[Jason Vines]

Betrayal by veteran Star Wars author Aaron Allston kicks off the next major Star Wars book series after the five-year long New Jedi Order. Under the name Legacy of the Force, this series will encompass nine books, so it shouldn't be as unwieldy as the 27-book New Jedi Order became. This first book takes place 5 years after Troy Denning's adequate Dark Nest trilogy, more than 10 years after New Jedi Order, and over 40 years after the deaths of Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader. Ben Skywalker, the son of Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade, is now 13 years old. Jacen and Jaina Solo, the twin offspring of Han Solo and Princess Leia, have emerged as 30-something adults.

Allston usually writes thrilling and hilarious novels, so I expected Betrayal to entertain me as no book has in a long time. Instead, Betrayal disappointed me as much as I had anticipated enjoying it. Betrayal starts slowly, with lifeless dialogue, unrecognizable characters, and nonsensical "intrigue." The book recovers in the last half, with Allston's sharp wit reemerging, but the lunacy of the plot never dissipates.

Spoiler

• The most ridiculous element of the story is the fall of Jacen Solo to the dark side. In New Jedi Order, Jacen was so concerned with the sanctity of life, he hindered the galaxy's defense against the Yuuzhan Vong invasion. Now, he's ready to murder a woman with whom he trained from childhood just because he receives murky visions of the future? I don't buy that for a second. Jacen's embrace of the Sith makes even less sense than Anakin Skywalker's. I think this proves Del Rey and LucasFilm were desperate for ideas. Maybe I could accept this turn with the necessary character development, but that hasn't taken place.
• Where the hell did this tension with Corellia come from? How could any of the galactic factions contemplate war so shortly after the devastation the Yuuzhan Vong wrought?
• Han and Leia have fought their whole lives to defend galactic republicanism. And yet, they casually decide to fight military forces of the republican government, even to avoid a larger war? That's ludicrous.
• Wedge Antilles is similarly and mysteriously brazen about killing troops in the military of which he was a part for over four decades.
• I don't understand how anyone could trust former Imperial Gilaad Pelleaon to command the republic military, even in an acting capacity. That brings up another point: I don't comprehend how, after five years, anyone could be an acting anything.

I also found the numerous unnecessary references to bit characters from previous Star Wars stories off-putting. I didn't remember who they were, and Allston doesn't trouble himself to remind me.

All that said, I didn't hate Betrayal. Its second half managed to entertain, especially with the mystery of who was manipulating everything. If anyone would want to check it out, I'd recommend waiting for paperback, though.

Grade: C-