[Jason Vines]

I liked the first book of Troy Denning's Dark Nest trilogy, The Joiner King, which I reviewed here, so I was anticipating the next installment, The Unseen Queen. Thankfully, not only did The Unseen Queen meet the expectations the first book set for it, but it exceeded them as well. The Unseen Queen retains the fascinating Killiks, while its plot unfolds much more quickly than that of The Joiner King. Also, the Jedi seem to have abandoned their Machiavellian outlook on the universe. I don't like Denning's back and forth regarding the Jedi's philosophy, but I'll take that over any continuation of them as amoral operatives of the Force, instead of its righteous champions.

Also, I didn't notice any typos in The Unseen Queen.

Some aspects of the book displeased me, though.

Spoiler

The Jedi are still too powerful, and Leia displays far too much skill as a Jedi Knight for someone who had only lightly dabbled with the Force most of her adult life. Jacen shifts more to the dark side, in events eerily similarly to what broke Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith, when even glancing in that direction contradicts everything Jacen has done before this novel. Also, I don't understand or approve of the tension between the Jedi Order and the Galactic Alliance; it sometimes makes the previous struggles of the Jedi seem to be for nothing.

But... By the end of The Unseen Queen, the Jedi and the Alliance seem to put their conflict behind them. And my other criticisms don't impugn The Unseen Queen's overall quality much. Additionally, the turn Jacen takes, even if uncharacteristic, is still compelling, IMO. I can't wait to see what happens with him.

So, The Unseen Queen, while not perfect, is a worthy continuation of Dark Nest that outshines its predecessor.

Grade: B+