I've written before about the Star Wars: Legacy of the Force book series and how it has really pulled me back into the Star Wars Universe, and the latest book, Sacrifice, keeps up the momentum.
As I've revealed before, Jedi Knight Jacen Solo had a mission that led him to Sith apprentice Lumiya (the former Shira Brie, who has a history with Luke). Lumiya convinced Jacen that he was destined to become the newest Sith Lord. Unlike his grandfather Anakin, Jacen has slowly learned the Sith ways in order to bring the galaxy together peacefully. Book by book, Jacen has come closer and closer to fulfilling his Dark destiny until, finally, he has to make the sacrifice every apprentice has to make to ascend to Darth status.
In Sacrifice, Jacen finally takes that final step. And I must really be out of the fanboy loop (although I was never really into the Star Wars internet groups) because I'm surprised I never heard who Jacen kills because I know old school fans are probably going apeshit about it.
But it did make for a great surprise (sorta-- but I won't give it away until I give the proper alert later).
The author of this fifth out of nine book series, Karen Traviss, along with her Legacy collaborators (Troy Denning and Aaron Allston) was given a lot of leeway to make this series as suspensful as possible. There haven't been deaths on the level of Chewbacca's in the New Jedi Order series, but what we've gotten so far have been what are called "game changing". The Star Wars Universe will not be the same once it's done.
What I especially like about the series is it's simple and self-contained. I read the first few new Star Wars books in the '90s as well as the first few years worth of comic books, but the time span between five to seven years after Return of the Jedi and the 40 years later that Legacy of the Force falls into is pretty much a unknown slate. I know The Solo and Skywalker kids have grown up, Luke created a new Jedi Order and married Mara Jade, Jacen was captured and was exposed to the Dark Side, Chewbacca died, and Boba Fett became Mandalore; but the details of all that are lost to me. The series is also very much in the "feel" of the movies. Most of the books I've read before were just too alien for me; they never really "felt" Star Wars to me.
So check out these books. It's a great ride.
And I'd be remiss in not mentioning the gorgeous book cover by Jason Felix. It's very rare that I just study a piece of art like that, but more than a few times I closed the book and looked at the cover. Truly stunning work. [I suppose it doesn't hurt that Mara looks to be modeled after Famke Janssen.]
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