Talk:Force Exile III: Liberator

Review and Commentary
Well, it's that time again. Time for random reviews by JM76. Again, --spoilers are too be expected--, blah blah.


 * Alright, first things first. Very little character development in the main characters in this novel. The minor characters had great character advancement and growth. Except for their turn to the Jedi-side of the Force, the crew of the Hawk-Bat had very little changes in their mannerisms throughout the novel. The two I recall, are Milya's growing affection for Selu and Spectre, and Selu's development into a leader character. Besides that, most of the other characters retain their characteristics from FE:II. Though I must say, I was pleased with the Milya/Spectre/Selu love triangle and Selu's apprenticeship with our favorite Prodigal Knight.


 * The battles get better and better. I was at the edge of my... barstool, as I read about Nebulax's cunning maneuvers, the Inquisitor's dark attitude and malice, and the heated duels as Milya and Selu fought Spectre, Ajaur, and others. I am most impressed at Nebulax's stunt with the proton torpedoes, and the nice addition of the pirates. The pirates served as a good side-villain, and throughout the novel their captain reminded me of Shanks (anime reference >_>) or Sparrow, and it solidified my view of the captain as I read the BtS. On the subjects of villains, Nebulax served as a wonderful counterpart to Convarion and Ajaur, that creepy freak reminded me in several ways of a mix between Saruman and the Mouth of Sauron from Lord of the Rings. Lieutenant Terthbak and his entire crew provided the necessary amounts of humor to keep the novel fairly light in terms of drama, which I believe was your goal.


 * A brief mention, but the Christian theology allusions were well-done. I was surprised, I hadn't recognized but a few of them. Kudos.


 * The unification of the Force Exiles: 1. It enlightens us to the nature of the title of the series, which we assumed referred to Selusda Kraen up until this point. 2. Served as a very well-written central plot, with several good characters and excellent subplots.


 * In my opinion, the idea of five random crewmen all becoming Jedi seemed rather silly to me. The fact that all of them could train in the Force is a rather large stretch, though I could see Sarth becoming Force-sensitive, because of his uncanny skills with droids and because he's Selu's brother; in addition, I could also see Milya becoming a Jedi, simply because I always assumed it was in her nature, with her Echani background. The part that really threw me off the most was when Spectre became a Jedi. When a person is created from a nFS template, one would assume that they could not become a Jedi/Sith, because one would need a connection with the Force to become a Jedi. This was why Sidious desired nFS Clones, thinking they would be too loyal to the Jedi during the Clone Wars and unable to execute Order 66, or something of that nature. That being said, I did enjoy the entire Revan training subplot. Each respective Force ghost stayed true to their initial characteristics, and I was bemused by the Exile's name. Her sacrifice, in addition, touched me, probably due to its Christian origins. The tower was like a little Force-sensitive Eden, a paradise that shielded the crew of the Hawk-Bat from the horrors of the outside world, if only temporarily. It also intrigued me that the Ebon Hawk was the unifying force that all the Force ghosts from the netherworld. Ohhh, magic ship XD


 * The demeanors and traits of Nebulax, Ajaur, and Convarion very nicely balanced each other out. They each served as a foil for another. Nebulax was a veteran spacer with an eye for combat and distaste for Convarion. Ajaur is a malicious Force-user who despises everyone, though nothing can be done about him due to his connections w/ Palpy. Convarion is the new guy, who is experienced, but rather roguish, not willing to completely surrender to Nebulax's will.


 * Wedding battle scene = epic win. It just was. I can't really explained it, but it all appeared so perfect in my head, every detail, visually inspiring.


 * That being said, I recall my mouth dropping open when Selu revived Milya. I was so astounded that a Jedi could actually save the one they loved from dying, especially with a wound to the heart. That's all I have to say about that.


 * Per my complaint about Selu's captain-ship status from the last novel. I can say he stayed out of Mary-Sue land very easily, and used his leadership roles well without becoming General Stu. I no longer have any problem with him being leader of the Hawk Bat.

So that's my review. Take it or leave it, I actually thought it was better than the other two novels by far, with its varying cast of characters, unique plots/subplots, good "hook", and fast-paced ending. The Christian tie-ins were a plus. The one area I'll say this novel suffered in, however, was character development. Regardless, good novel overall. Good work, like always. --  JM  76  Ask   Archives   05:21, 1 August 2008 (UTC)