David's Review of Jedi Trial

2/5 Rancors - In Jedi Trial we have an interesting mix of characters and events that could have been an excellent story, but the authors do not pull it off as well as one would like. The focus of the action is on the barren world of Praesitlyn where a crucial Republic communications center is under siege by a Separatist army. The defenders of the communications center are greatly outnumbered and outgunned even with the help of the mercenary Zozridor Slayke and his Sons and Daughters of Freedom. In response to a plea for help, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine agrees to send a small contingent of clones to help out. These clones are led by Jedi Master Nejaa Halcyon and the young Padawan Anakin Skywalker.

Anakin is in command of half of the clones, and this is his trial - to experience command under extremely trying conditions and drive the Separatist droids away from the communications center. Most of the book takes place during battles or sieges, and the action is described fairly well even though the story jumps around a great deal and some of the characters do not seem to have much to do. The authors have trouble with dialogue. Much of it seemed stilted to me and just did not reflect my idea of how Jedi and clones would talk. Anakin comes through in fine form in the end, and we once again get a glimpse of the temptation and power of the dark side.

I cannot recommend spending much time with this book unless you are (as we are) in the process of reading all of the books in the Star Wars Expanded Universe.