Archive for the ‘Leia Organa Solo’ Category

I do not like to be negative…Quick name one book I have said was terrible…It’s hard to do because I love books.  I love stories, and it is rare for me to not get into and enjoy reading whatever I get my hands on.  I want to enjoy everything I read, and for the most part I do, but there are aspects of Fate of the Jedi that I just don’t get.  I hope you can tell me I am wrong about this series, and I hope you can give me multiple reasons to love this series.  As of now though, Fate of the Jedi leaves me scratching my head.

First, this series was set up to fail with the earlier appointment of Admiral Daala as the Chief of State.  I don’t know whose idea this was, but it was not a very good one.  Daala as Chief of State makes no sense.  She was the developer of super weapons for the Empire.  Her work helped destroy planets and entire galaxies.  She was Grand Moff Tarkin’s lover and disciple.  How is it evenly remotely possible for her to be elected as Chief of State with that background?  This would be like the United States electing the head of the Nuclear Weapons Program of Russia as its own President.  There is just no way it would happen.  Making Daala chief is like they ran out of eligible candidates with Mothma, Ackbar, Leia, Fey’lya, Omas, among others all out of the political picture, so they went with the last character standing.  The only problem is there is only one story to tell with Daala…former imp fights with former rebels.   I can’t see any other direction.  Develop new political characters or C3PO will be the next Chief!

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We have a big show for you today.

Wayne and I break down Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn.  We discuss Zahn’s ability to write great characters.  Some you love, and others you love to hate.   We also break down plot and how Zahn truly captures the spirit of Star Wars and is faithful to George Lucas’ vision.

Later we share with you and interview with Paul Kemp author of multiple Forgotten Realms and Star Wars novels, short stories, and more.  Mr. Kemp shares with us his favorite characters he has written, if any of his Forgotten Realms characters come from his RPG days, how he would describe his own writting, and I couldn’t resist asking who is crazier Star Wars or Forgotten Realms fans, and much, much more.

One note – early in the podcast I mistakenly say that Crosscurrent by Paul Kemp was connected to the Legacy of the Jedi series, and that is incorrect.  As you all know, and I do too, I just misspoke, it is connected to the Fate of the Jedi series.

Thank you for listening.  Please share us with your friends.

Exploring the galaxy one page at a time, Jesse

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Welcome to your Star Wars and Sci-Fi Book Report: the Podcast episode 14, and in this episode Wayne and I discuss The Force Unleashed and The Force Unleashed II.  Wayne being a professional video game reviewer gives us the gaming review.  He discusses gameplay, game engines, and gives us his thoughts on how these stories are revealed in the games and the overall gaming experience.

I on the other hand give the perspective of the novles.  Where I break down my thoughts on both of these novles…I also tell you the greatest video game ever.

This podcast gets interesting in discovering the differences between the novels and the games, and Wayne and I just have a blast discussing how all of the unbelievable acts in these two stores fit into the canon.  It may be a short episode, but it is full of laughs and insights.  We have never given you a more fun podcast, so come along and explore the galaxy with us one page and today one button at a time.

Thank you so much for listening, Jesse

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Welcome to our Thanksgiving speical.  Where we give thanks for books esspecially The Force Unleashed by Sean Williams.  Chris Hothiceplanet Smith stops by from The Sarlacc Pit the official podcast of www.galacticbinder.com to join the discussion.  We discuss all the things we like and dislike about this novel, and how it fits within the canon.   We also discuss the challenges of novelizing a video game.  It is a fun break down of everyone’s favorite video game and now novel.

Also, Chris Hothiceplanet shares some very cool Christmas news going on at www.galacticbinder.com where they will be giving Star Wars toys, collectables, and merchandise to three needy families this Christmas, and they need your help.  All of us that has been blessed this year can share and help out.  There are two ways for you to help out.  First, www.galacticbinder.com need Star Wars stuff to give away, so you can mail any donations to:

Holiday Star Wars Gift Packs

4955 Byron Road

Memphis TN. 38122

Send those gifts in, and also you can share your story of need or if you know a family in need,  you can share the story of some other family.  You can send in these stories of families in need to hothiceplanet@galacticbinder.com, and then three families will be chosen.  You can find more information at www.galacticbinder.com/pgiveaways.html.  Also, at the previous link, there is a tab to donate through paypal to save you a trip to the store.  I hope you all will participate.  If you have much, send in a gift.  If you have little, share your story with them, and if you know a family in need, share their story.  Submissions must be sent in by December 10th, 2010.  Join in this great Christmas ministry as your Star Wars Book Report has.

Thanks for listening, Jesse

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This is a spoiler conscious review of Dark Nest III: The Swarm War by Troy Denning

Books and Series Mentioned

Dark Nest III: The Swarm War

The Dark Nest Trilogy

The New Jedi Order

I just completed the Dark Nest Trilogy, and there was no reason for me to like this trilogy.  There were so many plot points and events that I do not like.  Strike one, I am not big into bugs.  I do not like them in my house, and I do not like them in my stories.  Strike two, as has been well documented on the site, I am not a fan of the unifying force.  There was one scene in Dark Nest One: The Joiner King where Luke drew upon his anger and fear to cloak their ship that turned my stomach.  Strike three, I am not a fan of a hive mind.  That idea has just seemed overdone to me in the Sci-Fi universe.  I did not think that Star Wars needed to go there.  Strike four, there was its total ignoring of Jacen’s sojourn through the universe studying the force that Jacen tells Luke he will do in The Unifying Force.  I was so intrigued by Jacen telling Luke about this plan in The Unifying Force, that was the one thing I was excited to learn about in this series, and it basically ignores it with just a few offhanded mentions.  Strike five, the Jedi council, which seemed finally settled after The New Jedi Order was not so settled and we had to read through another Chief of State vs. Jedi debate.  Strike six, and the most egregious, is Luke on the cover of Dark Next III: The Swarm War shooting Sith lightning!  Let me tell you I still throw up a little in my mouth seeing that.  How many strikes do you get before you’re out?  Through the grape vine I heard about these issues and could see the cover of Dark Nest III: The Swarm War that I did not think that I would ever read it.  I was not interested at all. 

In fact I was so not interested that it took my love for reading on a Kindle to get me to read it.  I have read every other Kindle Star Wars book, and since I live in small town USA, I had to either drive 45 minutes to the nearest book store, or read The Dark Nest Trilogy, and my laziness won out, and I Kindled The Dark Nest Trilogy, and let me tell, no other book, movie or any other form of entertainment has won me over like this trilogy.  There are so many reasons for me to hate this trilogy, but I didn’t…if fact I rank it as one of the best trilogies I have read. 

You may be thinking that my expectations were so low that I could not help, but be impressed by this trilogy, but that is not the case.  This was not about my expectations.  I flat do not like, bugs, hive mind, the unifying force…these are things that bother me, so for me to like things that I do not like, is an incredible writing feat by Mr. Troy Denning, so let’s get to all the things I loved about the final installment of this thrilling trilogy. 

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Daily

Reading

Update

The Force Unleashed by Sean Williams

I have completed this novel, and I have to admit this novel bothered me on so many levels…pun totally intended.  If you have read my Daily Reading Update part 2 on The Force Unleashed there will be some repetition here.  This novel is just so over the top, filled with galaxy altering events that will shape the Expanded Universe, that there was not enough space to adequately cover these topics.  In my Daily Reading Update part 2, I mentioned how Starkiller faces 3 post purge Jedi in just 92 pages.  That is 3 monumental events in the Expanded Universe to learn of 3 post purge Jedi and one padawan.  Since those 92 pages, Starkiller learned that there was another Jedi who survived the initial purge in his father.  We learn of a total of 5 new Jedi that survived the initial purge.  Words cannot adequately describe how huge this is, but this just scratches the surface of the Universe altering events that were in this novel. 

We are also introduced to some serious Rebel Alliance leadership like Bail Organa, Leia Organa, Mon Mothma, and Garm Bel Ibis, and they are secondary characters.  This is a pre-rebel alliance look into these characters, which is another huge event. 

In the last third of this book, we have Starkiller who breaks Bail Organa out of prison and then takes down a Star Destroyer construction facility, and through these two acts becomes trusted enough to observe and actually become the founder of the Rebel Alliance as the rebel leaders give their allegiance to him.  Not only do we have 5 new post purge Jedi, we have the actual founding of the Rebel Alliance, and that founding is a side story…how can something this huge be a side story? 

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Novel or Series Mentioned

Shadows of the Empire

You talk to most Star Wars fans, and ask their favorite character and no one is too far down that list before Han Solo and Chewbacca are mentioned.  They are the pirates with the hearts of gold.  One of my favorite character types in stories is the guy or girl who does not want to do right, but they cannot help themselves.  They do the right thing even though goes against everything that comes out of their mouth like Mat Cauthon in The Wheel of Time series, and of course Han Solo in Star Wars.  Also, I love characters that are completely loyal like good ol’ Chewie.  My 7^th favorite scene displays both Han and Chewie for who they truly are, and that is why I just love this scene. 

This scene comes from Shadows of the Empire.  I know what you are thinking.  How does this show us anything about Han Solo since he is frozen in carbonite through the entire novel?  Great question…The answer is Han had the money and the reward to pay off Jabba the Hutt, and if he left the rebellion immediately after receiving the reward he would have paid off Jabba, and all the bounty hunters in the galaxy would not have been hunting him.  Also, Han would not have fired on the Death Star and escaped from Hoth garnering the Empire wrath.  He would have continued his life as a smuggler, but Han had to do the right thing, and that is why he is frozen. 

So I loved Han being frozen, and his frozenness being a focal point of this story because it is a constant reminder that Han Solo has a great heart.  Next, my favorite scene displays the loyalty of Chewbacca. 

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This is a spoiler conscious book review of Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen for more spoiler information and thoughts check out the Daily Reading Updates on this book where I break down each chapter. 

Novels or Series Mentioned

Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen

Dark Nest I: The Joiner King

I know I have been doing chapter by chapter reviews of Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen, but I got into this story and finished it.  I will go back and finish the chapter reviews, but while this story is fresh on my mind, I thought I would share my conclusions.  This is one of those novels you will love or hate.  It really depends on your tastes in Sci-Fi.  There is some great action.  I think Troy Denning shines brightest when he is writing an action scene.  There is one tremendous scene that still gives me chills…then there is the cheesiest story arc in the history of Star Wars novels.  Now, I love cheese in my Sci-Fi, so this did not bother me, but I could see it bothering those that do not like the cheesy nature of some Sci-Fi ventures.  Also, there is some under-reactions that could bother some readers, and there are some slow chapters as well.

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This begins as a spolier conscious book review and then there is some spoiler information later in the article.

Novels or Series Mentioned

Betrayal

Legacy of the Force

Aaron Allston and this creative team gave this book a great title. Betrayal has multi-layered meaning for this book. It can reference so many characters and plotlines. Is it talking about Corellia’s turn against the Galactic Alliance or the Galactic Alliance’s turn on Correllia? Is it referencing Han Solo’s turn on the Galactic Alliance? Is it referencing Thracken Sal-Solo’s turn on Corellia? Is it referencing Jacen’s turn on Nelani and/or Ben Skywalker? I think the answer is YES. So many of these story lines can be viewed as betrayals from different perspectives, and some look like betrayals on both side, so this is a great title for this book and my favorite aspect of this story.

The basic plot for this tale is that Corellia is trying to get all the benefits of being a member of the Galactic Alliance without paying taxes. The fun starts when people start choosing sides: freedom of choice for Corellia or Corellia should abide by its agreement with the Galactic Alliance, and some characters choose an unexpected path.

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This review is a review of Abyss by Troy Denning and contains spoilers, so be wary of the prior to reading.

Novels or Series Mentioned

Abyss

Star by Star

Dark Nest I: The Joiner King

The Fate of the Jedi

Troy Denning is quickly rising on my favorite Star Author list.  Star by Star was an epic story that was written and handled very well.  I recently posted how much I enjoyed Dark Nest I: The Joiner King even thought there were numerous reasons for me to hate it, since I am quite the traditionalist and do not like change.  Both of those novels are testaments to Denning’s writing skill, and Denning’s writing skill is also on display in Abyss. 

Denning is an excellent writer of action.  The way Abeloth’s planet was filled with action with the venomous and dangerous foliage.  I know dangerous plants do not sound thrilling, but Denning writes them in a way that keep you on your toes because you know at any moment another attack is coming from left field, and I enjoyed that constant danger while reading.

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