Crosscurrent is the debut Star Wars novel by fantasy writer Paul S. Kemp. Jaden Korr receives a Force vision, depicting Mara Jade Skywalker, Lumiya, Kam Solusar and Lassin calling out to him for help. What Jaden Korr finds out on his fateful quest will leave you pondering and at times, speechless. Click on the link below for a spoiler review…

If it weren’t for the blurbs released I wouldn’t have read this book. The Lost Tribe of the Sith e-books never hooked me. I’ve never played the Jedi Academy games. My Star Wars comic reading consisted of flipping a few pages and then putting it back on the shelf. In short, Jaden Korr had as much meaning to me as Darth Krayt did. Yet one need not have Star Wars encyclopedic knowledge to enjoy Crosscurrent.

Crosscurrent opens with Saes Rrogon (from Lost Tribe of the Sith: Precipice) scourging Phaegon III’s moon for Lignan, a crystal deposit that augments Sith Force power when used. Lignan is especially important for Saes because the Battle of Kirrek is coming up where a Sith victory must be ensured. As Saes guides mining of the crust, he recalls his old Jedi Master Relin. Relin is pursuing him with his new Padawan, Drev, for the same reason. Relin, as he trains his new apprentice, wonders where he failed with Saes and stifles the feelings of self-doubt and loss. Both men know the Battle of Kirrek could be a“fulcrum, titling the war toward one side or the other” (pg. 9) as Relin describes it. Meanwhile, Jaden Korr receives a Force vision, compelling him to find an icy moon near a gas planet. Kell Douro is a special Anzat—through his feedings with certain people he can perceive the daen nosi—and commune with Darth Wyyrlock I. As Kell speaks with Darth Wyyrlock, he knows his next prey is Jaden Korr. Thus, the interactions with these core characters set the story in motion.

I found the cat-and-mouse storyline with Relin and Saes rather dry, dismissing them as the new Obi Wan and Darth Vader but as the story progresses, Kemp turns the Jedi and Sith stereotypes on its ear by revealing the philosophical flaws in each system and character. When Saes and Relin meet in the Harbinger, Saes says: “When is the last time you felt anything with passion? When is the last time you laughed, Relin? Felt a woman’s touch? When?”(pg 62). Drev decides to sacrifice himself for the Jedi mission Relin’s stoicism turns into anger and despair.

Jaden meets Khendryn Faal and Cerean Marr Idi-Shael in a seedy dive. These two come with their own unique back stories, not your generic smuggler and alien sidekick. Marr can calculate hyperspace jumps without using the navicomputer and Jaden suspects that Marr is Force-sensitive. Khendryn is an Outbound Flight child survivor rescued by Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker but still remembers the insane arrogance Jorus C’baoth (before he was cloned.), more prone to running from his problems than solving them. I felt that Jaden, Khendryn and Marr became a team far too quickly but Kemp explains all these happy coincidences later, just not in the way you’d think.

Speaking of problems, Kell longs to feast upon Jaden’s daen nosi and “uses” (i.e. brain sucks) any means (i.e. sentient beings) to track him. Knowing that Jaden survives in Abyss didn’t dismantle the dramatic tension for me but rather increased it: the tension doesn’t come from Jaden’s immediate danger but if Kell will survive and achieve his goal.

The two timelines unite and our main characters rally together, each affecting the other positively and negatively. Yet within the deep characterization, Jaden’s original quest gets lost in the muddle. Once his vision is brought into fruition; it takes The Force Potentium to a logical but peculiar conclusion. I don’t want to spoil it because it’s that good and will blow your mind the same way Traitor and The Unifying Force did due to the future metaphysical and character implications. For that reason alone, I’d recommend this book but it’s not without flaws.

While characterization and style are Kemp’s strengths, it is also his weaknesses. Female readers, there are no women in Crosscurrent. All you get is a red shirt dancing girl and a malfunctioning droid’s voice that changes from male to female randomly. For one whom has never encountered Jaden Korr outside of cameos in LOTF and FOTJ, he came across as bland. Yes, Jaden has the “haunted eyes” (according to Khendryn), likes to wear ponytails and confesses to his R6 but I felt his back story could’ve been more extensive for new EU readers. Fortunately, other characters are treated better. Kemp adds idiosyncrasies to Marr and Saes that correspond well to their species such as extraordinary navigation and perceiving the Force through smell respectively. Khendryn and Relin have unique backstories, making them well-rounded and relatable. I found Kell enjoyable, having not read a story from an Anzati POV since Dannik Jerriko from Tales of Mos Eisley’s Cantina.

Kemp’s poetic prose reminds me of Matthew Stover, but at times, it can be redundant. Kemp is smart enough to use this as a gag such as Darth Wyyrlock saying “therefore” in nearly every sentence, annoying Kell. Yet all these flaws are trivial in light of the intricate plot and in depth characterization. Therefore, buy this book so you can re-read it and re-read it again. There be dragons and you must join Jaden Korr on his quest.