The New Jedi Order 

'Balance Point' by Kathy Tyers 

A Del Rey Book, published 2000 

Set 21 years after RotJ, 10 months after VP

 book cover
Story -- Leia is on Duros, trying to make it habitable for the refugees she has been forced to bring there, all the while worrying about her family and whether or not her marriage will survive this war. Jacen is now so terrified of misusing the Force, that he has stopped using it altogether. And the politicians of the New Republic continue to make almost as much trouble as the Yuuzhan Vong.

Characterisations -- this book centres mainly on Jacen, Leia and Mara, but all the characterisations are absolutely spot on! Even though it's set more than 20 years after RotJ, and the characters have been through a lot, I could still 'hear' Han & co. saying Tyers' lines. Even simple things like Luke leaning against a wall, or Han arguing with officials are written so well that you can 'see' them.

New characters -- do we still count the Solo kids as 'new'? Whatever - I liked the characterisations. Realistic, but not too depressing; and they're very much individuals. The Yuzzies are pretty awful in this novel - I now feel ready to drop a planet on them. And Nom Anor is back, and as ugly as ever. One or two other characters from the previous novels are mentioned, but it's not overdone.

Cover art -- it's WONDERFUL! But there are several spoilers, so don't look too closely until you've read the book.

Chicks -- Mara is awesome! More relaxed than in previous novels, she has aged gracefully but still retains the ability to kick butt and get the job done. Leia is also great - just your average working mother out to save the galaxy, and to stop her family from falling apart at the seams. Maybe she no longer looks like she did in the movies, but she still holds on to her ideals and principles.

Any good? -- oh, yes! Definitely! The best in the NJO so far, IMO. Luke 'n' Mara fans - rejoice! Your time has come - beg, borrow or buy a copy of this book! You're gonna love it. As will all the Leia fans out there - she is terrific. Only one thing bugged me - the 'gang' all ending up on one planet... *cries of 'plot device'!*  I tell a lie: another thing bugged me. I wish this book was at least twice as long! I just wanted to go on reading and never stop... :-)

Read it? -- YES!! Even if you've only read VP and then given up on the whole NJO thing, please at least give this one a try. It even includes a two-page introduction to help you catch up if you've missed the paperbacks. It also has a dinky little five-page prologue which seems to be specifically written for all the X-Wing novel fans out there! Incidentally, the map of the galaxy has changed to show the Yuuzhan Vong invasion corridor - some planets have been removed (eg. Tatooine & Sluis Van) while others have been added (eg. Nirauan). It's interesting to note that Naboo is still there - anyone taking bets that it may show up in the NJO to link in with the releases of episodes II & III?! The timeline has also been changed - the NJO novels are no longer set '25 years after ANH' but '25-30 years after'. Just thought I'd mention it. :-)  Anyhoo, READ THIS BOOK!

Rating -- 9 out of 10 (but it was verrrrry close to a 10)
 

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