Patterns of Force (Star Wars: Coruscant Nights III) Mass Market Paperback – January 27, 2009

I'm going to start reading everything Michael Reaves has written!The Coruscant Nights series is thoughtful with characters that go far beyond the typical 2-D heros (and villans) we often see in Star Wars novels. Characters have conflicting motives and loyalties, are at times uncertain, and are not infallible. It is refreshing to read a Jedi who ponders the nature of good and evil, his own motives, and the nature of the Force.Of course, there is still plenty of action to satisfy die-hard fans who like to read a good fight or two as well.Generally, a well-rounded book in a solid series. I'm waiting impatiently for the next installment!

Patterns of Force is the excellent third book in the Coruscant Nights trilogy by Michael Reaves. I liked this one the best of the three. We have the same basic cast of characters, plus an extremely interesting addition. Jax Pavan, one of the few remaining Jedi, is still the lead guy. He struggles to avoid Darth Vader's attempts to capture him, and he continues to lead his unusual band of individuals - Den Dhur, I-5YQ, Rhinann, Laranth Tarak, and the Zeltron Dejah Duare. Readers of the first two books will be very familiar with all of these characters.The interesting addition is Kajin Savaros, a teenage boy who is on his own in Coruscant and is adept in the Force but completely untrained. The boy has tremendous Force skills, so he manages to stay alive. However, he has limited control over his use of the Force and continually calls unwanted attention to himself and his location. Jax becomes his mentor and tries to help him get control of his skills.A number of things reach a head in this tale. Jax continues to struggle with what his late father would have had him do. I-5 seriously considers making an attempt to assassinate the Emperor, and we all suspect that such a move is likely not a good idea. The group also has to be constantly on guard to avoid giving themselves away to the Inquisitors, Force-sensitive henchmen who have been tasked with finding the remaining Jedi.I greatly admired the way Mr. Reaves maintained a high level of suspense until the end. You might think that after two books and most of a third that a reader could predict the outcome. I did not find that to be the case. Yes, certainly I knew that they would not succeed in killing the Emperor or Darth Vader. However, I did not know which characters would survive a final face-to-face confrontation with Vader or what kind of shape they would be in at the end. I hope that in the future Mr. Reaves will let us share in the adventures of these characters again.

This is the third book in the four book series Coruscant Nights. This edition continues the adventures of Jedi Jax Pavan, his companions Laranth, Den, Rhiannon, Deja and the fantastic droid I5-YQ, my favorite. We’ve met the crew in previous books and this chapter serves more as character development wrapped around a story to kill the Emperor. While I read the first two books fairly quickly, this one really dragged at times for me. The ending was well worth the wait with some twists and turns. I5 is probably the most unique droid in the Star Wars universe, he would be fabulous on the big screen. His near sentience, sense of humor and loyalty make him stand out. Other reviewers have given the story away, so I won’t. The ending was true to the series. On to the last book, The Last Jedi.

Loved it! A great finish to a truly great addition to the Star Wars story!

Patterns of Force is the final entry in the Coruscant Nights trilogy by frequent Star Wars contributor Michael Reaves. It picks up threads both from the first two books in the series along with elements from his earlier novels Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter and the Medstar duology. The story takes place shortly after Revenge of the Sith, although it is evident from multiple date problems it was originally intended to be later in the timeline, right before A New Hope. Over the course of these novels, Reaves has created his own enjoyable stable of recurring characters and utilizes them well.My personal favorite of his creations is the sarcastic droid-with-a-soul I-5YQ. I-5 has lent himself to some fascinating explorations of the thin line between sentient artificial life and traditional organic beings and that journey reaches a peak in Patterns of Force. I-5 has developed a capacity to experience actual emotion and doing so makes him visible in the Force. I-5's continued evolution to a higher state raises questions both about his right to self-determination and, specific to the plot of this book, the risk that if he participates in a plot to assassinate Emperor Palpatine, he might be foiled in the attempt by his Force emanations.I-5's closest friends Jax Pavan and Den Dhur also play significant parts in Patterns of Force, along with several characters introduced in the prior two books. Most welcome to me was the return and deft handling of Gray Paladin Laranth Tarak. Somewhat of a 2-D character previously, her relationship with Pavan matures here and she becomes more fully realized. Den plays his usual wise-cracking, loyal despite himself role, but is mostly on the sidelines.The storyline of this book was on the thin side; most of the focus is on developing the characters. As I mentioned, there is a plot brewing to assassinate the Emperor and Jax and his friends get involved. While the idea is tremendously exciting, I didn't find much payoff. The other plot element I couldn't wait to see was the inevitable confrontation between Jax and Darth Vader, and while that comes, I also thought there would be more to it. However, that's a delicate line to walk for Reaves. Obviously Vader shouldn't be in any mortal danger in a duel during the Dark Times, and many fans would react negatively to a fight which featured anything but Vader handing Jax's rear to him on a platter. That said, I can see how Reaves came up with the climax. It does balance handling Vader in a realistic way while still having some sort of physical action between him and Jax.I'm always interested in Star Wars novels that mainly utilize peripheral or brand-new characters, such as the Republic Commando or X-wing series, and in that context the Coruscant Nights trilogy is a welcome expansion of the timeline. Overall, I enjoyed the characters more than the storylines, which dragged in places, but I recommend the books to anyone interested in learning more about the Dark Times era, a part of Star Wars history that still has plenty of room to grow.

The last book in this series doesn’t disappoint, with multiple twists that will leave you hanging on until the final page!

The last and final(?) book of the series, Reaves doesn't disappoint. I just found myself craving more! Thankfully, he delivers.