Star Wars Legends (The Old Republic) (Star Wars - The Old Republic

Annihilation - This was actually a really enjoyable read considering it was not full Force based on a Jedi or a Sith. I enjoyed finding out in more depth that there were special forces and not just Jedi's working to defeat the Empire and the Sith. I would recommend this book to all those who love Han Solo. Not the lone wolf exactly, but the lone wolf with a Republic to save!

Drew Karpyshyn is quickly establishing himself as the premier Star Wars author. He is someone who understands what the Star Wars universe is all about, unlike some other recent Star Wars authors, and he doesn't muck it up.

Star Wars: The Old Republic – Annihilation, was written by New York Times Bestselling Author, Drew Karpyshyn.

This novel is the seventh event on the Legends novel timeline. This tale takes place during the Old Republic Era, it also counts as book four, the last, in The Old Republic series. It takes place 3,640 years before A New Hope.

SUMMARY: The Sith Empire is in shambles! The Sith, Darth Karrid has control of a sleek, fast, and powerful ship, the Ascendant Spear. The Republic fears the might of the Ascendant Spear! Operation End Game is created, pulling the best of the Strategic Information Service and a Jedi together, to destroy the ship. Doing so would strike a heavy blow against the Empire.

CHARACTERS: There are a few interesting characters but the only two I'll talk about are Theron Shan and Darth Karrid.

Theron Shan: He's a Republic Strategic Information Service (SIS) Agent. He's somewhat reckless but quick on his feet. He's loyal to the Republic but has an issue taking orders. He likes to take care of business his own way, even knowing that there will be consequences from high command. He was adopted by a Jedi as a baby, so he's going to have some parental issues. He's got a cybernetic implant in his face.

Darth Karrid: She's a Sith Lord, former apprentice of Jedi Master Gnost-Dural. Long ago, she was sent on a mission, to go undercover as a spy. Sadly the dark side wins her over and she calls Darth Malgus her master. She is a Falleen, which works against her in the Sith Empire. She is captain of the Ascendant Spear, a dangerously powerful ship. Members in the Dark Council want to destroy her to get the ship for themselves. She's angry, full of pride, and craves power. Karrid will crush all who stand in her way, be it the republic, or her fellow Sith. She also has a cybernetic implant in her face.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: Annihilation is a fairly decent read. The story is simple and compact. The chemistry between our characters was great. However, character traits and descriptions, made for predictable reveals and plot points. The cast was great, not a ton of names to remember or get confused with. I really enjoyed some of the references to Darth Malgus, who was the star antagonist of Decieved.

The story moved along quickly. I laughed a few times, especially toward the end. The little spice of humor thrown in was good. Like I mentioned, some of the story was predictable... it was in a big way. In the first two chapters I had already predicted details in the climax and was 100% correct. I'm no genius, I think anyone could see it. It was the only issue I had with the book.

I wouldn't mind more stories with Theron Shan... but sadly, I don't think that's going to happen... ever.

Do I recommend you read Star Wars: The Old Republic – Annihilation? Yes. It's entertaining yet simple.

RATING: I give this book a B. It was entertaining but nothing spectacular... and predictable.

Annihilation is the fourth book in The Old Republic series.

Annihilation is set 3640 BBY.

Annihilation follows Theron Shan, the son of Jedi Grand Master Stele Shan, with Jedi Master Gnost-Dural and smuggler Teff'ith on their mission to destroy the Imperial Battle Cruiser Ascendant Spear; the Sith Empire's most powerful weapon.

Like all of The Old Republic books, we get the perspective from both the Sith and the Jedi. Annihilation showed how lost the Empire is without one leader (the Emperor), and that the only reason why the Empire was a threat to the Republic was because of his cunning.

I think that Annihilation is my second favourite book in The Old Republic, as it gives a more gritty version of what is happening in the galaxy during the war.

I would recommend Annihilation to to people who like The Old Republic.

Drew Karpyshyn is one of my favourite authors; his Darth Bane trilogy was captivating and different, one of the best in the "Star Wars" franchise as a whole. I also really enjoyed playing "Knights of the Old Republic," so I was very excited to read a novel written by the same author who gave us some of the Galaxy Far Far Away's best entries. As an additional plus for me, I rather enjoy sometimes reading about main characters who aren't Force sensitive, which this book proudly boasted. While not quite as impressive as the Darth Bane trilogy, "Annihilation" certainly doesn't disappoint. Spoilers follow.

Theron Shan, son of Jedi Knight Satele Shan, is a covert agent for the Republic. The Empire is at large with Darth Karrid and her superweapon battleship "The Ascendant Spear" posing as a major threat to the Republic. Theron must work with Gnost-Dural, Karrid's former Jedi Master, and Teff'ith, an old friend, to stop Karrid's reign of terror and hopefully secure victory for the Republic.

Yes, the story revolves around the need to destroy a superweapon, but don't let that scare you away! Unlike some of the other "Star Wars" books that deal with this idea, "Annihilation" is actually very well done. Since this book is set in a much earlier time period than other "superweapon" themed SW novels, there's a sense of danger and uncertainty and you don't really know who will live and who won't. It's exciting, and more importantly, it's in the hands of a competent author who knows how to make this story stand out from some of the earlier, less-loved superweapon focused novels.

With that out of the way, the story presented here is solid, if not the most unique thing to appear in the "Star Wars" franchise. The basic idea is pretty simple and straightforward: a non-Force user must use his wits and resolve to combat the Sith Empire and save the Republic. What really makes this book shine is the details; Karpyshyn knows his setting well and uses it to his advantage. I also appreciated that the book doesn't span over numerous locations. It's a fairly contained story that manages to feel big without overwhelming the reader with too many events or settings. The pacing is good and the novel moves along at a steady pace, neither too slow nor too rushed. The story takes as long as it needs to take. The plot is a tad formulaic, nothing particularly new for the franchise as far as basic story goes, but it's solidly tight and well done, managing to be captivating and entertaining.

My only complaint about the story itself is how anticlimactic Karrid's demise is. The buildup to this even is intense and satisfying, and I was at the edge of my seat, excitedly flipping through the pages to see just how this massive event would be resolved. I was hoping for an awesome lightsaber duel between Karrid and Gnost-Dural, Theron pitting his ingenuity and skills against Karrid's overconfidence, some sort of showdown...really, I'm not that particular, I just wanted the conflict to end with a bang. Instead, Karrid practically dies off screen (a malfunctioning blaster thrown into her control pod) and her apprentices flee from the fight, conveniently allowing the protagonists to escape before the "Ascendant Spear" is destroyed. With the suspense of the action building up to this key moment, what should have been the book's climactic event was a tad underwhelming.

Karpyshyn's writing style works well for this type of novel. The prose is practical and moves the plot forward without dominating the story or coming off as dull. What makes Karpyshyn stand out from other "Star Wars" authors is his attention to detail and consistency. For example, a character injures his shoulder towards the middle of the book. Rather than be miraculously cured, the character has to cope throughout the rest of the novel with the pain and limitations such an injury would bring. I tend to be a little snarky when reading; if a detail is mentioned that seems out of place and not explained or significant but never again brought up, I usually notice. Here, I had nothing to gripe about, as Karpyshyn has a very good hand on his writing.

As a side note, this was my first foray into any of the Old Republic lore beyond "Knights of the Old Republic," so I didn't come into this novel with any background information from SWTOR or the comics. I was initially worried that this would negatively affect my reading experience due to not getting certain references, but this ended up not being the case. While it is apparent that there are things that took place before this book that affect the characters and events here, Karpyshyn explains everything well enough that I never felt like I was only getting half of the story or that I was missing out on the significance of the novel's events.

"Annihilation" is differentiated from being just another "Star Wars" novel by the characters, particularly the main character. As a result of his background, Theron has a rather interesting perspective on things. While he isn't Force-sensitive himself, he's somewhat knowledgeable on the Jedi's philosophies, beliefs, and practices. He views them with a cynical, critical eye and therefore doesn't follow their ideas himself and instead relies on his own skill set. Yet, despite his cynical attitude and his position in the Republic SIS, he sometimes comes off as a little naïve and idealistic when it comes to politics regarding the war. We get to see his changing ideas and how he analyzes and processes everything, which really makes us care about him as the main character. With his unique beliefs, parentage, and upbringing, Theron is a great protagonist that we root for and sympathize with.

The other characters aren't quite as interesting as Theron, but they still play their part and are solidly written. If I'm going to be completely honest, many seemed very typical of their profession or role. Satele Shan is what you'd expect of a Jedi Master, Mace is very much the politician and leader you'd expect him to be, Gnost-Dural and Karrid fill the roles of Jedi Master and Padawan - turned - Sith, Teff'ith is your typical smuggler that seems tough but is capable of nice things. That being said, Karpyshyn writes them well and gives them personality beyond their stereotype. They're great companions to Theron who hold their own in the story.

On a random note regarding characters, I was pleased that Theron and Teff'ith didn't end up in a romance. I very much enjoyed the dynamic between the two with Theron seeing her more as a sister than a love interest. As someone who hates unnecessary romance in general, I applaud Karpyshyn for not including one just for the sake of it.

Overall, "Annihilation" is a worthy addition to the "Star Wars" franchise. Though it doesn't have the most original plot, the story presented is solid and interesting and Karpyshyn's practical writing style and attention to detail really make the book worth the read. Theron is a sympathetic protagonist with a unique perspective and analytical mind and the secondary characters are equally well fleshed out. The defeat of Karrid was a bit of a letdown, but the antagonist's demise is only one part of the book, and I tend to think the journey is just as (if not more) important as the outcome. I give it four and half stars, rounded up to five.

Theron Shan: son of Jedi Grandmaster Satele Shan, descendent of the famous Jedi-turned-Sith-turned-back-to-Jedi Revan and Bastila Shan, and (wait for it) NOT Force sensitive. That’s right, despite his rich lineage in the Jedi Order the hero of Annihilation lacks any ability to use the Force. On top of it all, his mother has effectively disavowed him as the secret of his parentage would be the biggest scandal this side of the Hydian way. Not surprisingly, Theron, accustomed to secrecy, chooses a career in Republic intelligence and when the Sith acquire a new weapon capable of decimating starfleets, the Republic assigns him to take it down.

The plot of the novel is fairly standard: the Sith Empire has a superweapon and our heroes attempt to stop it, nothing that hasn’t already been done. Despite this, the strongest part of Annihilation would be its characters - Theron’s backstory alone is enough to pique interest. A common element in Star Wars is the hereditary nature Force-sensitivity causing characters related to some great Jedi (e.g Luke) to be locked-in to be great Jedi themselves. In contrast, Theron has found his own path fighting battles of information rather than of lightsabers. What’s more, Theron often comes off as cynical towards the Jedi believing them to be somewhat overrated but never to the point of disrespect which I found quite refreshing. Add to that his tendency to disregard orders and he makes for a very fun character to read.

Other characters include Teff’ith the smuggler who reluctantly found her way into Theron’s team and Gnost-Dural, a Jedi Master who must come to terms with the fact that his fallen Padawan is the very enemy the three of them must face (and, incidentally, he’s the guy who voices the galactic timeline record videos). This slew of colorful characters made for a very entertaining character dynamic reminiscent of Luke’s first trip aboard the Millennium Falcon and allowed for great dialogue between them.

To fully enjoy this novel one has to come in with the right expectations. Don’t go in expecting a deep story, compelling narrative, or philosophical views of the nature of the Force. Instead, expect a fun story full of action, suspense, and humor. I would also recommend being familiar with some parts of The Old Republic video game as the book does make references to characters and events in the game, but the book can still be enjoyed without that knowledge.

In the days of the Sith/Republic Wars a prominent Jedi Master gives birth to a child. Knowing her attachment to him will be the downfall of all parties involved- including the un-named father- she gives him over to be raised by a former Jedi. Now an adult, Theron Shan is one of the Republic's best agents, always unconventional but rarely failing an assignment. Now, with the Sith Empire closing in on victory with the advent of their new superweapon- the Ascendant Spear, cybernetically commanded by Darth Karrid- Theron must find a way to get to the ship and sabatoge it before it can crush the Republic fleet.

Drew Karpyshyn made his mark with the Darth Maul trilogy, but seems to be losing steam here. Starting with the plot- how many times can the Empire create the ULTIMATE SUPERWEAPON and only a handful of Republic agents can sneak in to stop it?- and characters you can't really connect with and a story that you can see will be rushed to the end to wrap up, makes for a lackluster read.

Part of the problem is that it's the start of a new storyline in the midst of an existing one. KOTOR is a fleshed-out, vibrant universe complete with it's own mythology and heroes; this story utterly feels like it was simply plopped in to cash in on Karpyshyn's rep as a SW author. As mentioned, the plot is recycled and cliched. This is clearly the start of a new story arc for these brand new characters, but they're flat, forced and it doesn't help having them all suddenly thrust upon us and expecting us to care about them. You won't- especially the villains as represented by the Sith Dark Council- who just seem cartoonish. For a group running an Empire they have a spectacular lack of understanding on how to manage it.

Theron's history and relationships with other pivotal folks are revealed in bits and bites over the course of the book, but who cares? There's too much to absorb in one book; Theron's story would've been best served doled out over the course of the trilogy, letting us get to learn it as he does. Instead we get a book filled with 'telling, not showing' these characters at work- and for the Sith it's particularly annoying- to cram in all in before the finale instead of giving these folk the depth and exposure they needed over at least a duology.

It's not a bad book, but not a good one either. It remains to be seen whether or not Karpyshyn'll take the time to develop this group properly in the next books, but for you completists and diehards there's nothing you really need to delve into here, so try to pick this one up used.

Unlike the stale storylines in other science fiction universes, Star Wars continues to expand with new characters and stories that build upon the originals without negatively impacting continuity. This book is based on characters and the timeline from BioWare's Old Republic video game and is a blast without Luke, Han, and other familiar names.

In this story, Theron Shan, a special investigator for the Republic (think: galaxy-wide CIA) is on assignment to find a way to stop Darth Karrid and her unstoppable Imperial battle cruiser, the Ascendant Spear. The Ascendant Spear has thus far not only won every battle it's taken part in but completely annihilated any resistance with unnatural speed, agility in space and firepower due to the human-ship connection made by Karrid and the Force with the ship.

After Theron steals a way to decode Imperial transmissions he soon has to choose whether the goal of destroying the Ascendant Spear (and possibly ending the war) is worth the cost. (I won't give it away).

What I liked about this book is that Theron is a stand alone, popcorn action hero that would have fit in almost any Hollywood movie starring (younger) Bruce Willis or Tom Cruise. He's that same gritty guy that we find in so many stories. Not a genius and not a Jedi, Theron relies on outsmarting and out shooting the enemies. This is Mission Impossible in Star Wars.

Because the story features new characters, and fun ones at that, and because it is an enjoyable if not deep story, this is one that I recommend. If you are an audio book lover then I recommend it even more as the audio book of Star Wars books are amongst the best produced of all books. Sound affects and music bring the book to life in ways that the normal audio book just doesn't.

"Star Wars: The Old Republic: Annihilation" finds the story at a critical juncture, as the Sith Empire is in tatters following the death of the Emperor. The Sith, however, are down, but not out, and have one big ace up their sleeves-- a powerful ship of destruction called the Ascendant Spear that threatens to wreak havoc through a Republic that thought it was safe.

This adventure focuses on the story of an intelligence agent, a man who is the son of a Jedi and also of the current military leader of the Republic. The agent is known for being something of a loose canon, and his relationship with his parents is practically non-existent. But in order to take out this great threat, they'll all need to learn to reconcile their differences and work together. For the Jedi, though, this may be quite hard, as the commander of the Ascendant Spear is a fallen Jedi turned Sith, and her former Master is the Jedi chosen to join the team to take down the Spear.

"Annihilation" crackles with the character, action and excitement of Karpyshyn's "Darth Bane" titles. Whether or not you're familiar with the "Star Wars: The Old Republic" video game, this is definitely one to read for any "Star Wars" fan.

As someone who was there with the Star Wars universe since the beginning, I've made an effort to read all the books that have been spawned from it, but I've never been as engrossed in all the LONG Long time ago in a galaxy far far away stories. Essentially, reading about characters that never existed in George Lucas's original vision has always felt like I'm being forced to accept their insertion into a universe from which they didn't come. Plus, the unfamiliar situations and characters really bring Star Wars into the "science-fiction" realm, and I'm not so much a die hard fan of hardcore sci-fi. That's why I never picked up any of the Old Republic games--the lightsaber wielding nobodies always felt like a bunch of posers to me. And that's just how I've felt with the books based on the games. It's really a challenge for me to get through them and retain them because it's just not the Star Wars I know and love. Annihilation and the Old Republic series is just another example of how you can really create an infinite number of unrelated stories about Jedi and Sith, slap the brand on it, and call it Star Wars. Just isn't my thing.

The main character of this book is Theron Shan and his quest in destroying the super weapon ship the Ascendant Spear. Within this quest his ties to the Jedi, a Twi'lek smuggler(Teff'ith) whom he feels responsible for, and his dad unfold. The book could have been much more detailed about Theron's past. There are bits and pieces of the past throughout the book, but not enough for my satisfaction. Based on this book, there could be at least two or three more books based on just his life and the characters around him.
The plot of the story kept me interested enough to finish the book in one evening/night. It has many twists and in the end I wanted more details of what had happened before.
It is a fun book and if you like Star Wars it is definitely worth reading.

Annihilation is an eye-opening read for hardcore fans of the Star Wars universe and, specifically, those who play the MMO. I'll avoid any spoilers, but suffice it to say there are plenty of "You have got to be kidding me!" revelations in this book that will really flesh out some of the Old Republic lore.

Unfortunately, if your only knowledge of the universe is the core movies, you may feel a bit lost. Karpyshyn doesn't put a lot of work into the world-building or character development, I suppose because he assumes the reader already knows what he or she needs to know. Characters come and go rapidly. Important events are referenced in passing. Without an existing frame of reference, much of this will feel jumbled and erratic.

This is particularly troublesome when it comes to the character development of the main characters: our hero, Theron, and his nemesis, Darth Karrid. Theron is a cool character, but frankly the storyline for my Imperial Agent in the actual game does a better job of character development. And Karrid is a caricature of a Sith Lord. She doesn't seem to have a well defined purpose as a character, and serves more as a placeholder to operate the superweapon.

It is an entertaining read for those who are already well-versed in the nuances and lore of the Old Republic era. But casual fans may want to look elsewhere.

This is not a very favorable review.

My grandfather once said that he never ate a pizza he didn't like. He had some bad ones, but he liked them all.

If you could apply that idea to star wars fan fiction, you might have a way to look at whether you'll enjoy this book. If you have enjoyed every piece of fanfic you ever read, or got something positive out of it anyway, then you will probably like this book. You know who you are, and you'll be geeked out just because you're reading about star wars.

I like star wars as much as the next person. I don't love it as much as someone who owns their own stormtrooper outfit ... but I wouldn't mind having a stormtrooper outfit of my own. I think that should more or less explain my point of view on the star wars universe.

I've read "fan fiction" before. I would say this is fan fiction which the publisher has elevated to the status of "professional" fiction. But its not well written fiction. I guess if I wanted to read good fiction I should not be reading books like Annihilation to begin with. Shame on me. At one point the author uses the word "sauntered" 2 or 3 times on the same page. Just too much sauntering for me!

The protagonists are colorless, relatively "stock" characters that seemed to have been pulled from some assortment in a warehouse. Little effort is made to develop them.

The plot devices that the author uses are very predictable. Avid readers won't find anything new here.

Although there are men and women in the book, there are no tensions or relationships of any kind. Not that there needs to be, but, for all practical purposes it doesn't matter what gender the characters are. I think the author loses out on some opportunities as a result.

The only surprises you run across are when the story isn't true to itself. AKA when stuff you expect to happen doesn't happen. The author goes to great length to set up an ambush and explain it, only to have the protagonist ignore why the ambush fizzled. She ignores the dead bodies of potential ambushers because if she questioned why it happened... well, it would mess up the plot.

In the beginning a female jedi has a baby with a normal person who is a senior member of the military. She gives the baby up to someone else to raise for socio-political reasons. He has no force powers, but goes through all the teachings of the jedi academy even though he has no talent. Later when the protagonist finds out his heritage it just makes him irritated. That part was just painful to read. The author could have done something interesting with that.

Also at the end when a non-jedi takes out 3 jedi (one is a grand master) it is kind of unrealistic for me, if one can use the term "unrealistic" when dealing with the concept of midichlorians. It was very anticlimactic.

Anyway thats my review of this book. If you love "anything star wars" then you'll like the book before you start it. For the rest of us, not so much.

SPOILERS FOR SWTOR - If you have not played the storylines for SWTOR, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Annihilation in and of itself is actually pretty good. The main character, Theron, is an SIS agent with the bad luck to accidentally torpedo an active operation and is booted over to analysis, where he stumbles across information critical to the Republic in its checkmate operation. The Sith, following the death of the Emperor, are engaged in vicious internal fighting while trying to maintain their superweapon, the dreadnought Ascendant Spear, and maintain the political balance of the Dark Council long enough to actually keep fighting the Republic.

The problem is with the feel. Theron is seconded to the Director of SIS for their main operation. There's several things wrong with that statement. One agent, coupled with the Director of Republic SIS, are running one operation that may end the the war? And the Jedi Order, thousands of members strong and engaged in a bitter battle with the Sith, may, MAY again, send a single Jedi to become involved? In war of billions of soliders, hundreds of planets per side, and dozens of operating fleets, this feels pretty rinky dink. Its not Russia vs. the USA here, its galactic, and it simply does not feel galactic in scale. In the game, you feel like a cog in the machine when playing SWTOR as a Jedi Knight, and you're on a mission to slay the Emperor himself. This feels like it's taken a war of unfathomable scale and reduced it to a high school food fight.

The sad part is the story is good. Theron is smart, well trained, level-headed, and enjoyable to follow. He uses his tech and skills well, and you can tell he's a intelligence operative who knows hwo to keep his mouth shut, and he is a bit off the leash without being a loose cannon or a sci-fi Jame Bond.

What makes my blood boil though is Shatele Shan, the Jedi Master and one of my favorite SWTOR characters. You'll remember her as the hot brunette from the starting cinematic of just about any Republic storyline. Apparently she was involved in a romance off page. Unless they're planning a storyline whereby to can romance the aloof Jedi Master as part of a future game update, this is enraging in that EA is slapping the faces of every player who thought that a romance storyline with Shatele was possible and was denied. It seems like a small thing, but it still feels like I'd bitten a big hook after that.

Overall, this was a great book with crappy editing. Karpyshyn wrote a great story, with a good tone and a great set of characters, but the editor needed to pump it up so it actually felt like Operation: End Game was really the trillion-credit, platoon of Jedi, multi-fleet manuevering distraction written in as well, intelligence monstrosity it seemed like it ought to have been.

The story in this novel takes place during the days of the "Old Republic" when Sith and Jedi literally ran rampant throughout the galaxy. This novel is the fourth one in the "Old Republic" series and although it professes to be a stand-alone novel, I would recommend reading the others in the order that they take place so that you can fully grasp the full weight of the story as some of the events mentioned in this novel do take place in the others. Although admittedly you could read this novel first and only miss a few minor details.

Product Description as provided by the store:

The Sith Empire is in flux. The Emperor is missing, presumed dead, and an ambitious Sith lord's attempt to seize the throne has ended fatally. Still, Darth Karrid, commander of the fearsome Imperial battle cruiser Ascendant Spear, continues her relentless efforts to achieve total Sith domination of the galaxy.

But Karrid's ruthless determination is more than matched in the steely resolve of Theron Shan, whose unfinished business with the Empire could change the course of the war for good. Though the son of a Jedi master, Theron does not wield the Force--but like his renowned mother, the spirit of rebellion is in his blood. As a top covert agent for the Republic, he struck a crucial blow against the Empire by exposing and destroying a Sith superweapon arsenal--which makes him the ideal operative for a daring and dangerous mission to end Ascendant Spear's reign of terror.

Joined by hot-headed smuggler Teff'ith, with whom he has an inexplicable bond, and wise Jedi warrior Gnost-Dural, Darth Karrid's former master, Theron must match wits and weapons with a battle-tested crew of the most cold-blooded dark side disciples. But time is brutally short. And if they don't seize their one chance to succeed, they will surely have countless opportunities to die.

I found the story to be really well written and although it did seem to drag for a bit in a couple of parts, the story ran fairly well throughout and kept my interest the entire time.

Here are a couple of other books that you may very well enjoy.

Deceived (Star Wars: The Old Republic)

Fatal Alliance: Star Wars (The Old Republic)

Shawn Kovacich
100% Star Wars Fan
Author and Creator of numerous books and DVD's.

I chose this rating because the book moved fluidly with logical sequences of intense action. The characters were likeable and funny. Much of the book went into great technological detail which I didn't understand but gave suspense to the battle scenes. This is a good read for people with military and tech knowledge. The story was cleverly put together so most of my hypothesis ended up being wrong.

Overall this was a fun, exciting, and engaging book with some glaring issues. At its best, it's vintage Star Wars. Escapes from exploding ships, breaking into bases, trying to blend in with the enemy... all good Star Wars stuff. However, the relationship between Theron and Teff'ith really drags this down. I'm a big fan of Drew's work in the past, but it was just written so poorly. We never understand the animosity she shows him or why she seems to hate him, and it never goes anywhere. Literally the last scene in the book shows their relationship in the exact same place it was at the beginning. It left a sour taste in my mouth from what was an otherwise fun read.

I'm also unsure if anyone who hasn't played The Old Republic would get anything out of it. Part of what was so fun for me was seeing characters return from the game. Overall, maybe skip this if you aren't a hardcore Star Wars fan.

good stand alone story following the KOTOR storyline, Having read the DH comics this falls in line with the series quite well and is a continuation of a story line yet stands alone in that the author gives the reader enough information to provide backstory