History YMMV / TheCrystalStar

* MemeticMutation: While the book isn't well-liked by Star Wars fans, the creature Waru was considered so bizarre that he reached a memetic status rivalled only by [[ComicBook/{{Republic}} Master K'Kruhk's]] "[[NiceHat Freakin' Sweet Hat]]" and the [[MemeticBadass badassery]] that is [[VideoGame/DarkForcesSaga Kyle Katarn]].

* CompleteMonster: [[BoomerangBigot Hethrir]], part of a near-human race called the Firrereo, was once Palpatine's Procurator of Justice and the head of the Empire's justice system. To prove himself to the Empire, Hethrir had thousands of his people abducted and placed in suspended animation with the intention of awakening them far later where [[AGodAmI they'd worship him as a God]]. Millions of others were left on Firrereo, where Hethrir had the planet [[GenocideFromTheInside infected by a virus]] that [[CruelAndUnusualDeath agonizingly killed every living thing]] on it, an action which Palpatine happily approved. When Hethrir's wife escaped with their child, Hethrir hunted her down and placed her in a torture device where she remained in pain for five years, and took their son as a lowly servant. Hethrir took to enslaving children to build a new empire, selling those who weren't Force-sensitive or non-human into slavery, while also forming a cult dedicated to the alien being known as Waru. Hethrir promised Waru, who simply wanted a way to his home dimension, the lives of sentients, with intentions of [[WouldHurtAChild sacrificing Force-sensitive children]] in return for great power.

* SpiritualLicensee: Basically a Star Trek episode set in the Star Wars universe.

* CompleteMonster: [[BoomerangBigot Hethrir]], part of a near-human race called the Firrereo, was once Palpatine's Procurator of Justice and the head of the Empire's justice system. To prove himself to the Empire, Hethrir had thousands of his people abducted and placed in suspended animation with the intention of awakening them far later where [[AGodAmI they'd worship him as a God]]. Millions of others were left on Firrereo, where Hethrir had the planet [[GenocideFromTheInside infected by a virus]] that [[CruelAndUnusualDeath agonizingly killed every living thing]] on it (an action which Palpatine happily approved). When Hethrir's wife escaped with their child, Hethrir hunted her down and placed her in a torture device where she remained in pain for five years, and took their son as a lowly servant. Hethrir took to enslaving children to build a new empire, selling those who weren't Force-sensitive or non-human into slavery, while also forming a cult dedicated to the alien being known as Waru. Hethrir promised Waru, who simply wanted a way to his home dimension, the lives of sentients, with intentions of [[WouldHurtAChild sacrificing Force-sensitive children]] in return for great power.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Lusa for some fans, being brought back for the ''Literature/YoungJediKnights'' series [[spoiler: and then unceremoniously and unspectacularly [[KickTheDog killed]] -- ''[[ShootTheShaggyDog offscreen!]]'' -- in the ''Literature/NewJediOrder'' series]].

* BizarroEpisode: The whole book. Han does refer to Hethrir in ''Literature/MillenniumFalcon'', though, as does Leia in ''Literature/TheNewRebellion''. The kids' kidnapping also gets mentioned once in a while. And the surviving Firrerreos are mentioned to have had a BusCrash in the ''Literature/NewJediOrder'' series.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: The whole book. Han does refer to Hethrir in ''Literature/MillenniumFalcon'', though, as does Leia in ''Literature/TheNewRebellion''. The kids' kidnapping also gets mentioned once in a while. And the surviving Firrerreos are mentioned to have had a BusCrash in the ''Literature/NewJediOrder'' series.

* InNameOnly: A major criticism of this book is that it's not really very ''Star Wars''-y at all; if anything, the plot is more akin to a ''Franchise/StarTrek'' story. (Which is unsurprising, given that Vonda [=McIntyre=] had written a few ''Star Trek'' novels in the past.)

* CanonDiscontinuity: As seen above, all the {{Call Back}}s to this novel are rather mean-spirited.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Pretty much the whole book. Han does refer to Hethrir in ''Literature/MillenniumFalcon'', though, as does Leia in ''TheNewRebellion''. The kids' kidnapping also gets mentioned once in a while. And the surviving Firrerreos are mentioned to have had a BusCrash in the ''Literature/NewJediOrder'' series.

* CanonDiscontinuity: The only mention of the book again is that the PlantAliens got eaten by the Vong.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Lusa for some fans, being brought back for the ''YoungJediKnights'' series [[spoiler: and then unceremoniously and unspectacularly [[KickTheDog killed]] -- ''[[ShootTheShaggyDog offscreen!]]'' -- in the ''Literature/NewJediOrder'' series]].

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Pretty much the whole book. Han does refer to Hethrir in ''MillenniumFalcon'', though, as does Leia in ''TheNewRebellion''. The kids' kidnapping also gets mentioned once in a while. And the surviving Firrerreos are mentioned to have had a BusCrash in the ''Literature/NewJediOrder'' series.
* EnsembleDarkhorse: Lusa for some fans, being brought back for the Young Jedi Knights series [[spoiler: and then unceremoniously and unspectacularly [[KickTheDog killed]] - ''[[ShootTheShaggyDog offscreen!]]'' - in the ''Literature/NewJediOrder'' series]].

* InNameOnly: A major criticism of this book is that it's not really very Star Warsy at all; if anything, the plot is more akin to a ''Franchise/StarTrek'' story. (Which is unsurprising, given that Vonda [=McIntyre=] had written a few ''Star Trek'' novels in the past.)
* MemeticMutation: While the book isn't well-liked by Star Wars fans, the creature Waru was considered so bizarre that he reached a memetic status rivalled only by [[StarWarsRepublic Master K'Kruhk's]] "[[NiceHat Freakin' Sweet Hat]]" and the [[MemeticBadass badassery]] that is [[VideoGame/DarkForcesSaga Kyle Katarn]].

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Pretty much the whole book. Han does refer to Hethrir in ''MillenniumFalcon'', though, as does Leia in ''TheNewRebellion''. The kids' kidnapping also gets mentioned once in a while. And the surviving Firrerreos are mentioned to have had a [[DroppedABridgeOnHim Bridge Dropped on Them]] in the ''Literature/NewJediOrder'' series.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Pretty much the whole book. Han does refer to Hethrir in ''MillenniumFalcon'', though, as does Leia in ''TheNewRebellion''. The kids' kidnapping also gets mentioned once in a while. And the surviving Firrerreos are mentioned to have had a [[DroppedABridgeOnHim Bridge Dropped on Them]] in the ''Literature/NewJediOrderSeries''.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: Pretty much the whole book. Han does refer to Hethrir in ''MillenniumFalcon'', though, as does Leia in ''TheNewRebellion''. The kids' kidnapping also gets mentioned once in a while.
* EnsembleDarkHorse: Lusa for some fans, being brought back for the Young Jedi Knights series [[spoiler: and then unceremoniously and unspectacularly [[KickTheDog killed]] - ''[[ShootTheShaggyDog offscreen!]]'' - in the ''NewJediOrder'' series]].

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Fandom never really forgave the book for leaving potentially fascinating EldritchAbomination Waru a giant BigLippedAlligatorMoment while focusing too much on CardCarryingVillain Hethrir.

* InNameOnly: A major criticism of this book is that it's not really very Star Warsy at all; if anything, the plot is more akin to a ''StarTrek'' story. (Which is unsurprising, given that Vonda [=McIntyre=] had written a few ''Star Trek'' novels in the past.)

* MemeticMutation: While the book isn't well-liked by Star Wars fans, the creature Waru was considered so bizarre that he reached a memetic status rivalled only by [[StarWarsRepublic Master K'Kruhk's]] "[[NiceHat Freakin' Sweet Hat]]" and the [[MemeticBadass badassery]] that is [[DarkForces Kyle Katarn]].

* InNameOnly: A major criticism of this book is that it's not really very Star Warsy at all; if anything, the plot is more akin to a ''StarTrek'' story. (Which is unsurprising, given that Vonda McIntyre had written a few ''Star Trek'' novels in the past.)

* InNameOnly: A major criticism of this book is that it's not really very Star Warsy at all; if anything, the plot is more akin to a ''StarTrek'' story.

* FanonDiscontinuity: Fans would much rather deny this work exists.
* SoBadItsGood / SoBadItsHorrible: YMMV. TheForce.Net forums certainly get a lot of mileage out of mocking it on slow days either way.