"I don't want to discourage your curiosity, but I have to remind you, if something goes wrong, this is an exceptionally embarassing way to die."When we last checked into our favorite galaxy far, far away under fire from an alien invasion force, Luke and Mara were on Coruscant for a recon mission and Borleias was hunkering down for war. In Rebel Stand, Luke and Mara find someone on Coruscant who is even more scary than the Yuuzhan Vong and Jaina the Trickster Goddess helps secure a great big victory for the New Republic.NOTE: Based on audiobook and novel.First off, I'm going to complain about the audiobook. So if you don't want to hear me gripe, skip this part.I understand these audiobooks are abridged, but frak it, does that mean completely omitting half the plot in the novel just so that the entire thing can fit on two two-sided cassettes? Just like how most (all!) of the Coruscant plot-line is omitted from the enormous, Star by Star, here most of the battle on Borleias, the resolution of Tam the spy, the tricks of Jaina the Trickster Goddess, and Han and Leia's exploits are gone. Nothing. Nada. When I read this as a young teen, the battle of Borleias was one of the only space battles recounted in a novel that sparked creativity and inspired me to make a (crude, disgusting, horrible) drawing. What happens to Tam? What are Han and Leia doing? And what about Jaina, her tricks, and her budding romance with Jag (BTW, I forgot to mention in the last review that Allston can totally write romance)? Or what about all the HUMOR that Allston is known for? Oh, no, sorry, they're not important. Instead, let's focus on Luke and Mara's recon mission to Coruscant, the mystery of Nyax and that damn Viqi Shesh and her stupid (and unfulfilled) quest to escape. GAH!Okay, thanks for your patience. Now, back to the review--or what I can review.In case you didn't read that huge paragraph rant, I want to say that this review, like my review for Star by Star, is going to be peppered with gaps that the audiobook skipped and my memory forgot from its first reading.Allston definitely writes his characters well. Luke, Mara, Tahiri, Wedge, Jaina...all are in fine form, great friends whom I love to watch as they battle the fierce Yuuzhan Vong. I can't think of a single character he wrote that was bad.The story was pretty interesting. I liked the return of Irek Ismaren to Star Wars continuity, even if Children of the Jedi (his debut) wasn't my favorite novel. I thought it a bit crazy to have him take up such a huge chunk of the story, but (again) that is a complaint more towards the audiobook. It was nice to see Luke, Mara, and Tahiri banding together to fight him. Of course, I always like to see more about Tahiri. She's a really interesting character.Space battles were well-done, as was the trickery of Jaina the Trickster Goddess. Of course, Allston wrote several X-Wing books, so that should come as a no-brainer. If there was anything I didn't like, it was the death of a prominent Yuuzhan Vong at the end of the book. Once again, authors create a Yuuzhan Vong villain solely for their book and then kill him or her off by the end. It's aggravating.It was also great how the New Republic won and lost at the same time. On one hand, they lost Borleias to the Yuuzhan Vong; on the other, they destroyed a worldship using Lusankya. It was obvious by how it was written that Allston had intended for this destruction to be THE big indication that the tide was turning, and he did it well. Of course, I couldn't help but also note that technically, the New Republic has been doing quite a bit of winning since Vector Prime. In fact, if you switch the Yuuzhan Vong and the New Republic, this book is a good example of how the earlier books should have been written. The New Republic should have "defeated" Helska, but the more prominent story was about how they lost "X". At least, that's my two cents.Even with the abridged audiobook chopping this to pieces, I was still able to see the great story Allston wrote. It's a great book, exciting, funny, intense, and for those who have hated how the Yuuzhan Vong are unstoppable, this is the book that assures you otherwise.
I was quite excited by the first entry in this duology, Rebel Dream. I liked the "insurgent" plotline, Luke and Mara leading a resistance cell to Coruscant, etc. I liked the defense of Borleias.I was slightly less impressed with Rebel Stand.I was expecting Luke and Mara to meet survivors, invite a group of spies into Coruscant. Instead, that didn't happen. Overall, a decent read, especially saved by the ending battle sequence between the Borleias defenders and the Yuuzhan Vong.*SPOILERS BELOW*Using it to keep track of the events in each book of the NJO series.Luke, Mara, Tahiri,and various civilians explore Coruscant. They find some survivors in lower levels, but the Vong are trying to reshape the world and change its orbit. They find a part cyborg, time-suspended Dark Jedi called Lord Nyax. They destroy him by making him fall down a huge tower into a well of Force energy near where the old Jedi temple used to be. Jaina continues the ruse of pretending to be the Trickster Goddess. The Rogues successfully trick the Vong into chasing a missile with Jaina's fake signature, killing them all.The New Republic forces abandon Borleais. The Lusankya capital ship, with a crew of one, has a huge spike concealed inside, and the captain uses it to ram the Vong Worldship and destroy it, escaping in a Y-Wing. Wedge, the last one off the planet, escapes in an abandoned X-Wing, defending a Millennium Falcon-esque ship on the way out. Single-handedly destroying an entire squadron of coralskippers. The Anakin-Solo-lookalike-kid Tarc is "adopted" by Tam and Wolam, the holocam operators. Tam discovers and thwarts a Vong spy living in the biotics facility. Tsavong Lah's father dies as part of the worldship when it's rammed by the Lusankya.
Do You like book Rebel Stand (Enemy Lines, #2) (2002)?
One of, if not the best, duology of "The New Jedi Order" (NJO)series. The NJO is known for it's heavy plot and ambitious storyline previously unseen in the Star Wars universe. The seriousness of the storyline (with several main character deaths) sometimes felt oppressive as a reader, but then! The Enemy Lines duology and Aaron Allston arrives injecting more humor and levity than any of the other NJO authors had. Some may be familiar with Mr. Allston's Wraith squadron from the X-Wing novels --they're back in full force and a pleasure to see again. Mr. Allston was a wonderful choice to author NJO books and it was great to laugh out loud when reading a NJO book (something I never thought I'd do after the death of (view spoiler)[ ice blue eyes ... ) (hide spoiler)]
—The Artist Librarian (Jen)
This second book in the Enemy Lines mini-arc was better than the first. It had more action, was more straightforward than its predecessor, and was even funny at times. Without trying to spoil the ending, I really enjoyed the final sequence when the Yuuzhan Vong make their last ditch effort to take Borleias, and Wedge Antilles and his small but determined band of soldiers & pilots fight back. I also started to really get a sense for Warmasters Tzulkang Lah and his son, Tsavong Lah. Both could be considered great leaders for their determination and desire to win, but the whole diabolically evil trait, Tsavong in particular, they display makes them both perfect foils for our heroes.Now, where I think this whole novel goes wrong is the Lord Nyax story. It is just that, a story; a short story surrounded by the bits and pieces of a good tale from the Yuuhan Vong Invasion. It begins and ends within the 300+ pages of this book, and seemingly has nothing to do with the Yuuzhan Vong or their attempt to eradicate the "infidels" of this galaxy. I guess Aaron Allston, the author, needed to give Luke Skywalker something to do while the rest of the crew fought the Vong. Even Han & Leia's subplot line flls a bit flat, but it is at least loosely tied to the fight against the extraordinary foe they are facing. Another case of a good Star Wars novel being divided into a two book mini-series that drags on a bit too long.
—William
As a whole, the Duology that is Enemy Lines I & II acts a pivot point in the narrative of Star Wars: The New Jedi Order. Considering the steps that Aaron Allston took in Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream to give the reader the indication that hope was still to be found, Rebel Stand does not fail to deliver an intriguing story.Following the mold of the first book in the Duology, Rebel Stand sticks very close to some of the less Force-Sensitive Characters while still allowing the Jedi who are present in the story to shine. From Calrissian to Wedge, it is oddly rewarding for the reader to enjoy the oft overlooked Characters they have come to know from other series.The story overall is fast paced. Unlike the introspection concerning the Force that seemed to play a major part in other books of the overall series, the reader is in constant motion throughout Rebel Stand. One moment the reader will find that they are caught in the Dejarik game over Borleias; the next they are thrust to the surface of Coruscant in pursuit of what could possibly be an even bigger threat to the Galaxy than the Yuuzhan Vong. If this were not enough, in the midst of all the action, subterfuge abounds. Though the different elements progress rapidly, the reader never feels as though they are losing their grasp on the overall story.Now, the story does hit a few speed bumps toward the end. With all of the imaginative build up, the reader is left wishing for something far more nefarious to be found on the surface of Coruscant. This, however, does not last for long. With the flip of a page (or two), the reader is thrust into the midst of a battle which becomes the last stand of Borleias.An interesting addition to the Star Wars: New Jedi Order series, but in no way unwelcome. The approach to the story that Aaron Allston takes is appreciated while not seeming out of place. The development of some of the new characters was strong, while not treating the existing in an uncharacteristic manner. The plot points were strong and the story was easy to follow. The perceived climax of the story may be the only place that leaves the reader a little perplexed. Overall, it is an enjoyable read and acts as a strong midway point of the entire series.
—Adam
