Paul S. Kemps' new novel Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Deceived is a new take on the world of Star Wars' novels. Having read Kemps' first Star Wars piece (This being his 2010 release "Star Wars: Crosscurrent") I was needlessly excited to see where he would take us next.
Deceived starts with the Sith destruction of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. This scene was actually featured in the first trailer for the Bioware game "The Old Republic" which this novel is based on. The attack is led by Darth Malgus, the cover art villain and deeply emotional antagonist of the book. He is a Sith that delights in war and destruction, seeking to fully live out a vision. He has no friends, but an unnatural sort of love for his servant Eleena - a bond that brings him more trouble than good.
During the destruction of the Jedi Order, Jedi Master Zallow fights Malgus and ends up victim to his might. Zallow was the master to Jedi Aryn Leneer. Aryn, who just lost his master, goes on a journey of self discovery in this book. Questioning her life as a Jedi, the principals of the Code - and even wrestling with questions of life meaning. Her curiosity and adventure help create a realism feel to the sometimes 2D Jedi characters in the Star Wars universe. She is not "blinded" and thinks for herself, making mistakes and hoping to learn from them as she goes.
Our last main character is a man named Zeerid Korr. Zeerid is a father who, due to a family tragedy, was forced into the business of smuggling to make ends meet for his now handicap daughter. In high debt to The Exchange, Zeerid gets one last assignment. A run that could erase all his debts. Zeerid uses this last run as a tool for finding his inner peace. Learning how to stop the life he started, and to regain control of his family and life of normalcy.
Kemp provides us a great, fast paced story in Deceived. The battle scenes are plenty, but not overpowering; and the dialog and situational confrontation leaves you with a feeling thinese characters are living and breathing - making choices and learning rather than following a path to greatness. There is failure along with success, and amazing attention to detail.
This is not a story for those who seek hack and slash lightsaber combat or high octane starfighter battles from beginning to end. Deceived is a novel that, though it has plenty of action, focuses more on the questions of why and character development then it does on action. (Don't think you won't get your lightsaber combat though, because Kemp delivers some very nice fight scenes.)
The biggest plus however about this book, is it's accessibility to non Star Wars fans. Taking place in The Old Republic (way before the movies take place) - the book requires little Star Wars experience. It is written in classic Kemp style, using comparative descriptions on emotions to convey an otherwise "outworld-ish" situation.
Star Wars: The Old Republic: Deceived leaves you wanting the story to continue, and it appears that it may. This book, is highly recommended to anyone looking for adventure, suspense and the Star Wars experience Kemp has proven he is able to deliver. Star Wars: The Old Republic: Deceived
As a Star Wars: The Old Republic game tester, I have been reading all the fiction I can find about the time period because it is so interesting to me. I find this period in the Star Wars Extended Universe to be more thrilling than the story Lucas gave us in film. For reasons I won't go into here, I was disappointed in the first Old Republic novel Fatal Alliance. I had not read any of Paul S. Kemp's prior novels but was excited to see a novel dealing directly with the sacking of Coruscant as depicted n the SWTOR trailer of the same name, Deceived. I am happy to say I've found a new author to follow.
Paul S. Kemp's strength is in his character development. From the relationship between a struggling smuggler and his disabled daughter to the traces of humanity that peek from behind the respirator of Sith antagonist Darth Malgus, the characters of Deceived are fleshed out and interesting. Too see Malgus' soft side (if you can call it that) was unexpected but made for a stronger character and gave the reader a look into his motivations. I could go on but most of what I'd say has already been covered in earlier reciews. Deceived is the novel that sets up the storylines players will deal with in the Old Republic MMO is an especially fantastic read if you like the KOTOR time period.
I hold all Star Wars novels up to Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy. Paul S. Kemp is the first author that I'd really put up there with Zahn in regards to great Star Wars novels. I'm looking forward to more (hopefully Old Republic themed!) books from Kemp in the future.
Deceived is set before the events of the previously released novel The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance. The book is set approximately in 3653 BBY in the events of the sacking of Coruscant and its immediate aftermath, while the negotiations for what will become the treaty of Coruscant occur in the background. The Epilogue does occur in the future after the events of the novel proper, but just how far in the future is unclear.
Dramatis Personae
Adraas; Sith Lord (human male)
Angral; Sith Lord (human male)
Arra Yooms; child (human female)
Aryn Leneer; Jedi Knight (human female)
Eleena; servant (Twi'lek female)
Malgus; Sith Lord (human male)
Ven Zallow; Jedi Master (male, species unknown)
Vrath Xizor; mercenary (human male)
Zeerid Korr; smuggler (human male)
The book revolves around the stories of three main characters, Aryn Leneer, Darth Malgus, and Zeerid Korr.
Author Paul S. Kemp described the Point of View (POV) characters thus in an interview I conducted;
I like to think that Malgus is a complicated character. He embodies much of what we think of when we think of the Sith - he's violent, values strength and power, and in general regards peace/passivity as weakness. At the same time, he's possessed of a keen sense of honor, and has a powerful attachment to Eleena. These somewhat contrary impulses give him his internal conflict and drive his character arc.
The other two main POV character are Aryn Leneer, a Jedi Knight and Force empath, who has very personal reasons for confronting Malgus, and Zeerid Korr, a former Havoc Squad commando who is in deep to a criminal syndicate known as The Exchange.
One of the strengths that Kemp has as an author is crafting very interesting and complex characters. The strength of Deceived isn't its plot (while good) or its action (while great), the real strength is the development of its characters and their interaction. One flaw that many authors fall into is that there characters are not internally consistent. They set up the character with certain traits, philosophies and motivations, and then for the sake of the plot they have the character do something that doesn't make any sense given what we know about that character. Kemp constructs some really interesting characters that while they evolve through the course of the novel, the maintain that internal consistency that makes there actions and decisions make sense and makes the novel feel like a very satisfying journey.
Deceived is all about relationships. The relationship of Aryn Leneer to her Jedi Master Ven Zallow, the relationship between Zeerid Korr to his family, the relationship of Aryn to Zeerid, the relationship between Malgus and Eleena, the relationship between Malgus and the other Sith in the power structure, and ultimately the relationship between Aryn and Malgus. It is almost like the characters are asteroids stuck in orbit around each other, they cannot stop crashing into each other, and then spinning off in strange new directions.
I am a sucker for a good villain and for the flawed hero. In this novel we had heroes stepping into the dark and villains stepping into the light, it was a great story and a tremendous introduction to a character I hope we see more of in the future in Malgus.
Deceived gets a 9.5 out of 10 lightsabers.
For more thoughts see Lightsaber Rattling [...] - Star Wars - Paul S Kemp - Sith - Star Wars Books'
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