Books Rank the novels of the new canon

My list tends to be biased towards those I've read more recently, but the ones at the bottom of the list and those at the top will probably stay there for a long while.

Spoiler: For ease of scrolling

1. Victory's Price
2. Shadow Fall
3. Lost Stars
4. Alphabet Squadron
5. Light of the Jedi
6. The Rising Storm
7. Catalyst
8. Bloodline
9. Rebel Rising
10. Leia: Princess of Alderaan
11. Dooku: Jedi Lost
12. Master and Apprentice
13. Resistance Reborn
14. Into the Dark
15. Last Shot
16. Tarkin
17. Thrawn: Treason
18. Thrawn
19. Phasma
20. Most Wanted
21. Twilight Company
22. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
23. Aftermath: Empire's End
24. Inferno Squad
25. Aftermath
26. Thrawn: Alliances
27. Dark Disciple
28. A New Dawn
29. Aftermath: Life Debt
30. Ahsoka
31. Galaxy's Edge: Black Spire

 

Update:

1. Bloodline - This felt a lot like the old EU in a really good way. Really loved the story and pacing.
2. Light of the Jedi - Really loved this book, a great start to a new era full of storytelling potential.
3. Catalyst - Luceno is a great storyteller and really dug into the detail to give a great backstory to Rogue 1.
4. Inferno Squad - Surprised myself with how much I loved this book, really awesome plot with compelling characters.
5. Lords of the Sith - Great action and pacing, another that felt like the old EU.
6. Greater Good - Felt like a classic SW/Zahn novel with a great mystery woven through the book that culminated in a compelling climax to the book. Really enjoying this trilogy so far.
7. Thrawn: Treason - Really enjoyed this. Easily the best Thrawn book we've had in the new canon. Very engaging story and flowed well.
8. Tarkin - Again a big fan of Luceno's storytelling.
9. A New Dawn - Good interesting story that I enjoyed more than I expected.
10. Master and Apprentice - Grey's got a great grasp on Star Wars.
11. Chaos Rising - Really enjoyed this fresh look into a corner of the SW Galaxy we haven't seen before, read more as a fantasy book than pure SW which was great.
12. Black Spire - Enjoyed this more than I expected, really felt the KOTOR influences (I presume) on this with the side missions and use of weapons and items feeling like a vibe. The conclusion wasn't as strong as I would have hoped.
13. Solo: A Star Wars Story - Really enjoyed this, easily the most of all the film novelisations. Lafferty does really well to capture the humour of the movie and expands on the story in a really compelling way.
14. Alliances - Preferred this to the first Thrawn novel but not by much.
15. From A Certain Point of View: ESB - Enjoyed more than the first one, some really brilliant stories
16. Thrawn
17. The Rising Storm - I actually had high hopes for this and that might be why it ends up so low because I was so disappointed with it. I found the writing style hugely simplistic, and an 'incident' that should have been 4-5 chapters of the book with plenty of build up and fall out ended up taking more than half the book purely due to the large cast of characters employed. There was only so many chapters of near misses and struggles I could cope with.
18. From A Certain Point of View - great fun stories.
19. Rogue One - Good retelling of the movie from Freed.
20. Resistance Reborn - Good original characters, compelling plot, movie characters tread water.
21. Victory's Price - Certainly flowed the best of the three, but still found that Freed's style is a bit too dense for me to really enjoy.
22. Twilight Company - Good book but felt very dense.
23. Last Shot - Good story but felt a bit clumsily told.
24. Empire's End - Good conclusion to the trilogy but wasn't a fan of the trilogy as a whole.
25. Shadow Fall - Lacking in plot depth, and padded out with similar characterisations.
26. Alphabet Squadron - Another very dense book that was tough to get through, but when it got going it was quite good.
27. The Last Jedi - Enjoyed this a lot more than the movie, Fry is a great writer.
28. The Rise of Skywalker - This was ok, but didn't really improve my impression of the story. Which I suppose isn't Carson's fault, but she didn't add much to the narrative to improve it, and doubled-down in some ways.
29. Life Debt - Eh it was ok but nothing special.
30. Aftermath - Good characters but didn't like the writing style at all.
31. The Force Awakens - Foster tries to make this way too hard Sci-Fi which is jarring.
32. Dark Disciple - Just really did not like this at all. The writing style and the pacing of the story were all just way off base.

 

ADULT

Great (4/4)

1. Thrawn - everything I could ever want from a novel, a look behind the curtain of the Imperial military from the Grand Admiral himself
2. Aftermath: Empire's End - solid ending to the trilogy, made the downfall of the Empire believable and added to the Emperor's mythos
3. Last Shot - really fun story with Han and Lando, I liked how the story was woven together through the past and present
4. Dooku: Jedi Lost - different format, which I didn't mind, the explanation of Dooku's dissatisfaction with the Jedi and his relationships within the temple were well told
5. Master and Apprentice - don't typically enjoy the prequel era, everything about this book is solid: plot, characterization, writing; mystery, intrigue and storytelling

Good (3/4)

6. Tarkin - really enjoyed the internal politics of the Empire
7. Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising - a bit slow at times, but I enjoyed exploring the Chiss government and military
8. Thrawn: Treason - as good as you can get without being great, excellent story and writing while not quite a page turner
9. Lords of the Sith - interesting to see the Vader/Palpatine interactions
10. Black Spire - everything was very well done, nice to have a meaningful and fun story that doesn't have galaxy spanning consequences
11. Doctor Aphra - a fun and light-hearted read, I enjoyed the first half more (scenes where I hadn't read the corresponding comics yet), definitely don't mind the format
12. Aftermath: Life Debt - really enjoyed reading about the galactic powers struggle for dominance after Endor
13. Solo: A Star Wars Story - I don't enjoy movie novels, this one was different, adding scenes and descriptions that gave characters more depth and motivation
14. Alphbet Squadron: Victory's Price - Freed's clunky writing eventually gives way to interesting storylines, well described action, and a satisfying wrap to the trilogy
15. From a Certain Point of View - really enjoyable, luckily the ones I didn't care for were the really short stories, some continuity mistakes towards the end of the book
16. Battlefront II: Inferno Squad - solid book looking at the internal conflict the Empire creates within it's own ranks, fun to then watch cut-scenes from the game
17. Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker - despite my dislike of TROS, this is a great movie adaptation, doesn't dwell on what we've seen and added lots of new content
18. Resistance Reborn - Finn/Rey underused, Poe's arc varied too widely, poor scene setting, several times a character had then didn't have an object (jarring to read)

Okay (2/4)

19. Thrawn: Alliances - disappointed after loving Thrawn, found the writing choppy and confusing, had to re-read sections, still Thrawn and Vader are bad ass
20. Catalyst - slow and plodding story, but one that kept moving forward despite few action sequences, I enjoyed looking into the workings of the early Empire
21. Phasma - enjoyable and unexpected backstory that provides good depth to a character poorly utilized in the films
22. Bloodline - good mix of action and politics, but it was difficult to see how useless the NEU New Republic is
23. Dark Disciple - never knew where the story was going, was a really nice surprise
24. Aftermath - different style of novel, but the content was interesting
25. Light of the Jedi - great writing and a decent story, hard to care much about all the new characters
26. Battlefront: Twilight Company - solid action, never enthralling, enjoyed exploring the Rebellion during this time
27. Alphabet Squadron - Clunky writing, mediocre story and characters, and the differences between the starfighter types wasn't fully taken advantage of
28. Canto Bight - first two stories were hard to get through (had to really concentrate to read Mira Grant's writing), last two were good, especially The Ride
29. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - better adaptation than TFA, but still didn't add a whole lot to the movie itself, found Jyn's motives to be confusing at times

Bad (1/4)

30. FACPOV: The Empire Strikes Back - disappointing, besides a few gems the stories are implausible/tangential to TESB, adding little to the mythos of what's on-screen
31. Alphbet Squadron: Shadow Fall - a chore to read, the overall story was okay, but my brain doesn't READ the way Freed WRITES
32. Heir to the Jedi - the first person viewpoint was different (and not in a good way)
33. A New Dawn - I see lots of people really enjoyed it, I found it to be dull
34. The Last Jedi: The novel was better than the movie, but I still have serious problems with the story
35. The Force Awakens - glossed over the best parts and didn't properly capture the funny moments from the film, and added little to the story

YOUNG ADULT

Great (4/4)

1. Ahsoka - tight and well paced story, wasn't expecting to enjoy it but the young adult novels excel, I read it in two days

Good (3/4)

2. Poe Dameron: Free Fall - very well written and engaging story, the ending was a little bit too rushed and felt forced trying to mesh with the tidbits from TROS
3. Most Wanted - fun and enjoyable story that provided fantastic background to the main characters in Solo
4. The High Republic: Into the Dark - a solid story, solidly written, Geode was quite the character
5. Leia, Princess of Alderaan - good book, explores Leia's character and is spot on while doing so, surprised how old she was when she became involved in the Rebellion
6. Out of the Shadows - well written, it got better throughout
7. Rebel Rising - a good read about a tragic story/life
8. A Crash of Fate - a harlequin Star Wars novel, character motivations and scene descriptions were shaky, but I found in engaging and enjoyable
9. Lost Stars - I enjoyed how it intertwined throughout the OT
10. Force Collector - it was good, not great, and at times you wondered where it was going, but the ending pulled it all together

Bad (1/4)

11. Queen's Peril - I didn't have a problem getting through it, but the plot was sleepy, taking you through mundane palace days until it rehashes Episode I
12. Queen's Shadow - nothing happened, it read like a daily journal of Senator Amidala, no major consequences or overarching plot, too much talk about outfits haha

YOUNG READER

Great (4/4)

1. Myths & Fables - An unexpectedly great read, the stories were all short, sharp, well written and incredibly fun!
2. Tales from a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Aliens - this collection contained a bunch of unique and entertaining stories, different situations from the usual Star Wars
3. Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure - excellent writing and a compelling story, I fist pumped when I found out what the name of the stolen shuttle was
4. Before the Awakening: a real surprise, the writing and action sequences were excellent, three wonderfully told stories
5. Life Day Treasury - I read this during the Christmas break and really enjoyed it

Good (3/4)

6. The High Republic: A Test of Courage - I found the writing clunky at first, but it turned into a great story, one of the more well written of the junior novels
7. Lando's Luck: an enjoyable story that really nails the Lando character is his early days with L3 and the Falcon
8. The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark - was well written, I would have preferred more new stories or at least more stories that added to what we see on screen
9. The Mandalorian - a well written and concise telling of the story

Okay (2/4)

10. Smuggler's Run: A Han Solo & Chewbacca Adventure - a fun adventure with Han and Chewie, didn't wow me but the story was interesting enough
11. Race to Crashpoint Tower - decent story but just a bit too much silliness mixed in
12. Dark Legends - a few good stories but the rest were forgettable, disappointing after Myths & Fables, the serrated paper edges made it hard to turn the page
13. Guardians of the Whills - story was slow and steady but with enough interest to keep my attention, good example of life under the thumb of the Empire
14. Pirate's Price - Hondo's perspective was initially fun, but that faded as the book went along; the later stories seemed like an afterthought
15. The Weapon of a Jedi: A Luke Skywalker Adventure - it was just okay, I found the story slow, lacking major sequences, and with minimal plot scope

Bad (1/4)

16. The Legends of Luke Skywalker: difficult to get interested in stories that may not be 'factual', especially when the first story is a tall tale
17. Cobalt Squadron - this one was plodding and hard to get through, Rose learning to overcome her confidence issues doesn't make the best plot outline
18. Spark of the Resistance - rushed writing, terrible dialogue, childish character interactions, the plight of the Resistance reminds me why I'm not fond of new Canon
19. The Mighty Chewbacca in the Forest of Fear!: this one really felt like a children's book to me, both in story and the writing[/QUOTE]

 

@JABoomer amazing list and I agree 100% with your list Defintley with Race to crashpoint tower

 

[/QUOTE]

Finally someone else who feels the way I do about Alphabet Squadron! I thought I was alone.

 

Haha! The struggle is real.

 

ADULT

Great (4/4)

1. Thrawn - everything I could ever want from a novel, a look behind the curtain of the Imperial military from the Grand Admiral himself
2. Aftermath: Empire's End - solid ending to the trilogy, made the downfall of the Empire believable and added to the Emperor's mythos
3. Last Shot - really fun story with Han and Lando, I liked how the story was woven together through the past and present
4. The High Republic: The Rising Storm - got better and better throughout, first book where I actually cared about High Republic characters, very enjoyable
5. Dooku: Jedi Lost - different format, which I didn't mind, the explanation of Dooku's dissatisfaction with the Jedi and his relationships within the temple were well told
6. Master and Apprentice - don't typically enjoy the prequel era, everything about this book is solid: plot, characterization, writing; mystery, intrigue and storytelling

Good (3/4)

7. Tarkin - really enjoyed the internal politics of the Empire
8. Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising - a bit slow at times, but I enjoyed exploring the Chiss government and military
9. Thrawn: Treason - as good as you can get without being great, excellent story and writing while not quite a page turner
10. Lords of the Sith - interesting to see the Vader/Palpatine interactions
11. Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good - really well written and interesting story, but a slow burn, not a page turner, I found the ending abrupt
12. Black Spire - everything was very well done, nice to have a meaningful and fun story that doesn't have galaxy spanning consequences
13. Doctor Aphra - a fun and light-hearted read, I enjoyed the first half more (scenes where I hadn't read the corresponding comics yet), didn't mind the format
14. Aftermath: Life Debt - really enjoyed reading about the galactic powers struggle for dominance after Endor
15. Solo: A Star Wars Story - I don't enjoy movie novels, this one was different, adding scenes and descriptions that gave characters more depth and motivation
16. Alphbet Squadron: Victory's Price - Freed's clunky writing eventually gives way to interesting storylines, well described action, and a satisfying wrap to the trilogy
17. From a Certain Point of View - really enjoyable, luckily the ones I didn't care for were the really short stories, some continuity mistakes towards the end of the book
18. Battlefront II: Inferno Squad - solid book looking at the internal conflict the Empire creates within it's own ranks, fun to then watch cut-scenes from the game
19. Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker - despite my dislike of TROS, this is a great movie adaptation, doesn't dwell on what we've seen and added lots of new content
20. Resistance Reborn - Finn/Rey underused, Poe's arc varied too widely, poor scene setting, several times a character had then didn't have an object (jarring to read)

Okay (2/4)

21. Thrawn: Alliances - disappointed after loving Thrawn, found the writing choppy and confusing, had to re-read sections, still Thrawn and Vader are bad ass
22. Catalyst - slow and plodding story, but one that kept moving forward despite few action sequences, I enjoyed looking into the workings of the early Empire
23. Phasma - enjoyable and unexpected backstory that provides good depth to a character poorly utilized in the films
24. Bloodline - good mix of action and politics, but it was difficult to see how useless the NEU New Republic is
25. Dark Disciple - never knew where the story was going, was a really nice surprise
26. Aftermath - different style of novel, but the content was interesting
27. Light of the Jedi - great writing and a decent story, hard to care much about all the new characters
28. Battlefront: Twilight Company - solid action, never enthralling, enjoyed exploring the Rebellion during this time
29. Alphabet Squadron - Clunky writing, mediocre story and characters, and the differences between the starfighter types wasn't fully taken advantage of
30. Canto Bight - first two stories were hard to get through (had to really concentrate to read Mira Grant's writing), last two were good, especially The Ride
31. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - better adaptation than TFA, but still didn't add a whole lot to the movie itself, found Jyn's motives to be confusing at times

Bad (1/4)

32. FACPOV: The Empire Strikes Back - disappointing, besides a few gems the stories are implausible/tangential to TESB, adding little to the mythos of what's on-screen
33. Alphbet Squadron: Shadow Fall - a chore to read, the overall story was okay, but my brain doesn't READ the way Freed WRITES
34. Heir to the Jedi - the first person viewpoint was different (and not in a good way)
35. A New Dawn - I see lots of people really enjoyed it, I found it to be dull
36. The Last Jedi: The novel was better than the movie, but I still have serious problems with the story
37. The Force Awakens - glossed over the best parts and didn't properly capture the funny moments from the film, and added little to the story

YOUNG ADULT

Great (4/4)

1. Ahsoka - tight and well paced story, wasn't expecting to enjoy it but I read it in two days
2. The High Republic: Midnight Horizon - a very good read, highlighted the troubles and vulnerabilities of the Jedi, several LOL moments.

Good (3/4)

3. Poe Dameron: Free Fall - very well written and engaging story, the ending was a little bit too rushed and felt forced trying to mesh with the tidbits from TROS
4. Most Wanted - fun and enjoyable story that provided fantastic background to the main characters in Solo
5. The High Republic: Into the Dark - a solid story, solidly written, Geode was quite the character
6. Leia, Princess of Alderaan - good book, explores Leia's character and is spot on while doing so, surprised how old she was when she became involved in the Rebellion
7. Out of the Shadows - well written, it got better throughout
8. Rebel Rising - a good read about a tragic story/life
9. A Crash of Fate - a harlequin Star Wars novel, character motivations and scene descriptions were shaky, but I found in engaging and enjoyable
10. Lost Stars - I enjoyed how it intertwined throughout the OT
11. Force Collector - it was good, not great, and at times you wondered where it was going, but the ending pulled it all together

Bad (1/4)

12. Queen's Peril - I didn't have a problem getting through it, but the plot was sleepy, taking you through mundane palace days until it rehashes Episode I
13. Queen's Shadow - nothing happened, it read like a daily journal of Senator Amidala, no major consequences or overarching plot, too much talk about outfits haha

YOUNG READER

Great (4/4)

1. Myths & Fables - An unexpectedly great read, the stories were all short, sharp, well written and incredibly fun!
2. Tales from a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Aliens - this collection contained a bunch of unique and entertaining stories, different situations from the usual Star Wars
3. Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure - excellent writing and a compelling story, I fist pumped when I found out what the name of the stolen shuttle was
4. Before the Awakening: a real surprise, the writing and action sequences were excellent, three wonderfully told stories
5. Life Day Treasury - I read this during the Christmas break and really enjoyed it

Good (3/4)

6. The High Republic: A Test of Courage - I found the writing clunky at first, but it turned into a great story, one of the more well written of the junior novels
7. Lando's Luck: an enjoyable story that really nails the Lando character is his early days with L3 and the Falcon
8. The Mandalorian: Season 2 - Glad I read it after only having watched season 2 once, as it still felt new
9. The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark - was well written, I would have preferred more new stories or at least more stories that added to what we see on screen
10. The Mandalorian - a well written and concise telling of the story

Okay (2/4)

11. Smuggler's Run: A Han Solo & Chewbacca Adventure - a fun adventure with Han and Chewie, didn't wow me but the story was interesting enough
12. Race to Crashpoint Tower - decent story but just a bit too much silliness mixed in
13. Dark Legends - a few good stories but the rest were forgettable, disappointing after Myths & Fables, the serrated paper edges made it hard to turn the page
14. Guardians of the Whills - story was slow and steady but with enough interest to keep my attention, good example of life under the thumb of the Empire
15. Pirate's Price - Hondo's perspective was initially fun, but that faded as the book went along; the later stories seemed like an afterthought
16. The Weapon of a Jedi: A Luke Skywalker Adventure - it was just okay, I found the story slow, lacking major sequences, and with minimal plot scope

Bad (1/4)

17. The Legends of Luke Skywalker: difficult to get interested in stories that may not be 'factual', especially when the first story is a tall tale
18. Cobalt Squadron - this one was plodding and hard to get through, Rose learning to overcome her confidence issues doesn't make the best plot outline
19. Spark of the Resistance - rushed writing, terrible dialogue, childish character interactions, the plight of the Resistance reminds me why I'm not fond of new Canon
20. The Mighty Chewbacca in the Forest of Fear!: this one really felt like a children's book to me, both in story and the writing[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

 

So after a long while my updated list.

1. Dark Disciple
One of the best SW books I ever read. I really felt for Ventress and her struggles. But even better was the fact it actually made Quinlan Vos likable. Never expected that to happen... And yes I would have prefered Ventress to survive at the end, especially as this version of the character, unlike the legends version, actually deserved a happy ending. But it was still a dignified sendoff.

2. Kindered Spiritis Just a short story but a great read. Ventress and Lassa really fit well together. Sad we can‘t see more of them, but hey what fanfiction for?

3. Phasma brilliant, loved it, didn´t expect Disney to be so brave to paint Phasma that dark, shame the movies didn´t use her at all, also Cardinal was cool. Sadly a complete waste in regards to TLJ and TROS. Phasma deserved better.

4. Tarkin- excellent book, gives a lot of worldbuilding and depth to its characters, would be number one if not for introducing us to Sheev. Also the book that inspired me to an entire Fanfic Verse about Eriadu...

5. Aftermath - actually like both the writing style as well as the glimpses we get into other parts of the galaxy. Also nice that it actually gave us new characters instead of having the big 3 do everything meaningful post Endor.

6. Lords of the Sith- Fun book, allways nice to see Vader and the emperor get in on some action, sadly not much development beyond that.

7. Aftermath Empires End- liked it, though there were some parts that weren´t that great like the NR conspiracy

8. Aftermath Life Debt- was a bit disapointed by how little of it actually took place on Kashyyyk, also Sloane´s self rightousness really became anoying in this one

9. Lost Stars - generally okay I would say though for me it rushed a bit too fast through the plot(maybe should have been a series) and sometimes the inclusion of the characters in OT events felt forced, though there were still good parts.

 

I keep a spreadsheet of my books, mark off which I've read off, and rank them by stars. Sometimes I put half points (4.5 etc) but I'll keep the list simple w/ just whole numbers.
Scale:
5 Stars = Fantastic Read
4 Stars = Solid Very Good Read, memorable story, has a few flaws
3 Stars = A Solid read, might have some jarring issues or is kind of forgettable
2 Stars = Disappointing - flaws in writing and storytelling make for a forgettable book.

__________________________________________________________________________________
5 Stars

Adult

Light of the Jedi
Dark Disciple
Leia, Princess of Alderaan
Lords of the Sith
Lost Stars
Bloodline

Young Adult/Readers

Into the Dark
Queen's Shadow
Rebel Rising
____________________________________________________________________________
4 Stars

Adult

Out of the Shadows
Fallen Star
Master & Apprentice
Last Shot
Resistance Reborn

Young Adult/Readers

Race to Centerpoint
Midnight Horizon
Mission to Disaster
Queen's Peril
Most Wanted
The Weapon of a Jedi: A Luke Skywalker Adventure
Force Collector
__________________________________________________________________________________
3 Stars

Young Adult/Readers

A Test of Courage
Star Wars The Mighty Chewbacca in the Forest of Fear
Star Wars Guardians of the Whills
The Last Jedi - Cobalt Squadron

__________________________________________________________________________________
2 Stars

Young Adult/Readers

Poe Dameron: Free Fall
_________________________________________________________________________________

 

Update:

1. Bloodline - This felt a lot like the old EU in a really good way. Really loved the story and pacing.
2. Light of the Jedi - Really loved this book, a great start to a new era full of storytelling potential.
3. Catalyst - Luceno is a great storyteller and really dug into the detail to give a great backstory to Rogue 1.
4. Inferno Squad - Surprised myself with how much I loved this book, really awesome plot with compelling characters.
5. Lords of the Sith - Great action and pacing, another that felt like the old EU.
6. Greater Good - Felt like a classic SW/Zahn novel with a great mystery woven through the book that culminated in a compelling climax to the book. Really enjoying this trilogy so far.
7. Thrawn: Treason - Really enjoyed this. Easily the best Thrawn book we've had in the new canon. Very engaging story and flowed well.
8. Tarkin - Again a big fan of Luceno's storytelling.
9. A New Dawn - Good interesting story that I enjoyed more than I expected.
10. Master and Apprentice - Grey's got a great grasp on Star Wars.
11. Chaos Rising - Really enjoyed this fresh look into a corner of the SW Galaxy we haven't seen before, read more as a fantasy book than pure SW which was great.
12. Black Spire - Enjoyable romp.
13. Solo: A Star Wars Story - Really enjoyed this, easily the most of all the film novelisations. Lafferty does really well to capture the humour of the movie and expands on the story in a really compelling way.
14. Alliances - Preferred this to the first Thrawn novel but not by much.
15. From A Certain Point of View: ESB - Enjoyed more than the first one, some really brilliant stories
16. Thrawn
17. The Rising Storm - Too drawn out with too thin a plot.
18. From A Certain Point of View - great fun stories.
19. Rogue One - Good retelling of the movie from Freed.
20. Resistance Reborn - Good original characters, compelling plot, movie characters tread water.
21. Victory's Price - Certainly flowed the best of the three, but still found that Freed's style is a bit too dense for me to really enjoy.
22. Twilight Company - Good book but felt very dense.
23. Last Shot - Good story but felt a bit clumsily told.
24. Empire's End - Good conclusion to the trilogy but wasn't a fan of the trilogy as a whole.
25. Shadow Fall - Lacking in plot depth, and padded out with similar characterisations.
26. Alphabet Squadron - Another very dense book that was tough to get through, but when it got going it was quite good.
27. The Last Jedi - Enjoyed this a lot more than the movie, Fry is a great writer.
28. The Rise of Skywalker - This was ok, but didn't really improve my impression of the story. Which I suppose isn't Carson's fault, but she didn't add much to the narrative to improve it, and doubled-down in some ways.
29. Life Debt - Eh it was ok but nothing special.
30. Fallen Star - My most disappointing of the High Republic books. Much like Rising Storm the plot was just too thin but here the characters were thin as well.
30. Aftermath - Good characters but didn't like the writing style at all.
31. The Force Awakens - Foster tries to make this way too hard Sci-Fi which is jarring.
32. Dark Disciple - Just really did not like this at all. The writing style and the pacing of the story were all just way off base.

 

I've read most of these and not all the YA, bur what would you say are the most important books in Canon? Don't get me wrong I've enjoyed but wanted an opinion on what people think are the most consequential.

 

My rankings of all the Star Wars novels I have read this year

Master and Apprentice
Basically a 10/10 it covers an era with characters we already know but is new all the same. It introduces new great characters like Pax and Rael Aveross. It also explores the relationship between a master and an apprentice in a unique way. It’s definitely worth a reread.
Dooku Jedi Lost
Dooku Jedi Lost is good it’s great. My only real complaint is it jumps around a bit to much in time. I wish it focused on some of the story a bit longer. I think someone could right the best Star Wars novel ever if they just dug down and focused on Dooku in shorter window. However I absolutely loved everything about the novel regardless and really loved the Nerec acted as Ventresses own little angle on her shoulder. 9.6 out of ten
Inquistor rise of the red blade
Inquistor is another good read. It finally sheds some much needed light on the program as a whole. And it made a rather throw away character much more interesting. I mentioned earlier that some books wear their twists out in the open. This is one of those books. But it covers my favorite era the clone wars and or early empire. Nothing beats that. 9.1 out of ten
Convergence
This book is the opposite of inquistor. It’s twist I don’t know how one could see it coming. This book however suffers from having protagonists that aren’t interesting. Specifically Xiri and Phontu aren’t really interesting. It’s basically Romeo and Juliet but they don’t die horribly. Galle and Axel on the other hand make up for my lack of caring of the two lovebirds. Great characters and I commend Córdova on writing them. I put both of them up with Rael Aveross in my favorite original character ranking. 9/10
Doctor Aphra
I really do like this book and the voice acting as well for all the characters was great. Aphra’ inner monologue was done perfectly. The fact they made it a fourth wall breaking story by having her dictate her thoughts to her journal after the fact was also a brilliant move and fit the character greatly. My only problem is I have seen the main plot before. There was no tension because I know the fate of literally every single character in the book. However I do really like what they add so I still think it’s very worth it 8.9 out of ten
Battle of Jedha
My second high republic book. I barely know nothing about the high republic but I think the first few books are set like a hundred years before the second group of books. But I am starting to put together a theory. This group the open Hand. I think they are the Nihil just you know before they became all Nihily. I know nothing about any of this just names. this book is good. There isn’t anything really wrong with it. But there isn’t anything mind blowing about it either. However I am greatful anytime we get to go back to Jedha. The new canon is doing what the prequels should have done. Making Jedha a cool place. The prequels should have done that with Alderaan.
Anyway 8.2 out of ten
Jedi: Battle Scars
Read this one months ago now. And it’s my least favorite. Fret is just not a good original character. She isn’t the worst ever she just isn’t good. Also Merrin is completely butchered in the first half. It’s not a character assassination, but it’s out of character throughout the first half. The second half of the book is much better. However where the book redeems itself slightly is in the other characters. Cal, Cere and Greez are all written fantastically. It’s why it confuses me so much that Merrin was written so poorly during the first half.
7.4 out of ten.

 

Okay

everything else good


Bad for the love of god do not read.
Join the resistance.
So ends my list

 

Update:

Great Reads

1. Bloodline - This felt a lot like the old EU in a really good way. Really loved the story and pacing.
2. Light of the Jedi - Really loved this book, a great start to a new era full of storytelling potential.
3. Catalyst - Luceno is a great storyteller and really dug into the detail to give a great backstory to Rogue 1.
4. Inferno Squad - Surprised myself with how much I loved this book, really awesome plot with compelling characters.
5. Lords of the Sith - Great action and pacing, another that felt like the old EU.
6. Greater Good - Felt like a classic SW/Zahn novel with a great mystery woven through the book that culminated in a compelling climax to the book. Really enjoying this trilogy so far.
7. Thrawn: Treason - Really enjoyed this. Easily the best Thrawn book we've had in the new canon. Very engaging story and flowed well.
8. Tarkin - Again a big fan of Luceno's storytelling.
9. From A Certain Point of View - Return of the Jedi - my favourite of the three, the fact a number of the stories wove together in particular made it extra enjoyable.
10. A New Dawn - Good interesting story that I enjoyed more than I expected.
11. Master and Apprentice - Grey's got a great grasp on Star Wars.
12. Chaos Rising - Really enjoyed this fresh look into a corner of the SW Galaxy we haven't seen before, read more as a fantasy book than pure SW which was great.

Decent Reads

13. Princess and the Scoundrel - like Black Spire just below it, a fun romp that was clearly just a tie-in for tourism, but a decent enough story all the same.
14. Black Spire - Enjoyable romp.
15. Solo: A Star Wars Story - Really enjoyed this, easily the most of all the film novelisations. Lafferty does really well to capture the humour of the movie and expands on the story in a really compelling way.
16. Alliances - Preferred this to the first Thrawn novel but not by much.
17. From A Certain Point of View: ESB - Enjoyed more than the first one, some really brilliant stories
18. Thrawn
19. The Rising Storm - Too drawn out with too thin a plot.
20. From A Certain Point of View - great fun stories.
21. Rogue One - Good retelling of the movie from Freed.
22. Shadow of the Sith - Good without great story, good to see some effort done to retcon/flesh out TROS plot points.
23. Resistance Reborn - Good original characters, compelling plot, movie characters tread water.
24. Victory's Price - Certainly flowed the best of the three, but still found that Freed's style is a bit too dense for me to really enjoy.
25. Twilight Company - Good book but felt very dense.

Worthwhile reads

26. Last Shot - Good story but felt a bit clumsily told.
27. Cataclysm - Better than Convergence as it had a broader plot, but still felt very thin.
28. Empire's End - Good conclusion to the trilogy but wasn't a fan of the trilogy as a whole.
29. Shadow Fall - Lacking in plot depth, and padded out with similar characterisations.
30. Alphabet Squadron - Another very dense book that was tough to get through, but when it got going it was quite good.
31. The Last Jedi - Enjoyed this a lot more than the movie, Fry is a great writer.
32. The Rise of Skywalker - This was ok, but didn't really improve my impression of the story. Which I suppose isn't Carson's fault, but she didn't add much to the narrative to improve it, and doubled-down in some ways.
33. Life Debt - Eh it was ok but nothing special.

MIssable reads

34. Convergence - The plot just didn't grab me and didn't flesh out as well as the YA books of this era.
35. Fallen Star - My most disappointing of the High Republic books. Much like Rising Storm the plot was just too thin but here the characters were thin as well.

Bad reads

36. Aftermath - Good characters but didn't like the writing style at all.
37. The Force Awakens - Foster tries to make this way too hard Sci-Fi which is jarring.
38. Jedi: Battle Scars - Poorly written characters and very thin plot.
39. Dark Disciple - Just really did not like this at all. The writing style and the pacing of the story were all just way off base.

Have updated with books released since my last update. Haven't read Rise of the Red Blade - should I?

 

Rise of the Red Blade was a pretty solid read. Its a nice read that doesn't feel like its just meant to set up something else. I would recommand it

 

So - I'm finally doing this, and this is sort of a first draft, perhaps - so bear with me. Here's the first part:

A New Dawn - it's a decent book: a bit overlong maybe. A nice introduction to a new era, and to significant new characters going forward - including Hera, Kanan and Sloane. Vidian was a decent villain, if maybe a bit too simply drawn at times. Very volatile. The latter half did drag on a bit, but the ending rolled decently along.

Tarkin - I read this together with A New Dawn in the Rise of the Empire anthology, which included three decent short stories (among them The Levers of Power, by Jason Fry) Seeing inside Tarkin's head was very engaging, although he sometimes seemed a little too based on Sherlock Holmes in early chapters. His merciless upbringing and early career were some highlights of the book. It was also good to see more of the Imperial High Command, although the structure of the Joint Chiefs still throws me off a bit (quite a few quite junior ranks in there) The team up with Vader was also fun - though the story as a whole, fairly short. Luceno could also be a bit too florid or wordy in style at times. Still, a worthy followup to Darth Plagueis novel (to which there was several nods - plus the somewhat abandoned 'conquer the last secrets of the Force' plotline, that Aftermath and TLJ novelization, may have been building up to, once)

Aftermath - I skimmed this one, and a had a hard time getting into the plot, or the new characters. Nice to see Wedge and Ackbar, but they did not have much to do. Some okay vignettes about other characters helps to sow seeds for later. Admiral Sloane gradually becomes more and more interesting a character, as does Sinjir.

Aftermath: Life Debt - I got much more into this one. The style did take some getting used to, however. Much more of a look into the Empire and it's state of disintegration, plus the larger galactic scene. Still seems to happen quite implausibly fast, at times - as well as the massive swell in strength for the New Republic. Gallius Rax is a decent villain in the making, and Sloane's viewpoint remains mainly compelling. Temmin gets more likeable over time, as does Nora, Sugi and the others. Sinjir added a decent degree of snark. I did also really like the Han and Chewie plotline, though it was over maybe too quickly. The POW plot also builds to a nice twist of the knife.

Aftermath: Empire's End - a decent wrap up to the trilogy, maybe a hair behind Life Debt in quality. The political subplot in the first half moves a bit slowly, and can drag things for a while - but it wraps up decently. Scenes on Jakku could also be a bit dull initially. The end battle was definitely the highlight of the whole book, and maybe the trilogy. Norra's plight ends reasonably well - if perhaps predictably. Sloane's story feels incomplete though, and she is clearly still in denial about many aspects of the Empire, and it's chances of ever being re-embraced by any sane sentient by this late stage.

Complementing this trilogy was the Blade Squadron short stories, which I liked, and which helped to supplement things like the Siege of Kuat quite well. Gina Moonsong does feel a bit under-written at times, though.

Lost Stars - is a good overall read, and not too geared towards young adults. Seeing inside the viewpoint of everyday citizens lured into the Academy system was interesting to get into, and also the mindset of many of those serving. Ciena is probably the more interestingly written of the two co-protagonists, though Thane certainly had his moments. The ending even becomes that much more wrenching as a result - though not yet any follow up to most of the characters (besides Yendor)

The Force Awakens - a vanilla novelization in many ways. It gets a bit more into Leia and Han's time as parents, and hints of recent events, but other parts feel awkwardly put across, or adjusted from the script. The junior novelization does also add a nice scene for Finn with his fellow troopers, early on.

Before the Awakening - a great teaser for the new era, with three decent stories helping to set the table. Poe's had the most action and intrigue, whilst the other two had a bit more character insight. Finn's is a lot more surface level, whilst Rey's keeps you guessing a bit more.

Bloodlines - a solid entry from Claudia Gray alongside of Lost Stars. You really get a good and thorough look at Leia - although not Leia as a mother. That is only lightly touched on. Her scenes with Han are also nice, if mostly backended. The new characters are decent enough, with Ransolm Casterfo being the standout. His shift from seemingly another fan of the Imperial system, to someone with more legitimate reservations and motivations developed very nicely - helping to bolster the bittersweet ending. Everything after the message is unveiled to the Senate develops very nicely - that is, in execution: for the readers, they get to share a bit of the pain unfolding.

Cobalt Squadron - a younger reader book, but a decent look at Rose, Paige and their comrades, and some of what the Resistance is getting up to. Also offered a first real look at Holdo, without going into much yet. Feels pretty self-contained, otherwise.

Battlefront: Twilight Company - a good all around war story, from Alexander Freed, with a good range of viewpoints, many of them leaning more towards the cynical. Namir an Chalis both feel very cold types initially, who you grow to a bit as you see more of what makes them tick. The flashback vignettes help build towards this, though do feel initially obtrusive. The final battle is also well done, though sort of misleading about there being any connection to Endor (as that's still months away) Overall, a fine addition to my collection...

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story - a very good expansion on the whole move, offering much more depth and internal points of view, particularly from Jyn and Krennic. Cassian is a bit more withdrawn, but that suits the place his character is currently at. Lots of nice epigraphs and quotations too, that help to build context for things like the Death Star, Jedha, Alliance Intelligence and the navy. The final battle is also tight, desperate and poignant as the text presents it.

The Last Jedi - probably the best of the new trilogy novelizations, giving a good look at all the characters, and sticking about 92 percent to the script along the way (so closer than TFA's novelization overall did) The significant problems of Luke's motivations remain, though we get more insight into how those came to be. It still does not fully justify his loss of faith and seemingly of hope, too - but it sells his return to glory a lot better. Holdo gains a bit more depth, but sleight of hand does not fully disguise her problems of command style (and a plan that seemed to have about purely on the fly, with barely any realistic preparation) Still, the mystery and tension is maintained well. Finn's and Rose's POVs are also fun to read generally, and Rey's overall. The final battle also moves nicely along, and we get some intriguing (if in the long term, largely wasted) hints about Snoke, his intentions, and his plans (apparently he even met Luke, once) Ackbar also gets a slightly more enriched sendoff, too...

And I think that's all for part one. I will add more in the near future, given time.