Crisis at Crystal Reef (Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights, Book 14)

Book Description

Anja Gallandro planned to destroy the Solo family. But now she fights an intense inner battle--against her increasing spice addiction, and her growing friendship with Jacen and Jaina. In desperation for spice, she steals a ship and flees the Jedi academy. The young Jedi Knights follow her from the spice mines of Kessel to the dangerous beauty of Crystal Reef--where an even more sinister plan is hatching...

The Crystal Star (Star Wars (Random House Paperback))

Average customer rating:

For mature thoughtful readers
Star Wars: Deep Space Suck
SW Book for Lit Fans
far too many children
Misunderstood Gem

The Crystal Star (Star Wars (Random House Paperback))
Vonda Mcintyre
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0553571745
Release Date: 1995-11-01

Book Description

First Timothy Zahn reopened the door to George Lucas's dazzling universe with his New York Times-bestselling Star Wars trilogy.  Then Kathy Tyers's The Truce at Bakura took readers back to the fateful days following the events in Return of the Jedi.  And with The Courtship of Princess Leia Dave Wolverton chronicled Han Solo's turbulent campaign for the princess's hand.  Now, award-winning author Vonda N. McIntyre continues the tradition as the ultimate space adventure unfolds in The Crystal Star.

Princess Leia is dealt a crushing blow when her three children--Anakin and the twins Jaina and Jacen--are kidnapped.  Leia's advisers counsel her to wait for a ransom note, but waiting is the hardest thing for a mother to do when her children are in danger--and worse than waiting is her discovery that she cannot sense her children through the Force.

Ultimately, the princess has no choice.  She, Chewbacca, and Artoo-Detoo track the kidnappers, following their trail to a disabled refugee ship where the answers provided by Rillao, a mysterious fugitive, only provoke more questions. The refugees' children are also missing--and Rillao thinks she knows who has them: a powerful Imperial officer named Hethrir who has his own twisted plans to restore the Empire to its former glory.

Meanwhile, Han Solo and Luke Skywalker are on a separate mission to the planet Crseih to investigate a report of a lost group of Jedi.  Crseih is at the mercy
of strange quantum effects caused by the death of a nearby star that is slowly freezing into a uniquely perfect crystal.  This crystal star causes a disruption in the Force, blunting Luke's power and cutting the Millennium Falcon off from Leia and their home base.  What Han and Luke find on the planet is even stranger than a crystallizing sun: a charismatic alien named Waru who has attracted a following of fanatic devotees through his miraculous healing powers.  Is Waru a being of benevolence? Or do his healing arts conceal a darker purpose? As Leia, Chewbacca, and Rillao follow Hethri trail of treachery across space, Luke and Han draw closer to the truth behind Waru' sinister cult.  Ultimately they will face an explosive showdown that could determine not only their own fates and the fate of the New Republic but whether the universe itself will survive.

Customer Reviews:

For mature thoughtful readers.......2007-07-22

As I read some of the reviews for this book I just couldn't resist having a reaction. This is the one book that I keep recalling in my mind about once every few months.
I enjoyed the fact that the kids were the main characters, for multiple reasons: they to some degree come to age in this book (learning the harsh realities of life), they have a different and innocent view point on life, and they are fresh and new to the force and just learning about the potential.
It was a very thoughtful book I felt and quite interesting. There have been many books I have read that were more "there's an enemy, let's go kill it!" and I honestly got bored with those books.

Star Wars: Deep Space Suck.......2007-05-21

Luke Skywalker, the premier Jedi Master of the galaxy, gets sucked into a cult religion way too easily.

The only lightsaber action is the villain cutting Threepio in half.

Has Solo does not fire his blaster even once.

The Millenium Falcon does not engage in combat.

The Solo kids are main characters.

This book is not space opera.

This book was boring and stupid.

This book is the WORST Star Wars novel I have ever read.

This is the only book to ever provoke me to write a letter to the author. I explained to her why I didn't like the book. I asked her if she had ever actually seen a Star Wars movie. I asked politely for my money back. The author never replied.

But most importantly, the author never admitted that this novel was based on a rejected Star Trek: Deep Space Nine script she wrote. If the story wasn't good enough for the worst Star Wreck show of them all, it sure as heck isn't good enough for Star Wars!

Instead of this book, I recommend all of the following 5-star novels:

Cloak of Deception (Star Wars)
Shadow Hunter (Star Wars: Darth Maul)
Labyrinth of Evil (Star Wars, Episode III Prequel Novel)
Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader (Star Wars)
Shadows of the Empire (Star Wars)

SW Book for Lit Fans.......2007-01-05

I read this book years ago, but it has stuck with me as one of the most memorable SW books I've read. Yes it is different from Zahn books for example, but, to me anyhow, it's much more akin to the feel of the original film trilogy. The Han/Luke story line is a bit strange yet very satisfying. If you enjoyed Children of the Jedi (another book some fans just hate) and Darksaber, I think you'll find The Crystal Star worth your while.

And, Leia's anger toward Chewie, which some reviewers feel is misplaced, is not so out of character. SW readers will recall Leia's emotional/hot-headed nature in previous books especially in matters concerning her father.

far too many children.......2006-10-13

The Crystal Star opens with a bang, of sorts. The children of Han and Leia have been kidnapped while Leia is out on a diplomatic mission. Leia feels that somehow the Dark Side of the Force must be involved, though the diplomats she is meeting with suggests that it is just the local custom of kidnapping for social status and that it is part of a local tradition. Leia feels otherwise and she is right. The children are kidnapped by the Lord Hethrir who takes the children and tells them their parents are dead. Somehow he is able to block their limited and young ability to use the Force. Meanwhile Han is on vacation with Luke. Luke is searching for missing Jedi and their travels take them close to a planet which is slowly dying and turning to crystal. This is messing with Luke's ability to sense with the Force and Vonda McIntyre gives the reader a very different spin on Luke Skywalker. Rather than the hero, we have a despondent and sluggish man who is not thinking rationally. It is a different spin on Skywalker and may be disappointing to many readers. Luke is less of a presence in this novel anyway as the focus is more on the kids in captivity and Leia's attempts to rescue them. Luke and Han are almost a side plot which eventually gets pulled into the main storyline as it all comes together in a mess of villainy.

My biggest problem with The Crystal Star is that it focused far too much attention on the Solo children. Sure, they will eventually become major players in the Star Wars Universe and sure, the readers needs to be introduced to the characters so they don't just show up one novel as fully formed characters who we have not had the chance to get to know, but I think Anakin is three years old, which would put Jacen and Jaina around five. Unless Anakin is only two. I'm not sure, but they are a bit too young to get such a large role. Roger MacBride Allen did a far better job with the children in the Corellian Trilogy which was only set a year or so after this novel. They're no Ender Wiggin, I'll say that much.

After the children my complaints have to do with the storytelling. There is nothing wrong with having Luke's mission go poorly, but everything felt rushed. Leia spent so much time wanting to find her children but not really following them until all of a sudden she knows exactly where they are and the kids and everyone end up in the same place with Han and Luke. Sorry, I guess that is a bit of a spoiler, but come on now. Really? The novel might have been better served by focusing soley on Leia and the children with perhaps a cameo at best of Han and Luke. Not the wasted chapters with no real story development, though we do get a bit of Han's past came to light.

Bottom Line: Even fans of the Star Wars novels should skip this one. It does nothing, or little to build on future stories (a minor character or two from this book may appear in future volumes as Jedi) and it does not resolve any ongoing storylines. The book is essentially self-contained and reading a basic summary would be just as enjoyable as reading this novel.

-Joe Sherry

Misunderstood Gem.......2006-08-01

The problem this book faced upon release was the fact that a number of vocal internet fans derided it for daring to move Star Wars away from the harder sci-fi trappings of authors like Stackpole and into more experimental fantasy terrain. Bantam's Star Wars line was beginning to fall into a creative lull as a too-terrestrial, too-familiar element began to dominate books like the X-Wing series (with its overuse of stock aliens, American anachronisms and pervasively homogenous culture) causing the Star Wars universe to suddenly feel a bit tired and prosaic. Vonda McIntyre sought to fix that by taking her story in a completely different creative direction.

The Star Wars Expanded Universe existed in both comics and novels long before Zahn wrote his first word, and diversity-of-storytelling was built into it from the start. The Crystal Star gets a lot of points for remembering that part of the films' strengths was its sense of awe and mystery. McIntyre doesn't just regurgitate the same planets, alien races and situations, but creates fascinating new ones! To be sure, there is a lot of weirdness to be found (and it's one of the book's charms!) Years later, the Yuuzhan Vong would bring horrific weirdness to new levels, and years before, Alan Moore brought Lovecraftian weirdness to the SW universe. Dark Horse's Tales comic series and Visionaries would see even more experimental narratives in the forefront. But prior to the prequel trilogy and at the height of corporate cloned and neutered Seattle grunge bands, things that were different were hardly appreciated.

McIntyre was also the first to utilize the Solo kids as main characters, which was another factor some fans didn't like. True, in highlighting the uniqueness of the kids and their special abilities with the Force, McIntyre may have created overly precocious children. But the real issue was that some resented the kids because of what they represented: the start of a new era, and one in which the Solo children would grow up to take the mantle from the older generation (and which is seeing fruition now in the brilliant Legacy novels.) Back then, however, many simply weren't ready for that or for stories in which kids handle mature situations in intelligent ways (a staple of classic children's fantasy-lit.)

Some have also cited McIntyre as failing to present correct characterizations, Luke being the most misunderstood in this regard. Here the book suffered due to the fact that Bantam released it out of chronological sequence and prior to the book which revealed that he lost Callista. Thus, Luke is affected not just by the proximity of an imploding star (which is causing strange effects in the Force), nor just by Waru's influence, by the painful loss of an important love interest. McIntyre presents Luke as a human being, not a superhero, and one in which external and internal factors contribute to cause deep emotional turmoil.

On his own, without his wife or steady conscience (in the form of Chewie), Han finds himself looking back upon an old life that he'd enjoyed but left behind to become more responsible. Now with kids that old life is forever gone. So at this bittersweet stage of his life walks back into his life an old girlfriend and potent reminder of headier days! Han's response to her is realistic, and so is Luke's to his! Xaverri herself is robust and fascinating, and a welcome addition to the cast.

Finally, Leia's characterization was attacked as overreactive (primarily by those who don't understand that to be a parent is to overreact.) But rather than become crippled by her fears and worries, Leia goes into action and takes charge! Her perspective is an important one in the book and one that continues to bolster the character as a woman, as a leader, as a politician, and as a mother.

On the antagonist front, Hethrir in many ways seems to be the standard Star Wars villain, cut from the cloth of Palpatine but without the years of Machiavellian wisdom. His relationship with his son Tigris and later young Anakin are of interest, as is his Achilles Heel, his greed, which turns him into a pawn of Waru, truly one of the weirdest Star Wars villains ever created. Something from EC horror comics and Call of Cthulhu combined, Waru is a refreshingly different creature (in the SW milieu) and a lot of fun to boot!

I find The Crystal Star refreshing and a lot of fun, with some intriguing and well-drawn characterizations that portray heroes struggling with important issues. Abandoning the hard sci-fi tedium that had crept into the series with a more fantasy flavored element, the book remains one of the most interesting and diverse of the Star Wars novels, a thematic predecessor of sorts to the New Jedi Order and a continuation of the more mysterious, experimental Star Wars outings like Dark Empire and some of the old Marvel tales. Highly recommended!

Linda Goodman's Star Cards: A Divination Set Inspired by the Astrological and Numerological Teachings of Linda Goodman

Average customer rating:

Amazing, well written and sooooo helpful
Buyer Beware - This is NOT Linda's Work!!
Leaving the darkness...
A great guide!
For anyone with a special interest in Linda Goodman

Linda Goodman's Star Cards: A Divination Set Inspired by the Astrological and Numerological Teachings of Linda Goodman
Crystal Bush
Manufacturer: Hampton Roads Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Misc. Supplies

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1571741852

Book Description

Linda Goodman's Star Cards A Divination Set Inspired by the Astrological and Numerological Teachings of Linda Goodman Compiled and written by Crystal Bush Illustrated by Frank Riccio

What do the cards hold in store for you? Cosmic awakenings? Connections with the divine? The path to your true soulmate? Your ultimate destiny? Find your fate with this beautiful divination set inspired by the knowledge and vision of America's favorite astrologer, Linda Goodman. "Linda Goodman's Star Cards" combines the artistry of Frank Riccio with Goodman's teachings on astrology, numerology, and the wisdom of the ancients, using the Chaldean (a name representing wisdom and given to worthy astrologers, numerologists, and wizards in ancient times) alphabet as a powerful system of interpretation. With a striking visual design and the world-renowned name of Linda Goodman, this beautiful divination set is destined to find its place in the stars.

- Based on the work of world-renowned astrologer Linda Goodman, best-selling author of "Star Signs", "Sun Signs", and "Love Signs" - High quality card set featuring the vivid spiritual artistry of Frank Riccio - A facinating way to learn the skill of divination using art, astrology, and ancient wisdom

Customer Reviews:

Amazing, well written and sooooo helpful.......2006-05-25

Thoroughly enjoy these cards as part of my daily routine. They enable me to tap into another area I was unfamilar with, numerology, this is based from Linda's teachings from the Chaldean Alphabet. I'm a great fan of Linda Goodman and have read all her books, they are a constant source for advice and are regularly shared with my friends too. I think Crystal Bush has done a great job in capturing Linda's teachings and creating a beautiful card deck to read from, Crystal should be applauded for her resolve and tenacity in keeping Linda's teachings alive and present. From what I understand Crystal was a very good friend and support system to Linda Goodman before she died and Linda chose Crystal to continue in her name after she passed, if Linda trusted her, so should we! You won't regret this buy!

Buyer Beware - This is NOT Linda's Work!!.......2005-12-29

I was involved with the conception of this project and I even wrote the original drafts. I knew Linda Goodman and I knew Crystal Bush. It is, in my constitutionally protected opinion, a fraud of the highest order to put Linda's name anywhere on this product.

Buy Linda's REAL work - and read about her fascinating, true perspective on numerology in "Star Signs". Discover the amazing secrets she has in store for the world in "Gooberz." Understand yourself and your loved ones through "Sun Signs" and "Love Signs".

But please don't encourage this kind of exploitation of her name! This has gone on long enough. It's time to revere her memory and accept the beauty of the legacy she left us without trying to capitalize on her name with shoddy and misleading products.

The publisher at Hampton Roads should be ashamed of the hoax he is perpetrating with this product. But alas, financial opportunism knows no shame.

The dishonesty and evil intent that surround this product are unworthy of Linda's beautiful energy.

Avoid at all costs.

Leaving the darkness..........2005-09-15

Few weeks ago, I used to see life from the bottom of a well... and this wonderful book and cards came, surprisingly. I've read Linda Goodman's books (in spanish of course) and I notice that there's no difference between both languages... the magic remains.
Thanx Ms. Crystal Bush, this book helped me in the middle of nowhere. I thought that my last relationship was made in heaven but everything changed (like number 10)... Now I understand that this was necessary and number 12 show me the new path.
One of the most important books in my life... No doubt.

A great guide!.......2001-09-26

These cards are a small reminder of Linda Goodman's Star Signs. It is a great aid to assisting you in reconnecting to the basis of natural laws, they just use different names - ie Mercury, Venus, etc. I have used other numerology but this one fits right in with so many things. Take for instance the WTC attack. This happened on the 11th day and if you read what the number means you will see that this world's energy runs on an orderly method and these cards hit close to home. Remember that these cards like anything else we humans use can be abused. They are an aid, a guide and as being human, the road our destiny takes is really our final choice, and these cards assist us to make spiritual choices based on an ancient knowledge that is being remembered.

For anyone with a special interest in Linda Goodman.......2001-04-28

Star Cards is a set of metaphysical divination cards inspired by the astrological teachings of Linda Goodman, with written materials compiled and written by Crystal Bush and illustrated by Frank Riccio. Any with a special interest in Linda Goodman will consider this set an important purchase.

Average customer rating:

Not Free SF Reader

Star Wars: the Crystal Star (Star Wars)
Vonda McIntyre
Manufacturer: Transworld Publishers Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Customer Reviews:

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

A pretty forgettable Star Wars novel. Han and Leia have three kids. Solo is getting a bit slack in his older-age generalship.

So, of course, you end up with kids gone and them having to run around to try and get them back via the odd alien planet, that sort of thing.

Luke is still doing the look for jedi thing.

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Carmen's Crystal Ball (Star Sisterz)
Linda Johns
Manufacturer: Mirrorstone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0786940298
Release Date: 2006-08-08

Lone Star State Of Mind (Crystal Creek #24) (Crystal Creek, No 24)

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Lone Star State Of Mind (Crystal Creek #24) (Crystal Creek, No 24)
Bethany Campbell
Manufacturer: Harlequin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0373825366

Customer Reviews:

:).......2002-02-26

From the back...
Some folks ssaid it would never be the same--There was a new doctor in town, and he just wasn't their sort. Though Dr. Purdy said Sonny Dekker was the best, the man was a troublemaker. He was messing with the football team, risking boys' futures. And lots of townspeople wanted nothing to do with him. But not Beverly Townsend. Suprisingly, the exotic Dr. Dekker appealed to her in ways she'd never dreamed of. They were just friends, but their friendship set the grapevine buzzing. Then, on an eerily calm spring day, the heavens opened up and all hell broke loose. Gossip stopped. Hearts stopped. It was the end for many, and the beginning for some. Crystal Creek never would be the same again.

In my Opinion..
In 'Hearts Against the Wind' we read the love sory of Jeff Harris and Beverly Townsend. Sadly, in a later Crystal Creek book (Shameless) Jeff is killed at an oil sight. I had a difficult time accepting that Jeff was dead. As a reader I invested time in reading about their relationship and blossoming love. And than to have him dead in a couple lines of a later book just did not seem right. So, when I started to read this book I knew that I was going to have a hard time with Sonny Dekker as the new man in Beverly's life. But the more I read the harder it was not to like him. He is a good man and a terrific doctor and most importantly he loves Beverly. Unfortunately, the town of Crystal Creek is full of prejudice people, including Beverly's own mother Carolyn. No one wanted to give Sonny a chance, except for Beverly and a handful of others. But something terrible was going on with the towns football players, and when Sonny goes digging for the truth, he becomes even more unpopular with the citizens of Crystal Creek. As if the town did not have enough to deal with-nature strikes in the form of a tornado. Sonny is the only man that can help the people of Crystal Creek, whether they like it or not. This was an exciting conclusion to the Crystal Creek series.

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Five Star First Edition Westerns - The Crystal Game: A Western Trio (Five Star First Edition Westerns)
Max Brand
Manufacturer: Five Star
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Westerns | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1594141614

Book Description

In "The Fugitive," we encounter Stephen Macdona, who takes the law into his own hands when a wealthy woman decides to try and take what he values most. Tensions arise in "Uncle Chris Turns North" when Willie Merchant falls in love with the financial czar of the community's niece and Uncle Chris threatens to fence off the water that Willie's small herd relies on. In the final work in the trio, "Speedy's Crystal Game," the protagonist, as always, is able to outwit and outmaneuver even the deadliest men without the use of a gun. This time he does it with a crystal ball and a spinning crystal which he claims can tell him the future.

Book Description

A little girl looks into the sky at a bright Christmas star, and thinks about the first Christmas in this beautiful book diecut into the shape of a star.

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Aquarius (Astrocards)

Manufacturer: U.S. Games Systems
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 088079660X

Aries/Astrocard and Gem Stone (Astrocards)

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Aries/Astrocard and Gem Stone (Astrocards)

Manufacturer: U.S. Games Systems
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0880796502

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