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Topic:
Errant Venture - book club discussion/info
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Fett402
Registered:
May '05
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Date Posted:
5/27 9:22pm
Subject:
RE: Errant Venture - book club discussion/info
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So I just finished Invincible. I'm not sure if I rushed through the book (since it usually takes me 3-4 weeks to read a book) or if the book was rushed in itself, but I finished it in 5 days, and I'm kind of like...ehh. I won't spoil anything, but I was not very impressed (I have some problems with things), and I'm not sure how I like the way they are going with things for the "future" of the EU.
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JediAutobot
Title: FanForce
Treasurer
Chicago IL USA
Registered:
Dec '00
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Date Posted:
5/29 3:18pm
Subject:
RE: Errant Venture - book club discussion/info
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I have stayed away from Invincible, just because of bookclub, it's too hard to not talk about spoilers. But there is plenty of fun stuff in Revelation, can't wait.
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JediAutobot "Transformers are like a gift from God Randall." http://www.chicagoforce.org
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nalan1138
Title: FanForce
Jedi Council Member
Chicago IL USA
Registered:
Mar '02
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Date Posted:
5/29 7:21pm
Subject:
RE: Errant Venture - book club discussion/info
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ThomSolo posted:
Just a bit of advance warning... there is an author signing scheduled at the Schaumburg B&N at 2pm on Saturday, so we'll need to be more subdued than we normally are. 
Chicago force doesnt do subdued. I plan on showing up late as usual, but it is only because i am way behind on my reading.
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MusicTrooper
Registered:
Feb '05
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Date Posted:
6/8 4:10pm
Subject:
RE: Errant Venture - book club discussion/info
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Just a quick note, that I will miss the next book club on June 21,
but hope to make the July 26-th one
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JediAutobot
Title: FanForce
Treasurer
Chicago IL USA
Registered:
Dec '00
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Date Posted:
6/11 3:09pm
Subject:
RE: Errant Venture - book club discussion/info
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In case you haven't caught on from the annoucement about the July book, this summer will be the "X-Wing Summer." We will be going through the second thru fourth X-Wing books. Why not the first? We did read that already, a long time ago.
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doc4converse
Registered:
Jun '05
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Date Posted:
6/12 7:50pm
Subject:
RE: Errant Venture - book club discussion/info
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looking forward to seeing everyone on June 21...I started reading the first book of Young Jedi Knights now that I have finished Invincible...
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'Never fear shadows. They simply mean there's a light shining somewhere nearby.'
X-Files:"The truth is out there, but so are the lies."
Chicago Force Member - Errant Venture Book Club
Rebel Legion Member: Pvt. Embers Maru
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ThomSolo
Title: FanForce
Jedi Council Member
Chicago IL USA
Registered:
Apr '02
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Date Posted:
6/14 10:02am
Subject:
RE: Errant Venture - book club discussion/info
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JediAutobot posted:
In case you haven't caught on from the annoucement about the July book, this summer will be the "X-Wing Summer." We will be going through the second thru fourth X-Wing books. Why not the first? We did read that already, a long time ago.
If you haven't read the first X-Wing book, you're missing out on the start of a great series... so read that one and the second one by the July meeting!  They're good, quick reads, and you should be able to get through them both. Then come join us in Schaumburg!
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kosure
Registered:
Mar '04
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Date Posted:
6/24 7:35am
Subject:
RE: Errant Venture - book club discussion/info
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So, I totally spaced out, and didn't know when book club was—again. I haven't checked here lately. But I'm planning on coming to the next one. I just bought the first two X-Wing books online, and I'm all ready to read them. I thought that I would however write up a little on Invincible, because I had a lot to say, and post it. Hope everyone's doing well.
'Invincible' was not a great book. Which is so disappointing because it had so much potential. Both as inheritor of a fascinating plot-line that Legacy has laid down, and by having a good first half. Early on the period of time between each chapter is huge. It runs more like a sitcom: characters end a chapter talking about a future event and a page break later we're at that event. What excited me about this format is that it seemed more like the movies. There is a spareness in relating the story in the beginning of this book that coincides with the economy of run-length in the movies. It also—not coincidentally—makes the narrative run quickly, and feel poppy, even though going through the often humdrum chore of establishing the plot.
Coming off the high of Karen Travis' near-perfect 'Revelation,' the scene was set for the final battle with Caedus. Jania's brief time with the Mandalorians, and her search for the strength to hunt her brother were foreboding. It's with a heavy heart that we leave Jainia at the end of that book. Wiser—somehow—but dolefully resigned to the fact that whether she has to kill her brother or not, she must be prepared to. With Ben and Luke's relationship finally repaired, and Ben's ascension to knighthood the Skywalker legacy finally has a firm footing. It's sad though, because the Solo epoch is closing. With both male children dead, the heroic Solo name has died as well.
The plot threads develop, Jania reconciles herself with the Council and Zekk and Jag, steeling herself for the hunt. Caedus solidifies his ties with the Empire and begins to flex his Sith muscles in influencing or manipulating them. It's interesting when Caedus shows shows glimmers of Sidious' tactical genius. It really sells this Sith resurgence in the post-NJO era. Caedus' bolstering of the Empire is also exciting, because—at the beginning of the book—it seems to be setting up the much stronger New Empire of the Legacy comic series. Along with the hidden Sith cabal on Korriban it seems like the 'sensible' universe of the novels, and the bats**t insane universe of the Legacy comics is slowly bridging together.
Jaina's first assault on Caedus while aboard the Anakin Solo above Nickel One was an interesting plot choice. And while definitely not completely pointless I mark this as the part of the book where things start falling apart. It's clear that neither of them will be killed in this conflict. It's in the beginning of the second act. The intelligence that it supplies the Jedi (read: good guys) with is inconsequential. What we get from the conflict is two-fold. It exhibit's Caedus' breadth of force knowledge through the blood-trace, which also set's up his discovery of the Jedi Base later on, and Jaina lops off an arm, which eases her eventual task of killing him. My problem with these out-of-universe, structural reasons is that it represents a drastic switch from previous novels in the series from the expounding of a long-term narrative, and good deep character development. Jaina and Caedus are static characters in this conflict and so there's nothing to be gained by it.
Here the speed at which the book is taking place is becoming a detriment. It, coupled with the increasingly obvious structural justifications, make the book a chore. Denning rushes through tying up the plot threads that the series has laid down as efficiently as possible. "I've got a series to finish," he seems to say "Out of my way, affective narrative."
The development of Ben's plot comes as a respite, though tainted. The development of Ben's character throughout this series has been paramount—and that's a good thing. He's come a long way since being a creepy toddler-joiner. At the begining of the series the deep-thinking, and consequence oriented nature of his character seemed a little unjustified—even for Lukespawn. But by the end of this book Ben's wisdom seems genuine. It's unfortunate then that the pinnacle of his character should be juxtaposed so in-graciously against one of the worst characterizations in the series (besides Alema) Tahiri. For crying out loud, the girl has dropped off the face of the galaxy since the end of NJO (Didn't Leia say something about her being considered part of the family?). The decision to bring her back abruptly as Caedus' help-maid seemed unjustified, and forced. Though that was outside this book, Denning does nothing to actualize her conversion in this book. Her seduction by the dark side is as unjustified here. Denning says: "That happened in another book, I don't know anything about that. Look: some boobs."
The actual penultimate battle is unfortunately just as lackluster. Jaina enters the Anakin Solo and immediately becomes the straight-woman to a wily hostage she's taken. This is the sort of thing that's supposed to happen in the first act—not before killing Satan. The attempt to combine humor and maudlin in Star Wars is never as effectual as it is in the movies. Here especially at the climax of a book at the climax of a series based on the more serious Star Wars universe, it turned an errant key into a sitting-on-the-keyboard. By the time Jaina actually confronts Caedus the battle quickly turns in her favor. Though her face and hair get singed she more or less has him under control. I know that he's down a leg and distracted, but he's a Sith Lord who's much more experienced than her. A graph of the excitement in this fight would be inverse of what it should be. Jaina cuts off another limb, it dips a little, she wins, it dips again. There's no doubt who's going to win the battle as soon as it begins. There's so little time left in the book. Each step forward Jaina makes is another improbably death-blow against the far superior opponent until the end.
The final plot misstep is in allowing Ben to have the final action sequence. If you've read the Lord of the Rings you'll understand what I mean when I say Hobbit-sized climax. The lesser hero battles a diminished lesser-evil, and wins. It's a strange device—a sort of pseudo-ending. I'm not sure that even Tolkien could make it work, but Denning certianly can't. Instead of putting the resounding success of the book, and series in a human-sized conflict it plays out the the thinly veiled foreshadowing of Tahiri's redemption, in the most banal way. She never really had a decent justification to be Sith anyway.
Ultimately, I was disappointed that Jacen died. I really, really didn't think that they'd go through with it. But I suppose now the die is cast. With Chewie, Anakin, Mara, and the untimely demise of Pellaeon in the previous book, it seems like Lucas Books is saying: "We'll do it. Think we won't?" which I can respect. Personally, I don't like Jaina leaning toward Jag, but I'm a Zekk guy.
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kosure
Registered:
Mar '04
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Date Posted:
6/24 2:18pm
Subject:
RE: Errant Venture - book club discussion/info
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Are the Coruscant Nights books on the future book club schedule?
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JediAutobot
Title: FanForce
Treasurer
Chicago IL USA
Registered:
Dec '00
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Date Posted:
6/25 2:30pm
Subject:
RE: Errant Venture - book club discussion/info
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yes, sorry I can't remember when, but yes.
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JediAutobot "Transformers are like a gift from God Randall." http://www.chicagoforce.org
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Schph_Gochi
Registered:
Jun '02
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Date Posted:
7/11 4:02am
Subject:
RE: Errant Venture - book club discussion/info
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I did not start reading this series until the last book came out...
so far I am up to just beginning Sacrifice...
it is an interesting story....
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kosure
Registered:
Mar '04
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Date Posted:
7/17 5:16am
Subject:
RE: Errant Venture - book club discussion/info
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Isn't it an interesting series? I appreciate Lucasbook's bringing the more serious tone from the Clone Wars books back into the other end of the timeline. Especially with Karen Traviss. And Sacrifice is a great book. Maybe her best Star Wars book to date.
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Hawk-Bat
Registered:
Aug '03
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Date Posted:
7/23 6:19pm
Subject:
RE: Errant Venture - book club discussion/info
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I will not be at book club this week due to a wedding. I hope to make the next one.
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JediAutobot
Title: FanForce
Treasurer
Chicago IL USA
Registered:
Dec '00
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Date Posted:
7/25 3:20pm
Subject:
RE: Errant Venture - book club discussion/info
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Forgot to mention, I am going to Deep River Waterpark this Sat. (It's simply splashtasic) so won't be able to discuss the book. Please let me know if etheric rudders come up.
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Mos_Eisleian_Radio
Title: FanForce CR
Secretary
Chicago IL US
Registered:
Nov '00
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Date Posted:
7/28 11:53am
Subject:
RE: Errant Venture - book club discussion/info
- Date Edited:
7/28 11:54am (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Mos_Eisleian_Radio
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There's a Karen Traviss interview at the Random House website. Among the tidbits are news that the Republic Commando novels will continue in a new Imperial Commando series and that she's writing a Boba Fett book.
Meanwhile, at San Diego Comic-Con, there was a Mandalorian wedding.
Phil
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