World Famous Comics: Jedi Twilight (Star Wars: Coruscant Nights I)
Jedi Twilight (Star Wars: Coruscant Nights I)
By: Michael Reaves Publisher: Del Rey Average Rating: Binding: Mass Market Paperback Label: Del Rey Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 368 Publication Date: July 01, 2006 Release Date: June 24, 2008
Product Description: With the dark ascension of the Empire, and the Jedi Knights virtually wiped out, one Jedi who escaped the massacre is slated for a date with destiny–and a confrontation with Darth Vader.
Jax Pavan is one of the few Jedi Knights who miraculously survived the slaughter that followed Palpatine’s ruthless Order 66. Now, deep in Coruscant’s Blackpit Slums, Jax ekes out a living as a private investigator, trying to help people in need while concealing his Jedi identity and staying one step ahead of the killers out for Jedi blood. And they’re not the only ones in search of the elusive Jax. Hard-boiled reporter Den Dhur and his buddy, the highly unorthodox droid I-5YQ, have shocking news to bring Jax–about the father he never knew. But when Jax learns that his old Jedi Master has been killed, leaving behind the request that Jax finish a mission critical to the resistance, Jax has no choice but to emerge from hiding–and risk detection by Darth Vader–to fulfill his Master’s dying wish.
Don’t miss the continuing adventures in the Coruscant Nights series, coming this Fall!
Fantastically done I bought this book and loved it. I could not put it down the charecters where well developed and the story left me wanting more.
Jedi Noir First of all, the blurb on the back of the book (and repeated in the official synopsis) is incorrect. Jax Pavan is not eking out a living as a private investigator, at least not in book one of this series. The blurb probably is trying to evoke a sense of film noir, which on the other hand is correct. This series definately seems to be an attempt at Star Wars cyberpunk (or at least Jedi noir).
Following the virtual extinction of the Jedi with Order 66, Jax Pavan is one of the survivors, dwelling in the slum levels of the capital planet-city Coruscant. He is slowly joined by a motley collection of allies, including another Jedi, an unusual droid and a former investigative reporter. Driving them together is Darth Vader's unexplained desire to capture or kill Pavan, who like virtually everyone else, has no idea Vader is Jax's old friend Anakin Skywalker.
Vader is the only primary Star Wars character in the first book of this new trilogy. But there's also the significant presence of a character from the Star Wars book universe, Prince Xizor, on his path to taking over the Black Sun criminal organization. Everyone else is a new character, and one of the book's strengths is that their adventures are fascinating enough to make you look forward to the next volume.
There's also a passing reference to a couple of droids who can only be C-3P0 and R2-D2, which is kind of cute.
Decent Start to the Series I was a little bit disappointed by the title of the book compared to the actual story, but the story was effective at sucking me in, and keeping me wanting more.
With a title like "Jedi Twilight," I was hoping that the book would focus more on Darth Vader's efforts to remove the last of the Jedi from the galaxy, but instead, this book is focused on a period where the Jedi are really not much of a threat to the Dark Side.
With all of that being said, it is easy for the reader to find an attachment to the main character Jax Pavan. It will be interesting to see where Michael Reaves takes the rest of the story. Jax will clearly have to confront (or be confronted by) Vader. He obviously dies before Episode IV begins, but I'm very intrigued to see how this turns out.
Star Wars Coruscant Nights I Interesting storyline based on characters known and unknown in the Star Wars Universe. It expands the universe with characters you can care about, yet only gives you the one book to wrap up the tale in. Am looking foreward to more in this new series.
Adventurous romp set in the early Dark Times The aptly-named Jedi Twilight, the first book of the Coruscant Nights trilogy by Michael Reaves, is an adventurous, fast-paced romp of a tale that skillfully weaves in many characters and story elements of the larger Expanded Universe. The setting is the largely untapped Dark Times, the eighteen years between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. The Jedi have been decimated by the infamous Order 66, Emperor Palpatine is consolidating his grasp on the galaxy and building his new Empire, and Darth Vader is growing comfortable in his position at his master's side.
Reaves brings a very intriguing cast of characters to this story. Referencing his own earlier works, the main character is Jax Pavan, son of Lorn Pavan who had the limelight in Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter. Happily, Lorn's sarcastic and self-aware droid sidekick I-5YQ returns, bringing along his closest friend, Sullustan reporter Den Dhur. Den was first featured in another Reaves work, the Medstar duology, as was rising Black Sun vigo Kaird, also returning here. More surprisingly, Reaves also grabs Prince Xizor of Steve Perry's Shadows of the Empire fame and tosses in Nick Rostu from the superb Shatterpoint by Matthew Stover. It's definitely an interesting brew of characters.
The storyline primarily focuses on weaving relationships between these disparate people, using a chase for a missing protocol droid named 10-4TO as its focal point. Reaves deftly depicts the grittiness and peril of the less desirable reaches of Coruscant, creating a vaguely film noir atmosphere with what really is a detective story at its core. The inclusion of Prince Xizor and the insights into his ascension up Black Sun's ladder are particularly compelling reading. The sections featuring Vader are brief, and some of his dialogue doesn't seem quite right tonally. Arguably, since this is so early into Anakin's career as Vader, he may indeed have spoken differently from the familiar dialogue we heard in the Original Trilogy. His actions, however, are very much in keeping with his characterization from the films.
Events weave into a gripping climax set in Coruscant's downtrodden Factory District. There is an illuminating foreshadowing of Xizor's humaniform creation Guri in his hidden facility, and Reaves brings an extremely entertaining new concept to the Star Wars universe in the form of feral droids. These regressed droids are the result of programming gone haywire and act as a thematic counterpoint to the heightened self-awareness of I-5.
Jedi Twilight is a fun, entertaining kickoff to a promising trilogy. Reaves does a good job with managing an unusual cast and setting up future books while simultaneously creating a reasonably self-contained story. The book doesn't end with a particular cliffhanger, but through its strong character focus it creates excitement for the second volume in the series, Street of Shadows.
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