talyseon's Full Review: Matthew Stover - Star Wars: Luke Skywalker and the...
Shadows of Mindor A Star Wars Novel by Matthew Stover.
"Only power is real, and the only real power is the power to destroy. Existence is fleeting. Destruction is eternal." Chronal, on the One True Power of the Dark.
Picture it; the fledgling Republic is trying to pull itself together. The Emperor Palpatine is dead, along with his apprentice, Darth Vader. Freedom and hope have been restored to much of the galaxy.
However, the remnants of the Empire have not gone quietly into that good night. Led by the Warlord Shadowspawn, they engage in terrorism and piracy, stinging the Republic in the fragile trade routes that are trying to restore the lifeblood of civilization to the galaxy. And even though there is much about Shadowspawn that reads like a bad Holonovel (Like Luke Skywalker and the Revenge of the Jedi) he has chosen his base well.
The Tespin System was the site of Imperial research into gravidic weapons. In an event dubbed "The Big Crush" an accident destroyed the planet the researchers were stationed on. Now, the inner planet, Mindor, is bombarded constantly by meteors. The system is a giant asteroid field; capital ships are useless, and Shadowspawn is equipped with hundreds of thousands of nimble starfighters. In order to capture the Imperial forces and not see them scattered through hyperspace to regroup and continue their reign of terror, the Republic must use gravity well generators to thwart the jump to hyperspace. But they can only be used by huge capital ships, which will be chewed to pieces by the asteroids, and the star fighters. It is an elegant defense.
Worse, for Luke Skywalker, leader of Rogue Squadron, and his sister, Princess Leia Organa, and their friends Han Solo and General Lando Calrissian, Mindor is much more than just a brilliantly defended pirate base. It is an intricate trap. But who is the target?
This novel returns to the stand alone format, fully researched and woven into the fabric of the era, drawing on thirty years of collectively created history to provide a rich backdrop for a great story that is in many ways a return to the older swashbuckling style of story. There is a clear cut over the top villain (so over the top, you have to suspect it is deliberate) and there is plenty of action to go around.
However, the story is much deeper than that, involving some excellent character development, particularly in the last of the Jedi, and his growing legend. It is darn difficult to be a legend when you know you have belly button lint, just like everyone else. Further, the aggressive demands his role as hero of the Republic put on him weigh heavily on Luke. While a brilliant warrior, he is first and foremost a man of peace.
Han and Leia's relationship deepens as Han has to learn to deal with the fact that his Princess is also strong in the Force; merely untrained. And that lack of training can be a serious weakness. Can Han and Chewie protect Leia from the enemy? And can they survive her wrath for trying?
The over the top pulp story elements are slowly revealed to be just another gear in Lord Shadowspawn's intricate clockwork trap...his ultimate goal; to crown a new Emperor...Emperor Luke Skywalker!
Stover's style is clear and sparse, with enough flavor text to draw a picture, but not enough to muddy the story line. This makes for easy enjoyable reading that flows. His dialogue is believable and lively, but the real area he shines is in characterization. He is at his best when revealing the characters thoughts, and when drawing their personalities. Gone are the angst ridden and depressive heroes as portrayed by some authors, and in their place we see the heroes we fell in love with on the silver screen, bright, shiny, and brimming with hope.
This review, like Shadowspawn is Lean-N-Mean. The style by Sleeper54 promotes conciseness. This one weighs in at 666 words exactly.
The classic Star Wars heroes are featured in an all-new adventure. Here, young Luke Skywalker realizes the path his life must take: to revive the Jedi...More at Buy.com
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