Top Ten Tuesday – Pre-2019 Books

On December 24, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn List9 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For the last couple of weeks I have been using these Top Ten Lists to highlight some of my favourite books of 2019. So far, I have already examined my favourite debut novels of 2019, my favourite audiobooks of 2019 and my favourite new-to-me authors. For this week, I am going to look at books I read for the first time this year that were released before 2019.

This year I have ended up reading quite a few books and comics that were published at some point prior to 2019. I have checked these various books out for a number of reasons, such as the book had an awesome plot synopsis, it was part of a series or an expanded universe that I had been exploring, or because I wanted to see an author’s earlier works. Most of these older releases are really good, and in some cases they are amongst my favourite books I read all year. I have also featured quite a few of these books as part of my Throwback Thursday series, and pretty much all of them receive a full five out of five stars from me. As a result, I wanted to highlight which books amongst these series are my absolute favourites and decided to feature them in their own Top Ten list.

For this list, any book with a pre-2019 release date is eligible for inclusion, and I was able to come up with my 10 absolute favourites, as well as a generous honourable mentions section. I am pretty happy with the below collection of pre-2019 releases, although it is hard to ignore that quite a few are part of either the Star Wars franchise the excellent Joe Ledger series. This was mainly because those were the books I was in the mood for, and I was really happy to check all of those books out. All of the below books are quite fantastic, and I would highly recommend each of them to anyone looking for an awesome read.

Honourable Mentions:

Cold Iron by Miles Cameron

Cold Iron was one of three books that feature on this list which were released last year and which I featured on my Top Ten Books I Wish I Had Read in 2018 list. This was an outstanding novel that featured an amazing story and an excellent new fantasy world. Unfortunately, I just could not fit Cold Iron in the top ten. Still, Cold Iron comes highly recommended, and I really enjoyed its sequel, Dark Forge.

Star Wars: Tarkin by James Luceno

The first of several Star Wars novels that are featured on this list, 2014’s Tarkin was an enjoyable novel which presented a whole new history for the titular character in the current Star Wars canon.

The King of Plagues by Jonathan Maberry

The King of Plagues is the third book in the Joe Ledger series, several entries of which are going to be featured in the list below. The King of Plagues was a really solid entry in this great range of thriller books, and I gave it a full five stars when I reviewed it.

Star Wars: Scoundrels by Timothy Zahn

The only book from the old Star Wars Legends range of books in this article, Scoundrels by legendary Star Wars author Timothy Zahn was a fun and exciting novel that featured a heist set in the Star Wars universe. A fantastic read, this one was a lot of fun to check out, and after reading it I am very much tempted to check out more Star War Legends books in the future.

Top Ten List (in no particular order):

Legend by David Gemmell

Legend was a classic from 1984 that I had an incredible time with earlier this year. Featuring perhaps the best siege storyline I have ever had the pleasure of reading; Legend is an outstanding fantasy novel that I had been meaning to check out for some time. I am extremely happy that I had the opportunity to enjoy Legend, and it is one of the top books I read all year.

The Dragon Factory by Jonathan Maberry

While I first started listening to the Joe Ledger series by Jonathan Maberry in 2018 with Deep Silence and Patient Zero, 2019 was the year that I fully invested myself in these excellent thriller novels. The first one of these that I enjoyed this year was the second book in the series, The Dragon Factory, which was just all sorts of amazing. In my opinion, Maberry started to really hit his stride in this second book, as he was able to produce some fascinating antagonists with a complex plan and some astonishing plot twists that really got the story going. This was an outstanding novel, and I am really glad that I decided to continue exploring this series.

The Ember Blade by Chris Wooding

The Ember Blade was another novel that I wish I had checked out in 2018. Featuring a massive and elaborate fantasy storyline with some complex and detailed characters, The Ember Blade was a powerful and impressive read that is very much worth investing the time it takes to get through this substantial book.

Darth Vader (2015) series by Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca

I am going to cheat a little here and include all four volumes of the clever and captivating Darth Vader (2015) comic book series, as well as the Vader Down crossover volume, as a single entry. While there were a few comic book series which I read this year that I could have included here, such as the first volume of the Star Wars (2015) series or the ever-entertaining Doctor Aphra comics, in my opinion, the Darth Vader (2015) series was the easily the best and most consistent out of all of them. All five of these volumes get an easy five stars from me, and while I have only reviewed Volume One so far, I will hopefully get reviews up for the others soon. This Darth Vader series contained a deeply compelling storyline that really helps to redefine one of the most iconic film villains of all time while also showing off how dangerous and determined he really is. Not only was this an epic comic, but it also introduced one of the best new Star Wars characters of the decade, Doctor Aphra. These comics are a must-read for fans who want to see how incredible the franchise can truly be.

Lies Sleeping by Ben Aaronovitch

I ended up reading this book early in 2019, and I was so annoyed that I did not read it any sooner. Lies Sleeping is one of the best urban fantasy books I have ever read, which has a perfect combination of fantasy and crime fiction elements. A fantastic read that ensured that all of Ben Aaronovtich’s books are very high up on my to-read list from now on.

Assassin’s Code by Jonathan Maberry

The fourth book in the Joe Ledger series, Assassin’s Code, was a fast-paced and action-packed novel that introduced some amazing new characters into this franchise and featured an epic group of modern vampiric antagonists. A thrill ride from start to finish, this was a lot of fun to read and a terrific book to boot.

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan

I had been hearing some incredible things about the Powder Mage series for a long time and decided that this was the year that I would finally check it out by reading the first Powder Mage book, Promise of Blood. I was in no way disappointed, as Promise of Blood more than lived up to the hype, containing a deeply compelling and extremely enjoyable tale of betrayal, revolution and war, while mages whose powers are derived from gunpowder unleash hell across an inventive and embattled new world. This is fantasy writing at it’s very best, and I really need to read more of these books in the future.

Star Wars: Thrawn by Timothy Zahn

This is the second entry in this article from Timothy Zahn, which isn’t too surprising as he has been dominating the Star Wars novel scene for over 20 years at this point. After enjoying the second book in the Thrawn trilogy, Alliances, last year, I decided to go back and check out the first novel in the trilogy, Thrawn, before the third and final book, Treason, came out this year. While I knew I was going to love this book as the titular character of this series, Grand Admiral Thrawn, is one of my favourite Star Wars characters of all time, I was nonetheless surprised at how deeply impressive I found this book. Featuring an incredibly addictive story set around a calculating tactical genius, Thrawn absolutely blew me away, and it is easily the best Star Wars novel I have so far had the pleasure of reading.

King of Assassins by R. J. Barker

I had been meaning to read this book ever since it’s 2018 release, especially as the first two books in The Wounded Kingdom trilogy, Age of Assassins and Blood of Assassins, were pretty spectacular. I ended up listening to this book earlier in the year, and it was an amazing end to the trilogy that provided the reader with a deeply captivating story. I still have to finish off my review for this book, although it gets a full five stars from me, and Barker’s latest book, The Bone Ships, is going to appear on my upcoming Top Ten Favourite Books of 2019 list.

Code Zero by Jonathan Maberry

The final book on this list is Code Zero, the sixth book in the Joe Ledger series, and the latest one that I have been able to read. Code Zero was an extremely clever entry in the series, which featured an exception story, a compelling antagonist and a plot that utilised and paid respect to some of the best parts of the previous Joe Ledger books. This was easily one of the best books in the series, and I am really excited to check out the final three Joe Ledger books that I haven’t yet had a chance to read.

I like how the above list turned out, although I think it really highlights how much time I spent reading Star Wars and Joe Ledger books this year. I am planning to keep up with a similar reading pattern of new releases and awesome older books in 2020. Hopefully I’ll be able to finish off the Joe Ledger series next year, and I will definitely try to listen to more of David Gemmell and Brian McClellan’s books in the future. I also see myself listening to bunch of other Star Wars novels in 2020, because there are some amazing gems there. In the meantime, which pre-2019 books did you enjoy this year? Let me know in the comments below. Make sure to check in next week as I list my favourite 2019 releases in the final Top Ten Tuesday for the year.

Throwback Thursday – Star Wars: Scoundrels by Timothy Zahn

On December 20, 2019May 2, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Star Wars, Throwback Thursday, Tie-in Novel28 Comments

Publisher: Random House Audio (Audiobook – 1 January 2013)

Series: Star Wars Legends

Length: 13 hours and 57 minutes

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Amazon

Reviewed as part of my Throwback Thursday series, where I republish old reviews, review books I have read before or review older books I have only just had a chance to read.

If you like the sound of a widely entertaining read that combines a clever heist-themed storyline with iconic Star Wars elements, then you need to check out Star Wars: Scoundrels by Timothy Zahn.

Scoundrels is set shortly after the events of A New Hope and follows Han and Chewie after they have temporarily left their friends in the Rebel Alliance to return to their old jobs as smugglers. The two are desperate to make some money in order to repay Han’s debt to Jabba the Hutt and have travelled to the planet of Wukkar to meet a contact. Instead of their contact, Han and Chewie are approached by a local businessman who wishes to recruit the pair to help him break into a local crime lord’s supposedly impenetrable vault to recover a vast fortune in stolen credits.

Lured in by the promise of a rich reward, Han sets about recruiting a team of highly skilled thieves, con artists and specialists, including their old friend Lando Calrissian, to help them pull off the heist. However, as they start to put together a master plan to enter the vault, they make a startling discovery: their target is a high-ranking member of the notorious Black Sun crime syndicate, who is currently hosting one of the organisation’s most powerful leaders. More importantly, in addition to the stolen credits, the vault now contains a collection of Black Sun’s blackmail files, which are a vital and closely guarded part of their operation.

Still determined to pull off the job, Han and his team need to work out a way to break into the unbreakable vault without painting a massive target on their backs. However, they are not the only group interested in the blackmail files, as an ambitious Imperial Intelligence agent is determined to capture them. Caught between two of the most powerful organisations in the entire galaxy, these scoundrels will need every trick up their sleeve to survive and raid the vaults. But when the stakes are this high, can any of them really be trusted?

Scoundrels is a fast-paced and well-written novel that does an outstanding job setting a compelling and entertaining heist story inside the Star Wars universe. This book was written by legendary Star Wars author Timothy Zahn, who I have mentioned several times before on my blog, especially for his recent Thrawn trilogy (Thrawn, Alliances and Treason). Scoundrels is a standalone novel that was released in 2013 and was the last Star Wars novel Zahn wrote before the Disney buyout of Lucasfilm. As a result, Scoundrels technically never happened in the current canon of the franchise and is instead part of the Star Wars Legends range.

At the heart of this novel is a complex and amazing heist storyline that sees the protagonists attempt to steal a vast fortune from a high-security vault. Scoundrels, or Solo’s Eleven, as I started to think of it, features a pretty classic heist set-up, with an impossible job offered and accepted, Solo building up a team of skilled criminals to help him pull off the job, recon, various complications, and then the attempt to break into the vault. I did find in some ways this part of the story was a bit typical and derivative of other examples of the heist genre, although I think a lot of the reason why I was having these thoughts is because I saw Rick and Morty’s excellent take-down of heist movies, One Crew over the Crewcoo’s Morty, immediately before I started reading this book (literally all I could think whenever a new crew member was recruited was “You son of a bitch, I’m in”).

However, this was still an incredibly entertaining novel and Zahn did create a storyline that was unique in a number of ways. In particular, Zahn makes excellent use of the technology (a combination of pre-introduced technology and stuff that Zahn made up himself) and the political turmoil in the Star Wars Legends universe to create a truly captivating piece of crime fiction. The story is loaded with all manner of twists, turns and doublecrosses, and I really enjoyed a number of the big reveals that were featured throughout the book (the character reveal at the very end of the book was pretty cool, for example). The entire plan for breaking into the vault and stealing its contents was also extremely clever and memorable, containing an excellent combination of subtly, manipulation, improvisation and number of massive explosive distractions. Also, the way they actually got out of the heavily armed compound was very cool, and definitely one of the best heist moves I’ve ever seen. All of this results in a first-rate heist thriller storyline which I deeply enjoyed and which has actually put me in the mood for more heist-centric books.

Another great part of Scoundrels is the fantastic group of characters that the story focuses on. Not only does the book showcase the classic partnership of Han and Chewie but we also get to see more of the suavest man in the galaxy, Lando Calrissian. Han is a great leader for the team, able to come up with a cool plan and improvise when they are faced with chaos, while Lando shines as the charismatic front man of the operation, able to charm or swindle everyone he comes in contact with. Quite a bit of time is spent exploring the turbulent relationship between Han and Lando at this point of their friendship, as several prior operations (some of which were featured in other novels and comics in the Star Wars Legends range) have fallen through, resulting in some bad blood between them. While both claim that they have forgiven the other for the sake of this operation, they both have a lot of doubts and are worried that the other is going to screw them over. This adds a whole bunch of extra drama to the story and ends in a rather entertaining and typical manner.

In addition to Han, Chewie and Lando, the rest of the heist crew is made up of some strong and distinctive characters who are a lot of fun. All of these characters bring a lot of team, and at no point did any of them feel unnecessary to the plot. Zahn also goes out of his way to establish each of these characters separate backstories and motivations, which adds a large amount of substance to their inclusion. As these different motivations mean that there is also a constant potential for betrayal and sabotage, which is another layer to the heist aspect of the book. There is also a great look at the Black Sun underboss and his main security chief as they attempt to understand the threat coming their way, while also trying to stay on the right side of the powerful Black Sun overlord, who is staying at the manor and playing mind games with them. There is a growing sense of desperation and irrationality from the two of them as the various manipulations push them closer to the edge, so much so that a deal with Darth Vader actually seems like a tempting offer. I also loved the inclusion of the Imperial Intelligence agent who attempts to utilise the planned heist for his own ends. His ambitious attempts to undermine Black Sun are interesting, and he brings a whole new edge to the overall story. All of these amazing characters add so many different things to the books plot and it was a lot of fun to see how their various character arcs progressed.

As I mentioned above, Scoundrels falls within the now non-canon Star Wars Legends expanded universe. While I have not read a lot of fiction from the Star Wars Legends range recently (with the exception of Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber), I have always been impressed with the wide range of different stories and plot lines that make it up, many of which are being utilised or referenced to in the current canon (the inclusion of Zahn’s character of Grand Admiral Thrawn in the Star Wars Rebels animated show is a prime example of this). However, there are some significant differences between the two canons, and some of these can be seen in Scoundrels.

One of the most noticeable differences between these two canons is the dominance of the Black Sun crime syndicate. While they only have a few minor appearances in the current canon (and they potentially would not have been included at all if they did not show up in a couple of episodes of The Clone Wars animated show, which remained canon after the buy-out), there were a major part of the original canon as one of the premier criminal organisations the protagonists would go up against. A lot of this comes out of the 1996 novel, Shadows of the Empire (which I actually read a long, long time ago), which showed the Black Sun leader, Prince Xizor, having nearly as much power and influence as the Emperor, and as a result, was a major rival for Darth Vader. Much of the book’s plot that involves the members of Black Sun or the Imperial Intelligence agent revolves around this rivalry, as the agent is hoping to damage Black Sun to gain favour with Vader. The protagonists, knowing this, also attempt to use this conflict to their advantage, and it becomes a major part of the book. The examination of the various criminal organisations available during this period is also pretty darn fascinating, and it serves as a wonderful, larger setting behind the main story.

In addition to this focus on the criminal underbelly that was featured in the old canon, Zahn made sure to fill his book with all manner of references to other books and comics in the Star Wars Legends canon, especially those that featured Han, Chewie and Lando. No specific knowledge of these events is needed to understand these references, as Zahn makes sure to explain the necessary parts, which mostly revolve around Han having terrible luck when it comes to prior jobs. Other examples of the history and unique storylines that existed in the old Star Wars canon are also pretty fascinating, but you do not need to be an expert on any of this to enjoy Scoundrels. Indeed, anyone who has seen the original trilogy will be fully able to appreciate the cool story contained within, although, as always, those Star Wars fans with a bit more background knowledge of the franchise will get a bit more enjoyment out of this book.

Like a great many of the Star Wars books I enjoy, I ended up listening to the audiobook format of Scoundrels. Narrated by Marc Thompson, it runs for just under 14 hours, which makes it slightly longer than most Star Wars audiobooks. Scoundrels contains all the fun features of a typical Star Wars audiobook format, with the narration permeated with all manner of iconic Star Wars music and sound effects. I love hearing the amazing Star Wars music as I have the story read to me, and in many places having the music played really enhances the emotion or the significance of a scene. Scoundrels also contains an impressive abundance of various sound effects which are utilised in nearly every scene. Having blaster fire sizzling past your ears in a fire fight or listening to the gentle susurration of the crowd in a big party sequence is just amazing, and it helps bring the story to life as you listen. I was also very impressed with the way that they showed how helmets and comm links could distort a character’s voice, and the use of sound effects for Chewbacca’s communications was a smart choice.

I also have to say how impressed I was with Marc Thompson’s narration of this book. Thompson is one of the premier narrators of the Star Wars audiobook, having lent his vocal talents to a number of novels in both the Star Wars Legends and Disney canons, including for the recently released Resistance Reborn. I have previously listened to Thompson’s narration for the first book in Zahn’s recent Thrawn trilogy, and I loved the work he did on that, especially when it came to the voice he produced for the trilogy’s titular character. He also does an extraordinary job with this format of Scoundrels, producing a huge number of unique and memorable voices for the various characters featured within it. His portrayals of Han and Lando were very accurate, especially Han’s voice, and that really helped me enjoy this novel so much more. Scoundrels was a first-rate audiobook, and I would strongly recommend this format to anyone who wishes to enjoy this book.

Star Wars: Scoundrels was an outstanding read, and I cannot praise the clever combination of a heist storyline with Star Wars elements enough. Zahn really is one of the best authors of Star Wars fiction out there, and I was never in any doubt that I would love this novel. He has a new book coming out in a few months, and I am very much looking forward to it. In the meantime, I will have to check out a few more of his earlier books, and I might also look up some other novels in the Star Wars Legends range.

Amazon

WWW Wednesday – 18 December 2019

On December 18, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday3 Comments

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words, where bloggers share the books that they’ve recently finished, what they are currently reading and what books they are planning to read next. Essentially you have to answer three questions (the Three Ws):

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading?

Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward (Trade Paperback)

I am still powering through with this one, hopefully I will finish it off by this time next week.

A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie (Audiobook)

I just started this audiobook this morning and so far it is really amazing. It is a compelling sequel to The First Law trilogy and I am quite enjoying it.

Nuking the Moon by Vince Houghton (Trade Paperback)

An interesting non-fiction novel about some of the craziest military plans and espionage schemes ever hatched. This is a lot of fun and I glad I decided to check it out.

What did you recently finish reading?

Star Wars: Scoundrels by Timothy Zahn (Audiobook)

This was a really outstanding novel that combined together a fun heist storyline with iconic Star Wars science fiction elements. Hoping to get a review of it up soon, although it’s going to be a busy week.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Sword of Kings by Bernard Cornwell (Trade Paperback)

That’s it for this week, check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.

Waiting on Wednesday -2020 Star Wars Novels

On December 18, 2019December 25, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Star Wars, Tie-in Novel, Waiting on Wednesday16 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. I run this segment in conjunction with the Can’t-Wait Wednesday meme that is currently running at Wishful Endings. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them.

This week, I am in a real Star Wars headspace, probably because the final movie in the Skywalker Saga, The Rise of Skywalker, is coming out very soon. By this time tomorrow, I should have seen this movie, and I am really hoping that they finish this final trilogy on a high note (especially after The Last Jedi, which I think we can all agree had some major flaws). In the meantime, as I have just posted a review of the tie-in novel Star Wars: Force Collector, I thought that this would be a good time to look at some of the Star Wars novels that are coming in 2020.

2019 has been an outstanding year for Star Wars expanded fiction, with some great books, such as Master & Apprentice (which recently made my Top Ten Favourite Audiobook’s of 2019 list); the surprisingly enjoyable tie-in to the Galaxy’s Edge theme park area at Disneyland, Black Spire; or the other The Rise of Skywalker tie-in novel, Resistance Reborn. There have also been some excellent comic book series, from the Vader: Dark Visions limited series, to the continuations of the Star Wars (2015) and Dr Aphra series (I just finished Volume 6 of Doctor Aphra last night and it was pretty darn epic). As a result, I am constantly keeping an eye on what new pieces of Star Wars fiction are coming out in the future (as it is guaranteed that I am going to read them), and, so far, three intriguing Star Wars novels are currently set for release in the first half of 2020.

Interestingly enough, all three of these upcoming Star Wars novels are closely related to books that came out in 2019. While it would have been cool to see some sort of new or original tie-in novel come out in the first half of the year, all of these new releases are following on from some very compelling storylines in their preceding books, and should prove to be an excellent addition to the current Star Wars canon.

The first of the books that I am going to feature in this article is the young adult novel, Queen’s Peril, by E. K. Johnston. This will be the third Star Wars novel from Johnston, who has previously written the amazing young adult novels, Ahsoka and Queen’s Shadow. Queen’s Peril looks like it is going to be a fascinating novel that will be closely associated with the plot of Queen’s Shadow, as the author once again focuses on Padmé Amidala and her handmaidens. However, while Queen’s Shadow followed Amidala as she became a senator for Naboo after the events of The Phantom Menace, Queen’s Peril is set before the film and will follow the character’s earlier life when she becomes Queen of Naboo. Queen’s Peril is set for release on 5 May 2020, and a detailed plot synopsis and fantastic cover are already available.

Goodreads Synopsis:

When fourteen-year-old Padmé Naberrie wins the election for Queen of Naboo, she adopts the name Amidala and leaves her family to the rule from the royal palace. To keep her safe and secure, she’ll need a group of skilled handmaidens who can be her assistants, confidantes, defenders, and decoys. Each girl is selected for her particular talents, but it will be up to Padmé to unite them as a group. When Naboo is invaded by forces of the Trade Federation, Queen Amidala and her handmaidens will face the greatest test–of themselves, and of each other.

This sounds like it is going to be a rather intriguing novel. While I would have enjoyed seeing some of the post-The Phantom Menace storylines that featured in Queen’s Shadow continued, focusing on the early days of Amidala’s reign has some great potential and I think it is going to result in an amazing story. Not only will we get to see how and why a 14-year-old girl becomes queen, and the various issues associated with that, but it looks like Johnston is going to continue to explore the unique culture of Naboo, as well as the intriguing lives of the queen’s handmaidens. Queen’s Shadow spent quite a lot of time not only showcasing the importance of the handmaidens, but also introducing the readers to these previously unnamed characters (well, unnamed in this canon). In particular, we got to know Sabé, Amidala’s decoy, who served as the secondary protagonist of the book, and we saw the close friendship she had with Amidala. I am very excited to learn more about Amidala and her handmaidens, and it will be great to see how they were initially brought together to engage in the complex game of galactic politics.

Based on the above synopsis, it looks like the book’s plot will be set over the course of a few years, as not only will it show Amidala becoming queen, but it also covers the occupation of Naboo by the Trade Federation. I reckon that this should result in a rather compelling story, and I am very interested in seeing the events that led up to the invasion of Naboo. It is also likely that we will see what happened to the various handmaidens during the course of The Phantom Menace. Some hints of this were given in Queen’s Shadow, such as the fact that one of them was tortured in an internment camp, and I am curious about what the others went through. It will also be extremely interesting to see the story of The Phantom Menace from Sabé’s point of view, especially as she spent a good part of the film disguised as Amidala.

I am hoping Johnson will expand on the intriguing story point that concluded her previous book. Queen’s Shadow ended with a flash-forward to Amidala’s funeral at the end of Revenge of the Sith and showed Sabé’s reaction to the death of her dearest friend. In this scene, Sabé expressed great scepticism towards the official Imperial story about Amidala’s death, and decides to investigate it herself. A storyline in Queen’s Peril that follows Sabé as she pokes around in the newly formed Empire trying to find the truth has some amazing potential, especially if she has to contend with Darth Vader or the Emperor. It wouldn’t be too hard to split the story into two separate periods, one of which focused the early days of Amidala’s reign, while the other followed Sabé’s investigation in the future, and it will be interesting to see what Johnston does.

I think that Queen’s Peril should prove to be a very compelling and exciting new addition to the Star Wars universe, and I am really keen to see what Johnston includes in this story. I will probably end up listening to this book’s audiobook format rather than grabbing a physical copy, and I really hope that they get Catherine Taber back to narrate the story. Taber, who voices Amidala in The Clone Wars animated series, did an outstanding job of narrating Queen’s Shadow, and it will be really cool to once again have one of the official voices of Amidala tell the story.

The next book that I am going to look at is Chaos Rising by Timothy Zahn, the first book in the new Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy. Chaos Rising is probably the Star Wars book I am most looking forward to in 2020, as not only is it written by my favourite Star Wars fiction author, Timothy Zahn (I literally just finished listening to one of his Star Wars books last night and it was amazing), but it contains a prequel story for one of the franchise’s best characters, Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Grand Admiral Thrawn is an outstanding character who Zahn created back in the 1990s under the old Star Wars canon. One of the few alien officers in the Imperial Navy, Thrawn was portrayed as the ultimate tactical genius who was able to outthink and predict the actions of all his opponents. Thrawn was one of the few non-movie characters who exists in both the old Star Wars Legends canon and the new Disney canon, as he was reintroduced a couple of years ago as an antagonist in the Star Wars Rebels animated show. As part of this reintroduction, Zahn was contracted to write two new trilogies of Star Wars novels that focused on Thrawn. The Thrawn trilogy contained three exceptional Star Wars novels: Thrawn, Alliances and Treason, which was easily the Star Wars novel of this year. While I was kind of hoping that Zahn would shed some light on the eventual fate of Thrawn following his disappearance in the final episode of Rebels, it looks like Zahn is instead going back to explore the character’s youth.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The first book in a new trilogy set before Thrawn traveled to the Empire and became a Grand Admiral. Journey to the Unknown Regions and learn more about Thrawn’s origins and his home: The Chiss Ascendancy.

While a longer plot synopsis is probably in the works, this short blurb contains quite a lot of interesting information. In particular, it looks like dedicated Star Wars fans are going to get a brand-new origin story for this character. I am very excited to see what events formed the Thrawn we know and love, and I am curious to finally find out what he did to convince his people to infiltrate the Empire. No doubt, there will be all manner of battle and conflicts as Thrawn helps to defend his people against a bunch of alien threats, which will probably help showcase his initial tactical genius and unique way of seeing things.

One of the other intriguing things that the synopsis hints at is additional knowledge of the protagonist’s race, the Chiss. The mysterious Chiss Ascendancy is a legendary race which exists within the unknown regions of space outside of the bounds of the Republic or the Empire. Despite seeing some of the characters in the new Thrawn novels, very little is known about the Chiss (in this canon in particular). As a result, I am looking forward to finding out more about them, including details of their culture, military and the force-sensitive children they use as navigators. It is also going to be intriguing to see the events of the main Star Wars series through this alien species eyes. Based on Thrawn’s appearance during the events of Thrawn: Alliances, which was partially set during the Clone Wars, and the fact that the character was sent to infiltrate the Empire in order to help form some sort of alliance between them and the Chiss to help fight some of the dangers lurking in the Unknown Regions (something I also hope we find out more about), we know that the Chiss were keeping an eye on the events happening in Republic/Imperial space. I imagine that the Chiss characters will have some intriguing reactions to the wars and conflicts being fought between the Jedi and the Sith, and it should prove to be a great part of the series.

Based on how much I love Zahn’s previous work and on how awesome the character of Thrawn is, there is no way that I am not going to love this novel. I have no doubt that Chaos Rising is going to be an exception book, and I am excited to see what exciting adventures and wonderful universe building is contained within. I also have to say how much I love the recently released cover of this book. The understated design is pretty cool, and it leaves a definite impression. Chaos Rising is set for release on 5 May 2020, and hopefully I will be able to get an advanced copy of it to review.

The final book in this article is Shadow Fall by Alexander Freed. Shadow Fall, which currently has a release date of 23 June 2020, is the sequel to the 2019 book Alphabet Squadron, and is set to continue its action-focused story. The official cover for Shadow Fall is yet to be released, although I thought that the stand-in cover above is already really good.

Alphabet Squadron followed a small squadron of Rebel Alliance pilot, each of whom flies a different make of starfighter (e.g. one in an X-Wing, another in a Y-Wing, hence Alphabet Squadron), as the fight against the Imperial Remnant in the aftermath of Return of the Jedi. Made up of a disparate group of pilots and led by former Imperial, Yrica Quell, Alphabet Squadron explored the darker side of the galaxy following the Rebel’s victory. Alphabet Squadron was also connected to the Star Wars: Tie Fighter (2019) comic book miniseries, as the main characters of the miniseries served as the book’s antagonists. Shadow Fall will continue the adventure started in the previous book, and it looks like this time more time will be spent on the Imperial characters who make up Shadow Wing.

Goodreads Synopsis:

After their narrow victory over Shadow Wing, Alphabet Squadron is on the attack, hunting their adversaries within the Imperial Remnant. Shadow Wing is desperate for direction and leadership–and they find both in the iron will of Major Keize, their former commander and Yrica Quell’s one-time mentor. As battle lines blur, Alphabet Squadron finds itself not only fighting their resurgent foes, but their leader’s own deadly shadow.

This should prove to be another excellent piece of Star Wars fiction, and I am looking forward to the plot, which will once again focus on a number of engagements between the two rival squads of fighters. Freed showed his ability to produce amazing space battle sequences in Alphabet Squadron, and no doubt this latest book will contain many more of these as well. I am also expecting that the author will continue to focus on the strained relationships of the five members of Alphabet Squadron, as they slowly meld together as an effective team, and there is likely to be more internal politics and manipulation from their shady New Republic Intelligence handler. My initial prediction for this book is that it will end in some form of major defeat for the protagonists, similar in the ending to Empire Strikes Back, but I have nothing to back that up with. I do think that Shadow Fall is going to be another awesome book from Freed, and I look forward to all the intense action and battle sequences it will contain.

As you can see, the first half of 2020 is shaping up to have some exceptional Star Wars novels. I am very excited for all three of these books, and I reckon that they will all turn out to be fantastic reads. I am also very curious to see what other novels are released in the latter half of the year, although it is pretty much guaranteed that I will end up reviewing all of them, no matter what. Until then, I’ve got a Star Wars movie to see, here’s hoping The Rise of Skywalker lives up to expectations.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Top Ten Favourite Debut Novels of 2019

On December 17, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn List20 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday I continue to look at what some of my favourite books of 2019 were. I have already looked at my favourite audiobooks of 2019, as well as my favourite new-to-me authors, so this week I am going to list my Top Ten Favourite Debut Novels of 2019.

2019 has been a good year for debuting authors in a number of different genres, and I have been lucky enough to check out some remarkable debut novels that I have really enjoyed. As a result, I think it is only proper that I highlight some of these great debuts, all of which I would strongly recommend. I was very impressed with a number of these debut books, and I am looking forward to seeing what these authors come up with in the future.

I was able to come up with 10 amazing novels for this list, although in one or two cases I might have slightly stretched the definition of debut. I am also very aware that I missed a number of terrific sounding debut novels in 2019, which, if I had read them, may have appeared on this list. No doubt several of these books will appear on a future Top Ten Books I Wish I Had Read in 2019 list I am planning. However, I am very happy with the list I have come up with, and look forward to checking out some more awesome debuts in 2020

Honourable Mentions:

Red Metal by Mark Greaney and Lieutenant Colonel Hunter Ripley Rawlings IV (USMC)

I have included Red Metal in my honourable mentions because it was the debut novel of one of the authors, Lieutenant Colonel Hunter Ripley Rawlings IV (USMC). This was one of my favourite books of 2019; however, as it was co-written with an established author, I decided to leave it off my main list. I really hope that Rawlings continues to write, and I would love to see some form of sequel to Red Metal in the future.

Shadow of Athens by JM Alvey

Shadow of Athens was another fantastic book, and I really liked the amazing historical mystery it contained. However, it is not technically a debut as the author has already written a number of fantasy books under the name of Juliet E. McKenna. That being said, I decided to give it an honourable mention as it was the debut novel of this pseudonym, and it was also the author’s first historical fiction novel.

Top Ten List (in no particular order):

Master of Sorrows by Justin Call

Let us start the list with one of the best fantasy debuts of the year. Master of Sorrows was a compelling new fantasy adventure that focused on a school that trained operatives to steal and contain dangerous magical artefacts. Featuring an inventive new fantasy world and an intriguing story, this was a great start to a new series, and the sequel, Master Artificer, is coming out in August next year.

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

The second book on my list is Gideon the Ninth, which is certainly one of the most entertaining books I read this year. Gideon the Ninth is a madcap blend of science fiction and fantasy, with necromancers in space, which also features a great murder mystery storyline and a fun collection of characters. The sequel to this book, Harrow the Ninth, is coming out in June, and it sounds like it will be a pretty amazing read.

We Are Blood and Thunder by Kesia Lupo

This was a really clever and well-written young adult fantasy read that featured an excellent use of two separate character perspectives to tell a captivating story. Lupo’s second novel, the upcoming We Are Bound by Stars, will be set in the same universe as We Are Blood and Thunder, and should prove to be an intriguing follow-up to this fantastic novel.

Blood & Sugar by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

To my mind, Blood & Sugar was the best historical fiction debut of 2019, and I had an outstanding time reading it earlier this year. This book featured a complex and addictive murder mystery storyline set during the height of the English slave trade. Really worth checking out and I am looking forward to the author’s next book, Daughters of Night.

Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward

This is actually the book I am reading at the moment, but I am enjoying it so much I had to add it to this list. Legacy of Ash is a massive read that blends great fantasy elements with some exciting political intrigue. It is a really fun novel, and I am intrigued to see how it finishes up.

Half Moon Lake by Kirsten Alexander

Half Moon Lake is another excellent historical fiction novel that provided an amazing account of a shocking kidnapping case from history. This was a deeply compelling story, and well worth checking out.

The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan

The Gutter Prayer was one of the most anticipated fantasy debuts of 2019, and it actually lived up to its hype. With an outstanding group of characters and some truly unique and memorable new fantasy elements, this was a terrific and dark read, and the upcoming sequel, The Shadow Saint, should prove to be a fantastic follow-up to it.

Blood in the Dust by Bill Swiggs

Bill Swiggs’s debut novel, Blood in the Dust, was a cool Australian take on the western genre that I knocked off in one long night. An action-packed and dramatic historical adventure, this was a compelling Australian read which I was really glad I checked out.

Star Wars: Force Collector by Kevin Shinick

I only just put up a review for this last night, but it was a brilliant Star Wars adaption that ties together the events of a number of the films into a fantastic young adult novel. This debut is well worth reading, and I hope that Shinick revisits the Star Wars universe in the future.

Warrior of the Altaii by Robert Jordan

The final book on my list is Warrior of the Altaii by Robert Jordan, which is Jordan’s previously unpublished first novel. Technically, this isn’t a debut novel per se, as his first published novel was released in the 1970s. However, as this novel is one of the first things Jordan wrote, and it helped him break into the fantasy genre and eventually produce one of the best fantasy series of all times, I think it is appropriate to include it on this list, and the old-school adventure it contains was actually pretty good.

That’s my Top Ten list for this week. I am pretty happy with the varied collection of debut novels I read this year, and I think that all the above authors are going to go to do amazing things. Let me know what your favourite 2019 debut novels are in the comments below.

Star Wars: Force Collector by Kevin Shinick

On December 16, 2019August 22, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Star Wars, Tie-in Novel, Young Adult2 Comments

Publisher: Listening Library (Audiobook – 19 November 2019)

Series: Star Wars

Length: 8 hours and 13 minutes

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Amazon Book Depository

We are less than a week away from the final movie in the main Star Wars saga, The Rise of Skywalker, so it is about time that I got around to reviewing the final Star Wars novel of 2019, Star Wars: Force Collector by Kevin Shinick.

This is a book that I have been looking forward to for some time. Force Collector is a curious Star Wars young adult novel with an intriguing-sounding plot behind it, and it would have ordinarily been on my reading list anyway. However, as it is one of several books being released under the title of Journey to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (other examples of which include Resistance Reborn), it was one I definitely needed to check out before the movie comes out in a few short days.

This book was written by Kevin Shinick, who is probably best known for his work writing and developing television shows such as Robot Chicken, the 2017 Spider-Man animated show, Mad and Disjointed. In addition, Shinick has also written several comics for DC and Marvel, including Avenging Spider-Man, Superior Carnage and Axis: Hobgoblin. Force Collector is actually Shinick’s debut novel and he has produced a great Star Wars book with a rather interesting concept that provides a clever new viewpoint into the events of the Star Wars films.

Set shortly before the events of The Force Awakens, Force Collector revolves around Karr, a teenage boy living on a backwater planet. Karr lives a difficult life; anytime he touches an item that has witnessed an important or traumatic event, he gets a searing headache and blacks out. However, these items also impart onto him a vision of the history associated with it, allowing him to glimpse into the past. While his parents search for a rational explanation for his episodes, Karr’s grandmother knows the real reason for strange visions: he is gifted with the Force.

Attempting to learn how to control his abilities, Karr struggles with his training and hopes to find someone who can teach him in the ways of the Force. However, all the Jedi are long dead, and no-one on his planet knows what happened to them. Determined to learn more, Karr begins to collect historical items which he hopes will allow him to have some vision of the Jedi and learn where to find them. However, the few meagre artefacts he can lay his hands on are unable to provide him with the knowledge he seeks.

When Karr’s grandmother dies and his parents attempt to send him away to a school on the other side of the planet, he finally has enough. Determined to find an actual Jedi to help him, Karr, his droid RZ-7, and his school’s new troublemaker, Maize, steal a First Order ship belonging to Maize’s father and set out on an adventure. Travelling from one planet to the next, Karr and his friends attempt to trace the history of the Jedi. Finding obscure item after obscure item, Karr is eventually able to piece together the events that led to the downfall of the Jedi order and the rise of the Empire. However, the greatest secrets may lay even closer to home than he imagined.

Force Collector is a fun and intriguing novel which provides a unique and clever examination of the events of the Skywalker Saga, and which I am very glad I decided to check out. Featuring a great group of central characters (Karr, Maize and RZ-7) who grow closer as they progress in their adventure, and a rather captivating story, this was an amazing Star Wars read. I particularly liked the idea of a character who could revisit the Star Wars past through the objects he touches, as it allows Shinick to take the reader on a journey through a number of events in the Star Wars canon. Some really interesting bits of Star Wars history are examined through the course of this book, and it features some compelling visits to a number of iconic locations. That being said, this is a rather low-stakes novel, as the protagonists’ great adventure comes across at times like an unusually eventful school excursion (indeed, that is the explanation they give to the people they encounter). As a result, this might not be the best book for people looking for an exciting or action-packed novel (Thrawn: Treason or Master and Apprentice might be a better 2019 Star Wars release for those readers), however, the examination of Star Wars history makes this book an outstanding read for major fans of the franchise.

In order to tell his story, Shinick has filled his novel with all manner of references to the wider Star Wars universe. Not only does the reader get to see a number of visions from the past as part of the protagonists’ quest to find out more about the Jedi, but they also visit a number of familiar locations. These include Jakku (where Rey was living), Utapau (where Obi-Wan killed General Grievous) and even Batuu (the planet where the Galaxy’s Edge theme park area is set, and which has also served as the setting for several books such as the recent release Black Spire), just to name a few. Our protagonists encounter a number of unique individuals or items which witnessed some of the most iconic moments out of the films. For example, at Utapau he discovers the walking stick of the planet’s leader, which reveals the conversation the leader had with Obi-Wan when he landed. On another planet he runs across a pilot who witnessed Obi-Wan cutting the hand off Ponda Baba in the Mos Eisley cantina on Tatooine. There are some really cool and, in some cases, obscure items that Karr touches throughout the story, and the events they showed were really interesting.

In addition, Shinick also focuses on exploring the Star Wars universe just prior to the events of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. Force Collector appears to occur just before the start of The Force Awakens, and there are a number of references to the shape of the universe and the plans of the First Order. Shinick also uses this to allow the protagonists to visit and have some fascinating interactions with a couple of characters who appeared in the movie, such as Unkar Plutt or Maz Kanata. The meeting with Maz Kanata in particular was intriguing, and it was cool to see all these characters just before the events of the film rained down hellfire on their locations. In the end, this book contained all manner of references from across the films, the animated television shows and even some of the other books that make up the current Star Wars canon, making this a perfect read for dedicated fans of the franchise.

One of the most intriguing things that I liked about the story was its examination of how the characters in the wider Star Wars universe during this period perceived the Jedi and the events of the Skywalker Saga. Shinick makes it clear quite early on in the book that, during the period that novel was set, most of the galaxy saw the Jedi as a myth and barely anyone knows that much about them anymore. Even the protagonists, Karr and Maize, both of whom consider themselves somewhat more knowledgeable on the subject that most people, barely have any idea of what they were capable of or why they were destroyed. The various theories and histories of the Jedi that are postulated at the start of the novel are so obviously wrong to anyone who has seen the movies that it is quite a jarring experience. I found it deeply fascinating to see how it only took a generation or so for the legend of the Jedi to be degraded, and it explains why characters like Finn and Rey in The Force Awakens barely knew anything about them. The subsequent search for the truth is also interesting, and I liked how the characters attempted to piece together the events of the film. This search was hampered by the fact that the information they received was a random selection of events that were not in any chronological order. This ensures that they get a confused picture of all the events of the Skywalker saga, which they need to try and piece together to fully understand the lessons of the past. All of this was a really cool and unique take on the events of the films, and it was fun trip down memory lane.

While I really enjoyed all the cool references to the rest of the Star Wars franchise, I struggled to see how this book will actually tie into the events of the upcoming The Rise of Skywalker film, despite that being one of the major advertised features of the book. While this book did spend a bit of time expanding on the overall universe around the current trilogy of Star Wars films, there was nothing specific about The Rise of Skywalker in it. While this did not massively impact my enjoyment of the novel, I kept waiting for the story to kick off in another direction, perhaps after some of the galaxy-altering events that were shown in The Force Awakens took place, or feature a more major character from the films. It never did, and I very much doubt that the main character in this book is going to show up in the new movie (although I could be mistaken). The main connection I could find in this novel was the confirmation that a certain character is at the heart of all the major events of the Skywalker Saga, so much so that only touching an item of theirs was enough to make Karr understand all of the events of the films completely. This is something I believe that the Star Wars creative team wishes to reinforce, as the trailers and rumours indicate big things are happening to this character in the final movie, which will help signal the fact that the Skywalker Saga is truly over. There is also a mention of Karr holding onto a couple of certain Jedi items in case they will be needed in the future, but again I doubt this is going to feature in The Rise of Skywalker. As a result, while Force Collector serves more as an interesting recap for some of the prior Star Wars events, don’t expect any major revelations about the upcoming film.

Rather than grab a physical copy of this book, I ended up listening to the Force Collector audiobook, which was narrated by Euan Morton. Running at just over eight hours in length, this is a pretty short audiobook that most people should be able to get through rather quickly. As usual, I had a lot of fun listening to this Star Wars audiobook, as it featured all of the classic Star Wars music and sound effects, which really help to make the franchise’s audiobook formats so unique. Narrator Euan Morton is an old hand at narrating Star Wars audiobooks; I recently enjoyed his narration of Tarkin, for example. He does another fantastic job with the narration in Force Collector, coming up with a number of unique and distinctive voices for the characters who only appear in this novel, while also doing great impressions of characters who previously appeared in the film. I was particularly impressed with the realistically teenage voices he was able to come up with for Karr and Maize, and I also like how he did not really recycle any of the voices he used in the previous Star Wars audiobook of his I heard. All of this results in another outstanding audiobook adaption of a Star Wars novel, and it is easily one of my favourite franchises to check out in this format.

Star Wars: Force Collector by Kevin Shinick is a fantastic book that features a captivating and unique story, which is richly layered in references to the prior movies and other pieces of Star Wars fiction. While it does not contain an obvious connection to the upcoming The Rise of Skywalker film, it is still a really interesting and exciting novel that is worth checking out, especially as it provides a compelling recap of some of the previous films in the franchise. Aimed towards a younger audience, Force Collector will be easily enjoyed by all Star Wars fans, especially those who are familiar with the expanded fiction. However, even those readers who have seen the films will be able to appreciate the story in this book. An overall great read, this book is a lot of fun and is an excellent piece of Star Wars fiction.

Amazon Book Depository

WWW Wednesday – 11 December 2019

On December 11, 2019December 11, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday5 Comments

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading?

Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward (Trade Paperback)

I just started reading Legacy of Ash, and so far I am really enjoying this detailed fantasy debut. As this book is nearly 800 pages long, this might be one I’m stuck on for another week or so, but if I get a bit of free time I don’t think it will take me too long to power through this compelling read.

Star Wars: Scoundrels by Timothy Zahn (Audiobook)

I was in the mood for another exciting Star Wars novel, so I decided to check out this amazing sounding book from one of the best authors of Star Wars extended fiction, Timothy Zahn. I have really enjoyed Zahn’s recent Thrawn series (made up of Thrawn, Alliances and Treason), and I was curious to see what his work in the Star Wars Legends canon was like. I am nearly halfway through this audiobook at the moment, and it is a very fun novel, featuring Han, Chewie and Lando as they try to pull of a major heist.

What did you recently finish reading?

Spy by Danielle Steel (Trade Paperback)

A rather good historical drama with some great World War II spy thriller elements to it.

Rage by Jonathan Maberry (Audiobook)

Absolutely loved it, one of my top books of the year.

What do you think you’ll read next?

A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie (Audiobook)

That’s it for this week, check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.

WWW Wednesday – 4 December 2019

On December 4, 2019December 11, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday4 Comments

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading?

Spy by Danielle Steel (Trade Paperback)

After rather enjoying Turning Point earlier in the year, I thought I might try another Danielle Steel novel, especially if it is a World War II spy thriller. I only just started this one today, but so far it is really interesting.

Rage by Jonathan Maberry (Audiobook)

This is probably one of my most anticipated books for the end of 2019, and I have been wanting to read it for a while. I am about two thirds of the way through at the moment, and it is pretty darn epic.

What did you recently finish reading?

Traitors of Rome by Simon Scarrow (Trade Paperback)

Star Wars: Force Collector by Kevin Shinick (Audiobook)

The Light at the Bottom of the World by London Shan (Hardcover)

What do you think you’ll read next?

Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward (Trade Paperback)

Legacy of Ash is a fantastic new fantasy release that I am very curious about. It sounds like a really interesting read, and I look forward to diving into this massive volume.

That’s it for this week, check back in next Wednesday to see what progress I’ve made on my reading and what books I’ll be looking at next.

Throwback Thursday – Star Wars (2015) Volume 1: Skywalker Strikes by Jason Aaron and John Cassaday

On November 29, 2019May 2, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Comics/Manga, Extended Universe, Five-Star Books, Science Fiction, Star Wars, Throwback Thursday10 Comments

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Publication Date: 6 October 2015

Length: 160 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Amazon

Reviewed as part of my Throwback Thursday series, where I republish old reviews, review books I have read before or review older books I have only just had a chance to read.

I think it is fair to say that I have been in a real Star Wars mood lately. Maybe it is because of the imminent release of the final movie in the Skywalker Saga, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, or perhaps it is because The Mandalorian is such an awesome TV show. Whatever the reason, I have been reading and reviewing quite a few Star Wars books and comics lately. For example, I am currently listening to Star Wars: Force Collector, I reviewed Tarkin last week and I recently read and reviewed Resistance Reborn and Vader: Dark Vision. As a result, I thought that this week would be a good time to do a Throwback Thursday on the first volume of the 2015 Star Wars comic book series, Skywalker Strikes, which did an outstanding job of introducing an extremely exciting ongoing comic series.

The Star Wars comic book series was started in 2015 and follows the adventures of the protagonists of the original Star Wars trilogy. Set shortly after the events of A New Hope, this series attempts to fill in the three years between the first film and The Empire Strikes Back. The Star Wars comics originally ran concurrently with the Darth Vader (2015) comic series until that series ended, and then proceeded to run alongside the Doctor Aphra comics. The Star Wars series ran for 75 issues and has only recently concluded. A sequel series with the same name is set to begin in early 2020, which will follow the events between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

Volume One of Star Wars begins shortly after the destruction of the Death Star. With the Empire in turmoil following the destruction of such a major weapon, Rebel Alliance members Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2-D2 use the chaos to infiltrate a key Imperial weapons factory. While they are able to destabilise the factory’s reactor core and free its slave labour force, the Rebels are unprepared for the unexpected arrival of Darth Vader.

Attempting to complete their mission while also trying to kill Vader, the Rebels find themselves hopelessly outmatched by the Dark Lord of the Sith, who is determined to capture the Rebel who blew up the Death Star. Not even Luke, with his newly discovered Jedi abilities, is able to stand up to Vader, and the Rebels barely manage to escape with their lives.

Frustrated by his failures against Vader, Luke decides to take a leave of absence from the Rebel Alliance and returns to Tatooine to contemplate his future. Travelling to the house where Obi-Wan Kenobi lived in exile for years, Luke hopes to find something that will guide him. Instead he finds himself walking into a trap, as the bounty hunter Boba Fett is lying in wait. At the same time, Leia talks Han into a scouting mission for the Rebels, but their simple mission soon attracts the wrong sort of attention. Who is the mysterious woman hunting Han, and why is claiming to be his wife?

Skywalker Strikes, which is made up of Issues #1-6 of the Star Wars series, contains an outstanding story, fantastic artwork and some of the most insane Star Wars action sequences that you will ever see. The team of Jason Aaron and John Cassaday, have done an amazing job on this comic, and this first volume does a wonderful job starting off this long-running series. While all the issues in this volume are connected together pretty well, I would say that there is a distinctive break between Issues #1-3 and Issues #4-6. Issues #1-3 focuses solely on the protagonist’s attack on the weapon facility, while the last three issues feature some more independent adventures from some of the series’ various characters, as each of them is searching for something.

The sequence contained within Issues #1-3 is just incredible, and it is easily my favourite part of the entire series. What starts as a fun infiltration of an Imperial facility quickly devolves into utter chaos as Darth Vader enters the mix. What then follows is nearly three whole issues of action, explosions, fantastic first meetings and all manner of destruction as the Rebels desperately attempt to escape the factory. While all the characters involved in this part of the comic are really good, I have to say that Vader steals the show as the indestructible villain. This was actually one of the first pieces of fiction in the new Disney Star Wars canon that shows off how amazing Vader could truly be, and it is pretty darn awesome. Pretty much from the first instance he appears, he shows off the full extent of his powers by throwing stormtroopers in front of a sneak attack from Chewbacca, and then by starting to crush an AT-AT with the force. He then subsequently survives a full-on blast from the AT-AT’s cannons and hacks it to pieces with his lightsaber. He also cuts through a bunch of escaping slaves and shows his intense displeasure to his subordinates in a number of destructive ways, including twisting a stormtrooper’s head 180 degrees with the force (to be fair, he did catch sight of Vader without his helmet) and choking a Star Destroyer captain from an insane distance. I can also not be the only person who cracked up at Vader very quickly destroying an Imperial Officer moments after he said “Lord Vader will have my….” (spoilers, he was going to say head, and Vader really did). All of this destruction and action was essentially pure awesome, and I loved every second of it.

In addition to all the action in this part of the book, there are also some major moments in Star Wars history that fans of the franchise are really going to enjoy. For the one thing, it actually has the first face-to-face confrontation between Luke and Darth Vader. This scene is handled extremely well. Luke, still believing that Vader is the one responsible for the death of his father, jumps at the chance to get revenge. However, as Luke runs towards Vader’s location full of confidence, he hears the disembodied voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi telling him to run. This is advice that Luke really should have taken; Vader, after berating Luke for his obvious lack of skill with the lightsaber, rather easily disarms him. While getting ready to kill Luke, Vader notices that the lightsaber he has taken off him is the very one he used to wield as Anakin Skywalker, which obviously raises some issues within him. As events at the factory spiral out of control, Luke is able to evade Vader, who starts to grow slightly more impressed by his skills. As Luke makes his escape, Vader realises that he is not only the pilot that destroyed the Death Star but also Kenobi’s last great hope. Still not fully realising the identity of the boy he just encountered, Vader rather vindictively promises to corrupt him to his purposes. All of these events are pretty incredible moments in Star Wars history, and I think that the creative team did an outstanding job introducing them in this new canon. The initial face-to-face showdown between the main protagonist and villain of the original Star Wars trilogy is a pretty significant moment, and I really loved how it was shown. The hints at the hidden history between the two are great, and the initial realisations from Vader that there is more to Luke than he realises are fantastic. I also liked how the creative team showed Luke as having no real skill with the lightsaber or the force. Considering that he only had about an hour of training with Kenobi, it really isn’t that surprising that he has no lightsaber abilities, so this is a pretty clever and realistic inclusion, especially as a good part of the following Star Wars comic series deals with some of the earliest days of his training. While these events are probably not the most significant to occur in this volume (more on that later), they are incredibly intriguing and any fan of the Star Wars franchise is going to love it.

The last three issues of Skywalker Strikes are also very entertaining, though less action-packed, since the creative team has opted instead for storytelling and showing off the state of the Empire and Rebel Alliance. While a despairing Luke sets off to find answers, Han and Leia set off to find potential locations for a new Rebel base, while Vader has a meeting with Jabba the Hut. There are some really interesting aspects to this part of the story, from the growing hopelessness in Luke as he begins to realise how far he is from becoming a Jedi, to Vader’s sudden obsession with capturing Luke, to the growing hints of romance between Han and Leia, disguised at this point as antagonism. However, I would say that it’s the newcomers to the comic series, Boba Fett and Sana Solo, that are some of the best parts of the last three issues of the volume. Fett, who has long been a fan favourite despite his complete underutilisation in the movies, shines as the badass bounty hunter as he scours Tatooine for Luke, eventually finding out all about him through some very violent means. This leads to a pretty fun showdown between Boba and Luke, as Boba ambushes him at Kenobi’s house and easily incapacitates him and R2-D2 with his cool array of weapons and tactics. It is only thanks to Luke’s first close-combat use of the force that he is able to escape, as he successfully blocks a blaster bolt while blinded (a nice homage to the training sequence from A New Hope) and moves an item with his mind. All of this was a pretty entertaining showdown, and I loved seeing Fett in action for once. We also have the mysterious Sana Solo, who has a pretty fantastic takedown of some Rodian thugs with a great piece of technology and a ruthless demeanour. She is later able to track down Han and Leia, absolutely terrifying Han before dropping one of the biggest bombshells of the book: that she is Han’s wife. While this is not explored in any great detail in this volume, it is an excellent introduction for this great character, who goes on to become a fairly major figure in the current Star Wars canon. As a result of all of this, the second half of the volume holds up pretty well to the action-packed first half, and there are plenty of major scenes, including the very big ending.

While I did really like the second part of this volume, the best way to appreciate it fully is if you understand its connection to the Darth Vader (2015) series of comics. The Darth Vader series was launched right on the heels of the Star Wars comics and it is actually set in the aftermath of the first three issues of this volume. In the first issue of this concurrent comic, it is shown that Vader has actually started going rogue on the Emperor and is making his own deals with Jabba the Hutt, before the formal discussion he has with Jabba in Issue #4 of the Star Wars series. This actually clears up the somewhat cryptic discussion he has with Jabba later in the issue, where they talk about the bounty hunters he has hired, and also shows the point where he actually tasked Boba Fett with finding Luke. While none of this is absolutely vital when it comes to fully understanding the plot of Skywalker Strikes, it is interesting to see that some of the referenced events occurred in another series. However, the main reason why readers should try to understand the connection between this comic and the Darth Vader series is in the epic conclusion both of them share, where Vader learns the last name of the boy he has been hunting. Both Issue #6 of Star Wars and Darth Vader were actually released on the same day, so readers of both series were able to see this scene at the same time. The two scenes are shown in a slightly different light in each series. It is expanded a bit more in the Darth Vader series, as it plays into the feelings of resentment towards the Emperor that have been building in Vader through the series. However, I quite liked the simpler version in Issue #6 of Star Wars, as the slow-boiling rage and anger within Vader is pretty obvious, as he takes a whole page to fully react, cracking the glass on a Star Destroyer and simply whispering, “Skywalker”. As a result of this connection, the Star Wars and Darth Vader series complement each other extremely well, and I would strongly recommend reading both pretty close together. However, no matter which series you read, the sequence showing the moment where Vader realises that his son is still alive and a Jedi is pretty darn epic and really memorable.

It could be argued that splitting this volume into two separate storylines was an interesting choice from the book’s creative team. I imagine that six issues focused on the attack on the Imperial weapons factory would have been pretty epic (just imagine how much more destruction Vader could have wrought). However, I personally think they did the right thing by splitting the story and showcasing the aftermath of this action. This way you not only get the intense action of the first few stories but you also get to see the consequences of the mission, and all the implications this has for the wider Star Wars universe. In addition, there is also quite an intriguing set up for several key moments in the upcoming series as a whole, a whole new fight between Luke and another iconic Star Wars character in Boba Fett, and some amazing connections with a sister series. I really liked how the story of the entire volume came together, and I think it was an outstanding way to start this excellent series.

I have to say that I was also really impressed with the awesome artwork that was featured in this first volume. The artwork was drawn by John Cassaday, and featured Laura Martin as the colourist. It is pretty amazing the way that Cassaday was able to capture the faces of the core original trilogy cast members with his artwork. Luke, Leia and Han all look really good to my eye in this volume, and the artist has also done some great renditions of other existing characters, such as Vader, Boba Fett and Jabba the Hutt. In addition, I really enjoyed all of the marvellous and exhilarating action sequences that they artistic team portrayed throughout the volume. These action scenes, especially the ones featuring Vader at the start of the book are just incredible, and I really loved seeing all the fantastic and creative violence. In addition to all the action, there are a number of scenes where the artwork helps to enhance the emotions and hidden meaning of a scene, and I will always love the way that they portrayed the closing moments of this volume. This was some first-rate Star Wars comic book art that is really worth checking out.

As you can see from the above review, I really loved this first volume of the Star Wars (2015) comic book series. The amazing creative team behind this first volume did a fantastic job with the first six issues that make up Skywalker Strikes, producing an extraordinary story which is complimented by a connection to another series and some exceptional artwork. This volume is a fantastic introduction to the flagship comic book series of the Star Wars franchise, and it comes highly recommended. No great knowledge of the expanded Star Wars canon is required to enjoy it, and indeed this may prove to be an effective gateway to the greater Star Wars universe. This gets a full five stars from me, and I am so very glad I decided to check out the Star Wars comic book series this year.

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WWW Wednesday – 27 November 2019

On November 27, 2019 By The Unseen LibraryIn WWW Wednesday4 Comments

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So, let’s get to it.

What are you currently reading?

Traitors of Rome by Simon Scarrow (Trade Paperback)

The latest book from one of my favourite authors, Simon Scarrow. I knew well in advance that I was going to love Traitors of Rome, and it has been pretty awesome so far. I only have around 100 pages left, and should hopefully knock it off in the next day or so.

Star Wars: Force Collector by Kevin Shinick (Audiobook)

The last Star Wars novel released in 2019, Force Collector is an interesting read that ties into the upcoming The Rise of Skywalker movie. I’m a little way into this one at the moment, but I don’t think it is going to take me too long to finish it off.