The New Jedi Order: The Unifying Force by: James Luceno

Summary:   The Galactic Alliance's hard-won success in countering the Yuuzhan Vong onslaught has proven all to brief -- and the tide has turned one more to the invaders' advantage. Having overcome the sabotage strategies of the Jedi and their allies, the marauding aliens have pushed deeper into the galaxy and subjugated more worlds in their ruthless quest for domination. Coruscant has been remade into a Yuuzhan Vong stronghold. The remnants of the resistance are struggling to form a united front. Luke, Mara, and Jacen are missing in action. Clearly the stage is set for endgame.    Now, as Han and Leia recieve the chilling news that hundreds of high-ranking Galactic Alliance prisoners face slaughter in a sacrifice to the enemy's bloodthirsty gods, Luke and his team try desperately to convince the living world of Zonama Sekot to join the Jedi's final compaign against the Yuuzhan Vong. Yet even as they speak, a lone space station stands between Alliance headquarters on Mon Calamari . . . and wave after wave of ferocious enemy forces waging their most decisive assault.   At the same time, the Jedi's alliances throughout the galaxy are being tested -- and the chances of victory jeopardized -- by rogue factions determined to deploy the lethal weapon that will exterminate the Yuuzhan Vong . . . and perhaps countless other species. And among the Yuuzhan Vong themselves, the threat of revolt has reached a boiling point -- as the oppressed underclass and powerful officials alike fear their Supreme Overlord's mad actions will provoke the wrath of the gods.   Ultimately, for both the forces of invasion and resistance, too much has been sacrificed -- and too much is at stake -- to ever turn back. And now, nothing can stand in the way of seizing victory . . . or facing annihilation. Review:   I liked this book. Finally an end to the Yuuzhan Vong conflict, and what an ending it was. It was sad to see it end, though. I'd been reading it for so many years that once it was done I couldn't help but wonder, "What next?" But Jacen's vision from Balance Point finally comes to pass and it's just what it seemed. Luke throws Jacen his lightsaber and Jacen misses it. Guess my interpretation was wrong, I saw it more as Jacen undertaking a greater responsibility amongst the New Jedi Order. Oh, well, maybe it had that meaning as well... SPOILERS: Onimi is the Supreme Overlord... that's interesting. And as I had long figured it was Luke who took down Shimrra, but the real Supreme Overlord was taken down by Jacen, from a technique taken from Vergere, he turned Onimi's poisoin back against him and managed to defeat him. And what was that with Nom Anor? Actually letting himself die while saving the Solos? Not what you would expect. Back to the New Jedi Order Era. Back to Star Wars Eras.