Lit I, Jedi as an alternative to the Jedi Academy trilogy

So I'm about to finish the original run of the X-wing novels and I'm gonna pretty much try to finish reading all the major events that took place in the Galactic Civil War from the Bantam era, ending with the Hand of Thrawn trilogy hopefully around Christmas so I can just dive into the NJO next year and hopefully finish that before The Force Awakens comes out.

I hear really bad things about the Jedi Academy trilogy, and nothing but praise for I, Jedi, which I also hear kind of retells the JA trilogy in a more coherent way. Should I just skip JA and go for I, Jedi?

 

Do you like or loathe the idea of Corran Horn as a first person narrator? That'll play a big part in the decision.

 

Oh I'm reading the book no matter what, and I love that idea, I'm just wondering if I should skip JA all together

 

Hey wait hold on -- I hated Corran Horn in the X-Wing books. He was a total smarmy jerk. It was I, Jedi that made me change my mind. Er, about him being a cool guy. But still a smarmy jerk.

 

If I was a badass space cop/ace pilot/Jedi Knight I'd probably be pompous too

 

I'd suggest you read them all for yourself. Not everyone here sees everything the same despite how it seems at times. I liked the JAT but loathed I Jedi. Can't stand Corran or Kyp.

 

One thing - you will not get the complete tale without JA. If that matters to you.

 

Speaking personally, I'm definitely not a fan of I, Jedi. But I wouldn't call it an acceptable substitute anyway; you still need to read the JAT in order to fully understand what's going on.

 

I,J is a great supplement to a lackluster trilogy, even with any inconsistencies.

You could read it without reading the trilogy, but there's lots of story in the trilogy that isn't touched by by I, Jedi.

 

I Jedi is lackluster.

 

I, Jedi is great, but it's the Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead to the JA trilogy. I'm not sure it would make much sense on its own, although I'd be genuinely interested to see the opinions of anyone who's tried it by itself.

 

Surely someone has attempted to work out a proper reading order for JA and I, Jedi that mixes the two perfectly?

(sort of like how you're meant to read Daley's Han Solo Adventures at certain points during Crispin's Rebel Dawn).

 

Okay so I'm starting Jedi Search.

Is it just me or is KJA's punctuation/use of commas and semicolons ATROCIOUS

(if i seem really biased against KJA it's probably because i still have that atrocious IG 88 short story in my memory)

 

The best part of the beginning is Han calling an attacker traitor because they are in an X-Wing. Because only the rebels/New Republic have them, right?

 

Actually this story is still one of my favorites in the whole EU. (I know, I've said it before. And I know I'm the only one.)
Because it does to RotJ what I, Jedi does to the Jedi Academy Trilogy: it presents the events there as a part of an entirely different, but no less important story.

 

JAT is Hamlet!?

I've always felt that Bill missed an opportunity by not having Polonius plot to ram a Star Destroyer into Elsinore.

 

I'm almost finished with Jedi Search... and I *gasp* am enjoying it.

The general storyline isn't bad, and its actually pretty fun. I just think I couldn't get the whole "I NEED A NEW NOSE" BS from the IG-88 short story out of my head

 

Yeah, besides all their negative points the KJA books and comics are actually fast-paced and have some fun and silly ideas. There are many SW novels that are just boring.

 

Glad to hear it.

 

Read both; while I find I, Jedi to be miles better than JAT, and in general to be one of the greatest standalone's in the entire EU, it really is Corran's tale, with the events of JAT serving as a backdrop. You'll still get a sense of everything else that goes on, but it's mainly through Corran reacting to something that happened within the trilogy, and his story ends up moving beyond the events of Yavin lV.

 

I personally enjoy the trilogy but it was my first so that might be why.

 

I think JAT was my first 'adult' SW novels and while it clearly has issues I don't get the derision some have for it. Some love Corran and think he's cool, whatever. For me he's a pompous jerk and the main reason I can't stand I Jedi. To each their own.

 

Corran is a pompous jerk, but he's also awesome.

The trilogy is okay but there's a whole lot of awful characterization there. Also, blob races.

 

So did I Jedi.

 

JAT is important to the legends universe. It introduced Kyp Durron and Exar Kun, the latter being responsible for the events of the Old Republic era. However, that doesn't mean it's good. The Death Star prototype feels redundant and the Sun Crusher feels like an attempt to "outdo" the Death Star, and some feel that Luke forgives Durron too quickly.