Crucible: Star Wars Legends

It was okay but kind of disappointing. I think that it was written to put an end to these characters story lines without actually killing them off, which is ok because I don't want to see them die but other than that it didn't seem to have much of a point.

Han Solo as a central hero for a change, instead of being the damsel in distress being saved by Jedi; and the focus of the dark side's temptations no less. Troy Denning writes great books that weave the plot lines and themes of previous books into action packed stories that have plots and twists coming at you from all sides. If you've liked his work in the past then this book won't disappoint you.

Crucible is a fairly run of the mill entry that tells the story of Han, Luke and Leia's 'final' adventure. It's a fairly standard story with some interesting segments that help to make some fun of the adventure (sabaac where instead of raising money, raising torture methods) that keep it fresher than it might have been.

The end gets really weird, though if you're willing to go with it, it works perfectly fine.

I look at my self as a hardcore EU fan. I have read every novel out there and almost all the comics and seen all TV/movies. I love watching these characters grow and always look forward to a new Star Wars novel.

Took me a few chapters to get going but once I did I had a hard time putting the book down. At times I was on the edge on my seat wondering what characters if any would end up with the Force. If you like the EU or if you like Troy's story telling in the past this book won't disappoint.

I enjoyed the depiction of Han. However Luke was minimized and it felt out of place with story line. The new movies have broken a time line that I felt was credible and should have been respected. It's like a bad alternate ending.

It seems like the plots for these books get more and more outlandish, to the point of breaking suspension of disbelief. It wasn't terrible, but how many times can Luke Skywalker endure crippling scarring and walk away from it? I mean, the man should be more machine than man by now just to keep him alive!

Was actually a nice change from the plots of many previous books. Without running the risk of spoiling, it was nice seeing our favorite characters come to grips with certain ideas about the force, and their own mortality. Was actually wonderfully emotional, as well.

I enjoyed the book and hope that it leads to future stories with out the core three. I believe it is time to see more books throughout the EU that focus on many different story lines. I am ready to see what the future holds for the SW Galaxy that was built and now left to the next generation.

Not nearly as much Jaina as I wanted but enough to carry me over until SotJ, I suppose. Seeing "Savara Raine" was intriguing to me and really pulled me in as soon as I realized who she really was.

Possibly the best quote, IMO: "Leia Solo I can handle myself. But Jaina... well, a squad of Mandalorians wouldn't be enough."

It was a slow start with a painfully slow build up to a not so surprising ending. There were unnecessarily graphically violent depictions in the story that led nothing to the supporting story line and seemed overly gratuitous. The mysteries it promised to solve were left unresolved and no significant conclusions were reached at the end. The main protagonists were an interesting lot and offer a unique insight into a rarely seen or written about species.

It seems like I've been reading these books for over 20 years and that's not far from the truth. I felt Crucible was unrealistic or over reaching at points. I think they were some missed opportunities to bring these stories to and end in a fulfilling way but the closing story Crucible was a decent read.

Good continuation/augmentation of the original story. Luke, Han, and Leia stay together and venture forth again. Overall, good read and hard to put down in the final chapters, as all Try Denning's efforts are.

Was a decent read, seemed to me this would fit better in a set rather than a stand alone. If they bridge this into the next one I will feel better about it, rather than this abrupt vague ending be the last of the big three. Sending is a fine author, but please, please no more "weaving baskets of light" find a new description.

I love ro read the stories rather than the graphic novels although they have a certain place in the expanded universe I enjoy reading rather than try to navigate through each panel because they don't seem to work to well on my iPad. This was a exiting book and I enjoyed the premise I felt like the old times I would like to see some of the legacy turn in to a novel the comic version works well if your reading them in paper ack

I have been a fan of the EU since the Thrawn days. I have read and then re-read them all. This edition does nothing to further any storyline whatsoever. It is a disjointed venture into a pointless story. Nothing of any consequence happens. The book is filled with re-used plots and action scenes. I am wondering if the rest of the reviewers read the same book as I did.

My advice is save your money and skip this one. You will not miss anything at all.

I have been here since the beginning. I recall picking up Heir to the Empire and being amazed that George Lucas allowed anyone to publish a novel in a universe he had been notoriously greedy with. The Thrawn Trilogy was such an amazing experience that after that, I was hooked, and ready to buy any and every Star Wars novels I could find.

I was disappointed by many. Over the last few years, The Legacy of the Force series did a little to help bring the Expanded Universe back on track, and a few of the one-off novels were not too bad.

Enter Crucible.

As a way to end the series, Denning failed miserably. The last multi-novel saga set up the Lost Tribe of the Sith as the new threat the Jedi would face...and then despite a relatively minor and completely forgettable appearance by one character, we do not get any Sith in this novel. Instead we get two entirely pointless villains that do not matter, and a plot so convoluted that Michael Bay wouldn't want to make it into a summer blockbuster. We get a sort of interesting setting which is never fully explained and only exploited to make a Force battle seem like Dragonball Z, limited involvement by some of the Big 3's closest relations, and a slightly fleshed out debate on the nature of the Force.

This novel would have been a weak stand-alone, or opening to a new story arch. As the end of the EU, it sucks, plain and simple. Save your money. This novel is an insult to 3 beloved characters.

I don't know how to describe this book other than to say full of very disappointing action. The story was week and the characters two dimensional. Not what I expect from a star wars novel or even from the author.

The writing in this novel is of the superior quality of the expanded star wars universe novels. The pace is quick and the story holds you in its sway. I truly enjoy each new chapter in the story of the Skywalker family.

Just to give context to this short review, I have been an Star Wars EU fan since the Marvel comics series in the early 1980's. I have followed the characters through the goofy "green bunny" years into the heady "anything can happen" 1990's and eventually into the "instant cash grab" 2000's. At this point I would welcome the "retirement" of the big three (Luke, Leia, and Han). . . but this book isn't it.

First off, the tone is inconsistent. At times it comes off as light-hearted adventure and other times a life and death commando mission filled with terrorist acts and other atrocities. Expanded Universe-only characters appear with little to no explanation. And major plot points introduced into the book fairly early are never brought to a satisfying conclusion. I suppose that leads to my main gripe with the book: the abrupt ending. Readers are never given justification for important decisions made by the big three.

Crucible is a book that puts the fantasy back in Star Wars. The story takes the Big 3 (Luke, Han and Leia) through some wild extremes as they partake on their craziest journey yet. In an effort to help out Lando, they run into two Columi masterminds who give them a run for their money as they battle it out in the Chiloon Rift. There's action, laughs, mystery and excitement. As a send off for the Big 3, Crucible gives them one hell of a last hurrah.

Most good stories hinge on the quality of their villains. In Crucible, the book takes a refreshing break from the Sith we've seen in the last 18 novels and introduces readers to an entirely different kind of badguy. Marvid and Craethius Qreph are Columi, a species whose evolution has focused on brain power. They have enormous heads and tiny bodies that primarily exist only as a repository for their organs. Their limbs are vestigial and are of little use. But they are highly intelligent. On top of that, the Qreph brothers are highly motivated. Without the use of the Force, they're able to stand toe-to-toe with Han, Leia and Luke. Their key to success, however, isn't just brains. They also have a small army of Mandalorians led by the granddaughter of Boba Fett. Those Mandalorians are in turn backed by some truly impressive lizards known as Nargons who might actually be deadlier than Barabels and Noghri combined. Plus the Qrephs have a crafty Lieutenant named Savara Raine, aka Vestara Khai.

Aside from the villains, I really liked how Crucible expanded upon the Star Wars universe without ever being sidetracked from the story. Troy Denning creates new locations, new droids, new ships, new species, and new weapons while also building upon the mythos of existing species and technology. He also drops a lot of tantalizing story threads that are just begging to be made into full fledged books. Near the beginning of the story, he fleshes out a Togorian struggling with his pride to become a Jedi. Right there is a perfect kernel for a story. Then Troy mentions that Jag is a commander of a group of Jedi commandos, that the Hutts are in a spice war with the Yaka, that there's a Falleen using a religious cult to spread anarchy. All of those ideas would make great books. There's even a story thread left open for more of the Qrephs biots. But while these ideas would make great stories, they work a subtle magic within this one. They get your imagination fired up with possibilities. They spur a sense of wonder. To me, that's the essential ingredient of a good Star Wars story, whether it's a book or movie. These stories are about escapism and adventure. Crucible takes you away to another galaxy. While some of us have grown quite familiar with the galaxy far, far away, Crucible takes us someplace new.

Yet one of the best things about Crucible was all the crazy-fun elements strewn throughout. This didn't feel like a reserved, safe, play-it-by-the-numbers story. Instead, Denning unleashed his wild side with an adventure that tantalizes the imagination. I don't want to spoil the book, but there are things that defy blasters, creatures superior to droids, mystical artifacts, fun with clones, and explorations of the Force. Throughout the entire book, there are elements of the unexpected. There are new things. It all adds to that sense of wonder.

In the end, there are a lot of questions. Is this it for the Big 3 as we know them? If so, it's been a fun ride. Regardless, they deserve a break. Maybe we'll get some more post-Return of the Jedi stories before Episode VII. Hopefully we'll get the Sword of Jedi series. But in Crucible, Denning is able to give the Big 3 a sense of peace and a reason to step back for a while. It's a wild and crazy ride, and possibly my new favorite Star Wars story.

The last of the Expanded Universe books was forgettable. You would knowing it is you last chance to add to a closing mythology you would pull out all the stops to make a great epic story. This book was poor attempt at a story. I like Troy Denning and have enjoyed his other works but this story line seemed mailed in. Lando, Lea, and Han all seemed just lack luster. They don't even seem to wake up until after their lives are threatened. Jedi powers are just used as Deus Ex Machina instead of actually coming up with creative solutions to problems. The villains are just one dimensional and dumb. The spy in the ranks is the only almost interesting part of the story.
Spoiler********

Ben's romance could have been built into an interesting and meaningful interaction. Instead it just fell flat. Like the rest of the book it set up something that could have mildly interesting and just went nowhere.

Read Lost Stars for a decent book of teen romance set in the Star Wars Universe.

A rather mediocre Star Wars novel, although it is written well. It does have a sweet, wonderful, and perfect ending to the Legends Continuity. Which is great for everyone who read the all the Legends novels over the past 20-30 years.

The last of the Expanded Universe books was forgettable. You would knowing it is you last chance to add to a closing mythology you would pull out all the stops to make a great epic story. This book was poor attempt at a story. I like Troy Denning and have enjoyed his other works but this story line seemed mailed in. Lando, Lea, and Han all seemed just lack luster. They don't even seem to wake up until after their lives are threatened. Jedi powers are just used as Deus Ex Machina instead of actually coming up with creative solutions to problems. The villains are just one dimensional and dumb. The spy in the ranks is the only almost interesting part of the story.
Spoiler********

Ben's romance could have been built into an interesting and meaningful interaction. Instead it just fell flat. Like the rest of the book it set up something that could have mildly interesting and just went nowhere.

Read Lost Stars for a decent book of teen romance set in the Star Wars Universe.

A rather mediocre Star Wars novel, although it is written well. It does have a sweet, wonderful, and perfect ending to the Legends Continuity. Which is great for everyone who read the all the Legends novels over the past 20-30 years.

my son is an avid star wars fan he has most of your books, he bought a lot of the star wars legos even the large gray ship sat on top of the entertainment center until the cat jumped on it and destroyed it

The idea of a last hurrah does not interest me in the slightest. I didn't read any reviews before starting the book as to not spoil the plot-line; but I wish I had.

The story really doesn't answer any questions raised by the previous series; it felt like they were all just back in sinkhole station again; and worst of all they decided to retire. No thanks. Stay away from this book.

I think for new Star wars fans this book would be confusing as it does expect one to know what bhas been happening in the current EU. For those who have not kept up, you get a one line explanation of things that are mentioned. It was a very easy and quick read and although a little confusing at times, it does grab your attention and leaves you wanting more. Interesting ending which only time will tell as far as if this represents a new start to a new EU or a transtion to the movies

When I first read this, I gave it 4 stars. For a SW book, it's 4.5; for a post-NJO/LOTF/FOTJ book, it's more of a 2.5-3.

<i>Crucible</i> is proof that Troy Denning understands the <i>Star Wars</i> universe and its characters. He was a great choice for this novel. The plot overall was excellent, although I found the Rift and the monolith to be a bit extreme. Yet this is a different Universe than where there are many unknowns and crazy things already happened in previous subseries. I just want to understand the science behind it.
The problem is that Denning understands the Big Three, characters from the OT. He spends very little time focusing on the next gen that FOTJ and <i>Mercy Kill</i> spent the time developing, a failure of the LOTF subseries.

Yet he shows us what Luke would REALLY do if his nephew fell (instead of what the ST and Disney gave us) - harsher conditions for trainees, to where he's willing to kick them out if they don't show motive to change.

There was true emotion, great evil that had nothing to do with the Force (and, while sadistic, was still interesting to read) and evil that was Force-based. It showed a great “end” to the Big Three without killing them off and that the Force still has its secrets.
It's unfortunate none were killed off though, as that would make sense and be a good end. It was known around this time that Disney would take over and so...an end to Legends.

I do like that Luke's wound from Abeloth, over a year old, still bothers him. The utter realism with wounds and malnutrition is great.

There were Mandos, sentient androids, Sith and Columi. There were new characters and experiences while focusing on the Quest [Knights] to find Mortis/Mortis Monolith that Luke put together. I wish to have seen more GOOD standalone novels that focus on the Quest, on a possible new Grand Master, and the growth of the younger Knights.
It's unfortunate that there were so many HUMANS here, at least with regards to protagonists.

And it was weird and awkward that Ben and Tahiri were on a mission together. Kriffing awkward.

Luke, Leia and Han are the main featured players in this installment of the Star Wars saga, with Lando Calrissian playing a slight supporting role. We start in a cantina and end up fighting our way out, but apart from the familiar action the lesson we really learn is that Han and Leia still have it but are getting older. This book has been promoted as the final outing for the Three. I'm not sure if that means we've gone as far down the timeline as we're going to go, (allowing for more Big Three books to be issued about earlier adventures),or if there really won't be any more books, set anywhere in time, featuring Han, Leia and Luke. Either way, if this is their swan song, it is quite satisfying, if not a jaw dropping blockbuster.

The villains are pretty lame and the villainy is of a corporate/economic sort, until we get to the end of the book. Then we get the "monolith" and focus on the Force and some free wheeling mysticism. That's actually pretty interesting and is an interesting change from some of the purely action oriented books.

The book works as a standalone so it's a nice pickup for a casual reader. The treatment of the three main characters is consistent with what you might remember from the movies, so it has a comfortable and recognizable feel. I'm not deeply conversant with the Star Wars Expanded Universe, and I was just happy to enjoy a solid read with some old acquaintances.

Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.

Star Wars: Crucible was written Troy Denning and was pretty much the last Star Wars Expanded Universe book before the Disney acquisition rebooted Star Wars canon. Disclosure: I had forgotten that I had received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion of the work, although this opinion is now very, very late.

The story begins with Han and Leia Solo traveling to meet Lando Calrissian to help with some pirate trouble he claims to be experiencing with his latest mining operation, this time well off in the Outer Rim. But from the get-go things get interesting as the Solos encounter some of the forces giving Lando trouble. They're part of a larger group that is trying to pressure various smaller mining companies to sell out to them. And they're not very good at taking no for an answer.

Meanwhile Grand Master Luke Skywalker receives a message from the Solos requesting for information and for someone to courier it to them as Lando's facility has limited communications access. With Luke feeling a little unsettled with things for some reason, he decides to handle his task himself as it has also been a while since he hasn't spoken to his son, Ben, who was last reported in the same area conducting an investigation of his own.

What I Liked: This book was focused more on our big three heroes - Luke, Leia and Han, which is a nice shift as we've been a bit more focused on the new generation of Jedi ever since the New Jedi Order books. And they're such a solid team for a reason and to have them at the forefront of things again was rather refreshing.

The big revelations at the end were quite interesting as well and it's a shame that we didn't get to see where those realizations would lead to in a continuing Legends story universe. But as the book did close the chapter for all of Legends, the ending wasn't the strongest in terms of the narrative but it was rather fulfilling on an almost emotional level.

What Could Have Been Better: The antagonists in this book, the Qreph brothers, are not the greatest enemies in the world. They are Columi, who look like aliens straight out of Men in Black and are so smart that they are always several steps ahead of the good guys. How this so isn't explained all that well and the scenes where we follow their thoughts and interactions with one another don't show this either. Being smart isn't perfection in itself.

Then the fights in the book whether in space or on the "ground" as it were weren't the best I've encountered in Star Wars books. And let's face it - with a book franchise like this being based on an action adventure movie series, you still look for that same experience in the books. And not quite getting it in any Star Wars novel can be a little disappointing regardless of what other aspects are the points of focus instead. And as this book featured action, it's not ridiculous to hope for these scenes to be suitably awesome.

TL;DR: Star Wars: Crucible was an interesting end to the Star Wars Legends universe and is a nice adventure focused on the franchise's biggest heroes. It's not a perfect book but it's still an enjoyable one.

Other reviewers have written about the storyline of this book, so I will not repeat here what they have already written. I just wanted to say how much potential this story left for much more development in the EU of the SW stories. There was much left unwritten in Crucible, and for a purpose. It was bitter-sweet reading this book, knowing that Disney has now totally ruined 25years of an AWESOME saga. The original SW movies will always be the best, the EU books are what truly happened, in my opinion. Disney has lost my interest. I plan on shunning them and their fake 'SW' universe. I'll re-read all the old EU SW books and enjoy the excellent adventures with all the superb characters therein.

Luke Skywalker feels a need for some action. Han Solo is seeing entirely too much action as he and Leia are chased by exotic aliens called Nargons. The chase leads Han to his old buddy Lando Calrissian, whose refinery in the Rift is bedeviled by Qreph-backed pirates preying on asteroid miners. The restless Luke decides to pay a visit to Lando, as well. When an attack on Lando's refinery kills thousands of workers, Lando, Han, Leia and Luke (eventually joined by Luke's son Ben) are called upon to get a handle on this latest threat, which includes some old enemies and a bunch of duplicate, force-wielding Jedi.

A fair number of Crucible's early pages are devoted to filling in the backstory (and at this point there's a huge amount of backstory to any Star Wars novel), but once the action gets going, it's relentless. Ship-to-ship battle scenes are tense and exciting, but the novel's best moments come during a psychological battle between Han and two Qrephs during a card game. And when Luke and Leia get tempted by the Dark Side after traveling to a place where the Dark Side is particularly strong ... well, that never gets old.

Speaking of never getting old, Han's ability to somersault and jump and roll and fight like a teenage ninja warrior is a little silly given his advanced age in this novel, but I guess indestructability goes with the territory of being an epic hero. Maybe marriage to Leia keeps him young. Anyway, it's silly but it's fun, and fun is all I ask for from a Star Wars novel. And decent writing, which Troy Denning provides. Crucible marks a transition of sorts (as do many Star Wars novels, movies, and comics) and I suppose it's notable for for that reason, but it's less eventful than some other installments of the Star Wars saga. That makes it no less entertaining.

This review is courtesy of topoftheheapreviews(dot)com and was an exchange for an honest review from DelRay Publishing

This book is being hailed as the last big adventure for the "big three" in the Star Wars universe. I expected something huge. Something that only the leader of the Jedi Knights and the worlds greatest smuggler and scoundrel could accomplish. Something that only the diplomatic prowess of a Princess could negotiate. Did it live up to my expectations?

I have bittersweet thoughts about this being the last big adventure for these three. I really enjoyed how these characters have grown from the movie characters that we know and love into the grizzled veterans that we see in the expanded universe. Luke and Leia both have run ins with turning towards the dark side, Han becomes a drunk after Chewbacca's valiant stand in the beginning of the Yuuzhan Vong wars, and they also become put themselves aside for the betterment of their children.

You will see them in previous adventures like the forthcoming Razors Edge, but it's time for them to step down and let the new characters take over and lead. Not before one last grand adventure.

You will get all sorts of little hints of the past, the bar settings, the sabaac tournaments, the three working together to escape the clutches of their villains. It all serves as a reminder of where they came from. It brought back fond memories of each of them.

The thing that Troy Denning does with these three, and he does it well, is show you that they are getting old. They aren't as fast, they aren't as durable, and there was even a good scene or two where you thought that one of them was surely going to die. Rather than beat into you and just tell you they are getting old, he shows you through how they react. He shows their strengths through experience and fallacies due to aging.

So how grand of an adventure do they go on? Well, it's grand in the sense that the universe is in peril, not so grand in the sense that they're taking on a couple smart business men that want to take over the galaxy. The villains just aren't as ominous as say an Abeloth or or even a lost tribe of Sith warriors. Marvid and Craitheus Qreph Columi are definitely evil characters, and are able to manipulate just about everyone around them for their own gains, but it kind of came off like Jedi vs. Mobsters. Not befitting of champions of the galaxy

The payoff though is at the end. Without spoiling the end, I almost had a tear in my eye knowing that I wouldn't be reading a whole ton more about Luke, Leia, and Han. I'm waiting, and dreading, the day when they kill one of them off. It's bound to happen, and they talk about returning to the force a lot. Fortunately DelRay will be exploring the past in a series of books starting in September.

The Bottom Line: I enjoyed this book. I realize that you can't have this large giant adventure with these three, I mean, they're old. They aren't getting any younger and I think that this does in fact do a good job of giving them one last adventure. Old characters will be re-introduced, and old settings and familiar scenes will replay for you even though they aren't on Tatooine or the Death Star. It's not the best Star Wars book you'll ever read, but the emotional impact of their final adventure will present itself to you in the final pages of Crucible. It didn't quite live up to my own expectations, but it was satisfying as I closed this chapter of the Star Wars EU.

This latest Star Wars book is also placed tbe latest (so far) in the timeline, 45 years after the events of the initial film "A New Hope". Some of the books along the way have been very good, especially those by Timothy Zahn.

But I don't think this book is among them. It's a decent read, but fails to meet the initial promise of being something new.

The opportunity is there, as Denning's starting scenario opens the door to all sorts of possibilities. Instead of the usual "bang bang" enemies, the adversaries are businessmen, two brothers who are so intelligent and so wealthy that not only do they corner the market in many key industries, they can also bribe, extort, or assasinate politicians and other officials to get their way.

How will the Jedi deal with such economic power, when every official might be a secret tool of the enemy? Sadly we'll never know.

For reasons which only seem partly plausible (hubris?) the baddies kidnap Han Solo and take him to their secret base, just as they are about to use it to transform themselves into something even more powerful. If they'd just left Han alone they could have accomplished their plan unchecked. But kidnapping Han brings in Luke, Leia, Lando and a couple of other Jedi.

The Jedi have with them battledroids that (very deus ex machina) take out all of the opponents' massive military strength. So what's left is a long description of the Jedi tracking down and taking out the brothers. Once again the swish swish of light sabers saves the day.

It's perfectly workable, it just fails to live up to the promise of the initial premise.

Troy Denning’s many Star Wars novels have represented some of the major ups and downs of the Expanded Universe: his brilliant Star by Star almost redeemed the laborious New Jedi Order with its gripping pace and drama, while the Dark Nest trilogy would have felt long even at one book. I generally find his works to be well-written and fast-moving: however, the plot points contained within them have featured some of the finest moments of Star Wars literature drama (Anakin Solo in Star by Star) along with some less so (the final showdown with Jacen in Invincible). Mr. Denning certainly knows the Expanded Universe well and with the proper plot can deliver a really great read.

Crucible arrived in my hands with some considerable pressure upon it: I’d heard mutterings that it would present the Big Three’s (Luke, Leia, Han) final adventure, a sort of ride off into the sunset. When Crucible was first announced the Disney acquisition of Lucasfilm was not public and so the future of the EU looked considerably different. With the coming sequel trilogy of movies all bets are off as to what parts of the EU will be kept and what parts will be discarded. I will hazard books as far out in the timeline as Crucible will be set aside, since Episodes VII and beyond are highly likely to present a competing vision of the future for the Big Three and their friends.

So the opportunity to “put a bow” on the current run of novels was big, especially if it is later superseded by the new films. Does Mr. Denning succeed in this? Crucible is a fun adventure tale and it’s refreshing seeing the beloved heroes battle evil-doers without the shades of grey of the New Jedi Order or the sad descent of one of their own children into darkness. It’s also vastly refreshing reading a standalone novel after the sprawling series which preceded it. The difficulty is this fun adventure tale presents little of weight to add to the main characters’ already sprawling stories. The adversaries are fine but not terribly memorable, the danger feels real enough but not mortal, and the finale is surreal to a point where some of the potential emotion is drained from it.

The villains of Crucible are Craitheus and Marvid Qreph, two Columni gangsters who travel about in powerbodies to compensate for their species’ inherent physical travails. They have hired a couple of familiar faces from prior novels: Boba Fett’s granddaughter Mirta Gev assists them with security and the mysterious Savara Raine handles problems of a delicate nature (I wasn’t terribly surprised to learn Savara’s true identity but I will let it lie here). The Qrephs control a massive financial empire and have shown a sudden interest in mining the Chiloon Rift, a place where Lando Calrissian also happens to operate. Their scheme entangles Lando, Han, and Leia, and soon enough Luke along with them as they try to decipher what the Qrephs are really after.

There is quite a bit of action mid-story after the tragic destruction of tens of thousands of innocents by the Qrephs. I didn’t find most of this part terribly remarkable. It does introduce a plotline concerning the disappearance of a Quest Knight (an individual tasked with discovering Mortis after the revelations in the climax of Apocalypse) which brings Ben Skywalker and Tahiri Veila into the story. The Apocalypse Mortis revelation intrigued me greatly and I applaud tying one of the stranger elements of the Clone Wars TV series into this storyline. That said, the climax of Crucible didn’t quite deliver on what I hoped: the surrealism is a nice treatment of the Mortis we saw on the show but in the end it’s not clear that this was really even Mortis.

Crucible is a serviceable story and a lightly entertaining read but it’s not the powerhouse capstone to the Expanded Universe I had hoped for. Perhaps that’s not a fair weight to lay upon it but it appears likely that it will represent the final word in this version of the Star Wars timeline. In a year or two we will know that for sure. But as it stands, Vision of the Future and The Unifying Force reign unchallenged as the two greatest “stick a fork in it, it’s done” novels in the Expanded Universe.

Crucible is a standalone title in the ongoing Star Wars Expanded Universe, occurring about a year after the close of the Fate Of The Jedi series and X-Wing: Mercy Kill, or about 45 ABY.* We open on Han and Leia in a bar waiting for Lando. Lando owns a refinery in the Chiloon Rift, and has been having trouble with some pirates who coincidentally showed up right about the same time as the Qreph brothers, owners of an outside outfit who wants to buy Lando out. Oh, and they've got Mandos and bioengineered cyborgs running their security system. Throw in a couple other "coincidences" and one or two unsubtle power grabs, and you've got a crooked game even Leia can see without resorting to her Jedi powers. But when an "industrial accident" comes close to taking out his friends, Luke decides its time to join the investigation himself. What he finds is chilling-the stakes of this hostile takeover bid are far higher than Tendrando Arms' small operation. The Qrephs want nothing short of controlling the entire Galactic economy. Sounds far-fetched? They might pull it off, between their Columi mental abilities and their cloning efforts. And into the bargain they have a shot at taking out Han Solo, with whom they have unfinished business. He doesn't know them, but they know him-and they are not happy about it. Throw Vestara Khai into the mix, several missing Jedi and the ongoing hunt for Mortis, and you come up with Crucible.

Crucible is a standalone, and it does manage to stand fairly well on its own. The events of last decade and a half of publishing have shaken the Galaxy Far Far Away to its core, and everyone has to deal with that, but on the whole this book is divorced from the politics of the wider Galaxy. This is Han, Leia, Luke and Lando, joined later by Ben and Tahiri, fighting in a barren corner of the galaxy-to save it from an insidious threat, sure, but more viscerally to save their loved ones. So yes, you'll need a basic overview of recent galactic history, but more importantly you'll need to be aware of the character beats that have gone before. Most of them get explained in the book, but it's good to know going in.

Galactic History for the newbies! Recently, Han and Leia's oldest son Jacen fell to the Dark Side and plunged the Galaxy Far Far Away into civil war once again. Jaina, his twin sister, was forced to take him out to stop him and save innocent lives. In a surprise move, the war ended with Natasi Dalaa ruling the Galactic Alliance from Coruscant. After settling into power, Dalaa blamed the Jedi for the war and exiled Luke for the crime of failing to foresee Jacen's fate. Luke and his son Ben set off on a quest into the Unknown Regions to determine why Jacen fell. Meanwhile, the descendents of the crew from a wrecked Sith warship set out to return to a galaxy much changed in the millenia they've been stuck on their lone world. Luke and Ben are forced to join forces with a small group of them to fight a powerful Dark Side creature, Abeloth, who may have been partially responsible for Jacen's fall and has strange ties to The Ones seen in the Clone Wars TV series trilogy Secrets Of Mortis. Ben and Vestara Khai, a young Sith girl, even fall in love. This ends about as well as you would expect when the Sith attempt to seize control of the galaxy and even occupy Coruscant before the Jedi can stop them. In the wake of this invasion, the Jedi are once again pariahs. There are those in the Alliance who don't blame them for what happened with the Sith, but these voices are few in number and the Jedi have relocated to Hapan space....**

I really enjoyed this book. It's been a while since there's been a standalone novel focusing on the original characters has been published in this part of the timeline-quite a few of them filling in explored episodes between films, but the later part of the timeline has been largely dominated by sprawling epic series that tend to have a darker tone, such as The New Jedi Order, Legacy Of The Force, or the most recent Fate Of The Jedi. I'm not saying this is lighthearted, by any means, as Del Rey is perfectly capable of killing off major characters in a standalone, but the focus on the original characters lends an air of the adventure of the classic films that has been slightly overshadowed by the darkness of recent events. That said, this is a VERY violent book. Our cast of characters gets shot, tortured, blown up and burned so badly that for a while I had a sneaking suspicion that one purpose of the book was to get the characters looking as rough as their actors currently do--with the possible exception of Harrison Ford, the cast has not aged nearly as well as the book covers would suggest their characters have. If you're an old hand at the Star Wars EU, you'll enjoy this. If you're a newcomer unwilling to backtrack and marathon everything since The New Jedi Order, this is a decent jumping-on point. You may want to consult Wookieepedia occasionally to get a reference or two, but you shouldn't be too confused.

CONTENT: PG language. PG humor and flirting, mostly between Han and Leia (what else is new?) Quite a bit of brutal violence, more than usual for a Star Wars book. Not too gory, generally, but Luke and company get banged up pretty good.

*Star Wars dates are typically given the designators Before the Battle of Yavin (BBY) or After the Battle of Yavin (ABY), functioning similarly to our BC/AD, with the Battle Of Yavin (Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope) as the turning point.

**Incidentally, the Columi come from a 1990 Choose Your Own Adventure book also by Troy Denning, Scoundrel's Luck. Its not required reading, I had never even heard of it until I went digging.

I was not a huge fan of this book. It was billed as an ultimate showdown of sorts that would determine the future of the galaxy but all it really ended up being was a meta-physical mind trip that was, at times, a struggle to get through. The fact that this was a story of the core heroes of the EU (primarily Luke, Han, and Leia) was a nice change. Rather than leaping from sub-plot to sub-plot and from one end of the galaxy to the other, it stays rather focused in one tiny corner of the galaxy. The best part of this novel was the detail into Han's psyche and the scenes that focused on him. I enjoyed those very much. I also got a kick out of seeing Luke and Leia working together as a Jedi team without backup. Beyond that, however, it seemed like a rather boring plot that felt like it was reaching to find a meaningful story to tell. I had heard some say that the EU was painting itself into a corner and was particularly crippling the movie franchise in what stories were left to tell. I didn't believe that at the time but, after reading this novel, I admit that there may be something to the argument. It just seemed forced. I also found Vestara Khai's involvement to be contrived and opportunistic - thrown in just to have a familiar foil against the Jedi. The problem with that idea is that the Fate of the Jedi series did such a lousy job of clarifying her character. Was she good at heart? Was she pure Sith at heart? Was she deceiving the Jedi, the Sith, or just deceiving herself the entire time? That series ended without giving us a real sense of who she was deep down, which left her role as "supporting bad guy" in this novel feeling out of place. I kept wanting to look for a twist that would allow her to show her true side (hopefully a good side) but no, she's consistently written as just "bad guy." The ending also left much to be desired - it seemed like just another happy ending that didn't actually resolve anything. Worse yet, it left questions and openings for future plot development that the EU fan will now never see come to pass. For my last read in the EU about my favorite characters, it was disappointing.

The good thing about the Star Wars universe is that you can follow your favourite characters for years. See what happens in their lives and be a part of the ups and downs. This book was interesting in seeing how the - now older and mostly wiser :) - characters have matured, changed and still are easily recognizable. Also funny to have an inclusion of "little green men" (or Grey if you prefer) - I just love being able to pop in to Wookipedia ([...] and see pictures of the races and equipment I don't know from before !

Crucible was great!With the new and upcoming movie, lucasbooks put on hold all Star Wars titles after return of the Jedi except this novel. I think of it as an ending to the EU as we know it. Let's face it, JJ Abrams might take bits and pieces of what he likes but other than that scrap it. Troy Denning really hit the spot with crucible and allowed us one last adventure with Luke, Leia, and Han as they battle one more time. Action paced throughout with very little drag moments!

I listened to the audio book version and I liked that it continued the story of the big three. This is supposed to be the second to last book featuring Luke, Han, and Leia, so it is good they still can make an interesting story.
What I didn't like is the inconsistent feel of the book. At times it comes off as traditional adventure and other times a life and death hunting mission. Also, the book ended suddenly, as if the author hit a certain page count and stopped. Regardless of the issues, it was a fun ride with the big three.

This is a classic Star Wars story with characters that made the franchise, it's an old school adventure more akin to some of the late 90's early 2000's EU books. I hope that the future authors realize that we grew up with Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa-Solo and Lando, we WANT THEM. They don't need to be the same as the movies, they just need to be there, they can be secondary to characters like Ben but they need to be there.

This book in many ways got back to what made Star Wars great, it is an adventure story with good villains and good heroes. While I am not particularly happy with the ending I can live with it if it leads us to another book to pick up after this.

Lastly, I just want to say that I read the Ebook version then listened to the Audiobook version and that to me Marc Thompson IS STAR WARS. Regardless of how bad some of the Star Wars books can be as long as there is a Marc Thompson Audiobook version ALL IS WELL. I want to make it clear to whoever ends up producing these Audiobooks that the ONLY reason I listen to the Audiobook version of a Star Wars book is because when I listen to Marc Thompson it is like listening to Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and makes me feel like I am watching the original movies. It's nostalgia but it is a good feeling.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS** In regards to the ending, I am tired of the ALL POWERFUL and UNKNOWABLE enemies and situations. Like with Abeloth you hurt the characters by making them tangle with such powerful enemies that you wear out the reader, REAL threats like the Sith become secondary and less dangerous which I feel hurts the franchise. The Jedi need to fight the Sith, with lightsabers, the light and each other. We need to see allies wrapped around them like (hopefully) Fel's Empire. Get back to Jedi Fighting Sith on a small or large scale, in open warfare or covert means. Really the only redeeming quality for the ending and some of the missteps was that Vestara Khai was in it, but she needed to be more central to the plot or more in control.

Overall, the book is enjoyable enough though not without it's weaknesses. It does occasionally resort to tropes and name dropping previous Star Wars adventures - as though it's trying to impress the reader or something. Also, the author doesn't completely respect the characters enough - they are absolutely tore apart and put through the wringer one minute but then are fine the next - its off-putting and feels almost like the author just wants to abuse the heroes as much as possible in an effort to give the reader the belief that the characters really could be in mortal danger; long and short, it feels a little artificial, and really, a little disrespectful. The side characters are also barely feature. I was also a little disappointed with the ending - it was a little flat by the time the book finally concluded.

Forty-five years have passed since the events in A New Hope. Han and Leia run into trouble when meeting up with Lando Calrissian. And the old gang is back together when Luke decides to lend a hand. I only read the occasional Star Wars novel, so I haven't kept up with the events leading up to this installment. But thankfully, I didn't feel lost at all. There were plenty of mentions of past events when applicable. Not a long rundown, but brief mentions here and there - enough to get caught up in their lives.

Crucible is a well-paced adventure with plenty of action, mystery, suspense, and intrigue. There is a large cast of characters, so the character glossary at the front of the book was used several times. There wasn't a lot of character development for the familiar ones, but I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the new characters. The pace picks up for an exciting finish, though it got a bit muddled at the very end with some of the strange happenings with The Force at the end that I didn't quite get. This was a fun and exciting installment in well-loved universe. Star Wars fans will certainly want to check this one out.

Review previously posted at SciFiChick.

I found the book to be a fun experience watching Luke, Leia, and Han as older characters still on great adventures. The only parts that threw me were at times Denning gives characters dialogue that I could never imagine the characters uttering...especially Princess Leia. At one point, she says Han is "pissed" and another one if I remember correctly, she says she isn't going to go "Darth Leia" on Luke. I don't know, it just seemed jarring to me. Otherwise, I enjoyed another journey with Luke, Leia, and Han.

Crucible serves very well in its purpose as a transition novel. It has the fun and adventurous feel of the New Republic era, with our classic heroes coming together to face a minor, yet galaxy threatening foe. Han, Luke, and Leia face brutality reminiscent of the Eye of Palpatine or the Yevethan crisis, but the book also has games of Sabaac worthy of Lando's time in the Oseon. The Jedi pair of Luke and Leia remind the reader of the fighting connection between Luke and Mara. Questions of the Force, Mortis, and the Celestials wind into a fantastical climax. Underlying the story are the worries of this new age: the Sith hiding around every corner (especially our new favorite Sith in exile, searching for her place in the galaxy), the specter of Abeloth ever looming, and the Jedi Order severed from the GA. In these factors we see the character of the new era, in which Luke is once again trying to settle down and let the new generation of knights lead the way.

Let me start off by saying that the story itself was not so bad because it furthered the lore of the Star Wars universe. That is why it has 3 stars and that is where the good points end.

I didn't mind reading it because I as a Star Wars fan wanted to be up to date on the most recent turn of events in the Star Wars Universe. Troy Denning makes that incredibly difficult.

First off, he introduces a character then doesn't mention him again until maybe 3 quarters of the way through the book. He wastes a good couple of chapters introducing this person. Ben and Tahiri aren't heard from until maybe the middle of the book and their dynamic was totally wrong. Denning made Ben look like a rookie and Tahiri like a condescending whore. Denning always finds some way to make the characters flirt with one another in the creepiest way possible. He also seems to have some sort of sick obsession with disfiguring and torturing them. You spend time waiting for a certain conflict to happen and then a convenient plot device happens and things are resolved. I also don't know what his obsession with creating Lizard species is but you see that here as well. He repeats himself, he gets some of the terminology wrong, makes Luke sound like a corny goofball, and he has used the same wording and description for everything for years.

Overall the story was there but the delivery was mediocre. Denning has no business writing Star Wars books and should stick to writing other stuff that doesn't require the amount of precision and detail as a Star Wars novel. I hope the next co op book series includes Timothy Zahn and Aaron Allston. Im sure Ill have to edit this later because I know Im forgetting something but I would only read this if you have read the previous 2 or 3 book series and want to know what happens in the interum and what will be introduced (maybe) in the beginning of a new book series. Hopefully the next authors sort of ignore this book and write around it.

I've read every book in chron order since A New Hope timeline, from year 0 - 45 AY, and every book in the midst that is released since. The way they carry on the contiguous journey of Luke and company as he rebuilds the Order and the evolving landscape... an unprecedented body of fiction. I just love the effort, the outcome, and the story along the way. Bravo.

This book was as good as any other, carrying on the extended tale. Thank you, to all involved, for carrying on.

More on Crucible:

The EU is an amazing contiguous, extended, and cohesive body of fiction that continues the story of Luke and company (during this era) for over 45 years of their characters' lives.

This book, specifically, carries on that story (of course and without demeaning the epic nature of the contiguous EU) by telling of Luke's epiphany during his latest adventure, regarding the nature of the Force and his place in it, and how he reacts to his new understanding.

I rode along for the adventure as I always do, thoroughly enjoying the continued ride, and appreciated the characters' progression to a new stage in their lives and their roles in the universe. In many ways, in those ways, this book was a milestone in Luke, Leia, and Hans' lives, which elevates it beyond many prior books which served as episodes, whereas this book served as a fork in the road, a turning point.

Meh.

After six movies, five seasons of episodes of Clone Wars, and hundreds of books and graphic novels, it appears that ideas are running thin at Star Wars central. Crucible continues the mystic bent started in the Fate of the Jedi series, which had Luke gallivanting across the cosmos to learn increasingly ridiculous force techniques to defeat the dark witch Abeloth.

Now some grotesque big-brained, very wealthy captains of industry who happen to also dabble in genetic engineering and cyborg making have gotten their hands on a floating force monolith. They've teamed up with Boba Fett's granddaughter (sigh) and Vestara Khai (one of the Lost Tribe of the Sith, the only interesting thing to come out of the Fate of the Jedi) to exploit said monolith. Chaos ensues and results in one of the most ludicrous final battles in Star Warsdom.

I get that Star Wars is fantasy masquerading as science fiction, but its strength has been balancing the two, and Crucible has the balance way out of whack.

Only recommended for hard-core Jedi enthusiasts.

This is one of those books that will be essential for a Star Wars EU fan, as it essentially wraps up the post-New Jedi Order-era for the Expanded Universe. However, it might be a bit confusing for someone unfamiliar with the era.
Overall, this is a decent book. There were certainly some parts that had me smiling as I read through it, but there were also some parts that weren't paced perfectly. It doesn't wrap up all of the EU, but it does function as a proper ending for Luke, Leia, Han, and Lando in terms of overall story.

Being a fan of the original cast of characters, this book hit the mark. It was exciting, fast paced, and I didn't want to put it down. I could see every smirk, grin and look on Han's face, as I read. Troy Denning does a fantastic job of keeping the reader engaged. If you are a Star Wars fan, this is a must read. My next read, Scoundrels by Timothy Zahn.

I loved this book because how much it shows the raw emotions of the characters. For example when Leia is missing Han you can feel her anguish. Denning's understanding of the force is remarkable. In the monastery that was shown at full throttle. This book is bitter sweet though I will miss the big three being at the front of the pack. I do hope they will still play a somewhat prominent role in the books ahead. I can only hope that the younger jedi can carry on this legacy. (particularly Ben Skywalker and Jaina Solo.) This book was one of the best books I have ever read and for any die hard sw a must read. Despite what some reviews say.

A fantastic novel. It sounds like it is ending the era of Luke Skywalker, Leia Skywalker Organa Solo and Han Solo and bridging to the next generation. Great book though. No spoilers but I wonder if any other books would be written with these three as Main Characters after this one or if they will just have cameo appearances in future novels...

One of the best Star Wars books I have read in years. Crucible is a stand alone tale involving our three favorite heroes, Luke, Han and Leia. If your a someone who has never read a Star Wars book before, you will have no problem reading this book, it doesn't really delve into previous books, but rather tells a tale that fans have come to know and love from Star Wars books.

Crucible is a hard book for me to rate. I'm not the biggest fan of Troy Denning's Star Wars books. There's a lot to this book that I didn't like. However, there is a great payoff at the end so I definitely recommend reading it. I will try to keep this review spoiler-free, but with the recognition that I can't properly explain exactly what I liked about the book without at least mentioning the ending.

THE PLOT

At first glance, it's not very interesting. A pair of businessmen, the Columi brothers Marvid and Craitheus Qreph, have an evil plan to take over the galaxy. And unfortunately the actual plot itself never becomes very interesting. Crucible is really about the journey Han, Luke, and Leia take (especially Han). We see a few other characters, including Ben Skywalker, Tahiri, and Vestara Khai, but they're really ancillary.

TROPES

I've been critical of tropes in Star Wars writing for a while and Denning is one of the leading culprits. My Trope Rader went on high alert right on page one, when Crucible opens with a scene in a bar and we learn it reminds Han of that bar in Mos Eisley. The first half is filled with more tropes, including a high-stakes Sabacc game in order to obtain information about the villain, a big bar fight that descends into chaos, etc.

I was pleased that the second half of the book steers away from the common tropes and actually has some original and even interesting elements. We do see another Sabacc game, but unlike any other ever played. Denning also introduces some hard-sci-fi concepts into the book, although he doesn't develop these as much as I would have liked. Finally, the ending is just literally and figuratively out of this world. While I don't think Crucible ever manages to become a great book, I appreciate Denning's willingness to attempt to push the boundaries.

THE BIG THREE

Crucible has been promoted as a final outing for the Big Three (Han, Luke, and Leia). I think it actually works in this regard. I wouldn't be too sad if this were the last book starring Han, Luke, and Leia.

One thing I really appreciated is that Denning actually shows Han, Luke, and Leia aging. We know the characters are in their sixties or even seventies, but up until now we've never actually seen any sign that they're any older than twenty. I personally hated the approach of previous Star Wars books, that "sixty is the new forty." It made the characters stale. If the characters' age were frozen, so too was their character development. We never had to see them struggle with age.

Denning seems to have abandoned this approach. At first I thought Denning was hitting readers over the head a bit too much with the theme of aging, emphasizing the characters' age, wrinkles, etc. However, once it becomes clear that Crucible is at its heart a story about heroes getting old and finding their emotional core, I decided that the emphasis on aging made sense.

Denning is still careful to show that Han, Luke, and Leia are heroes and can still fight, but he also shows that they're old and aren't the same characters they were even 10-20 years ago. Han, Luke, and Leia in this book feel pain, both physical and emotional. They get injured and sometimes they heal, sometimes they don't. The injuries have consequences. If anything, there were a few moments where I thought Denning should have explored the emotional impact a bit more. There are a few events midway through the book that I thought probably should have had larger repercussions on the characters. Fortunately, as I discuss below, Denning really hits this theme out of the part with the ending.

THE VILLAIN

As readers of my reviews know, I think having a good villain in a Star Wars novel is at least as important as having an original plot. Unfortunately, this is where Crucible falls flat. The villains are two businessmen, Marvid and Craitheus Qreph. The brothers are Columi, an alien species that resembles the aliens from many alien abduction stories, with huge heads and tiny bodies. I don't mind that the aliens look absolutely ridiculous and that the Columi anatomy is probably biologically impossible. What does bother me is that I can't respect them as villains.

Denning wants us to view the Qreph brothers as hyperintelligent. Denning has the characters mention that the Columi are known for their intelligence and that the Qrephs always seem like they're several steps ahead. However, we never actually see the Qrephs acting intelligent. They seem very easily tricked and manipulated. They don't even win any major victories n the book. Having spies and Mandalorian goons doesn't make a villain intelligent or special.

Compare this to Thrawn, the model for the hyperintelligent Star Wars villain. In Timothy Zahn's books, we see Thrawn using logic and intuition to deduce the New Republic's strategy. We see him using his brain. Not every villain has to be intelligent. However, the Columi resembled the bumbling Nemoidians in The Phantom Menace far more than they did Thrawn. That's not an insult as I thought the Nemoidians worked well in that movie. Unfortunately, by trying to tell rather than show us that the Columi were intelligent, Denning only emphasized how pathetic the villains really were.

OTHER CHARACTERS

As I said above, Crucible is about the journey of Han, Luke, and Leia. The other characters fade into the background. Sadly, Denning doesn't seem to take as much care writing them. We see them either behave out of character or become one-dimensional caricatures of their former selves. For example, in the beginning of the book, Lando is in a tense negotiation with the Qrephs, who have already threatened him. Lando then lets slip the name of his son, "Chance," but the Qrephs apparently did not understand the reference. Lando then proceeds to tell them that "Chance" is the name of his son. So, Lando, a professional gambler, intentionally gives his enemy leverage and puts his family in danger! Tahiri Veila meanwhile seems to serve merely as Ben's copilot. We see nothing about her that makes her Tahiri (and there's not a single reference to her walking barefoot). Vestara Khai, one of the few good things to come out of the Fate of the Jedi series, is just, well, there. Finally, Jaina Solo fans will be disappointed, as she plays almost no role in the book. In short, Han, Luke, and Leia become more interesting in this book, but it seems like all of the other characters were simply thrown in to support their journey and not as real characters in their own rights.

THE PAYOFF

If I had only read the first three-quarters of Crucible, I probably would have given it 2.5 stars out of 5. Denning isn't known for his ability to conclude stories so I didn't have much hope for the final quarter. However, Denning really does a great job bringing the emotional journey of Han, Luke, and Leia to a conclusion. I'll try not to reveal spoilers but will try to give readers a taste of why they should suffer through the first parts of the book and actually finish it.

One of Denning's strengths as a writer is his ability to explore the nature of the Force and see the "mystical energy field that binds all living things" in a whole new way. The finale of Crucible took this to a whole new level. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that in Crucible we see some of the repercussions from the confrontation with Abeloth from the Fate of the Jedi series and the Clone Wars Mortis Trilogy (so be sure to rewatch those!). I appreciate that Denning does all this without diminishing the mystical nature and wonder of the Force (unlike, say, midi-chlorians). Denning emphasizes this effect by adopting a more abstract writing style, depicting scenes in an almost impressionist style. It's a neat effect and definitely new for Star Wars.

I was also happy with the journey the characters took, particularly Han. While I criticized Denning for not focusing enough on emotional development during the first parts of the book, the ending partly makes up for it. In particular, Denning brings a sort of tenderness to some of the characters that I didn't expect. Obviously with the upcoming Sequel Trilogy movies this won't be the last we see of Han, Luke, and Leia, but Crucible does do a better job than I thought it would of providing closure.

CONCLUSION

There were parts of Crucible that I hated and parts that I loved. The book probably benefitted from my low expectations. I can't say I love the book. Parts of it really were disappointing. It seems like Denning had many ideas he wanted to explore in the book but didn't know how to make it all work. There are a lot of unfinished plot themes and things that seem like they should have had a greater impact on the story or characters, but didn't. However, as I said above, it is worth reading this book because it does lead to an interesting conclusion, albeit this probably isn't the way most fans would want the story of the Big Three to end.

Overall: 2.5 out of 5 stars.

I had been waiting for this book. An action packed adventure for the aging heroes. Leia, Han, Luke and Lando take on a couple of megalomaniacal geniuses and manage to kick butt on one last adventure. These are the rock stars of the Star Wars universe; showing the kids how they get things done!

This book really sets the stage for the next series of books, (and possibly the movies.)

From the very first chapter to the very end, this book is full of action and kept me excited throughout. As someone who has consumed most of the post-ROTJ books, I absolutely loved this one. There are also some more tie ins to the clone wars Mortis trilogy, so if you haven't watched those episodes, I would recommend it to understand certain parts of the book (they are also just really cool episodes). Also, it probably helps if you have read the Fate of the Jedi Series previously, but that's not absolutely necessary either. There is a good mix of new characters and old friends, and the book does as advertised, focusing mainly on the big three. I don't want to give anything away, so all I can say is I highly recommend this book.

Star Wars Crucible offers a nice send off for the main characters of Star Wars and passes the torch on to the children and the next generation. An interesting conclusion and adding an other element to the force and the Galaxy. It makes for a nice bridge into the future of Star Wars and the next main series involving the children. Overall the story is a lot of fun and reflects on different elements of the Star Wars history.

First of all, too much massive injury then miraculous recovery from the main characters. All are near death more than once, but can bounce right back and kick butt. Star Wars franchise is getting so weak. A new Star Wars book uses to be a must read, but now I need to check on the author.

Denning is very good at writing in the Stars Wars Universe, and this is another fine example of that. It's nice to see all of the familiar characters one more time, with a twist that will bring a smile to the reader's face. Great job, Troy!!

This is, unfortunately the last of the Star Wars Legends books. The old continuity is dead. Which is unfortunate as there were some really good books planned to be released after this one. This book ended the expanded universe in a great and hopeful way however. Excellent book.

This was a book I wanted to like a lot more than I did. It's the usual Denning novel that runs heavy on the action and lighter on the character work. Unfortunately, the action tended to run long and there were a number of questionable characterization choices with some legacy characters and even film characters.

The real problem with this book is that it's supposed to function as a standalone, but fails to do so because it requires so much knowledge of the two or three series preceding this one. It's more of a coda to Fate of the Jedi than anything else.

I suppose the biggest issue I had with it was that this book had a hard time deciding whether or not it wanted to be an adventure or the Expanded Universe's version of 2001. It's sort of all over the place thematically and tonally, especially towards the end where some very strange, very inexplicable things occur. The most damning issue is that it just doesn't feel like Star Wars. It's tone deaf to the themes and morals that define the saga.

This isn't the worst EU novel I've read. It has its passable moments and occasional amusing scenes, but overall it's just a confused jumble of thoughts and ideas that lacks a certain element of cohesion. Still, as a standalone and a sort of bookend to Luke, Han, and Leia's time in the spotlight, I feel that it's lacking. I wouldn't call this a high note for them.

About the only people I can recommend this book to are militant EU completionists.

General Mickey Mouse: Years ago, you served the readers of Marvel Comics and the fans of the Muppets in their war against horrible film characterizations and subsequent fan ennui. Now the readers of Star Wars novels beg you to help us in our struggle against poor storytelling, butchered characterization, squandered opportunities and bloated, senseless series that are nothing but dead-eyed grabs for readers' wallets. I regret that I am forced to resorting to leaving a review on the store, but we have long been under attack by the misguided decisions of Del Rey Books and Lucas Licensing. Our numerous calls for well-told stories that remember the underlying spirt of Star Wars and don't turn the universe into a cardboard shoot 'em up RPG module with all the soul of a first person shooter video game have failed. We have placed information vital to the survival of the Star Wars Expanded Universe in websites, Twitter accounts, forum posts and even the occasional "fix-it" and AU fan fictions. We hope you will be smarter (it's kind of hard not to be) than the previous regime and know how to retrieve it. (Psst: just follow the tenets of the Hero's Journey and you will already be lightyears ahead of most of the dreck put out under the Del Rey license.) You must see these new stories safely delivered to Star Wars readers in 2014 and beyond. This is our most desperate hour. Help us, Mickey Mouse. You're our only hope.

CRUCIBLE is more of Troy Denning's same-old same-old ad nauseam descriptions of torture and sadism passing as plot, coupled with characters so thinly developed they make toilet paper look like cement pavers by comparison. Mary Saba Sue makes her usual ridiculous appearance, her character an insult to both females and lizards. And we learn that apparently when two sixteen year olds make out, it means they are now "former lovers," and it is perfectly A-OK to team up a grown female with the young man SHE MOLESTED when he was under age as if hey, wasn't that just a hoot when I forced myself on you and isn't it great we can be such good friends now?

Whoever wrote in their reviews that this is well-written has the literary appreciation of a gundark. This isn't well-written. Novels need to have themes and internal consistency and character arcs and actual, what's the word, oh yeah - PLOT - to be well-written. Novels are not RPG modules. Mr. Denning needs to stick to his talent - such as it may be - which is to apparently maneuver cardboard figures around a two dimensional world, with events happening as determined by a roll of a twelve-sided die. Unfortunately, while Mr. Denning may well be a decent game designer, he is not a novelist. It is beyond any revealed intelligence in the known universe why Del Rey continues to hire him. I suppose his work for hire contact must be economically advantageous for them. Too bad the license apparently doesn't let them afford better writers, aside from the occasional novel from Timothy Zahn that proves that even Del Rey must make an exception for quality once in a while.

CRUCIBLE is so devoid of anything resembling originality, it even cribs from THE CRYSTAL STAR - the novel that, up to now, was considered by many to be the nadir of the Star Wars EU and given as part of reason given why the Del Rey "brain trust" turned from the Bantam model of one-offs and short miniseries into the bloviating mess that was the New Jedi Order and especially the Legacy and Fate of the Jedi books. Yet look how Del Rey supposedly ends the story of Luke, Leia & Han: by making readers nostalgic for Waru. Nicely done, Del Rey. It would be oh so funny if it weren't such a tragic, senseless waste of readers' dollars, our intelligence and especially our good will.

So help us, Mickey Mouse. Blow up the EU. Destroy it. Level it to the dust where it belongs and let new stories rise anew. And hopefully, if you get lucky and develop the equivalent of a Mara Jade or a Corran Horn or a Rogue's Squadron, you will take much better care of your valuable property than did your predecessors. But again, it shouldn't be too hard to make better decisions. All it takes is a basic understanding of storytelling and how to give the audience what it NEEDS, not what it says it wants. And you guys - looking especially at you, John Lassiter - have that mostly down pat.

P.S. If you do take anything from the Expanded Universe for the sequels, make sure it comes from the pen of Timothy Zahn (Stackpole and Allston are fine, too, as long as the publisher on the spine in Bantam. Do not be fooled by Allston's name on the Del Rey books. The Del Rey Dark Times were too strong even for him). And whatever you do, throw anything that has even a hint of Troy Denning's involvement far, far away. FAR away. Like, into a black hole far away. And keep it there.

Loved the story it was full of action and still had depth.
I like how it referenced other stories from clone wars and previous novels.
but i feel like because of the disney sale this is the end of EU as we know it
and if thats the case and they knew it when they planned this book
i wish alot more had happened.

that being said its a great story and will bridge the gap between the old and the new
should they continue with this EU story :-)

I knew going in that "Crucible" was a passing of the torch story. The question was how it would be done, whether my favorite characters would be killed. Overall, I was satisfied, though this was not Troy Denning's best work. Leia yearned too much for vengeance. Luke leaned a little that way himself. Omad Kaeg was trying too hard to be Han.

Ohali Soroc, a Quest Knight, I couldn't even understand. How in the worlds did she end up with something as evil as the Qrephs, not making any attempt to escape or defeat them, somehow allowing a copy of herself to be made? Who's side was she on and where was the Force? She, the one everyone was there to rescue, was never explained.

The ending was okay. I've seen better from Troy Denning, but I was happy to see my favorite characters. Han was all Han, the best written of them all for this book. It was worth it just to read him.