Dark Tide II: Ruin

"Ruin" is the second book in Michael Stackpole's "Dark Tide" duology. And it takes place right after the first wave of Yuuzhan Vong attacks on the galaxy - and the massive New Republic withdrawls from worlds including Dantooine. Without mercy, they begin their march on the galaxy, leaving only destruction in their wake.

Every time the New Republic military seems to develop a new tactic to better combat the Yuuzhan Vong, they seem to be able to adapt and/or change their tactics, continually stymieing New Republic forces. To further complicate things, the Jedi seem to be on a course towards completely falling apart as a united front of defenders for the New Republic. At the heart of the debate among the Jedi is how to best combat the Vong, who mysteriously remain impervious to powers of the Force. Meanwhile, Jacen Solo and Corran Horn are sent on a mission to Vong occupied territory, in hopes of finding something that might aid them in their struggle to defend the Galaxy.

Whereas the first book in the "Dark Tide" series was more of a slow burn in terms of action, "Ruin" is slightly more action packed (…well maybe a bit more than that). It's just as quick moving as "Onslaught" and even more exciting to read. One thing that I would say that I like most about "Dark Tide II" is that returned somewhat to the formula presented to us in "Vector Prime". Once again we are provided a glimpse of what kind of species the Vong truly is; gaining insight on their religion, culture, etc.,. Additionally, this story gained even more favor with me in that Stackpole chose the 'Hard Road' paved by R. A. Salvatore, by simply adding a dark tone of helplessness to the entire story. What exactly do I mean by this?? Well you'll just have to read this one and find out for yourself.

So, yes I highly recommend this book, for so many reasons, many of which I haven't even stated here. Looking back on this duology, I have to say that I really appreciate Michael Stackpole's subtlety. Unlike some other author, especially Kevin J. Anderson, he doesn't insist on filling up his prose with a lot of useless background information. It's simply one of those books that you can pick up and appreciate without having to read a lot of the other books that come earlier in the Star Wars timeline. Granted more appreciation can be had if you read at least "Vector Prime" - but at least he doesn't waste your time trying to fill you in on the entire history of every single character in the story. And so, if you're looking for a good read, even if you're not that big of a Star Wars fan, read "The New Jedi Order" series of books - whose excitement certainly doesn't end in "Ruin".

Sean's Rating