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Title: The Crystal Star by Vonda McIntyre ISBN: 0-553-57174-5 Publisher: Bantam Pub. Date: 01 November, 1995 Format: Mass Market Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 2.53 (158 reviews)
Rating: 1
Summary: The Worst Star Wars book written to date
Comment: The Chrystal Star entralles the reader with a pretty cool cover, but that is about all it does. This book is absolutely terrible. Having read every other Star Wars book ever written, I can speak with some authority on the subject. The characterizations are weak and the behavior of the main characters erratic. Leia hates Chewie because he failed to save her children, even though he took a terrible wound attempting to help them? Doesn't make much sense. The Waru villain is simply [weak], it's a vampire blob, and Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master, that Jedi who has fought pretty much every evil in the universe and won is tempted by the blob. Tempted to do what? and why? are two questions that the author never answers. The Empire Reborn angle is almost laughable in its ineptitude. The whole cutting off from the force idea is [weak], and speaking of erratic plotting, if Skywalker is so affected that he and the good Jedi almost die from the slow cutting off of the Force then why aren't the bad guys similarly affected? Yeah, Hethrir can't kill someone when he wants and he can't turn on his lightsaber but other than that he and his minions remain basically unaffected. Speaking of lightsabers, what's up with lightsabers that can only be turned on with the force? It's an impractical and ludicrous idea. The Han Solo/Luke Skywalker relationship is terribly handled, Luke and Han are more like uneasy allies than best friends. Han Solo is done decently well, but overall this story should never have been published. I have never read anything else of McIntyre's, she might be a very good writer, but her talent does not show here. If you wish to read about the Star Wars universe, read Tim Zahn or Michael Stackpole not The Crystal Star.
Rating: 2
Summary: This book is hurtin and predictable
Comment: The Crystal Star by Vonda N. McIntyre has three major flaws: Slow Pace, Weak Characterization, and Overall Predictability. I think that if some research was done on the Star Wars Universe all these problems could have been avoided. Unfortunately, they were not.
First, the characters were very weak. Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin had the most characterization flaws in the novel. The way the children thought, spoke, and acted was not typically how any natural child would act. Their thoughts and dialog seemed more mature than being five-years old and younger. When reading the dialog, I couldn't help but think of them as young teenagers in many places. Furthermore, some of the adults were not written well- especially Luke Skywalker. Luke, being a Jedi would not be compelled into rage, especially against a good friend. Rage leads toward the Dark Side, and by this point in Luke's life (being that he survived Empire, Jedi, Dark Empire, and the Jedi Academy series), Luke has already learned much about controlling his rage. I wish the author would have spent more time reading the Star Wars expanded universe to avoid this problem.
The next problem was the novel's slow pace. Nothing really happens in the first three quarters of the book. During many parts in the novel, the action seems stagnant. The narrative seemed like the author wanted to take the novel somewhere, but it just couldn't seem to quite reach its destination. During the stagnant moments in the novel, the actions and storyline became quite unappealing. It isn't until the last quarter of the book that the pace quickens, but by that time I believe most readers will have lost interest.
Finally, a predictable storyline hurts the book. To avoid giving any major plot details, I'll just say that during the climax of the novel, I was basically screaming at the book because I felt cheated. When the pace begins to quicken it is already evident about what will happen to the new and the old characters.
The book was given two stars instead of one because of a single character - Han's old love interest Xaverri. She is the only well developed character in the novel. I liked her a lot. I certainly hope she reappears in future Star Wars novels.
Rating: 1
Summary: Crystal Star Shattered
Comment: One of the risks involved in buying any book in a continuing story where different authors combine their distinctive styles to weave a greater tapestry is that the results are often uneven. It is true of Star Trek, where some novelists (David Gerrold, J.M. Dillard) leave you wanting for more, while others (and Vonda N. McIntyre) either leave you indifferent or enraged that you actually paid good money to read that godawful book.
Star Wars, too, has its peaks and valleys as far as the Expanded Universe goes (although, judging from the mixed reviews to Episodes I and II, the movies are not, and have never been, critic-proof). Some SW authors (Timothy Zahn comes to mind) are wonderful, with an eye and especially an ear for the characters we love from the Classic Trilogy. Even when they mix the "canon" cast (Luke, Han, Leia, Chewie, the droids....)with their own characters (Mara Jade, Talon Karrde, etc.), the really good writers carry us into the story and off to that galaxy far, far away.....
Sadly to say, The Crystal Star is not written by a great Star Wars author. Yes, I know that Vonda McIntyre is an award-winning SF writer and wrote three of the 10 Star Trek movies' novelizations (the ones for Star Treks II, III, and IV). She did an OK job with them, even though some of her personal additions to the storylines were often annoyingly distracting. Still, she seemed to get the characters' voices down pat, but then of course she was working from screenplay drafts so it really doesn't seem like a stretch to accomplish THAT.
But if McIntyre's talent was sufficient for Star Trek, it failed her in the SW galaxy. Of all the stories I have read so far (and I have not read any New Jedi Order books as of April 2003), this is one of the weakest and even dull ones I have read. I won't go much into detail about what I don't like about this novel; other customer reviews have pointed out the same flaws that bother me. What I can say is this: I had to make myself sit down and read this book all the way through, just to justify the money I spent on it.
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