Xander Vos
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New BooksI'm gonna lump these together as I got all of them in the last few days:
- Order 66
- Rule of Two
- Invincible
- Streets of Shadow
- Patterns of the Force
First up: Rule of Two
I've just started this, I'm about 50 pages in, and I'm really liking this so far. Exploring the Old Republic was such a great idea, and a third Bane book and a Sunrider book both look extremely promising. No negative comments so far, except some of the logic used in parts seems a little flawed and convenient - something I'd do, not a proffesional writer. I'll be able to comment more when I've read more, but that's about it for now.
Just thought I'd start this thread to show that I AM still reading most of the books coming out once they reach paperback - Order 66 is already paperback here despite not officially out in paperback until May, and I think Death Star hasn't hit shelves yet here in paperback.
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Sirak Sazen
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Do you have a love for the paperback?
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Rive Caedo
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Re: New Books | Korus Zhett wrote: | | Death Star hasn't hit shelves yet here in paperback. |
I've heard that one's probably wiser to skip.
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Xander Vos
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| Sirak Sazen wrote: | | Do you have a love for the paperback? |
Cheaper + More Material + Easier to Carry.
What's not to love?
I heard Death Star wasn't tooo bad.
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Rive Caedo
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More material?
But I absolutely agree with "cheapter" being a HUGE reason to wait for paperback. Buying 3-4 paperback books for the cost of 1 hardcover is massive - especially if you read large numbers of books.
You actually might like Death Star since it supposedly ties a lot of old canon stories together. But most people have seemed to say "Too many characters, too little story, too talky."
I wouldn't mind reading it. But seeing as how I still haven't finished Coruscant Nights 1 or the Legacy of the Force series...
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Scion
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Cheaper is the only upside to paperback, I prefer the longevity of hardcover.
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Crozeus
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Rule of Two is a superb book. I feel that Karpyshan is the best SW writer out there.
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Scion
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| Crozeus wrote: | | Rule of Two is a superb book. I feel that Karpyshan is the best SW writer out there. |
Zahn is watching you...
Though Karpyshan comes in an easy 2nd.
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Talen D'aar
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Although it isn't his bread and butter, I thought R.A. Salvatore did a pretty good job in the SW universe. Even though he was given the task of killing Chewie.
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Crozeus
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| Scion wrote: | | Crozeus wrote: | | Rule of Two is a superb book. I feel that Karpyshan is the best SW writer out there. |
Zahn is watching you...
Though Karpyshan comes in an easy 2nd. |
Zahn is excellent is well... but I prefer Karpyshan, probably due to his involvement on KOTOR, Jade Empire and Mass Effect.
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Xander Vos
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Hello? Allston?
I like any story that ties together old canon.
Paperbacks contain previews to new books, as well as the timeline which I'm rather fond of - even if they are squeezing it down instead of just making it a three/four page timeline.
They don't fall apart THAT easily either, as the majority of my SW books are bedtime reading anyway.
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Crozeus
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Allston would always be third. I think he is my most read SW author.
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Darth Samuel
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Matthew Stover is great. Shatterpoint, Traitor, Mindor.
Luceno is awesome, too.
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Xander Vos
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Zhan
Luceno
Allston
Stover
Karpyshan
Stackpole
Are all great SW authors.
Denning
Traviss
Reaves
Perry
SHOULD be great, but just aren't there.
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Rive Caedo
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Ah. The previews. I don't really consider that "content" - especially since you can now usually find them online nowadays.
Paperbacks do get torn up a bit worse I suppose. But I have dozens of paperbacks from the 60's and 70's that are still in near-perfect condition (although with some slight yellowing of the pages  ). You do get that "scrunchy neck" look I suppose. But I'm willing to accept that to have a larger library than I would if I stuck to hardbacks. One could also argue it gives them a "lived in" look and proves you actually read them at some point in time XD
And, you also have to consider: even if your paperback DID get torn up - you could replace it and STILL have spent less money than a hardback copy.
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Sirak Sazen
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| Rive Caedo wrote: | Ah. The previews. I don't really consider that "content" - especially since you can now usually find them online nowadays.
Paperbacks do get torn up a bit worse I suppose. But I have dozens of paperbacks from the 60's and 70's that are still in near-perfect condition (although with some slight yellowing of the pages ). You do get that "scrunchy neck" look I suppose. But I'm willing to accept that to have a larger library than I would if I stuck to hardbacks. One could also argue it gives them a "lived in" look and proves you actually read them at some point in time XD
And, you also have to consider: even if your paperback DID get torn up - you could replace it and STILL have spent less money than a hardback copy. |
1. Yay for seniority.
2. Did Rive just say XD? Is... is that something he usually does?
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Xander Vos
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I like the previews, but I barely ever bother looking for them online.
Also, paperbacks occasionally have short stories that were originall e-books, a la The Joiner King having Ylesia, and Star By Star having Recovery, Shatterpoint having Equipment, etc.
My Dark Journey has pages literally falling out the last time I read it - on my epic NJO-Legacy romp (Of which I'm currently up to Unseen Queen, but now that I have Invincible I can tear through) - so I might replace it, and, like you said, I'll only be out another 15 bucks or so.
And yeah, I like the lived in feel, which is why I tend to buy the paperbacks of SW books I already have in hard cover, because the hardcover edition is precious. Especially by AOTC and TPM novelisations which are signed by Anthony Daniels to my sister and me. (Even though they're both mine, and I got TPM signed to me and that has all the hallmarks of my age at the time - chocolate finger prints on some of the pages - whereas AOTC is in much better condition  )
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Rive Caedo
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Perhaps I just had them passed down to me Sirak. Don't think I'd so blindly make a statement about my age without making sure it'd be open to interpretation XD
Korus, ah yes - I do rather like the reprinting of previously online-exclusive material. That counts as "content" from my point of view.
I also like the extra shelf space you get with paperbacks. But it's a bit of a double-edged sword. I have two shelves of paperbacks that are stacked 2 high and 2 deep. I'll often remove one of the paperbacks in front and be surprised at what's behind it - having forgotten I owned it lol.
Signatures are neat. I don't really have any since I don't attend conventions or anything similar 
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Sirak Sazen
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Only an old guy thinks before he posts. 
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Xander Vos
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| Rive Caedo wrote: | Perhaps I just had them passed down to me Sirak. Don't think I'd so blindly make a statement about my age without making sure it'd be open to interpretation XD
Korus, ah yes - I do rather like the reprinting of previously online-exclusive material. That counts as "content" from my point of view.
I also like the extra shelf space you get with paperbacks. But it's a bit of a double-edged sword. I have two shelves of paperbacks that are stacked 2 high and 2 deep. I'll often remove one of the paperbacks in front and be surprised at what's behind it - having forgotten I owned it lol.
Signatures are neat. I don't really have any since I don't attend conventions or anything similar |
There was a Star Wars exhibit at a museum, can't for the life of me remember what it was called, and my Dad got invited to the opening as a rather high-flying CEO at the time, and got to bring me and my sister along. Best bit was that all the kids got called up on stage and Anthony Daniels asked me what the one piece of advice a Jedi should always remember is, and I said, on que, "MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU" and a Storm Trooper opened the exhibit.
Tres fun.
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Scion
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| Talen D'aar wrote: | | Although it isn't his bread and butter, I thought R.A. Salvatore did a pretty good job in the SW universe. Even though he was given the task of killing Chewie. |
I have only the utmost respect for Salvatore, but he should stay in the Forgotten Realms where he belongs.
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Xander Vos
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Guys like Salvador, Steven Barnes, Greg Keyes and Sean Stewart seem to have been completely forgotten, especially Stewart, who wrote Yoda: Dark Rendezvous which I thought was brilliant. 
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Darth Samuel
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Rendezvous was hilarious.
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Xander Vos
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I don't get why he hasn't been asked back...
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Xander Vos
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About 150 pages into Rule of Two and am absolutely loving it. Anyone who likes books that aren't just a bunch of Skywalker/Solo/Fett brats running around busting up the Galaxy will love this! And it's sequal, Dynesty of Evil due out in December looks equally mad and may set up Drew as the guy do pen most of the Sith in Bane's Order... Well, I hope so...
*This message fully authorised by Drew Karpyshan*
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Sirak Sazen
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I've been waiting for them to announce the next title. "Dynasty of Evil" just sounds so deliciously dark. 
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Crozeus
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Aww, December?
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Xander Vos
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| Sirak Sazen wrote: | | I've been waiting for them to announce the next title. "Dynasty of Evil" just sounds so deliciously dark. |
Since there's been indications that Cognus and other future Sith (future meaning after Zannah) I'm guessing it'll either have a final chapter that kind of runs through all future Sith - which to be honest I'd be rather dissapointed in - or the final third of the book or so will be set in the future with Cognus telling her Apprentice about Zannah, or something like that.
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Xander Vos
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Reading an interview with Zhan, I cringed at this:
| Quote: | Do you ever hang out with other Star Wars authors and come up with doomsday scenarios for all our favorite characters?
I'm not a doomsday person, myself. I don't like killing off characters unless absolutely necessary. I have coordinated a lot of stuff with Mike Stackpole, but that's just to provide the occasional link between our books. |
Poor Mara... 
And I can now see why Rive is dissapointed in the new series. Too many frakking events too frakking close together (and yes I did say frack, not the word it's censoring). For God's sake, NJO was in 25-30, LOTF was ten years later, which should be the BARE MINIMUM for massive series, not this 3 years or whatever it is.
Geeze, let the Galaxy settle from the events of LOTF, add fifteen years, then have a new crisis hit.
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Ga'nen
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-shrug- the events that happened in NJO set up what Jacen became so I don't think waiting too much time would have sounded right to me.
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Xander Vos
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Jacen only became the way he did following his 5 year sabbatical. I don't mind that, he was creepy in Dark Nest without being a Sith. Have him return, everyone a bit weirded out by him for a year or two, THEN bring in the Dark Nest... THEN LOTF five years later, making it more like 15 years since NJO, in which time his creepy views have taken a darker turn, Allana's a little older and more in need of real protection than just a Nanny droid.
Have LOTF take place over 4 or 5 years, it can take a while to take down a Galactic Government, more than just sitting in an office with a droid re-wording the constitution. Have brush fires going on through the Galaxy. It can be the new Clone Wars, in fact that's perfect because they're in love with the mirroring crap anyway.
Then instead of jumping into a new epic series, fill out that 4 or 5 year period with books from little known Jedi's POV about the war, have a new X-Wing series, get some Master-Padawan experiences in there, have some common soldier stories. THAT way no one's stepping on each other's toes, and just have a book set every year of the war progressing Jacen's move towards the Dark Side.
Instead of trying to show Jacen's journey with Luke and Ben tracing the journey, have a book about Jacen, a la Darth Bane: Path of Destruction. Then you can leave the new series for much later down the line, and, since it's all hard covers assumably one of the Big Three are gonna cork it, so you make them older, allowing them a "longer" life. Build it up, have an epic series that doesn't feel like everyone hasn't caught their breath yet.
Not only does it make it more realistic - the LOTF war went on for less than a year but was more destructive than the Clone Wars - it also gives them a chance to make more money with more books. Isn't that what they want?
Speaking of, finally watched the CW movie today, those writers seriously needed to be shot.
I mean, I'm 17 (barely) and I've just given a much more credible way of doing things off the top of my head. They PAY people to brain storm this stuff, and they STILL don't get it?!
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Xander Vos
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Rule of Two was a brilliant book, a perfect encapsulation of what Star Wars should be. No over-arching menacing drama - granted the book revolves around a menace! - and no end-of-the-Galaxy doom and gloom. The book - trying to avoid spoilers - covers the first ten years of Darth Zannah's Apprenticeship, and some very interesting events along the way, including the fate of several Jedi who have been a part of Star Wars lore for a while. 
The book not only capture the character of Bane perfectly, but the character of Zannah was also believable, with the only character I struggled to really believe in was Darovit, who seemed far too whiny to really like. Zannah's doubts about the Dark Side not only made her more believable, but also made her eventual decision to stick with it more realistic.
Karpashyn is really saving Star Wars in my eyes - to contrast with it, I'm about 100 pages into Order 66 and the style and type of story are makign it much more of a struggle to read.
9.5/10 for me.
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Rive Caedo
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*sigh*
You're going to make me buy the Bane series, aren't you? While I still have Outbound Flight, Coruscant Nights, and Legacy sitting here.
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Crozeus
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They are simply amazing.
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Xander Vos
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Heh seeing mentions of "Master Vos" in Order 66 is really odd for me as I see that as being Xander Vos, not Quinlan Vos, a real character. And the fact it's a criticism of him only makes it worse...
Pretty good book though I must say, though she's surely being paid to put at least one Mando word on each page... 
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Darth Samuel
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I hate Karen Traviss more than Hitler hated jews.
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Xander Vos
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Why? Agreed, her Legacy stuff is God-aweful, but her RC books are actually quite good. Like I said, now that I've started writing-Mando, I can see where she's coming from and enjoy it a lot more.
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Darth Samuel
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Still, WTF is up with Boba suddenly being all emotion and crap. He was THE definiton of bad*** until she screwed him prison-style. He had no feeling about his father until he was 72 years old. That's the age when you start forgetting crap, not suddenly remembering it. And now he's all concerned about family? Screw that crap, he coulda done that a while ago.
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Xander Vos
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He's only interested in family because Ailyn Vel and Mirta Gev suddenly appeared, though the constant crying about his father does play on my nerves. Skirata alone is bad enough because he's an emotional baby, the Mandos are meant to be hard-assed no-nonsense conquerers.
Her Boba Fett novel screams AVOID AT ALL COST.
She writes hime well externally, but internally she's a mess.
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Darth Samuel
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I want her to die a horrible death.
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Xander Vos
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Meh, she's not so bad now that I've gotten used to her. True Colours and Bloodlines are still her weakest showings IMO.
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Rive Caedo
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| Korus Zhett wrote: | | Bloodlines. |
As I looked through my helmet, I noticed that the man across from me was breathing. Breathing oxygen. My father did that. So this reminded me of him.
As I looked down, I noticed he had a blue drink. Blue. My father had blue armor. So this reminded me of him.
As I...
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Xander Vos
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Hehe indeed. Revelation and Sacrifice were a little toned down.
Untitled Boba Fett novel will be full blown.
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Xander Vos
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I recently finished Order 66, and I must say I was far more impressed with this one than any other Traviss book recently - in fact I think only Hard Contact surpasses it in terms of quality. That said, the book only really 'kicks in' at page 375, when Order 66 is executed, but that still leaves about 100 pages of story.
Traviss sets up a logical explanation for the poor aim of the storm troopers, and provides a great transition from the Republic into the Empire. Whilst Skirata still gets on my nerves for being too soft for a Mandalorian, the story itself provided a good enough reason for this to be the case for it to be a major issue.
The links between it and her LOTF books make them far more interesting to read now, as she has now essentially moved her characters to Mandalore, where they will presumably remain until the LOTF series.
All in all 7/10 for me.
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Xander Vos
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Finished Street of Shadows, almost finished the next one in the series - Patterns of the Force I think?
Street of Shadows was... different. The language style immediately struck me, although that may have been how it was for the first one, I just may not have noticed because it was a while ago. The plot was interesting, being a murder mystery essentially, and Reaves seems to have taken a lot of fun inventing new characters.
Dating was VERY mixed up though, I must say. With references to the Clone Wars as having been 20 years ago, coupled with statements that Jax is merely 20 and that Order-66 seems to have been a semi-recent event.
I can understand the book being c. 15 BBY, but any later would be odd.
7/10 for me, enjoyable, but not something I'll likely read again too soon, unless I do a big saga read and read Shadow Hunter, Medstar, these ones, and Shadows of the Empire all in one go.
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Rive Caedo
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It looks like the Coruscant Nights series is somewhat unique in the fact that the first and last novels appear to have gotten better reviews than the middle one. It's somewhat unusual for a trilogy to have a strong finish and a slumping middle (the prequels could be argued to be this I suppose - if one liked Episode I but not II (and I have yet to meet someone who enjoyed I or II but not III)).
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Xander Vos
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I agree, the last one is really quite good. But I didn't dislike the second one, it was just a strange style. No doubt the series is trying to mark the transition to the OT, and it was interesting, but yeah.
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Xander Vos
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Well I finished it, and without ruining it:
Apart from a few canonical errors which I find really grating (primarily timing issues) this was another great read, but one I'd be more likely to pick up again. The introduction of a rogue Force User of unimaginable power definately had the feel of TFU, and it made for an interesting story.
Hard not to discuss the book much without giving away the ending, but it does leave it open for more books, and someone picking up SW books out of the blue would almost assume Shadows of the Empire - written by the same person - would continue the story, so I hope there'll be some sort of link.
8.5/10
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Xander Vos
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Just had a bit of a shopping spree to celebrate end of exams. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a paperback Death Troopers sitting in my bookstore, because I didn't think it was out for a while. I think it's like Order 66 though, with the UK/Australia getting paperbacks much earlier. It's very thin though!
Also picked up Imperial Commando: 501st, because I want to see the story out to the end, which, sadly, will be in the next book because Traviss can't tolerate the way the SW people are mucking around with canon, and I must say I agree with her.
Finally cracked and decided to buy the first book in the Fate of the Jedi series, when I'd promised myself I'd hold out until they started coming out in paperback. Oh well. I haven't ruined the series for myself at all, so I really hope one of the Big Three dies, or else it's just another wasted series.
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Rive Caedo
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| Xander Vos wrote: | | I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a paperback Death Troopers sitting in my bookstore, because I didn't think it was out for a while... It's very thin though! |
For some reason, I don't think "Zzzzzombieeees in spaaaaaaace." needs to be War and Peace length
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Xander Vos
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Seriously though. It's like 230 pages. It's tiny. I saw it and was like, surely this isn't the entire book, because the hardcover looks so much longer. Especially next to Imperial 'Epically pointlessly long' Commando.
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