What Not To Read in the New Jedi Order...

OK, here's my problem. Well actually I have many problems.
I'm really behind in the NJO series (only on Star By Star) and there are like 10 more books, THEN Dark Nest, and I really want to be able to pick up LOTF when it first comes out, know what I'm reading about and be able to contribute to discussions.

So, my question to you all is: Are there are any books after Star By Star that I can skip in order to get to LOTF by June?

Obiy

 

How long does it take you to read a book?

 

Well, that's a shame since I thought that starting at SbS they were all really good. But I'd say that you could skip Dark Journey and maybe the Force Heretic Trilogy. The Enemy Lines duology is skippable, but it's really good, so I wouldn't recomend skipping.

 

Yes dont waste time with Dark Journey. I wish I would have skipped Traitor...

 

Do NOT skip Traitor.

 

Haha... I am a very slow reader, actually. I started Star By Star in like December but put it down (I wasn't enjoying Recovery, because I have the paperback, yet didn't realize that it was a seperate piece from Star By Star.) I just picked it back up last week and I'm on Chapter 30. But that's only because I'm off school this week and have had nothing better to do than read and watch Seinfeld DVDs.

So I still have: DJ, EL1, EL2, TR, DW, FH1, FH2, FH3, TFP, TUF, TJK, TUQ, TSW. That's a lot of reading for 4 months. I actually started with Destiny's Way, but didn't understand it at all. so I went back to the beginning. I don't want to skip any, but I don't think I'll make it but June.

Obiy

 

Damn. I would only skip Dark Journey and The Force Heretic Trilogy and read faster...

(and even then read summaries of the skipped ones)

 

Enemy Lines is technically skippable. You don't want to, because it's good, fun reading. But nothing of huge consequence happens, really.

Essentials: really, you only need to read Traitor, Destiny's Way, The Final Prophecy, and The Unifying Force. All of those are basically essential reading, TFP less so but given its content and how good it is, well worth it. All the others you can definitely get by on summaries of - and read a good summary before you move on; it'll make everything make a lot more sense.

- Keralys

 

Well thanks for the suggestions... I think I'm going to try to really pick up the pace and read them all, but I can't even begin to imagine me getting through all three Force Heretics by June!

Obiy

 

I see. I read freakishly fast so i'd have no problem getting through all of them. Try to read a bit faster if you can. Good luck with trying to get them all read by June.

 

If I were you, I'd try to read them all. I liked NJO, but the series did feel a little too long in the end. Even though I read every book, I found myself skimming through a lot of it to avoid some of the really repetitive battle scenes.

I hate to say it, but I really wish they chose any author other than Luceno to write the finale. I had a lot of trouble getting through The Unifying Force without falling asleep. He tells a good story by the end, but the journey just bores me to tears sometimes. Of course, many people would disagree with me there.

Traitor (my favourite of the series) and TFP are must-reads. The rest is unfortunately a big blur to me now.

 

Enemy Lines was yawnsville It was a half-step above assigned reading for school (not counting the fun stuff at school). Just my opinion.

Force Heretic III also stunk except for a few parts. I and II, which were less important, were more enjoyable.

Read the hardbacks and Traitor, at the very least least, and I really liked Dark Tide and would recommend that as well.

 

Pick up the New Essential Chronology and read the end. It'll make everything easier.

If you really want to read the books, though, do like a few others have said and just read Traitor, DW, TFP, and TUF. Enemy Lines was dull, unrealistic, and lacked any important events; Dark Journey was dull, forgettable, and unimportant (but otherwise inoffensive), and I never got around to reading Force Heretic. Or TUF, for that matter.

Dark Nest is, I believe, ultimately skippable before reading Betrayal. I read the first one and it's boring if inoffensive, and I know from summaries that nothing too terribly important occurs in the others.

 

I think that if you read the hard covered books, you'll be pretty much set.
HC equals what the publisher consider major (important) books.

Mu

 

For key plot points (i.e. what matters most to the story), I say read Traitor, Destiny's Way, The Final Prophecy, and The Unifying Force. You'll be brought up to speed as to everything that's going on in the galaxy, as well as how the heroes are developing as characters. It answers the major questions like "What happens to Jacen after Star by Star?" and "How does the war end?"

The rest are kind of fillers, providing details on the Imperial Remnant, Hapes Consortium, the Yevetha, the Chiss, Bakura, and Zonama Sekot. Some are still no less entertaining. If you've read any Rogue Squadron books by Aaron Allston, then the Enemy Lines duology is a good read. If you enjoy Pellaeon as a character, then at least read Force Heretic I; he definitely takes down numbers on the Vong.

 

Vector, Ruin, Hero's Trial, Star By Star and Refugee are decent enough reads. The rest is pretty much breezily written fluff, but at full paperback or above-market hardcover cost.

 

Well, I'm starting to plan out my time and get a good schedule so I can finish them all... if not it looks like a lot of people didn't like Enemy Lines, Dark Journey or Force Heretic, so if I get REALLY slow I'll skip them. I wish we didn't have to read Great Expectations for school, I'd be done with these quicker.

KInd of off topic for anyone around, is anybody having like banner/icon problems? On my screen the banner looks kind of distorted, and almost everyone's icons have just the little red x in the left hand corner... is it my computer or a prob with the site?

Obiy

 

Enemy Lines is really good, it just won't affect the overall story of the NJO if you skip it.

 

Aye. That may be the most important book in the series.

 

Eh...I skipped Traitor and was able to finish up the rest of the series without any major confusion.

 

I skipped Traitor, too.. I thought it was ew. And The Final Prophecy I ditched also. And technically Refugee. And only speed-read/skimmed The Unifying Force.. And I started reading the NJO with Star by Star, so this whole post was kind of pointless in retrospect.

 

My suggestions.

1. Stop at Destiny's Way. The series takes a nose dive after this book.

2. Skip Dark Journey, Force Heretic and The Final Prophecy. They aren't that good and if you have to skip books they are the ones to skip.

1 is kind of joking, but the last 5 books are a real disappointment plotwise.

 

I would say that if you can, read everything. There are several weak books, but that´s true of the whole SW literature. There are also good books among them, and to fully understand them you probably should read the weak ones too. Personally I think the weaker books are mainly among the early novels.

 

3 Letters: NEC..

 

Reading novels is always a better option than reading very short summaries of them from the NEC. It´s a good book, but I don´t think that it can supplement any SW book for adults. I think that it´s also always best to form your own opinion about the books and not trust others. And reading only some of the NJO books is like reading an abridged version of one book. Some people like abridged versions, but I loath them myself. It´s either the whole thing or nothing.