The Hapes cluster is under a serious threat due to the Civil War.

It makes one wonder if the divided Skywalker/Solo family members will have what it takes to rescue them from the brink of ruination.

I truly relished the diverging and interlinking plot lines within this story. Everything was masterfully woven together in a highly pleasing fashion.

However, I am a bit disappointed in the depiction of the Hapan queens. It appears more as a plot device rather than how she would realistically react to Jacen in this particular situation.

Nevertheless, I am willing to overlook this aspect for the sake of the excellent depictions of the other characters in the book. Their portrayals are so vivid and engaging that they manage to draw me deeper into the story, despite this one minor flaw in the characterization of the Hapan queens.

Overall, the story still holds great appeal and keeps me eagerly turning the pages to see what will happen next.

Troy Denning’s “Tempest” is the third installment in the nine-book series Legacy of the Force. Denning has an impressive track record in the Star Wars Expanded Universe (SWEU). He wrote “Star By Star”, which was one of my favorites in the New Jedi Order series, and also his three-book SWEU Dark Nest series. Characters and events from that series are referenced in “Tempest”, so it would be beneficial to have read that trilogy before this one.

Jacen Solo’s descent into the Dark Side is a gradual yet inevitable process. His work as a terrorist-hunter has earned him praise within the Galactic Alliance military ranks. He is now the captain of a Star Destroyer and has adopted an all-black attire, including a black cape. Any resemblance to his grandfather, Darth Vader, is, of course, purely coincidental.

The plot of “Tempest” is rather complex, involving a series of double- and triple-crosses. Han and Leia Solo are being set up to appear as terrorists, framed for an assassination attempt on Tenel Ka, the Queen Mother of the Hapes Consortium, who is also Jacen’s secret love and the mother of Jacen’s secret love-child.

Luke and Mara are involved in a murder investigation on Coruscant. The brutal homicide of a Jedi Master provides more evidence that the Dark Jedi Lumiya is alive and orchestrating events. Luke fears that Lumiya has been corrupting Jacen, and he is also worried that his son, Ben, may be following the path of the Dark Side.

Lumiya is receiving assistance from Alema Rar, a former Jedi Knight who has joined the Dark Side. She is also a Joiner (a victim of the insectoid race of aliens called the Killik’s hive mind), and she is determined to seek revenge against Leia and Luke Skywalker.

Denning weaves an intricate plot, but the book does become cumbersome and confusing near the midpoint due to an abundance of extraneous details. Nevertheless, when the action commences, Denning’s talent for writing exciting and suspenseful action sequences becomes evident.

On to Book Four!

Denning's work is truly a wild ride of good and bad, making it extremely difficult to rate him objectively.

In this book, I had a certain fondness for both Tenel Ka and Alema. However, almost everyone else still seems quite out of character. This is perhaps the only explanation for how a chaotic series like this could have come about.

Jaina and Zekk aren't really that terrible. But the decision to leapfrog everything forward over the gap of the Next Gen's 20s means that they have seen almost no character growth for a decade. We do get a hint here, but it's the kind of development that should have occurred a year or two after the NJO, not a full ten years later. Poor Zekk.

Killing off Anakin Solo was a major misstep that sent the entire series into a downward spiral. *sigh*

While this installment is not nearly as bad as the previous novel, the series still suffers from a problem of being rife with contradictions regarding the character decisions made in the last book. Jacen-sue remains as dumb as a brick, and it becomes increasingly less believable that people are allowing him to get away with so much senseless behavior.

SPOILERS

This installment is arguably the best of the series thus far. However, one has to wonder what truly consequential events took place. There were some showdowns between forces, yet shockingly, there were 0 deaths. The heroes emerged worse for wear, but this reader craved more in-depth plot development than what this book provided.

Troy Denning persists in the rather forced insertion of characters and storylines from past books into new material. Karen Traviss did something similar with Boba, and now Troy is doing it with the characters from the "Dark Nest" trilogy. To be fair, the Dark Nest trilogy makes a bit more sense in this context, as it at least occurred more recently. The Boba insertion was, frankly, a bit of a joke.

Despite all these critiques, the fight that took place at the end in the bar was absolutely thrilling and stands as my favorite sequence in the entire series up to this point. Overall, I still managed to enjoy my time with this book, despite its flaws.

It's clear that while there are aspects to appreciate, there is also room for improvement in future installments to truly take this series to the next level.

Jacen Solo continues to steadily move closer and closer to the menacing dark side of the Force.

Luke Skywalker, filled with deep concern and worry, notices Hus's sob.

He fears that young Ben Solo is in great danger of following closely in his master Jacen's footsteps.

The situation is becoming increasingly perilous as Jacen's descent into the dark side seems inevitable.

Luke knows all too well the consequences of succumbing to the dark side and is desperate to prevent Ben from making the same tragic mistakes.

With each passing day, the tension and uncertainty grow, leaving Luke in a state of constant anxiety.

He must find a way to reach out to Ben and guide him away from the path that Jacen is leading him down.

The future of the Jedi Order and the balance of the Force hang in the balance, and Luke is determined to do everything in his power to protect Ben and preserve the light side.

Tempest is a significant improvement over its predecessor. It effectively details what Jacen is going through and how he could realistically succumb to the dark side. What truly makes this book a success are the poignant moments Denning crafts as Jacen continuously breaks the hearts of his friends and family. He makes serious judgment errors that lead to a terrible mistake that seems unforgivable. The shame he experiences isolates him even further than his sense of mission and detachment from personal attachments. It's like witnessing a slow-motion train wreck. You know the outcome, but the psychological and emotional aspects are captivating.

Moreover, Denning does an excellent job of weaving a basic plot of political deception and galactic intrigue that keeps you engaged and makes sense. This is where Traviss fell short. It feels right. My only minor complaints are that some of the characters use contemporary American idioms, which seem out of place coming from Jedi Grand Master Luke Skywalker. Maybe I'm being picky, but it was distracting. Overall, it's great fun.

My Rating: 3.5 Stars

Recently, I had the opportunity to experience something that led me to give it a rating of 3.5 stars. The overall experience was a mixed bag. There were certain aspects that really stood out and impressed me. For example, the quality of the product or service in some areas was quite good. It had some unique features that set it apart from others in the market. However, there were also a few不足之处. Maybe the customer service could have been a bit more responsive or the process could have been streamlined a little better. Despite these flaws, I still found the experience to be somewhat enjoyable and worthwhile. I believe that with a few improvements here and there, it could easily reach a higher rating. Overall, I would say that it's a decent option, but it's not without its room for growth.

The Legacy of the Force series keeps on going with its third installment, which is penned by Troy Denning this time. I have perused some of his previous works, and I have a great liking for them, particularly Star by Star. What I truly adore about his books is that I don't get the sense that the main characters are safeguarded by a "plot shield", as is often the case in other Star Wars books.

For me, the most crucial aspect was the dialogue. There was constantly an enormous amount of tension between certain specific characters, and I just loved it.

You will witness several lightsaber duels, space battles, as well as stealthy action. Overall, this book contains a plethora of elements that we cherish about Star Wars.

The only drawback for me was Jaina's storyline, which I typically enjoy. However, the other storylines were quite likable.

I wholeheartedly recommend continuing this series if you have already read the previous books. I would rate it a 7/10.

P.S.: If your primary motivation for picking up this book is to read about Tenel Ka (owing to the book's cover art), then it would be better to read a book from the New Jedi Order instead.

Excellent book!

The authors in this series collaborate splendidly, crafting a visually captivating atmosphere that vividly comes to life in your mind. It's truly remarkable how seamless the transition is between different authors in the series. You can hardly tell that a different pen is at work in this book compared to the previous one!

**** SPOILER ****

The author excels in making you witness the transformation of Jacen Solo as he treads the path of Darth Vader towards the dark side. It's almost heartbreaking to see him abandon his friends and family in his descent into darkness. His journey is both compelling and tragic, drawing you in and making you emotionally invested.

Wonderful book. Hard to put down!

-PB

I'd push this one to 3.5 stars.

It begins with a superb and intense introduction that immediately grabs the reader's attention. This leads into a significant amount of talk, where the characters engage in various conversations that add depth to the story. There is also a lot of sulking, which gives us insights into the characters' emotions and motivations.

Furthermore, there is a great deal of planning and machinations taking place behind the scenes. These elements keep the story arc going at a slow burn, gradually building up the tension.

However, it's not all just talk and planning. The story is punctuated by action set pieces that provide moments of excitement and drama. These action scenes add enough spice to the narrative to make it explosive at times, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat.

Overall, this story has its strengths and weaknesses, but it manages to maintain a certain level of interest throughout.

This is the third book in the Legacy of the Force series, and it is, by far, the best one in the series so far. Troy Denning has an excellent understanding of Han, Leia, Luke, and Mara, which makes their characters feel very real. He also does a much better job of depicting the motivations of all the characters compared to the previous two authors of Books 1 and 2.

The reasons behind Jacen’s descent to the Dark Side are the clearest in this book. We also get a better understanding of Han’s previous decision to back Corellia’s cause. Before this book, it seemed like Han Solo was just playing a game, and Leia was simply going along as a dutiful wife. However, in this book, their dynamic is much more in line with their true characters.

Denning adds a nice touch by tying Jacen’s “mine” Force vision back to Leia’s in “Tatooine Ghost.”

Tenal Ka and the Hapans are really great! It’s good to see them back in the story.

However, Ben Skywalker is the most annoying part of Tempest. He is such a brat!

Overall, this is an excellent showing. It has engaging characters, a well-developed plot, and some really great moments. I highly recommend this book to any Star Wars fan.

Not bad at all. It's a rather decent tale indeed. =)

The story has its own charm and manages to engage the reader to a certain extent. The plot unfolds in a way that keeps one's interest piqued.

Although it may not be the most outstanding or revolutionary piece of literature, it still has its merits. The characters are somewhat developed, and the setting is described vividly enough to create a mental image in the reader's mind.

Overall, it's a pleasant read that can pass the time and provide a bit of entertainment. It shows that even a simple and decent tale can have its place in the world of literature.