War was nothing new for the New Republic. But this war is different for the assailants come from a different galaxy. They are the Yuuzhan Vong, a mysterious race of humanoids fanatical in their religious beliefs, addicted to pain, brutal in their treatment of their enemies and prisoners, a race that deplores artificial technology, choosing instead to use living creatures, as mysterious as the Vong themselves as their technology.

Without regard for life, the Yuuzhan Vong rampage throughout the galaxy, killing or displacing billions, transforming the planets and natural life into bio-engineered monstrosities. It seems even the Jedi are having trouble stop them.

Every saga has an end. Is that end now?



Onslaught is the second book of the New Jedi Order series and the first book of the Dark Tide duology. The other book is titled Ruin. Both are by Michael A. Stackpole. Originally the duology was supposed to be a trilogy, but Siege, which takes place between the other two books, was canceled before publishing.


WARNING: This review contains spoilers of the first book, Vector Prime by R.A. Salvatore. Most of the spoilers are confined to the beginning paragraph of the plot teaser and some of the character analysis.


PLOT
Several weeks have passed since the Yuuzhan Vong first attacked, resulting in the deaths of, among others, Chewbacca and the Jedi Knight Miko Reglia. Several planets were attacked, two completely destroyed. But the Vong were eventually defeated, but everyone knew they could return. And they have. And this time, they seem smarter, more reserved, and deadlier, maybe even unstoppable.

That's what Ambassador Leia Solo is trying to convince the Galactic Senate. Corrupted by greed, over-protective of their newfound power, and blinded by mistrust of the Jedi and humans, both groups Leia has a direct relationship with, the alien-controlled Senate ignores her warnings.

Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker has his own problems with his fledgling Jedi order. At a time when the order needs unity, it is deeply divided between one faction, led by Kyp Durron, that believes a more aggressive approach should be taken and another, led by Luke himself, that seeks a more reserved approach.

Disgusted with the Senate, Leia voyages to the far-flung Outer Rim, the area currently under attack, to assist with the increasing refugee crisis and to gain regional support from the individual planets. All of this while the Vong move closer to the population centers...


ANALYSIS
1.- Style and Pace)
Stylistically, Onslaught is a little different than Vector Prime. Whereas Vector Prime was very close to a thrill-a-minute romp with five big battles and planets being destroyed, Onslaught is slower and more deliberate in its pace, with only one big, almost apocalyptic, climatic battle among several smaller ones.
While the slower pace didn't make the book a chore to read, I just didn't have that uncontrollable urge to devour it the way I did with Vector Prime or Ruin.

2.- Characters)
Also, while Vector Prime certainly wasn't devoid of characterization, Stackpole takes it to another degree. With Onslaught, the Solo children really start to come into their own as expressive characters. Up until Vector Prime, they were pretty flat and not very interesting. Now, with the increasing pressure of adolescence, being Jedi Knights, war, etc., they are becoming clear images characterwise.

For example, you have Jaina Solo. Young, talented as an aviator, strong-willed. She is trying to escape the shadows of her heroic parents and become her own person. "I don't know who I am...I know parts of it...I know I'm getting tired of being my mother's daughter and my father's daughter; and part of me even knows that it will take time for me to emerge from their shadows. I also know that there are folks out there who think I'm going to be the salvation of the galaxy because I'm a Jedi, and others who think I'm doom on two feet for the same reason."

Then, there's Jacen Solo. Like Jaina, he is searching for his own way. However, he seeks not to make a name for himself, but to find his way as a Jedi. He's a character of contradictions. He knows a lot of the answers, but is still looking for the rest. He is sure of himself, but at times, it comes crashing down. I relate to Jacen a lot, which is sometimes unfortunate, because I find him a little annoying at times.

Finally, there's Anakin Solo, my favorite character so far. He's (spoiler alert) at least partially responsible for Chewbacca's, from a point of view. Struggling with his own grief and guilt, even though I knows he had no choice, he tries to redeem himself in the eyes of others, especially his father, Han Solo, who blamed him and ultimately, in his own eyes.

3.- Inconsistencies)
With multiple authors writing in the same series, there was bound to be a little trouble with continuity. Perhaps the biggest problem was how differently the Yuuzhan Vong are portrayed, how differently they act, and how different their weapons and technology are. A logical explanation for this inconsistency is given in the very next book, but it still creates a problem in this book.


CONCLUSION
Onslaught is like a sentence in the middle of a paragraph. It gives a complete thought and has a clear beginning, middle, and end. But that one sentence is only part of a greater thing, and to understand its true meaning, you need to read the sentences and paragraphs before and after it.

In other words, Onslaught begins and it ends, but it gives neither a sense of beginning or closure. It's but a stop along the road (I'm gonna run out of metaphors if I'm not careful).

Translation: While Onslaught is not perfect, I highly recommend it. First, however, I recommend seeing the movies, reading Vector Prime, and having some knowledge of the events occurring between the movies and the New Jedi Order.


RELATED REVIEWS
Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Vector Prime by R.A. Salvatore:
http://www.epinions.com/content_75896032900

Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Dark Tide II: Ruin by Michael A. Stackpole:
http://www.epinions.com/content_80051342980

Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial by James Luceno: http://www.epinions.com/content_80412642948

Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Balance Point by Kathy Tyers:
http://www.epinions.com/content_81242918532

Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Traitor by Matthew Stover:
http://www.epinions.com/content_89080041092

Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Destiny's Way by Walter Jon Williams:
http://www.epinions.com/content_89854676612

Recommended: Yes