David's Review of Coruscant Nights I: Jedi Twilight

4/5 Rancors - Jedi Twilight is the first book in the Coruscant Nights series by Michael Reaves, and it gets us off to a good start. The timeframe is the period after Order 66. Most of the Jedi have been wiped out, and Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader are cracking down on the galaxy. We obviously know that a few Jedi survived the slaughter because they appear later on in the films and books. However, those particular Jedi are not the ones we follow in this book.

Our main character in Jedi Twilight is Jax Pavan, one of the few Jedi to survive Order 66 but also a very inexperienced Jedi. Jax is the son of Lorn Pavan who we read about earlier in Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter. We also are reintroduced to reporter Den Dhur and the unique droid I-5YQ who steals scene after scene in the book and is actually one of my favorite characters in the entire Expanded Universe of Star Wars. Nick Rostu, who we met in Shatterpoint, plays a major role in the story, as does Price Xizor of Black Sun who is back again.

The action in Jedi Twilight takes place primarily in the lower levels of Coruscant or Imperial Center as it is now known. The whole concept of Coruscant is fascinating with the entire planet covered by buildings and populations living on various levels basically according to what they could afford. The true lower levels were not a place where most people would want to live. The emphasis there was entirely on survival, and conditions were grim and desperate. This type of setting creates a specific mood for the book and lends itself very well to the action.

Much of the story is based on a search for a missing protocol droid named 10-4TO. Everybody wants to find the droid because its databank contains valuable plans for the Resistance. Tie this in with efforts by Darth Vader to capture Jax Pavan plus devious dealings by Prince Xizor and other Black Sun leaders plus attempts to kill Pavan just because he is a Jedi and you get an interesting story.

My only complaint about Mr. Reaves’ writing style is that he tends to go overboard with explanations at times. It is as if he is showing us how much he knows about particular subjects. Some editing in these areas would have been helpful. Every once in a while I felt as if I were reading a textbook. However, this is just a minor quibble.

On the other hand, I give the author full credit for introducing a particularly memorable set of characters – feral droids. These droids have been left to their own devices in the Factory District of Coruscant, and the result is a kind of Lord of the Flies for droids. The droids have adapted their own systems, added weapons, changed their appearances, and have turned into killing machines. I found the concept of feral droids to be fascinating, and I hope they turn up again.

Jedi Twilight is well worth reading. I look forward to the next two books in the series.