Crucible: Star Wars

Crucible started out as a good send off for the classic trio. It was a nice wrap up to the previous series and the entire post ROTJ EU novels as well. Unlike the previous series Fate of the Jedi series this had a nice flow and kept the plot moving forward. For once, a lot of things actual happen in a single book. I wasn't a fan of Legacy of the Force or Fate of the Jed Series. If you don't want to waste all the time and money reading those, than this is a good book to bring you to the end of the EU novel timeline. My only issue was the less than satisfying ending, which I will explain below. SPOILERS BELOW: [I was not expecting or had heard about the connection to the Mortis arc from the Clone Wars. This was a welcome surprise, but if the connection is going to be made than fully commit to it. Instead we get, "well it might be the Mortis monolith". I am guessing much of the post ROTJ EU gets overridden by the new movies, so why can't the author/editors make any big reveals, or at least one final one. This appears to not only be the send off for the big three, but for the Pre-Disney EU as well. Denning set everything up for a big finale, but pulled back at the end (or was forced to by Del Rey/Lucasfilm). I believe we are suppose to think the monolith is the Mortis monolith, but it would have had to move based on its location in the Clone Wars. I guess only the author knows, but why have an entire series (FOTJ) worth of build up if it is not it. Whether this is the Mortis monolith or a similar monolith I had issues with non-force users being granted special powers upon accessing the monolith. Theses special powers granted beings known for their superior intellect, not their physical qualities, to stand on equal ground with Luke Skywalker. A proper sendoff would be an indication of who would take the reigns in the future. Maybe someone could take the place of the father, son, and daughter. Maybe the One's role in things are over. The problem is we don't get any answers and the only thing Luke and Leia take away from the monolith is that they need to retire.

I was not a huge fan of this book. It was billed as an ultimate showdown of sorts that would determine the future of the galaxy but all it really ended up being was a meta-physical mind trip that was, at times, a struggle to get through. The fact that this was a story of the core heroes of the EU (primarily Luke, Han, and Leia) was a nice change. Rather than leaping from sub-plot to sub-plot and from one end of the galaxy to the other, it stays rather focused in one tiny corner of the galaxy. The best part of this novel was the detail into Han's psyche and the scenes that focused on him. I enjoyed those very much. I also got a kick out of seeing Luke and Leia working together as a Jedi team without backup. Beyond that, however, it seemed like a rather boring plot that felt like it was reaching to find a meaningful story to tell. I had heard some say that the EU was painting itself into a corner and was particularly crippling the movie franchise in what stories were left to tell. I didn't believe that at the time but, after reading this novel, I admit that there may be something to the argument. It just seemed forced. I also found Vestara Khai's involvement to be contrived and opportunistic - thrown in just to have a familiar foil against the Jedi. The problem with that idea is that the Fate of the Jedi series did such a lousy job of clarifying her character. Was she good at heart? Was she pure Sith at heart? Was she deceiving the Jedi, the Sith, or just deceiving herself the entire time? That series ended without giving us a real sense of who she was deep down, which left her role as "supporting bad guy" in this novel feeling out of place. I kept wanting to look for a twist that would allow her to show her true side (hopefully a good side) but no, she's consistently written as just "bad guy." The ending also left much to be desired - it seemed like just another happy ending that didn't actually resolve anything. Worse yet, it left questions and openings for future plot development that the EU fan will now never see come to pass. For my last read in the EU about my favorite characters, it was disappointing.

Nice long book. I've read around 200 Star Wars books, I'd rate this book top 10. Good oceans 11 style theme with a realllllly surprising twist at the end.

This book is amazing

This book is a most read!