First, let me say that I'm reviewing the paperback, which has Denning's novella Recovery included. This story has Leia recovering from her wounds inflicted on Duros in Balance Point. It also deals with the rift that's been killing her relationship with Han Solo since Chewbacca died. It's quite good, with just the right mix of starship combat and relationships, and the writing is great. It introduces a bunch of characters that will feature in Star by Star, so it is a preview of things to come. I'm just annoyed that I didn't check into this in advance and bought the e-book of Recovery before I knew better.

Anyway, Star by Star begins with Mara Jade Skywalker and Jaina Solo out to rescue two escaping Jedi from a planet overrun by the Yuuzhan Vong. But the freighter they are on is attacked by a new creature bred by the Vong, one that can sense the use of the Force and track anybody who uses it. This news is not welcomed by the Jedi, who are already under siege by New Republic governments who are afraid and want the Jedi to surrender to the Vong. Anakin and sixteen other Jedi (including his brother and sister) embark on a mission to end that threat once and for all. But not everybody will be coming back from that mission, and Anakin will struggle with that responsibility. Meanwhile, the Vong have Coruscant, the New Republic homeworld, in their sights, and even a fleet of Jedi pilots may not be enough to stop them. The rest of our heroes fight a desperate battle to preserve the Republic before it's wiped out.

I first became familiar with Denning from Tatooine's Ghost, a book that I fell in love with (though I no longer want to have his children). So I had faith that this would be a wonderful book, and I was not disappointed. After re-reading Recovery, I sat down and just let the events of Star by Star wash over me. Denning's writing style is exciting, even in the quieter moments. He has a handle on these characters that is simply wonderful, whether it's Mara's love and protectiveness of her new son, Luke's trying to juggle his love for their son and his responsibilities to all of the Jedi who are being hunted down, or the still healing relationship between Han and Leia. The latter two are back to their old selves, but the preceding events fully inform their new attitudes. One of the best examples of this is the constant discomfort Leia has in the co-pilot seat of the Millenium Falcon, a seat that's designed for Chewbacca's size, and her realization that she can't ask Han to change it because that would be like saying good-bye to him for good. The ending of the book, even as worlds are falling apart around them, resolves this in a wonderful way. Han has learned from Chewie's death, and he has to put what he's learned to good use in this one.

All of the characters we know and love are characterized very well here, from Anakin to Lando, and to the Jedi characters that were evidently introduced in the Young Jedi Knights books (which I haven't read, so they were all new to me). I did have trouble keeping all of the Jedi straight, though that might be because I wasn't familiar with them. Thank heavens for the list of characters at the beginning of the book! Even so, I was torn during Anakin's mission. While the Jedi were well-done, some were given short shrift because there were just so many of them. On the other hand, the mission wouldn't have been believable without all of them there, so it's a wash.

The plot itself is packed. This is a long book, very long for a Star Wars book. It didn't seem padded necessarily, but some of the scenes seemed to drag, especially the space combat scenes and the strike team scenes deep in the Vong worldship. Just a scene here or there, so it's tough to say that something should have been cut or shortened. While some of the scenes were slow, most of the combat sequences were extremely well done, almost up to Stackpole levels (and for those of you who don't know, that's a compliment). I could almost hear the Star Wars music going through some of them. Lots of explosions, ships venting atmosphere, jukes and jinks, all of these were included. It was nice seeing Luke in the cockpit of an X-Wing again. Denning describes this all so well that, even during the confusion of the battle, it was fairly easy to visualize everything that was happening.

Some momentous events happen in Star by Star. There are a few deaths of characters, including one major one (and another one that's not surprising in hindsight but also has the benefit of removing one of the more annoying characters). The book can be an emotional roller-coaster if you've invested yourself in the book series, so be prepared. It sets off events that will eventually wrap this series up nine books from now, and it's a great marker of the half-way point. If you're a Star Wars fan, this one is definitely a keeper.

David Roy

The plot pulls you into the story so fast that you can't set the book down. If you are a Starwars fan this is a must read.

WHAT'S GOOD:
This, as far as I know, is the longest Star Wars novel ever written and all those extra pages have allowed Denning to create a truly epic story spanning dozens of characters and places, as well as including two REALLY major events (one involving Coruscant and one involving Anakin Solo). The stories of all the characters featured so far in the NJO (as well as a host of new ones) are featured as the series regroups for a major push ahead. Of all the many great elements of the book, my favourite was the mission of the young Jedi, in which Anakin leads his siblings, their peers from the Young Jedi Knights and Junior Jedi Knights series and a group of new Jedi on an infiltration mission to save the entire Jedi Order from destruction. Anyway, I could sing this book's praises for ages, so I'll limit myself to saying: buy it, you won't be disappointed (depressed maybe...).

WHAT'S BAD:
Only the fact that the book is so gloomy. It doesn't really fit with the fairy-tale spirit of Star Wars.