Not at all happy with the current direction of SW EU

[El Chuxter]

There are so many "last Jedi" now that the Purge has become something of a joke.

[Bel-Cam Jos]

I liked the "Coruscant Nights" trilogy, so the Jax one sounds like it could be good; but I agree about the last* Jedi status.

Dawn of the Jedi? Sure, why not. Everything else is "[something] of the Jedi" anyway.

All the Jedi children will accuse the adults of being Sith witches, but Master Proc Jon-Tor will stand his ground and not confess? All while Republic senator Macarr Jothii fans the fires of mistrust ("There are red sabers all throughout this government" ) of a Sith Scare? :p Denning's usually a solid writer.

[OC47150]

There are so many "last Jedi" now that the Purge has become something of a joke.

The Purge has been overused as a basic story element in the last few years, IMO. There are/could be interesting stories to tell from this time period, cause all of the Jedi weren't killed off. Just need a break from it.

[El Chuxter]

Someone needs to write a story (unfortunately, it couldn't be official, but, still, it might prove the point) where Ferus Olin, Rahm Kota, Pavan Jax, Ikrit, Shaak Ti, Obi-Wan Kenobi, K'krukh, A'sharad Hett, Vergere, Kam Solusar, Yoda, and whoever else is hanging around, all team up to stop Vader on some sort of mission, but can't be seen by him and resort to insanely ridiculous stunts to avoid detection.

[Bel-Cam Jos]

Someone needs to write a story (unfortunately, it couldn't be official, but, still, it might prove the point) where Ferus Olin, Rahm Kota, Pavan Jax, Ikrit, Shaak Ti, Obi-Wan Kenobi, K'krukh, A'sharad Hett, Vergere, Kam Solusar, Yoda, and whoever else is hanging around, all team up to stop Vader on some sort of mission, but can't be seen by him and resort to insanely ridiculous stunts to avoid detection.Not with those exact characters, but read the (ironically-titled, based on these recent posts) comic one-shot Purge for that very same idea. I know it got included in some trade paperback, too, but I can't recall that one now.

[El Chuxter]

Sad thing is, I had Purge in mind when I posted that, and consciously tried to avoid anyone who appeared in it since I wasn't sure off-hand how long after ROTS it took place. I was sticking with folks who made it to (or at least very close to) ANH.

[Bel-Cam Jos]

Then that sounds like a perfect story for a continued SW Infinities series.

[OC47150]

Someone needs to write a story (unfortunately, it couldn't be official, but, still, it might prove the point) where Ferus Olin, Rahm Kota, Pavan Jax, Ikrit, Shaak Ti, Obi-Wan Kenobi, K'krukh, A'sharad Hett, Vergere, Kam Solusar, Yoda, and whoever else is hanging around, all team up to stop Vader on some sort of mission, but can't be seen by him and resort to insanely ridiculous stunts to avoid detection.

That's what fan fiction is for.

[Bel-Cam Jos]

That's what fan fiction is for.I almost downloaded something with a stormtrooper image on the cover, until I realized it was a) just a short story, and b) a fictional story by a fan.

I finished the ebook versions of the 8 Lost Tribe of the Sith stories; now I'll have a good jump start to the Collected Stories that comes out next week.

[Bel-Cam Jos]

I finished the ebook versions of the 8 Lost Tribe of the Sith stories; now I'll have a good jump start to the Collected Stories that comes out next week.I finished the "epilogue" chapter titled "Pandemonium" yesterday. I give the collection a so-so rating. Just not enough connections to established SW lore, even being 4000 years BBY. It's clear that JJ Miller wrote comic stories, as this one needed visuals to make up for a dull storyline.

Also finally finished The Essential Guide to Warfare, which traces the history of the SW universe from wars and fighting from about 10,000 BBY (earlier?) to the waste that is the Fate of the Jedi series and Legacy comics. Pretty good, and a fast read for a textbook-style book. Nice paintings throughout, from several artists.

[Bel-Cam Jos]

Despite the title of this thread, if you want to bypass the malaise that has plagued EU in the last decade and a half, go out and buy or library check-out Aaron Allston's new X-Wing novel, Mercy Kill. It's the first hardcover one in the series, and I forgot how FUN and funny his version of the Wraith's was. I'm only 8 chapters in, but I can't stop smiling. And there's a storyline that I'm interested in seeing its conclusion. I noticed that they've released a compilation book of previous XW novels, too.

So go. Go! Visit a library! Find a brick and mortar book seller! Get online and download the ebook, or purchase your own! Now! :thumbsup: :pleased:

[Bel-Cam Jos]

I would rank X-Wing: Mercy Kill among the best EU ever published. Seriously (notice no ironic emoticons after it). Probably top 20 all-time. Fun, humorous, a storyline with depth and sympathy for the characters involved, plot twists (not just for shock value), new and established characters, and an opening for future stories by the end (or an end to the run). Aaron Allston is up there with the best SW authors. :thumbsup: It references the YV war, and somehow makes that awful time period in EU history as somewhat decent.

p.s. I also finished the YA book The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee by Tom Angleberger. More serious in its tone (perhaps like ESB) than the first two books, still kid-centric, sometimes funny. Chewbacca as a "cootie catcher" fortune teller is pretty good (with Han Foldo as his "translator" ).

[OC47150]

I attended the authors panel at C6, and some cool stuff is in the pipeline literature wise: new series, new material and maybe some of the old Insider/Adventure Journal stories being released in electronic form.

Can't wait for Scoundrels. Sounds like it's gonna be cool.

[Bel-Cam Jos]

Finished SW The Old Republic: Annihilation by Drew K. It got better by the end, but I got the sense it was a video game book most of the way through (which it was, of course). Not much in the way of surprises, but Mr. K (not going to attempt his last name, nor search and copy/paste it) writes a good story and narration.

[Tycho]

I have rebooted my SW comics and books review in a (reversed) Chronological format in my blogs.

Feel free to post your comments in there.

I'm re-reading the entire chronology in order, and posting reviews as I go along.

I've tackled:

Dawn of the Jedi - leaving space for up to 8 or 9 possible story arcs - the reason why 6,7,8 etc. are untitled but taking up space - as this series could extend until 2015. So I left some room.

The Great Hyperspace War (Golden Age / Fall of The Sith Empire - Naga Sadow's time)

The Sith War (Ulic Qel Droma's rise and fall)

The Mandalorian War (Zayne Carrick at the onset of stories from KOTOR)

and now I'm dealing with the traditional e-book novels for

Lost Tribe of the Sith (to later follow with the comics, perhaps after The Old Republic series - I have to check the chronology)

Anyway, amongst Ulic Qel Droma, Exar Kun, Nomi Sunrider, Zayne Carrick, successive Mandalores, this is a great era in Star Wars to explore, and so unrestricted to fit into the framework of the 6 movies.

So check into my blog if you want for Rogues' Gallery 2.0!

I am sometimes leery of the title of this thread because while it embodies current Star Wars EU reading, it makes as if to suggest it is all bad. It is definitely NOT all bad. That's for sure!

[Bel-Cam Jos]

It's not as easy to copy & paste the upcoming books, but here's a list of what I could find:

Crucible (Denning, T., hardback, 7/9/2013)
X-Wing: Mercy Kill (Allston, A., paperback, 6/25/13)
SW Omnibus: Infinities (Dark Horse Comics, 2/26/13)
The Last Jedi: Star Wars (Reaves, M., paperback, 2/26/13)
FOTJ: Apocalypse (Denning, T., paperback, 1/29/13)
Scoundrels (Zahn, T., hardback, 1/1/13)

[OC47150]

Just finished SW: Riptide. Thought it was okay. I read Cross Current when it first came out but just remember the main characters, not much of the plot. The sick clones/Mother storyline in Riptide might make more sense if I'd just read Cross Current.

I should be getting some $$$ from the mother-in-law for Christmas. I intend to buy Zahn's Scoundrels.

[Tycho]

I'm reading Old Republic: Revan and not progressing through it very well.

I love Drew Karpyshan's "Darth Bane" books - he's an excellent writer. But even great writers fumble sometimes.

Revan may be his time.

I'm blogging about all the SW EU in chronological order and started with Dawn of the Jedi (comics) but I'm currently stuck on Revan. That is not a good sign in this case.

[OC47150]

It dawned on me the other day: there hasn't been any young adult/juvenile SW-focused books in about a year now. I rather enjoy these books, and find some of them better written than some adult novels.

Jude Watson, where are you???

[Tycho]

OC - like in TV shows, our tastes are identical.

I loved Jude Watson's Jedi Apprentice (best) and Jedi Quest books.

You're exactly right that the concise tight plots and heroic stories made for great reads.

I'm going to use the same format (but not young adult subject matter mind you) for backstories on my own novel characters.

[OC47150]

I have this odd little holiday (Thanksgiving and Christmas) tradition of reading a SW novel during that time. I read Riptide over Thanksgiving. I was tempted to pick up and re-read Last of the Jedi, but instead went to Tales from Jabba's Palace, and am thoroughly enjoying that.

I know Ryder Windham has written a couple of stand-alone young adult books in the last couple of years. I might have to check into those.

[OC47150]

Pleasantly suprised to find Scoundrels at Wal-mart Saturday nite. Used a little of my Christmas money and bought it. The wife is going out of town in a couple of weeks, so I'm planning on being anti-social that weekend and reading it!

[OC47150]

Used a gift card, a coupon and some Christmas money and finally bought the Old Republic Encyclopedia. One word: amazing, and I haven't got halfway through the book. The artwork is great. Gonna take my time and enjoy this one.

Finished Ryder Windham's Luke Skywalker book. I hate to admit it, but it was a struggle to finish and I really can't narrow it to one issue. It was part original story (Luke's early years) but other parts were based on the old SW comic strip from the late 70s and early 80s. Windham's a capable writer and I've enjoyed most of his other SW-related writing, but this one....

[Tycho]

I like Ryder Windham and correspond with him. Haven't read the Luke book though.

I am reading Old Republic: Deceived. So far so good. I don't play much video games other than baseball (I almost have the Padres in the World Series but San Francisco is giving me a lot of trouble!)

But Old Republic:Revan was hard to get through but the ending was satisfying.

[Bel-Cam Jos]

Other upcoming books, some interesting, most at "eh" status:

10/29/13 Annihilation: Star Wars The Old Republic (paperback) Drew Karpyshyn
10/29/13 Rebels: Star Wars (hardcover) Martha Wells
10/8/13 The Making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (hardcover) J. W. Rinzler, Brad Bird (Foreword by)
10/1/13 Star Wars: The Jedi Path and Book of Sith Deluxe Box Set (hardcover) Daniel Wallace
9/1/13 Star Wars: Jedi Academy (hardcover) Jeffrey Brown
7/15/13 LEGO Star Wars: the Yoda Chronicles (hardcover) DK Publishing
7/9/13 Crucible: Star Wars (hardcover) Troy Denning
6/25/13 Mercy Kill: Star Wars X-Wing (paperback) Aaron Allston
5/14/13 Star Wars Storyboards: The Prequel Trilogy (paperback) J. W. Rinzler
5/7/13 Into the Void: Star Wars Dawn of the Jedi (paperback) Tim Lebbon

[Bel-Cam Jos]

Finished two, one a resource book, the other a novel: The: Last Jedi (Reaves, M. & MK Bohnhoff) and The Essential Reader's Companion (Hidalgo, P.). The adventures of Jax Pavan, I-Five, Den Dhur, and... Darth Vader? were pretty good (with a reeeeeeally slow middle part that dragged) and it's rare that I don't have any idea how a SW book will end. Shocking aspects to start, and others of lesser shock value throughout; this was a more-than decent continuation of the "Coruscant Nights" trilogy (and Shadow Games novel).

Hidalgo's epic tome is a must-read for anyone who follows the EU, not counting comic books (although he does reference several important ones like Dark Empire, Union, Chewbacca, and Quinlan Vos' activities), cartoons, or video games. It was like re-reading 30+ years of stories. One of the best publications for Star Wars, IMHO.

[Tycho]

I am reading Old Republic: Deceived about Darth Malgus.

With my own fiction writing project and constantly re-reading what I'm writing, I've had little time to read for my own pleasure.

In ancient SW history, pre-TPM (by thousands of years) - I am a fan of...

Sek'Nos Rath (Dawn of the Jedi) and Xesh (Force Hound - same series)... to some degree

Naga Sadow - Golden Age of the Sith / Hyperspace War - to a larger degree

Ulic Qel Droma and Exar Kun - by far my favorites to an extreme (their action figures are on my desk while I type)

Vima Sunrider - although she only has the briefest of appearances, she could be interesting.


Zayne Carrick - I've really grown to like him in the KOTOR comics and he's such an improbable hero, he's fun

Darth Malak and Revan - to a degree. Their story is half told by the video game which I will one day have to get and play. I enjoy reading more when I get the chance. Revan, and Bastilla Shan - when I get the chance to know her better (if I do - and hopefully outside of the video game) might be pretty interesting.

But my heart's not in to these characters as much as Ulic, Exar, and the later in coming Zayne.

If new stories were told about anyone I listed above, I'd pick up the ones about Ulic, Exar, and Zayne first.

** I am re-reading the entire chronology of the EU by the actual books / comics in order.


Like I said, I do not loathe this era at all. Quite the contrary. But the TOTJ / First Sith War story was the very best we got. I wish we got as much about that period as we did for KOTOR. There were Mandalorians during the Sith War - that's how their thoughts turned to conquest in the first place. A new Mandalore rose after the one who served Ulic, as well as Ulic and Exar, were all vanquished. If Ulic Qel Droma hadn't started events in motion, we never would have had the Mandalorian Wars in the first place.

[Bel-Cam Jos]

If you need a quick rundown of the history of Star Wars and some of its significant creators, consider reading A Brief Guide to Star Wars by Brian J. Robb. But if you want a quick rundown of the history of Star Wars and some of its significant creators, that includes spelling errors not based on British English, repetitive details, as well as incorrect information about SW and a comparison of Jaxxon with JarJar, then definitely read ABGTSW.

[edit] Found a couple more upcoming books to list here:
4/23/13 Vader's Little Princess (hardcover) Jeffrey Brown [like that Darth Vader & Son book]
6/3/13 The Clone Wars: Episode Guide (hardcover) Jason Fry
7/2/13 William Shakespeare's Star Wars (hardcover) Ian Doescher

[dr_evazan22]

Amazon has the LEGO Yoda Chronicles available for pre order at $10.83, or thereabouts. About $8 off.

[OC47150]

6/3/13 The Clone Wars: Episode Guide (hardcover) Jason Fry

That one sounds interesting. I have a copy of the season 1 ep guide and have been aiming to check to see if there are guides for the other seasons. Lot of good info in it.

I finished SW: Shadow Games last night. It was decent. Liked that Dash Rendar was the focus. I personally think he's a character that could be explored a little further.

[Bel-Cam Jos]

A pleasant surprise: Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void by Tim Lebbon. Usually, first-time SW writers starting new books, especially without established characters, tend to be so-so at best. This is set about 25,000 years BBY, with early Je'daii Rangers and no Sith bad guys. The plot centers around a family and one who's not good. There's a veiled comment about a certain villain from the OT, and a few touch-in-cheek lines ("... and droids don't dream" comes to mind). I was hesitant, but this series (I assume there will be more) looks pretty good; and there's a comic series to go along with it, I guess (well, as long as Dark Horse has the license).

[Bel-Cam Jos]

Some more books due out soon:

8/27/13 Star Wars: Jedi Academy (hardcover) Jeffrey Brown
8/27/13 Kenobi: Star Wars (hardcover) John Jackson Miller
9/3/13 Star Wars Lightsaber Thumb Wrestling (hardcover) Chronicle Books
10/1/13 Razor’s Edge (hardcover) Martha Wells
10/8/13 Star Wars Art: Concept LucasFilm Ltd, (hardcover) Joe Johnston (Introduction), Ryan Church (Preface), Doug Chiang (Foreword)