Star Wars Novels/Graphic Novels

[Calibandar]

There is a timeline in the Force Awakens hardcover.

So you have amongst others Dark Disciple, Tarkin, Lords of the Sith, New Dawn.

And then set after Return of the Jedi, there is the Aftermath trilogy by Wendig ( part II out this summer) and Bloodline: New Republic, due this May.

[C.T. Phipps]

My biggest problem with the new EU is they're kind of underwhelming in their scope. Lost Stars is awesome because it's a Lower Decks episode (Star Trek reference) about the guys in Hoth Base and the Executor. However, everything else is lacking the kind of overthetop awesome and events which I really think the EU was best at. Rebel Dawn came closest but I think the books would have benefited from an Admiral Thrawn figure or some crazy superweapons.

[Joe Pesci]

My biggest problem with the new EU is they're kind of underwhelming in their scope. Lost Stars is awesome because it's a Lower Decks episode (Star Trek reference) about the guys in Hoth Base and the Executor. However, everything else is lacking the kind of overthetop awesome and events which I really think the EU was best at. Rebel Dawn came closest but I think the books would have benefited from an Admiral Thrawn figure or some crazy superweapons.

The lack of a book featuring the Big 3 is surprising. If you wanted to prime the pump for the new EU and build excitement for it that was the way to go. I have enjoyed some of the new books but it seems that while they are setting the scene of the new SW galaxy, not having the major players involved is strange. I haven't read Heir to the Jedi and I know it features Luke but it isn't set post-ROTJ which is where I expected them to kick things off. Maybe they are worried about starting there right off the bat because it won't be able to match the success of the Thrawn trilogy.

I just finished Tarkin and I enjoyed it. I liked the peeling back of the curtain and seeing how things are done at the upper echelon of the Empire.

Still have to start Battlefront, but I was over my parents yesterday and came across my collection of SW books so I'm going on a Zahn kick and reading the Hand of Thrawn books.

[Goldhand]

I'm nearly done with A New Dawn and it's been pretty meh. Misleading cover and few-and-far-between good action, no lightsabers, no space battles, hardly any real battle at all. I don't think I'm even going to bother with Aftermath, as present tense is a massive turn-off for me. Might try Kenobi or Twilight Company soon though.

[Magnar of Skagos]

Started listening to The Force Awakens audiobook... and it's not looking good so far. The writing is quite obviously sub-par. I mean, do we really need three paragraphs detailing how BB-8 dodged between a bunch of little aliens on his way to find Poe Dameron? The prose is overloaded with adjectives and adverbs, repeating the same phrases over and over again, as if we can not understand what is going on. God, it's like it's written by a  highschooler.

I don't know, maybe its the audiobook that is illustrating the writing in a negative way, but I've found it beyond distracting so far.

 

Edit: Oh god help me. He just began  a sentence with "Contrary to popular belief:"

 

[First of My Name]

On ‎18‎-‎1‎-‎2016 at 2:24 PM, Hrokkan of Skagos said:

Started listening to The Force Awakens audiobook... and it's not looking good so far. The writing is quite obviously sub-par. I mean, do we really need three paragraphs detailing how BB-8 dodged between a bunch of little aliens on his way to find Poe Dameron? The prose is overloaded with adjectives and adverbs, repeating the same phrases over and over again, as if we can not understand what is going on. God, it's like it's written by a  highschooler.

I don't know, maybe its the audiobook that is illustrating the writing in a negative way, but I've found it beyond distracting so far.

 

Edit: Oh god help me. He just began  a sentence with "Contrary to popular belief:"

 

Unfortunately I think it might just be Foster's writing. His ANH novelization is the same. I understand why they wanted him to do TFA too but I personally wish they hadn't because I've never been a fan of his prose.

[TheRevanchist]

Foster's writing is shit. No idea why he is given to do the novelizations of pretty much every blockbuster.

[Spaßvogel]

On 1/14/2016 at 9:39 AM, Goldhand said:

I'm nearly done with A New Dawn and it's been pretty meh. Misleading cover and few-and-far-between good action, no lightsabers, no space battles, hardly any real battle at all. I don't think I'm even going to bother with Aftermath, as present tense is a massive turn-off for me. Might try Kenobi or Twilight Company soon though.

You have come to pretty much the opposite conclusion that I did.  I felt it was the best of the 'new canon' novels.  It had the best balance between being plot and character driven, didn't rely overly on wink-wink references to the movies, and moved at a very fast and exciting pace.  Shrug. 

Also decided to re-read the amazingly mediocre Aftermath now that I've seen the movie a few times  Just realized that the annoying 14yr old who is a jerk to his mother is the teenaged version of Snap Wexley from Force Awakens. 

[Magnar of Skagos]

15 hours ago, Spaßvogel said:

You have come to pretty much the opposite conclusion that I did.  I felt it was the best of the 'new canon' novels.  It had the best balance between being plot and character driven, didn't rely overly on wink-wink references to the movies, and moved at a very fast and exciting pace.  Shrug. 

Also decided to re-read the amazingly mediocre Aftermath now that I've seen the movie a few times  Just realized that the annoying 14yr old who is a jerk to his mother is the teenaged version of Snap Wexley from Force Awakens. 

Didn't that guy have like 3 lines in the whole movie? How can you know anything about his personality from "WOOOOHOOOOO" or "YOU GOT 'EM"?

[Spaßvogel]

2 hours ago, Hrokkan of Skagos said:

Didn't that guy have like 3 lines in the whole movie? How can you know anything about his personality from "WOOOOHOOOOO" or "YOU GOT 'EM"?

He had a few lines in the briefing scene.  He was the one who did the reconnaissance flight over Starkiller Base.  I was saying he was annoying in the book, not the movie.  Temmin Wexley.  He, like just about every other young version of a character in this universe, is a street-rat with excellent tech skills and is a gifted pilot.  His father was dragged off by Imperials when he was young and his mother went to fight with the rebellion, so he was left with his aunts.  His mother is Nora Wexley who flew a Y-Wing into the Death Star 2.  (Strangely enough, Poe Dameron's mother was an A-Wing pilot at the Death Star 2 battle as well, I'm sensing a pattern here).  So far his appearance is the only tie-in with the movie, but I'm not done with the book yet.  (Although they have also planted the seeds for why the New Republic doesn't hunt down and destroy the Imperial remnants, Mon Mothma spearheads an effort to cut the military by 90% and thinks they can negotiate with Imperials rather than fight them).

There are a number of adolescent characters in this book that keep showing up in "interludes" and I wonder if they will end up being people from the movie.

 

[lady narcissa]

Cover, summary and brief excerpt from Claudia Gray's Bloodline coming out in May.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2016/02/04/star-wars-bloodline-exclusive-excerpt-cover-reveal/79692922/

Like that it will be focusing on Leia.

[Corvinus85]

12 hours ago, lady narcissa said:

Cover, summary and brief excerpt from Claudia Gray's Bloodline coming out in May.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2016/02/04/star-wars-bloodline-exclusive-excerpt-cover-reveal/79692922/

Like that it will be focusing on Leia.

Nice excerpt. I feel optimistic about it, especially considering Gray's other SW novel. I hope young Ben and Han make an appearance,

[Joe Pesci]

8 hours ago, Corvinus said:

Nice excerpt. I feel optimistic about it, especially considering Gray's other SW novel. I hope young Ben and Han make an appearance,

Yeah I'm starting to come around to these new books, and she got the SW universe down pretty well in Lost Stars so there's hope.

Oh and finally got around to finishing Battlefront. It started off kind of slow for me but I really got into it as it progressed. Overall it was a pretty decent read imo.

[Calibandar]

I'm not very excited by the Gray novel now that more details are out, I was hoping for something else.

Here is to hoping there will still be a lot of interesting details. I wouldn't mind the subject at all if there were more books lined up in the new setting, but since only this one and Aftermath II are lined up for the whole year, it suddenly becomes more important what Bloodline New Republic is about.

[Joe Pesci]

7 hours ago, Calibandar said:

I'm not very excited by the Gray novel now that more details are out, I was hoping for something else.

Here is to hoping there will still be a lot of interesting details. I wouldn't mind the subject at all if there were more books lined up in the new setting, but since only this one and Aftermath II are lined up for the whole year, it suddenly becomes more important what Bloodline New Republic is about.

I think post ROTJ books with the big 3 are going to be sporadic at best until episode IX is done, so once the films are done the writers will have more liberty to do things with the characters. Stand alone stories are more likely imo and despite Aftermath being a trilogy, it seems like it isn't going to be a continuous storyline. Just my guess though...

[Magnar of Skagos]

How long til you guys think these authors will start exploring the pre-film era galaxy? Like Old Republic era stuff?

[RumHam]

3 hours ago, Hrokkan of Skagos said:

How long til you guys think these authors will start exploring the pre-film era galaxy? Like Old Republic era stuff?

Probably depends if they're having discussions about releasing movies set during that era down the line. I'd imagine they're at least considering it. 

[Darth Richard II]

There was an interview with whoever is in charge of the EU now, I forget his name, where they said they're not touching anything pre film era for a long time. So don't hold your breath.

[Magnar of Skagos]

It's probably a good thing, though. I don't want them to ruin any of it.

[Joe Pesci]

Also makes me wonder whether or not they'll go back into the prequel timeline at all.