Lit Well versed in Del Rey but never read Bantam.

I've read all of NJO-FOTJ. I've read The Thrawn Trilogy and the Hand of Thrawn. I've read tons and tons of other random EU books. But I've never read the vast majority of New Rpublic era bantam novels. I have purchased the Jedi Academy, Corellian, and Black Fleet Crisis trilogies. How do people think these will read to someone who knows everything that happens after? I have to admit I'm very curious as to the first appearances of Kyp, Clighal, ect.

 

Well, you'll certainly be surprised they made Daala Chief of State.

 

Big fan of Bantam here, my favourite stuff, very OG Star Wars feel overall, I quite enjoy it. Go with the Thrawn trilogy then Kevin J. Anderson's Jedi Academy and the X-Wing run and THEN into I, Jedi. Oh, and the old Han Solo trilogy (not the 90s one, the Brian Dalley one). That' stuff is great.

 

NJO era Kyp is very, very different from how he was introduced in JAT. My guess is that they probably just needed a sort of "rival" senior Jedi who would be a lot more aggressive and just chose Kyp. Darksaber also acts as a kind of JAT sequel and also has a big influence on the post-RotJ EU. Cighal at least remained the healer of the Jedi. And while I wouldn't call JAT a great trilogy (maybe decent at best), I don't hold it against the JAT for introducing Daala, not like anyone could have foreseen where that character went (and not in a good way). The post-NJO nightmare is all Del Rey's fault.

The Black Fleet Crisis trilogy is probably the strongest of those trilogies you mentioned, though the Corellian trilogy also introduced many characters and ideas that would pop up in the rest of the EU. I remember reading the Corellian trilogy first, and seeing what the Solo kids could pull off on their own... then reading the NJO and wondering how moronic the kids had gotten when Thracken can just shove Anakin over and pull the trigger on a superweapon, all thanks to Jacen's whining. Thracken's political rise and fall and rise were annoying, but at least there's a little bit of logic to his political career, compared to Daala's.

The Black Fleet crisis really examined what it was like for the New Republic to be the new reigning galactic government (and it didn't even have an Imp warlord of the week plot at all). Though there were more than a few moments that made Leia look particularly stubborn or naive, but that's sci-fi plotting for you, can't ever have the characters be too smart or there won't be much of a plot.

By the way, have you read the X-wing novels yet? Both the Stackpole and Allston books have a huge influence on the rest of the EU and are all excellent books in their own right.

 

The Bantam novels in the New Republic era were mostly written by Sci-Fi authors, contrasted with the Fantasy authors that Del Rey lifted from Forgotten Realms. There were also a lot of limitations on what the Bantam authors could do, with no overarching plotline like the NJO to guide them and with little continuity between authors beyond basic lip service. The result was a lot of weird sci-fi experimentation, which sometimes succeeded, which sometimes failed, and which was sometimes so damn wacky that it's actually worth checking out. Read The Crystal Star. Seriously, just go for it. When all of the EU became identical Jedi vs Sith lightsaber swinging and Force lighting around 2009, it was suddenly easy to be nostalgic for the Bantam Era, when authors were at the very least each trying something new.

 

I think that you'll enjoy this era. Even if you know what's in store for the characters, the stories are entertaining in themselves. I think that I may be in the minority, but I really enjoyed the Corellian Trilogy. May I suggest that you check out The Truce at Bakura before starting the Corellian Trilogy. Some of the characters from Bakura reappear in the Corellian Trilogy and having some background provides extra depth. I'm a little nostalgic towards The Truce at Bakura as it was the first Star Wars book I ever read.

 

I always found the Black Fleet trilogy oddly aloof - as if it didn't truly belong in Star Wars - not that it isn't great if you like something with a stronger military/political feel.

The big book ends for the Bantam run were Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy, then his Hand of Thrawn duology, which sum up the tone of the Bantam era quite well.
Turn to those if you find yourself dazed by some of the more 'experimental' titles and just want a solid read. On the flip side, perhaps frequently criticized are books such as Children of the Jedi, The New Rebellion and The Crystal Star - but only really the last one of these is a total and complete critical failure. You may find the others have merit for you.

Many of the Bantam novels read as quite 'flat' if you jump straight to them from reading a Del Rey SW novel - not really because of the continuity practices, but because the adventures were much more isolated and written with less pizzazz and less of a general willingness to excite/shock the reader. They are more distinctly imitative.

Many people start with Heir to the Empire, complete the Thrawn Trilogy, then move on to the X-wing novels and work out what they like from there.
I'd say it's a bad thing to jump in with something like Black Fleet but then again, because you are coming to the material from the other side, so to speak, i.e. from post-Bantam - it shouldn't be an issue.

 

I never got around to reading the Black Fleet trilogy, but I remember when TFA came out that people were saying things like the Black Fleet trilogy ended up being closer to the sequel trilogy than most other post-ROTJ stories, at least with Luke and Leia. It also seemed to be a more mature trilogy that expanded on the characters and made them grow, instead of reliving old adventures, and gave something for everyone to do...

(Chewbacca had his own plot independent of Han, Lando had his own plot, Leia faced the New Republic failing to get its act together and being misled while a militant outside power prepared to strike and sow chaos, Luke goes missing to go on a journey that lets him see the Force differently, it all came together in the end)

I summarized the Bantam novels here... it sucks that the boards never solved the "truncated posts" problem after the move: (cutting off the last 3: the rest of the BFC trilogy, the New Rebellion, and the Hand of Thrawn... and the non-mainstream ones of the Han Solo trilogies, X-Wing series, Tales, Bounty Hunter trilogy, and Shadows of the Empire)
http://boards.theforce.net/threads/...on-of-them-loose-ends.30797418/#post-30797418

 

I have just finished a massive read through of Bantam. It's...well, it's a mixed bag. I can say that I don't regret reading any of them, and I was honestly surprised at my reaction to various ones, having only read the NJO and Rogue Squadron previously. The best part about Bantam, is that despite a lack of overarching plots like the NJO, the characterization is spot on. Leia, Han, and Luke, as well as the kids and even all the side characters are consistent throughout. It's weird, actually, having started my Bantam journey by reading the NJO, how consistent it all was. (And then we get post NJO which is a disaster, but I digress). The sci-finess of it all can be a little, er, overwhelming, lets say. It leads to, in my opinion, a lot more plot than character, which can be exhausting. There is an excessive amount of Lando, and while I love him, it's a lot for someone who has no legit impact on the stories whatsoever. I literally skipped all of his parts in the Black Fleet books, and I can honestly say I missed nothing. (Those books were interminable btw.) Nothing as bad as Zahn, which, tbh, I have read literally all of Bantam and he's the one author that I couldn't finish (and I have read 5,000 pages of Roger McBride Allen describing ships crashing, so....). I'm working my way chronologically through and Hand of Thrawn is looming and I'm having nightmares.

The majority of the plots are...um...insane really, and I'm still not entirely sure I see the point of half of them? And there are a ton of random aliens that appear only once and have bizarre descriptions and I still have no idea why someone decided Black Fleet needed to be three books, but the weird thing is, that apart from Zahn and Michael McDowell, they are all really readable. Like, I did skip a bit in the Corellian trilogy (because seriously how many times can a person crash a ship) but they were all p. delightful. Kevin J. Anderson is probably a madman, but his books were a delight. Like, every page I was like "this can not get weirder" but then it did, but somehow, I loved it? And he had perfect characterization? And then Barbara Hambly comes in out of nowhere and granted the roachperson thing was weird but man, I loved Callista and like, it weirdly fit with Luke and his depression of existential weirdness of the time? And she wrote Leia so well, and it did a really great job of taking them to the next phase of their lives? And then the Crystal Star was literally the strangest book I have ever read and I just finished the Glove of Darth Vader but anyway, despite Luke swimming through a faberge egg or whatever and Leia being replaced by a weird clone who loves children and being a mom it was kind of hilarious? And the kids were amazing, so that's always good. And I mean, Courtship is p. much flawless as is Bakura tbh, and the Corellian trilogy was exhausting but I finally saw the point of Lando and all the characters were great.

And, I dunno, Han getting a concussion every book (lbr he gets kidnapped waaaaaaaay more than the kids) and Jaina and Jacen attempting to swan dive off tall buildings or start a food fight while Leia pays attention to other things and Luke wondering what his role and purpose really is in the universe and Wedge doing the job of literally everyone because Bantam wasn't big on OCs and Mon Mothma remaining the worst and the beginning of many fantastic characters (Stackpole and Zahn may be the worst writers of the era but they gave me Mara Jade and the Fels so I don't complain)...Bantam is a wild ride, start to finish, but I'd recommend every single one. (Except Zahn. And Black Fleet. Save yourself tbh, if it's not too late). I'd say if you aren't looking to read in order, I'd do Jedi Academy Trilogy first, then Corellian. Sell Black Fleet. Get both Hambly books and Darksaber, get an e-book of Crystal Star, check out the YJK books, and look into Courtship and Bakura. I guess it all depends on what you're looking for really, but overall, I'd say it's a win (and lightyears better than any of the garbage novels that came out post NJO (I say novels because I would never disparage Legacy and the tireless efforts of Duursema and Ostrander to heal what was broken)).

 

You highlight the fault of padding - i.e. too many books for the plot being carried.
That's a big Legends fault across the board and they consistently made errors on it. And then when they realized their mistake, and tried to condense, it sort of multiplied the problem even further and damaged the prose.

Like much of Legends, the divide of opinions over each novel is quite marked - testifying that ye can't know 'till ye try 'em out.

 

What's the usual reading order? I've read TTT and Hand of Thrawn mind you. Is it best to read all of the X-Wing books before I, Jedi? I know the publication order isnt' the same as chronological so I'm curious how people feel.

 

To be honest, you can read them in any order to your liking.

But read the X-wing novels consecutively, because they form one overarching story, particularly books 1-4 together, then 5-7 together. Book 8 follows the events of TTT but benefits from having read the earlier X-wing novels.

I, Jedi does not relate to stories as told in the X-wing novels (although there are references to them, Corran Horn is introduced in X wing books 1-4) - it is a tie in novel to the Jedi Academy series. Some read I, Jedi in place of the JAT because they're not keen on Anderson's style, others read it afterwards.

 

When I get the chance again I'll be re-reading my Bantam books and going:

Shadows of the Empire, The Truce at Bakura, X-wing novels 1-7, The Courtship of Princess Leia, Thrawn Trilogy, X-wing 8, Jedi Academy trilogy, I Jedi, Callista trilogy (COTJ, Darksaber, POT), The Crystal Star, Black Fleet Trilogy, The New Rebellion [which I didn't much enjoy to be honest], Corellian trilogy, Hand of Thrawn duology and finally Young Jedi Knights series.

Have never located Junior Jedi Knights so am willing to give it a miss.

I didn't really like The New Rebellion because Kueller's actions were an absolute oddity compared to the likes of Nichos Marr and Waru of all things.

If I can, I will attempt to locate Dark Empire/DEII/Empire's End and read it before Jedi Academy. Crimson Empire I can miss because it doesn't necessarily need to be read in order to know what's going on.

Allegiance, Choices of One, Splinter of the Mind's Eye, Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor (more nightmare fuel then Star Wars to be honest) and Tatooine Ghost I don't mind missing since they're Del Rey.

 

Tatooine Ghost was actually good.

 

Not to me really. It just rubbed me the wrong way and I couldn't see it as a story about Leia coming to terms about Anakin Skywalker. And the Squibs are what turned me off Dark Nest Crisis (that and Tarfung and his Sullustan pilot Jae Juun).

 

Hmm. The Squibs were an odd case for me. They seemed sp uninteresting that I constantly forgot them - so when subsequently included/forced in other works I had totally forgotten them, and their interest was doubly wiped out.