David was writing WORLD OF HURT at the same time I was working on JEDI TRIAL but David contributed more to TRIAL than I did to HURT.  By the way, who's this Craig guy?  No one by that name works on our books!

Just finished Jedi Trial, sorry took so long, got distracted sunday with easter and had to finish it up at work over the past two nights. Its hard to say this, especially since I luv Starfist and DemonTech so much, but to brutally honest I didnt like Jedi Trial at all.

The main reason I would say it is just painfully apparent that you tryed to wrap StarWars around your military style of writing, even if thats what the publisher wanted. I like your style, but it just discuss's, describes, and details things just compeltely foriegn to the StarWars universe. The first problem is that the 3 new movies COMPLETELY and UTTERLY destroy the Annikan character(acting, actors, and dialogue). So the reader, in this case me, has a preset view of him, and you attempt to mold him into a gritty, mud-grunt role, verbage and all, its just a struggle the whole read.

Im not faulting your writing, its the hollow shell of soda pop sci-fi that Star Wars is that doenst wrap around a more detailed "ground level" version, that military sci-fi is. I guess what I am saying is my disappointment with the StarWars universe post, Return of the Jedi, is what caused me the problem.

I liked many of the characters you created, Zozrider, the Rodain, and even trying to give the clone's some personality. Any other book not starwars they would work fine. I just never got over the whole "arrogant" Jedi thing, after the first movie.

In the originals you have a fallen Jedi in Vader, and you have this crazy kid with his pants on fire in LUke, "following some crazy old man on some dam fool adventure" that used to be what LUCAS and Company could create. Phantam Menace and beyond, is stiff and predictable, as the Jedi are portrayed.

I dont know what the parameters or limits are for writing in the pre original, or post origanl Star Wars universe are, but I can make a suggestion or two that might work out overall. There was an element to the book that had promise, but was squashed by your overall requirment to stay true to the universe, which I think is what worked for the original movies. The "rebel factor", you have three to four intances in the book that have promise, Slayke, Halcyon, the Rodain, and even a part of Annikan. These characters had all that in common, rebal portions of their characters development that goes against the stiff requirements of the universe.

Lucas makes the force be so "black and white" even with the Truth stretched or twisted, the parties invovled have to land on one side of the fence or the other. These characters have major or minor philosophical differences, that must be shared in greater numbers across the grand star wars universe, that you think would cause them to gravitate towards each other. Annikan taps the emotion side of the force to be more powerful than others, in most cased producing results, as well as defying the status quo by marrying Padme. Halcyon has major difference with Jedi assignment to capture and return  SLayke, as well as defy and marry. Slayke you spell out simply, and the Rodain is just a slave to war and battle, its what makes him tick.

Taking that rebal factor, and bringing the scale down a bit, to say maybe a "Outsider" force, that works outside the stiff lines of the empire and the repulic, you could apply your style of writing to more easily mold into the StarWars universe.Annikan is a done deal obviously, but Im sure across the trade federation, the Jedi who feel that having a life of duty combined emotion, the rogue elements like captain Slake, Hell even "liberated Clones" and other underground elements, could be merged and a a whole sub story could be developed. 

These "combind groups" could work on smaller scale tactical scenario's that I believe your style would play much better to. Not Evil, not Good, more of a balancing entity, working to strike the empire in the smaller areas of the overall opera. Just a thought, Hell call it STAR WARS: DEFIANCE, write up a group of rogue jedi who start a school of their own that learn to balance the forec with emotion and duty and run with it.

It was an interesting breakaway from the harder military SCi-fi I am reading now, but think I get back to the reading list, and waiting on the next star fists to enjoy.

2 outta 5 stars.

trang