A non-video game related topic today, I wanted to talk about Star Wars, well to be exact the Star Wars Extended Universe created by the books. I have become a fan of the Star Wars books recently and read quite a few of them, what I have enjoyed about these books is not just continuing adventures of Luke, Han, Leia and Chewie but also new stories in that same universe and how it all ties in with the movies. There are several books I want to recommend right off the bat, just for people who like Star Wars but are nervous about approaching the books because there are just so many out there.
First off, the three books that really made the Star Wars universe what it is today is the Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn. Set 5 years after the second Death Star was destroyed above Endor, you find the New Republic barely holding itself together, the Empire is still around but slowly losing its grip on its remaing systems and Luke Skywalker is trying to find his place and a place for the Jedi in the galaxy. Add into this mix a master tactician of Grand Admiral Thrawn who is pulling together the Empire and has a master plan to crush the New Republic, we also meet what appears to be a Jedi Master who escaped Vader and The Emperor but appears to have gone insane, also a woman called Mara Jade with a mysterious past that is linked in with the now dead Emperor. The three books interweave all these storylines with the drama, swashbuckling and fun of the original Star Wars trilogy to give us a gripping and thrilling adventure that is a joy to read.
Next Up The Jedi Academy trilogy by Kevin J Anderson because it is setting the stage for the New Republic's Jedi's to take centre stage and has a story that will engage you right to the end. Kevin J Anderson gets a lot of flak for the books he rights, his books based on the Dune Universe are met with derision and he has written lots of books based on other peoples IPs, but with this trilogy he is at his best, and it is very easy to get drawn into these stories.
And before I get to my favourite books in the Star Wars EU, the collections of Short Stories, such as Stories from the Empire, Stories from Mos Eisley Cantina, Stories From the Bounty Hunters and Stories From the New Republic are all worth picking up for some Star Wars Short story enjoyment. All of which have at least 2 or 3 stories that are worth reading.
But finally, the best books that I have ever read in the Star Wars Extended Universe and takes place 1000 years before the battle of Yavin and the destruction of the first Death Star. These are the Darth Bane books. These books are written by Drew Karpyshyn and chart the course of a lowly mine worker on a remote planet who through either fate or just bad luck finds himself on the run but soon realises he has the ability to manipulate the force. He is recruited by a Sith Training camp and realises his full potential, meanwhile the Jedi and the Sith forces are about to face off in a battle that will determine the fate of the rest of the galaxy for thousands of years to come. The story takes place over 2 books and ends up promising more to come, and Drew Karpyshyn is working on a third book in the series and I can't wait. Darth Bane is an excellent character who rivals Darth Vader in terms of bad-assery, and his tale is one that will capture you right up to the end.
On a side note Drew Karpyshyn is also the head writer of the Mass Effect games and wrote the two Mass Effect books that are out now, I have read the first one and it too is awesome.
So in summation, the Star Wars EU can be daunting and I have really been trying to keep with timelines, but in all honesty stories about Anakin Skywalker as a trainee Jedi are rather dull and I don't care what Obi Wan Kenobi did before the Episode 1, so those books don't interest me, so I have been picking and choosing. If you want to check out the timeline for the Star Wars books, check out Wookiepedia (no I am not making that up) and you'll be able to find it there. Check these books if, you wont be dissapointed.
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