I got the Dark Tide duo for Christmas. Omen, I feel anyways, is better than most people seem to think. It's a nicer, more laid back than some of the later books in the series, and introduces the Lost Tribe nicely.
Must love Darktide, the writing of Corran Horn as a Jedi by Stackpole is amazing. His evolution of Ganner Rhysode also sets up the character for the later novels.
I recently said in another thread that I was apprehensive about starting this series, the 19 books, its a lot to take in. Plus the mediocre reviews on the web... Should I go on to NJO, or should I read more of the books set much further in the past??? I also like the era taking place from A New Hope up until the NJO...
Prior to NJO, it would help to read a little bit of the prior stuff. Check out Rogue Squadron, Thrawn Trilogy, Jedi Academy Trilogy, I, Jedi. The only other book you might want to grab is the Young Jedi Knight anthologies. It would be better to understand some of the EU characters that reappear in the NJO. That being said, the NJO is great if you dont mind Jedi on Vong Vibrostaff not Jedi on Sith Lightsaber.
I am in a similar situation too. I was thinking of money I got for Christmas and getting the NJO as I feel time to read but there are many books before hand that I want to read, so am using that money to do so. I feel that is a lot of time to read one series. Does anyone know if worth skipping NJO and reading either of the next two series or should you read NJO first?
It really is a personal preference. If you like dark stories with gritty detail, NJO is for you. The Miniseries are hit and miss. I like Dark Tide but I don't like Agents of Chaos
I would agree, however even LotF and FotJ have their bright spots... Not to mention Mercy Kill, Crosscurrent and Riptide are high points
It's interesting to read how most people seems to like NJO now. I remember that was far from the case when it came... is it because it's mainly the NJO lovers that have stayed on these boards, or because it's seems so much better in the afterlight?` Anyway, since a personal opinion is called for here, I generally liked the first part of NJO due the the dark and the difference from the earlier books. I still maintain the Wars-of-the-Worlds- go-GFFA works spendidly and is carried out with all the epic one could wish for. Minus was (what seemd like) Luke& the Jedi's slow going (but that obvously has been corrected by the Invasion comics). Personally, I lost interest during Force Heretic and went completely dead in first chapters of TUF. I'm abut to give that last book a new chance, though.
As a whole the NJO destroys DNT/LOTF/FOTJ by a landslide. I was more satisfied with Mercy Kill than I ever was with DNT/LOTF/FOTJ. Of this three I was most satisfied with LOTF. Crosscurrent was alright but not that great. No idea about Riptide.
ive already read Thrawn Trilogy and book 1 of the Jedi Academy Trilogy....... that's why I asked because I really enjoy that era and I wanna read all the books that come before NJO.
The NJO is a masterpiece. Skipping even half the series is not an option. Why are their medicocre reviews? Almost every book is better than anything else coming out of Star Wars. The only thing you could skip in my mind is Dark Journey
isn't using the word "masterpiece" a bit of over kill when it comes to Star Wars novels... I mean lets be real here, as much as ive enjoyed the EU books "masterpiece" doesn't fit their description... Dantes Inferno is a masterpiece not Vector Prime...
Star Wars novels aren't Class A+ literature but for Star Wars literature the NJO books are the top of the pile as a whole
really???? like ive stated before the Thran Trilogy gets the most positive press and that is usually looked at as the end all be all... Im hearing any different reviews on the NJO from this thread though...
The NJO is the best thing in SW imo. It is the most ambitious project in SW ever. As a trilogy the Thrawn trilogy is the best overall. People like different things and with something as controversial as the NJO there will be many different opinions. My advice is read it and make your own opinions.
The only thing the NJO does not have is Red Lightsabers. Let's face it EU authors don't understand Sith. But the most brilliant thing about the NJO is it doesn't need it. There isn't some attempt to make you forget about the Sith ending. There is a credible threat from outside of the Star Wars comfort zone, it is because of this "new" that people don't like it. The Vong are well thought out and credible villians. The series doesn't focus on just the Skywalker/Solo Clan, and it focuses on more than just Luke Han and Leia, allowing for the Solo kids to step onto the galactic stage. If you want something Star Wars that isn't just a rehash of the movies, it is a new story and it is brilliant
The biggest mistake was that the series stagnates and they needed a way to defeat an undefeatable enemy. On top of that there were still unresolved plot lines at the end of the NJO that is never followed up on.
The series didn't stagnate that much imo. The unresolved plotlines are Denning's fault. No one else's.
They could have done the Killik trilogy then returned to the unresolved plot line but someone at Lucasbooks said they wanted a 9 book series about Jacen.
Denning was the person in charge of the Post NJO effort. DNT and LOTF at least anyway and FOTJ I wouldn't be surprised
yeah when i say masterpiece, i mean a masterpiece compared to most other lower class literature and other Star Wars literature
don´t judge the entire series for the first numbers (anyway, i loved the Dark Tide duology), the series will be getting better and better... Enojy them!!
