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Star Wars: The Last of the Jedi #10
Reckoning
The shocking conclusion to The Last of the Jedi series!
Former Jedi apprentice Ferus Olin must choose -- the way of the Jedi... or the dark side? The fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance.
Former Jedi apprentice Ferus Olin must choose -- the way of the Jedi... or the dark side? The fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance.
151 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
February 11, 2016
Bullet Review:
Reading and finishing this series is kinda bittersweet for me. I've basically been reading Star Wars nonstop since I first saw the movies in 1997. I would read ANYTHING with the Star Wars logo. There was a time that I could SW EU you like a boss. And I read loads of non adult Star Wars books - Jedi Apprentice, Jedi Quest, Junior Jedi Knights, Young Jedi Knights, Galaxy of Fear.
Finishing Last of the Jedi, I realize I'm not the same woman who read all those books years ago (almost 20?! WTF!). I just won't ever be able to pick up a Star Wars book, much less a children's Star Wars book, the same way. Things have changed too much. Star Wars has changed, and I don't quite feel like I belong anymore in this New Star Wars era of Finn and Rey and Po and Kylo Ren. (Though don't get me wrong, I enjoyed The Force Awakens immensely.) Further, it's obvious that 32 year old me just doesn't enjoy middle-grade and young adult novels anymore.
The final book of the series is a fitting one. Kiddos will find it exciting and gripping, bittersweet and memorable. (Maybe next time, though, not so many "close-calls" and escapes? When every time your characters go to Random Planet 87 supposedly NoWhere Rim, they end up flagged and chased and nearly arrested, it gets annoying. And maybe try for something different than Jedi B is tempted to go to the Dark Side?) It closes up all the ends, it didn't shy away from having major characters die, and I thought the very end with Ferus was absolutely perfect.
But I'll be selling/donating this series now because I know I won't ever reread these again. The days of amassing Star Wars books is over. It's time to move on and give a child the joys she may get from these books.
(Dear Future Authors: Take a hint from TFA and freakin' let a female be the main character and get multiple POVs, instead of all these Trever's and Ferus'.)
As the book quotes: The journey begins. So go.
Reading and finishing this series is kinda bittersweet for me. I've basically been reading Star Wars nonstop since I first saw the movies in 1997. I would read ANYTHING with the Star Wars logo. There was a time that I could SW EU you like a boss. And I read loads of non adult Star Wars books - Jedi Apprentice, Jedi Quest, Junior Jedi Knights, Young Jedi Knights, Galaxy of Fear.
Finishing Last of the Jedi, I realize I'm not the same woman who read all those books years ago (almost 20?! WTF!). I just won't ever be able to pick up a Star Wars book, much less a children's Star Wars book, the same way. Things have changed too much. Star Wars has changed, and I don't quite feel like I belong anymore in this New Star Wars era of Finn and Rey and Po and Kylo Ren. (Though don't get me wrong, I enjoyed The Force Awakens immensely.) Further, it's obvious that 32 year old me just doesn't enjoy middle-grade and young adult novels anymore.
The final book of the series is a fitting one. Kiddos will find it exciting and gripping, bittersweet and memorable. (Maybe next time, though, not so many "close-calls" and escapes? When every time your characters go to Random Planet 87 supposedly NoWhere Rim, they end up flagged and chased and nearly arrested, it gets annoying. And maybe try for something different than Jedi B is tempted to go to the Dark Side?) It closes up all the ends, it didn't shy away from having major characters die, and I thought the very end with Ferus was absolutely perfect.
But I'll be selling/donating this series now because I know I won't ever reread these again. The days of amassing Star Wars books is over. It's time to move on and give a child the joys she may get from these books.
(Dear Future Authors: Take a hint from TFA and freakin' let a female be the main character and get multiple POVs, instead of all these Trever's and Ferus'.)
As the book quotes: The journey begins. So go.
January 7, 2019
Star Wars Legends Project #191
Background: Reckoning was written by Jude Watson and published in May of 2008. It is the tenth (and final) book of the Last of the Jedi series, following Master of Deception (my review).
Reckoning is set almost immediately after Master of Deception, 18 years before the Battle of Yavin. The main character is Ferus Olin. All of his (by this point many) surviving friends, allies, and enemies at least make an appearance, including Obi-Wan, Darth Vader, and Emperor Palpatine. Most of the action takes place on Coruscant and at or en route to Ferus's secret base.
Summary: Flame is an Imperial spy. Moonstrike is compromised. All of the most prominent resistance leaders in the galaxy are heading straight into a trap. Clive and Astri scramble to get word to Ferus and the others. Meanwhile, Ferus is on a collision course for a confrontation with Darth Vader himself, with his own balance between light and dark at stake. If he doesn't draw on the power of the Dark Side, the nascent rebellion may be crushed before it has even begun, but if he does, the consequences may be even worse . . .
Review: This book suffers a bit from how heavily it features the "space storm" around Ferus's secret base. Everything about this device is raving nonsense, but it hasn't come up very much in the series since it was first introduced. Here, it plays a major role in multiple key scenes, and it's very hard to take it seriously. For instance, this "space storm" is full of "air pockets" that cause spaceships to rapidly plummet . . . Towards what? That's . . . not how any of that works.
Or take this bit: "Ferus swerved around a medium-sized asteroid. He hugged it for a short time, staying in its draft. It was large enough to leave a small gravitational pull that Ferus could use to steady the ship. The only trick was staying close without slamming into it. Its path was erratic, and it turned and lurched from side to side." Nothing about that description makes scientific sense, nor is it internally consistent. It's even more obvious here than it was when she first introduced this storm just how little she's thought through the logistics of the thing beyond the pure plot points that it serves. It's ultimately a fairly minor thing, but it's sloppy.
That said, I was surprised by how conclusive the final pages of this book felt, and by how weirdly emotional that made me. I really have come a long way with Watson and her characters. She wrote 42 books in sequence across a period of 9 years, an impressive pace of 4-5 books per year from 1999 to 2008. It's hard to believe this is the last one, and this somehow feels like the true end of the prequel era, as her characters (the few who survived) step back from the limelight and acknowledge that their time is over. They couldn't save the galaxy, and it will be up to someone else.
Getting the feels wasn't the only surprise, though. I didn't expect any of the things that happened in this book, and I'm not completely sure how I feel about some of it. But I can't help but appreciate that it wasn't predictable. I don't really want to say more than that, even about the one thing that I definitely deeply disliked (how the book dealt with Trever, in case you've read it), because I don't want to give anything away. Ultimately, this is as satisfying a conclusion to this arc, particularly for Ferus, as I could have hoped for, and I would recommend the series overall.
B+
Background: Reckoning was written by Jude Watson and published in May of 2008. It is the tenth (and final) book of the Last of the Jedi series, following Master of Deception (my review).
Reckoning is set almost immediately after Master of Deception, 18 years before the Battle of Yavin. The main character is Ferus Olin. All of his (by this point many) surviving friends, allies, and enemies at least make an appearance, including Obi-Wan, Darth Vader, and Emperor Palpatine. Most of the action takes place on Coruscant and at or en route to Ferus's secret base.
Summary: Flame is an Imperial spy. Moonstrike is compromised. All of the most prominent resistance leaders in the galaxy are heading straight into a trap. Clive and Astri scramble to get word to Ferus and the others. Meanwhile, Ferus is on a collision course for a confrontation with Darth Vader himself, with his own balance between light and dark at stake. If he doesn't draw on the power of the Dark Side, the nascent rebellion may be crushed before it has even begun, but if he does, the consequences may be even worse . . .
Review: This book suffers a bit from how heavily it features the "space storm" around Ferus's secret base. Everything about this device is raving nonsense, but it hasn't come up very much in the series since it was first introduced. Here, it plays a major role in multiple key scenes, and it's very hard to take it seriously. For instance, this "space storm" is full of "air pockets" that cause spaceships to rapidly plummet . . . Towards what? That's . . . not how any of that works.
Or take this bit: "Ferus swerved around a medium-sized asteroid. He hugged it for a short time, staying in its draft. It was large enough to leave a small gravitational pull that Ferus could use to steady the ship. The only trick was staying close without slamming into it. Its path was erratic, and it turned and lurched from side to side." Nothing about that description makes scientific sense, nor is it internally consistent. It's even more obvious here than it was when she first introduced this storm just how little she's thought through the logistics of the thing beyond the pure plot points that it serves. It's ultimately a fairly minor thing, but it's sloppy.
That said, I was surprised by how conclusive the final pages of this book felt, and by how weirdly emotional that made me. I really have come a long way with Watson and her characters. She wrote 42 books in sequence across a period of 9 years, an impressive pace of 4-5 books per year from 1999 to 2008. It's hard to believe this is the last one, and this somehow feels like the true end of the prequel era, as her characters (the few who survived) step back from the limelight and acknowledge that their time is over. They couldn't save the galaxy, and it will be up to someone else.
Getting the feels wasn't the only surprise, though. I didn't expect any of the things that happened in this book, and I'm not completely sure how I feel about some of it. But I can't help but appreciate that it wasn't predictable. I don't really want to say more than that, even about the one thing that I definitely deeply disliked (how the book dealt with Trever, in case you've read it), because I don't want to give anything away. Ultimately, this is as satisfying a conclusion to this arc, particularly for Ferus, as I could have hoped for, and I would recommend the series overall.
B+
April 13, 2017
Ferus, one of the last of the Jedi, finally confronts Vader. At the same time, the truth regarding Flame, the mysterious benefactor of the rebellion, is revealed. Ferus also confronts Obi-Wan over his long-term mission, and gets to ask him all the questions we've been asking for the entire series. In short, the main plot points of the entire series come to the front here, and the main characters all get a chance to have their reckoning.
I've said in other reviews that this series feels more like one long novel instead of a series of novels featuring the same character, and now that I've finished the series, I feel that even more strongly. The characters have time to develop from book to book, and even when Watson borrows characters from her other books, or introduces a character we already know enough about without giving us much background (e.g., Bail Organa), they feel real and developed. The later novels are much better than the ones at the beginning of the series, but given how the plot develops, this is no surprise.
With Reckoning, Watson brings The Last of the Jedi -- and her foray into the Expanded Universe -- to a close, and she does it well. She gives real emotion to her characters, and gets the reader to feel for how things end. Over the ten books, the real connection has been Ferus and Trever's relationship, and here she brings it to a bittersweet end. For me, that makes the book stronger, and the series one of the best of the juvenile books I've read thus far.
I've said in other reviews that this series feels more like one long novel instead of a series of novels featuring the same character, and now that I've finished the series, I feel that even more strongly. The characters have time to develop from book to book, and even when Watson borrows characters from her other books, or introduces a character we already know enough about without giving us much background (e.g., Bail Organa), they feel real and developed. The later novels are much better than the ones at the beginning of the series, but given how the plot develops, this is no surprise.
With Reckoning, Watson brings The Last of the Jedi -- and her foray into the Expanded Universe -- to a close, and she does it well. She gives real emotion to her characters, and gets the reader to feel for how things end. Over the ten books, the real connection has been Ferus and Trever's relationship, and here she brings it to a bittersweet end. For me, that makes the book stronger, and the series one of the best of the juvenile books I've read thus far.
January 17, 2023
I remember reading this series as a child with my family, my parents reading the books aloud. This series was such a pillar of my childhood and I am so glad that it has held up under the weight of adulthood. Jude Watson never lets the fact that this is a juvenile fiction series limit her, instead she leans into the complexities that come with having a protagonist who is forced to straddle the morally-gray line between the Empire and the Resistance in those early months following the execution of Order 66. I respect Watson’s writing and the way she pushed the limits of what she was able to include in her books, the relationship of Ferus and Roan being one of the backbones of the series and the fact that they were involved romantically is heavily implied despite the fact that these books were published in the early 2000s. Overall, I think what Watson manages to cover in such a short page limit is amazing and Ferus deserves a place amongst the favorite and more often remembered Star Wars characters.
April 8, 2021
It all came full circle in the end. finishing this series was bittersweet for me by knowing what's to come. I feel as though Ferus was made to suffer...but through his suffering he gained so much...or did he?
August 8, 2018
Well, after 10 books, the Last of the Jedi series comes to close, and, I gotta say, I'm pretty happy with the result.
Reckoning made for a satisfying conclusion, tying up everything, telling a fun story, and, giving more depth to the eventual scenes in A New Hope and the rest of the Star Wars canon.
Even though this series is definitely geared towards a younger audience, Watson's consistency and great story telling made for one of the best "Legends" series in a long time. It's just too bad that the modern day Young Adult books are such a huge disappointment. Is it too much to ask for Disney to being Watson back?
Reckoning made for a satisfying conclusion, tying up everything, telling a fun story, and, giving more depth to the eventual scenes in A New Hope and the rest of the Star Wars canon.
Even though this series is definitely geared towards a younger audience, Watson's consistency and great story telling made for one of the best "Legends" series in a long time. It's just too bad that the modern day Young Adult books are such a huge disappointment. Is it too much to ask for Disney to being Watson back?
May 28, 2024
Overall Series Rating: 5/5
The following review considers all 10 books in the series.
This was another amazing series from Jude Watson. It continues the story from the Jedi Quest series, but post Order 66. This is another series that would have made a great tv show. It hurts my soul that Disney de-canonized such great material. You'll see Kenobi & Vader in this series, as well as a large cast of strong lead & supporting characters.
The following review considers all 10 books in the series.
This was another amazing series from Jude Watson. It continues the story from the Jedi Quest series, but post Order 66. This is another series that would have made a great tv show. It hurts my soul that Disney de-canonized such great material. You'll see Kenobi & Vader in this series, as well as a large cast of strong lead & supporting characters.
November 18, 2014
The story resolves itself, but it is slightly unsatisfactory as none of these characters have appeared in the other Star Wars EU story lines. They existed in this between trilogies saga and then they vanish as if they never were.
April 24, 2018
I can't say enough how much I liked this book; how much it brought back to Star Wars. While I'm disappointed that I didn't read these books when they first came out, I am extremely glad I took the time this past year to find 7 of the 10 books from used stores so I could read these adventures at a time when good Star Wars telling is nothing but a thing from the past. I felt a strong emotion as I got to the end of this book, knowing that this was the end of the adventure and that I would have to say goodbye to so many characters that I've grown to really care about. Characters that had a real story to tell that included struggle, heart ache, disappointment, as well as love, growth and connection to the Force.
In this final installment of the Last of the Jedi story we have Ferus facing off against Anakin at the same time as he struggles himself with possibly falling to the darkside. We learn the truth of operation Twilight and just who is and isn't an imperial agent and how that affects the group Moonstrike and all the leaders coming together to form the resistance . By the end we learn what becomes of all the amazing characters we have met along the way and when the smoke clears not all of them will make it out alive and those that do continue on in their own way fighting the empire.
If you want to read a great Star Wars series than this one is for you. Find these books where you can and read them...cherish them and May the Force be With You!
In this final installment of the Last of the Jedi story we have Ferus facing off against Anakin at the same time as he struggles himself with possibly falling to the darkside. We learn the truth of operation Twilight and just who is and isn't an imperial agent and how that affects the group Moonstrike and all the leaders coming together to form the resistance . By the end we learn what becomes of all the amazing characters we have met along the way and when the smoke clears not all of them will make it out alive and those that do continue on in their own way fighting the empire.
If you want to read a great Star Wars series than this one is for you. Find these books where you can and read them...cherish them and May the Force be With You!
January 12, 2020
I almost really like this. There's nothing very wrong with it. It's just... there's not much room to do anything much beyond what Jude Watson did.
On the other hand, I really hate the "leave it to the kids" message. Especially when combined with erasing Trever's memory. On the one hand, sure, knowing it's really Anakin is dangerous. On the other, how safe is erasing his memory if he's going to go live with the ex-wife of one of Palpatine's politicians?
I think it's supposed to be empowering to the kids reading to say that the kids in the story will be the real heroes. But. A) Ferus was a kid just a few books ago. And now he's going to give up and become a hermit to wait for when they're ready. Obviously the Force won't let him win until Luke and Leia are ready. But why does he need to become a hermit like Obi-Wan? Why can't he help Bail and Breha with prepping for the pushback? B) It's really unfair to leave your mistakes to the following generation for clean-up. To just sit back and let someone else right your wrongs.
Obi-Wan going passive makes sense. His best efforts ended with Anakin taking a lava bath. I can see Ferus needing a break but eighteen years? "He never saw them again" was a good endpoint. The ending we got just makes me want to know what Ferus thinks of Leia as a Senator or a Rebel leader. Proceeding past Ferus's family leaving, just leaves it feeling unfinished.
On the other hand, I really hate the "leave it to the kids" message. Especially when combined with erasing Trever's memory. On the one hand, sure, knowing it's really Anakin is dangerous. On the other, how safe is erasing his memory if he's going to go live with the ex-wife of one of Palpatine's politicians?
I think it's supposed to be empowering to the kids reading to say that the kids in the story will be the real heroes. But. A) Ferus was a kid just a few books ago. And now he's going to give up and become a hermit to wait for when they're ready. Obviously the Force won't let him win until Luke and Leia are ready. But why does he need to become a hermit like Obi-Wan? Why can't he help Bail and Breha with prepping for the pushback? B) It's really unfair to leave your mistakes to the following generation for clean-up. To just sit back and let someone else right your wrongs.
Obi-Wan going passive makes sense. His best efforts ended with Anakin taking a lava bath. I can see Ferus needing a break but eighteen years? "He never saw them again" was a good endpoint. The ending we got just makes me want to know what Ferus thinks of Leia as a Senator or a Rebel leader. Proceeding past Ferus's family leaving, just leaves it feeling unfinished.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2020
Thoughts on this series:
Inquisitor Malorum - as a Latin nerd his name amuses me, dude's name is literally Inquisitor of evil.
The story was enjoyable and as someone who is just getting into star wars novels it gave plenty of world building information without treating the reader like a dolt.
My only complaint is with editing - there are a number of typos and a few places early on were the grammar hinders the flow, although these do seem to improve in the latter books.
These books are targeted to a younger audience and read that way. This is not a bad thing, but may not be everyone's cup of tea.
Inquisitor Malorum - as a Latin nerd his name amuses me, dude's name is literally Inquisitor of evil.
The story was enjoyable and as someone who is just getting into star wars novels it gave plenty of world building information without treating the reader like a dolt.
My only complaint is with editing - there are a number of typos and a few places early on were the grammar hinders the flow, although these do seem to improve in the latter books.
These books are targeted to a younger audience and read that way. This is not a bad thing, but may not be everyone's cup of tea.
June 13, 2022
This is the perfect finale. An excellent end to not only the last of the Jedi, but also the years long previous series of Jedi Apprentice and Jedi Quest. It isn't perfect, there's a last minute revelation that seems to come from mostly nowhere, and a decision made about Trevor that's a bit strange, but it doesn't matter. The book ends exactly how it should, not as a grand triumphant happy ending, but the kind you'd expect from the time period it's set in. An amazing series and an even better end, to the point where it's questionable if it's even worth reading Rebel Force, the last series in this Watson-verse
December 22, 2019
Reckoning, Consequences and Aftermath
Wow, what a bittersweet ending to an amazing journey. Ferus battles his inner demons and the Sith hill from as well as Vader. Vader carries out the Empire's terrible wrath and not all of Ferus' friends make it out. He shares Obi-Wan's pain. What happened to Trevor was unexpected, sad, but necessary. An amazing series, sad to see this end. Another excellent book from Jude Watson.
Wow, what a bittersweet ending to an amazing journey. Ferus battles his inner demons and the Sith hill from as well as Vader. Vader carries out the Empire's terrible wrath and not all of Ferus' friends make it out. He shares Obi-Wan's pain. What happened to Trevor was unexpected, sad, but necessary. An amazing series, sad to see this end. Another excellent book from Jude Watson.
October 19, 2021
I really enjoyed the conclusion of this book and how everything was resolved. Without giving specific spoilers, I will just say that George Lucas' Star Wars films included the deaths of key characters and the author does not shy away from similar liberties. I found this series very satisfying and fun. I read this series with my 13 year old who also enjoyed it. I give this book five stars out of five, I enjoyed the series.
June 1, 2022
What a way to end the series. The storytelling has been ramping up time and time again ever since the end of "Death on Naboo", and it hits a truly epic climax here in "Reckoning". A truly bittersweet ending that leaves room for hope while appropriately mourning everything that's been lost has left me with all the feels, and I can't think of a more poignant way to end all of the character arcs that we've seen develop.
June 18, 2022
Good grief. I have finished this series at 42 years old. Lemme tell you, if I had read these when they came out, when I was the target audience's age, this series would have devastated me. I'm kinda grateful I didn't read it as a kid. (Much like Animorphs.... who thought THAT series ending was a good idea???)
Anyway.... this book was sad but good. It wrapped everything up and left *some* hope for the future.
Anyway.... this book was sad but good. It wrapped everything up and left *some* hope for the future.
October 28, 2023
Gosh. That was devastating. For me, it has always been the most inevitable and most logical way for Ferus' story to reach its conclusion (I'll choose to ignore his future appearances for the moment). But I have an utter disdain for memory wipes, since they're a lazy plot device that shouldn't be needed in the first place (i.e. you shouldn't write yourself into that particular corner). That character's fate aside, it's a solid ending to the series.
December 31, 2023
I couldn't have asked for a better ending to this series!! It was filled with so many great character moments and also several surprises. I will not be forgetting these characters and everything they went through together any time soon. I now want to go back and reread Jedi Quest #1 to remember the happy times when Ferus & Anakin were just two young padawans... 🥲
"The journey begins. So go."
"The journey begins. So go."
January 15, 2018
Sad ending to a great story
After reading all 10 books, this ending sucked. The loss, the just wasted ending. I loved the characters and to see them meet these endings especially how Ferris and Trevor end was disheartening.
After reading all 10 books, this ending sucked. The loss, the just wasted ending. I loved the characters and to see them meet these endings especially how Ferris and Trevor end was disheartening.
April 14, 2020
It was a perfect ending to the series. It had action, suspense, sadness, and a great ending. If I could rate the whole series I would rate it 100/5. I will most likely reread the series again in the future because it wa so good!!! I recommend it to anyone/everyone that likes Star Wars or action.
July 29, 2020
Disney garbage
Great job, Disney, showing you know nothing about Star wars. Having KK on board was your obvious downfall. Serving on her team and knowing her disdain for the fans and her obvious hatred towards the male fan base was more than I could handle
Great job, Disney, showing you know nothing about Star wars. Having KK on board was your obvious downfall. Serving on her team and knowing her disdain for the fans and her obvious hatred towards the male fan base was more than I could handle
March 9, 2021
Ferus Olin must face his enemy and avoid death at all costs when the Emperor and Vader blow up a Jedi sanctuary.
Watson concludes her story well, leaving readers with a sense that the Rebellion has begun.
Watson concludes her story well, leaving readers with a sense that the Rebellion has begun.
February 27, 2017
I didn't see on the book what number of the series it was but I see here is is 10 and I am guessing the last based on the ending...
September 12, 2018
Does not have a happy ending warning.
April 3, 2020
Enjoyable Star Wars story/seriedr
I just finished the series and enjoyed getting lost in this Star Wars story. I connected with characters and found it to be a great read.
I just finished the series and enjoyed getting lost in this Star Wars story. I connected with characters and found it to be a great read.
February 9, 2021
Goodnight sweet heroes.
The Force is full of power, and wisdom. But more than that, there is peace. We are all just parts of it. Let the journey begin.
The Force is full of power, and wisdom. But more than that, there is peace. We are all just parts of it. Let the journey begin.
March 4, 2021
An epic conclusion.
April 23, 2021
The most emotional I got when reading a book. A great ending to a great series.
November 3, 2021
And so it comes to the end. In a satisfactory manner? perhaps. In a sad one? Yes. We knew that it couldn't last and here we discover how it happens.
January 29, 2022
My high hopes were exceeded
I was starting to see the pattern after nine books but this final book still packed some surprises. Wish there was a book 11
I was starting to see the pattern after nine books but this final book still packed some surprises. Wish there was a book 11
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews