Star Wars: The Old Republic - Revan

Revan is a character that was introduced in the Knights of the Old Republic video games. He was a Jedi that turned to the dark side and joined the Sith (back before the Rule of Two was instituted, so he was one of many Sith) and then eventually turned back to the light and redeemed himself. The novel is written by Drew Karpyshyn who also wrote the wonderful Darth Bane trilogy of novels. The novel really tells the story of Revan after he has turned back to the light but before coming back to the Jedi order. When the book opens he is married to Jedi Master Bastila Shan and is experiencing insomnia due to a recurring nightmare he believes is part of his forgotten past as the Sith Lord Darth Revan. He believes that there is some threat to the galaxy that he cannot pinpoint and seeks help to regain his memory. The novel has ties to the Mandalorian Wars and has a parallel plot that involves the Sith Council and a plot against Emperor Tenebrae, who is known to the Old Sith Empire as Darth Vitiate. The book has a lot of action and suspense and has very good pacing, so, it is a pretty quick read. Of course, the novel is not canon even though the character of Revan is because of references made to him in the Clone Wars series and subsequent canon novels. However, his backstory has not been told in canon. And, there are definitely elements of this novel that have been retconned, such as the mask of Mandalore being replaced by the Darksaber as the artifact that bestows leadership of the Mandalorians. And, the fact that Jedi were allowed to marry. Even though it is not canon, it is still a very good novel and worth reading if you are one who picks and chooses which Star Wars novels to read.

I loved it. The character arcs were awesome, and the book leaves me wanting more of Revan’s story!!!! Definitely a great read you will enjoy or even love.

I don't even know where to begin. I am the definition of a huge KOTOR 1 & 2 fan. I have been waiting (with Jedi like patience) for this book to come out since it was announced in April. Perhaps that waiting did build up my expectations, but in the end: I was as satisfied with the book as I was disappointed. To all those who have written a negative review (or those who are thinking negative thoughts), it comes a bit unwarranted. Drew Karpyshyn (and Lucas) could have given us nothing at all.... and I will admit, some people would probably have preferred this. I don't know how an average Star Wars fan would react to the novel, if they have not played the games, but my assumption is they could appreciate the novel for what it is. Knights of the Old Republic fans WILL have mixed emotions. The ending (without revealing what happened yet) is hard to stomach for those hoping for true closure on Revan. On the whole, it has been said in other reviews: Fans hoping for a KOTOR 1 & 2 reunion will be sorely disappointed. This book is about Revan... and apparently Lord Scourge. On that note, to those with an open mind Scourge is a very interesting read. The chapters alternate between Revan's story and Scourge's... making a distinct and noticeable contrast between light and dark that the reader will pick up on. Without spoilers, the only thing I can say is the book SHOULD have been broken up into 2 or 3 installments. Ultimately, for anyone who is truly disappointed with the novel... my summation is distaste from a lack of control. The book is not the game, you have no control over what Revan does, says, thinks, wears, or looks like. One can certainly use their imagination, but "facts" are facts. In the end, if you liked or loved the KOTOR games... you will have some feelings of closure and love for this book. Just keep in mind, things may not necessarily end as you had always hoped they would. *****Spoilers****** Here Im going to go a little more in depth as to what it was that made me rate this a 4 star book. Anyone who has been anxiously waiting for the release of this book (without question) was likely a Knights of the Old Republic fan. This is where I make my first complaint: why not have more interaction between characters of the games? I am not asking for as deep a story as the one we got with Canderous and Revan, but to skip over so many years, the way Karpyshyn does, spoils an opportunity for closure with the other characters. Karpyshyn simply (and obviously) glosses over the prominent characters we grew to know from the games as a means of rushing forth with the main story. If you loved KOTOR then you loved SIDE QUESTS. Karpyshyn should have taken the time to expand where instead he chose to rush. With the tile being "Revan", all of this is understandable... but then why not HAVE more of Revan? Before any true dialogue, before a reconnection to the character even comes close to happening... we are off on an adventure. This is not a game, it is a novel. More of an interaction between Revan and anybody (not even necessarily the characters from the game) would have been nice. What we got with Revan and the Mandalorians searching for Mandalore's mask was great! I was invested and quite interested in reading this section, but this is why I suggest having broken the story arch up into 2 or 3 books. There is almost endless material Karpyshyn could have chose to go in depth with, but with the short upcoming release of TOR in December... his intentions and motivations are pretty clear. He wanted this whole story in place before the release of the game. As someone with a Mac, I have little interest in TOR. My interest lay with the original games and its central characters. With that said, the other central character (the Exile) is a bit of a disappointment. Needless to say, I think most fans prefer Revan over the Exile, but her vastly weaker portrayal (in comparison to Revan and Scourge) is just a let down. Not much more could have been done though, I suppose. Again, perhaps if the story had been stretched out, there could have been more of a connection and caring for the character. When Scourge kills her in the end, I couldn't have cared less... my attention was strictly on what would happen to Revan... which leads me to the books end. The ending is by far what most people seem disappointed with. However, I will attempt to break things down logically. Given the fact that (before the book was even announced) everyone KNEW the Sith were going to invade the Republic, I'm not sure what everyone was expecting? Given this, and the bleakness with which Revan's future was painted in KOTOR 2, I was not exactly thinking Revan was going to defeat the Sith. At the same time, I did not expect (or particularly enjoy) the novels ending. I've waited years for closure, an end to Revans tale. Instead we are given what we were: a sad ending to a love story. Revan did all he did for Bastila and their son.... really? Revan and Bastila barely have 5 or 6 paragraphs together (another huge disappointment as I was very much looking forward to reading their interaction together). The whole thing comes across as a cop out, a means of getting Revan out of the picture; something most people knew would happen. The way it was done, however, I would find it hard to believe if every single fan was not at least a bit disappointed. Don't interpret all of this incorrectly, I get it. I "get" what Karpyshyn was trying (and in many ways succeded) to do, of which I don't feel particularly compelled to go into now. My opinion stems from being such a big fan of the KOTOR series. Waiting all these years, and Revan is simply locked away for "eternity". Could he be freed some day, some how? It certainly seems set up that way. Will a fan of Revan's story truly care? NO. Bastila is left an old woman who never discovers the fate of her lover... if he ever came back, I sincerely cannot see how a fan would enjoy it (in the larger context of the KOTOR story). The book does well in ending the story of one of the most popular characters in the Star Wars franchise, but this isn't to say it ended it well... just that it WAS ended. The book is not a 1 star book, nor is it a 5 star one. Realistically, it falls in between... but I would strongly suggest anyone who is a Revan fan, a KOTOR fan or even just a Star Wars fan pick this book up. One should be happy it exists at all, but I suppose one also needs to understand Revan's place in Star Wars history. Simply put, be satisfied that you can now use more than just imagination to find out how Revan's story "ends". I liked it, but was disappointed. To me, 3 1/2 stars... but considering it could have not existed at all, 4/5.

The book had some interesting ideas and story points, but the overall writing was pedestrian and not very engaging. The perfect book to read on a bus or plane.

The book is well written, as it captures the universe perfectly and you feel like you're playing SWtOR during the combat scenes!!! Finally we have our answers as to what happened to the Exile and Revan before the game.

Llevaba un tiempo queriendo leer esta obra ya que soy muy fanático de Knights of the Old Republic 1 y 2 y he aquí una pequeña reseña libre de spoilers: Cualquiera que esté interesado en saber qué pasó con Revan justo después del primer KOTOR tiene que leerlo; la prosa del autor es sencilla de seguir y describe de manera detallada cada situación y pelea. Además, es interesante leer a Revan como alguien con “voz propia” y con una personalidad que se sale de los diálogos predeterminados de los juegos. Aún sigo leyéndolo pero hasta ahora no he podido dejar el libro. Algunos fans serán muy estrictos con la historia, pero hay que recordar que este es el mismo autor del primer KOTOR. La obra se lee con la misma energía y chispa que trae el primer videojuego. Recomendado 10/10

Molto bello

This book was a very good read. No torrid sexual descriptions, quite ok for Junior to read, a bit far out with one man destroying all without bloodshed. At least the way the it was done you were only left with a heap of dirty clothing.