APOCALYPSE

The ninth and final book in the complex Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi saga.

This expanded-universe Star Wars series follows the events of the previous Legacy of the Force series and takes place about 40 years after the original Star Wars film trilogy. At the start of the series, Jedi master Luke Skywalker and his son Ben embarked on a quest to find out why Han Solo and Leia’s late son, Jacen Solo, succumbed to the dark side of the Force to become a powerful Sith Lord. Meanwhile, on the planet Coruscant, the Galactic Alliance leader sought to suppress the Jedi, and several Jedi became afflicted with a mysterious mental illness. (Other classic characters, including C-3PO, R2-D2, and Lando Calrissian, also make appearances in the series.) Things come to a head in this final installment, as the heroes face off against deadly Sith and the powerful and ancient Abeloth, who in her true form is no less than “a tentacle-armed monster with eyes as tiny as stars and a mouth so broad it could swallow a human head.” The Star Wars expanded universe has become enormously detailed and complicated over the years, featuring loads of characters, and the uninitiated may find it difficult to find a way into the sprawling fictional universe—a pitfall of many a long-running sci-fi and fantasy saga. That said, Denning, who also wrote the third (Abyss, 2009) and sixth (Vortex, 2010) books in this series, works hard to satisfy aficionados here; he has a distinct talent for portraying acrobatic lightsaber battles and also excels at characterization, bringing across the distinct personalities of the many old and new players throughout.

An action-packed final chapter that should please fans.