After a long, long wait, Backlash is finally here. I wasn’t sold on Outcast - I enjoyed it well enough, but I didn’t think it was great. I’ve often said Fate of the Jedi didn’t really start for me until Omen, and Abyss is one of my favorite Star Wars books ever. But Backlash proved to me that Allston’s still got it, as I’d consider it at least as good as Omen, because he’s certainly firing on all cylinders this time. Backlash is anything but a slow book – but still filled with a good number of in-jokes, cross-references to past adventures, and more use of the droids. It’s also a very focused novel, keeping the plot centered around the characters’ adventures on Coruscant and Dathomir. To read the rest of my spoiler filled review, click on the link.

Apparently some time has passed since we last saw Leia and Han in Abyss (escaping Coruscant with the wanted Jedi Knights) - as their ‘cargo’ has been dropped off already when we catch up with them in the opening of Backlash. But almost no time has passed since we last saw Luke and Ben at the end of Abyss - Luke is recovering from both the battle with the Sith and his experience with the Mind Drinkers. Ben sends out messages to both his aunt & uncle as well as the Jedi warning them of the Sith Tribe, and because of this Leia and Han decide to meet up with Luke and Ben on Dathomir to help them track down this new Sith order. They’ve tracked Vestara to a Dathomiri Tribe, where she has sought refuge – and protection from the Jedi. But when the Jedi make themselves invaluable to the tribe by helping them fend off the Nightsisters, they’re all thrown together where Vestara winds up rescuing Luke, and Ben moves into investigative mode. They know that Nightsisters have inflitrated the tribe they have met up with so he’s trying to deduce who it might be. Allston’s got a great feel for Ben and his personality and his interactions not only with Luke but also with other people.

Back on Coruscant, Jag fends off several attempts on his life, as Moffs and Senators scheme together to take down the leaders of both the Empire and Galactic Alliance. Meanwhile Daala cannot let the actions of the Jedi ferrying their sick off-world stand – so in a spectacular battle she orders Mandalorian commandos to raid the Jedi Temple. This could have been the climax of the novel, with shining moments for Tyria Tainer, Raynar, and Jaina who gets to prove her knowledge of Mandalorian tactics wasn’t a waste.

But I didn’t love everything in Backlash. I couldn’t quite figure out the purpose of Allana’s side story. She gets left behind by Han and Leia with the droids to ‘fend for herself’ as they go to meet with Luke and Ben. Now granted Zekk and Taryn (who do appear and yes – are dating) are secretly guarding her as well – but what kind of lesson exactly is this teaching Allana? A false sense of security that she can handle things well above her ability level? And then R2 goes missing, so she takes it on herself to find a way off the ship and find him, even though C3P0 does everything to keep her locked inside. Even when she gets in touble, Zekk and Taryn don’t reveal themselves, they just help her without being seen. But she escapes with the droids back to the Millennium Falcon and powers up the Falcon to try and fly it to safety, crashing it some distance away from the spaceport. The droids act completely useless in this scene, despite the fact that one is an Astromech droid and the other (C3P0) has piloted the Falcon at least once before. Then, once Han and Leia meet back up with Allana, Han flippantly says something to 3P0 about how it’s not his (3P0’s) fault Allana got into trouble - it’s ‘in her genes’. WHAT?!?!?! It’s not 3P0’s fault because it’s YOUR fault for leaving her behind with only two droids to guard her - that’s not because of her GENES it’s because you acted completely out of character. I had this problem with Allston in Fury when both Luke and Tycho had their completely out-of-character moments, and I got my repeat here.

But anyway, the prior battle between the Jedi and the Mandalorians has resulted in a standoff between both parties, resulting in Daala recalling General Han Solo to active duty, so he can negotiate a deal between the government and the Jedi. I had some issues with this because he was so recently wanted for arrest to taking away those sick Jedi (as well as his actions during the Second Galactic Civil War) – but I’m so happy to see him as a General again, I’m willing to overlook my misgivings about this story turn.

We get more political plotting, a funeral, and we get to check in with Tahiri (who has a new lawyer because it was determined by the courts that Newara Ven has s conflict of interest due to his representation of the Jedi). The new lawyer wants the trial moved off Coruscant - because one of their star witnesses is to be Luke Skywalker, and he’s been exiled. I was happy to have even this one brief scene with Tahiri - and it makes me suspect that her plot is going to be big in one of these upcoming books (maybe the trial will be the centerpiece of Allston’s next book, Conviction?). Jaden Korr even makes an appearance, which had me wondering if this was a hint as to what to expect in the Crosscurrent follow up.

Meanwhile, the Nightsisters plot takes an unexpected twist. While Ben had figured out who the Nightsister traitor was, Vestara (who had been working both sides) has actually betrayed them all to her own Sith Tribe. Before the Nightsisters can even mount their final attack on the Dathomir tribe that Luke and Ben (and Vestara) have been traveling with, the Sith arrive and quickly dispatch the Nightsisters - capturing them with the intent of converting them to the ways of the Sith. But then Luke and Ben (who’ve been tracking Vestara) come upon the scene - and the battle between Luke, Ben and the Sith begins. The battle with the Sith is swift, with Luke and Ben proving to be too much for them. The Sith leave Vestara behind - so Luke captures her. But as they lift off in the Jade Shadow - they are taken by surprise in orbit by a Sith armada!

You can really tell these authors are working closely together too, it’s not feeling as disjointed between books - and plots are carrying over from other author’s books. Not surprising really, since I’ve come to expect that from the previous books in FotJ, but still nice to see the trend continue. Obviously I had one issue with Backlash, but I honestly think the rest of this book is really fantastic. There were a number of times Allston literally had me laughing out loud. I don’t love Dathomir (it’s a little like the Hapans - which probably all stems from me not loving Courtship of Princess Leia) but Allston has made it about as interesting as it can be, with warring Tribes and constant Nightsister attacks. Ben had some great character growth, allowed his own prejudices against the Sith to cloud his judgement of Vestara. But Vestara shows a much darker side here as well, and the reader isn’t quite sure what her motives are until very late in the book. All in all a fantastic addition to the Fate of the Jedi series, and an excellent Star Wars book to boot. And the Allies excerpt has me anxious to see what’s going to happen next.