. I can only hope it is as good as this one. Read this novel! You'll love it.
Rating: 92/100


Overall rating: 88.4/100

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For an overview of all reviews and a ranking see my book review summary