Look I'm fully cognizant that in many ways this just a typical Star Wars novel. This does not stop it from being my absolute favorite Star Wars novel because Jaina fucking Solo. ( )

Jaina Solo is starting to become a real character, not just a 2D name ( )

I think Dark Journey would be disappointing at any point, but it's especially disappointing after the really strong run from Recovery to Star by Star. Everyone in this book seems a little... overdramatic, somehow. Like, Jaina makes small decisions, and everyone reacts really bigly to them, and things seem off-- like Jaina would ever marry into the Hapan royal family, yet it's treated like a real possibility. In terms of showing how the fallout of Star by Star has affected Jaina, this book doesn't really succeed, unfortunately.

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As of this writing, there are six Star Wars films, covering approximately 36 years of galactic history, all hinging more or less on Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader and his journey into and out of the Dark Side of the Force. His struggle between the desire to do good and the responsibility of wielding such an awesome power forms the basis of an epic tale. And yet, in the Expanded Universe, it seems as though Jedi characters slip in and out of the Dark Side as easily as they would a glove (likely the glove covering their mechanical hand, ha ha).

This novel concerns itself primarily with Jaina Solo's seeming thirst for vengeance in the wake of her recent personal losses. The only problem is that it doesn't really seem like she's out for vengeance; she loses herself in figuring out how to use a particular aspect of Yuuzhan Vong biotechnology against the invaders. Sure, she tosses out some Force lightning, takes notorious outlaw Jedi Kyp Durron as her master, and then challenges him to a couple of fights for no apparent reason, but she doesn't use the Force to hurl the Yuuzhan Vong fleet into the nearest sun or even charge off into an ill-considered rescue mission.

The problem with this novel isn't just Jaina's half-assed journey to the Dark Side; Jaina, it seems, is also dumb. Despite her losses, she turns away from her family and friends. Is that a likely response to what she's gone through? Perhaps...if her own father hadn't already gone through the exact same thing in a not-so-subtle manner. Given the turmoil that caused in their family, you'd think she might have learned something from it. She also remains oblivious to the machinations of Ta'a Chume, despite an assertion at the outset that she looked forward to dealing with someone so cunning, and she sort of stumbles into discovering whatever feelings she's developing for Jag Fel. She just seems totally clueless about herself and pretty much anything going on around her that isn't related to manipulating Yuuzhan Vong psychology and technology - a completely alien culture, mind you.

Now, all that aside, I actually did like the plot. I think the concept of Jaina using the Yuuzhan Vong religion and technology against them is pretty cool. And the stuff dealing with the intrigue of the Hapan royal house was good, too. I just think, in general, the characters could have been handled better. ( )