I think it's unlikely Jacen ran into the Tribe. As for what everyone else will think about this Sith/Jedi alliance, I can see Daala jumping all over that. She still hates the Jedi so this would be a huge weapon to use against them. "I knew it! I've been saying it all along, there's no difference between the Jedi and the Sith. Two of a kind." This could really help stir things up politically, and I could see Lecersen and Treen using this as well to try and hurt Daala. It would be like one big wheel where everybody is trying to stab everyone else with the same knife. I'm pretty sure the Jedi will trust Luke though in his decision. I don't think they'll be any fractures within the Order.

However I do wonder when they're going to get smart and quarantine all the Maw Jedi candidates. Seems risky letting them roam about when they could go nuts at any time.

I thought it was interesting, but man, I can FEEL the predictability closing in around me. Vestara tries to turn Ben. Ben ends up turning Vestara. And we all live happily ever after until the next war. Yay. And WHY in the name of the Force did Luke believe that the Sith apprentices were suffering from the madness? It was such an obvious lie. *sigh*

I was fooled by the sith apprentices going mad! Sounded believable to me.

I liked Vestara before we knew she had a crush on Ben. Its like on a sitcom where the tension is snapped and the characters get together - makes things less interesting.

Haha, no shame there. I actually thought Luke might be dead for like three second in Inferno. But, yeah, I see no reason why Ben and Vestara should be attracted to each other besides the fact that they're both good-looking kids. Come on, authors, if you're gonna go this whole cliched crush thing, give some real basis for a relationship. [spoiler]

The engagement is off!? OMG will they just quit with this on-again-off-again thing!? And the Ben/Vestara thing is no longer speculation, that actually seems to be the focus of the book!

Ok, first off, let's talk Tahiri. The trial is interesting and something of a marvel to me. Its kind of the boring segments, but if you find any law interesting then its well done. I also like that Tahiri was given Anakin's message from Beyond Shadows because she now has the closure she's been looking for since his death.

Now to the Sith. They are interesting, but too cliche sometimes. Yes, we know Sith screw each other over in order to get ahead, but they have been functioning as a society for a heck of a long time and this hasn't been a problem till now. They aren't morons, but they're acting like them. The Sith from their Era were monsters, yes, but they knew the value of patience and so far these have shown a childishness that they haven't been set up for.

Abeloth: all I am gonna say is that its a little annoying to have killed Callista offscreen and that they should have done that better. That, and Abeloth was killed way to easily so I'm guessing she's not truly dead yet.

Ben & Vestara: Sorry Reep, but I'm lovin this its too much fun! The whole thing is just completely set up for Vestara to come to the light since she shows tendencies and since she's obviously so smitten with Ben that it'll happen. I actually forsee her dying epically in an act of love for Ben in the last book of the series. Either that, or she'll be like Zekk was for Jaina and Tenel Ka was for Jacen, she'll be a reccurring love interest. I could see little Cade Skywalker's power in the Legacy comics coming from their DNA actually (again, sorry Reep, but I'm in support of this over the Seha thing now, and believe me I used to be with you on that).

All in all, it was interesting and something that I could see having potential, but if Abeloth is already dead then this series has lost its momentum. She was the cause of everything going on so far and to kill her already seems lazy and uninspired. Hopefully I'm right and she isn't dead. Also, someone DOES need to give Callista an appearance, and I see her actually still being alive. Maybe she's how Abeloth survives or something, I don't know, but this will be interesting. Thus ends my long and raving review.

Now, as far as Abeloth goes, I was also surprised that they killed her so soon, however, I don't think she's coming back, and I don't mind. I think the fact that the other Jedi are cured now is reason enough to believe that Abeloth is dead. If that were the end of her, I would be disappointed, but I'm hoping that the answers Golden promised us will be fulfilled.

Now as for Callista, I hope she's dead and gone now for good. I liked how Golden brought her in as a part of Abeloth, but I don't want to see too much more on that. Luke is firmly committed to Mara and her memory at this point. If Abeloth was using Force users as food, then Callista should be well digested by now.

With Abeloth dead, my interested is kind of piqued now because I'm wondering where the series will go. Nek got attacked by someone trying to stage a crazy Jedi attack on the GA. I'm thinking this is the Moffs and that Kuati lady at work. So I'm wondering how these people are going to step up to the plate and make themselves worthy of being the main villains. Plus there is still the Lost Tribe. Sadly, the Tribe has shown themselves to be inferior to Luke, so they're not 'main villain' material anymore.

Tahiri's trial was nice. I'm thinking that she might escape a death sentence, but I'm not sure she's going to get off without any punishment. Personally I thought Pallaeon's last lines kind of helped her because it showed that Moff Quille had actually been the one to leave Pallaeon to die.

And I'm loving the who slaver subplot. Klatooine was awesome and I've always been a big fan of stories about slavery in Star Wars. I'm hoping this turns into something, and it seems like it will.

The only reason it truly bothers me that Abeloth died so quickly is that if they believe Centerpoint AND the Maw were designed simply for the purpose of containing her then its kind of disappointing to see her killed so easily. And I'm fine with her feeding on Callista, but I did like her character concept and wouldn't have minded seeing her a bit up to her death. Believe me, it was Luke and Mara and he needs no other one.

I thought it was really good. I personally still like Outcast best just because of the shock value it had going for it. Jedi going crazy are no longer news by this point. That said, it was better than Omen, Abyss, and Backlash. Now, onto the plot!

Tahiri: This was handled extremely well in my opinion. She was sympathetic without seeming like the helpless little girl that she's been characterized as in the past. The trial was interesting and I'm genuinely curious about how it will all turn out. No way she'll get off without some sort of conviction. It wouldn't be right. But I hope she'll not killed or anything. And another thing, what did Tahiri mean when she said she and Jacen were "involved"? I'm having trouble even thinking in that direction without turning green.

Ben and Vestara: Ok, I've been a hater of this relationship. But I've allowed my hatred to cool into disinterest. This is mostly because the two of them having a crush on each other seems to make more sense then it did in Backlash. Although it did move pretty fast, in my opinion. Ben was letting his guard down in his very first conversation with her in this book! That girl must really be a looker. Ben's internal dialogue of "But I still like her," after he knew what Vestara was up to bugged me too. He'd been given reason to believe that everything she said or done up until that point had been contrived, and he still likes her? *sigh* I also need to point out what is possibly the worst/nastiest comment in recent SW history. Vestara's dad asking her if she'd "bedded" Ben. *shudder* They're what, 16? And who wants to even think about stuff like that in a SW book? *gag*

Jania: While I'm glad she got more page time here and showed some of her old stubborness and determination, the breakup with Jag annoyed me. Most of you know that I'm a huge Smallville fan and this is starting to remind me of the old Clark and Lana rollercoaster of love. Ick. And, Jania, we KNOW you're the Sword of the Jedi. Must you say it every other sentence?

Abeloth/Callista: Ok, I'll admit it. When it got to the reveal, I actually threw the book down in disgust. Once I calmed myself and continued reading, I had admit that it was a nice way of telling us what happened to Callista since Planet of Twilight (anyone notice that one of the more soap opera-y SW books has "Twilight" in the title?) But, really, I hate Callista. Always have. And having Luke remember the feelings he used to have for her like that seemed almost like an affront to Mara's memory. I'm probably just over-sensative, but it annoyed me. And, yeah, the "female presence" aboard the Shadow? Is there anyone who didn't know it wasn't Mara? Creepy. But, all that said, it did make a sort of sense. Now I'm gonna sit here and wonder if she's really dead until Vortex comes out. There better not be any lame attempts to "save" her if she's not.

One more thing, I like the way Mara was characterized Beyond Shadows. I don't know, some of her dialogue in Abyss just didn't seem like things she would say. I think it was handled much better this time. And, even with the whole creepy Callista stalking Luke via the Force thing, I thought Mara had a bigger presence in this book than in any other since she died. I'm always in favor of that.

I thought it was pretty cool that they made Callista part of Abeloth, and also very releived that Abeloth was much more than that. I would not be surprised if she were not completely dead. Seems to me she was more than just a physical form. Maybe her essence lives on in the planet and they have to do something about that. With the title of vortex I think there must be something significant going on with the planet.

With the sinkhole station destroyed(as well as centerpoint), do you think we are going to learn any more about it's origins?

My bet is that Daala hired two people to pose as Jedi and kill Bwatu(sp?). They probably both were planning on that last night being a last hurrah for the two of them.

I'm really loving how Luke is just not all that polite to the sith. Obviously he shouldn't be, but over the course of the EU, many time over I've thought he was too passive, too restrained, and I half expected that out of him here. But no, he's being a smart ass and very blunt, as he should be.

I'm not at all offended by the vestara/ben thing. Love, desire are powerful emotions and have pretty much always been part of SW. Preferably it doesn't end in some cheesy fashion. I think it will end with Vestara's death and Ben being a very hardened, and wise, young adult.

I hope this is the end of the crazy jedi plot, with the last of the series likely focusing on battling the Tribe as well as Daala(who will probably publicly blame the jedi for the murder of Bwatu.