Although Michael Stackpole is to blame for many of the problems that weigh down Dark Tide I: Onslaught (which I'll get to in a moment), I'm pointing my finger at the entire New Jedi Order editorial team. The decision to publish Onslaught directly after the cataclysmic Vector Prime is the novel's true undoing. Don't get me wrong, this is far from what I consider to be a good read, but its failures are compounded by its ill-conceived timing.The events of Vector Prime had introduced a drastically different adversary to the Star Wars universe, one that instilled fear and pessimism by way of untold aggression and discriminating hatred. The novel crescendoed to a paradigm-shattering climax, one that left me in eager anticipation for what was to come next.Unfortunately, what came next was Onslaught, a shallow and irrelevant installment in the New Jedi Order series.Luke Skywalker gathers many of his Jedi Knights on Yavin 4, there to assign them a slew of reconnaissance missions in hopes of learning more about the Yuuzhan Vong's current and future activities: Corran Horn and Ganner Rhysode are sent to Bimmiel to investigate the loss of some missing scientists, Anakin accompanies Mara Jade to Dantooine as she continues to stave off her deadly disease, and Luke brings Jacen along as he visits the Ex-Gal facility on Belkadan. Of these three (main) plots, not one is interesting, nor do they add anything substantial to what we know about the Vong.Corran and Ganner's mission to rescue the scientists lacks any real purpose. The scientists are of no particular importance, and the entire sub-plot seems contrived just to pit these two opposing Jedi against one another for the fun of it. Their dichotomy, while occasionally interesting and entertaining, does little to spruce up this storyline. Neither develops beyond what they were at the novel's outset.While Anakin does learn a few things about himself and the force during his time on Dantooine, we continue to be bombarded with droning details about Mara's illness. Yes, she's still sick. We understand. Move on already.Luke and Jacen, thankfully, discover some information that is useful to us, namely that the Yuuzhan Vong are using humanoid slaves as a means to grow their bioequipment. I have read several reviews that praise Onslaught for being Luke-heavy; frankly, I don't know what they're talking about. He receives just about as much face time as anyone else; no more, no less. If you were planning on checking out Onslaught based solely on Luke alone, you are better served elsewhere.As can be expected, all plot threads eventually converge in the end, building towards a confrontation with a Yuuzhan Vong strike force. Enemies are defeated. Good wins the day. I know, shocking stuff. Stackpole tries to convince us that there are grave consequences as a result of this event---Rogue Squadron loses two-thirds of its pilots, over fifty troopers are killed in battle, the Vong slaughter countless people on Dubrillion, and Dantooine refugees suffer 50% casualties---but the reader never actually feels like lamenting these losses. Stackpole doesn't make us care for even a moment.The reason for this is that Stackpole has completely undermined the Yuuzhan Vong's credibility. In Vector Prime, R.A. Salvatore introduced us to a fearsome, destructive force that could stand toe-to-toe with the Jedi. And what's more is that they appeared to be just the tip of the iceberg, the vanguard to a massive invasion force. You'd never know this from reading Stackpole's interpretation. His Vong are nowhere near the imposing foes that we were led to believe they were.Furthermore, Onslaught offers absolutely nothing in the way of Yuuzhan Vong development. We only see them from a distance, and they serve as little more than a convenient way to stage a series of tedious battles that up the page count. We are quickly introduced to the Embrace of Pain (which will apparently play a larger role in Dark Tide II: Ruin), but that's about all we get. Out of 37 chapters, the only Vong POV is the epilogue, which is essentially a throwaway.I would be remiss not to mention the fact that Onslaught almost completely avoids what is doubtless the most pressing storyline at the moment: the death of Chewbacca (in Vector Prime). Han appears for only a handful of pages---in what is one of the few good scenes in the book---and then inexplicably disappears from the story. Again, I can't blame Stackpole for this, as Han is purposely ignored so that his story can continue in books four and five (it's done for marketing/sales purposes, so that's not his fault). Now, I can understand why the NJO brain trust structured the books like this, but I disagree wholeheartedly with the decision. Revealing only faint glimpses of Han only frustrates the audience, and it stalls any momentum created at the end of Vector Prime.Perhaps the most significant event of the book (or, at least the one that will have a significant impact on the series moving forward) is Jaina Solo's joining of Rogue Squadron. One would think that Stackpole would make a big deal about this, being the Rogue Squadron obsessive that he is. Jaina joins Rogue Squadron at 16 (an impressive feat), and it seems quite clear that being a part of Rogue Squadron is going to factor heavily in Jaina's development during the New Jedi Order series. I felt that this was a fairly important moment. Evidently Stackpole didn't think so. The whole scene occurs in one underwhelming paragraph.To be fair, Onslaught is certainly not all bad. Amidst all the action there are actually a few intermittent "quiet" scenes, in which the characters are allowed to breath. I may be one of the few people that loves Jacen Solo and his force philosophizing, and there are several good scenes involving him, Anakin, and Luke. His quest to find the Jedi's true relationship to the force continues to fascinate. Near the end of the novel, during one of his talks with Anakin, Jacen says something that I found particularly interesting, considering where Jacen's future lies:"For now, I'm Jacen Solo. What I will be in the future, however, is anyone's guess."For now, I'm still enjoying the New Jedi Order. Whether I'll still enjoy it after Dark Tide II: Ruin, is anyone's guess.
After the events that introduced the Yuuzhan Vong in Vector Prime, written by R.A. Salvatore, Micheal A. Stackpole was charged with the second installment of The New Jedi Order. As the Vong continue quest to the core worlds the leaders of the New Republic scramble to organize a resistance force. As Leia struggles to convey the danger presented by the invaders she is met with deaf ears as the political leaders work to insure their power. Meanwhile, the leaders of the newly reconstructed Jedi Order, led by Luke Skywalker, are tasked with learning as much about the Yuuzhan Vong as possible.In the first installment, Vector Prime, the books main focus was with the Vong themselves, as the reader learned just who these invaders were and the evil they present. In this book, Onslaught, the reader gets to see the other end of the spectrum as the Jedi and the Republic come face-to-face with their new enemy. Stackpole tells little of the Vong's side of the story and doesn't give the reader any prospective on their tale until the epilogue. The main storyline has many threads that cover many characters, each with their own vision and response to the Vong threat.The main characters, Corran, Ganner, Gavin, Jacen, Jiana, Leia, Lando, Luke, Anakin, and Mara take up the vast majority of the tale and all of their threads weave themselves together as the book progresses. Supported by danger, political turmoil, and an unknown future, Stackpole creates a fun and action packed story. The writing is great, but as usual Stackpole's character dialogue is thin.All-in-all a great and fun read.
What do You think about Onslaught (Dark Tide, #1) (2000)?
Avec Vector Prime, on a découvert les Yuuzhan Vongs, un race d'extra-terrestre venu d'une autre galaxie qui est venu dans celle de nos héros pour la conquérir en entier et pour réduire la population qui survivra à l'esclavage. Deux Jedi, Corran Horn et Ganner Rhysode sont envoyé en mission de reconnaissance sur la planète Bimmiel pour mieux comprendre les envahisseurs. Luke et son neveu Jacen eux vont sur Belkadan. Les deux groupes feront des découvertes terrifiantes sur ces envahisseurs.C'est un bon livre mais il est parfois difficile de s'y retrouver dans la technologie des Yuuzhan Vongs. Sinon, le livre continue sur la lancée de Vector Prime. Les méchants sont très bien réussis. Ils réussissent à faire passer les impériaux et Palpatine pour des bons gars.
—Yves
"Easy isn't for Jedi"The Yuuzhan Vong have entered the Outer Rim of the galaxy. Leia is attempting to garner support from the New Republic; Luke and Jacen head off to Belkadan to get further developments; Corran and Ganner head to Bimmiel to check up on some missing academics; Mara and Anakin head to Dantooine to attempt some R&R for Mara.NOTE: Based on audiobook and novel. I thought Vector Prime was a great entry into this most recent, more gritty series. But Onslaught is amazing. It is a perfect second novel: gradually building the conflict, displaying the players/characters, and intensifying the story.In Onslaught, Stackpole brings back fan favorites, Corran (who is now a Jedi), Wedge, Tycho, and Elegos A'Kla (among others, including a Bothan admiral who ISN'T sneaky and duplicitous). Corran is in prime form. It's nice to see him married with kids, to have him a more mature Jedi, and to have him bounce off with the younger Jedi, Ganner Rhysode. His mission with Ganner on Bimmiel is interesting and relevant to the story (even though at first sniff it doesn't appear to be).But Stackpole does a brilliant job with our major characters. Probably my favorites were Mara and Anakin. Mara gives Anakin a good lesson about using the Force (similar to one she gave Luke in Vision of the Future and one Anakin got in the Junior Jedi Knight series). I also enjoyed how they stumbled upon their own Yuuzhan Vong crisis. Luke and Jacen are also great, as they argue over each own's perception about the Force. One thing sorely missed in the audiobook, however, is Jacen's capture by the Yuuzhan Vong's Embrace of Pain, where Luke has to rescue him. That was a critical scene and shouldn't have been omitted, in my opinion.I'll admit, I wasn't too fond of Stackpole's treatment of Leia, Jaina, and Han. Yet again, Leia comes off shrill and demanding, as she argues with Gavin Darklighter about allowing 16 year old Jaina onto Rogue Squadron. I understand this galaxy has different rules (as evinced by a 14 year old queen and an 18 year old senator), but nonetheless, I found it disgusting to hear Leia pouting about her daughter not getting into Rogue Squadron. Similarly, the Solo kids tend to be treated as if they were in their twenties instead of teens and are UBER AMAZING at everything. This is best seen in Jaina, a 16 year old Rogue Squadron member. Talk about cheapening what it means to be in the Squadron! Lastly, Han is barely visible in the novel, and only at the beginning as a drunken idiot. The characterization seemed a bit off, even considering the events of the last book.But what makes Onslaught so good is how Stackpole begins to up the ante and weaves in all the storylines. I liked how the Yuuzhan Vong are spreading out to cover as many planets as possible (creating a base from which to launch further campaigns), the discoveries that the Jedi make about the Yuuzhan Vong, and the intimacy between the characters (such as between Luke and Mara, Mara and Anakin, or Luke and Jacen).If you liked Vector Prime, be prepared for an even better book (especially if you liked the X-Wing series). If you didn't like Vector Prime, there is a good chance this will change your mind about the series. Great book; I can't wait to move on to Ruin!
—Crystal Starr Light
The best thing this book has going for it: it wasn't awful, and it was a quick read (I got through it in a day).I used to be a big Michael Stackpole fan back when I was a teenager. His X-Wing series (with Aaron Allston) are still some of my favorite bits of Star Wars fiction, but now that I'm older it's so much easier to see through his poor characterization. There's nothing really wrong with his writing at all -- dialogues are natural, scenes are good, plots are interesting -- but Corran Horn is the one of the worst Mary Sue characters in the genre. That being said, Stackpole did introduce one of my favorite characters of the EU (Ganner Rhysode) in this book, so it's not all bad.All in all, it's a competent enough Star Wars book. It doesn't stand out in any way, shape, or form, merely continues the still nascent story of the NJO plotline. Then again, if you want deep storytelling and grand characterization, you might want to skip Star Wars novels altogether. That's not why I'm in this though, I'm in it for nostalgia and to appease my inner teenager.
—Chris
