Fate of the Jedi: Omen

Christie Golden slips right into the team alongside Allston and Denning, taking Traviss' place extremely well, and doing a much better job of telling a story in-line with the series rather than detracting from it with a bizarre and contradicting focus on Mandalorians that differs between superb and weirdly forced.

She repeatedly and effortlessly utilises lore from past novels and other Star Wars media expertly, and really fits the team very well, building off of the last book from Allston, and starting new plot threads that begin to bubble for the next book.

Whilst it begins to lose steam a little later on, it quickly catches that fire again and the book is a really enjoyable book, if a bit short of a read.

It's really saddening to have more and more Jedi succumb to the madness and hysteria spreading from Jedi to Jedi, and I'm really just amazed at what it could be. I don't think it's the Sith from Kesh.

The One Sith? Or is it Abeloth?

Not a clue, honestly.

I am on and off with the Galactic Alliance and their political troubles with the Jedi, but at the same time, I have to face the fact that without Omas, it's very realistic with Daala.

Natasi Daala is very power hungry, and wants control over the Jedi. She masterfully utilises politics and the events around her to gain control and power, and force submission, also turning public opinion against the Jedi in a manner that whilst aggravating, is very true to life.

Ben and Luke's journey is superb again, if not better, and their travels are really getting me into a Christmas-sy mood. It has proper Goonies vibes and I love letting them be isolated to develop and grow together, to learn and explore, but also in penance for Luke's failings.

Unlike Luke in The Last Jedi, for example, I love that Luke is in exile but determined to make up for his mistakes and help the Jedi, to come back a better person and serve his sentence. Although you can make various arguments to make Luke in The Last Jedi seem better, him giving up like he does... it's just not something I buy.

I love the tension that grows between Ben and Luke about Jacen and flow-walking, and I love how it is sorted out in the end. I love their relationship as father and son, and it made me feel very sad that Ben wanted to flow-walk to learn why Jacen turned and hopefully prevent it. Only to regret trying when given the chance.

The whole story with Luke, Ben, and Tadar'Ro who taught them was really lovely, I love how after each trip you can truly feel Luke and Ben growing in some way, learning not just about the Force and Jacen, but about themselves.

The Sith on Kesh was an idea I initially thought cheap, but I now think is a really clever way to not just bring back the Sith, but a whole tribe of ancient Sith specifically is what intrigues me. These are the Sith of the Old Republic, they are large in number and have different beliefs and values. I like that a lot, and I am already coming to really like the characters as part of them now.

Generally, this book is another cog in the machine that is Fate of the Jedi, and not in a bad way. Just that it is one of the many moving pieces taking the reader to the next step, the next book. So not really a lot happens outside of the Kesh subplot, and Luke and Ben's journey.

It is an entertaining and quick read, not surpassing the last book, but not any worse either. Almost everything is handled really well, except for the zoo section with Jaina, Han, Leia, and Allana - as well as two other Jedi.

It stunk of forced action, and while it luckily leads to something entertaining and important, another mad Jedi causing tension between the Galactic Alliance and the Jedi, it's not a very entertaining action sequence and left me a skimming for a few pages. Luckily, they recaptured my attention quickly.

So it's another great book in the series, continuing the plots of the last book and progressing them. Now, I imagine, Troy Denning will hopefully take up the reigns for a book that should be a blast to read!

I hope.

8/10