It’s been a while since I’ve posted any reviews, but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t been reading any EU. I’ve found time to sneak in some novels like little kids sneak cigarettes. This has been a good year for the EU but my second favorite novel this year (because, of course, Darth Plagueis is my favorite) has got to be Alex Wheeler’s Rebel Force #1: Target.

This is a novel for young readers (probably ten to twelve) but it has all of the characteristics that made me fall in love with the films and EU. Target begins immediately after Episode IV. The Rebels are still on Yavin 4 and everyone is how we left them in a A New Hope: Luke is still naive and attracted to Leia (Got some bad news for ya there, buddy), Han is smug and anxious to leave the Rebellion, and Leia is still a determined leader and as dedicated to the cause as ever. They and the Rebellion have encountered several problems, though.

A lot of the Rebellion’s assets were on Alderaan, assets that they’ve now lost. This is an interesting point to focus on as the films never made clear how the Rebellion was really able to operate. To continue functioning they must try and access “secret accounts” on Muunilinst. Second, the Emperor is (understandably) furious about the destruction of the Death Star. Rezi Soresh, an Imperial commander, hopes to win favor with the Emperor by sending X-7, a highly trained assassin (they’re always highly trained, aren’t they?), to infiltrate the Rebellion and discover the identity of the pilot responsible.

The novel is an extremely quick read at 186 pages. I’m a sucker for any novels set in the OT, and Alex Wheeler did an excellent job of capturing the spirit of those early films. Target and the rest of the Rebel Force series are highly recommended.

4/5

Summary:

An all-new Star Wars series!

It is a critical moment in the struggle between the Rebels and the Empire: the Force itself hangs in the balance, and all the hopes of the galaxy depend on the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and a host of other heroes. . . .

Like most fans, I’m still reeling from today’s news. For a lot of us, if not all of us, this was a complete surprise. While it was no secret that George Lucas hadn’t been involved in a lot of Star Wars  dealings, i.e. the EU,  Lucas had always been a constant for us. He was a figure that we loved, that we hated, that we had mixed feelings about, but there he was. He presence was large and his shadow loomed over Star Wars, even if he didn’t keep up with it day-to-day.  There was always talk between fans about what would happen when Lucas died because we knew that was the only time that someone else would be in control. Star Wars remained Lucas’ baby. Add that to the fact that he is in no need of money, and most of us couldn’t conceive of Lucas every giving up the rights to it.

Yet here we are. People complain that a big corporation like Disney is now in charge of our beloved saga. Sorry to spoil it but Lucasfilm was a corporation, but I understand it was our  corporation. Disney is now the third wheel in what has always been a private relationship between us and Lucasfilm. I don’t know what this will mean for Star Wars. I’m hopeful that Disney will do right by the characters and stories we love, that they will do right by the fans, but who can tell yet? This is day one in what will be a very long journey.

This brings me to the new trilogy. Never in my lifetime did I expect to see a new trilogy. The idea of a third trilogy is as old as Star Wars itself. It seems mythic at this point. There’s a lot of speculation of what will the new films be about. What will this do to continuity? Will we have to live with retconning or multiverses? Maybe.  We just don’t know yet. I’m incredibly skeptical of what a new film will mean, as well as the quality of a new trilogy. We have learned to be skeptical of what we might have previously embraced. We’ll just have to see what news we’ll get in the next few days and weeks, and hope against hope that these new films will live up to our expectations, and that Disney will remember fans who’ve been with Star Wars  for years and years.

We all love Star Wars , and we love it a lot. If we didn’t, then none of us would care this much. There have been disappointments in the past. Some of us will miss the Lucas’ presence. All we can do is follow Star Wars where it goes and hope for brilliant new stories from a galaxy far, far away.

SEE ALSO:
Accepting Disney and Star Wars
Disney Acquires Lucasfilm: Reaction
Disney Acquires Lucasfilm by Bry Dean

Unlike Master Optician, I’ve never been a DIY kind of guy. The only experience that I’ve had with these kind of manuals is another fake repair manual (the Enterprise Haynes Manual). When this manual came out I was interested but not terribly anxious over it. References books are fun but I usually prefer a novel or a graphic novel any day (The Essential Guide to Warfare is a major exception). That was until I actually got a copy and started to flip through it.

This book is really well done. I loved the pictures spread throughout the book, as well as the diagrams and schematics.  It’s a visual feast to pour over the diagrams of the Millennium Falcon and learn about the various systems of the ship, though there is more than just that to this book. The book details the history of this legendary ship, as well as the history of the YT-1300 Light Freighters.  It’s a lot of fun to read about the origins of the Millennium Falcon. With this kind of detail the Millennium Falcon, always a constant presence in the films and EU, becomes a kind of character itself.  There are flaws in the book, including some typos, but really nothing major. The book is a terrific reference guide for those of us who love the ships of Star Wars (my X-Wing model when I was a kid was one of my most prized possessions).

There are plenty of things here for everyone. The detail oriented fan and the casual fan will love it equally (I’d especially recommend it for fans of James Luceno’s novel Millennium Falcon). I don’t think that this book is an essential buy but there’s no denying that it’s a lot of fun. The range of this book is impressive with all kind of details (weapons & engineering, crew facilities, etc.) included. If you’ve got the money and the inclination, then this is the book for you.

Millennium Falcon Owner’s Workshop Manual  receives a 4 1/2 out of 5.

SEE ALSO:
Review: Millennium Falcon Owner’s Workshop Manual by Master Optician
The Millennium Falcon Owner’s Workshop Manual

Darth Plagueis

Release Date: January 2012

Darth Plagueis is my favorite EU novel. That’s not an overstatement. I’ve never read a novel like it. There’s been a lot written on this novel already, and rightfully so. The anticipation has been building for this novel for years now, and rightfully so. Unlike any other novel, Plagueis actually enhances the films. I dare anyone to watch the prequels the same way after reading this novel. Luceno has long been known as one of the best writers working in the EU and he more than lives up to that reputation with Darth Plagueis.

I hate spoilers in reviews, and will try to avoid them in this review. Plus, the book has been out for over a month now, so I’m assuming that a lot of the major plot points are known by now. The novel is very political oriented, consisting of lots of deals, conversations about the Sith’s plan, etc. This is a nice change of pace for the EU. It’s great getting to read about Palpatine’s early years as well. The menace, the darkness of Palpatine is there even in his early years. He’s always been a compelling character, but I never really realized how fascinating he was until this novel. Here we see Palpatine as he really is. The information on the events surrounding Episode One is wonderful. Reading about what was going on behind the action of the films helps to enhance the standing of that film. When I went to see the film in 3D last week it was all but impossible to think of the novel.

And what about the character of Darth Plagueis? The importance of this character in the Star Wars universe is incalculable. He was everything that I had hoped for. He is dark, thoughtful and worthy of the legend that surrounds him. He is one of the most interesting characters to appear in the EU.

This is a short review, I know, but I don’t want to ruin the novel by going into too much detail. This novel is a fans novel. Talking about it too much might spoil it. My advice to everyone is run, don’t walk, to a bookstore and pick this up. This is one of the best novels to have emerged from the EU. It’s an engaging novel that will not only change the way you watch the prequels, but also the way that you think of the Star Wars universe as a whole.

SEE ALSO:
Darth Plagueis Among the Best in 2012 Science Fiction
Review: DARTH PLAGUEIS by Bry Dean
Star Wars: Darth Plagueis Audio Excerpt
Star Wars: Darth Plagueis Back Cover
Darth Plagueis Blurb Now Online
Star Wars: Darth Plagueis Cover Art

Every year critics and fans alike love to make lists of the best things that were released during the year. We decided to join in on the fun and we, Master Optician, myself and super_redhead, are doing our first ‘year in review’ lists.

FAVORITE EU NOVELS READ IN 2011:

(Notice that is “read” and not published in 2011)

1. Choices of One- It’s true that I didn’t read all of the EU novels released in 2011. I probably didn’t even read most of them (I missed Conviction, Ascension, and Shadow Games, at least). For more money, though, you can’t go wrong with Zahn. While some of his later novels were not his best, there’s no denying that the Thrawn trilogy is three of the best novels in the EU. He had a particularly strong return to form with this novel. Set between episodes IV and V, this novel has intrigue, intertwining plot threads, and is genuinely suspenseful.

2. Revan- My knowledge of The Old Republic is quite pathetic, but Revan was a lot of fun. It was fun for someone like myself, for example, to delve into the Sith society. Revan is a good, flawed hero, and, unlike some fans, I didn’t hate the Darth Scourge character. Didn’t play the Knights of the Old Republic games? Have no fear! The book is very readable, and goes into a lot of back story you may have missed.

3. Death Troopers- This is the only one on my list not published in 2011. If you missed when it was published in 2009, I recommend you go and pick it up. It’s a horror story. Substitute the haunted old house for a prison barge and you’ll have an idea of how this story works. It’s got a couple of characters from the original trilogy, zombies, and, at a little under 300 pages, it goes by in a blur. Despite all its faults this novel is entertaining as hell.

LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2011:

1. Darth Plagueis- Oh, man, you know it’s Darth Plagueis. It’s difficult to remember what EU novel has been more anticipated than this one, and it’s easy to see why. Go back and take a look at that cover again. The cover alone is dark, atmospheric and haunting. Plus, it’s got James Luceno, one of the better writers in the EU, at the helm. I’ve stayed away from all the excerpts that have been released, because when January 10th rolls around I want to be experience this novel.

2. The Phantom Menace 3D release- Yeah, I know that this is one of the prequels and that it has Jar-Jar Binks in it. Still, it’s Star Wars on the big screen (even if it is in 3D). For a lot of kids this will be the first time that they’ve seen Star Wars in the theater. Like a lot of you, I’m holding out for 2016, 2017, and 2018 when the originals will be in theaters, but seeing the Maul/Jinn/Kenobi fight on the big screen again will be epic.

3. Continuing to contribute to Knights Archive- This is a bit of a cop out but it’s true. My first review was posted here in July and I’ve been loving every minute of this since. I can’t tell you how much fun it has been getting to know and interact with so many fans. Thanks for helping to make this a great year.

I think that those of us who grew up loving Star Wars all have a pretty similar tale to tell. Star Wars is one of those pursuits that will identify you early on as a geek by your peers. We were the kids who collected action figures and cards, who made fan films and wrote fan fiction, who read comics and novels with weird covers. There is a stereotype attached to Star Wars fans, a stereotype that I’ve never found to be true. Fans that I’ve met are successful and intelligent people, who love Star Wars, but are not consumed by it (though I will agree that there are those outliers). This sort of labeling and origin story has helped create a sense of unity among fans. Collect All 21! and My Best Friend is a Wookiee are memoirs, by John Booth and Tony Pacitti, respectively, written by fans, relating the experience of what it is like to have Star Wars be such a dominant force in your life.

I picked both of these books up last winter. My Best Friend is a Wookiee (to be called MBFiaW) was the first one I picked up. I went through the book in two days and began following Pacitti on Twitter. He mentioned Collect All 21!  and John Booth in a Tweet, and a couple of days later I started into that memoir. Both books are insanely readable (MBFiaW is the longer of the two at 256 pages, if that gives an idea of how quick they go by) and capable of being laugh-out-loud funny and poignant.

The books, though, were written by two very different kinds of fans. I think that this can be chalked up to generational differences. Booth saw the original trilogy in theaters, while Pacitti, like myself, was introduced to the originals on VHS by his parents. How we are introduced to the films plays a big role in how we experience them, as well as how the culture at that time receives them. For Booth and his friends thought that trilogy was the biggest thing to ever hit the screens, but by the time Pacitti and myself came along our classmates didn’t seem to care about those films as much. New films had come out by then, Jurassic Park being one Pacitti mentions by name, and they were what was big. It wasn’t until the Special Editions came out (on the big screen, no less) that our generation began to appreciate Star Wars.

A couple of years later The Phantom Menace was released. The prequels are another point that separate the two memoirs. Booth, the matured family man, accepts the new trilogy. It is especially moving when he writes about seeing Revenge of the Sith with his daughter. It is moments like that, Booth argues, which make the prequel trilogy worth it. On the other hand, Pacitti, the young fanboy, loathes the prequels. At times it can be easy to misread the book as a treatise on why the prequels were the worst thing to happen to fandom, as opposed to a memoir on how influential Star Wars was in Pacitti’s life. 

Booth’s memoir seems to me to be the one that focuses more on Star Wars. Pacitti writes as often about his childhood and college years as he does about the influence that Star Wars had on those periods. I found myself identifying with both memoirs for different reasons. I can relate to Pacitti from a generational standpoint, he being only a few years older than myself, and being able to share certain reference points. Though I certainly identified with Booth’s story, as well, particularly where the prequels are concerned (they certainly aren’t my favorites, but I don’t hate them the way a lot of fans, including Pacitti, do).

Both of these memoirs are highly enjoyable reads. These books helped remind me what it is to be a fan. We fans are a singular bunch. When you meet another fan you already share a code and there is, in part, a shared life story. Take some time to pick both of these up, and I think that you’ll be surprised by how much you’ll have in common with Booth and Pacitti.

- Minor Spoiler Review –

Red Harvest  is a prequel by Joe Schreiber to his earlier Star Wars novel Death Troopers . This novel sets to explain how the zombie virus from Death Troopers came into being. As a fan of the horror genre, I was really impressed with Schreiber’s earlier Star Wars novel (which has also been reviewed). The novel takes place at a Sith academy during the Old Republic era, almost four thousand years before A New Hope. The headmaster of this academy, Darth Scabrous, is seeking the path to immortality and believes that an ancient Sith formula will grant him just that. However, things don’t go according to plan and things go very wrong. The novel is fun, though it is far from perfect.

Without going into too much detail, the plot is as follows: Darth Scabrous needs the Murakami orchid for his formula. He dispatches a bounty hunter, Tulkh, to capture the orchid from the Jedi Agricultural Corps. While there Tulkh kidnaps the orchid’s caretaker, Hestizo Trace, to ensure the orchid’s survival. Trace’s brother, Rojo, also a Jedi, rushes to save her. All the while Scarbrous’ formula is working, though not in the way expected, and the ensuing virus quickly spreads throughout the academy.

The location for the Sith academy, Ocader-Faustin, is effective. It’s a frozen planet that helps add the senses of isolation and dread throughout the story. Darth Scabrous’ tower, located in the heart of the academy and where he conducts all of his experiments, is a nice touch. It’s a subtle nod to the ominous towers that have become iconic in the horror genre. And like Death Troopers, Schrieber is able to keep the action continuous throughout this novel. The pace is quick, the movement of the story is rapid. It was difficult to put the book down and not think about where the story was going.

Joe Schreiber has the same problem that he had with Death Troopers, and that is the lack of characterization. The biggest problem is all of the Sith students that Schrieber writes about. It’s difficult to keep track of all of them (made all the more difficult by bland Sith dialogue about power and fear, etc.). The novel also faced another problem. The Black Orchid, the one that Darth Scabrous needs, talks. I mean, the plant has actual dialogue in the novel. It communicates with Hestizo Trace, something that proved to be quite annoying. I appreciate Schreiber taking such a risk (the Force connecting all living things, as you all remember), but it was just too quirky, to odd for my tastes.

As a long time fan of both horror and Star Wars, I have really enjoyed Joe Schreiber’s EU novels. They’re fast paced, entertaining books that provide real chills. Though they both have their faults, and, believe me, these are not perfect books, I’d recommend them to any fan of horror or Star Wars, especially new fans who are trying to get a grasp on the EU.

Red Harvest receives a 3 1/2 out of 5.

SEE ALSO:
Red Harvest Paperback Cover Art
New Red Harvest Blurb Released
Review: Death Troopers

Choices of One
Author: Timothy Zahn
Release Date: July 2011

The other day I stood in a book store and  flipped through Heir to the Empire: The 20th Anniversary Edition. As I browsed familiar passages and glanced at Timothy Zahn’s footnotes, it occurred to me just how vital Zahn is to the EU. This proves to be especially true in his newest Star Wars novel, Choices of One. The six films mark the major events of the Star Wars universe, but leave large gaps in characters’ personal narratives. The whole purpose of the EU should be to move characters forward in their development, and the best kind of EU does that. Choices of One accomplishes this with the important evolution of Han Solo from a smuggler to a major component of the Rebel Alliance, though this only one aspect of a hugely entertaining story. Choices of One is a reminder of why fandom craved such a comprehensive EU in the first place.

Choices of One takes place between A New Hope  and The Empire Strikes Back. The story is set several months after the destruction of the Death Star, a time when the Rebel Alliance is in need of a new base. A seemingly disgruntled Imperial governor in the Candoras Sector offers the Alliance  Poln Minor, a nearly uninhabited planet with deep underground caverns, as a base. When the Emperor hears of this he sends Mara Jade, who enlists the Hand of Judgement from Allegiance, in dealing with the situation. But all is not as it seems, especially when Luke, Leia, and Han begin to investigate the potential base of Poln Minor, and find a secret in the old caverns of the planet.

The plot is an intricate one and the intrigue of the story is wonderful. At many times it reads like a spy novel. The mood is one thick with betrayal and deception. The tensions that Zahn builds throughout the novel are masterful, including keeping  characters who are not supposed to meet yet away from each other. It was great to see characters from The Thrawn Trilogy appearing at this point in the saga, especially a younger Pellaeon. After having had these characters around for so long, since the early 1990s, encountering them in the EU has become like meeting with an old friend. Each characters’ story was given its proper amount of time to develop, something vital to an ensemble story like this one.

Han Solo, to me, remains the stand out character of this novel. His transformation from the New Hope Han Solo to Empire Han Solo is a striking one, and one that I had never given much thought to. It is one thing to go back and help Luke, it is another thing to devote one’s life and endeavors to a movement such as the Rebel Alliance. His metamorphosis is one made believable in the story. There is a struggle inside of Han. He is changing from someone concerned with only himself to someone who is concerned with the greater good, and it is a change that is a joy to watch.

Choices of One is one of those EU novels for readers of every type. If there are fans out there that have not read The Thrawn Trilogy or Allegiance, don’t worry. While it is helpful to have some background on the characters introduced in those novels it is not necessary. These characters are realized and very accessible. Timothy Zahn is one of those writers able to create rich, detailed characters and sophisticated plots without sacrificing the story’s entertainment value. I really enjoyed Choices of One. It is a novel that reminded me why I fell in love with the EU, and that is one of the highest compliments I could afford any novel.

Choices of One receives a 5 out of 5.