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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Lit GENERAL QUESTION THREAD (What to read? Where to start? What's canon? What's not? Duros, etc.)

Discussion in 'Literature' started by Master_Keralys, Jun 4, 2008.

  1. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    Well, opinions will vary greatly on most SW books (ie: I have much love for the Dark Nest Trilogy, while some really don't like it and others fall somewhere inbetween). And there are some that might be more important reads than actually good reads (for example, IMO, Courtship of Princess Leia is a grimace-inducing read, but is necessary to wrap up the Zsinj plotline as well as establish various elements that make several appearances down the road). Others are bad in unique ways (such as The Crystal Star).

    I'd put The Approaching Storm, The Ruins of Dantooine, Truce at Bakura, Children of the Jedi, Planet of Twilight, The Crystal Star on the "probably avoid them" list (but then, for example, there's the question of Darksaber, which is the middle book of a trilogy of stand-alone books (alongside Children and Planet), so it's kinda nebulous [though DS's reputation falls under one of lesser quality but being of more importance overall] even though you can read DS and follow along pretty well). At least as far as pre-NJO titles go (it's a little more difficult to skip single books from that era onwards).

    The Cestus Deception and Courtship fall into the weak category for me as well.

    Of the books I haven't read yet, Jedi Trial has a pretty terrible reputation, and The New Rebellion doesn't seem to be favored much, either.

    We do have a series of "JC Reviews Special" threads for many books with an averaged review ranking by our userbase. Here's the one for Mercy Kill- in the opening post there is a list of links to the past threads. Skip to the most recent post by Havac (or other Mod) in each thread to find the most recent average.

    There was also a "JC Reviews Retrospective" series that dealt with older titles, but it wasn't as extensive (we should try to bring that back, I think, though). Here's the one for Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter which has links to 7 others. You might have to do a forum search for any others.
     
  2. Gorefiend

    Gorefiend Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2004
    In all honesty after reading the Wraith books Zsinj und Melvar
    just sort of dying in passing in Courtship
    is more of a downer than anything else and I would recommend that anyone who read the X-Wing books first to actually skip Courtship and just pretend
    they died a more glorious death off screen
    . =((
     
  3. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    I didn't say it was a good wrap up. ;)

    But that's the downside of taking a throwaway villain and expanding out his history in 3 other books.
     
    Random Comments likes this.
  4. Frank T.

    Frank T. Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    Q: Do any books(other than those by Stover) translate what artoo is saying into english?
     
  5. Lugija

    Lugija Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2009
    I don't remember any. But I just think that he cusses too much.
     
  6. The2ndQuest

    The2ndQuest Tri-Mod With a Mouth star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jan 27, 2000
    I recall there being a book where someone (Luke?) had some kind of translator iPad with them for R2. I want to say it's either in the Corellian Trilogy, Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy or somewhere in the Callista Trilogy, but I could be wrong. Definitely latter-half post-ROTJ Bantam.
     
  7. Havac

    Havac Former Moderator star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 29, 2005
    Some books have done it. Often not throughout the book, but for important scenes. It happens in Enemy Lines -- I think it's Rebel Stand, but it could be Rebel Dream. I know there's at least one other source that's done it.
     
  8. Jeff_Ferguson

    Jeff_Ferguson Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    May 15, 2006
    There are brief scenes from Artoo's perspective in Mindor, Rebel Stand, Showdown at Centerpoint (or maybe Assault at Selonia, not sure), Vector Prime, and Backlash, off the top of my head. It's Vision of the Future that sees Luke and Mara rig a datapad to translate his binary speech while they're on Nirauan. Other books, such as The Swarm War, feature all-caps translations as seen on the screen of Luke's X-wing or StealthX.
     
  9. Obie-2-Kenobi

    Obie-2-Kenobi Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2008
    Haven't been on here in a while but I saw where the 4th Coruscant Nights book is now a stand alone and has been given a new title. Will the same main characters be in it? I hope so. I was looking forward to seeing a new Jax and I-5 adventure!!
     
  10. Obie-2-Kenobi

    Obie-2-Kenobi Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2008
    I have not been on here in a while but I saw where they made the Coruscant Nights fourth book a stand alone and changed the title. Any reason why? Will it have the same characters? I hope so!
     
  11. Obie-2-Kenobi

    Obie-2-Kenobi Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Feb 18, 2008
    Sorry...double post! I am doing this from my phone for the first time and thought I messed up! :)
     
  12. Hero of Tukayyid

    Hero of Tukayyid Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Nov 23, 2012
    In which books were astromech droids that spoke basic? Corellian trilogy or NJO?
     
  13. Allana_Rey

    Allana_Rey Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    In Exile when Ben is on Ziost with Shaker (another Astromech) it translates what he's saying.
     
  14. Kid

    Kid Jedi Master star 1

    Registered:
    Apr 30, 2000
    Okay, so I just bought Mercy Kill, which I guess is an attempt to revive the X-wing series. So here's my question: can I read this book having not read a single book published since late 2000? I started reading NJO and got two books into it before quitting. I am aware of the general plot (Yuuzhan Vong invade the galaxy) and the fact there is a lot of bloodshed and a lot of characters die in that series.

    My concerns are this, I would love to dive back into reading again but I'd like to know if having not read NJO yet will bite me in the ass if I read Mercy Kill first. I don't particularly care about what happens to the Solo or Skywalker families. I do intend on reading NJO eventually, it's just a hefty reading-load and I am really anxious to tear into another Allston book first. Ideas? Thoughts?
     
  15. Todd the Jedi

    Todd the Jedi Mod and Loving Tyrant of SWTV, Lit, & Collecting star 6 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Oct 16, 2008
    I'm pretty sure Allston intended Mercy Kill to be able to be read completely by itself. Prior knowledge helps, especially for the three Wraith Squadron books, but I imagine Mercy Kill can work as a stand-alone. I haven't read it, but I feel like the Aaron and the editors said something to that effect.
     
  16. Gorefiend

    Gorefiend Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2004
    Mercy Kill is actually likely to be more enjoyable if you did not read LOTF/FOTJ, as all those two series managed was to drag down anyone involved. Reading the Wraith X-Wing books would be my recommendation though, as the characters are pretty much directly continued from there, though with a clear trauma from the Vong War.
     
  17. instantdeath

    instantdeath Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2010
    Didn't Artoo get translated as early as the Thrawn trilogy? I remember Luke had a translator in his X-wing.
     
  18. LAJ_FETT

    LAJ_FETT Tech Admin (2007-2023) - She Held Us Together star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 25, 2002
    I've read the X-Wing books but it was some time ago so I don't remember a lot. But I had no problems with Mercy Kill. It was pretty good.
     
  19. Palpatine's SOG

    Palpatine's SOG Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Nov 29, 2012
    Which Galaxy of Fear books are the best?
     
  20. Gorefiend

    Gorefiend Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2004
    They are all kind of fun, though my favourite has to be The Hunger, for what Boba Fett does in that one, and of course Platt Okeefe showing up.
     
  21. Havac

    Havac Former Moderator star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 29, 2005
    Spore. It has JEREC.
     
  22. Valin__Kenobi

    Valin__Kenobi Author: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Praji star 4 VIP

    Registered:
    Mar 30, 2004
    The Swarm. It has the following quote:

     
  23. lila_sakari

    lila_sakari Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Dec 12, 2012
    I have only read bits and pieces over the last several years so I am way behind. I kind of got a bit disgruntled with the way things were going. But, I am in the mood for some comics. What is going on with them these days?
     
  24. TheRevanchist

    TheRevanchist Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Dec 13, 2012
    Hi, new poster here.

    After the Thrawn trilogy, what do you think that I should read (I would like to go chronologically but to skip some books)? Are there any novels about the return of Palpatine in clone bodies or those events are only in novels?
     
  25. Gorefiend

    Gorefiend Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 23, 2004
    The X-Wing books and I, Jedi are pretty fun if you liked the Thrawn books.

    Feel free to skip anything up to Hand of Thrawn Duo-logy not much really worth reading there, other than I,Jedi and the X-Wing books.


    Only in the Comics, 3 Part story called Dark Empire.