I really wasn’t looking forward to reading this book at first. I felt like I’d be irritated and annoyed by the Pirates and the uncontrollability of Nuru and his Squad’s situation being held captive against them, as personally Pirates are one of my least favorite and most detestable parts of the Star Wars Universe. However the book took a turn for the better when the major plot twist occurred. It was such a twist I never saw coming, and it immediately made me fall in love with the book altogether all at once. The book has good, unique, planned, clever, and well-executed plots by Nuru’s team inside of it, involving multiple members of their team each for their own unique skills. I loved the opening plot to try to attempt to save them from the Pirates, involving Cleaver, the Clone Troopers and the “Chiss kids”. The newly introduced characters in this book are extremely lovable and well-put together. You can literally see them leap off of the page in your mind’s eye. The book has the perfect mix of incorporating and reusing old characters from the series for new events, such as overseer Umbrag, as well as creating completely new characters and icons for the Series, such as Captain McGrrr. The descriptions of the character’s looks and characteristics were vivid, especially McGrr. There was a small amount of sadness in my mind about one of the Pirates never being able to return home because he was killed unfortunately, I thought that was rather unfair as the only death in the book, but I guess that’s how it shall be. The book has the perfect and best amount of mystery I’ve ever read in a book in a long time. I can never seem to predict the next devious step of Lord Sidious and Count Dooku in the plot against Nuru Kungurama and his team. I never would’ve predicted exploring the Chiss Ascendancy in a Clone Wars Chapter Book Series unrelated to Grand Admiral Thrawn, but it was interesting to meet Vereen as a Chiss ambassador. I enjoyed some funny moments with conversations between and the Pirates and Vereen’s interactions as well. I love how the book has a basic warp/huge gap in time, such as the Pirate band being from such an era BEFORE The Clone Wars and not even knowing that they were going on, due to being near the Black Hole for over 10 years. I thought that was SUPER interesting. I love the fact that they dropped off the two Sullustans that didn’t want to join their pirate band onto a nearby moon and that they had a child in the years they were trapped on the moon, and I’m very happy that everybody escaped The Black Hole in the end for their home planets (except the one unfortunate character that died in the book before being able to return to his home planet as he expressed wishing to be able to). I found the idea of the ancient Kwa lizard-people and their Force-Inspired technology and temples very interesting. I love how worried Breaker was about Cleaver as he single-handedly saved the day and how Nuru rescued him with the Force. I could almost feel Breaker’s cry of anguish as he thought Cleaver wouldn’t make it. The giant worm creatures in the Kwa Temple were extremely interesting new additions and creatures to the Star Wars Universe. I feel like Ryder Windham makes many twists all tie up and connect in knots just as they should, it feels perfect and just right to read, at the same time never expecting it coming, such as the fact that those two particular Sullustans discovered the other Kwa temple spoken about in the book. I completely understand now why Nuru is the only Chiss Jedi due to how he was found as a baby, I HAD been wondering how the Jedi ever would’ve gotten their hands on a Chiss child from the Ascendancy knowing the Ascendancy isn’t comfortable interacting outside of the Unknown Regions, and I was shocked to learn the origins of his name. I feel like I totally should’ve seen it coming with the clue literally imbedded in the name, considering I read the Chiss Ascendancy Trilogy but I completely missed the fact. I was completely shocked by the ending reveal with the book, and also by WHO found Nuru. I couldn’t believe it. I never would’ve believed the ending of the explanation of The Black Hole plot. I still can’t seem to wrap my head around or understand it, and how it occurred and happened, or was engineered. I don’t know how this Series can end well but I’m really, really hoping it does. I can’t wait to read the rest of the Series, this is one of it not then best Chapter Book Series I’ve ever read, full of mystery and intrigue, I just can’t see the end of it or where Nuru and his Team will end up. I sincerely hope it’s a happy ending, but I’m super unsure. The trickery by Dooku and Sidious, Asajj and Bane is unpredictable and unreal, it infuriates yet intrigues you at the same exact time. I love Master Ambase’s character more and more as we go on in the Series for some inexplicable reason also. I’m already partway through the third book in the series and can’t wait to finish it and the entire series!! This book has a perfect ending and I can’t imagine a better Chapter Book incorporated in this series. Each book COULD even stand on its own as a stand-alone, the endings and beginnings wrap up so nicely, but the books altogether fit better as the Series they were made to be. This book had an altogether very happy ending and I’m very pleased I reserved my judegement on this book and allowed myself to enjoy it very much.