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blingokitty's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
cyris_reads's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jaredkwheeler's review against another edition
4.0
Star Wars Legends Project #189
Background: Against the Empire was written by [a:Jude Watson|11912|Jude Watson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1403530689p2/11912.jpg] and published in October of 2007. It is the eighth book of the Last of the Jedi series, following [b:Secret Weapon|334800|Secret Weapon (Star Wars The Last of the Jedi, #7)|Jude Watson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1389077122s/334800.jpg|325280] (my review).
Against the Empire is set a few weeks after Secret Weapon, 18 years before the Battle of Yavin. Ferus and Trever are the main characters, although all of the surviving characters are still around as well, including recurring antagonist Jenna Zan Arbor. Most of the action takes place on Coruscant and Bellassa.
Summary: Ferus's partner is dead, cut down by Darth Vader in cold blood. The Emperor has exploited Ferus's grief and rage, bringing him closer to the Dark Side than ever. Obsessed with finding out the secret of Vader's origin, Ferus's resistance work takes a back seat. Meanwhile, Lune Divinian has been taken and enrolled in the Imperial Naval Academy, and Trever has gone undercover to rescue him, and the resistance fighters on Bellassa work quickly on a daring plan to save Amie Antin before she can be taken off-world.
Review: I just have to start by pointing out that one of the first episodes of Rebels also features Ezra Bridger infiltrating an Imperial Training Academy undercover as a cadet. With only a few books left in the series, there are a lot of balls in the air, and Watson does a good job juggling them here. The way a few of the divergent plotlines converge feels a bit too convenient right at the end, but I really appreciated the way she wove some of the elements together.
The excessive convenience of the climax is also underscored by yet more imprecision regarding Force abilities, which apparently make it trivial to drop "hundreds of meters" (which at least has some precedent in the movies), or leap upward hundreds of meters (which does not). I more than half suspect at this point that Watson doesn't know how far a meter or a kilometer is, so sloppy is she in throwing these numbers around. This is far from a significant flaw, however. The main issue, if there is one, is how much water this story has to carry towards building a major conclusion to come, without allowing us much of the payoff yet. It's a necessary evil, and this was still an enjoyable read.
B+
Background: Against the Empire was written by [a:Jude Watson|11912|Jude Watson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1403530689p2/11912.jpg] and published in October of 2007. It is the eighth book of the Last of the Jedi series, following [b:Secret Weapon|334800|Secret Weapon (Star Wars The Last of the Jedi, #7)|Jude Watson|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1389077122s/334800.jpg|325280] (my review).
Against the Empire is set a few weeks after Secret Weapon, 18 years before the Battle of Yavin. Ferus and Trever are the main characters, although all of the surviving characters are still around as well, including recurring antagonist Jenna Zan Arbor. Most of the action takes place on Coruscant and Bellassa.
Summary: Ferus's partner is dead, cut down by Darth Vader in cold blood. The Emperor has exploited Ferus's grief and rage, bringing him closer to the Dark Side than ever. Obsessed with finding out the secret of Vader's origin, Ferus's resistance work takes a back seat. Meanwhile, Lune Divinian has been taken and enrolled in the Imperial Naval Academy, and Trever has gone undercover to rescue him, and the resistance fighters on Bellassa work quickly on a daring plan to save Amie Antin before she can be taken off-world.
Review: I just have to start by pointing out that one of the first episodes of Rebels also features Ezra Bridger infiltrating an Imperial Training Academy undercover as a cadet. With only a few books left in the series, there are a lot of balls in the air, and Watson does a good job juggling them here. The way a few of the divergent plotlines converge feels a bit too convenient right at the end, but I really appreciated the way she wove some of the elements together.
The excessive convenience of the climax is also underscored by yet more imprecision regarding Force abilities, which apparently make it trivial to drop "hundreds of meters" (which at least has some precedent in the movies), or leap upward hundreds of meters (which does not). I more than half suspect at this point that Watson doesn't know how far a meter or a kilometer is, so sloppy is she in throwing these numbers around. This is far from a significant flaw, however. The main issue, if there is one, is how much water this story has to carry towards building a major conclusion to come, without allowing us much of the payoff yet. It's a necessary evil, and this was still an enjoyable read.
B+
hstapp's review against another edition
3.0
I'm having a lot of trouble reviewing each book as opposed to as a part of the series. I really liked the events in this book, and I'm really fond of Lune.
jetteleia's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
jmckendry's review against another edition
3.0
Great continuation! I will say after the intense plot of the previous book this one fell a little short but continued the story in intriguing new ways.
verkisto's review
4.0
Against the Empire makes a shift in the focus of the series, as Trever becomes the main character for a bit. Once Lune has been enrolled in the Imperial Navy Academy, Trever infiltrates the Academy himself in the hopes to break him out. Of course, it's not that easy (when is it ever?), and to make it even more difficult, Watson brings back one her most despicable characters -- Jenna Zan Arbor.
At the same time, Ferus is struggling with the power of the Dark Side. He's given over to hate after Vader kills Roan, and now that Palpatine has shown him the power of the Dark Side, he finds himself wanting to kill Vader. He knows what that means, but he struggles to find his balance between the rebellion, playing the Empire, and exacting revenge. It's some good development, and makes for good storytelling.
I've seen a previous review noting that Ferus and Roan's close relationship suggests they were more than friends, and while I can see where that reviewer is coming from, I find it troubling that two male friends can be that close without having readers think they're gay. I don't have a problem with a gay relationship in Star Wars (I feel the need to point that out, since several readers were offended by it in the Aftermath trilogy), but I also feel like it shouldn't be assumed unless explicitly stated.
I'm still enjoying this series a lot more than I expected. It gets better as it goes, which reinforces my feeling that this series is really just one long novel, broken into parts. I think it works better that way, since the characters are given more space to develop, and I'm excited to see how this is going to end. It's only been with the last five or six books where I've been that caught up in the story.
At the same time, Ferus is struggling with the power of the Dark Side. He's given over to hate after Vader kills Roan, and now that Palpatine has shown him the power of the Dark Side, he finds himself wanting to kill Vader. He knows what that means, but he struggles to find his balance between the rebellion, playing the Empire, and exacting revenge. It's some good development, and makes for good storytelling.
I've seen a previous review noting that Ferus and Roan's close relationship suggests they were more than friends, and while I can see where that reviewer is coming from, I find it troubling that two male friends can be that close without having readers think they're gay. I don't have a problem with a gay relationship in Star Wars (I feel the need to point that out, since several readers were offended by it in the Aftermath trilogy), but I also feel like it shouldn't be assumed unless explicitly stated.
I'm still enjoying this series a lot more than I expected. It gets better as it goes, which reinforces my feeling that this series is really just one long novel, broken into parts. I think it works better that way, since the characters are given more space to develop, and I'm excited to see how this is going to end. It's only been with the last five or six books where I've been that caught up in the story.
hnwriter's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
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