With the Jedi having to join forces with their mortal enemies, the Lost Sith, in an effort to survive the onslaught of the creature known as Albeloth, things seem to have come to a conclusion with her apparent death, but things are not so simple in the universe…

Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi - Vortex, written by Troy Denning, is the sixth book in what was originally published as hardback series comprised of nine volumes.

With the book opening with the death of the main protagonist, you’d be mistaken for wondering where the story had left to go. But, of course, Albeloth is not only a shape shifter, but can transfer her consciousness to other beings. It’s a bit of a literary cop out, but one that pays off well as the series progresses to its conclusion.

The book continues the dual thread story mode. The first has Luke and his son, Ben, now joined by the Sith apprentice, Vestara, continuing their quest to find and eliminate Albeloth. The alliance between the Sith and Jedi finally breaks when Ship, the sentient space craft, returns and takes both parties to the Pool of Knowledge, which not only shows both parties that Albeloth is still alive but also reveals that a future exists where a Jedi Queen would rule, something which the Sith will not tolerate.

The second strand of the book continues the story of the state’s persecution of the Jedi, having laid siege to the Temple on Coruscant. While the Luke and Ben story is written as a straightforward quest. Events on Coruscant play out more like a Romanesque political thriller, with lots of back stabbing and double dealing.

The book maintains a good balance between narrative and action sequences, involving Lightsaber fights, space and land battles. The older characters, Luke and the Solos, have little development, although the return of the Fallanassi and Akanah raises some interesting questions for Luke. It is with the younger cast, especially Ben and Vestara that most of the character development occurs. Both characters have started to grow closer, not least because they are more alike than either would wish to believe, both have a strong sense of purpose which leads them to constantly disobey their orders, convinced that they, alone, can change events happening around them. Their similarity also causes most of their, often, violent clashes.

You can’t help but feel that the book stands as filler in the series. The plague on Pydyr provides another event for Luke to engage in, but does little to forward the overall plot. Likewise the lengthy trial may turn some readers off.

So, it’s a competently written book, which nudges the overall plot forward.

6

Charles Packer