Well, I've been done with this book for a little while but just now am getting around to actually writing about it. One more book done in the Clone Wars era, and just a handful left to go through still.

My initial simple thoughts on this book are quite simple really, an enjoyable read that was well written & introduced/explained another planet into the Star Wars universe almost seamlessly. One of my main enjoyments of the Clone War books is the expansion of the story lines for the various Jedi, this time we get more in depth with Kit Fisto. As with each other Clone War novel that includes a new Jedi, another form of Lightsaber mastery is described - Kit of the Form I variety. Reading about the different types of Lightsaber combat makes learning about the various Jedi that much more intriguing to get a feel for what type of person that Jedi is based on their model of combat. ie. Obi-Wan & Form III, Mace & Form VII

When I first started reading this novel it took me a bit to get interested, even with the initial inclusion of the JK Droids & Kit's encounter with one. I gradually read more and became hooked in when the Jedi & their Clone Troopers finally headed out to Ord Cestus to try & resolve the conflict there. The build-up into the story was necessary to help lay the foundation of how events would eventually unfold, but to me it seemed a bit slow and laborish to the reader.

Once the dealings with the X'Ting began with Obi-Wan and Kit with the Clones dealing with the local militia type I became more interested in finishing the book. Seeing Obi-Wan in action in this book in nearly every aspect possible during a war, (negotiations, diplomacy, working outside 'normal channels' , and combat) helped to entrench the ideas that Obi-Wan is/was in fact one of the most well-rounded Jedi that could handle any situation he was thrown into.

Perhaps other than the slow intro of the book, the one thing that bothered me the most was the story line with the Clone Trooper (Nate) and the rogue female pilot Sheeka Tull. Their entire 'romance' seemed too Danielle Steele-ish to me. The entire story took just a few weeks time (at least that's what I think it was) and yet this Clone Trooper managed to go from a soldier-driven person into a character straight out of Nicholas Sparks' latest novel driven by love & a desire to find his true love & the meaning of life. Throw in the fact that the Hollywood effect of the one-nite stand results in off-spring and I have a hard time fathoming that aspect of the book. Other than that plot branch, I found everything else enjoyable in the book.

Overall rating - 6/10

Next up in my readings - Darth Bane: Path of Destruction