Review: Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Allies

By Christie Golden

Paperback, released April 26 2011

To defeat the monster at the heart of the Maw, Luke and Ben Skywalker must make an alliance they never thought feasible – with the Sith…

This is a novel that is certain to divide opinion among the Star Wars fan community. There’s more politics and courtroom drama than you’d normally expect in one of the books, and there’s only a limited appearance by Han and Leia. Couple that with some occasionally schmaltzy dialogue between potential and current lovers, and there will be those who will be happy to find a summary of events online, and move on to volume six of the arc.

However, there are a lot of good moments, not least for Luke Skywalker, whose emotions are laid bare once again by the reappearance of someone from his past in a form that shocks both him and the readers. Allying with the Sith may seem out of character, but Luke constantly expects betrayal, and it’s worth remembering that the Luke of Return of the Jedi could be a pragmatist when necessary.

Verdict: Those bored by the “mad Jedi” plotline will be pleased to see that there is a certain amount of resolution to that in this story, along with movement in most of the other ongoing threads. However, this isn’t the page-turner that the two previous books have been.  6/10

Paul Simpson