Tempest: The Storm Continues to Build in the Latest Star Wars Novel

Tempest, book three in the Star Wars: Legacy of the Force series, continues to build upon the narrative previously established by Aaron Allston and Karen Traviss. Fan-favorite author Troy Denning (author of previous Star Wars novels such as Star By Star and the Dark Nest trilogy) picks up the baton, and while he does a very good job in developing the storyline, Tempest falls short of the mark in a few areas. That is not to say that Tempest is a bad novel nor not enjoyable. On the contrary, Tempest is a very fun ride.

It is no spoiler to mention that Alema Rar, the former dancer-turned-Jedi-turned-Dark Nest joiner makes a return in Tempest, as she was in the sample chapter printed at the end of the second book in the series, Bloodlines. Having narrowly (and isn't it always narrowly?) escaped death after a battle with Leia, Alema is back and wants revenge (of course). Her target is Jacen, but is surprised to find Jacen training under the Sith Lumiya. Alema begins to reconsider her plans...

There is, of course, a complex plot to assassinate Tenel Ka and her daughter Allana that Han and Leia wind up getting involved in, as well as Luke closing in on Lumiya's trail, and his and Mara's escalating distrust of Jacen.

Tempest is a story about our characters getting caught up in events that they cannot escape from, either because of their choices, or destiny, or both. What makes Legacy of the Force so interesting is how the characters are being put in situations where they are making hard, flawed decisions, and the consequences of those actions are playing out. Luke's continued reluctance to simply call Jacen out on his dark behavior is an example of Luke's greatest strength and weakness- seeing the best in people. As Legacy of the Force is touted as bringing things full circle with regards to the Skywalker legacy, it is interesting to see if Luke will fail with Jacen where he succeeded with his father (and the flip-side of course is seeing Jacen go down the path to becoming a Dark Lord of the Sith and yet making arduous efforts not to repeat the same mistakes as his grandfather).

It is also great to see Denning pick up on threads from the Dark Nest trilogy, which took place five years after the New Jedi Order series and five years before Legacy. Alema's motivations change from vengeance to a twisted sense of balance, and it is intriguing to see things from her point of view. Her conversation with Lumiya as they work clandestinely below decks on Jacen's new Star Destroyer, the Anakin Solo, is interesting and offers some tantalizing possibilities for future novels. Also, the bittersweet scenes between Jacen and Allana were touching, in particular Jacen fighting to defend her from the assassin. That entire sequence is the most nail-biting, breath-stopping sequence in the entire novel- a credit to Denning's skills as a writer.

While Tempest is a worthy entry into the Legacy of the Force series, it is not without a few minor flaws. It didn't seem terribly logical that Han and Leia would be able to slip off with the assassin, posing as if they were there to assassinate Tenel Ka as well (considering they openly tried stopping the other assassins and they're very, very well known as do-gooders). The inclusion of a certain bounty hunter from the comics, as well as the return from the dead of not one but two characters was a case of over-egging the pudding- at least for cramming it all into one novel. The suspension of disbelief wavers a little at that point, and the latter revelation made by Han and Leia of a certain someone they believed was dead should have been pushed off to a later novel. It comes across as Denning doing a little too much fan pleasing. And hey, maybe that's not such a bad thing. But it is a bit much.

Overall, fans should enjoy Tempest. Denning has a clear, concise writing style that moves the action along at a brisk pace. He has a wonderful grasp of the characters, and tying in elements from his previous trilogy works well. This novel leaves no doubt why he is one of the current favorite Star Wars authors, but it is the weakest entry so far in the Legacy series. That is, however, like saying a billionaire looks at a millionaire and scoffs at him because he's poorer.

Rating: B+