Category: Classic

Complete Mastery of the Force

26/3/2023

Darth Plagueis (Star Wars Legends)
by James Luceno

A thousand years of planning and deceit are about to come to fruition for the Sith. Darth Bane's Rule of Two has served them well. Darth Plagueis has slain his Master, but he intends to follow Bane's legacy no more. It is he who will finally move against the Jedi. It is he who will study the secrets of life and death. Yet it is he who will be defeated by his arrogance - and his own apprentice.

An absolute masterpiece and undoubtedly the greatest loss when the Legends canon was retired. It was the book that drew together countless dangling plot threads and inconsistencies (some of these issues were caused by The Flannelled One himself), ensuring that it all finally made sense. Luceno has always been in the top tier of Star Wars authors, not simply because of his skill - which is obvious in this novel - but because of how he can paint a satisfying story onto an established canvas with such ease and evident care.

To this day, I cannot watch the prequel trilogy without mentally referring to Darth Plagueis. Legends or not - it's required reading for any fan.

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Now That's What I'm Talking About!

25/2/2022

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Star Wars: The Fallen Star (The High Republic)
by Claudia Gray

Starlight Beacon is still the light of the Republic and one of its "great works". But the Nihil threat still lurks and The Eye will do everything in his power to see that light extinguished. His weapon of choice: three saboteurs, aided by a convenient disturbance in the Force. Stellan Gios is currently in charge of Starlight Beacon. Will he prove worth of this mantle?

I haven't liked any of the adult novels in this series thus far, but I knew Claudia Gray wouldn't let me down - she and Timothy Zahn remain the best Star Wars authors on Disney's payroll. Jedi have been dropping like flies in these books and I just stopped caring. Gray actually made me give a damn. She kept the pacing perfect from page one, all while tightening the tension. And Gray proves that chaos doesn't mean the book containing it has to be chaotic - looking at you, Cavan Scott and Charles Soule.

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Some decades ago, in our own galaxy...

2/1/2021

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Second Stage Lensmen (Lensmen #5)
by E.E. 'Doc' Smith

Kim Kinnison (often referred to as THE Lensman) just wants to settle down with his lady love, but first he must defeat Boskone through a variety of physical and mental force. Infiltration is his weapon. Getting married is his goal (well, among many things!).

It's hard to rate something like this, especially since this is the only Lensmen book I've managed to read so far. The series' impact on 20th century science fiction is undeniable. Kinnison is, to me, a very recognisable blueprint for many characters that came after him - and his adventures are so familiar as well. I usually have trouble reading older sci-fi titles, but this one was a nice surprise. The writing drew me in immediately, even in that opening recap of the previous goings-on. The part I enjoyed the most was Kinnison masquerading as a criminal with his own racket, in order to take out another racket (a la Britt Reid).

The flaws of this book primarily arise from its episodic nature (it was originally serialised) and the sexism of the time. But I'm honestly still quite impressed with it.

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24th Century Classic

7/12/2020

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The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester

Ben Reich wants a merger, but it seems he'll have to murder his rival instead. But murder is not so simple when the police are "peepers", telepaths capable of plucking motive and truth from your mind. Reich thinks he has a way around this. He isn't ready for Lincoln Powell, however.

This was a fascinating read, mostly because the world that Bester created is established quickly and sucks you in just as fast. I enjoyed the cat-and-mouse antics between Reich and Powell - it was fun and well-paced. But things got a bit too weird for me in the end and I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the treatment of female characters (yes, I realise this was written in a different time, but it is hard to ignore something like that). Still, it's easy to see why this was the first winner of the Hugo Award.

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Book Reviews

Complete Mastery of the Force

Darth Plagueis (Star Wars Legends)
by James Luceno

Now That's What I'm Talking About!

Star Wars: The Fallen Star (The High Republic)
by Claudia Gray

Some decades ago, in our own galaxy...

Second Stage Lensmen (Lensmen #5)
by E.E. 'Doc' Smith

24th Century Classic

The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester

About

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Categories

Book Reviews

Complete Mastery of the Force

Darth Plagueis (Star Wars Legends)​by James Luceno

Now That's What I'm Talking About!

Star Wars: The Fallen Star (The High Republic)by Claudia Gray

Some decades ago, in our own galaxy...

Second Stage Lensmen ​(Lensmen #5)by E.E. 'Doc' Smith

24th Century Classic

The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester

About

Archives

Categories

Darth Plagueis (Star Wars Legends)
by James Luceno

Star Wars: The Fallen Star (The High Republic)
by Claudia Gray

Second Stage Lensmen (Lensmen #5)
by E.E. 'Doc' Smith