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Expanded Universe Round-Up

30/12/2022

Force Storm (Dawn of the Jedi Vol 1)

There was a little too much going on in this TPB, with a few too many characters mixed in amongst the chaos. That said, it was a very solid start that drew me in immediately. Great potential in this series, I sense.

Prisoner of Bogan (Dawn of the Jedi Vol 2)

There were parts of this second TPB that were quite good and the momentum from the first TPB was maintained, but Daegen Lok is...not an interesting character. And it's kind of annoying how easily he was able to get where he wanted to go.

Force War (Dawn of the Jedi Vol 3)

Whoa, what happened here? The series wasn't great but it wasn't terrible - until suddenly we hit the third TPB. What a mess! In fact, this is so messy it almost reached the point of being unreadable. I really liked the Xesh/Shae stuff, but they were a tiny eye in the middle of a craptastic storm. This arc feels horribly rushed.

Tales of the Jedi (Vol 1)

This collection is nothing short of epic. Naga Sadow, Nomi Sunrider and Ulic Qel-Droma all appear in these pages, characters that were like real legends to me as a child - especially since I was not able to get my hands on the comics until adulthood. Myths threading their way through the prose books until I finally found the source. The Tales of the Jedi comics were - still are - so iconic. They will always represent the Republic's ancient history to me, even now in the Disney era.

Tales of the Jedi (Vol 2)

Reaching the end of the Tales of the Jedi run is like saying goodbye to old, cherished friends. I wouldn't say it doesn't have it flaws (particularly in this second collection), but the stories therein truly deserve the label of "saga". I could definitely have kept reading - if there had been more to read. Unmissable, formative, outstanding, and a treasured relic of the 1990s.

Lost Tribe of the Sith: The Collected Stories

I remember being rather disinterested with this book the first time I read it, but perhaps those memories were tainted with how tired I was with the EU in general by that point. But on my second reading of it, many years later, I really enjoyed myself. John Jackson Miller made the Lost Tribe far more fascinating than they appeared to be in the Fate of the Jedi books. The novella is the weakest story of the bunch. I'd have appreciated more stories in and after that timeframe...but all in all? A great collection.

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Timber Fall-ing in Love

28/12/2022

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Awaken: Wolves of Timber Falls (Small Town Packs #3)
by Cassie Laelyn

An attack on Timber Falls leaves Layla tired of bloodshed and so when she finds a hunter, her enemy, badly wounded and practically on her doorstep, she does the unthinkable - she saves him. Wyatt's bloodlust should be uncontrollable around a shifter, but there's something different about Layla. Will it be enough to keep him from seeking a cure by slaying her father?

A steamy (and sweet!) enemies-to-lovers novella that kept me up past my bedtime - no doubt because it's my favourite instalment of the series by far. I was almost instantly in love with Layla and Wyatt and I was ready to protect them from everyone on all sides. xD An enjoyable read.

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The Expanded Universe Begins

27/12/2022

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Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void (Star Wars Legends)
by Tim Lebbon

Lanoree Brock is a Je’daii Ranger who has avoided going home because of bad memories involving her brother's death. But now is being recalled to Tython for a mission that requires her skills - but mostly Lanoree, because her brother is alive and his actions could lead their system into chaos. He has always looked to the stars. To the mysteries of the past. Who brought them all to Tython - and why?

So begins my epic read through of my vast Expanded Universe (aka Legends canon) collection. The first chronological, novel-length story in the EU isn't fantastic by any means, but I did like Lanoree and I did enjoy exploring the galaxy as she knows it. However, the ending was quite underwhelming, spoiling the fun. The flashbacks also didn't help, hindering the flow of the book and just generally being unimportant. This isn't a terrible entry, just meh (with some redeeming qualities).

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A Howling Good Time

26/12/2022

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Alpha (Blood Moon, Texas Shifters #4)
by Kat Kinney

Brody Caldwell became the Alpha of his pack during his father's absence and is doing his damndest to protect everyone in his territory, human or otherwise - and he's also doing his damndest not to start something with London Blake. She lost her pack but she's still an Alpha. And Alphas aren't allowed to mate, so they absolutely CANNOT fall for each other...yep. No problems here. ;)

Definitely my favourite book of Kinney's so far. The overarching plot in this PNR series is one of the best I've come across and I'm always hankering for the next one. And yeah, I was hanging out for Brody's story because I just love Alphas and this was a two-for-one deal! London and Brody have such amazing chemistry. It's also nice to catch up with all the characters in this series...I'm rather fond of them all.

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Back to the Past

22/12/2022

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Convergence (Star Wars: The High Republic)
by Zoraida Córdova

Eiram and E'ronoh are two worlds locked in a Forever War and the representatives of the Republic that have been sent to interfere in this conflict don't quite know what they are wading into. Peace might be possible, if the heirs of Eiram and E'ronoh are able to convince their families and planets. But the real villains in their way are not the ones they expect.

I loved this so much. I was getting Melida/Daan vibes from the get-go and was so pleased to see actual references to that planet (which, of course, makes it canon again). Look, I'll admit it. The way to this Star Wars fan's heart is through the Jedi Apprentice series. Zoraida Córdova's aim was true.

My old biases aside, I finally got the story I've been craving. I have disliked most of the other High Republic books for being so convoluted and so overblown to the point of being boring. Convergence strips things down, jumps back into the past (thus freeing the narrative of most of the crap), and actually makes me give a damn about the characters and their lives. My favourite High Republic novel (so far...and I have a feeling that won't change).

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Duck for Cover

18/12/2022

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Resolute (The Lost Fleet: Outlands #2)
by Jack Campbell

Admiral John Geary has been sent on a diplomatic mission to a species that remains guarded in their interactions with humans, but the dangers Geary faces are not just in the vastness of space - some of them are on his very own ships. His enemies want him to fail. His death is one way to achieve that. But he isn't called Black Jack for nothing.

I know what I'm getting when I pick up a Geary book - and that's exactly what I got. For the most part. Other books in this universe have dragged at times, but Resolute seemed to last an eternity. Frankly, this was a slog. A lot of the story seemed to be taken up with repetitive intrigue and the more interesting stuff was crammed into the last couple of chapters. This all said, Ensign Duck is freaking awesome.

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The Rise of Explanations

3/12/2022

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Shadow of the Sith (Star Wars Disney)
by Adam Christopher

Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian are on separate quests until their paths converge, thanks to the discovery that a family is on the run - possibly in danger from the Sith - and they need help. But if that help doesn't arrive in time, then drastic choices will have to be made. Especially when it comes to the fate of the girl, Rey.

This is a much better story than The Rise of Skywalker and it's unfortunate that a book was needed to better explain aspects of the film. This is hardly the first time it's happened in the franchise, except that Darth Plagueis is from an older, separate canon.

I read more slowly than usual because I didn't want Shadow of the Sith to end - it was so well written and had me hoping for a different ending (despite what I already knew). I am amused that Adam Christopher somehow guessed that some of us would read the acknowledgements first and totally called us out for it. How did he know!?!?!?

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Book Reviews

Expanded Universe Round-Up

Timber Fall-ing in Love

Awaken: Wolves of Timber Falls (Small Town Packs #3)
by Cassie Laelyn

The Expanded Universe Begins

Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void (Star Wars Legends)
by Tim Lebbon

A Howling Good Time

Alpha (Blood Moon, Texas Shifters #4)
by Kat Kinney

Back to the Past

Convergence (Star Wars: The High Republic)
by Zoraida Córdova

Duck for Cover

Resolute (The Lost Fleet: Outlands #2)
by Jack Campbell

The Rise of Explanations

Shadow of the Sith (Star Wars Disney)
by Adam Christopher

About

Archives

Categories

Book Reviews

Expanded Universe Round-Up

Timber Fall-ing in Love

Awaken: Wolves of Timber Falls (Small Town Packs #3)​by Cassie Laelyn

The Expanded Universe Begins

Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void (Star Wars Legends)​by Tim Lebbon

A Howling Good Time

Alpha (Blood Moon, Texas Shifters #4)by Kat Kinney

Back to the Past

Convergence (Star Wars: The High Republic)by Zoraida Córdova

Duck for Cover

Resolute (The Lost Fleet: Outlands #2)​by Jack Campbell

The Rise of Explanations

Shadow of the Sith (Star Wars Disney)by Adam Christopher

About

Archives

Categories

Awaken: Wolves of Timber Falls (Small Town Packs #3)
by Cassie Laelyn

Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void (Star Wars Legends)
by Tim Lebbon

Alpha (Blood Moon, Texas Shifters #4)
by Kat Kinney

Convergence (Star Wars: The High Republic)
by Zoraida Córdova

Resolute (The Lost Fleet: Outlands #2)
by Jack Campbell

Shadow of the Sith (Star Wars Disney)
by Adam Christopher