Michael Reaves, whose input in the Star Wars Expanded Universe has been notable (at current count, he's written nine books in the Star Wars book franchise), brings back his character Jax Pavan in "The Last Jedi", this time with co-author Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff.While I enjoyed "The Last Jedi", it did not have the same spark and appeal that the first three Pavan books (The Coruscant Nights trilogy) had for me. Not that "The Last Jedi" wasn't exciting and entertaining. It was. The Reaves/Bohnhoff writing team continues all the excellent character development and storytelling that Reaves started in the Coruscant Nights trilogy. My complaint has nothing to do with the technical aspects of the writing. My first complaint, which is petty and not even really a complaint, is that "The Last Jedi" breaks from the formula of the first three books by transplanting Pavan off the planet Coruscant and having him gallivanting around the galaxy. I realize that this opens the door for a wide variety of more fun and excitement, but I was growing used to the idea of Pavan working within the heart of the Empire. I also liked the loosely-noir structure of the series, in which Pavan is a former Jedi Knight turned private eye/gun for hire. The wise-cracking sidekicks, the femme fatales, the shadowy Imperial agents hounding him around every corner: this is "The Maltese Falcon" within the Star Wars universe.I suppose it was inevitable that Pavan would have to, at some point, leave Coruscant. It makes sense, and the noir structure of the Coruscant Nights trilogy was a limiting factor in the ultimate development of Pavan's character, a character that is quickly becoming a fan favorite. He does, after all, embody the beginnings of the Rebel Alliance. (His character, and some of the others in the series, are also, I'm guessing, the inspiration for the new TV show "Star Wars Rebels" on Disney XD, a show mainly targeted for tweens and teenagers but is actually compelling enough for adults to enjoy.)Another complaint I have with "The Last Jedi" is that it is almost too ambitious. There is a lot of stuff, plot-wise, going on in the book. In my opinion, Reaves/Bohnhoff could have easily turned this one book into another trilogy, taking the time to expand on some of the story lines within it, especially the Whiplash attempt to assassinate Emperor Palpatine, the capture of Thi Xon Yimmon, and Pavan's possession of Drath Ramage's mysterious holocron---all of which are fascinating story lines that Reaves/Bohnhoff could have devoted whole novels to. While adding to the extremely fast pacing of the novel, this overambitious plotting ultimately makes the book seem rushed, and I felt like I may have been missing a few details along the way.Overall, though, "The Last Jedi" is another good read in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, and I hope it is not the last we see of Jax Pavan. Outstanding ending. I was sort of worried on how they were going to leave it. Really liked the whole last jedi idea. We know what actually happened with all the other books, but Jax would have definitely felt he was the last jedi at the time. Awesome last battle, and with the knowledge Jax was using. Overall this series of books (It pretty much is the final part of Coruscant Nights) was well written, and a lot of fun to read.
What do You think about The Last Jedi (2013)?
good book. a little slower paced than the Coruscant Night books before it, but still enjoyable. :)
—maggiemay1
Different type of story, but I liked it enough to check out others in the series.
—son
storyline seemed slow & listless until near the end
—nikkisurfs
