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Star Wars Legends: Novels
The Truce at Bakura
The sequel to Return of the Jedi. No sooner has the Rebel Alliance destroyed the Empire than they face a new challenge - Ssi-ruuk, a race of cold-blooded reptilian invaders who plan to enslave human minds to pilot their invincible machines of war and destruction.
341 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1994
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About the author
Kathy Tyers
33 books237 followersShe is the first child of Dr. H.C. Moore, an accomplished dentist and jazz musician who had served during WWII as a test pilot, and Barbara Putnam Moore, flutist with several California orchestras.
Kathy attended Montana State University in Bozeman, where she received a degree in microbiology, married, performed widely on her flute, and then became certified as a K-12 classroom teacher. After teaching primary grades for three years, she retired to start a family. Her only son took long naps and enjoyed playing alone, so in 1983 she set her electric typewriter on her kitchen table and started writing a book. Shortly after finishing the first draft, she joined a writers group, where she learned to critique and self-edit. First novel FIREBIRD was published by Bantam Spectra books in 1987, followed by FUSION FIRE, CRYSTAL WITNESS, and SHIVERING WORLD.
In 1993, her Bantam Spectra editor asked if she’d like to be a Star Wars © writer. THE TRUCE AT BAKURA hit the bestseller list, and life got hectic, exciting, and generally crazy for a while.
After one more novel for Bantam Spectra (ONE MIND’S EYE), Kathy took a sabbatical to deal with family issues. Targeting the Christian Booksellers Association market, she attended several writers conferences before concluding that no CBA publisher was interested in science fiction. She made three attempts to write a contemporary women’s novel, then turned back to her secret passion, which was to revive the unfinished FIREBIRD series. A year later, she connected with Steve Laube of Bethany House Publishers. Laube, a science fiction fan, was willing to take a risk on the project. Rewritten to enhance their underlying spiritual themes, FIREBIRD and FUSION FIRE reappeared in 1999 and 2000, followed in 2000 by a third Firebird novel, CROWN OF FIRE. Meanwhile, the call to write Star Wars came again, this time from Del Rey Books. NEW JEDI ORDER: BALANCE POINT was also a 2000 release.
In 2001, Kathy received the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference’s Pacesetter award for her efforts in the growing Christian science fiction genre. However, during the years that followed, worsening family troubles forced another sabbatical. Another SF novel was started but shelved. Bethany House asked for a new edition of SHIVERING WORLD, which Kathy completed while working at a retail greenhouse.
Kathy was widowed in 2004 and returned to school in 2006. Also in 2006, she completed working with classical guitarist Christopher Parkening on his autobiography, GRACE LIKE A RIVER. She has received a Diploma of Christian Studies from Regent College in Vancouver, BC, and she is working on toward a Master’s degree, mentoring several apprentice writers through the Christian Writers Guild, and drafting a new science fiction novel. Her Canadian experience includes worshipping at a marvelous Anglican church with stained-glass windows, kneeling rails, and challenging Scriptural preaching.
In October 2014 Kathy married William Thomas Gillin.
Kathy attended Montana State University in Bozeman, where she received a degree in microbiology, married, performed widely on her flute, and then became certified as a K-12 classroom teacher. After teaching primary grades for three years, she retired to start a family. Her only son took long naps and enjoyed playing alone, so in 1983 she set her electric typewriter on her kitchen table and started writing a book. Shortly after finishing the first draft, she joined a writers group, where she learned to critique and self-edit. First novel FIREBIRD was published by Bantam Spectra books in 1987, followed by FUSION FIRE, CRYSTAL WITNESS, and SHIVERING WORLD.
In 1993, her Bantam Spectra editor asked if she’d like to be a Star Wars © writer. THE TRUCE AT BAKURA hit the bestseller list, and life got hectic, exciting, and generally crazy for a while.
After one more novel for Bantam Spectra (ONE MIND’S EYE), Kathy took a sabbatical to deal with family issues. Targeting the Christian Booksellers Association market, she attended several writers conferences before concluding that no CBA publisher was interested in science fiction. She made three attempts to write a contemporary women’s novel, then turned back to her secret passion, which was to revive the unfinished FIREBIRD series. A year later, she connected with Steve Laube of Bethany House Publishers. Laube, a science fiction fan, was willing to take a risk on the project. Rewritten to enhance their underlying spiritual themes, FIREBIRD and FUSION FIRE reappeared in 1999 and 2000, followed in 2000 by a third Firebird novel, CROWN OF FIRE. Meanwhile, the call to write Star Wars came again, this time from Del Rey Books. NEW JEDI ORDER: BALANCE POINT was also a 2000 release.
In 2001, Kathy received the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference’s Pacesetter award for her efforts in the growing Christian science fiction genre. However, during the years that followed, worsening family troubles forced another sabbatical. Another SF novel was started but shelved. Bethany House asked for a new edition of SHIVERING WORLD, which Kathy completed while working at a retail greenhouse.
Kathy was widowed in 2004 and returned to school in 2006. Also in 2006, she completed working with classical guitarist Christopher Parkening on his autobiography, GRACE LIKE A RIVER. She has received a Diploma of Christian Studies from Regent College in Vancouver, BC, and she is working on toward a Master’s degree, mentoring several apprentice writers through the Christian Writers Guild, and drafting a new science fiction novel. Her Canadian experience includes worshipping at a marvelous Anglican church with stained-glass windows, kneeling rails, and challenging Scriptural preaching.
In October 2014 Kathy married William Thomas Gillin.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 526 reviews
November 18, 2015
Han paused in midstep. "What is this? I suppose you're going to ask my intentions toward your sister."
Luke smiled at Han. "I know what your intentions are, friend. She needs you. Just don't let her down."
Han's crooked smiled shone like an asteroid beacon. "Not on your life."
This book may be one of the best Star Wars books I have ever read. It takes place right after Return of the Jedi and demonstrates Luke, Leia, Han, and the rest of the Alliance dealing with the aftermath of having the Empire torn apart. What really impressed me however was that it also subtly dealt with smaller issues with the characters that I had always wondered about. Namely, the physical damage to Luke from the Emperor's lightning attacks and the anger/shock Leia feels while coping with the fact that Vader was her father. Also, there was brilliant and beautiful dialogue between everyone throughout the book, as well as a few really nice scenes between Han and Leia. Despite my everlasting love for the forbidden romance between Anakin and Padme, the relationship between Han and Leia will always be my favorite Star Wars couple. :) An all around wonderful book!
Luke smiled at Han. "I know what your intentions are, friend. She needs you. Just don't let her down."
Han's crooked smiled shone like an asteroid beacon. "Not on your life."
This book may be one of the best Star Wars books I have ever read. It takes place right after Return of the Jedi and demonstrates Luke, Leia, Han, and the rest of the Alliance dealing with the aftermath of having the Empire torn apart. What really impressed me however was that it also subtly dealt with smaller issues with the characters that I had always wondered about. Namely, the physical damage to Luke from the Emperor's lightning attacks and the anger/shock Leia feels while coping with the fact that Vader was her father. Also, there was brilliant and beautiful dialogue between everyone throughout the book, as well as a few really nice scenes between Han and Leia. Despite my everlasting love for the forbidden romance between Anakin and Padme, the relationship between Han and Leia will always be my favorite Star Wars couple. :) An all around wonderful book!
January 9, 2025
Is this the best Star Wars Expanded Universe novel? No.
However, for what it is, it's not bad.
It's interesting to see what happens immediately after the end of Return of the Jedi.
I also found it hilarious that the back matter in the edition I have--which I recently purchased used--had an ad for The Crystal Star. For those unfamiliar with EU books, let's just say that novel will forever go down in the history of the franchise...and not for being the least bit good.
However, for what it is, it's not bad.
It's interesting to see what happens immediately after the end of Return of the Jedi.
I also found it hilarious that the back matter in the edition I have--which I recently purchased used--had an ad for The Crystal Star. For those unfamiliar with EU books, let's just say that novel will forever go down in the history of the franchise...and not for being the least bit good.
May 4, 2025
"Truce at Bakura" takes place the day after the events of "Return of the Jedi".
Still basking in the glow of victory at the Battle of Endor, the Rebels pick up a distress call from a distant planet called Bakura. It's an Imperial message (an outpost that has yet to hear the news that its Emperor and Sith Lord Vader are dead) warning of an alien race known as the Ssi-ruuk that is attempting to take over the planet.
Han, Chewie, Leia, Luke, and the droids decide to respond, hoping that coming to the aid of Imperial troops will eventually open diplomatic doors in the coming years, now that the Empire is leaderless and more planets are joining the Alliance.
This Star Wars novel, while not the best one I've read, is nevertheless important in the whole post-"Return of the Jedi" mythos. It establishes the creation of an official Alliance governmental hierarchy, with Mon Mothma as acting President and Leia as Head of State. It also foreshadows Luke's eventual Jedi Master ststus and his creation of a new Jedi Academy.
It's a fast enjoyable read, for both die-hard Star Wars fans and those who merely liked the movies and wouldn't mind finding out what happens to the gang after "ROTJ".
Still basking in the glow of victory at the Battle of Endor, the Rebels pick up a distress call from a distant planet called Bakura. It's an Imperial message (an outpost that has yet to hear the news that its Emperor and Sith Lord Vader are dead) warning of an alien race known as the Ssi-ruuk that is attempting to take over the planet.
Han, Chewie, Leia, Luke, and the droids decide to respond, hoping that coming to the aid of Imperial troops will eventually open diplomatic doors in the coming years, now that the Empire is leaderless and more planets are joining the Alliance.
This Star Wars novel, while not the best one I've read, is nevertheless important in the whole post-"Return of the Jedi" mythos. It establishes the creation of an official Alliance governmental hierarchy, with Mon Mothma as acting President and Leia as Head of State. It also foreshadows Luke's eventual Jedi Master ststus and his creation of a new Jedi Academy.
It's a fast enjoyable read, for both die-hard Star Wars fans and those who merely liked the movies and wouldn't mind finding out what happens to the gang after "ROTJ".
June 14, 2024
3.5 Stars
Star Wars Reading Guide https://youtu.be/k8WtQMRgCjA
Not the strongest book in the expanded universe but it's an interesting time period to see the events so closely after the explosion of the 2nd death star. I just wish those events had been more interesting.
Star Wars Reading Guide https://youtu.be/k8WtQMRgCjA
Not the strongest book in the expanded universe but it's an interesting time period to see the events so closely after the explosion of the 2nd death star. I just wish those events had been more interesting.
January 31, 2016
Oooh, I really liked this one! It's set right after Return of the Jedi and I really like how it explores Leia post-movie. You get to see her dealing with Vader being her father (which, really, the movie should've given us) and she and Han start figuring things out.
I like Luke in this book, too, but his storyline also made me laugh because it felt like an old school sci fi episode. He meets a woman AND THEY HAVE THIS HUGE CONNECTION, LIKE SO SPECIAL . . . but nothing really happens, and they never see each other again!
I rec this one.
I like Luke in this book, too, but his storyline also made me laugh because it felt like an old school sci fi episode. He meets a woman AND THEY HAVE THIS HUGE CONNECTION, LIKE SO SPECIAL . . . but nothing really happens, and they never see each other again!
I rec this one.
December 20, 2019
Not bad. I thought the author did a decent enough job of bringing to life our favourite Star Wars characters. Curiously though, the action when it came wasn't particularly exciting .However, the alien lizards were seriously creepy!So, on balance a passable ⭐⭐⭐
May 13, 2013
In my opinion, one of the best Star Wars EU novels. I found the characterization of Leia and Han particularly good, and I enjoyed the struggles Luke faced dealing with his new identity as a Jedi master.
She did a good job with the interplay between Han and Leia, considering that at the end of Return of the Jedi, their attraction is obvious, but they haven't spent time together or learned how to resolve disagreements. Well done.
No, there's no sex, only thwarted attempts at make-outs.
The only real thing I didn't like was Luke's attraction to Gaeriel ... or how ever the hell you spell that. It felt a little Forced (waah waaaah). Gaeriel has that character undergo emotional development, and she becomes a true, three-dimensional person in the novel, which is quite a feat for an EU novel (Kevin J. Anderson, I'm looking at you, bud. Callista was the worst character I've ever witnessed.)
I also have a special place in my heart for this book, since it's the first EU book I read in high school.
She did a good job with the interplay between Han and Leia, considering that at the end of Return of the Jedi, their attraction is obvious, but they haven't spent time together or learned how to resolve disagreements. Well done.
No, there's no sex, only thwarted attempts at make-outs.
The only real thing I didn't like was Luke's attraction to Gaeriel ... or how ever the hell you spell that. It felt a little Forced (waah waaaah). Gaeriel has that character undergo emotional development, and she becomes a true, three-dimensional person in the novel, which is quite a feat for an EU novel (Kevin J. Anderson, I'm looking at you, bud. Callista was the worst character I've ever witnessed.)
I also have a special place in my heart for this book, since it's the first EU book I read in high school.
December 6, 2025
“The Truce at Bakura” shows the aftermath of the Battle of Endor in the Star Wars Legends continuity. Almost immediately after partying with the Ewoks, the Rebellion gets a distress call from an Imperial world (Bakura) at the Galaxy’s edge about an alien invasion from outside the Galaxy and the Rebellions’ heroes are off to team up with the Empire to stop the invasion.
In general I’d say I was rather lukewarm about a lot of what Kathy Tyers does with the book, mostly due to how I was really not a fan of Tyers’ writing style. For instance there will be major time jumps between events within the same paragraph which is confusingly jarring. Likewise some of her sentences are structured in a weird manner to bury important actions and plot developments (i.e., Leia getting captured at one point even as she is being described as gunning down stormtroopers). Finally it just felt in general that Tyers wasn’t that good with writing space combat scenes.
In terms of storylines, Tyers’ work is more of a mixed bag. The titular “truce” has a lot of potential seeing the Rebels and the Empire immediately teaming up after Palpatine’s death to deal with an outside of context problem. But it feels like any Imperial that was genuine about giving the Rebels a chance already had rebellious inclinations and outside of one planning session there’s not too much collaboration before the Imperials inevitably become antagonistic against the heroes once more. As to the alien threat, the velociraptor-esque Ssi-ruuk, they were certainly a creepy and imaginative threat for sure. The Truce at Bakura was released still early(ish) in the franchise’s world building so the Ssi-ruuk’s technology running on people’s “life energy” does feel a bit out there and part of another IP’s lore but does feel like Tyers is at least tried to do something new. In general, it does feel like the invasion of the Galaxy from an alien civilization with crazy out there technology deserved more than a single book that Tyers tried to do. Star Wars writers would revisit the overall premise of the conflict a few years later with the massive 19-book “New Jedi Order” series, so Tyers at least laid some groundwork first.
I would say the one thing Tyers did do well here was her handling of the classic Star Wars characters. Barring Lando, every one of the Rebellion’s heroes plays a part in the story and with the exception of maybe Han (who despite some nice romance scenes with Leia and bonding with Luke doesn’t have an arc to speak of), Tyers does right by them. Luke here is just coming off of his confrontation with the Sith so still is unsure of his path forward and I appreciated how Tyers handles him. Leia is probably the best character in the book. I particularly liked what Tyers did with Leia’s views on Anakin and Bail Organa, embracing the later as her father and shunning the former. I’ve seen the Disney Canon do this already but it was neat seeing how vehemently repulsed she was about the idea of being blood relations with Darth Vader. The Truce at Bakura does show a pivotal moment with that where Anakin’s Force Ghost does try to commune with Leia but she’s having none of it. It’s an interesting sequence although I wish it was longer, but again it is perhaps in character for Leia to refuse to allow one act of good Vader did to overwrite decades of atrocities he played a part in.
“The Truce at Bakura” has a lot of interesting ideas, some of which other Star Wars books would run with eventually but overall it's a pretty lackluster story that doesn’t quite take full advantage of the scenario Tyers creates.
In general I’d say I was rather lukewarm about a lot of what Kathy Tyers does with the book, mostly due to how I was really not a fan of Tyers’ writing style. For instance there will be major time jumps between events within the same paragraph which is confusingly jarring. Likewise some of her sentences are structured in a weird manner to bury important actions and plot developments (i.e., Leia getting captured at one point even as she is being described as gunning down stormtroopers). Finally it just felt in general that Tyers wasn’t that good with writing space combat scenes.
In terms of storylines, Tyers’ work is more of a mixed bag. The titular “truce” has a lot of potential seeing the Rebels and the Empire immediately teaming up after Palpatine’s death to deal with an outside of context problem. But it feels like any Imperial that was genuine about giving the Rebels a chance already had rebellious inclinations and outside of one planning session there’s not too much collaboration before the Imperials inevitably become antagonistic against the heroes once more. As to the alien threat, the velociraptor-esque Ssi-ruuk, they were certainly a creepy and imaginative threat for sure. The Truce at Bakura was released still early(ish) in the franchise’s world building so the Ssi-ruuk’s technology running on people’s “life energy” does feel a bit out there and part of another IP’s lore but does feel like Tyers is at least tried to do something new. In general, it does feel like the invasion of the Galaxy from an alien civilization with crazy out there technology deserved more than a single book that Tyers tried to do. Star Wars writers would revisit the overall premise of the conflict a few years later with the massive 19-book “New Jedi Order” series, so Tyers at least laid some groundwork first.
I would say the one thing Tyers did do well here was her handling of the classic Star Wars characters. Barring Lando, every one of the Rebellion’s heroes plays a part in the story and with the exception of maybe Han (who despite some nice romance scenes with Leia and bonding with Luke doesn’t have an arc to speak of), Tyers does right by them. Luke here is just coming off of his confrontation with the Sith so still is unsure of his path forward and I appreciated how Tyers handles him. Leia is probably the best character in the book. I particularly liked what Tyers did with Leia’s views on Anakin and Bail Organa, embracing the later as her father and shunning the former. I’ve seen the Disney Canon do this already but it was neat seeing how vehemently repulsed she was about the idea of being blood relations with Darth Vader. The Truce at Bakura does show a pivotal moment with that where Anakin’s Force Ghost does try to commune with Leia but she’s having none of it. It’s an interesting sequence although I wish it was longer, but again it is perhaps in character for Leia to refuse to allow one act of good Vader did to overwrite decades of atrocities he played a part in.
“The Truce at Bakura” has a lot of interesting ideas, some of which other Star Wars books would run with eventually but overall it's a pretty lackluster story that doesn’t quite take full advantage of the scenario Tyers creates.
February 25, 2023
While I didn’t necessarily dislike this one, it was a bit of a disappointment. I was really looking forward to it but it unfortunately fell a bit short for me.
The one thing this book really gets right is the Original Trilogy characters. Luke, Han, Leia, and the others are all handled excellently and their interactions are lots of fun. I also like how this book briefly examines Leia’s feelings about being the daughter of Darth Vader, and how her feelings differ from Luke’s. I also really enjoyed Luke’s conversations with another character, Gaeriel, who is basically opposed to the Force due to her religious beliefs. Those discussions had a lot of interesting ideas and I wish there had been more of them. The more political scenes of Leia and the others talking to the Imperial Bakuran officials were also great.
As far as negatives, well… mainly, nothing else about the book did anything for me. The Ssi-ruuk are interesting conceptually but I never felt that they were all that exciting or even threatening. The plot overall also didn’t grab me. Really, this book works best in certain scenes for me, while the whole wasn’t as strong.
Overall this was an okay read. I was really hoping to love it, considering that it’s a very direct follow-up to Return of the Jedi. But, aside from some of the scenes, this one doesn’t leave too much of an impression on me.
Rating: 7/10
The one thing this book really gets right is the Original Trilogy characters. Luke, Han, Leia, and the others are all handled excellently and their interactions are lots of fun. I also like how this book briefly examines Leia’s feelings about being the daughter of Darth Vader, and how her feelings differ from Luke’s. I also really enjoyed Luke’s conversations with another character, Gaeriel, who is basically opposed to the Force due to her religious beliefs. Those discussions had a lot of interesting ideas and I wish there had been more of them. The more political scenes of Leia and the others talking to the Imperial Bakuran officials were also great.
As far as negatives, well… mainly, nothing else about the book did anything for me. The Ssi-ruuk are interesting conceptually but I never felt that they were all that exciting or even threatening. The plot overall also didn’t grab me. Really, this book works best in certain scenes for me, while the whole wasn’t as strong.
Overall this was an okay read. I was really hoping to love it, considering that it’s a very direct follow-up to Return of the Jedi. But, aside from some of the scenes, this one doesn’t leave too much of an impression on me.
Rating: 7/10
May 7, 2024
It has interesting ideas and some good characterisation, but the writing is so dull and lifeless I was bored out of my skull.
July 8, 2021
A long time ago (mid 1990s), in a place far, far away (a suburb of Houston, Texas), a little girl fell in love with Star Wars. That little girl was me, and since then I've had a very complicated relationship to this "IP" as the kids are calling it these days. My love for it seems to ebb and surge; I'm equal parts awkwardly trying to tie my pigtail braids into Leia buns and quivering, despair-rage storming out of Rise of Skywalker.
Lately I've found myself reminiscing about that golden time when the theatrical re-releases of the original trilogy were happening and the prequels were in production, and about all the Extended Universe novels I read back then. I remember marveling at how all these different writers had sort of agreed-upon rules and a rough timeline. I remember some of the best characters like Thrawn and Xizor. I remember how everyone wanted Luke romantically entangled with their OC. Most of all, I remember feeling a sense of wonder at what could have happened in this universe next, a wonder that was all but obliterated by the lazy crap that Disney passes off as movie plots these days.
And so I decided this would be an excellent time to revisit some of these old stories. Partly I hope to overwrite the emotional traumas the sequel trilogy inflicted on me. Partly I hope to chuckle at, or freshly admire, the novels with older eyes. Mostly I just want to have fun with Star Wars again.
So, here's my formula for reviewing the "Legends" Star Wars novels that my younger self may or may not have read 20 something years ago:
Truce at Bakura
Threat of the Day: Aliens beyond the outer rim are coming to turn people into batteries, and they raised a brainwashed young human to help them turn Luke into the biggest battery of them all. I especially liked the cult factor as a plot device. 7/10
Thirsty for Skywalker, You Are: Gaeri is a cheap Princess Leia knock-off: a young, well-bred senator who has religious aversions to the Jedi and some never-explained Force perfume. My biggest complaint is that while her objections make sense...Luke never addresses them. 2/10 Nerfs Herded
Best part: Anakin's force ghost appearing to Leia and she is TRIGGERED.
Worst line: " 'I want to be your ally, Luke, but from a distance.' " From a distance. He pushed away the quiet desolation. He mustn't think of spending forever alone."
Would I revisit in 20 years: unlikely
Overall 4/10
Lately I've found myself reminiscing about that golden time when the theatrical re-releases of the original trilogy were happening and the prequels were in production, and about all the Extended Universe novels I read back then. I remember marveling at how all these different writers had sort of agreed-upon rules and a rough timeline. I remember some of the best characters like Thrawn and Xizor. I remember how everyone wanted Luke romantically entangled with their OC. Most of all, I remember feeling a sense of wonder at what could have happened in this universe next, a wonder that was all but obliterated by the lazy crap that Disney passes off as movie plots these days.
And so I decided this would be an excellent time to revisit some of these old stories. Partly I hope to overwrite the emotional traumas the sequel trilogy inflicted on me. Partly I hope to chuckle at, or freshly admire, the novels with older eyes. Mostly I just want to have fun with Star Wars again.
So, here's my formula for reviewing the "Legends" Star Wars novels that my younger self may or may not have read 20 something years ago:
Truce at Bakura
Threat of the Day: Aliens beyond the outer rim are coming to turn people into batteries, and they raised a brainwashed young human to help them turn Luke into the biggest battery of them all. I especially liked the cult factor as a plot device. 7/10
Thirsty for Skywalker, You Are: Gaeri is a cheap Princess Leia knock-off: a young, well-bred senator who has religious aversions to the Jedi and some never-explained Force perfume. My biggest complaint is that while her objections make sense...Luke never addresses them. 2/10 Nerfs Herded
Best part: Anakin's force ghost appearing to Leia and she is TRIGGERED.
Worst line: " 'I want to be your ally, Luke, but from a distance.' " From a distance. He pushed away the quiet desolation. He mustn't think of spending forever alone."
Would I revisit in 20 years: unlikely
Overall 4/10
March 19, 2021
I actually found myself re-reading this one a lot. I've found that Star Wars books can be a little dicey, depending on how they approach the force and the POV of force users. I like the approach that Tyers took in terms of how they perceive/use the Force. Also, having read this book years before any of the new Star Wars films came out, this did my little geek heart good since it takes place right after Episode 6.
July 24, 2010
Not a day has passed since the big boom over Endor when Luke and Wedge retrieve a distress signal from the Imperials at Bakura. Spurred by a vision from Ben, Luke leads a force to Bakura, with Leia, Han, and Chewie (of course, Artoo and Threepio). At Bakura, our Rebels see the Imperial forces beleaguered in their fight against a strange alien species, the Ssi-Ruuk. But will Governor Wilek Nereus accept the Alliance's help? And can they defeat the Ssi-Ruuk anyway?
NOTE: I read the book many years ago and only just recently listened to the highly abridged audiobook.
I Liked:
Kathy Tyers has created her own little niche in the Star Wars world. While not highly crucial to continuity, she nonetheless brings her own flavor to it.
I felt she did a very good job with the main characters. Although a tad goofy in love over Gaeriel and a bit overdramatic when injured, Luke is pretty darn cool. His being sappy in love feels kinda out of character...until you realize he IS a human being after all, and why shouldn't he feel ga-ga over a lady? Leia is superb and her struggling with Vader as her biological father is the absolute highlight of the book. Han was really good as well.
As for original characters, the standouts to me were Pter Thanas and Gaeriel Captison. Pter Thanas really broke the mold of a traditional Imperial (compare him to the more stereotypically--he is even given "gross" hobbies like bug collecting and hunting--portrayed, Wilek Nereus). And although he converted (I hate Imperials converting to Rebels), it made complete sense for his character. Gaeriel is an absolute fun character. Not red-haired and green eyed (well, one is green, but I think of her more as Kate Bosworth than another Mara clone), Gaeriel also has a religious view that conflicts with Luke, making her naturally opposed to him. Her views (about the Cosmic Balance) are particularly interesting, in light of a lot of the newer Star Wars Expanded Universe novels. And at the end, unlike many Star Wars love interests, she chooses to keep the distance between her and Luke, even though there was some sexual tension (not a lot, but a little).
Dev Sibwarra was also interesting, not to leave him out. It's really interesting, as it is said his mother was a Jedi and Wookieepedia says she left the Order as a Padawan, before Order 66, thus eluding the Jedi Purge. I still wonder about why that happened...did she become discouraged like Jusik from Triple Zero (Star Wars: Republic Commando, Book 2)? And how did her name avoid being on the list that was mentioned in Star Wars 501st: An Imperial Commando Novel?
I've already brought up two minor side-plots I've enjoyed: Leia's paternal struggle and Gaeriel/Luke's Jedi struggle. But I did like how Tyers had the two factions work together to defeat a common enemy. I wonder if other worlds had similar struggles (like with the Yevetha, which are only mentioned in one series, Before the Storm (Star Wars: The Black Fleet Crisis, Book 1)).
One last thing, that pertains only to the audiobook: Anthony Heald is a magnificent reader. He gives the characters accents (though Pter and Wilek were hard to differentiate) that were really good--I was particularly impressed with Luke and Han and really speaks in a good, clear voice.
I Didn't Like:
Tyers' Star Wars feels MUCH less like Star Wars than science fiction dressed up like Star Wars. This is best shown with the whole entechment proceedings and even to an extent with her aliens, the Ssi-Ruuk (which, unfortunately, disappear and are never seen from again). Entechment is a cool idea...but it doesn't FEEL like Star Wars.
Also, Yeorg Captison gives as reasons for wanting to leave the Empire as "high taxes and sending children to foreign wars". This is great and all, but does he think that by joining the Alliance, they won't tax his planet or have his children go to war against the Empire? Honestly? This is very poor reasoning. Yes, Wilek Nereus is a "bad guy" in the traditional "I hunt and use yucky parasites that defines me as a bad guy--oh, and I also send Luke off in a trade in the hopes of saving my planet" Imperial baddie characterization. To think that life will be happy and pokey under the Alliance is ludicrous (and just look, not a few years later and everyone is bickering and power-grabbing, no different than under the Empire, only people have these esoteric "freedoms"). We haven't really seen a huge reason why the Empire is bad on Bakura!
Leia also has a bad case of Protagonist Centered Morality (look that up on TVTropes . org for a definition, but be warned: once you go there, you may not come back). When her father appears to her, she basically says: "I can forgive what you did to me, I can forgive the people you've killed, but I can't forgive what you did to Han." WTF?! Han was tortured, yes. Han was sent to Jabba in cryptonite, yes. But Han seems to be having very little in the way of side-effects from this. At least he's still alive. And you won't forgive your own father because of a thing that happened to Han?! What the...???
Another point I thought was insane: Ben returns to order Luke to go to Bakura because these Ssi-Ruuk are so dangerous. This seems completely out of character. Ben only appeared to Luke to get him to Dagobah, to keep him from leaving Dagobah to save Han and Leia, and to explain his family tree. Never has Ben appeared to order him into war. And since the threat of the Ssi-Ruuk disappears with their fleet (which seemed odd, that a minor victory for the Imperials/Rebels made them run), we wonder if the Ssi-Ruuk's victory at Bakura, already an out-of-the-way planet, would REALLY impact the galaxy so greatly.
Lastly, and this applied only to the audio book: when they say abridged, they MEAN abridged! I've not read the book in years, but I could tell HUGE chunks were missing. Scenes always seemed to end on dialog, scenes seemed to be way too short, the space battle confused the heck out of me, in fact, most of the time I spent confused and trying to follow the story. Plus, I am sure there is a scene with Wilek and Leia shaking hands (the cover of the book) that was no where in the audio book. I know that they warned me, but really, I didn't think it was that bad!
Dialogue/Sex/Violence:
None.
Luke goes ga-ga over Gaeriel. Some overtones between Han and Leia and Wilek and Gaeriel.
Kinda gruesome. Luke and Gaeriel are infected with parasites. There is a nice big battle at the end.
Overall:
It's nice to go back and be able to "read" this book--while I'm in the car driving, no less! This book is hardly groundbreaking and hasn't had much to do with more recent continuity, but there are some cool things here nonetheless. If you get a chance to read, I would recommend you do. 3 stars.
NOTE: I read the book many years ago and only just recently listened to the highly abridged audiobook.
I Liked:
Kathy Tyers has created her own little niche in the Star Wars world. While not highly crucial to continuity, she nonetheless brings her own flavor to it.
I felt she did a very good job with the main characters. Although a tad goofy in love over Gaeriel and a bit overdramatic when injured, Luke is pretty darn cool. His being sappy in love feels kinda out of character...until you realize he IS a human being after all, and why shouldn't he feel ga-ga over a lady? Leia is superb and her struggling with Vader as her biological father is the absolute highlight of the book. Han was really good as well.
As for original characters, the standouts to me were Pter Thanas and Gaeriel Captison. Pter Thanas really broke the mold of a traditional Imperial (compare him to the more stereotypically--he is even given "gross" hobbies like bug collecting and hunting--portrayed, Wilek Nereus). And although he converted (I hate Imperials converting to Rebels), it made complete sense for his character. Gaeriel is an absolute fun character. Not red-haired and green eyed (well, one is green, but I think of her more as Kate Bosworth than another Mara clone), Gaeriel also has a religious view that conflicts with Luke, making her naturally opposed to him. Her views (about the Cosmic Balance) are particularly interesting, in light of a lot of the newer Star Wars Expanded Universe novels. And at the end, unlike many Star Wars love interests, she chooses to keep the distance between her and Luke, even though there was some sexual tension (not a lot, but a little).
Dev Sibwarra was also interesting, not to leave him out. It's really interesting, as it is said his mother was a Jedi and Wookieepedia says she left the Order as a Padawan, before Order 66, thus eluding the Jedi Purge. I still wonder about why that happened...did she become discouraged like Jusik from Triple Zero (Star Wars: Republic Commando, Book 2)? And how did her name avoid being on the list that was mentioned in Star Wars 501st: An Imperial Commando Novel?
I've already brought up two minor side-plots I've enjoyed: Leia's paternal struggle and Gaeriel/Luke's Jedi struggle. But I did like how Tyers had the two factions work together to defeat a common enemy. I wonder if other worlds had similar struggles (like with the Yevetha, which are only mentioned in one series, Before the Storm (Star Wars: The Black Fleet Crisis, Book 1)).
One last thing, that pertains only to the audiobook: Anthony Heald is a magnificent reader. He gives the characters accents (though Pter and Wilek were hard to differentiate) that were really good--I was particularly impressed with Luke and Han and really speaks in a good, clear voice.
I Didn't Like:
Tyers' Star Wars feels MUCH less like Star Wars than science fiction dressed up like Star Wars. This is best shown with the whole entechment proceedings and even to an extent with her aliens, the Ssi-Ruuk (which, unfortunately, disappear and are never seen from again). Entechment is a cool idea...but it doesn't FEEL like Star Wars.
Also, Yeorg Captison gives as reasons for wanting to leave the Empire as "high taxes and sending children to foreign wars". This is great and all, but does he think that by joining the Alliance, they won't tax his planet or have his children go to war against the Empire? Honestly? This is very poor reasoning. Yes, Wilek Nereus is a "bad guy" in the traditional "I hunt and use yucky parasites that defines me as a bad guy--oh, and I also send Luke off in a trade in the hopes of saving my planet" Imperial baddie characterization. To think that life will be happy and pokey under the Alliance is ludicrous (and just look, not a few years later and everyone is bickering and power-grabbing, no different than under the Empire, only people have these esoteric "freedoms"). We haven't really seen a huge reason why the Empire is bad on Bakura!
Leia also has a bad case of Protagonist Centered Morality (look that up on TVTropes . org for a definition, but be warned: once you go there, you may not come back). When her father appears to her, she basically says: "I can forgive what you did to me, I can forgive the people you've killed, but I can't forgive what you did to Han." WTF?! Han was tortured, yes. Han was sent to Jabba in cryptonite, yes. But Han seems to be having very little in the way of side-effects from this. At least he's still alive. And you won't forgive your own father because of a thing that happened to Han?! What the...???
Another point I thought was insane: Ben returns to order Luke to go to Bakura because these Ssi-Ruuk are so dangerous. This seems completely out of character. Ben only appeared to Luke to get him to Dagobah, to keep him from leaving Dagobah to save Han and Leia, and to explain his family tree. Never has Ben appeared to order him into war. And since the threat of the Ssi-Ruuk disappears with their fleet (which seemed odd, that a minor victory for the Imperials/Rebels made them run), we wonder if the Ssi-Ruuk's victory at Bakura, already an out-of-the-way planet, would REALLY impact the galaxy so greatly.
Lastly, and this applied only to the audio book: when they say abridged, they MEAN abridged! I've not read the book in years, but I could tell HUGE chunks were missing. Scenes always seemed to end on dialog, scenes seemed to be way too short, the space battle confused the heck out of me, in fact, most of the time I spent confused and trying to follow the story. Plus, I am sure there is a scene with Wilek and Leia shaking hands (the cover of the book) that was no where in the audio book. I know that they warned me, but really, I didn't think it was that bad!
Dialogue/Sex/Violence:
None.
Luke goes ga-ga over Gaeriel. Some overtones between Han and Leia and Wilek and Gaeriel.
Kinda gruesome. Luke and Gaeriel are infected with parasites. There is a nice big battle at the end.
Overall:
It's nice to go back and be able to "read" this book--while I'm in the car driving, no less! This book is hardly groundbreaking and hasn't had much to do with more recent continuity, but there are some cool things here nonetheless. If you get a chance to read, I would recommend you do. 3 stars.
February 23, 2017
No es ni de lejos mi novela de Star Wars favorita, pero me ha gustado más que la primera vez que la leí, es entretenida, sin más.
March 2, 2020
For 2020, I decided to reread (in publication order) all the Bantam-era Star Wars books that were released between 1991 and 1999; that shakes out to 38 adult novels and 5 anthologies of short stories & novellas.
This week’s focus: The Truce at Bakura by Kathy Tyers.
SOME HISTORY:
While Bantam took a more measured approach with the Thrawn trilogy, releasing one book a year, the floodgates opened with The Truce at Bakura: the new release schedule unleashed a torrent of paperback and hardcover books (on average, 5-10 books a year between 1994 and 1999). TTaB was released in December 1993 and made it to number five on the New York Times bestsellers list for the week of December 12, 1993. TTaB was ultimately on the NYTB list for 7 weeks; an interesting correlation I noted is that as Bantam decreased the amount of time between releases, each book did progressively worse than Heir to the Empire’s amazing sales. Was Bantam over saturating the market with Star Wars books??
MY RECOLLECTION OF THE BOOK:
I remembered the bare bones of this story—set immediately after Return of the Jedi, Alliance sends ships to Bakura to help thwart an invasion—but the details of the story, in particular Governor Nereus’s machinations, were pretty hazy.
PRINCESS LEIA COSTUME CHANGE COUNT:
Kathy Tyers came through for me! Leia wears a copy of her senatorial gown on multiple occasions, she braids her hair, but most importantly, she attends a dinner party and it is a LOOK. She’s in a one-sleeved red gown with her hair elaborately dressed and a metal bracelet from the Ewoks on her right wrist (and the bracelet makes a cameo on the hardcover jacket design).
A BRIEF SUMMARY:
Immediately after the defeat of the second Death Star over the forest moon of Endor, the Alliance intercepts a distress call from the Imperial world of Bakura: they are under attack from an unknown alien force. Alliance leadership sends Luke as the military commander, and Leia as the diplomatic envoy, to hopefully repel the attackers and persuade Bakura to join the fledgling Alliance.
THE CHARACTERS:
Luke and Leia have excellent character arcs in this book. Leia has only recently learned that Darth Vader is her father, and she struggles with that knowledge throughout the book. Anakin’s Force ghost appears to her, and she does not want to engage with him at all. Compared with the Thrawn trilogy, where Leia has had five years to process her heritage and what that means, she can’t forgive her father like Luke did and doesn’t want to think about what that entails. Which feels very true to her character! Vader committed atrocities, and her anger and grief won’t let her forget that.
Luke is struggling to figure out his role as the last Jedi, even more so than in the Thrawn trilogy. He’s still an Alliance commander, so he must reconcile how his actions can affect far more than just himself. His Force skills, though, strike me as incongruously overpowered for the timeline. Zahn was very careful to only have Luke do things that were in the movies, and that we could logically extrapolate from them. Tyers has no such reservations: Luke heals himself, shows other people how to heal, looks through other people’s eyes, and outright handwaves several people into doing what he wants. I know that Luke uses the Force to influence people in Return of the Jedi, but that ability has never sat well with me. It’s not approaching the levels of massive over-the-top power like when he reconstructed Vader’s castle in Before the Storm, but it’s getting there.
Han’s plot line is less fleshed out. He wants alone time with Leia, I guess? He gets a few opportunities. Otherwise, he’s just there (fulfilling poor Lando’s previous role of chauffeur, I’m afraid).
TTaB also presents us with the first (in a long line) of Luke’s potential girlfriends. I’m fine with Luke having a romantic interest, I don’t see him as just a celibate hermit, but the development of their relationship felt a bit lacking. Luke’s primarily interested in Gaeriel Captison because she’s alluring in the Force or something, but her religion doesn’t approve of the Jedi. They talk a few times, she’s more accepting of Luke, but she decides to stay on Bakura and that’s the end of it. I wonder how much of this was due to the limitations of a single book arc. Gaeriel’s pretty and has two different colored eyes and she’s smart, but we don’t get to know her in much detail.
Speaking of minor characters, I liked little Eppie Belden. She’s initially frail and implausibly gifted with electronics, but she was spunky, and it was fun to see an older character essentially leading—and winning! —Bakura’s uprising.
I did not like Governor Nereus. He was so overtly villainous—constantly wears black leather gloves, interested in alien teeth and alien parasites—that he practically cackled as he arrived on the page. I like my villains with a little more nuance or conflict, and he was so awful that I started to wonder how he was still in power. Bakura had previously had several failed uprisings, so clearly they weren't crazy about him, but he was evil and corrupt to such an extreme that I was surprised the rebellion didn't start sooner.
On the other hand, Commander Thanas had the level of nuance I like in my villains. He’s a good man, stuck in a bad situation—and fearful that if he doesn’t follow orders, he’ll end up in an even worse backwater than Bakura. I wish, though, that his decision to surrender to the Alliance had been entirely of his own volition, and not a decision he made bolstered by Luke’s Force abilities.
ISSUES:
There are several elements in this book that feel ill-fitting in the Star Wars universe. The Ssi-Ruuk are essentially evil dinosaurs IN SPACE, and their technology (wherein they use human life energy to power their battle droids and ships) is just completely beyond anything we’ve seen in SW before. I also hate when characters have unpronounceable names with strings of consonants and apostrophes, because if I can’t easily pronounce it, I just gloss over it while reading. The Ssi-Ruuk felt like that.
Nereus’s plan to use Luke’s capture by the Ssi-Ruuk to spread a parasitical epidemic—why?? I can deal with a certain amount of horror in Star Wars books, but parasites that travel from your stomach to your lungs and then eat their way to your heart are too much, I was so grossed out. Ughhhhh.
IN CONCLUSION:
TTaB has some interesting yet underutilized plot points, as well as some bits that I just did not like. I’m glad I reread it, but my final word on the book is a resounding MEH.
Next, I’m trying something a little different; instead of moving on to Jedi Search by Kevin J. Anderson, I’m going to take a slight detour and read an alternate take on the days following Return of the Jedi: the cancelled, unpublished Star Wars: The Heart of the Jedi by Kenneth C. Flint.
My YouTube review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmZUF...
This week’s focus: The Truce at Bakura by Kathy Tyers.
SOME HISTORY:
While Bantam took a more measured approach with the Thrawn trilogy, releasing one book a year, the floodgates opened with The Truce at Bakura: the new release schedule unleashed a torrent of paperback and hardcover books (on average, 5-10 books a year between 1994 and 1999). TTaB was released in December 1993 and made it to number five on the New York Times bestsellers list for the week of December 12, 1993. TTaB was ultimately on the NYTB list for 7 weeks; an interesting correlation I noted is that as Bantam decreased the amount of time between releases, each book did progressively worse than Heir to the Empire’s amazing sales. Was Bantam over saturating the market with Star Wars books??
MY RECOLLECTION OF THE BOOK:
I remembered the bare bones of this story—set immediately after Return of the Jedi, Alliance sends ships to Bakura to help thwart an invasion—but the details of the story, in particular Governor Nereus’s machinations, were pretty hazy.
PRINCESS LEIA COSTUME CHANGE COUNT:
Kathy Tyers came through for me! Leia wears a copy of her senatorial gown on multiple occasions, she braids her hair, but most importantly, she attends a dinner party and it is a LOOK. She’s in a one-sleeved red gown with her hair elaborately dressed and a metal bracelet from the Ewoks on her right wrist (and the bracelet makes a cameo on the hardcover jacket design).
A BRIEF SUMMARY:
Immediately after the defeat of the second Death Star over the forest moon of Endor, the Alliance intercepts a distress call from the Imperial world of Bakura: they are under attack from an unknown alien force. Alliance leadership sends Luke as the military commander, and Leia as the diplomatic envoy, to hopefully repel the attackers and persuade Bakura to join the fledgling Alliance.
THE CHARACTERS:
Luke and Leia have excellent character arcs in this book. Leia has only recently learned that Darth Vader is her father, and she struggles with that knowledge throughout the book. Anakin’s Force ghost appears to her, and she does not want to engage with him at all. Compared with the Thrawn trilogy, where Leia has had five years to process her heritage and what that means, she can’t forgive her father like Luke did and doesn’t want to think about what that entails. Which feels very true to her character! Vader committed atrocities, and her anger and grief won’t let her forget that.
Luke is struggling to figure out his role as the last Jedi, even more so than in the Thrawn trilogy. He’s still an Alliance commander, so he must reconcile how his actions can affect far more than just himself. His Force skills, though, strike me as incongruously overpowered for the timeline. Zahn was very careful to only have Luke do things that were in the movies, and that we could logically extrapolate from them. Tyers has no such reservations: Luke heals himself, shows other people how to heal, looks through other people’s eyes, and outright handwaves several people into doing what he wants. I know that Luke uses the Force to influence people in Return of the Jedi, but that ability has never sat well with me. It’s not approaching the levels of massive over-the-top power like when he reconstructed Vader’s castle in Before the Storm, but it’s getting there.
Han’s plot line is less fleshed out. He wants alone time with Leia, I guess? He gets a few opportunities. Otherwise, he’s just there (fulfilling poor Lando’s previous role of chauffeur, I’m afraid).
TTaB also presents us with the first (in a long line) of Luke’s potential girlfriends. I’m fine with Luke having a romantic interest, I don’t see him as just a celibate hermit, but the development of their relationship felt a bit lacking. Luke’s primarily interested in Gaeriel Captison because she’s alluring in the Force or something, but her religion doesn’t approve of the Jedi. They talk a few times, she’s more accepting of Luke, but she decides to stay on Bakura and that’s the end of it. I wonder how much of this was due to the limitations of a single book arc. Gaeriel’s pretty and has two different colored eyes and she’s smart, but we don’t get to know her in much detail.
Speaking of minor characters, I liked little Eppie Belden. She’s initially frail and implausibly gifted with electronics, but she was spunky, and it was fun to see an older character essentially leading—and winning! —Bakura’s uprising.
I did not like Governor Nereus. He was so overtly villainous—constantly wears black leather gloves, interested in alien teeth and alien parasites—that he practically cackled as he arrived on the page. I like my villains with a little more nuance or conflict, and he was so awful that I started to wonder how he was still in power. Bakura had previously had several failed uprisings, so clearly they weren't crazy about him, but he was evil and corrupt to such an extreme that I was surprised the rebellion didn't start sooner.
On the other hand, Commander Thanas had the level of nuance I like in my villains. He’s a good man, stuck in a bad situation—and fearful that if he doesn’t follow orders, he’ll end up in an even worse backwater than Bakura. I wish, though, that his decision to surrender to the Alliance had been entirely of his own volition, and not a decision he made bolstered by Luke’s Force abilities.
ISSUES:
There are several elements in this book that feel ill-fitting in the Star Wars universe. The Ssi-Ruuk are essentially evil dinosaurs IN SPACE, and their technology (wherein they use human life energy to power their battle droids and ships) is just completely beyond anything we’ve seen in SW before. I also hate when characters have unpronounceable names with strings of consonants and apostrophes, because if I can’t easily pronounce it, I just gloss over it while reading. The Ssi-Ruuk felt like that.
Nereus’s plan to use Luke’s capture by the Ssi-Ruuk to spread a parasitical epidemic—why?? I can deal with a certain amount of horror in Star Wars books, but parasites that travel from your stomach to your lungs and then eat their way to your heart are too much, I was so grossed out. Ughhhhh.
IN CONCLUSION:
TTaB has some interesting yet underutilized plot points, as well as some bits that I just did not like. I’m glad I reread it, but my final word on the book is a resounding MEH.
Next, I’m trying something a little different; instead of moving on to Jedi Search by Kevin J. Anderson, I’m going to take a slight detour and read an alternate take on the days following Return of the Jedi: the cancelled, unpublished Star Wars: The Heart of the Jedi by Kenneth C. Flint.
My YouTube review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmZUF...
April 5, 2020
So – I’ve just finished re-reading The Truce at Bakura, the fourth of the ‘90s Star Wars EU novels to be published. I first read this ~25 years ago, when it was first published in the UK, and back then I was pretty underwhelmed with it after the magnificence of Zahn’s Thrawn Trilogy.
However, with the benefit of hindsight, and now having plenty of other SW EU material to compare it with, I can now say that I am more positive towards it. I found that it was an enjoyable one-off story that held very few of the irritants that cropped up in some of the other EU stuff (best of all - no superweapons!)
Starting off immediately following the Rebellion’s unexpected victory over the Emperor’s forces at Endor, the story leapt into action straight away, and maintained an appropriate pace all the way through. Surprisingly, I think it could have been a bit longer, as the culture of Bakura, in particular the anti-Empire sentiment and the oppression of the populace could have been detailed a bit more – but I suspect that the author felt that action was more important to SW fans. I wasn’t too keen on the descriptions of the space combat – it didn’t have the clarity and originality of objectives that the Zahn books and the X-wing books managed – but these scenes weren’t too long.
The main characters were, by-and-large treated well. Chewie, in particular, was given some great character development moments (his friendship with both Han and Leia, and his tolerance for Threepio), which was good to read given how the wookiee is often taken for granted, or treated more like a dog than a person in other stories. The smuggler and the princess themselves were consistently portrayed (I liked Leia’s scene with ghost-Anakin), considering that from Han’s perspective this is only a few days after the betrayal at Cloud City (if we assume he didn’t experience much during his carbonite incarceration). Leia gets a chance to be a diplomat – with reasonable success (given the fact that Bakura joins the Rebellion and the Imperial occupation is overthrown).
And even Luke makes a good deal of sense in this story – he has just lost his father and experienced an evil Force warlock first hand, so his interactions with Dev Sibwarra are quite explicable, and show his determination to create a new cadre of Force users to become the core of a New Jedi Order.
I know that quite a lot of readers find Gaeriel Captison to be a weak point of this story – a brief love interest for Luke that goes absolutely nowhere – but insta-lust that burns out is much more plausible than an infatuation that becomes a long-term thing. As for the character herself – she made sense as a young woman educated by the Imperial regime, but who had close ties to the local population and who had reasons for being ambivalent in her loyalties. Thanas was also interestingly complex as a character – eventually defecting to the Republic after finally overcoming his Imperial loyalties. However, I don’t think that the writing actually did justice to these characters – to me they were more interesting in conception that execution.
In terms of villains – the Ssi’Ruuk work so much better as a villain-of-the-week in a much larger continuity than they did back in the ‘90s, when they seemed wildly out of place. Their usage of “entechment” as a way to use the Force essence of sentient beings to power (or “motivate”) their starfighters, droids and computers is very different from most Star Wars villains, but with the benefit of hindsight looking at how the wider Star Wars mythology has developed, it doesn’t see so wildly out of place. Force witches on Dathomir, Sith Alchemy and the more fantastical elements of the lore make the Ssi’Ruuk much less outlandish than they originally appeared. And who doesn’t enjoy mini- techno-T-rexes as space invaders?
The Imperial enemy, Governor Nereus, was less original. Like Thrawn, he was given an identifying hobby (collecting teeth as opposed to artwork), but that seemed more like an afterthought than an integral part of his character. Still, he was pretty effectively unpleasant (my imagination made him look like Harvey Weinstein!), albeit a villain who doesn’t really stand out from the crowd.
Bakura itself was rather bland – we’ve seen much more interesting worlds portrayed onscreen and in the novels. Generic wilderness worlds are ten a penny in Star Wars.
The story tied up quite nicely at the end – nothing was resolved on the wider galactic scale, but a nasty incursion was repelled, and the Rebellion increased its influence and showed that the victory at Endor wasn’t going to be its high point. There wasn’t anything particularly unexpected, but that is not the worst failing that a genre story can have. (e.g. a detective story should always end up with the detective unmasking the villain, and a romance should end up with the couple getting together).
I feel that the story works well as a one-off adventure – it is not the best plot, nor the worst. The same goes for the writing – I have read far far worse – but it is workmanlike at best. I would have been interested to see what Kathy Tyers could have made of a trilogy, but I am not too upset that she wasn’t given any further Star Wars novels to write.
I think I’d probably put this novel on a par with the best of the Fate of the Jedi Books – so a 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
However, with the benefit of hindsight, and now having plenty of other SW EU material to compare it with, I can now say that I am more positive towards it. I found that it was an enjoyable one-off story that held very few of the irritants that cropped up in some of the other EU stuff (best of all - no superweapons!)
Starting off immediately following the Rebellion’s unexpected victory over the Emperor’s forces at Endor, the story leapt into action straight away, and maintained an appropriate pace all the way through. Surprisingly, I think it could have been a bit longer, as the culture of Bakura, in particular the anti-Empire sentiment and the oppression of the populace could have been detailed a bit more – but I suspect that the author felt that action was more important to SW fans. I wasn’t too keen on the descriptions of the space combat – it didn’t have the clarity and originality of objectives that the Zahn books and the X-wing books managed – but these scenes weren’t too long.
The main characters were, by-and-large treated well. Chewie, in particular, was given some great character development moments (his friendship with both Han and Leia, and his tolerance for Threepio), which was good to read given how the wookiee is often taken for granted, or treated more like a dog than a person in other stories. The smuggler and the princess themselves were consistently portrayed (I liked Leia’s scene with ghost-Anakin), considering that from Han’s perspective this is only a few days after the betrayal at Cloud City (if we assume he didn’t experience much during his carbonite incarceration). Leia gets a chance to be a diplomat – with reasonable success (given the fact that Bakura joins the Rebellion and the Imperial occupation is overthrown).
And even Luke makes a good deal of sense in this story – he has just lost his father and experienced an evil Force warlock first hand, so his interactions with Dev Sibwarra are quite explicable, and show his determination to create a new cadre of Force users to become the core of a New Jedi Order.
I know that quite a lot of readers find Gaeriel Captison to be a weak point of this story – a brief love interest for Luke that goes absolutely nowhere – but insta-lust that burns out is much more plausible than an infatuation that becomes a long-term thing. As for the character herself – she made sense as a young woman educated by the Imperial regime, but who had close ties to the local population and who had reasons for being ambivalent in her loyalties. Thanas was also interestingly complex as a character – eventually defecting to the Republic after finally overcoming his Imperial loyalties. However, I don’t think that the writing actually did justice to these characters – to me they were more interesting in conception that execution.
In terms of villains – the Ssi’Ruuk work so much better as a villain-of-the-week in a much larger continuity than they did back in the ‘90s, when they seemed wildly out of place. Their usage of “entechment” as a way to use the Force essence of sentient beings to power (or “motivate”) their starfighters, droids and computers is very different from most Star Wars villains, but with the benefit of hindsight looking at how the wider Star Wars mythology has developed, it doesn’t see so wildly out of place. Force witches on Dathomir, Sith Alchemy and the more fantastical elements of the lore make the Ssi’Ruuk much less outlandish than they originally appeared. And who doesn’t enjoy mini- techno-T-rexes as space invaders?
The Imperial enemy, Governor Nereus, was less original. Like Thrawn, he was given an identifying hobby (collecting teeth as opposed to artwork), but that seemed more like an afterthought than an integral part of his character. Still, he was pretty effectively unpleasant (my imagination made him look like Harvey Weinstein!), albeit a villain who doesn’t really stand out from the crowd.
Bakura itself was rather bland – we’ve seen much more interesting worlds portrayed onscreen and in the novels. Generic wilderness worlds are ten a penny in Star Wars.
The story tied up quite nicely at the end – nothing was resolved on the wider galactic scale, but a nasty incursion was repelled, and the Rebellion increased its influence and showed that the victory at Endor wasn’t going to be its high point. There wasn’t anything particularly unexpected, but that is not the worst failing that a genre story can have. (e.g. a detective story should always end up with the detective unmasking the villain, and a romance should end up with the couple getting together).
I feel that the story works well as a one-off adventure – it is not the best plot, nor the worst. The same goes for the writing – I have read far far worse – but it is workmanlike at best. I would have been interested to see what Kathy Tyers could have made of a trilogy, but I am not too upset that she wasn’t given any further Star Wars novels to write.
I think I’d probably put this novel on a par with the best of the Fate of the Jedi Books – so a 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
October 16, 2022
It was OK.
This was one of the first Star Wars books to come out after the Thrawn Trilogy. I think they were hoping to ride on those books' successes. I tried to read this years ago but never got through it. The abridged audio version was easy to listen to and follow. The story was fairly interesting and well-constructed, and the narration was excellent. It just was a bit bland compared to some of the other Star Wars books I've read or listened to.
This was one of the first Star Wars books to come out after the Thrawn Trilogy. I think they were hoping to ride on those books' successes. I tried to read this years ago but never got through it. The abridged audio version was easy to listen to and follow. The story was fairly interesting and well-constructed, and the narration was excellent. It just was a bit bland compared to some of the other Star Wars books I've read or listened to.
November 4, 2022
This was a second read.
The writing wasn’t always that clear; sometimes you didn’t know who was talking because of weird paragraph breaks, so definitely some funky writing/editing, but I really enjoyed the story! This story has some great bad guys and contains a fun twist to add to the Star Wars story - the Empire and Rebellion having to work together! Gasp!
Cleanliness: No swear words or inappropriate scenes. There is one incident where Han plans to make-out with Leia but they are interrupted. Luke has a crush on a girl.
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The writing wasn’t always that clear; sometimes you didn’t know who was talking because of weird paragraph breaks, so definitely some funky writing/editing, but I really enjoyed the story! This story has some great bad guys and contains a fun twist to add to the Star Wars story - the Empire and Rebellion having to work together! Gasp!
Cleanliness: No swear words or inappropriate scenes. There is one incident where Han plans to make-out with Leia but they are interrupted. Luke has a crush on a girl.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
March 1, 2017
I acquired this book from Audible; I only realized after that it was, unfortunately, the abridged version. I avoid abridged books if I can — they make me grumbly.
Even so, I enjoyed the book. My favorite part, though, was that it was acted out instead of merely read, but again, that's an audiobook feature. The story was fun; I hadn't ever thought to read Star Wars fiction before, though I do enjoy watching the movies.
Even so, I enjoyed the book. My favorite part, though, was that it was acted out instead of merely read, but again, that's an audiobook feature. The story was fun; I hadn't ever thought to read Star Wars fiction before, though I do enjoy watching the movies.
October 8, 2023
Not the most exciting novel but it’s a decent start. Luke is still discovering his power as a Jedi and beginning his quest in passing on his knowledge (albeit unsuccessfully here). We see the continuation of the relationship of Han and Leia which while not a huge point of focus in this book it is still there.
November 12, 2009
This is, hands down, the worst book in the EU. Forget about killing off Chewie or totally improbably enemies (or weapons) this has got to be the stupidest book in the history of SW. Except maybe the one that went between IV and V. That one was just weird.
April 9, 2022
In no way great, in no way bad, this story is decisively mediocre. It's a standalone story with no tie in to previous media (other than the films), with the weird premise of "Alien dinosaurs stealing people's souls." If you've got an excess of time on your hands, would definitely recommend.
September 29, 2020
Apparently at one point I gave this a one star rating, goodness no it is a two star. How rude of me.
It felt rushed. And was really odd.
It felt rushed. And was really odd.
November 1, 2016
A bit creepy/gruesome in places, but overall an exciting story that takes place immediately after Return of the Jedi .
January 1, 2021
While a bit sketchy at times in regards to how the dialogue flowed, this was overall an excellent book and I enjoyed seeing what happened right after ROTJ :)
January 8, 2023
Legends book takes place after Return of the Jedi. Weird new alien race
August 9, 2025
"Luke stared at the meteor: a momentary flash of brilliance... like all life. Nothing really, in the sweep of time. But everything, in the Force."
A really nice, fun little novel with a great adventure right after the original trilogy. It plays with some threads and themes left unfinished in 'Return of the Jedi', such as Leia dealing with the revelation that Vader was her father, and even little details like Luke recovering from the onslaught of Force lightning he endured.
Some great new concepts that feel very different and original, such as the Ssi-ruuk, an interesting new planet, a good look at the Rebel Alliance after Endor, and a really nice touching ending.
All in all, I think this is quite an underappreciated book. It's not the best of the best, but a really solid read with some good characters and ideas, and some good, fun action. I love this era.
Maybe one of my biggest hot takes, but I find the New Republic era far more captivating and interesting than the entirety of the Clone Wars.
A really nice, fun little novel with a great adventure right after the original trilogy. It plays with some threads and themes left unfinished in 'Return of the Jedi', such as Leia dealing with the revelation that Vader was her father, and even little details like Luke recovering from the onslaught of Force lightning he endured.
Some great new concepts that feel very different and original, such as the Ssi-ruuk, an interesting new planet, a good look at the Rebel Alliance after Endor, and a really nice touching ending.
All in all, I think this is quite an underappreciated book. It's not the best of the best, but a really solid read with some good characters and ideas, and some good, fun action. I love this era.
Maybe one of my biggest hot takes, but I find the New Republic era far more captivating and interesting than the entirety of the Clone Wars.
October 25, 2025
The Truce at Bakura sijoittuu ajallisesti heti Jedin Paluun lopun jälkeisiin päiviin. Tarina on keskivertoscifikamaa: vieras muukalaisrotu haluaa valloittaa galaxin ja hyvän ja pahan puolen on tehtävä yhteistyötä tämän estääkseen. Kirja tarjoaa kuitenkin Star Wars -faneille (ainakin itselleni) mielenkiintoista taustatarinaa ja nippelitietoa, joita ei elokuvissa käsitellä, kuten miten Leia reagoi tietoon oikeasta isästään eli Darth Vaderista. Mielenkiintoista oli myös imperiumilaisten reaktiot Palpatinen ja Vaderin kuolemiin.
The Truce at Bakura ei ehkä lukeudu parhaisiin Legends-kaanonin tarinoihin eikä se ole millään lailla ”olennaista luettavaa” loren kannalta. Se kuitenkin tarjoaa mukavan ja tutun turvallisen Star Wars -kokemuksen ilman mainittavia kirjallisia heikkouksia ja näistä syistä se on suosituksen arvoinen.
The Truce at Bakura ei ehkä lukeudu parhaisiin Legends-kaanonin tarinoihin eikä se ole millään lailla ”olennaista luettavaa” loren kannalta. Se kuitenkin tarjoaa mukavan ja tutun turvallisen Star Wars -kokemuksen ilman mainittavia kirjallisia heikkouksia ja näistä syistä se on suosituksen arvoinen.
August 26, 2025
Actually genuinely really enjoyed this one. I wasn't 100% sure I would going in. but I loved seeing the trio in the immediate aftermath of Jedi, and while the plot wasn't anything special it was still a really fun ride.
I think if I miss anything in Canon it's seeing Luke's Jedi Order, and with Luke actively trying to find someone to train in this book made me really excited to see more of that. I'm excited to see where Legends Luke goes beyond where I have previously read.
I think if I miss anything in Canon it's seeing Luke's Jedi Order, and with Luke actively trying to find someone to train in this book made me really excited to see more of that. I'm excited to see where Legends Luke goes beyond where I have previously read.
June 29, 2025
This book is completely underrated and often goes unmentioned when reading lots of best Star Wars books.
Though it's a slow burn until about the last 100, pages, this book has it all. Luke coming to terms with Anakin's death, Han and Leia still coming to terms with their relationship as Leia reconciles her heritage with herself, a pre-Mara Jade love interest, a crumbling Empire still unaware of the Emperor's death.
I am so happy I picked this book up on a whim.
Though it's a slow burn until about the last 100, pages, this book has it all. Luke coming to terms with Anakin's death, Han and Leia still coming to terms with their relationship as Leia reconciles her heritage with herself, a pre-Mara Jade love interest, a crumbling Empire still unaware of the Emperor's death.
I am so happy I picked this book up on a whim.
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