Legends Review: Shadows of Mindor
My 1st Legends book review/recap is one of the more interesting ones, with an adversary who deserved to be featured more prominently than he was. It also serves as a sequel of sorts to the Mace Windu novel Shatterpoint, as characters from that novel appear in prominent roles here. It also resurrects the villain Blackhole who was the adversary for the main heroes in the Russ Manning comic strips, with the black armored Stormtroopers making a comeback. The story also explains how Luke Skywalker was not only a general, but the only battle he would take an active part in while using that rank.
What I hated: At times, the book takes some, interesting turns. Chewie's roars and R2's beeps are all spelled out. It takes away from the story flow. Also the chapters are either really long, or very long. At 311 pages there are under 20 chapters. Also, while I like connecting to past characters, I felt like there were just too many of them. Han & Leia have a story, Lando has a story, Luke, Cronal, Aeona, the droids, the Clones in black armor, you get the point. Character development is nearly impossible. Cronal also writing and producing propaganda films is laughable, especially since he transfers his mind into other people, and tries to stay 1 step ahead of the heroes at the same time.
What I loved: Despite the flaws, the book is still a steady read. Something is always happening and there is rarely a lull in the action. Propaganda films are common here on our planet, bit in a galaxy far, far away they play a big role in shaping opinions about out heroes and villains. All the reintroduced characters are easy to understand as the author quickly goes over their pasts. You might not know who Cronal, Nick Rostu or Kar Vastor are, but you know enough about them to get through the story. Also, Lando Calrissian is a rare sight in single story novels. Here, he's still a general. Luke holding himself accountable is another. He accepts the results, being cleared of war crimes. He also drops a humorous line "red heads aren't my type". The humor was a relief, wasn't over used and came when needed.
Score: 3.5 out of 5. It's not a bad read, but it isn't a great one. The chapter lengths can make it frustrating but the story is solid, and it covers a missing segment from Legends not many are aware of.
What I hated: At times, the book takes some, interesting turns. Chewie's roars and R2's beeps are all spelled out. It takes away from the story flow. Also the chapters are either really long, or very long. At 311 pages there are under 20 chapters. Also, while I like connecting to past characters, I felt like there were just too many of them. Han & Leia have a story, Lando has a story, Luke, Cronal, Aeona, the droids, the Clones in black armor, you get the point. Character development is nearly impossible. Cronal also writing and producing propaganda films is laughable, especially since he transfers his mind into other people, and tries to stay 1 step ahead of the heroes at the same time.
What I loved: Despite the flaws, the book is still a steady read. Something is always happening and there is rarely a lull in the action. Propaganda films are common here on our planet, bit in a galaxy far, far away they play a big role in shaping opinions about out heroes and villains. All the reintroduced characters are easy to understand as the author quickly goes over their pasts. You might not know who Cronal, Nick Rostu or Kar Vastor are, but you know enough about them to get through the story. Also, Lando Calrissian is a rare sight in single story novels. Here, he's still a general. Luke holding himself accountable is another. He accepts the results, being cleared of war crimes. He also drops a humorous line "red heads aren't my type". The humor was a relief, wasn't over used and came when needed.
Score: 3.5 out of 5. It's not a bad read, but it isn't a great one. The chapter lengths can make it frustrating but the story is solid, and it covers a missing segment from Legends not many are aware of.
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