Star Wars: Dark Tide Onslaught

The Yuuzhan Vong continue their attack against all beings in the New Republic. They cannot be detected by the Jedi through the Force. Will the New Republic leadership stop it's infighting and make a united effort against the attackers? Can these alien invaders be defeated with their strange living weapons? The fight continues, with little success.

the yuuzhan von have started their invasion of the universe. luke
skywalker sends the jedi out on diffrent missions to check out
the activity on the rim to see if the enemy has been attackin. they find more than they barained for. the solo kids play a nice
role in it and they have all the old favorites in it so it is
really nice to see everyone workin toether for once. i recommend
that you read the whole series and you will not be disappointed.

It has been noted that NJO books are darker, heavier than the earlier novels. This one focuses mostly on the Force, it explores Luke's relationship with it, and the Solo kid's developing relationship it, as well. It should be noted that the Solo kids are the main stars of this book, and they're developing into very distinct, separate characters. They're very nicely written in "Onslaught", I found myself captivated by them. There's almost no Han, unfortunately. The book has a surprising amount of rather explicit violence and many battle scenes. They're not overdone, but make up a good chunk of the book. This does give us a better idea of the Vong the way they are perceived by the other characters, while only one chapter in the entire novel is told from their perspective. On the whole, it's not the best SW book I've read, but it's a -good- book. The characters are believable, there is some Luke and Mara chemistry (yay!) and a few coming-of-age stories. I liked it.

Onslaught is certainly an improvement over Vector Prime. Considering the amount of time Stackpole has already spent in the Star Wars universe it should be. I was still dissapointed though. The Jedi's internal conflict feels forced, and the Vong are still rather flat though the epilogue was encouraging. My biggest complaint is the character inconsistencies. By Visions of the Future Leia was a Jedi if also a diplomat, and now she's not? Kyp is completely unrecognizable. And what *is* Danni's purpose? Han I believe is being set up for his own parallel books, but I think that is a huge mistake and a cop out. Stackpole's normal problems with weak dialogue and hollow supporting characters were there, but he is the action king. The action was good when he finally got around to it, and he handled the Jedi very well in respect to their fighting abilities and ingenuity. I think that the New Jedi Order over all is missing the elements of grandeur and wonder. And without them, it just doesn't *feel* like Star Wars.

I read this book and was completly mesmerized by how well Mr Stackpole writes. It really is a work of art how well he blends action with interesting plot lines. I really wanted to read this book because I loved I,JEDI,whose main character is in this book as well. But I am disappionted with the NJO because the Solo kids are nothing like they are in the YOUNG JEDI KNIGHT books,especially Jacen, who all of a sudden is a philosipher,what's up with that? And another thing,where are all the great supporting characters from the YJK books?Tenel Ka,Zekk,Raynar,not to mention Lowbacca,whom I bet could be a very interesting character in the NJO,after all the yuuzhan Vong are responsible for his uncle's death and a wookiee with a lightsaber looking for revenge would be pretty interesting. But not to get to off subject,In Dark Tide 1:onslaught I thought Kyp should have a larger part as a vetern Hero , he is being portrayed as a brash,inexperianced Jedi,which he is not. How can anybody who came back from the darkside have a cocky approach to the Force,it just dosen't make sense. But overall this book is great,don't let my nit picking stop you from reading it.It's very cool.

Michael Stackpole is arguably the best Star Wars author. His handling of the Jedi and Rogue Squadron characters is as strong as in his X-Wing novels. I especially love his treatment of Leia, who manages, for once, to convey strength of will, decisiveness, and dedication to duty. I find that one of my biggest complaints when I read books by some of the other Star Wars authors is, they keep trying to let her get all blubbery and that is simply not the Leia I got to know in the films.
If you haven't dug into the New Jedi Order books, I strongly recommend that you do some quick catch-up reading, or you may have some confusion keeping two generations of characters straight. There is so much detail in the Star Wars universe with incredibly complex plot lines. Mr. Stackpole has beautifully managed to present this universe with clarity and a bunch of really easy-to-know characters. Oh! and let us not forget the real reason we read this stuff; rockin' action all the way through!

This one really, for me, borders four stars and five stars. Michael Stackpole is one of my favorite authors, and I really enjoyed this book. I think he has this one under his thumb. It was really excellent. The Yuzhan Vong are still here, menacing and scary, but they Are all that they are played up to be.
I started to get a little more enthusiastic about Anikan, who, I don't mean this in a BAD way, I have always considered somewhat of a brat. I actually like him, and I enjoyed Jacen more too. I really like this book a lot better than Vector Prime, although that was a very good book too. Corran Horn is brought into perspective well, as only Stackpole can do, and Jaina makes it into Rogue Squadron, which is just too cool. Mara Jade is back into it, trying to overcome her disease, and Luke and Mara's marriage is the real thing. The opinion of Borsk Felya, Chief of State, doesn't change. He is still the political weasel he was before, and you can't feel anything but respect for Admiral Kre'Fey, his cousin.
I really liked this book. It isn't my favorite Star Wars book, and it probably isn't Michael A Stackpoles best book either, but it was Definately worth reading. I'm just not sure if it's a four star or a five star.

Stackpole will forever be one of my favorite authors, not just Star Wars. I liked this book a lot. Corran and Gavin were right on in this book. I still wish that Danni Quee would have died. Stackpole makes her less annoying. The Solo children were done well. I do think Luke was a little stiff in the beginning. This book did great foreshadowing of Jacen and what will happen to him later down the line. My hope is one day Stackpole writes a Star Wars novel again.

This book couldn't keep me interested for more than 3 chapters at a time... Where have all the original characters gone? The Brat Pack(i.e. Han, Luke, and Leia) are now minor characters who appear every once in a great while. Luke appears as an old man tired by everything, while more focus is given to his wife, Mara Jade, whose illness has been going on for a LONG time now... Could it be over soon, please? Leia has stepped back and allowed her children to leave her... and they are only 16 and 15 years old. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I cannot see her, OR Han allowing that. Speaking of Han, he's now drowning himself in liquor and becoming the local drunk. Where have our heros gone? Why have they been allowed to leave? This book disappoints me in that effect... However, the Yuuzhan Vong are quite unique. Their hate for technology is refreshing. Their biological weaponry and starships make for quite interesting reading material... Perhaps if that, combined with Han, Leia, and Luke were placed in Dark Tide 1 and Dark Tide 2, I would have enjoyed them more.

Well, this book was definately not what i was expecting. I'm not a big Han fan myself, but sheesh! Two measly pages? (maybe one, I didn't count.) When I read about all that "Luke fans will enjoy this one" I thought well, finally. Hel-lo! After every fight he gets exhausted, and the dialougue (in all the original characters, but especieally Luke) was hideous! I mean, when would Luke say "Wow, I'd not expected that" ? When would Mara ever say anything along the lines of "husband mine" and "my love"? Sheesh again. wheres' the REAL Stackpole? Is he asleep? Or better yet, I guess the question is, Where's Tim Zahn? I only gave it two stars because at least they didn't kill off anyone else cool. And Mara had better not be next! husband mine, indeed!

Not since "Heir to the Empire"has an author recaptured the raw feel of "Empire Strikes Back". Mike's new forray into the SW universe is definitely worth reading. His character development of Corran Horn is expounded from "I, Jedi", and you really get the feel that this is one Jedi that has some major events looming on his horizon. The Solo children begin to come out of their teeny bopper stages as well, and it will be interesting as to how other authors treat these new characters' development. (Sorry Kevin, but your Jedi brats were kinda weanie). Stackpole also addresses some ethical issues regarding the use of the force that really shed new light on events that will likely transpire in the new prequel trilogy (episodes II and III). DEFINITELY READ THIS BOOK! I can't wait to get my hands on DARK TIDE II: RUIN.

The problems with this novel are dual. The first major problem is that it strictly adheres to the plot formula established by Timothy Zahn in the first Star Wars trilogy and by now this formula is looking threadbare and tired. Stackpole strictly adheres to the Zahn formula of shifting scenes/perspectives every chapter even when it might be more profitable to remain focused on one plot thread for two or three chapters. His ability to gather those plot threads together at the end of the novel is also less than accomplished. Not surprisingly, Stackpole also interjects a heavy dose of the always stiffly written Rogue Squadron into a book which is supposed to focus on "The New Jedi Order".
The second problem with this novel is Michael Stackpole's tin ear for dialogue and adherence to the "tell me; don't show me" school of writing. All of the Jedi speak as if they were members of twelve step programs who will incessantly tell you about their personal growth even as it simultaneously occurs.
Only truly devoted Star Wars fiction fans should bother with this one. Basically, Dark Tide: Onslaught is a potboiler that simmers at best.

Having read almost everyone of the Star Wars novels, I found this book enjoyable to read. The New Jedi order series got off to a good start in Vector Prime, and is continued with Dark Tide I: Onslaught. It is definately good enough for me to anticipate the next in the series greatly. If you are an avid fan of the Star Wars universe, I would definitely suggest reading this new series.

Another great book for Stackpole! I'm a HUGE Michael A. Stackpole fan. I like how he conveys a sense of humanity into the characters. The majority of Star Wars books portray omnipotence in the main characters, but in Onslaught you really see that even they have their weaknesses, ecspecially Luke and Han. One thing I did not like about the book was the limited interaction between everyone. I mean, Jacen and Jaina are twins, but don't even utter a single word to each other in the entire book! Also, Anakin's whole viewpoint seems to have changed since Vector Prime. Whether this was on purpose or not, I don't know, but Stackpole could have explained his transformation better. Like I said, great book, but the few holes I found take a lot away from the story. I didn't think it was as well written as Vector Prime, but pretty close.

Book Review
The Yuzen Vong are ruthless and terrible warriors, who are trying to conquer the galaxy. the New Republic ignored Leia's warning about there threat and allowed the alliens to conquer a substantial part of the outer rim. This book also showed all the powers of a jedi master by doing amazing things like pulling a giant armored vehichle into a black hole using the force. My Oppinions
I thought this book was terrific. It had a lot of action. I can't believe how powerful the Yuzen Vong are. They were deadly warriors. If you have the book read the epolique because it tells a lot about the book. The proluque is aalso an essential part to read. The final battle was very interesting but showed a horrible bloody picture in your mind. NAyone who has the spare time to should definately order this book. Find Out the details as soon as possible

Mr. Stackpole proves again that he is indeed one of the masters of the Star Wars Expanded Universe.
He has done a fantastic job with Onslaught and I'm very glad he is following up Vector Prime (which I like as well, BTW). The characterizations are top notch, and I loved the way he portrays Anakin in this one. I know some people complained that Han Solo doesn't appear in this book much, but you have to take into consideration that he does not serve any purpose in this part of the story and does not enhance the plot anyway (except tell us his whereabouts). This is a good call since he would have a more prominent role in Hero's Trial.
Overall, it's an excellent book - go read it now!

Extremely well written. I definitely prefer Stackpole over Salvatore! Book was fast paced and a quick read. I really liked that he gave us the color of the lightsabers that the Jedi used. It seemed to favor the protagonist's point of view rather than incorporate antagonistic (Vong) points of view. I had really believed that Corran Horn had died. Was that a surprise or what? Conversations were a bit choppy but at least Stackpole didn't write "wry" every second line!! But he did overuse "Emperor's Black Bones" and, "Sithspawn" a lot. I don't think that these people are that immature. Can't wait for part two!

Anyone who has an issue with Michael A. Stackpoles portrayal of the Star Wars universe can come and find me. He is definitely one of the best authors I have read. I have not read onslaught yet but am about to as soon as my rant is finished but I can tell you I already know I'll love it by the author's name on the cover. Thank you for crafting such wonderful images with your words Michael!

Well! First of all, Michael A. Stackpole is a superb writer! I reccomend this book to anyone who likes a good story. It helps to have read Vector Prime by R.A. Salvatore first, and to have a decent backroung in Star Wars fiction. You will see a good deal of favorite characters here, though not much of Han. Borsk Fey'lya is the President of the Republic, and Gavin Darklighter is leader of Rogue Squadron. The Solo kids are kicking some Yuzhan Vong booty. Luke and Mara are a believeable couple, and Jedi Knight Corran Horn gives you a heart attack in the last few chapters. (a RATHER LARGE ONE!) Overall, a great book- restores any damage done by Salvatore in the last one. A must read for any true Star Wars fan!

in order of not putting down the first book writen by salvatore, I must say that his effort to deal with caracters that were allready stablish, and known by quite sometime, was great! but some how satckpole vision was more compeling putting the heat were it was need it,the first book was ellegant enougth to bring me back to the old magic that star wars was for me, but the second book just blew up my mind, making me feel like a kid again! and wishing for that third book to come out.

luke skywalker teaches jacen colo in the force now.luke spent this book rescuing those closest to him.mara teaches anakan a little also but is really jainas master.when no one coyld effectively handle the vong,anakan bested 2.like certain other anakans he was very strong in the force.the vong actualy grow thier ships they are so opposed to tech.the ships can produce black hole shields which the good guys find very frustrating.danni-the scientist that 1st discovered the vong works with anakan to stop the vong.also a couple of rogue squadrons best rejoin them.the clones/storm troopers are good again.lots of action!a real page turner!

THIS BOOK DID NOT DWELL ON LEIA'S DIPLOMATIC ABILITY OR LANDO'S ADVENTURES BUT INSTEAD RETURNED TO THE TRUE THEME OF STAR WARS. THE JEDI. I FOUND IT REFRESHING TO SEE JEDI OTHER THAN LUKE GO AND "USE THE FORCE" TO GREAT LENGTHS. STACKPOLE PAID ATTENTION TO DETAIL FROM OTHER BOOKS AND BROUGHT THE FACINATING NOGRHI BACK TO PROTECT LEIA INSTEAD OF SNIFFERS AND SHOOTERS. IT WAS TREMENDOUSLY FAST PACED AND KEPT INTREST FROM COVER TO COVER. I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT IDEA TO WAIT TO THE VERY LAST CHAPTER TO FINALLY MEET THE VONG'S LEADER AND GET A SMALL CLUE OF WHAT THE MOTIVE IS. I CAN'T WAIT TILL THE NEXT BOOK COMES OUT.

Michael A Stackpole opened this story up with a wonderful idea. The plot was magnificant, but I would have liked to see more Han Solo and less of the complaining of Jacen Solo. I also would like to see the cure for Mara's disease, I grow tired of the sick Mara. She needs to fight not be taken care of, although I did appreciate the way she helped Anakin develope.
I also believe that we should have seen more action from the New Republic and the wonderful characters such as Wedge.
Overall, it was an outstanding book but I had expected much more. I look forward to reading Dark Tide Ruin.

The story continues the involved story arc of the New Jedi Order begun in Vector Prime - an awesome book in itself - regarding the invasion of the Yuuzhan Vong, a race outside the galaxy intent on conquering the GFFA. The suspense is kept up through out - another grab you by the throat and not let go book like many in the series. My favorite parts were with Luke and Mara and their longing to have children. If you haven't started this series, take one step back, go to Vector Prime and have a great time!

I personally enjoyed the book very much as it was fast paced and well written. My only complaint is that Dark Tide 1 and 2 should be one book, they are both very short and would have been better served as one novel instead of two really short books

The book dark Tide Onslaught was a well writen book. I found this very good book and is full of exciting battles with an new ara of jedis. Jania and Jacen Solo twins of Han and Leia Organa Solo. Also there younger son Anakin Solo. Corran Horn the old member of Rogue Squadron. Luke Skywalker Jedi Knight and his Wife Mara Jade Skywalker. They are fighting the evil Yuuzhan Vong who are on the ready to invade the galaxy. Leia Organa Solo leader of the New Republic tries to convince the senate the Yuuzhan Vong are a threat. This was an all out battle and I am looking forward to the next book Dark tide Ruin.

SO AWFUL. I couldnt believe how much this book upset me. After the first book from the NJO series, i had my hopes up for the second one. This one just plain did not live up to its title of Star Wars. I am very upset. If i could give it a zero, i would.

This was altogether a good book. One problem I have with Michael A. Stackpole's style of writing is that it is so "speechy". Also a little too much emphasis was on Corran Horn. He is a good character but the emphasis should be placed on the originals. Han Solo was only in the book for about 3 pages.
This book was definately not as dark as vector Prime(I don't understand why everyone hated that book, I enjoyed it)but still had a good story.
It was also too fast-paced and short, only 292 pages, but still worth reading.

I enjoyed this book. Light reading, yes, but entertaining none-the-less. However, I have a problem with depiction of Han Solo. This "I'm hurt so now I'm a worthless sponge" bit is not in keeping with his character. I'm afraid it's a move to distance us from him, so the author can kill him off in a heroic, selfless sacrifice (to make up for his behavior). Other than this, great book!

The New Jedi Order series is simply incredible. It is such an involved journey that you feel as if you're part of it, continually compelled to read on. This chapter of the series was no exception. All of the books in the series deserve a 5 out of 5, as does this book. Such incredible things happened that left me blown away and amazed, making me pause to soak in the awesome things that have happened. You feel what the characters are going through, you hope with them and share their pain. It is a great addition to the NJO series.

Please, Han, please shape up. I loved the attitude you bring into the Star Wars universe. I loved Chewie too, but you have to realize, he was filled with joy that you would live, even as he died.
This is an absolutly wonderful book. Please, read it.
From Obi-Wan Kenobi's greiving wife,
Aur Revoir

Michael Stackpole is pretty talented. After I read Vector Prime, I was ready to toss the whole "alien race coming to get us" into a garbage can. Onslaught did a good job of making them a real threat, and having our heroes deal with them. I also like his development of the Jedi. Jacen's interior search, Jaina's struggling out of her mother's shadow, and Anakin's learning to "walk without his crutch" were all compelling. I'm looking forward to the next one.

It's worth noting that "Dark Tide: Onslaught" should probably not be read if you haven't yet read R.A. Salvatore's "New Jedi Order: Vector Prime", since understanding the beginning of Onslaught seems to require having read Vector Prime. At least that was how I felt, and have since put down Onslaught until Vector Prime is released in softcover.
I hope that Del Rey will not be releasing books "out of order" like this in the future, since I refuse to pay the extra $$ for the overpriced hardcover editions.
I'm giving Onslaught only one star because of this shortcoming -- which I should note falls solely on the Del Rey editorial folks for publishing in this manner, and not on Stackpole, whose other Star Wars books I have enjoyed.

This book was a great improvement from the first book of the series. This book gave the reader a great balance of dogfighting and hand to hand combat. It was great to see the Jedi use different force abilities as well as lightsaber combat.

Ths book is great because Luke and the other Jedi finally fight with the force. I have been so mad in recent books when they make Luke passive and afraid to use the force even for good becasue he might go over to the dark side. I am a little mad about Han however, who blames Anakin the whole book. All and all it's a great book with tons of jedi action. The sequal is also fabulous.

This book kept me interested the whole way. The characters had much depth to them, allowing me to get into their heads, and understand what they were thinking, and why they were thinking it. I couldn't say that much for Vector Prime. I actually felt the old charm of Star Wars coming back,the charm VP so ruthelessly took away. It was great seeing old characters like Corran Horn, and Gavin Darklighter back into the mix. I enjoyed this book immensely, and i hope Stackpole will continue writing Star Wars books.

If you are familiar with Stackpole's work, then you'll know that this is a lot different. In his other Star Wars books, he focuses on the fighter jocks. In Onslaught, Stackpole writes from the point of view of some characters he's never done before, such as Luke Skywalker and Anakin Solo. The plot is good, but not gripping. It leaves you craving for more of the story.

Michael Stackpole has done it again. Onslaught is an excellent book. Stackpole also has done a tremendous job with all the Star Wars books he has written. My advice for Star Wars readers: If it is written by Stackpole, you will enjoy it.

I liked how the author developed separate challenges for the characters and then brought them all together for a big ending. The theme is consistant with the original Star Wars and also introduces a different point of view to life and the force. I did not, however, appreciate the amount of detailed violence. I think the book would be rated at a PG-13 or higher for violence if it were a movie.

Personally i loved this book. Lots of plot and action just what everyone expects in a good book. The only problem I'm having is that I can't tell if Vector Prime is a part 1 of this or if they are seperate novels. This is because they are both labled A new Jedi Order. If you can help me out here you can e-mail me at [email protected]