Author(s): Michael Reaves
Cover artist: Glen Orbik
Publisher: Del Rey
Release date: January 27, 2009
Pages: 288
Era: Rise of the Empire
After the Empire’s bloody purge of the Jedi, one lone Knight still fights for those who cannot, unaware that he’s about to be swept into a cataclysmic battle against the Master of Darkness himself.
Throughout the galaxy, a captured Jedi is a dead Jedi, even in Coruscant’s most foul subterranean slums, where Jedi Knight Jax Pavan champions the causes of the oppressed with the help of hard-nosed reporter Den Dhur and the wisecracking droid I-5YQ. But Jax is also involved in another struggle–to unlock the secrets of his father’s death and his own past.
While Jax believes that I-5YQ holds some of those answers, he never imagines that the truth could be shocking enough to catapult him to the frontlines of a plot to kill Emperor Palpatine. Worse yet, Darth Vader’s relentless search for Jax is about to end . . . in triumph.
The future looming over the valiant Jedi and his staunch pals promises to be dark and brief, because there’s no secret whatsoever about the harshest truth of all: Few indeed are those who tangle with Darth Vader . . . and live to tell the tale.
*This review is organized into a Spoiler Free and Spoiler review with a general review for the entire trilogy.
Spoiler Free Review:
Patterns of Force, the final novel in the Coruscant Nights Trilogy, holds its own very well when compared to Jedi Twilight and Street of Shadows. Reaves once again weaves a fun, adventurous novel with his motley cast of characters. Being the conclusion to the story, many of the characters’ ulterior motives and missions are finally resolved. Plus many new elements are added to the story which only heightens the adventure. However, there is no all expansive message revealed in the ending of this third novel. Being a trilogy, one might expect some greater statement or important point to be made, but it’s not there. Instead there is only an end to another adventure and a future left open to more. The main purpose was fun, and Reaves manages to capture that by writing an entertaining tale that keeps the Star Wars universe alive. If you enjoyed the first two novels of the series, then you’ll probably enjoy this one as well as it continues to blend action with probing insights into the EU realm.
Spoiler Review:
So what exactly does Patterns of Force bring to the table? First off we have the Inquisitorius. Like Prince Xizor and Aurra Sing, the Inquisitors play the main villain in this novel. They are rather nicely brought to life as the Force hunting ghouls of Palpatine’s new Empire. Throughout the story they are there lurking and watching for any use of the Force, just waiting to pounce on any Jedi or Force adept in order to do their master’s bidding. We are also introduced to Kajin Savoros, or Kaj, an independent Force sensitive teenager whose been evading the prowling eyes of the Inquisitorius. But the main underlying theme of the novel is still Darth Vader’s search for Jax Pavan, and his desire to obtain the sample of Bota, the Sith holocron, and the pyronium nugget he gave to Pavan.
Beyond the main story are the substories. There is the love triangle between Jax, Dejah, and Laranth, and then Rhinann’s quest to experience the Force. Both of which are thankfully resolved. There is also Den’s struggle to find out where his heart belongs, where his true home lies, be it with the holostar Eyar on Sullust, or with his friends on Coruscant. I-5, on the other hand, has all ready accomplished his mission, to befriend and protect Jax, and for the most part is left with continuing to protect Jax. Each substory is wrapped up one way or another by the story’s end.
However the ending of the novel doesn’t really put an end to anything. In fact, it’s left off in a way that it could easily continue. The little subplots get wrapped up, and the big plot with Vader and the highly desired objects is also resolved, but the characters all end up pretty much where they started. If Reaves wanted to, he could easily make a Coruscant Nights IV and V. Yet that lack on conclusion works. Instead of turning into a grim drama or philosophical treatise, Reaves sticks with the fun adventure aspect of the series. And with that, Patterns of Force succeeds with flying colors. Though it may not be the best Star Wars novel ever, it is still a good one, and worth the time to read.
Coruscant Nights Trilogy in Review:
Jedi Twilight brought us in, Street of Shadows carried us through, and Patterns of Force wrapped it up, but what did it accomplish? For one, it explored the ideas of droids, their place in society, their sentience, and even their part in the Force. On another note it delved into the intricacies of alien species, be it their odd physiologies, their different outlooks on life, emotion, or the strange customs they embrace. Lastly there is the Jedi and the Force. Throughout the novels Reaves explores the relationship between the Jedi, or any Force sensitive, and how they connect with the Force. Some see it as threads, others as the flow of water, or even just amplifications of the senses. Yet none of these elements ever overpower the adventure. Instead they act as small breaks from the action. In fact a lot of the series was spent on character development or exploration. But even with that, no one character ever stole the spotlight. Reaves kept the story going without getting lost on any one facet. As a result, the whole series avoids becoming a philosophical statement, and stays on course as an adventure. Overall I think Michael Reaves did a good job at handling the Star Wars realm. He told a story which balanced adventure with probing deeper into topics that often get overlooked. The Coruscant Nights Trilogy did just that by bringing a healthy mix of entertainment along with an enrichment of the Star Wars galaxy.
Reviews by Stephen H.
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