Are both Splinter of the Minds Eye and Shadows good reads?

I read Shadow Hunter / Cloak Of Deception / Labyrinth Of Evil.. And those are the only starw ars books I have read. Would now reading Splinter and Shadows ( im reading post a new hope on purpose) be alright?

 

Shadows of the Empire is a great novel. It captures that OT movie feeling in a way few novels have.

Splinter was OK. On the lower end of things. A few redeeming qualities but not many.

Read Shadows first.

For more info on where to go in the EU click on the 2nd sticky thread.

 

I don't like Splinter at all, but it isn't as bad as some of the later books.

Shadows, I'd say, is a must read. It's well written, there're some nice actions scenes, and a lot of stuff from Vader's pov.

 

SotE is an excellent book with great Vader POVs, but it's very chatty in my opinion.

Splinter is the very first EU book ever written, so if you don't really count the events as a part of the timeline, it's a good read. Most of the details don't follow canon and are rather, shall we say "messed up"? I personally think that the GFFA wasn't developed enough when it was written. Good story though.

 

Splinter of the Minds Eye was the second Star Wars novel I read, just after the novelisation of the first movie. So nostalgic memories may cloud my judgment, but I have read it again couple of times and I think it to be a nice book. Not great, but better than half of the books sold under the Star Wars name. Pretty much same could be said about Shadows of the Empire. Greatness eludes it, but it´s a solid work. Sometimes the characters don´t feel quite right - I was disappointed with the portrayal of Luke, for example - but it´s worth reading.

 

Shadows has some good scenes, but the pace is fast, the book longer than it need be, and prose quixotic in nature. I'm surprised Perry made it past the editors, but it's good to see a range of styles.

Shadow Hunter is badly written and plotted, cold and simple. His knowledge is sound, but like Luceno, Reeves uses these heavy technical words in simple sentences; repeats multiple scenes just to show from another pov; gives absolutely no background on Maul, his short NEGTC entry gave more; and has a crappy cover to boot. Check out how he described Pavan's appearance at one stage, and why say the tergivasator Hath Monchar instead of traitor? And what's with all the full names too?

It's a waste of potential, that's all. It could have been good, but no ne these days bothers to try to surprise you. Incredulously, we've been gettin' an armada of stories whose ending you already know befor starting lately. Amazing!

 

I really enjoyed Shadows of the Empire, and Splinter of the Mind's Eye wasn't bad.

 

Splinter of the Mind's Eye is my favorite EU novel. It was written before Star Wars was released in theatres in May 1977, so it has more of that "vintage Star Wars feel" than anything else in the EU.

 

i just thought it was released before empire strikes back was produced? i dont have the desire and can't be bothered to get orig release dates, as im not bothered, but just a thought

 

Does anyone find it strange that Excellence took the opportunity to criticize Shadow Hunter in a thread asking whether or not Shadows of the Empire and Splinter of the Mind's Eye are good?

Neither do I.

 

Splinter of the Mind's Eye is one of my favorite's, just because it's very much a product of it's time. It doesn't mesh well with a lot of the EU today, but it has a great "classic Star Wars" vibe.

Shadows of the Empire is, with the exception of the Knights of the Old Republic game, my favorite piece of EU. I'd recommend playing the computer game and reading the comic in addition to the novel though, because they both add further layers (and vice versa) to the material.

 

i just thought it was released before empire strikes back was produced?

Splinter was published in 1978, but Alan Dean Foster had finished writing it before May 1977.

 

Does anyone find it strange that Excellence took the opportunity to criticize Shadow Hunter in a thread asking whether or not Shadows of the Empire and Splinter of the Mind's Eye are good?

Neither do I.

 

Read Shadows but pass on Splinter (there's better books out tehre to read first).


Agreed.

Better yet, skip anything written by Alan Dean Foster.


*cringes*

 

That's what happens when you misread the opening. D'oh!