Star Wars LOTF: Inferno Musings/Review

[stargater]

Overall this was a really good book, packed with action and interesting twists and turns. It's what I have come to expect from Troy Denning even if I don't particularly care for some of the events of the series as a whole. I won't go into that rant again, rather I'll just say what I liked/disliked about this particular book.

Some things I found really amusing and others I was a little surprised at. I laughed out loud at the part where Leia spun Tarfang the Ewok upside down and held him dangling in the air. Even their battle later at the Rock Council was kind of funny, I mean he's an Ewok but part of that comes from the fact that they are so cuddly and innocent looking. Of course that's always been a misconception because Ewoks can be quite savage little creatures really.

I'm also amused by "Ship" it seems to have quite a sense of humor and I find it so amusing probably because it is just a ship. And it's even more funny because it's sense of humor matches it, one would conclude that a giant eyeball with wings would have quite a dry sense of humor.

I'm only going to touch on Jacen for a moment because he just infuriates me with is diluted sense of duty and bringing peace to the galaxy mumbo jumbo. I found it ironic that he feels Tenal Ka is the only one who has faith in him and what he is trying to do yet he had to manipulate her into giving him her last fleet. And burning the Wroshyrs! I wouldn't want to make enemies of the Wookiees that's for sure.

I've been irked since the beginning about Luke's apparent naivety about Jacen being Mara's murderer. At least Ben realizes it (even if he may be doubting it because Luke thinks it may have been Alema) but at least Luke isn't cemented on the idea that it was someone other than Jacen. I'm most curious about how he will react when he does figure it out for sure that it was Jacen.

I was surprised when Luke pinned Jacen in the chair using the Force without as much as flinching an eye. He is the Jedi Grand Master after all, and I've always wondered how Jacen can think he's so much stronger than Luke. I've thought all along that Luke has abilities and knowledge that we don't know about. Like when Jaina thought she shot him down and killed him, I knew it was ruse to lead Jacen to believe he had actually died. I'm curious just what he did though, like if he projected himself in the craft or what.

I was also a little surprised with Leia's anger with Tahiri (as deserved as it may have seemed, one can't really blame her, she is being manipulated by Jacen after all) because out of everyone Leia is probably the one who I would never have thought would have lashed out in anger like that. Still, I really like seeing her as a Jedi because I've thought that was way overdue in the course of the books.

Since the beginning of Dark!Jacen, I've felt bad for Han & Leia more than anyone else. It was bad enough that they lost one son but to lose one to the darkside has to be the ultimate blow. It was was Leia feared most in the beginning after all. At least there's Jaina. I read some speculation (I really am trying to avoid it, I just stumbled upon this by accident) awhile back that if Jacen can't be brought back from the darkside who would be the one to finally kill him. At the time a lot of people were discussing that they thought it would be Leia, but after thinking about it for awhile I kind of think it would be Jaina. I don't really have any reasons for it except for the fact that they're twins and their twin-bond will come into play.

Luke and Jacen's duel in the torture chamber (and poor Ben in the Embrace of Pain) was intense, of course it was obvious Jacen wasn't going to die there. I found myself hoping through the entire battle that he wasn't going to lose arms and legs and have mechanical replacements (ala Vader) from it.

And something else I found quite amusing was during Alemas return in Ship when she was complaining about the "wisdom" of the Sith Holocron she was bringing back for Jacen. "Never borrow money from someone powerful enough to make you pay" and "Let your employees know you trust them...then watch them" sounds like something straight out of the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition. LOL.

There's also an interview with Aaron Alliston, Karen Traviss & Troy Denning in the back of the book. It was interesting and in case anyone is wondering, it sort of said that it was Karen Traviss's idea to kill Mara Jade and I've kind of thought it was from the moment I learned of it. Though I will agree with her comment that I would rather see our favorite characters "go out in a blaze of glory than incontinent and senile in the Coruscant Old Folks' Home". Of course I don't really think of any of them getting that old, I mean some of them are really up there in age but are still going strong. I am amused by the occasional age joke thrown in though.

I think that should be all for now. Indeed.