Outcast
By: Arron Allston
Published: 2009
Audiobook Read by: Marc Thompson
My rating: Great
I listened to the entire nine book Legacy Of The Force series and loved it! I guess being a consummate fan of the science fiction genre I am biased towards this kind of literature. (I know that some would have me hung by my toenails for classifying this as literature!) However, speaking objectively as possible, I do believe that Arron is a truly gifted writer.
At the close of the Legacy of the force series, Jacen Solo, also know as Darth Caedus, has been defeated but the galaxy is still in a state of disarray. The Jedi council is stunned when they are blamed for what happened to Jacen and by the subsequent arrest of Luke Skywalker so as to hold him personally accountable for the horrendous crimes committed by Darth Caedus. Luke realizes that he actually is somewhat to blame and brokers a deal with the Gallactic Alliance that sends Ben and he on a mission that might possibly mean Luke will never see Coruscant again. As he and Ben begin their travels they learn much about each other and draw closer as father and son. Ben is maturing into a skilled Jedi and Luke takes the opportunity to hone his skills and teach him some of the finer points of being a Jedi.
As Luke and Ben are off trying to trace Jacen's path to the dark side, the remaining Jedi at the Temple are faced with a new problem. Jag and Jaina decide to take matters into their own hands, as usual, and try to capture a rogue Jedi that has been causing problems. Their efforts nearly cause more damage than good, as usual again, but they are determined to find out the source of this new threat. With the government trying to keep a tight leash on all Jedi, the Order is forced to submit to very undesirable restrictions in an effort to show that they do not hold themselves above the law.
Han and Leia decide to avoid some of the governments new security measures by skipping town for awhile to help a friend. They find that they might have jumped from the proverbial frying pan into the fire when they arrive at Lando's mines on Kessel. The trouble that Lando dumps on them is more than they can handle and they have to call in a lot of reinforcements to bail Lando out.
The plot of this book was so easy to follow and it flowed along sweeping me with it. There is never any lack of excitement and mystery to keep your mind racing. As each character faces their own challenges, they also find they are confronted by their own fears and weaknesses. Each one grows a little as they allow their experiences to mold them into stronger people. The Jedi code of always doing what is right is one that we all should adhere to, even though we can't use The Force to aid us. I love the style that all of these books have been written in, they are intense with a lot of action but also have a lot of heart as well as a good bit of humor.
I listened to the audiobook read by Mark Thompson. He was the narrator for the entire Legacy Of The Force series and as he did in those books, he excels here. His range of different voices and the skill he has in switching seamlessly between them is absolutely amazing! I was very happy to see that he is performing this series as well. Marc brings these stories to life and helped me to feel like I was right there in the thick of things a long time ago in a galaxy far far away!
Overall, this was a great book and I highly recommend it if you are even remotely interested in the Star Wars saga. I would recommend reading the Legacy Of The Force series first, though, as it will help you to understand a lot of what is going on.
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