Star Wars

Book Review: Vector Prime by R. A. Salvatore

- Barb Leave a comment

My summer of re-reads continues with Vector Prime by R.A. Salvatore, the first book in Star Wars saga, The New Jedi Order. There are 19 books total in this series and you can find the complete list here.

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Vector Prime released fall 1999 and it gives readers of the Expanded Universe their introduction to the Yuuzhan Vong, a race that’s quickly to become the biggest threat the New Republic has ever faced.

The story takes place 25 years after Star Wars: A New Hope, according to the official timeline. Main players include our original trio: Luke, Han, and Leia as well as Luke’s wife Mara Jade Skywalker, the three Solo children, Lando, a few Jedi, a brave scientist, and the indomitable Yuuzhan Vong.

The action is plentiful as is the political intrigue throughout Vector Prime. Leia is back in the thick of things as a diplomat, Luke is busy leading the Jedi, and Han—well, Han is Han, until the unthinkable happens. The Solo kids are right in the center of it all, and it’s young Anakin Solo that has the heaviest burden to carry by the end of the book.

…And no, I won’t post spoilers even though this book is almost 20 years old, that’s not my style. If  you want to know why this may be one of the hardest books for any die-hard Star Wars fan to read, then you need to read it and be prepared for a devastating loss. I will tell you that the first time I read Vector Prime, I threw the book across the room at the end of chapter 17. And I cried. Yep. True. Cried again, reading it this time through. Still gets me.

I love the Expanded Universe books and The New Jedi Order series remains one of my favorites. I think the Yuuzhan Vong are an interesting enemy and terrifying in their alien-ness as well as their devotion to the battle. It’s disturbing. It also can be hard to watch characters you love suffer and make mistakes, but the series overall is engaging and one I highly recommend.

Book Review: AFTERMATH: LIFE DEBT, a Star Wars novel by Chuck Wendig

- Barb 2 Comments

“Life Debt” from Chuck Wendig is the second book in his Star Wars series “Aftermath”. The Aftermath series takes place a long time ago in a galaxy far away (okay so I felt the NEED to say that) and after the battle of Endor, the explosion of the second Deathstar, and the death of the Emperor. However, the timeline of “Life Debt” is several years before “The Force Awakens”.

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Life in the galaxy after the fall of the Empire is less than awesome. The New Republic is working for order, while the remaining Imperial remnant is struggling to keep their grip after their devastating losses. Readers met Norra Wexley and the Halo crew in the first “Aftermath” book, and this motley group is back, this time pursuing Grand Admiral Rae Sloane. Norra and the crew are diverted from their pursuit of Sloane when they answer the call of Leia Organa Solo — seems her husband Han has gone missing while helping the Wookiee Chewbacca liberate his homeworld of Kashyyyk.

Norra Wexley, her son Temmin, and the rest of their crew face many challenges and hardships throughout “Life Debt”. Doing the right thing, isn’t always easy. Everyone is put to the test, even the scoundrel smuggler Han Solo. In the meantime, Leia finds herself having to make difficult decisions both as a politician, wife, and former Rebellion leader.

“Aftermath: Life Debt” has a great pace, memorable characters, and effortlessly continues the saga of Star Wars without breaking stride. It’s a nice balance of new and traditional Star Wars, and I can’t say enough how much I love Mister Bones. And Sinjir — he remains my favorite character in this series.

I’m looking forward to Book 3: “Empire’s End” and if you’re any level of Star Wars fan, I highly recommend this series by Chuck Wendig.

You can find a link to the book here. And you can find all things Chuck Wendig over on his blog terribleminds. If you’re a writer, I highly recommend Wendig’s books on the craft of writing — awesome stuff there. My personal favorite is “The Kick-Ass Writer”.

Book Review: Bloodline by Claudia Gray

- Barb Leave a comment

I have officially added Bloodline by Claudia Gray to my collection of Star Wars books. Being a huge Expanded Universe fan (Expanded Universe is now known as Legends), I admit to having a few reservations about this book — I bought it anyway and I have no regrets.

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Claudia Gray’s book Bloodline is a prequel story to the film Star Wars: The Force Awakens and is set about six years before we meet Rey, Finn, Poe, and BB-8. It’s Leia’s story and Gray did a great job with Leia Organa — princess, senator, wife, mother, and granddaughter of Darth Vader.

Bloodline follows Leia while she’s serving in the New Republic Senate. There’s conflict between the Populists and the Centrists as well as a greater threat to the star systems lurking just around the corner. Han is off doing his thing, Leia is trying to save the New Republic (no surprise there) and Gray even teases readers with a hint of the great Luke Skywalker who’s busy training the Solo’s son in the Jedi arts.

Bloodline gives readers a classic Star Wars adventure with heroes to cheer for, bad guys to boo, politicians with an agenda, starship pilots not afraid to take chances, and a nicely balanced combination of familiar faces mixed with new, exciting characters. Bloodline has intrigue, some great dialogue, a solid story that helps set up some of the events in the movie The Force Awakens, and quite a bit of action. It’s great to see Leia getting her hands dirty and kicking ass. There’s also a poignant moment as Leia comes to a startling realization about her father, Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker — you’ll have to wait for it, as it comes almost at the end, but it’s good.

I like author Claudia Gray’s style for moments like this:

“Someday was the sun disappearing behind a cloud, a morning lost to darkness long before night should have come.”

And

“They lifted their glasses and clinked them together, and the darkness in their pasts seemed farther away than it had before.”

And my favorite:

“The sun is setting on the New Republic. It’s time for the Resistance to rise.”

I recommend Star Wars: Bloodline by Claudia Gray to any fan of the Star Wars books and/or movies. You can check out more Star Wars books here. My personal favorite is the X-Wing series.

Find out more about author Claudia Gray here.

May the Fourth Be With You: Let’s Talk Star Wars Books

- Barb Leave a comment

About three weeks after 9/11 a friend offered a book recommendation. Not a specific book, but rather a collection of books written by multiple authors telling tales about a galaxy far, far away.

That’s right — my friend suggested I read a Star Wars book. I’ve been a fan of the movies since I was a kid and to this day I still swoon when Luke Skywalker enters Leia’s cell and says, “I’m Luke Skywalker. I’m here to rescue you.”

I hadn’t read much science fiction, my favorite types of books had always been mysteries and YA paranormal. However, I was looking for some new reads and the world felt like a really scary place the first few weeks after 9/11. As a young mom at the time, it was overwhelming. I needed an escape. Little did I know that it would be Star Wars novels that would provide that escape and then welcome me into a universe that continued to amaze and delight me page after page.

Thus began my love (and slight obsession) with Star Wars novels and the stories from the Expanded Universe. Below is just part of my Star Wars book collection.

No, I’m not going to discuss/debate the new canon and yes, I read and I did like “Aftermath” by Chuck Wendig. And yes, I’ll continue to read the new books as they’re released. End of discussion. Moving on.

I’m writing this post today because: (1) it’s May 4 and you know what that means: May the 4th Be With You day and (2) I want to encourage other readers to pick up a book from the amazing universe that is Star Wars fiction and read these really cool, fun stories.

There are so many, if you don’t like one or the style of the author, pick another. Are you a fan of tech type/space battle/action stories — check out the X-Wing Series. It’s seriously awesome and my personal favorite is book 2, “Wedge’s Gamble” by Michael A. Stackpole.

Other favorites include “I, Jedi” also by Michael A. Stackpole. This was the book that made me a serious Corran Horn fan.  You can check him out here via Wookieepedia. I do recommend “Survivor’s Quest” by Timothy Zahn and both series: The Legacy of the Force and Fate of the Jedi. I’m not a huge fan of the Dark Nest trilogy but I have friends that loved those books.

I’ve delved into many of the books that take place prior to A New Hope — I’m not really into stories of the Clone Wars and the Old Galactic Republic books. I did read and own all the New Jedi Order books with the war against the Yuuzhan Vong. That series is really long, but overall I found it interesting and downright heartbreaking at times. Two very devastating deaths during that series, one which caused me to fling the book across the room. Scared the hell out of the cat.

That is why I love these books. They’ve made me feel. They made me laugh. They took me to a galaxy far, far away when the world at my door was very dark and uncertain. They were a great escape and I will be forever grateful to the writers and to a friend who said, “Hey, I really think you should check out a Star Wars book.”

May the Fourth Be With You!