  anon 1/1/12 . chapter 15 I've been meaning to review ever since I started reading this series last week, but I've just been so wrapped up in it that I haven't stopped myself long enough to form coherent thoughts and share them, rather than just thinking about them as I read.
However, for this final chapter of this installment, I had to go ahead and say something because I literally stopped breathing there for that ending run. I was so scared Luke and Ben would bust in as Vader killed Ben's dad, or that it would happen and Luke would hear about it with a "slip" from Palpatine (though that ummm probably wouldn't be conducive to becoming a Jedi for the next one...couldn't help the fear!), and I'm just so furious with Palpatine that I can't even stand it. (That last bit isn't really new, though...) Then that didn't happen, and I felt like crying (with happiness) when Luke broke out and started Jedi'ing up a storm and saving people, felt such incredible relief that Vader was procrastinating all that time and hadn't executed Ben's dad yet...I can't believe how emotional this arc's climax was for me. The Vader/Luke aspect of Star Wars (along with the rise, fall, and redemption of Anakin-slash-Vader) is the heart of Star Wars for me personally, so I guess I'm not SURPRISED that this story gets to me like that, but it's not often that I haven't to remind myself to breathe.
I suspect you have a zillion reviews telling you this, but I have to say I am floored by your Vader. He's the most beautiful mix of Sith and that touch-of-Anakin I can imagine - not a fanfiction writer's fantasy of a fluffy Vader snuggling his son and seeing the light, but a man who is twisted by the pain of his existence and the influence of the Dark Side, but still passionate about his family (Shmi and Padme, anyone? ...) on a deep psychological level that he can't seem to help, even if he were to try. In the movies, we see the view of Darth Vader from the outside, and it is only when Luke's relation to him becomes apparent that there are even the slightest cracks in that KILL ALL THE THINGS heartless Sith Lord armor - though even then, he doesn't APPEAR any different from the outside if you aren't reading into it, until he turns back to good at the end. Sure, he says he'll turn Luke or kill him, but in a movie, it's impossible to read a character's mind without a purposeful voice over. The decision Vader made in the Emperor-killing scene wasn't something that was spur-of-the-moment, in my opinion. In your series, the same cold outer reaction can be said, but when coupled with private internal thoughts, shows the conflict that matches up with his canon redemption. (Not that I think you need to be told this - just expressing appreciation for a beautifully woven character, heh.)
Their constant bickering is fantastic...not only because Luke is at That Age, but because they are so SIMILAR in clashing ways that it completely makes sense that they'd butt heads like no one's business. I find myself yearning for Luke to learn more about Anakin (right along with Luke), but for Vader to be so deadset determined to keep most of it secret is totally logical with his attempts to leave the past behind and be a menacing little Sith Lord. Then there are those beautiful moments when he has a Jedi moment, like when he healed Luke after Palpatine's electrocution...my heart just cheers for the little glimmer of Anakin. Then of course he Force-chokes someone and reminds us that he is still Vader, but it just WORKS, somehow. The brief flashes of sentiment hastily buried in denial or anger - he's so conflicted, and that's just so...him, in my opinion.
Luke is brilliant too. His devotion to his father despite the circumstances, mixed with his purehearted criticism of cruelty is also a great duality you have going on. The summary for Part 4 seems like it'll be delving even deeper into that, but seeing him grow from that little boy in Part 1 to the near-adult he is now...(Sentimental Mode: On.) I can feel myself reeling from all the character development, and I love it. Maybe the depth added by all of those interludes between 2 and 3 helps even more with this, but I feel like I'm being led naturally through this journey, rather than being pushed over a cliff and told to trust you that there's a bridge there, despite there being no reason to believe it. You've taken your time to make me believe these characters are acting based on the growth they've experienced so far, and that's patience that not all writers have.
Han, Leia, Chewie, the droids, Bail, Boba, everyone else I'm not specifically naming from the original series...They're all great too. I'm not going to detail out each one, but ace job, pretty much. I'm hoping to see some Han/Leia romance developments in Part 4, and I'm assuming Leia will discover her relation to Luke and Vader (it's obviously Vader/Luke focused, so it's no guarantee, but I guess I'll see soon enough!) Even the character I assume to be original (the movies are the only canon I'm very familiar with) have made me care about them, which is not the easiest thing for me when I have core characters I already care about coming into a story. I'm telling you, I was not going to be okay with Ben's dad dying. Even Luke's frustrating snob-classmates developed into characters that had a purpose in the story without distracting from it.
This probably isn't an appropriate review to say this in considering it's overall pretty intense, but I've also loved the humor, especially the father/son banter. There are too many instances to try and rattle them out at this point, but even now, the first chapter of the first installment sticks with me...the part where Vader is all put out because the politician was being all deceitful and politician-like with that scuffling drama, so he Force-chokes him (natural way to react, of course) and Palpatine scolds him / talks about his misguided moral code or sense of justice or something...either way, it was funny to me because it just seemed to ring true to that situation so much, and I can COMPLETELY see Vader hating useless politicians who waste time deliberating, steal money for themselves, so on...even though he kills frequently, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, etc. It was just a wonderful first insight into the mind of Darth Vader, and it was vividly amusing to me. And the irony, oh the irony...Vader's life-changing decision based on a dream comment was genius, even if I wouldn't call it funny, given the circumstance. As much as Luke hates his dad's hypocrisy, I kind of love seeing it.
I'm simultaneously nervous and excited for the last part of the story coming up. I was flooded with relief that Luke left with an active love for his father instead of in a whirlwind of hurt, because it gives me that boost of hope that he's going to be able to find a way to reconcile his internal conflicts without turning on his dad for an extended period of time in some tragic downward spiral...Seriously, even with the last part being called "Jedi" (who, you know, aren't supposed to be hateful), I have STILL been stressing out about that. It might have been unbearable for me if this had ended on a heart-wrenching note.
I could ramble on and on about this and how perfect your Force Bond universe is, but I'm going to go ahead and stop here. I'm going to be rewatching all 6 movies soon in a family marathon, and I'm excited to watch them with a mental "Force Bond lens" on when we get to the original trilogy, at least when it comes to the characters. I've never paid much attention to stormtroopers, for example, but aw, I even care about the faceless crowds of white-armored soldiers now. ;; The Imperial propaganda is another thing I forgot to emphasize. Perfect, of course. They'll have the Death Star soon to terrify planets into submission, but prior to that, there is great power in simply convincing the masses that the Empire is RIGHT depriving them of the chance to learn otherwise.
I'm really done now. I look forward to finishing this story's push to the end in Force Bond 4. |
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