Macon, GA NJO Fan Discussion.

So what does everybody think of the New Jedi Order?

Like it? Hate it?

How about the Vong?

The Story in general?

I'm interested to hear what people think in this area of the country.

 

At first I was I little apprehensive. I'm not a huge fan of EU so I didn't "jump right in" to the NJO series.

I finally picked up a copy of Vector Prime and was very pleased to find that it was excellent. I've been slowly pecking away at the series(I'm still reading "Hero's Trial") but it looks pretty good so far. The "Agents of Chaos" series is a little slow but I hear that it picks up. I can't wait to get to the end of year three and the beginning of year four.

I like the Vong as the enemy, they are pretty tough and their arrival seems to be putting a quick end to any division between the old rebel and old Imperial factions that still exist in the New Republic. They are a good relentless enemy with strong personalities of their own. I got a little tired of the old "Star Wars villian" cliches that peppered the EU over the past ten years.

I don't like Mara Jade and Kyp Durron. Kyp, to me, is a shallow character that is simply there to be used as the "dark side" foil for Luke and his good guy Jedi.

Mara is simply what everyone always wanted Boba Fett to be. She is the mysterious "commando-like" bad guy with Force aptitude that saw the light and became a good guy. I mean, that's what we all secretly wanted to become of Boba Fett wasn't it? I think she would have been better as a secondary character, a stronger member of the Jedi Order, but not one of the "Magnificent Seven."

Overall, I like the sense of political intrigue that goes along with the series. I also like the fact that (so far) most of the characters seem to stick together unlike the past EU where one group is always headed off for some "adventure" while another group does the same. There aren't as many of the "Star Wars" cliches that were so prevalant in the EU before (if one more person referred to an event from the films I was going to puke).

 

I agree with many of your thoughts Allie Fox. The vong are great villians, though there are some things I haven't liked about them as the series has progressed though I won't spoil you by saying what they are.

I like the whole theme of the shattered bubble of security which is established by Han in Vector Prime. It's nice to be able to read a book and not know if everybody is going to make it when you start.

 

I agree. Especially with a Star Wars book. I think the "not knowing" which of our heroes might not make it adds to the (dare I say) realism of the series. As much as I might hate the fact that Chewbacca became a victim of the Vong, it really woke me up to the reality of the threat that this new enemy poses.

 

I like the fact that the whole series is deeper and darker. When you get to Traitor you'll know what I mean. That book is more philosophy. It's fun seeing our favorite charaters wrestle with their beliefs rather then being one dimensional as many of them were in the movies.

As the Vong go on they are gradually wimpified after Vector Prime. Yeah, they still win a lot of battles but that's mainly because of their sheer numbers. In Vector Prime fighting one vong was hard, later on a Jedi can slaughter them by the dozens. I know the writers stances are that the New Republic gradually learns how to fight them, but I miss the days when they kicked butt and took names.

 

I haven't gotten that far yet. For me, right now they are still pretty relentless. The Jedi were just starting to kick a little butt in Dark Tide.

If I can get past Agents of Chaos, it should pick up.

 

Overall, I've enjoyed the series. However some books are better than others. At least this series is a change from the "Luke-Han-Leia" save the universe type. I just wonder how many more books are going to be written in this series.

 

I'm pretty sure there is going to be seven "hardcover" books with at least four "filler" bboks in between each one. Some of the books have been paperback and others have been ebooks.

 

I have one complaint against "Traitor."

It pushed "I, Jedi" into second place as my favorite SW novel.

We finally find out more about Vergere - originally seen in "Rogue Planet," if you didn't read that one. Those who think she's a hero are as wrong as those who think she's a villain. She seems to be beyond either classification.

The best part of all is that Jacen Quits Whining! Sheesh - he was better at it than his uncle Luke used to be. But no longer...

My two cents.

 

^ Traitor is my favorite NJO book thus far as well. But my favorite all-time books are the Zahn Trilogy, "I,Jedi", X-Wing and Wraith Squadron books.

As far as the NJO books go, I have been very pleased with the continuity, and with the "quality" of writing in the books. I am probably one of the few people who don't like the added realism of killing off some of my favorite characters. Star Wars is fantasy, it is escapeism (sp?) if I want to get depressed and hear about death and destruction, I'll turn on the news. I was very upset with the two MAJOR deaths in the NJO thus far, even some of the minor ones bother me. I have read all of the adult novels including the prequel books, and have read half of the Jedi Apprentice books. I am currently liking Destiny's way very much.

Let me quote my favorite lines from Destiny's way. THERE ARE NO SPOILERS HERE.

Here is Han Solo's oppinion on how the Empire would have dealt with the Yuzzhan Vong:

"What the Empire would have done was build a super-colossal Yuuzhan Vong-killing battle machine. They would have called it the Nova Colossus or the Galaxy Destructor or the Nostil of Palpatine or something equally grandiose. They would have spent billions of credits, employed thousands of contractors and subcontractors, and equipped it with the latest in death-dealing technology. And you know what would have happened? IT WOULDN'T HAVE WORKED. They'd forget to bolt down a metal plate over an access hatch leading to the main reactors, or some other mistake, and a hotshot enemy pilot would drop a bomb down there and blow the whole thing up. Now THATS what the Empire would have done."

 

Anybody found the New NJO: Force Heretic book? Dublin is a Sci-Fi novel free zone sadly.

WHAAA!!!! THE SORROW!!!!!

 

i got it

picked mine up at the BAM in warner robins. i was just at BN in macon today, and they had quite a few of them.