This is the sixth volume in the “Legacy” saga, and as one would expect, this covers the fallout from “Sacrifice” and further complicates an already insane situation between the Alliance and the Jedi. Unfortunately, two major issues, one of which cannot be avoided in the Star Wars universe, conspire to drag the book down.
The first issue is the pacing. The entire story is basically a repeat of the “prequel” trilogy of films, updated to reflect the setting of the post-“New Jedi Order” period. While the authors have generally improved on the idea of a prominent and powerful Jedi falling into the dark side of the Force, even the endless string of complications cannot justify the decompressed nature of the story. Events feel artificially extended and postponed to ensure that the full nine volumes.
The second issue is one I’ve discussed before. Once a character falls into the dark side, all justifications seem to fall to the wayside. Actions are driven by the need to be Evil. Jacen continues to talk about how his actions will bring peace to the galaxy, but his orders and methods are over the top and rarely justified by the circumstances.
Given the amount of page count in the saga, how hard would it be for the writers to give Jacen an ally within the Jedi, someone who can debate his thought process and perhaps recognize that there could be a justified reason for some of his actions? Instead, he is a complete tyrant, his forces are neo-Stormtroopers, and his internal debates are specious at best.
This takes away the ability of the reader to understand and sympathize with Jacen’s plight. As the story has been written, Jacen was tricked into adopting the Evil Sith ways. Ironically, Jacen’s journey over the course of the Extended Universe novels would support the notion that the dark side can emerge from “good intentions”, which is often cited. Why, then, rely on the crutch of simplistic black/white, good/evil thinking?
Rating: 6/10
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