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Traitor

Traitor

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2021-07-09 08:55:08
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Matthew Woodring Stover
  • ISBN：0099410354
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary

From the depths of catastrophe， a glimmer of hope。

After the capture of Coruscant， the mighty heart of the New Republic， a stunned galaxy fears that nothing can stop the Yuuzhan Vong。 Still， that crushing defeat produces one small miracle: Jacen Solo is alive。 Yet he can scarcely imagine himself in stranger circumstances。

The young Jedi Knight is in the care of Vergere， a fascinating creature of mystery and power， her intentions hard to fathom， her cruelties rarely concealed。 But this master of inscrutable arts has much to teach the young Jedi。。。for she holds the key to a new way to experience the Force， to take it to another level - dangerous， dazzling， perhaps deadly。

In the wrong hands， the tremendous energies of the Force can be devastating。 And there are others watching Jacen's progress closely， waiting patiently for the moment when he will be ready for their own dire purposes。 Now， all is in shadows。 Yet whatever happens， whether Jacen's newfound mastery unleashes light or darkness， he will never be the same Jedi again。。。

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Reviews

Chris Munro ，

rarely do I give up half way but this has to be the worst of all the NJO novels。 The writing style just does not suit the series and is very out of place when held up next to the other books。 Of all the series this is the only one where Ive just gone and read the synopsis on Wookiepedia and then skipped to the next instalment。 Other reviews say its amazing so even though I cant figure out what Im missing， I may revisit at a later date out of curiosity

Kasc ，

Knowing this novel would focus heavily on Javen I was very skeptical and not really looking forward to it。 While I don’t particularly dislike Jacen， he did annoy the hell out of me in Balance Point and has not really been able to redeem my perception of his since then。 So， the prospect of a novel whose star is Jacen did not really look promising to me。Surprisingly， I ended up enjoying this book a lot more than I thought I would。 And， even more to my surprise， exactly those aspects that have anno Knowing this novel would focus heavily on Javen I was very skeptical and not really looking forward to it。 While I don’t particularly dislike Jacen， he did annoy the hell out of me in Balance Point and has not really been able to redeem my perception of his since then。 So， the prospect of a novel whose star is Jacen did not really look promising to me。Surprisingly， I ended up enjoying this book a lot more than I thought I would。 And， even more to my surprise， exactly those aspects that have annoyed me about Jacen before are the most interesting ones here， making this novel stand out amongst the rest of the series。 What I am referring to are Jacen’s contemplations about the Force and the Jedi。 Before， he lectured others about his understanding of the Force and kept emphasizing his own special role within it。 This has often made him seem like an arrogant， self-obsessed child， which is utterly useless in the fight against the Vong as his weird stance has often kept him from taking any meaningful action to support the others。 The crucial difference here is that in Vergere Jacen has a counterpart who constantly contradicts him。 In the end this helps him mature and arrive at a more complex and yet somehow simpler understanding of life。 I especially love the conclusion that “there is no Dark Side” and I think it is curious that Luke with his many years of training and teaching has never reached it。 All those rather philosophical conversations give this novel a more pensive note than any of the other novels in the New Jedi Order series so far。 Especially compared to the duology directly preceding it， the change of pace is palpable， albeit welcome。 Regardless， this different tone does not mean that Traitor lacks action。 There are many fighting scenes， which usually build up slowly and then become surprisingly gory。 Another aspect that obviously sets this novel apart from the rest is the fact that it focuses heavily on a single character of the main cast。 While this works astonishingly well， I cannot help but feel glad to finally return to the rest in the next installment。A lot of the plot takes place on Coruscant， where the process Vongforming has progressed considerably since we have last seen the planet。 Reading about those changes to the former capital is fascinating。 However， while the choice of Coruscant as the Yuuzhan Vong capital makes sense from a tactical and morale point of view， I cannot help but feel like the choice is rather impractical。 Coruscant clearly is the planet of which transforming will take the greatest amount of effort。 Tying so many resources that may be needed elsewhere just screams hubris。 On the whole， this is a solid Star Wars novel。 Its thoughtful tone and focus on a singular character set it apart from the rest of the series。 Even though it did not manage to transform me into a Jacen fan， I have to say it was rather enjoyable。 I guess my personal rating is closer to 3。5 rather than 4 stars。 But to emphasize that I liked it better than the Enemy Lines duology I am giving it 4 here。 。。。more

Nick Schuessler ，

The first two parts are so so boring

Jeni ，

I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did， as Jacen isn't my favorite， but Stover is a great author and the tale is fascinating。 Vergere continues to be a great character。 Favorite quotes:"Sith？ Jedi？" she said。 "Are these the only choices？ Dark or light， good or evil？ Is there no more to the Force than this？""Out of control is just code for 'I don't want to admit I'm the kind of person who would do such things。' It's a lie。" He offered her a half smile。 "Everything I tell you is a l I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did， as Jacen isn't my favorite， but Stover is a great author and the tale is fascinating。 Vergere continues to be a great character。 Favorite quotes:"Sith？ Jedi？" she said。 "Are these the only choices？ Dark or light， good or evil？ Is there no more to the Force than this？""Out of control is just code for 'I don't want to admit I'm the kind of person who would do such things。' It's a lie。" He offered her a half smile。 "Everything I tell you is a lie。"He'd been nursing a secret certainty， concealed even from himself， that somehow everything would be all right someday--that everything could be the way it used to be。。。That's why he hated this world spread before him。"If your surrender leads to slaughter， that is not because the Force has darkness in it。 It is because you do。"He could be the greatest sword of the Force who had ever lived。 （I found this ironic considering his twin sister's eventual title。） 。。。more

Sean ，

Jacen Solo is finally caught up with after being MIA for three novels， and a very long time is he gone in which he travels through a vongformed Coruscant surrounded by a hellish underworld vis-à-vis mental and physical as Jacen learns important and often painful lessons of who he is and the purpose of being。 Traitor is not only action packed but a fully introspective， adult novel that doesn't mature itself through pointless blood and gore but through a manifestation of thoughts and trials not to Jacen Solo is finally caught up with after being MIA for three novels， and a very long time is he gone in which he travels through a vongformed Coruscant surrounded by a hellish underworld vis-à-vis mental and physical as Jacen learns important and often painful lessons of who he is and the purpose of being。 Traitor is not only action packed but a fully introspective， adult novel that doesn't mature itself through pointless blood and gore but through a manifestation of thoughts and trials not too unlike Hercules through the underworld of Greek mythology。 The Jacen Solo we meet up with is not the same who exits the novel。Maybe some of the best bits of Traitor involve the trek through the Jedi Temple sublevels and the ending in the Senate if only to see such legendary prequel era locations so grossly malformed in a way we'll likely never see again。 Ganner Rhysode descending into Yuuzhan Vong legend is perhaps the most perfect ending to his character arc and he will be dearly missed。5/5 mucusy world brainsIn memoriam: Ganner Rhysode 。。。more

Treye SF ，

One of my favourite characters in literature and the whole reason for the existence of a book series that’s 20ish books long

Josh Root ，

I haven't read this book in years， but am again reminded why it is THE best NJO novel; bar none。 I haven't read this book in years， but am again reminded why it is THE best NJO novel; bar none。 。。。more

Clayton ，

Best EU novel？ I think so

Wojtek Moska ，

Wybitna。

Jordan Anderson ，

Clearly I’m in the minority here but Traitor is an awful novel， both by general and Star Wars works。A huge part of that is Matthew Stover whose writing is pretentious and far too literary for a simple Star Wars story。 I’m an English major so I get the use of descriptive and flowery language but it’s definitely not necessary for a book of this type。 292 pages never felt so long。 It’s also not necessary to needlessly plod on and on and on with Jacen’s emo side as he whines and complains about the Clearly I’m in the minority here but Traitor is an awful novel， both by general and Star Wars works。A huge part of that is Matthew Stover whose writing is pretentious and far too literary for a simple Star Wars story。 I’m an English major so I get the use of descriptive and flowery language but it’s definitely not necessary for a book of this type。 292 pages never felt so long。 It’s also not necessary to needlessly plod on and on and on with Jacen’s emo side as he whines and complains about the Force and questions his place in the universe。 The NJO series is far from a great work of fiction， but with Traitor it hits a new low。 。。。more

Arlene Kellas ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 So， is Jason an traitor？ The title is really what the book is all about。 But who is he a traitor to。？ The New Republic or to the Yuuzhan Vong？ What constitutes being a traitor？ This book really explores some of these issues。 You get to see some of the mind games。 Vergere has played with Jason。 He’s had to really look at himself and at his beliefs。 Who is he， a question many adults can’t answer， being forced to find that answer at so young an age。 The book is a mass of psychological warfare。 A lo So， is Jason an traitor？ The title is really what the book is all about。 But who is he a traitor to。？ The New Republic or to the Yuuzhan Vong？ What constitutes being a traitor？ This book really explores some of these issues。 You get to see some of the mind games。 Vergere has played with Jason。 He’s had to really look at himself and at his beliefs。 Who is he， a question many adults can’t answer， being forced to find that answer at so young an age。 The book is a mass of psychological warfare。 A look inside how prisoners of war are changed。 I felt for Jason， just wanting to know what he was supposed to be learning。 And having to find out that answer for himself。 。。。more

Alexander Röck ，

If the force is life， how can there be life without the force？ Mathew stover delivers the best book in the new jedi order， and considering how great this series is， that is no small feat。 It will question everything you think you know about star wars， jacen solo， and most importantly， the force。 It raises philosophical and moral questions I didn't know where possible in a star wars story， and Mathew stover writes it so brilliantly some of the dialogue sounds like poetry to the ear。 Vergere insta If the force is life， how can there be life without the force？ Mathew stover delivers the best book in the new jedi order， and considering how great this series is， that is no small feat。 It will question everything you think you know about star wars， jacen solo， and most importantly， the force。 It raises philosophical and moral questions I didn't know where possible in a star wars story， and Mathew stover writes it so brilliantly some of the dialogue sounds like poetry to the ear。 Vergere instantly became one of my favourite star wars Characters， shrouded in the perfect amount of mystery and by the end of the story you are just as unsure about her allegiances than at the start。 The dialogue here is more captivating and intense than any action sequence could possibly hope to be。 Scene after scene left me with goosebumps， and a certain scene towards the end of the book with tears in my eyes。 To me， this is what star wars was all about。 。。。more

Andrew Bell ，

There are 19 books in the NJO。 Without having read any that follow Traitor （at the time of review）， I can comfortably say that this is the pinnacle。 Matthew Stover understands Star Wars and how it relates to the reader better than any other author I've read。 This book is， and I don't use this term lightly， a masterpiece。 There are 19 books in the NJO。 Without having read any that follow Traitor （at the time of review）， I can comfortably say that this is the pinnacle。 Matthew Stover understands Star Wars and how it relates to the reader better than any other author I've read。 This book is， and I don't use this term lightly， a masterpiece。 。。。more

Amanda ，

Update after second reading: It's not often that I re-read any book less than a year after I first read it。 I have read other books in the EU since then， immersed myself more fully in the NJO story arc， and my opinions have changed significantly。I finally got around to finishing Star by Star and wanted to see if it would provide further context to this story。 It did; I enjoyed this a lot more the second time around， which is saying something since I already liked it a lot。 Now I guess I love it， Update after second reading: It's not often that I re-read any book less than a year after I first read it。 I have read other books in the EU since then， immersed myself more fully in the NJO story arc， and my opinions have changed significantly。I finally got around to finishing Star by Star and wanted to see if it would provide further context to this story。 It did; I enjoyed this a lot more the second time around， which is saying something since I already liked it a lot。 Now I guess I love it， lol。 Let that stand as proof of how well-written （and densely packed with layers of meaning） Traitor is。 I've also upped my rating from 4 to 5 stars。Original Review:This book is very good and definitely among the best Star Wars EU books。 It has some interesting discussion of philosophy， and I like that it has a much smaller cast than what I've come to expect in other books in the EU （yet the story is no less epic and grand for it）。 This is primarily a character study of Jacen Solo， and an excellent one at that。 。。。more

Candice ，

So after three books with no sign of Jacen Solo， we get a book that exclusively about Jacen。 This book was kind of interesting， but I can't say it was a fun read。 A little bit frustrating actually。 This is because Vergere absolutely refuses to be straightforward about anything， so every other line of dialogue is Vergere saying something cryptic。 This frustrates Jacen because he has no idea what she's talking about， and it frustrated me almost as much because it either made no sense to me either， So after three books with no sign of Jacen Solo， we get a book that exclusively about Jacen。 This book was kind of interesting， but I can't say it was a fun read。 A little bit frustrating actually。 This is because Vergere absolutely refuses to be straightforward about anything， so every other line of dialogue is Vergere saying something cryptic。 This frustrates Jacen because he has no idea what she's talking about， and it frustrated me almost as much because it either made no sense to me either， made sense but I didn't know what she was getting at， or I didn't like what she was getting at。 It was all so much riddling and philosophy that I felt like I needed breaks from it， but at the same time I just wanted to get through the book and onto something else as fast as possible。 I think the story of this book would have been better off spread out within the other three books before。 That way we could jump between groups of characters to give us a respite from Jacen's psychological torment for a while。 It would also mark the time relative to everything else。 After all， this books spans months， but it doesn't feel that long with it all crammed together。 I'll give the author credit for actually making me unsure of which way Jacen would wind up going for the majority of the book， but it was one of my least favorite from The New Jedi Order so far。 。。。more

Zan ，

Review/Thoughts on Twitterhttps://twitter。com/serswjm/status/12。。。（Spoilers） Review/Thoughts on Twitterhttps://twitter。com/serswjm/status/12。。。（Spoilers） 。。。more

Ronald Kelland ，

This one kind of snuck up on me。 I was not enthused about a book devoted entirely to Jacen Solo as I feel no connection to or interest in the character。 I was also not impressed with the pseudo-psychological way that this book starts out。 If I want psychology I wouldn’t be reading a Star Wars novel would I？ However， as I proceeded I found myself being increasingly drawn into it。 This may actually one of the best of the Star Wars Extended Universe novels。 If us certainly the best if the New Jedi This one kind of snuck up on me。 I was not enthused about a book devoted entirely to Jacen Solo as I feel no connection to or interest in the character。 I was also not impressed with the pseudo-psychological way that this book starts out。 If I want psychology I wouldn’t be reading a Star Wars novel would I？ However， as I proceeded I found myself being increasingly drawn into it。 This may actually one of the best of the Star Wars Extended Universe novels。 If us certainly the best if the New Jedi Order books， which have been getting g a bit repetitive and tiresome。 Great job on this one。 I was impressed and I enjoyed it。 。。。more

Sam Myers ，

By far the best book of the series to this point， and so obviously thus that it barely even occurs to me to make that point at all。 This is a very different book as well， a bizarre move for， erm， the 15th-ish book in the series？ Focused on a much smaller cast of characters （5 versus 20+）， with much less plot work to do （though that which it does is very important）， this feels like a standalone， sequence-breaking book。 It both is and isn’t that， which thematically fits well。 I found this book cha By far the best book of the series to this point， and so obviously thus that it barely even occurs to me to make that point at all。 This is a very different book as well， a bizarre move for， erm， the 15th-ish book in the series？ Focused on a much smaller cast of characters （5 versus 20+）， with much less plot work to do （though that which it does is very important）， this feels like a standalone， sequence-breaking book。 It both is and isn’t that， which thematically fits well。 I found this book challenging in parts， frustrating in others， but generally satisfying - like a real novel with its own vision， as well as being a part of an established property。 I’ve rated this series generously to this point， lots of 4s and nothing lower than a 3。 I regret doing that now， as this book is in a league of its own from the others。 Think of it like a handicap; those were Star Wars 3s and 4s， but this is an actual 4。5 or so。 It verged on braggadocios sometimes in my view， and some of the allusions made me role my eyes， especially when we got into the Eden stuff。 It’s not enough to just make an allusion; there should be a point behind it， otherwise it just comes off as lazy and showy。 That was only distracting a couple of times， however。But overall， this was a really good read， and not just because of the “ooh lightsabers”-ness of it。 Interesting ideas， a real creative vision， and fascinating use of and additions to the world。 It’s a little bit of a bummer going right into the next one， which seems much more standard for how this series has been to this point， after Traitor。 It’s like going back to my old preschool class after graduating college - sure， the familiarity is nice， I guess， but I’m a bit over all the hand-holding at this point。I give this a 4。5/5， but， like， in real book numbers not just in Star Wars book numbers。 （Also this is my coming out as a star wars nerd on goodreads to all my fancy literary friends [even though they would have seen my ratings for the other ones but a review is different I feel] so please acknowledge my bravery in the replies thanks goodnight）（And yes this is what I’m reading instead of Dostoevsky or Endo please mind your business） 。。。more

Jay ，

This is the benchmark of what Star Wars is and what it should be。 Stover is by far and away the best writer of Star Wars that’s ever been。 Hopefully someday someone may somehow write a novel as equally good。

Finn Butler ，

To be honest out of all of the books I have read in this series this one is my favorite。 It discusses the force and the Yuuzhan Vong and is the book that shows what Jacen Solo who has been missing for the past 3 books has been doing。

Patrick ，

For an author to actually get me interested in a Jacen Solo book is a big accomplishment on its own。 To actually get me invested in the character is downright shocking。 Stover has a unique style among Star Wars writers， really capturing the mystical nature of the Force， and really focusing on philosophical aspects。He was the perfect pick for a Jacen Solo novel。

Alfred ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Jacen is back and he’s being tortured by an awesome alien creature in between the light and hyperspace。

Colin McEvoy ，

Well， that wasn’t what I was expecting at all。 What a fascinating and original book， very much unlike any other Star Wars novel I’ve ever read， to say the least。 As a completionist who has been slowing working his way through the New Jedi Order， I’ve found that some books are better than others， but most follow the fairly straightforward formula we’ve come to expect from these novels: an ensemble cast， a new threat， some theorizing and arguing about the nature of the Force here and there， some s Well， that wasn’t what I was expecting at all。 What a fascinating and original book， very much unlike any other Star Wars novel I’ve ever read， to say the least。 As a completionist who has been slowing working his way through the New Jedi Order， I’ve found that some books are better than others， but most follow the fairly straightforward formula we’ve come to expect from these novels: an ensemble cast， a new threat， some theorizing and arguing about the nature of the Force here and there， some space battles， a few jokes here and there。 But Traitor was something else entirely， focusing almost entirely on Jacen Solo as he evolves into something completely different than he has ever been; indeed， something completely different than we’ve ever seen in this franchise。This book is by far the most philosophical Star Wars book I’ve ever read; rather than a few throwaway scenes here and there before getting back to the fighting， Stover plunges Jacen into a psychological journey that puts him face-to-face with questions that have never been asked before about the Force， expanding the concept beyond its traditional comfort zones。 I’m honestly a bit surprised the Lucasfilm overlords even allowed this book。 It’s philosophical nature， it’s lack of traditional action， and it’s sark content （much of it is Jacen being straight-up tortured or witnessing true horrors around him） don’t strike me as the kind of elevator pitch most publishers go for。Of course， there ARE action sequences， and they are memorable ones: Jacen turning the tables on his Yuzhaan Vong overlords near the middle of this book was truly captivating stuff。 But it’s the more cerebral content that is of the greatest interest， with much of it centering around the mysterious Vergere， arguably the greatest new character to come out of the New Jedi Order。 I expected to come away from this book finally with some answers about her， and instead was largely left with more questions。。。 which of course is exactly as it should be。I doubt another Star Wars book quite like Traitor is going to come along any time soon， but I’m very grateful that it did at all。 。。。more

Kiwi Sarah ，

Re read - I'd forgotten how good this was and how much I enoyed it the first time around。 Great writing too。 Re read - I'd forgotten how good this was and how much I enoyed it the first time around。 Great writing too。 。。。more

Crayshack ，

My pre-existing love of Star Wars and emotional involvement with the main character aside， I consider this one of the best Sci-Fi novels I have ever read。 The descriptive worldbuilding it contains is nothing short of gorgeous。 I suspect that any fan of Sci-Fi will enjoy this book even if they are not fond of Star Wars in general。

Kurtbg ，

Fighting fanatics makes them more fanatic

Matt Bergevin ，

This was a super bold approach for a Star Wars book。 After pretty much non stop action， this one slowed things down and got philosophical。 Focusing only on Jacen Solo， this book made you question the motives of everyone， and also took the story to an even deeper， darker place。

Brittany ，

Amazing。 Although I have not read anything else in this series， this book is a favorite of a few of my close friends， so I gave it a read。 I can immediately see why it is a favorite， and parts it remind me of Buddhism teachings， although I am sure there are differences。 I know now why my friends recommended it to me， and I cannot wait to recommend it to others， it was that good。

Dustin Ethridge ，

This is currently my favorite book of all time。 Traitor is the epitome of a Star Wars novel and so much more。

Ben Briles ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 This book was。。。 challenging for me， to say the least。 Anyone that's ever talked to me about or heard me talk about Star Wars knows that I think the foundation of the franchise is built on the fundamental conflict between Good and Evil， and that the Force reflects that。 There is no "gray" as far as the Force is concerned。 There is Light， and there is Dark。 Well， through the vehicle of my favorite Solo kid/one of my all-time favorite characters， this book flies right in the face of all of that。 " This book was。。。 challenging for me， to say the least。 Anyone that's ever talked to me about or heard me talk about Star Wars knows that I think the foundation of the franchise is built on the fundamental conflict between Good and Evil， and that the Force reflects that。 There is no "gray" as far as the Force is concerned。 There is Light， and there is Dark。 Well， through the vehicle of my favorite Solo kid/one of my all-time favorite characters， this book flies right in the face of all of that。 "Good" and "evil" are all relative， and the Force is just that。 "Choose， and act。" Who are you？ The nuance all lies in personal choice and what one chooses to do with their power/gifts。 Having some passing knowledge of the general of the major plot points in the NJO and onward through Star Wars cultural osmosis， I knew going into this book that it contained some Force stuff that was decidedly much more ambiguous than what we'd had in the past， and that concerned me。 I've really enjoyed the NJO up to this point， and I didn't want it to turn into edgy， morally ambiguous nonsense （as most fan interpretation of anything "gray" in Star Wars tends to be）。 And honestly？ I don't hate it。 When people have described what they call a "Gray Jedi" to me in Star Wars， it's always just someone that can use both sides of the Force with no consequences， which truly IS edgy， morally ambiguous nonsense。 It's stupid。 However， Vergere's point of view as taught to Jacen is that Force is simply the Force， and has no sides。 And honestly？ I don't hate that。 I don't LOVE it by any means since it kind of flies in the face of the OT， but by this point in time Star Wars had had to evolve。 That was kind of the whole point of this series （"let the past die，" as it were）。 The slight difference between "the Force has no sides" and "I can use both sides of the Force with no issues！" is actually super important to me， I guess。 Again， still not my favorite thing in Star Wars， but I'm not blinded with rage whenever I read it。All that being said， Matthew Stover freaking killed it with this book。 I started out thinking his prose was very flowery and over-dramatic， but by the end， I was completely lost in it。 I felt that he handled Jacen very well， and that the ambiguity he was trying to convey came through without making Jacen out to be some sort of villain。 He still ends up doing the good and right thing， he just doesn't do it in the way that one might expect。 In summary: I get the hype， and I look forward to hitting Traitor on my next time through this series。 Hell， I wanna read it again right now because I can't help but feel that I've missed some stuff that might need unpacking。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Traitor

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Traitor&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Traitor&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0