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Reviews Books The JC Lit Reviews Special: SCOURGE (Spoilers)

Discussion in 'Literature' started by Shepherd492, Sep 3, 2012.

  1. jedimaster203

    jedimaster203 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 19, 1999
    9/10

    I loved Scourge. I loved the characters. I loved the setting. I loved the fact that Luke Skywalker wasn't even mentioned in the book.

    We need more of these type novels, and Jeff Grubb should be developed into a "go to" guy for Del Rey.

    -1 point for being predictable.

    I want to hear more about Mander Zuma in the future :)
     
  2. SWpants

    SWpants Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 28, 2004
    I don’t read comics, so the last time I read something deeply involved in the Corporate Sector (that I remember) was in the Han Solo Adventures. Jeff Grubb knows his Hutts and offers some interesting background on Nal Hutta & Nar Shaddaa. He also includes a bit of the language as well. I’m not a fan of Huttese, but it’s still fun to read!

    It was also interesting to see how mind-rubbing really can affect an individual. It doesn’t mean everything we’ve learned is wrong, but it’s a different take on it. I like it – how, if you force someone to do something they really don’t want to do, even if they can’t remember you/what they did, their subconscious does. And they feel uncomfortable around you because of it.

    I don’t like how Zuma seems to come out of nowhere. The novel takes place in the New Republic era, but I’ve never heard of him, Irana, or some of the Anjiliac Hutts (though the clan name isn’t new). It seems as if he was a Jedi before Order 66, but how he fits in with Luke’s group is beyond my understanding. It says on Wookieepedia that he’s part of the New Jedi Order only, so maybe his background knowledge is on the fact that he is an archivist. It was mentioned in the novel that he worked with Tionne.

    The Anjiliac Hutts – Popara and Mika in particular – are a different sort of Hutt who can be entrusted a bit more than others. And one of them is the Force-sensitive Hutt I remember hearing about.

    The ending was decent. The novel itself was decent. I wanted to keep reading while reading it, but when I had to put it down, I didn’t feel the pull, the urge to pick it back up. Grubb’s writing isn’t bad at all; he’s a very good author. It’s just that his style is a bit dry for me.



    7/10: I’d reread it if I REALLY wanted to, but it would definitely not be a top 100 choice.
     
  3. Havac

    Havac Former Moderator star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 29, 2005
    Average score: 119.6/16 = 7.48
     
  4. Jedi Ben

    Jedi Ben Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 1999
    Finally got around to reading this!

    It was certainly a refreshingly different tale! All new characters, a great chronological placement for it, oh and Hutts!

    True, it isn't a galaxy shattering, apocalyptic epic but then it never claims to be nor tries to do that. Instead, this is an effective tale focused on the seedy side of SW, with all manner of nefarious goings on and devious beings. I particularly liked the invention of the Swokes Swokes - psychotic, nigh-on invulnerable nutcase thugs!

    The angle on the Force was refreshing too, especially the line of thought with regard to mind tricks.

    The CSA was an interesting organisation, as I haven't read much of them - might finally get around to picking up the Han Solo Adventures. Angela Krin was a good character too.

    What it was, was a fun adventure novel, with a whole lot of action, great set of locations and it delivered that well.

    Score? Say 8/10 - oh, but wait, it did something I've never seen in the EU before but now wonder why it took so long - exploding a Hutt! For that - and being a straight-to-paperback book - it goes up!

    9/10
     
  5. Havac

    Havac Former Moderator star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 29, 2005
    Average score: 128.6/17 = 7.56

    And Ben, read the HSA now. Not later, now. Not only will you love them, but they're fantastic and it is immoral for anyone, anywhere not to read them.
     
  6. Jedi Ben

    Jedi Ben Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 1999
    Heheheh. Are the Lando adventures also the recipient of such praise from you Hav?

    I can think of worse ways to spend just under£5!
     
  7. Stymi

    Stymi Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 10, 2002
    Scourge felt flat for me...and I think flat is also a good way to describe the characters. I would have liked to have seen more interaction among the characters. Those interactions are key to character development. The book started off well in that regard, then seemed to become more plot-focused at the expense of character development. And for a supposedly ineffectual Jedi, Mander was pretty darn effective. And unlike others storeis where a really strong ending helped make up for the rest, that was not the case for me in this novel.

    Review: 7/10
     
  8. Havac

    Havac Former Moderator star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 29, 2005
    Average score: 135.6/18 = 7.53




    Ben, the Lando books aren't as good, because pretty much nothing is. They're a different kind of pulp -- the HSA is basically Indiana Jones before Indiana Jones existed, your classic thirties-style retro-pulp where it's all just pulp adventure dressed up in space trappings, while the LCA is more trippy, ungrounded, conceptual-sci-fi pulp. It's very seventies. Fun, crazy, but not the height of amazing, pure-Star-Wars thrilling adventure that the HSA is.
     
  9. Force Smuggler

    Force Smuggler Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    I preferred the feel of the Lando books to the Han Solo Adventures personally. Don't ask me why.
     
  10. San-Tarah

    San-Tarah Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Nov 22, 2012
    One of the few EU books i could not finsih.
     
  11. Bib Fartuna

    Bib Fartuna Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 4, 2012
    I am halfway through this novel, and it is slightly pants so far. I will rate the book once I am finished reading.
     
  12. Bib Fartuna

    Bib Fartuna Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 4, 2012
    I stopped reading this novel around halfway through, and smashed my way through Riptide at a rapid pace wich I thoroughly enjoyed.

    My opinion of this novel warmed a lot after getting stuck back into it. I found Scourge to be ... sufficient.

    8/10
     
  13. Kyris Cavisek

    Kyris Cavisek Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 12, 2012
    Scourge introduced an entire cast of characters never to be used before. Not relying on previously established characters is harder but gives the writer so much more freedom. I liked the place it was in the timeline, directly before NJO. Mander Zuma was an interesting Jedi librarian. Regretfully he was another white male Jedi, but like other believable Jedi protagonists, he was given to have weaknesses, unlike the Starkillers of the galaxy.

    The Hutt Mystery was a bit easy to solve, I would much rather an in depth mystery that has you scratching your head until they explain it all. But the cast was diverse and interesting, with Bothans, Pantorans, and Hutts. The use of Nar Shada and Tempest worked well

    However I feel that it would have been just as interesting had they decided to use an established Jedi Knight like Corran Horn, being from an investigation background and relatively unused between I,Jedi and NJO, or Kyle Katarn since his time period between Jedi Academy and Dark Nest is filled with one short comic. Katarn would have work well as well.

    However Mander Zuma held my interest and was good enough. I would like his character to be developed more in another book, perhaps in Hutt Space again during the Vong War, while being chased by Peace Brigade.

    Overall Scourge: 8.5/10
    Mander Zuma: 8/10
     
  14. Havac

    Havac Former Moderator star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 29, 2005
    Average score: 152.1/20 = 7.61
     
  15. aalagartassle

    aalagartassle Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 11, 2011
    Scourge for was a bitzer, It had good and bad chapters. I likes the Swoke Swokes and Hutt dealings. Krin was a good character. But the story itself fell flat overall. 6/10 A Force sensative Hutt kept me reading
     
  16. Havac

    Havac Former Moderator star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 29, 2005
    Average score: 158.1/21 = 7.53
     
  17. R4-D4

    R4-D4 Jedi Grand Master star 2

    Registered:
    Mar 6, 2003
    Finally started reading this now, but I find it odd that it occurs at 19aby. I feel like at that time point we knew all the jedi masters and there were only a small handful we read from the other books centered around Luke’s academy. Seems too early to be a new jedi who had an apprentice. Shouldn’t it be set later in timeline?
     
  18. R4-D4

    R4-D4 Jedi Grand Master star 2

    Registered:
    Mar 6, 2003
    If luke’s academy only started in 11aby. How can one of his students trained Mander to master. In addition Mander trained his own apprentice Toro. 3 generations in 8 years?
     
  19. Jedi Ben

    Jedi Ben Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 1999
    Corellian Trilogy has second and third classes established, add in accelerated training and it's possible for Mander to be at that level.