Fate of the Jedi: Ascension

Christie Golden absolutely smashes it out of the park again with this novel, her prose is perfect for me - simplistic, character and action focused, and mostly fast-paced. I mean it in a good way when I say she doesn't try anything overtly experimental, doesn't break the pace of the series or anything, she very quickly steals the show.

This book has lots of the best moments of the series, but unfortunately, it spends nearly one hundred pages getting bogged down in the whole Lecersen shit, which luckily, finally comes to a head, and ends up an actually engaging and satisfying plot.

But this does take way too long for me!

Abeloth in this book returns to her more mysterious ways, to the point we actually lose track of who she is and where she is, before eventually she manages to become Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance, Sith all over Coruscant.

I like how we've set the stage of Coruscant for battle, and I was more pleased to see Abeloth return to being more strange, different, and unknowable. It felt like we were getting to know her very well, and I now like how she's back to being mysterious again.

There's even a moment where she's a weird, blobby tentacle thing with a face that's growing knobbly legs and arms. Vile imagery.

The Lecersen and Daala build up ended up being mostly worth it, as there was a really exciting battle between Jag's forces and hers, as it is also revealed that the Empire of the Hand is back, and Jag assists help from the Chiss.

It's still a long battle that isn't over yet, but I like how they failed to assassinate Jag, and it does feel like a while since we've seen his intellect and capacity in a battle, especially a space battle on this level, possibly since New Jedi Order.

Vestara and Ben were a highlight of the book.

Well, THE highlight.

After a large battle where Luke and Jaina face six Sith, Ben against Three, Vestara against her father, she ends up having to kill her father, Gavar Khai, and not only is it a really exciting battle, it's very sad.

It's a major stepping stone for Vestara that suddenly makes her path to the light more believable, and Jaina being the one to comfort her, remarking how she had to kill her own brother, how she still misses him, and that Vestara will too, was a really sweet moment.

Eventually, Ben finds Vestara's notes to her imaginary father, Gavar Khai as a Jedi Knight, and herself as his apprentice, and it's a really upsetting but beautiful scene as he comforts her and they finally kiss. She even asks if she can be a Jedi!

But I am still so disappointed in Vestara. Before retreating to Coruscant, Vestara in battle against some Sith creature on one of the planets they are exploring, ends up killing the Jedi Knight Natua in order to save Ben.

It's complex because while I see, understand, and sympathise with why she did so, after all... in her position, I can see myself and many others doing the same, to prioritise the one you love. But it's another stab at her journey towards being a Jedi, and makes me think that possibly it will never happen.

Overall, it's a really good book.

Perhaps, for me at least, a touch overrated, as the book gets bogged down into politics after an explosive opening for quite a while, but ends up making up for it mostly.

Abeloth and the Lost Tribe have taken over the Galactic Alliance, poor Dorvan is being tortured and will probably die, Vestara will love Ben until she has to inevitably kill him...

Yeah, this was great!

8/10