Category: Space Opera - Alyce Caswell - Author

Alyce Caswell - Author

Quinlan Vos: Jedi of Awesome

9/6/2023

Quinlan Vos: Jedi in Darkness (Star Wars Legends/Dark Horse Omnibus)

Some years ago, I started collecting the EU (now Legends) comics and was so frustrated to discover how difficult it was to piece together Quinlan Vos' adventures. Then I saw the Dark Horse omnibus collections begin to appear. I waited. I bided my time. And finally they delivered - this was certainly worth the wait! How excited I was to read these stories for the first time. None of that excitement has faded, even now.

The Quinlan Vos omnibus contains some of the best storytelling in the entire Legends canon. I do not say this lightly. It is no surprise that Vos was ported over to the Disney canon, such is his popularity - and such is the quality of the comics that gave us his story. I wasn't even put off by Villie's comedic "point of view" being included in this collection. In fact, I actually quite enjoyed it!

One-Shots Revealed & Reprinted

9/6/2023

Menace Revealed (Star Wars Legends/Dark Horse Omnibus)

This omnibus was more of a mixed bag, including small one-shots that vary from orphaned content to promotional material designed to sell toys. These didn't contain enough pages or plot to make them memorable. Some of the longer one-shots weren't too great either.

That said, the Jango and Zam duology contained lots of sassy fun (though the storyline itself was hardly brilliant). The Jedi Quest adaptation had a good script but was let down by hideous art (was that really supposed to be Obi-Wan!?). The only standouts here were the Aurra Sing comics. For Aurra's sake, I could overlook my dislike of the Dark Woman.

Excellence & Disappointment

8/6/2023

Emissaries & Assassins (Star Wars Legends/Dark Horse Omnibus)

Whew. There was a lot of content in this omnibus. To start with, there were some Episode I-specific tales that I enjoyed, much to my surprise, especially given that one was a summary of events by Obi-Wan.

The bulk of this collection - making the middle section quite beefy - were stories involving the Jedi Council. This is where you'll get introduced to Legends icons A'Sharad Hett and Quinlan Vos (what a boss - and in my opinion, his retconned "appearance" in The Phantom Menace doesn't count as an intro). Unfortunately, while these stories were interesting, they weren't particularly compelling. Ki-Adi-Mundi... I've never seen that poor dude written well in any comic. As for the Dark Woman, I can't say I'm impressed. Maybe I'd actually like her if she was given more of a personality? Something beyond "my training methods are dark but totallllllyyy don't create Dark Jedi and Sith Lords"? lol

The good news is that the omnibus finished on a very strong note; the Jango Fett comic was exceptional and may be one the greatest visual stories I've ever encountered in the Legends canon. So if you were wondering, this is why my rating is still so high.

Rogue Plotline

8/6/2023

Rogue Planet (Star Wars Legends)
by Greg Bear

Obi-Wan Kenobi and his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker, are despatched to Zonama Sekot to see what has become of missing Jedi Knight Vergere. What they find is a world of secrets, of hints at what is to come in the galaxy's future. Meanwhile, their mission is endangered by the machinations of a young Wilhuff Tarkin, who intends on climbing the ladder of the new power he senses on the horizon.

This book started really well, backed up by an excellent writing style, but as I progressed through its pages the plot became progressively weaker. To me, it seemed that Bear really struggled to make this unusual story fit neatly into the Star Wars universe and it didn't help that he had to clumsily connect it to the Yuuzhan Vong novels of the time. Great potential... and a great letdown.

Expanded Universe Round-Up #12

8/6/2023

Star Wars Episode I: Adventures

#7 - Capture Arawynne

Not as good as the previous two entries - the book is mostly taken up with kids trying to evade adults in a killer garden. Silly would be an understatement. But it's still well written, for the intended audience that is.

#8 - Trouble on Tatooine

A very strong conclusion to the Tatooine arc. I didn't expect such an emotional finale or that I'd ever feel so attached to Kitster, a character I only had a passing interest in before now.

#9 - Rescue in the Core

Oh my God. How am I going to survive three more of these? I vowed to read all of the Legends books and comics that I own... I'm regretting that decision now. Jar Jar is okay(ish) in small doses, but this entire book is full of Gungans talking the same way as him. It was so painful to read.

#10 - Festival of Warriors

A slightly more coherent plot in this one, but the dialogue still makes me want to stab my eyes out. I remember being pleased to find secondhand copies of these books that looked completely unread. I envy the previous owners their blissful ignorance.

#11 - Pirates From Beyond the Sea

The Gungan dialogue is still unbearable. And what's worse... the words "romance" and "Tarpals" appear together in the same paragraph and I can never unsee that.

#12 - The Bongo Rally

Hurray! The ghastly arc is over - and I don't think we ever needed to see Jar Jar and Tarpals in a love triangle. I don't own any of the other books in the series, because I have enough versions of The Phantom Menace, thank you very much.

Expanded Universe Round-Up #11

8/6/2023

Star Wars Episode I: Adventures

#1 - Search for the Lost Jedi

This wasn't too bad - much to my surprise, since I am very aware that this entire series is a cash grab - though it's obviously a bit simplistic for an adult reader. I didn't appreciate the unresolved ending, but I do understand why it's there (ka-ching!).

#2 - The Bartokk Assassins

A much more entertaining instalment, possibly because it was able to jump straight into the action without any preamble. I'm impressed that Windham could cram so much into such a short book and make it work. So I'll overlook that ridiculous mental image of Rune Haako and Daultay Dofine disguised as Duros lol

#3 - The Fury of Darth Maul

A decent enough Darth Maul adventure, though the plot developments are a bit silly and Qui-Gon is suddenly not very good at making mission-critical decisions.

#4 - Jedi Emergency

Yoda was the hero of this book and I think that was a good choice, because 1999!Yoda didn't look like he could do very much. This particular arc of the series is over, much to my relief. Any longer and it would have outstayed its welcome.

#5 - The Ghostling Children

Well, I'm shocked. This book was really quite good, especially given that it's only part of the story. The extra handful of pages (it was slightly longer than Windham's contributions to the series) might have helped with the pacing. Wolverton is also a much better writer (which isn't a slight against Windham - Wolverton is just brilliant).

#6 - The Hunt for Anakin Skywalker

Another thrilling instalment from Wolverton. I'm quite enjoying the adventures of Anakin and his friends and I suspect I'll be sad when this arc finishes.

Expanded Universe Round-Up #10

31/5/2023

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
(comic adaptation)

An obviously rushed adaptation that excluded some things that should have been kept, while including other things that could have been dropped. I also found the clumsy (and at times completely missing) scene transitions quite jarring.

Star Wars Episode I: The Queen's Amulet

This is a very well-presented book, including an "amulet". But it's really quite pointless - and a missed opportunity, since it could have been a nice story about friendship.

Star Wars Episode I Journal: Anakin Skywalker

I own several books that are different versions of The Phantom Menace and this is just one of them. Wow, they sure crapped these things out! I actually like this one, because it really does read as though a 9-year-old boy wrote it. I was 10 when I first picked up this book. It was incredibly influential on my writing at the time. So while the story isn't original, I think it does have something to offer.

Star Wars Episode I Journal: Queen Amidala

So in the previous review I said that the Anakin journal was hugely influential on my writing at the time. Well, that had nothing on this! Jude Watson is my favourite of the YA Legends authors and she was certainly in fine form here. I feel like she reallyunderstood Padmé. Or perhaps I just prefer her characterisation of Padme over everyone else's! Journal books can be hit and miss... this one was a massive hit for me when I was a kid. It's still a hit for me now, to be honest.

Star Wars Episode I Journal: Darth Maul

I did not enjoy this "journal" as much. It doesn't read like an actual journal, though it does still have the Jude Watson shine. Additional scenes aren't just there to add pages - they actually add to Maul's characterisation. I will also admit to being disappointed that the pages are normal paper, not the pretty ones seen in the previous journals.

Epic Bonus Content & Cringey Comic Relief

28/5/2023

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (movie novelisation)
by Terry Brooks

The blockade of Naboo by the Trade Federation, an unusual move by players who shouldn't be so bold, triggers the arrival of two Jedi Knights. They rescue the queen of Naboo and must get her to the safety of Coruscant. But there's a snag. Her ship's hyperdrive needs replacing. And now the fate of the galaxy hinges on a small boy, whose potential will soon be seen by all... including the Sith.

The adaptation of a screenplay into a novel is a regular occurrence. Sometimes the resulting product is average. Sometimes it's awful. But sometimes you get a pretty solid effort, like this one. Not only did Terry Brooks smooth out several issues present in the story, he also created entirely new scenes that fit perfectly into canon. Unfortunately, his efforts also emphasised the story's greatest weakness: the forced comic relief provided by Jar Jar Binks. I don't hate Jar Jar. But wow. Even Brooks had trouble making that aspect work.

PS: Yes, a certain teen fangirl put in the extra effort to find a hardcover copy with her beloved Obi-Wan Kenobi on the front. Well done, me.

Cloak of Awesome

22/5/2023

Cloak of Deception (Star Wars Legends)
by James Luceno

Chancellor Finis Valorum has become the target of terrorists, but little does he realise that his true enemy is much closer - and that the future of the galaxy is in far greater danger than he is. A summit has been called on Eriadu to handle the growing problem that is the Trade Federation. The Jedi can handle some unforeseen events, but this one might be beyond even their impressive capabilities.

I wondered why I felt a frisson of excitement when I saw James Luceno's name on my hardcover copy of this novel. Then I started reading it. And then I remembered why I loved reading his contributions to the Star Wars universe. Cloak of Deception would be referenced heavily if a book existed with the title How To Write a Brilliant and Engaging Star Wars Storyline Even When You Can't Reveal Big Plot Stuff. Nothing that Disney has published in the past few years has managed to perform well in this area.

Luceno's writing is a delight. Immersive. Always fluid. And I'm in awe of how effortlessly he managed to weave in references to other Legends material. A true master.

You saw my face. Prepare to die.

20/5/2023

Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter (Star Wars Legends)
by Michael Reaves

Lorn Pavan was just trying to get by and make a quick buck, but now he and his droid partner are being hunted down by a Sith. Darsha Assant was just trying to complete her Jedi trials and become a knight...but now she's also been thrown into the path of the aforementioned Sith. Darth Maul was just trying to completely his mission. Murder and mayhem will naturally ensue.

Um. What was the point of this book, exactly? I wanted to like it. I really did. A fun zany plot, likeable characters, cameos from movie faves - great! But here's the thing. It's impossible to ignore the fact that anyone who sees Darth Maul is going to die, because his existence can't become common knowledge yet. So... nothing that happens inside these pages matters. At all. I'm somewhat annoyed.

Included in this edition are two stories by James Luceno. Saboteur is not very long and somewhat average, but it shows how effective Maul can be as a shadowy manipulator. As for the shorter Restraint, I was surprised at how good it was, considering that its sole purpose was to smooth over some discrepancies raised by the Clone Wars show.