Product Description

The Star Wars epic continues its dazzling space odyssey in The New Jedi Order–as Luke and Mara, Leia and Han, and others battle the mighty enemy from beyond the galactic rim.

The brutal Yuuzhan Vong are scouring the universe for Jedi to slaughter. With no help from the divided New Republic, the Jedi stand alone against their seemingly invincible foe. Han and Leia Organa Solo risk deadly consequences with their controversial tactics to bolster the Jedi resistance. After uncovering a new Yuuzhan Vong menace, Anakin and Tahiri find themselves wanted for murder by the Peace Brigade. To avoid capture, they jump into hyperspace... and into trouble far graver.

Hunted by the Yuuzhan Vong, wanted as criminals by the New Republic, and with unrest stirring within their own ranks, the Jedi find peril everywhere they turn. But even in the midst of despair, while the fiercest battle of all looms on the horizon, hope arises with the birth of one very special child....

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #56925 in Books
• Published on: 2001-07
• Released on: 2001-07-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 292 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780345446107
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From the Inside Flap
The Star Wars epic continues its dazzling space odyssey in The New Jedi Order?as Luke and Mara, Leia and Han, and others battle the mighty enemy from beyond the galactic rim.

The brutal Yuuzhan Vong are scouring the universe for Jedi to slaughter. With no help from the divided New Republic, the Jedi stand alone against their seemingly invincible foe. Han and Leia Organa Solo risk deadly consequences with their controversial tactics to bolster the Jedi resistance. After uncovering a new Yuuzhan Vong menace, Anakin and Tahiri find themselves wanted for murder by the Peace Brigade. To avoid capture, they jump into hyperspace . . . and into trouble far graver.

Hunted by the Yuuzhan Vong, wanted as criminals by the New Republic, and with unrest stirring within their own ranks, the Jedi find peril everywhere they turn. But even in the midst of despair, while the most fiercest battle of all looms on the horizon, hope arises with the birth of one very special child. . . .


From the Paperback edition.

About the Author
Greg Keyes was born in Meridian, Mississippi to a large, diverse, storytelling family. He received degrees in anthropology from Mississippi State and the University of Georgia before becoming a full-time writer. Greg writes, cooks, and fences foil in Savannah, Georgia, where his wife Nell is a professor at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Under the name J. Gregory Keyes, he is the #1 bestselling author of the Age of Unreason series, featuring Newton's Cannon, A Calculus of Angels, Empire of Unreason, and The Shadows of God. He is also the author of The Blackgod and The Waterborn. Greg is currently hard at work on The Briar King, the first book of a new fantasy series.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter One

"You've had worse ideas, Luke," Mara Jade Skywalker
reluctantly admitted, nodding her head back so the sunlight fell on her face and her deep red-gold tresses
trailed behind her. Posed that way, eyes closed, framed against the blue line of the sea, her beauty closed
Luke's throat for a moment.

Mara's green eyes opened, and she looked at him with a
sort of wistful fondness before arching a cynical brow.

"Getting all fatherly on me again?"

"No," he said softly. "Just thinking how ridiculously
lucky I am."

"Hey. I'm the one with the hormone swings. You aren't
trying to one-up me, are you?" But she took his hand
and gave it a squeeze. "Come on," she said. "Let's walk a
bit more."

"You sure you're up to it?"

"What, you want to carry me? Of course I'm up to it. I'm
pregnant, not hamstrung. You think it would be better for
our kid if I spent all day lying around sucking on oorp?"

"I just thought you wanted to relax."

"Absolutely. And this is relaxing. Us, all alone, on a beautiful
island. Well, sort of an island. Come on."

The beach was warm beneath Luke's bare feet. He had
been reluctant to agree to going shoeless, but Mara had insisted
that's what one did on a beach. He found, to his surprise,
that it reminded him pleasantly of his boyhood on
Tatooine. Back then, in the relative cool of early evening--
one of those rare periods when both blazing suns were
nearly set--sometimes he would take his shoes off and feel
the still-warm sand between his toes. Not when Uncle Owen
was looking, of course, because the old man would launch
into an explanation of what shoes were for in the first place,
about the valuable moisture Luke was losing though his
soles.

For an instant, he could almost hear his uncle's voice and
smell Aunt Beru's giju stew. He had an urge to put his shoes
back on.

Owen and Beru Lars had been the first personal casualties
in Luke Skywalker's battle against the Empire. He wondered
if they had known why they died.

He missed them. Anakin Skywalker may have been his
father, but the Lars had been his parents.

"I wonder how Han and Leia are doing?" Mara wondered
aloud, interrupting his reverie.

"I'm sure they're fine. They've only been gone a few
days."

"I wonder if Jacen should have gone with them?"

"Why not? He's proven himself capable often enough.
And they're his parents. Besides, with half the galaxy after
him, it's better he stay on the move."

"Right. I only meant it makes things worse for Jaina. It's
hard on her, doing nothing, knowing her brother is out
fighting the fight."

"I know. But Rogue Squadron will probably call her up
pretty soon."

"Sure," Mara replied. "Sure they will." She sounded far
from convinced.

"You don't think so?" Luke asked.

"No. I think they would like to, but her Jedi training
makes her too much of a political liability right now."

"When did the Rogues ever care about politics? Has
someone said this to you?"

"Not in so many words, but I hear things, and I'm trained
to listen to the words behind the words. I hope I'm wrong,
for Jaina's sake."

Her feelings brushed Luke in the Force, running a troubled
harmony to her assertion.

"Mara," Luke said, "my love, while I'll believe you
when you say picking up parasites on a strange beach is
relaxing--"

"Nonsense. This sand is as sterile as an isolation lab. It's
perfectly safe to walk barefoot. And you like the feel of it."

"If you say so. But I forbid any more talk about politics,
Jedi, the war, the Yuuzhan Vong, anything like that. We're
out here for you to relax, to forget all of that for a day or so.
Just a day."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You're the one who
thinks the whole universe will collapse unless you're there
to keep it spinning."

"I'm not pregnant."

"Say something like that again, and I'll make you wish
you were," she said, a bit sharply. "And by the way, if we do
this again, it's your turn."

"We'll play sabacc for it," Luke responded, trying to
keep a straight face but failing. He kissed her, and she kissed
him back, hard.

They continued along the strand, past a rambling stand
of crawling slii, all knotted roots and giant gauzy leaves.
Waves were beginning to lap on the beach, as they hadn't
earlier, which meant they were on the bow side of the
"island."

It wasn't an island at all, of course, but a carefully landscaped
park atop a floating mass of polymer cells filled with
inert gas. A hundred or so of them cruised the artificial
western sea of Coruscant, pleasure craft built by rich merchants
during the grand, high days of the Old Republic. The
Emperor had discouraged such frivolity, and most had been
docked for decades and fallen into disrepair. Still, many
were still in good enough shape to refurbish, and in the
youth of the New Republic, a few sharp businessmen had
purchased some and made them commercial successes. One
such person, not surprisingly, had been Lando Calrissian, a
longtime friend of Luke's. He had offered Luke use of the
craft whenever he wished it. It had taken Luke a long time
to call in the offer.

He was glad he had done it--Mara seemed to be enjoying
it. But she was right, of course. With everything that was
happening now, it was hard not to think of it as a waste
of time.

But some feelings could not be trusted. Mara was showing
now, her belly gloriously rounded around their son, and
she was suffering from all of the physical discomforts any
woman did in that situation. Nothing in her training as an
assassin, smuggler, or Jedi Knight had prepared her for this
compromised state, and despite her obvious love for their
unborn child, Luke knew physical weakness grated on her.
Her comment about Jaina might just as well have been
about herself.

And there were other worries, too, and a pocket paradise
wasn't likely to help her forget them, but at least they could
take a few deep breaths and pretend they were on some distant,
uninhabited world, rather than in the thick of the
biggest mess since before the Empire had been defeated.

No, strike that. The Empire had threatened to extinguish
liberty and freedom, to bring the dark side of the Force to
ascendance. The enemy they faced now threatened extinction
in a much more literal and ubiquitous sense.

So Luke walked with his wife as evening fell, pretending
not to be thinking of these things, knowing she could feel he
was anyway.

"What will we name him?" Mara asked at last. The sun
had vanished in a lens on the horizon, and now Coruscant
began to shatter the illusion of pristine nature. The distant
shores glowed in a solid mass, and the sky remained deep
red on the horizons. Only near zenith did it resemble the
night sky of most moonless planets, but even there was a
baroque embroidery of light as aircars and starships followed
their carefully assigned paths, some coming home,
some going home, some merely arriving at another port.

A million little lights, each with a story, each a spark of
significance in the Force that flowed from them, around
them, through them.

No illusion, here. All was nature. All was beauty, if you
had eyes willing to see it.

"I don't know." He sighed. "I don't even know where to
start."

"It's just a name," she said.

"You would think. But everyone seems to believe it's important.
Since we went public with the news, you wouldn't
believe how many suggestions I've gotten, and from the
strangest places."

Mara stopped walking, and her face reflected a sudden
profound astonishment. "You're afraid," she said.

He nodded. "I guess I am. I guess I don't think it's 'just a
name,' not when it comes to people like us. Look at Anakin.
Leia named him after our father, a gesture to the person that
became Darth Vader, as a recognition that he overcame the
dark side and died a good man. It was her reconciliation
with him, and a sign to the galaxy that the scars of war
could heal. That we could forgive and move on. But for
Anakin, it's been a trial. When he was little, he always
feared he would walk the same dark path his grandfather
did. It was just a name, but it was a real burden to place on
his shoulders. It may be years before we learn the full consequences
of that decision."

"For all that I admire your sister, she is a politician, and
she thinks like one. That's been good for the galaxy, not so
good for her children."

"Exactly," Luke said reluctantly. "And whether I like it
or not, Mara, because of who we are, our child will inherit
part of our burden. I'm just afraid of placing an extra one
on his shoulders. Suppose I named him Obi-Wan, as a
salute to my old Master? Would he think that means I want
him to grow up to be a Jedi? Would he think he had to live
up to Ben's reputation? Would he feel his choices in life
constrained?"

"I see you've thought a lot about this."

"I guess I have."

"Notice how quickly this takes us back to the things you
said we weren't supposed to talk about?"

"Oh. Right."

"Luke, this is who we are," Mara said, stroking his
shoulder lightly. "We can't deny it, even alone on an island."
She dipped her foot in the wavelets...

Customer Reviews

Jedi, Yuuzhan Vong, and an unknown betrayal
The much-awaited sequel to Keyes' Conquest, Rebirth is worth reading even as a stand-alone. In this novel, Han and Leia (seem to) patch things up and the death of Chewbacca is now a quiet ache in both their lives. Anakin explores his relationship with Tahiri, and takes Corran Horn, who went into hiding after the Ithor disaster, along for the ride. Jacen comes to grips with his views on the Force, seeing just how arrogant he was, fighting alongside his mother and father in their own war against the Peace Brigade, the galaxy's most vengeful collaborators. On the Vong side, Nen Yim, disgraced shaper adept, has been exiled to a ship of disgraced Yuuzhan Vong, a ship that is now dying. However, she receives a visit from a Master Shaper who is more than he seems, leading Nen Yim further on the path towards murder and greater heresy. Also, Vergere returns...but not to the New Republic. She boards the Sunulok to meet with Warmaster Lah in an attempt to capture Jacen Solo aboard the Millenium Falcon. And not to be outdone, Mara comes to term with her pregnancy (literally) and with the birth will either be a new hope, or a greater darkness than the Jedi currently face. Nonstop action, coupled with Keyes' elegant prose, makes Rebirth the standout novel of NJO so far. Highly recommended to the fans of The New Jedi Order and those who just like things the way they were.

Excellent Book
After reading the first several books of the New Jedi Order I found myself looking for a book more epic in scope, similar to Timothy Zahn's first trilogy and the first book of the series, Vector Prime. Balance Point and Edge of Victory I were both very close to this mark, but couldn't seem to break through.

In comes Gregory Keyes's new book Edge of Victory II: Rebirth, with its multiple plot lines that keep you enthralled. My favorite part of the book was the scenes with Luke and Mara, they seem to be ignored in some of the more recent books. In this book Luke is shown as caring and prudent character, not as a super-powerful Jedi Master. The action occurs basically in the all the rest of the scenes with the various other main characters, especially with Anakin, Jacen, and Jaina. Lots of star fights and some hand-to-hand combats keep the book interesting, while vague chapter ending keep you eagerly wanting more. The book ends with a couple twists that should make for a more interesting saga through out.

Take note everyone this is the way a Star Wars book should be written, talk about the new characters, while not forgetting the old characters that made the original so memorable and popular. Excellent read, and though it is a page turner, I would not exactly call it an epic, though it sets up the series to become epic in scope. Hopefully the next book will be as good as this, and I will definetly continue reading. Defintely recommended for fans and non-fans alike.

A must read for all Star Wars fans.
Unlike it's predecessor, Conquest, this book dealt with multiple plotlines, but the author handled all of them excellently, especially considering the book's short length. Luke and a very pregnant Mara are awaiting the birth of their son, but just as Mara's Yuuzhan Vong disease begins to effect her again, they are forced to flee Coruscant to avoid arrest. Anakin, Tahiri, and Corran go on what should be a simple supply run for the Errant Venture, but run into the Peace Brigade and must flee into hyperspace. Kyp convinces Jaina and Rogue Squadron to help him destroy a new Vong superweapon located at Sernpidal. Han, Leia, and Jacen are on a mission to set up a system to bring people and information out of occupied territory. And meanwhile, among the Yuuzhan Vong, Nem Yim continues her heresy. In my opinion, this was one of the best books from the New Jedi Order series. I especially enjoyed reading about Luke, Mara, and their child, and Anakin and Tahiri's growing romance was very cute. I reccomend this book to all Star Wars fans.