World Famous Comics: Dark Tide I: Onslaught (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 2)
Dark Tide I: Onslaught (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 2)
By: Michael A. Stackpole Publisher: Del Rey Average Rating: Binding: Mass Market Paperback Label: Del Rey Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 304 Publication Date: February 01, 2000 Release Date: February 01, 2000
Product Description: In this epic of unsurpassed action and imagination, Michael Stackpole helps to launch an exciting new era in Star Wars® history. ONSLAUGHT pits the battle-tested heroes of the past--Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Leia Organa Solo--along with the next generation of Jedi and droids, against fearsome never-before-encountered enemies from beyond the galactic rim . . .
It is a perilous time for the New Republic. Just when unity is needed most, mistrust is on the rise. Even the Jedi feel the strain, as rogue elements rebel against Luke's leadership. When alien invaders known as the Yunnan Vong strike without warning, the New Republic is thrown on the defensive. Merciless warriors, the Yunnan Vong glory in torture. Their technology is as strange as it is deadly. Most ominous of all, they are impervious to the Force.
Now Luke must wield all the awesome powers of a Jedi Master to defeat the gravest threat since Darth Vader. As Leia and Gavin Darklighter lead desperate refugees in a fighting retreat from Yunnan Vong forces, Mara Jade, Anakin, Jacen, and Corran Horn find themselves tested as never before by a faceless, implacable foe determined to smother the light of the New Republic forever beneath a shroud of darkest evil . . .
Amazon.com: The Jedi are back and ready to rumble in Dark Tide 1: Onslaught, the second book to appear in Del Rey's five-year New Jedi Order story arc, which picks up events 25 years after A New Hope. Reading R.A. Salvatore's Vector Prime first--while not necessary (and some fans even recommend against it)--will help enormously in understanding the alien threat facing the New Republic, the sinister Yuuzhan Vong. The Jedi, under the now truly formidable Luke, must rise to beat back the biotech-wielding invaders, and we really get to see the Solo kids and good ol' Corran Horn shine. Lando and especially Han get short shrift (that's probably just as well in this new series), but Luke and Mara still manage to get a whole lot of lovin' going on. This is excellent work by the ever popular Stackpole (Rogue Squadron). --Paul Hughes
The New Jedi Order marches on Onslaught is the first book in Michael Stackpole's Dark Tide duology, and the second book overall in the New Jedi Order saga. Picking up where Vector Prime (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 1) left off, Onslaught finds the technology-hating and pain-obsessed Yuuzhan Vong continuing their invasion of the Outer Rim planets. The New Republic politicians would rather scheme and debate rather than meet this challenge head-on, so it's up to the Jedi and Rogue Squadron to try and repel the Vong invasion.
Stackpole's previous Star Wars experience was with the excellent X-Wing Rogue Squadron series, so key characters like Corran Horn and Gavin Darklighter play key roles in Onslaught, as do Luke and Mara Skywalker and the Solo children, who are finally starting to emerge from their parents' shadows. The author also places plenty of emphasis on the ground and especially air battles, which is in keeping with his X-Wing background.
While this chapter in the New Jedi Order is relatively free of casualties, the mood is still very grim. The Yuuzhan Vong invasion has tested our heroes to the limit, and this is only the beginning. The book suffers from two real flaws. One is that we really aren't given any insight into the Vong that we didn't get from Vector Prime until the epilogue. The other, and this is something that shows up often in Stackpole's work, is that his characters tend to say things that nobody - in any galaxy - would ever say out loud. I'm all for characters that are introspective and seek to learn new things about themselves and their place in the grand scheme of things, but that kind of stuff should be thought, not spoken in every casual conversation. I found myself wondering whether these Jedi Knights were preparing for battle or a group therapy session!
Those gripes aside, Stackpole does a decent job of moving the series forward, and since I'm on my third trip through the series I know that the story improves greatly in Dark Tide II: Ruin (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 3).
Good Jedi Mythos, Lacks Battle Accuracy According to the chronology, this novel in the 'New Jedi Order' series comes after R.A. Salvatore's 'Vector Prime.' Stackpole has a much better feel for emotions and characters, but lacks Salvatore's ability to balance fight scenes. Or maybe I'm annoyed he wrote a green low-level Yuuzan Vong killed an elite Noghri body-guard bare-handed. *cough* Bogus. *cough*
Scenes with Corran Horn and Anakin Solo are of higher quality than the rest of the book, approaching four stars. The pondering of a Jedi's role in the scope of the universe is exactly what I'd expect from a good Star Wars novel. I especially liked how he contrasted Jedi Ganner's behavior with the lesson Anakin Solo ended up learning (Chapter 12-13) on how over-reliance on the force closes a mind to alternative solutions.
Plot threads are Anakin/Mara (consistently good), Corran/Ganner (Ok), Luke/Jacen (Ok when it focuses on Luke), and DanniQuee/Leia/Jaina/Rouge Squadron (bad), with some set-up and epilogue with different characters. The space battles in the book were clinical uninspired descriptions of explosions and piloting. Stackpole doesn't mention the backdrop of space (some 'space' battles take place in atmosphere near the ground), or expand into a general battle context beyond the character who is being followed. I still don't have a good mental picture of the energy released when the high-tech energy torpedoes detonate against the ground of a planet. I think they are more destructive than they ended up written.
Five of the thirty six chapters were great, and eight were filled with unrealistic battle. The rest blended into easily forgotten background. If you like Star Wars Mythology and don't much care for space battles, then get this from a library and skim to the good parts. Dark Tide One -- Onslaught is a niche fiction book not worth keeping after you've read it. If you are serious about purchasing this, I'd look to see if I could find a combined edition which included the sequel, Dark Tide II: Ruin, also by Stackpole.
Overall a pleaser for those who love the Star Wars characters I m a very big fan of the NJO, and I thought this book was one of the best. It dived into a whole new world, still being only the 2nd book in the series. You also get to know many character on a more personal level. Characters such as Mara Jade, Anakin, and Jacen. And if you are like me, and find intense battle scenes too complicated to follow, this bok makes it a little simpler, but still delivering a well thought-out and realistic battle.
Overall, this book was a pleaser on both emotional levels and action sequences. Very well written! Five Stars!
Onslaught of the galaxy!! alright, so im back and I promised no spoilers before and will continue to do so. I have just finished onslaught and what did I think of it??? First off id rather give it 4 and a half stars. It was a good storyline overall. It simply wasnt gripping enough until about halfway through the novel, though the exposition to help set things up really needed to be there. Some of it felt disjointed to me, the narrative. Just when you thought you knew where it should go, it went another way and left holes leaving you wondering what happened. The last 100 pages were fantastic. I loved that. It wasnt as developed as vector prime was, not as detailed. It did move along though like one of the films would, brief scenes meant to move the story along at a fast clip. I also like where they are taking the Solo children in their development as characters. As far as I am concerned this is their coming of age story and thats where I am most intrigued to see where it is headed. Overall, it does make me wanna keep going so that is a good thing. Stay tuned for my review of book 3 Dark Tide II- Ruin
#2 luke skywalker teaches jacen colo in the force now.luke spent this book rescuing those closest to him.mara teaches anakan a little also but is really jainas master.when no one coyld effectively handle the vong,anakan bested 2.like certain other anakans he was very strong in the force.the vong actualy grow thier ships they are so opposed to tech.the ships can produce black hole shields which the good guys find very frustrating.danni-the scientist that 1st discovered the vong works with anakan to stop the vong.also a couple of rogue squadrons best rejoin them.the clones/storm troopers are good again.lots of action!a real page turner!
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