Vector Prime (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 1)
by R.A. Salvatore
List Price:
Our Price: $4.10
You Save: $3.89 (49%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: R.A. SalvatoreEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2000-07-05
ISBN: 0345428455
Number of pages: 398
Publisher: Bantam
Book Reviews of Vector Prime (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 1)
Book Review: Seriously underrated
Summary: 5 Stars
I remember the controversy when Vector Prime was first published years ago. In fact, the whole stir discouraged me from ever venturing into the New Jedi Order series. Now, over a decade later, I decided to take the plunge - and loved it! Vector Prime takes Star Wars into a much more serious and emotionally powerful direction.
Vector Prime begins the New Jedi series by introducing the Yuuzhan Vong, a group of extragalactic invaders who resemble the Orcs of The Lord of the Rings in their viciousness and disgusting habits. They hate machines and use organic beings for their weapons and starfighters. As villains, they're not particularly interesting. However, they ooze evil and provide a great backdrop to up the emotional intensity of the Star Wars universe.
With the threat of looming invasion, Vector Prime also pushes the familiar Star Wars characters to unfamiliar extremes. Of course, Vector Prime features Han, Luke, Leia, Chewie, and all of our favorite Star Wars characters, as well as some of the more famous Expanded Universe characters like the Solo kids and Mara Jade. However, Salvatore does an incredible job bringing them to life. The characters display a range of emotions that we don't ever get to observe in most other Star Wars novels. Leia becomes an overbearing mother, Han goes into a fit of grief, and Luke is a doting husband. Moreover, this is the first time the Solo kids come across as unique and interesting characters in their own right, rather than as hostage victims or protagonists for a Young Jedi Knights series.
Even the death - that so controversial death - is handled with grace. The Star Wars characters had become a bit too settled, with each taking on familiar roles and repeating the same lines. Aside from Mara Jade and the Solo kids, there hadn't really been any major changes to the roster of main characters since Empire Strikes Back. Now, THE death leaves a whole in this group of friends, and, as much as I hated to see that character die, I agree with the publishers that killing one of the main characters really allows for greater character exploration. Salvatore allows each character to cope with the loss in his or her own way. I loved seeing how these characters I've known and loved since my childhood changed and reacted to changing events. They feel more alive and real because they can grow. And, yes, my eyes welled up during the death scene. It's quite moving and is not trivialized in any way (unlike Crix Madine's pathetic death in Darksaber).
I can't speak for the rest of the New Jedi Order series yet, but Vector Prime convinced me to take the plunge and try it. It's very well written and is much more emotionally engaging than almost anything else in the Expanded Universe. If you're a Star Wars fan and haven't tried it, I'd recommend reading at least this one.
Summary of Vector Prime (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 1)
Twenty-one years have passed since the heroes of the Rebel Alliance destroyed the Death Star, breaking the power of the Emperor. Since then, the New Republic has valiantly struggled to maintain peace and prosperity among the peoples of the galaxy. But unrest has begun to spread and threatens to destroy the Republic's tenuous reign.Into this volatile atmosphere comes Nom Anor, a charismatic firebrand who heats passions to the boiling point, sowing seeds of dissent for his own dark motives. And as the Jedi and the Republic focus on internal struggles, a new threat surfaces from beyond the farthest reaches of the Outer Rim--an enemy bearing weapons and technology unlike anything New Republic scientists have ever seen.
Suddenly, Luke Skywalker; his wife, Mara; Han Solo; Leia Organa Solo; and Chewbacca--along with the Solo children--are thrust again into battle, to defend the freedom so many have fought and died for. But this time, the power of the Force itself may not be enough . . .
Fifty-seven years have passed since the events of Phantom Menace, 25 since A New Hope, and 21 since the Empire's final defeat over Endor. The still-fragile New Republic, rocked by internal conflict, now faces a potentially overwhelming challenge from beyond the known galaxy: the Yuuzhan Vong, a sinister race of warriors using highly advanced (and creepy) organic "devices" and vehicles, whose immense strength and technological edge lets them fight toe to toe with Jedi. And who better to flesh out these powerful and malevolent aliens, so dismissive and disdainful of humanity, than R.A. Salvatore, the author who almost single-handedly popularized Dungeons and Dragons' equally awful bad guys, the Drow, with his Drizzt Do'Urden books.
In kicking off Del Rey's five-year New Jedi Order story arc, Salvatore must endure the predictable hazing of any new Star Wars author. But an accomplished storyteller backed by legions of fans, the Dark Elf author proves to be up to the task and thankfully sensitive to the well-loved characters he's borrowing time with. Vector Prime sets up the early stages of the covert Praetorite Vong invasion, giving us a closeup glimpse of this nefarious new race and following our heroes' attempts to combat them. Luke struggles with whether to revive the Jedi Council; Mara still fights her deadly disease; Lando is back helping Han, Chewie, and Leia; and Leia and Solo's kids finally come into their own. Prepare yourself, though, for when a major, beloved character gets ceremoniously smushed. (Although we've seen Boba Fett come back from worse.... ) --Paul Hughes
Adventure Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Adventure Books
Prophecy (Death Lands #90)by James Axler
Gold Eagle; Published: 2010-01-12; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $19.99
Vector Prime (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 1)by R.A. Salvatore
LucasBooks; Published: 1999-10-05; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $2.99
Price in other shops:
The Restaurant at the End of the Universeby Douglas Adams
Del Rey; Published: 2005-04-26; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.94
Price in other shops:
The False Mirror (The Damned, Book 2)by Alan Dean Foster
Del Rey; Published: 1993-04-24; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $25.90
The Ringworld Engineersby Larry Niven
Del Rey; Published: 1985-11-12; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.83
Price in other shops:
Splinter of the Mind's Eye (Star Wars)by Alan Dean Foster
LucasBooks; Published: 1986-03-12; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.15
Price in other shops:
Line War (Ian Cormac, Book 5)by Neal Asher
Pan Macmillan; Published: 2009-12-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.61
Price in other shops:
The Reality Dysfunction (The Night's Dawn)by Peter F. Hamilton
Orbit; Published: 2008-10-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.00
Price in other shops:
Hunter's Runby George R. R. Martin, Gardner Dozois, Daniel Abraham
Harper Voyager; Published: 2009-01-27; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.07
Price in other shops:
The Forever Warby Joe Haldeman
Eos; Published: 2003-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.00
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
Rebel Dream: Enemy Lines I (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order #11)by Aaron Allston
LucasBooks; Published: 2002-03; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.13
Price in other shops:
Dark Journey (Star Wars, The New Jedi Order #10)by Elaine Cunningham
LucasBooks; Published: 2002-02-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.87
Price in other shops:
Star by Star (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 9)by Troy Denning
LucasBooks; Published: 2002-10-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.17
Price in other shops:
Edge of Victory II: Rebirth (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, No. 8)by Greg Keyes
LucasBooks; Published: 2001-07; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.29
Price in other shops:
Conquest: Edge of Victory I (Star Wars, The New Jedi Order #7)by Greg Keyes
LucasBooks; Published: 2001-04-03; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.32
Price in other shops:
Balance Point (Star Wars, The New Jedi Order #6)by Kathy Tyers
LucasBooks; Published: 2001-07-03; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.28
Price in other shops:
Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 5)by James Luceno
LucasBooks; Published: 2000-10-03; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.91
Price in other shops:
Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 4)by James Luceno
LucasBooks; Published: 2000; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.29
Price in other shops:
Dark Tide II: Ruin (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 3)by Michael A. Stackpole
LucasBooks; Published: 2000-06-06; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.03
Price in other shops:
Dark Tide I: Onslaught (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 2)by Michael A. Stackpole
LucasBooks; Published: 2000-02-01; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $2.83
Price in other shops: