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gffa · 2 months

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Hi, since you’ve been reading the star wars books, do you have one you’d recommend as a starting point for someone who’s never read any of them and is interested in seeing what they’re like?

Hi! This is going to be very subjective, given that I'm not sure what your favorite characters are or which era you're interested in, and if you're interested in the best books out there or ones that typify what the books are overall like. BEST BOOKS: - Revenge of the Sith novelization by Matthew Stover, god-tier ability to take my favorite SW movie and make it even more emotional and hard-hitting. It adds even more depth to the story, has beautiful writing, and just is a really satisfying read imo. - Padawan by Kiersten White, which is a story about a young Obi-Wan going on an adventure by himself and I think really captures how I see his youth, that there was struggle and difficulty, but overall it explains why he loves being a Jedi and why there's so much joy in his life. - Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule is good for if you're interested in the High Republic stories and I still think is easily my favorite of the entire line. There was so much good foreshadowing and banger lines that really got Star Wars and was an exciting plot to really hook me on THR.

BOOKS THAT MOST TYPIFY WHAT SW BOOKS ARE LIKE: - Brotherhood by Mike Chen is one that I have some stuff I side-eye in it (everything with Mace) and some stuff I was over the moon for (everything with Obi-Wan) and some stuff I was in the middle about (everything with Anakin). That's Star Wars novels in a nutshell for you! (I also think Dooku: Jedi Lost by Cavan Scott is another good starting place, it's an audiodrama, but it gives an interesting backstory to the character, has some interesting Jedi worldbuilding, and does some really great character work with Asajj Ventress.) - Wild Space by Karen Miller is a Legends book (and I usually try to stick to Disney continuity just for ease's sake) but it has some eyeroll-worthy stuff, some unearned stuff, and some absolutely batshit bonkers in the best way stuff. It's a RIDE to read and maybe not one to take super seriously but I feel like it captures the spirit of SW books. (Alternate suggestion: Dark Rendezvous by Sean Stewart is a really good Yoda & Dooku book with a lot of good appearances by other Jedi characters and one of the better books for Jedi stuff, plus lots of feelings and banger conversations between characters.) (Alternate-alternate suggestion: Another Legends suggestion, since there are a lot of SW books in that continuity, you could read the Jedi Apprentice series by Dave Wolverton and Jude Watson, as long as you know they're aimed at a pre-teen audience and are written accordingly and they are SUPER dramatic and put Obi-Wan through the wringer. I'm not always wild about Watson's writing, but when she writes a banger line, she writes a BANGER line, and they're very fun books that a lot of fandom still folds into their writing.) - The Aftermath trilogy by Chuck Wendig is a good place to start if you want to explore the connective tissue between the originals and the sequels, though I always recommend that I think they work a thousand times better as audiobooks. It's mostly new characters (which, welcome to SW novels) but it also has some really good Leia and Mon Mothma scenes, too. - Leia: Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray is for if you're more interested in the Original Trilogy characters and while I wish there'd been more worldbuilding in this one, it's a solid story from someone who genuinely loves this character, and will give you a good idea of what you can expect from Leia books. (If you're more interested in a Han/Leia story, The Princess and the Scoundrel by Beth Revis is on the same level. Solid story with occasional moments of fantastic. I had a blast with the Leia sections especially!)

#lumi.txt #star wars #novel recs

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charmwasjess · 7 months

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Uh, I got into the Clone Wars last night. I mean, the Clone Wars wasn’t stored safely out of my reach. I chewed it all up and left the little pieces everywhere like a cat with a roll of toilet paper.

Anyway, you know that one episode where Savage Opress visits Planet Dumpster Fire to rescue Maul with help from the talking snake from Disney’s The Jungle Book?? Cool, yeah, that one.

–so could I have a moment to theorize why Dooku thinks Savage being loose in the galaxy is such a big fucking deal in the first place? When Asajj, who hates him a lot more and has tried to assassinate him repeatedly, is like, right over there? When, actually, the galaxy is full of powerful Force users who want to kill him, including some members of his own family?

Could it be that Dooku, in a characteristic spiral of destabilization after losing Asajj as a Padawan substitute right hand man, actually behaved pretty embarrassingly in front of Savage? Does Savage have some pretty bad shit on him?

Embarrassing Bullshit Dooku Probably Said to Savage During Their Infinitesimally Short Apprenticeship:

multiple incriminating monologues about his plans to "secretly" use Savage to finally fuck up Sidious and take over as the King of Bad Ideas instead of the apprentice*

“Here is my annotated childhood diary containing all my most cringe moments, my feelings of inadequacy and vulnerability, some gay subtext, and the origin story of my daddy issues, beginning at age 12…oh, don’t forget the attached media file, so you can see how cute I was as an initiate…!”

(during movie night) “...and the Wicker Man, for me, as an actor, is definitely the best film…in the end horrifying, but not what I would call a horror film. It was about growth, not decay…”

it’s a EU/Legends situation, and Sifo-Dyas’s corpse is actually in a cryopod in the basement. Dooku monologues at it constantly. Sometimes, Savage swears he can hear two people talking down there, and doesn’t know if that’s real or if Dooku is doing the other voice, and is legitimately unsure which alternative is more terrifying. Sure, he grew up with witches and everything, but this is a bridge too far?!!

*lol this one's real

#the clone wars #count dooku #savage opress #star wars shitpost #star wars meta #star wars theories #oh dooku #there's nothing scarier than your homelife #the sound of crying in the bathtub should probably be on this list too #for real though Wicker Man is Christopher Lee's best film and my favorite movie #I don't tell a lot of people that #because of all the sex and screaming about burning Christians it's just a vibe

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ddeck · 3 months

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still very casually reading legends comic books and you know how fascinating the relationship between asajj and obi wan is. or more like the one-sided rivalry that asajj has with him, esp considering she started out as anakin's opponent in tartakovsky's clone wars. she is constantly obsessing over obi wan, convinced that if he fell and sided with dooku, she would be immediately replaced. even tho she knows he already rejected dooku. even tho she knows he won't ever fall. but the meer possibility is making her seethe. my girl is obsessing over an imaginary scenario. my girl is starting beef over nothing and i love her for it

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kuwdora · 11 months

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Star Wars audiobooks! I've been restless for new Star Wars since Andor ended. Been going through a handful of Disney era and Legends novels over the last few months. I have enough reactions to get down into an actual post. Mostly I'm just going to be foaming at the mouth over Marc Thompson and Sam Witwer's narration and falling over myself about the characters. I have listened to: Dark Disciple, Last Shot, Disney Thrawn trilogy, Heir to the Empire, Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter. Lots of these books I liked, some of them I didn't but the narration and characters are still amazing. Motherfucking MARA JADE. Asajj Ventress!!!!!!!! I have no rational mind about Maul and I am one of those feral stick figures chewing on Thrawn. Hnnghh.

First of all, let me start with Marc Thompson. He's been doing the audiobooks for years and years now. Here’s a great intro where he’s talking about the differences of doing character voices and learning the importance of bringing the right dynamic to the prose. He slips so seamlessly into his Star Wars voices reel, ahaha.

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Here is a really cute Lip Sync Battle where Marc Thompson will say a line and then have a fan lip sync the same line back at the camera. His energy, his energy I love it so much. Everyone is having SO MUCH FUN. There’s also a cameo by Star Wars author Christie Golden in this video. Super cute.

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First book:

Dark Disciple - Christie Golden Narrated by Marc Thompson

Alright I actually had picked this up ages go from my library and never read it but since I’ve been on an audiobook kick, Marc Thompson got me goin’ with alllll his voices.

I love Asajj Ventress so I was pretty much guaranteed to enjoy something from this book. Apparently it was written based on some unfinished scripts for an arc that would have happened if the show didn’t get cancelled. Knowing this makes a lot more sense with regards to the pacing and I think I would have preferred the animated episodic for this since I think a lot of the early Quinlan and Asajj stuff dragged a little too much. However I did appreciate getting more of a deeper dive in Asajj’s head and it really made me want to go digging through AO3 for some amazing character studies that I know must exist at this point.

But yeah, I didn’t think I’d enjoy the eventual romance between Asajj and Quinlan but Quinlan was such a perfect set-up for a fall from the Jedi Order. I think I’m just really easy when it comes to whumping the fuck out of Jedi with torture and their own emotional repression.

I was really into all the Dathomir scenes and the history of Asajj with her sisters being touched upon again and how she managed to not “go crazy from the dark side” because of the balance she found because she was a Nightsister.

A++ for Asajj having to go to Boba fucking Fett to mount a rescue mission inside a fake heist.

Really I think I’m just so easy for murdery women with a rage boner. Fuck Dooku.

Marc Thompson’s narration was a delight and I definitely would recommend this for anyone who enjoyed The Clone Wars series and wanted to get a little more Asajj screen time. Here’s a scene where someone pulled Clone Wars clips and put Dark Disciple audio underneath. Marc Thompson bringing incredible Dooku subservience and Sidious danger, hhhngh.

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7/10, would listen to again even though I'd rather see the finished episodes.

Last Shot (A Han and Lando Novel) - Daniel Jose Older Narrated by Marc Thompson, Daniel Jose Older and January LaVoy

This book was extremely disappointing. Normally I am a fan of seeing fan-favorites have their mid-life crises but I was extremely bored and over with Older’s take on Han having an existential crisis of who he was as a father an husband in this post-Empire world. Lando on the other hand, was having a crisis of genuinely having fallen in love and not knowing how to handle that. I fucking loved that.

This book had multiple timelines and jumped around a lot and I don’t know if I just wasn’t focused enough while listening but the timeline jumps were jarring and incomprehensible at times. The action plot ended up being rather unsatisfying.

It was also very jarring to have three narrators for the different timelines and I kind of feel bad because I went and looked and Older’s narration is just consistently getting panned across all reviewers—and for good reason. Thompson and LaVoy are experienced voice actors and with Older in the middle, Older just seems slapdash in his reading. If it was just Older all the way through I might have been more forgiving but going back and forth with everyone… it really was painful at times.

It was a slog to get through this book, really. What I actually really enjoyed was all the original characters: an Ewok slicer, a nonbinary hot shot pilot, and Lando’s love of his life whose name is slipping my mind even now, agh. I wasn’t fan of the villain character, unfortunately, and it was a bit of a letdown that the action plot was just… I don’t know, boring. It was a riff on transhumanism except with droids and a bit of droid supremacy to it and I was just... tired by it.

Marc Thompson was KILLING it tho. His performances always fucking delight me. January LaVoy’s narration of Lando and L-3 were also really great even though I just wasn’t into the scenes themselves.

3/10 - do not recommend, HOWEVER I would read fic about the lady ewok hacker Peekpa.

Darth Maul: Shadow hunter By Michael Reeves Narrated by SAM WITWER

I am, as the fannish parlance goes, Not Normal about Maul or Sam Witwer's performance as Maul.

This novel takes place just before the events of The Phantom Menace and it’s a Star Wars story that is very, very narrow in scope. The stakes are still very high because someone has gained information about the Trade Federation’s impending blockade and Sidious sends Maul to go and take care of it. The whole story takes place in the underbelly of Coruscant and I gotta say, it’s really refreshing after going through a bunch of Star Wars shows, books and films where it’s all galactic hopping whirlwind stuff to have that's in one place and happening in a short amount of time. I think it's something like 2 or 3 days that all the events happen.

Michael Reeves is a man of deep characterization and creates an amazing sense of place in the Black Sun alley of Corusant. We get very little Sidious and Maul interaction but what bits we do get are fascinating and haunting. I do like the ‘less is more’ approach here with these two...although I will say I’m not sure I would have picked up this book if I hadn’t gone through The Clone Wars and lost my goddamn mind over Sam Witwer’s portrayal of Maul.

And his performance here. In this book. I don’t know what it is about Witwer but when he does Maul my brain just lights up in a way that I haven’t really gotten outside of live theater performances. He brings this sense of ruthlessness and competence to Maul, his gleeful rage and oscillating mania as he ends up tracking an information broker and Jedi Padawan. Oh, Witwer is truly just. Fucking amazing, okay.

I would love this book even if it wasn’t Witwer narrating it but my god he elevates it to a whole new level. I got my copy from the library but it is immediately on my to-buy list once I can buy books again.

Michael Reeves also wrote for Batman the Animated series and Gargoyles which makes a whole lot of sense in the way he’s able to just create such lush sensory detail of place and people, oh holy fuck. He’s the writer who wrote the Gargoyles episode about Broadway accidentally shooting Elisa with her gun (this is an episode that got pulled from airing and I don’t think they have on Disney+ right now). Aw man, alright I definitely need to read more of his stuff now.

The action plot is Lorn Pavan is a down-on-his-luck fellow who got information he shouldn’t have and he is trying to sell it, Darsha the Jedi Padawan gets sent down to bring in a Black Sun informant and things go tits up for her in horrible ways. Darsha and Lorn’s paths collide and they try to survive Maul. I love everything about these characters, except for the end where Lorn started having romantic feelings about the Padawan. Blech.

Also somehow I think I-5 is now my second favorite droid character I’ve come across in the greater Star Wars canon (Chopper will always be my #1 grumpy cat droid). Witwer has the best dry delivery for the droid character. Like. It’s so fucking GOOD.

I’m also impossibly impressed and obsessed with Witwer’s performance of Sidious and the Jedi Council. His Qui-Gon is SO FUCKING GOOD. His Palaptine has my teeth rattling in my head oh my god.

Here’s the first 5 or so minutes of Shadow Hunter, hhnngh. You get Maul, Sidious a drunk Lorn Pavan, and my new droid bestie I-5:

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I am 100% going to be reading Michael Reeves’ other Star Wars novels. Apparently he has a series that follows a Jedi-in-hiding post-Order 66 and I want to just dunk my head in all the Star Wars noir, I guess, yes please.

10/10 - I love, would heartily recommend to anyone wanting a kind of story that’s more heavy on character and setting and also SAM WITWER!!!!!!!!! Maul. Hnnghghghgh.

TIMOTHY ZAHN TIME.

Thrawn Trilogy (Disney era) Thrawn, Thrawn Alliances, Thrawn Treason Narrated by Marc Thompson

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This was my second time through the Disney novels. I watched Star Wars Rebels first, then my friend jb_slasher told me about Thrawn having novels. I had vaguely heard of Heir to the Empire over the years and also my friend recommended the Disney trilogy so I figured I’d start with that since I was diving off from Disney canon anyway.

My god I love this trilogy so fuckin’ much. Marc Thompson out here nailing it. This Thrawn is the type of character who is always the smartest person in the room and I should get irritated by that like all the other characters but mmmm, I have a competence kink. And I am just over the moon with how he instills loyally and allegiance in his crew who can now have a commander who is not interested in politicking his way through things but actually is committed to strategy and whatnot.

Also fucking Zahn made Thrawn go back to space college. And gave him a little protege who he grew to admire. Eli Vanto is a great character, I am reading a lot of slash about them obviously but yeah, I loved seeing his growth throughout the trilogy. And THRAWN ALLIANCE. Y’all. Y’all. The Star Wars memes about Thrawn and Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker are AMAZING and really do the hilarity so much justice. Here's a fantastic book trailer cut together with Marc Thompson' narration, hnngh.

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This man absolutely knows who Darth Vader is and Darth Vader is like “oh fuck no you don’t.” And when Thrawn had met Anakin during the Clone Wars and Anakin had to try and work together with him? Perfection. Bonus Padme getting to be a ridiculous and foolish badass when she goes looking for trouble. And also her also having a competence kink for Thrawn, too. It cracks me the fuck uuuuuup, okay.

Thrawn absolutely hates politics so fucking much and I love to see how that is the primary way he gets thwarted or has to build his strategy around. Because people are fucking assholes and political everywhere. Seriously, have I mentioned how much I love Marc Thompson??

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Thrawn Treason gave us more of Thrawn’s people and whatnot with the Chiss which I also liked but I’m really less interested in their motivations and experiences as a culture on the edge of the Empire. More here for Vanto now getting to be the fish-out-of-water and leveling up and getting all the respect he deserves.

MARC THOMPSON, y’all. He does a great Thrawn, an AMAZING whinybaby sycophant Ronan of the Starkiller Project, and his Eli Vanto Space Yokel intonation is 💋. Also I feel like the loyalty and trust that Thrawn earns from his subordinates really feeds into this praise kink thing that everyone develops by being around him. I love it.

10/10 will lose my mind and listen/read this trilogy again and also read all the fanfic about it.

Heir to the Empire Timothy Zahn

I am sorry it took me 30 years to get here but I AM NOW HERE FOR MARA JADE’S RAGE BONER. Let me repeat: MARA. JADE. !!!!!!!!!

Also holy fuck. Luke Skywalker getting to be smart, technically creative and able to navigate through terrible situations in spite of a Force-Blocking Macguffin is AMAZING. I was not expecting to be this into a post-Empire Luke but I really fucking loved it.

I also love all of the Han and Lando scenes in this (WAY MORE than Last Shot, sorry Daniel Jose Older).

Leia and Chewie!! On Kashyyk!! Talon Karrde was so great (Thompson made him kind of sound like Antonio Banderas??)

Thrawn and his bestie Pelleaon! What a fascinating dynamic.

I actually was not very into Thrawn’s vibes in this book as much as I was in the Disney stuff. I don’t know if it’s because of the vibes they wrote him in Star Wars rebels that got filtered back into Zahn’s take on him for the books (or if it was the other way around?) - Like, the calculating tactical and man of strategy is still there, but… hm, I’ve been struggling to articulate what about it that didn’t tickle me as much. He’s still playing the long game in every situation but I don’t know… I think there’s this more pragmatic view of people he has in the Disney books that he doesn’t get here in the first of this trilogy. I haven’t gotten to the other two books from this series yet so maybe I’ll feel differently later. The anniversary edition of the audiobook that I got from my library was narrated by Marc Thompson and he (you'll be so surprised) fucking nailed it all for me. Love love love.

10/10 timothy zahn, I love you. You got an amazing way of writing action. I gotta read more of your stuff. Anyway, I'm also starting the Ahsoka novella that I think (??) is not quite canon anymore since they got a final season for Clone Wars, but it's by E.K. Johnston and narrated by Ahoska's voice actor Ashley Eckstein. Don't have enough thoughts about it yet but I love Ahsoka so I'm sure I'll have a decent time.

#this is like 2k of me rambling and talking about my star wars feels wheee #star wars #kuwdora reads #star wars books #heir to the empire #thrawn alliances #thrawn treason #asajj ventress #thrawn #mara jade #sam witwer #darth maul #marc thompson #my posts #textpost #shadow hunter

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aftergloom · 2 months

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I would very much like to hear about ur dark side cult and am willing to trade the information given with random songs but they're in binary

I spent years in the rave scene listening to beepy clicky music that you can't really dance to so I'd probably be into that, ngl.

So the thing about the Bando Gora is that you can't talk about it without discussing a couple of characters, so I'll try to keep this fairly high-level, but some spoilers may follow for a couple of the Legends books. (And since we're getting a new new canon Dark Side cult with Darth Maul: Red, White, and Black in May, maybe we'll see some similarities. Canon likes to nod back to Legends once in a while, and I'm all for it.)

The Bando Gora appears in only a handful of places, namely Darth Maul: Lockdown, Darth Plagueis, a couple of comics, an RPG, and a videogame called Star Wars Bounty Hunter featuring Jango Fett.

It served as a terrorist organization and dark side cult that operated primarily in the outer rim, gaining power over a couple of decades before culminating in the death of its last High Priestess, a former Jedi and the lost padawan of Count Dooku, Komari Vosa -- one part femme fatale, one part pain in Sidious' ass, and the very same Komari Vosa that shows up in Darth Maul: Lockdown on Cog Hive Seven.

She was captured and indoctrinated into the Bando Gora following the battle at Galidraan along with twenty of her cohorts (whom she later killed while in captivity), and rose through the ranks rapidly to helm it as its leader.

She died in 32 BBY when a bounty was set on her head because the cult had amassed entirely too much power and Sidious was getting a little shifty about it. Jango Fett won the bounty along with the prestige of becoming the pattern for the Clone army, but it was Vosa's former Jedi Master (now Darth Tyranus) that snapped her neck, ending her life, and decapitating the cult. Vosa was completely relegated to Legends as of The Secrets of the Sith, but as the story goes, once Dooku snuffed her out, he took her curved lightsaber hilts and gave them to his sparkly new apprentice, Asajj Ventress.

As indoctrination goes, cult members were subjected to neurotoxin poisoning and tortured to open their minds to the Dark Side of the Force, the physical results of those rituals manifesting in glowing blue eyes, and blackened and mottled skin. "The Force shall free me" was taken to the letter, because Bando Gora Thrall emerged from the indoctrination process free of pain, free of fear, and relentless -- and without a will of their own. Thrall often wore Nemoidean skin masks --- possibly another aspect of the depersonalization process -- and Captains looked like this snazzy dude:

The cult had ties to the Hutts and Sebolto's drug cartel on Malastare, a notable tidbit because one of its last remaining ties to canon exists in one little scene where Obi-Wan Kenobi is offered Death Sticks -- the primary means of luring in new recruits to the cult by altering their minds, and reducing their resistance to indoctrination by creating a narcotic dependency with the "Death Sticks." As if calling them "Death Sticks" to begin with wasn't wildly enticing. /s

"You wanna buy some death sticks?""You don't want to sell me death sticks.""I don't wanna sell you death sticks.""You want to go home and rethink your life.""I wanna go home and rethink my life."

―Elan Sel'Sabagano and Obi-Wan Kenobi

Other points of interest (if you're considering a vacation) involve the spot where the Bando Gora set up shop -- a lovely little place in the inner rim in Bogden's orbit: Kohlma.

Named after Colma (in California), the burial moon was covered pole to pole in tombstones and suffered Bogden's frequent gravitational shifts. A lot of the early concept art lends itself to horror (hi I love it!), which is probably why, at the first mention of a "burial moon" in Darth Maul: Lockdown, I went absolutely feral and started collecting every tidbit I could get my hands on.

The Bando Gora had a citadel out there, which ultimately became Vosa's tomb, and the memorial moon was a fitting choice because the first members of the cult were said to be graverobbers, thieves, and assassins. 💀💀💀

Thank you for the ask. Revisiting this stuff right before Camp NaNoWriMo is always a good refresher for me, since I'll be journeying right back here on April 1st. 😊

#dat ask #Bando Gora #Komari Vosa #Asajj Ventress #Count Dooku #Darth Sidious #Darth Maul: Lockdown #elan sleazebaggano #Plagueis #darth maul #star wars meta #star wars extended universe #star wars legends #Kohlma #Bogg 4 #Death Sticks #star wars horror #Darth Maul

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datzyuk · 2 years

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so i'm thinking of reading some star wars novels and i'm pretty sure i've seen you talking about them so do you have any recs or instructions on how to read them? there's just so many. also ignore this if i'm totally wrong lmao

i love star wars novels sm!!! here's my very long breakdown under the readmore.

for starters, there are two main types of books

canon: anything published after disney purchased star wars. first canon book was released in 2014. occasionally small details from the books are retconned by new tv shows/movies but everything else is considered canon.

legends: anything published before disney purchased star wars in 2012. not canon but the new content often takes ideas from these books. before disney took over, there weren’t many rules for star wars books, so a lot of legends books contradict each other.

i’d also say it’s important to note that the canon YA books are usually on par with the adult books, so don’t skip them!

i mostly read the canon books so that’s what i’ll focus on but there are some gr8 legends books out there, and you’re way more likely to find legends books at your local used bookstore.

as for the correct order, some people might read them by following the in-universe timeline but that’s definitely not necessary!

here are some of my favs / good ones to start with!

lost stars by claudia gray. follows two kids from a small outer rim planet that bond over flying and eventually join the imperial academy as pilots. it’s the /perfect/ starting spot because its centered around the original trilogy with an atmosphere + events we know, but with OCs who allow us to get a new POV….and there are small cameos from some gr8 characters. it’s a BRICK but i finished it in like 24 hrs bc i couldn’t put it down.

leia: princess of alderaan by claudia gray. maybe i’m biased bc i’m super interested in the formation of the rebellion and the organas are my favorite family, but this book is so well done. it follows 16 yr old leia as she juggles being a junior senator + a princess. she also starts to discover the secrets her parents have been hiding about how deeply they’re involved in the rebellion. it’s a great look at young leia, but it also gives us a really good look at bail + breha organa as well as mon mothma. similar time period as ‘andor’ so it might be a good read before that comes out next month!

bloodline by claudia gray. takes place ~25 yrs after the original trilogy and ~5 yrs before the force awakens. this is the perfect sequel to #2. it gives us a glimpse at what leia has accomplished with the new republic while also showing its faults which lead to the rise of the first order. IMO, perfect mixture between plot + character driven.

dark disciple by christie golden. if you’re a fan of clone wars, this is it!!!! this was originally supposed to an eight episode arc but it was abandoned after the script was writen (by katie lucas!!). it follows quinlan vos and asajj ventress on an undercover mission to kill dooku. sounds weird, right???? i pushed it off for a year and i regret that so much. tied for my favorite star wars book.

the high republic. not a single book but an entire era that takes a look at the jedi order ~250 yrs before the prequels. it’s a collection of adult/YA/middle grade books, comics, and eventually a disney+ show (the acolyte). if you want something completely new, this is it! here’s a list with the reading order. i’ve personally only read the adult + YA books and i’ve really enjoyed them and haven’t felt like i’ve missed out by not reading everything.

some other notable mentions

ahsoka by e.k. johnston. this author’s books definitely feel more “YA” than others, but it’s well worth reading if you’re a fan of clone wars, rebels, or you’re interested in the formation of the rebellion.

the padme trilogy by e.k. johnston. same as above, but they’re a super quick read + really add to the prequels, especially the phantom menace.

a new dawn by john jackson miller. the first canon book published and you can tell. definitely not my favorite, but it’s worth reading if you’re a fan of rebels. it’s way too focused on the horrible action plot and doesn’t give us much on hera, but it adds a lot to kanan’s history as a padawan + after order 66.

resistance reborn by rebecca roanhorse. if you want more from the sequels (including a whole page of finnpoe content) look no further. best read after the two leia-centric books mentioned above. not star wars but this author's book "black sun" is very good.

i’ve only read a handful of legends books (most are way too focused on the action for me) but here are some recs from that group

the revenge of the sith novelization by matthew woodring stover. like, yeah, it’s just a retelling of the movie we’ve all watched a million times but with extra scenes /and/ the character’s thoughts + feelings. makes it way more tragic. might contain a scene insinuating that obi-wan is hooking up with bail organa.

wild space by karen miller. a great look at obi-wan + anakin right after attack of the clones as they adjust to war, anakin adjusts to having a padawan, and obi-wan tries to talk to him about his attachment to padme. but 90% of it is bail + obi-wan stuck together on a mission and, you guessed it, there’s a lot of sexual tension.

the jedi apprentice series by jude watson. i literally started reading these bc i didn’t understand some references to obi-wan’s past in fanfic lol. 150-200 pages each, they’re short and simple but add a lot to obi-wan’s story as a padawan. most consider these canon.

youtini.com is a great source for both canon + legends, as well as r/starwarsbooks (except for their obsession with thrawn [puke])

btw you can get a lot of books on thriftbooks for FB marketplace for v cheap.

they are so many star wars books so if you’re looking for a particular character/era/story, let me know!!

#asks #this wouldnt have taken so long but the 'n' key on my keyboard is broken so i had to paste them all in #but maybe that's a good thing bc it would have been even longer

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fanthatracks · 1 year

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Yoda: Dark Rendezvous As the Clone Wars rage, Jedi Master Yoda must once again face one of his greatest adversaries: Count Dooku.... The savage Clone Wars have forced the Republic to the edge of collapse. During the height of the battle, one Jedi Knight escapes the carnage to deliver a message to Yoda on Coruscant. It appears that Dooku wants peace and demands a rendezvous. Chances are slim that the treacherous Count is sincere but, with a million lives at stake, Yoda has no choice. The meeting will take place on Djun, a planet steeped in evil. The challenge could not be more difficult. Can Yoda win back his once promising pupil from the dark side or will Count Dooku unleash his sinister forces against his former mentor? Either way, Yoda is sure of one thing: this battle will be one of the fiercest he’ll ever face. Author: Sean Stewart Cover artist: Andrea C. White Release date: May 23, 2023 Pages: 320 ISBN: 9780593599488 What’s it’s about? Count Dooku faces a period of uncertainty as he questions the choices he has made in his life, the decision to join with Darth Sidious and his role as his apprentice. So while the Clone Wars continue to blaze throughout the galaxy he contacts his former master, Yoda. But is it a trap or is Darth Tyranus genuinely having doubts Yoda accepts Dooku’s invitation, but is reluctant to inform the council of his meeting and so he invents a cover story for his absence from the Jedi Temple. Taking with him two Padawans, Scout and Whie, he leaves and embarks upon his journey. But do Whie’s visions of himself and Scout in the custody of Asajj Ventress mean Yoda’s mission will end in tragedy. Should I read this book? In a short space of time Dark Rendezvous has come to be regarded as one of the very best Star Wars novels released, with the feel of the film series and accurate depictions of the main characters. Along with a strong plot and interesting new characters, this instalment of the Clone Wars is among the very best. Sean Stewart writes a great Yoda that mixes both the solemnity of the prequel Yoda with the impish humour of the original trilogy. It is never forgotten that this character is 800 years old, and so all aspects of his characters are touched upon, the humour, gravitas and the wisdom. And it all makes Yoda a character you would like to see a lot more of. As well as Yoda, Dooku is written impeccably, showing the doubt and uncertainty of his path to the dark side. Secreted in an ancient castle, Dooku ponders on his choices and at times gives the reader serious doubts as to his devotion to evil. Expertly written, this adds great depth to the story. What did you like? Of the new characters Scout and Whie are the most intriguing. Scout is an underachiever in all things combat, and as such makes you root for her even more, especially when she figures out clever ways of hiding her deficiencies. Scout is far more powerful, with a mysterious history that comes to him in visions that include dreams about his parents and his death at the hands of a Jedi Knight (Anakin most likely, in Revenge of the Sith). Asajj Ventress is shown in vivid detail, highlighting her dedication to the Sith cause and her unique skills. The novel as a whole links in with the movie mythology in a smart way, showing Ben learning of Anakin’s relationship with a woman (but not knowing precisely who), Yoda’s conversation with a spirit Qui-Gon and the decimation of the Jedi order, leaving many Padawans without masters. What did you not like? Nothing glaring, all in all a very satisfying read released during a time when Del Rey and Dark Horse were absolutely smashing it with content and adventures set during the time of the Clone Wars. What’s next? All in all Dark Rendezvous is an excellent novel that tied in and filled in many gaps of knowledge concerning the Clone Wars. At the time it was the final official chapter of the Clone Wars novels, and as such made for a heavyweight ending to an engrossing three-year campaign.

#BookReview

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morannon · 2 years

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Who’s your mama?: The parentage of Maul, Feral and Savage Opress

I initially posted this on my old main blog, but given that that I have since moved here and Disney has not changed its tune of using deeply meaningful characters in awful ways to make an easy buck, I feel like posting an updated version of it here.

So there I was, contemplating a possible continuity conflict on my part, when I found one elsewhere. As I wrote in a post having to do with Maul’s adolescence, I had not yet seen The Clone Wars at the time of writing it, something that I have since corrected. But in any case, from all of the information available to me at the time, I was able to discern no more than two alternate versions of the matter of Maul’s birth and parentage. That is until An Unwilling Apprentice came out. But as I’ve already written here, this is a work I reject in its entirety. It’s again contradicting pretty much every prior source and undoing some of what is already established, including in Disney’s own canon.

The source to give the most detailed account of it is the 2012 book Darth Plagueis, that now belongs under the Star Wars Legends brand. It reveals that Maul was born to Kycina, a human witch in Talzin’s clan, and to a father that was a Dathomirian Nightbrother. It also details Maul being one of two twin boys. It’s also said that Savage is Kycina’s eldest son so this would make Feral Maul’s twin. The Wrath of Darth Maul doesn’t mention Kycina, but it does feature Talzin, with no implication whatsoever that she is his mother.

And then there is the version presented in the 2014 comic, Darth Maul: Son of Dathomir (especially issue #3) which as of right now belongs to Disney’s version of the canon that was established with the acquisition. This comic implies that Maul is Talzin’s son, with no mention of any Kycina whatsoever.

Prior to watching The Clone Wars I thought that was that. BUT. There is an interesting conflict of canonical information here, stemming from the fact that TCW was included into the Disney-era canon. So where does the conflict lie, you ask?

Talzin, Savage and Feral first appear in season 3 of The Clone Wars which aired in 2011 already, that way predating even the publication of the Darth Plagueis book. And the portrayal does more to support the version later presented in said book than to contradict it. A rather clear indicator of the original intention, I’d say. (+ Lucas himself was Executive Producer of the series.)

To be more specific, in season 3 of TCW, after the assumed death of Asajj Ventress, Dooku is in need of a new apprentice. Talzin contacts him with a well-timed suggestion to pick the new one from the same lineage as Sidious’ notorious former apprentice Maul. Establishing that all three men - Maul, Savage and Feral are brothers. But not once is there any implication that any of the three are related to her. Not in season 3 or later on. And perhaps more importantly, as Asajj arrives back from the Nightbrothers’ village with Savage, Talzin and Savage’s reactions to each other would confirm that they’re not familiar with the other. But not just that.

“This one is strong!” Talzin muses, as she lets her hand travel around his torso, fondling his pecs, shoulders, neck and jawline. Exclaiming “the perfect male specimen!” as she’s finally done with the hands-on tour of his body. The sexual undertone of her attention is a little too out there to go undetected. I’m sure that Dathomirians may have some unusual customs, but I doubt that either Disney or Lucasfilm would want to imply that incestuous tendencies is one of them.

Then there is the fact that after Savage’s enhancement by the Nightsister magick, the final step of the test to see if he’s a worthy mate for Ventress, is to kill his brother Feral in front of Asajj and Talzin. Surely, not something a mother would permit for the sake of matchmaking one of her sons? Even with the Dathomirian males mainly fulfilling the roles of fighters/breeders for the Nighsisters, this would have been too great a sacrifice.

That still leaves an assortment of other things. First, it is only in #3 of The Son of Dathomir comic where Talzin refers to Maul as her “flesh and blood”. Him calling her “mother” alone would not confirm the link, because in TCW Talzin is called Mother also by all the Nighsisters, all Nightbrothers, Asajj and even Obi-Wan. Secondly, TCW reveals that Talzin also knew all along where Maul was (Lotho Minor), something that is consistent with The Wrath of Darth Maul, for example. And if he really was her precious son, why not save him sooner? Why not attempt to save him from Palpatine who had crossed her… or even later, before Maul had spent something like 10 years, wandering around, going mad on that literal dumpster fire of a planet.

Therefore… there is ample room to argue that the case of Maul’s parentage, and by extension that of Savage and Feral, is not at all closed. And if it’s not obvious enough, the motivation for this post was also linked to my pursuit of that possibility. While both versions have their own implications, I prefer the original version by far. There is tragedy in both, but only one has any consistency and integrity to it as a part of Maul’s backstory.

#Maul #Darth Maul #Savage Opress #Feral #Mother Talzin #i hate using the Darth tag #but i fear that's the only one some people follow...

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sithsdoinshit · 3 years

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So what would the siths be famous for? (Like if they had YouTube channels, made music, were on shows, comedians, etc... in a sense that these platforms exist in the universe you made)

Sorry if this has been asked before!! I really enjoy your blog, it is a huge comfort for me!

Aww, I’m glad my blog is a comfort for you!! 🤗 I’ve done similar-ish asks, but nothing particular to this I believe! Some entries are inspired by what their actors have done in real life.. 👀

vader: has a TV show where he builds intentionally-dumb/ridiculous machines or demonstrates basic robotics concepts for general audiences. dad jokes abound.

sidious: plagues bookstores with his novels on Sith philosophy, political commentary, and several “Senate Pin-up Calendars” (which are known only in the black market)

maul: a Twitch streamer that mainly keeps to himself, but has made several appearances in others’ videos. he has a soft spot for tabletop and sharing videos of his cat.

savage: a wrestler and Nightbrother rights activist. a voice for his people by day, WWE LEGEND BY NIGHT

asajj: indie singer and owner of an etsy shop for all things witch-y. has an instagram for her goth fashion that has many many followers.

dooku: also a musician, for sure, though of a very different type. classically trained in opera and piano. if your ensemble features sir dooku as a guest, it is sure to be a marvelous night.

kylo: definitely a grunge/emo singer who teams up with asajj sometimes. mostly known through that but also dabbles in acting when he has the time.

nihilus: makes mukbang videos forms a famous magician trio with sion and visas. all of them are also spokespeople for disabled communities (chronic pain, blindness, ASL speaker)

grievous: (inspired by this) runs a YT channel where he unboxes/talks about unique weapons, especially recovered artifacts from Kalee.

inquisitor: a book Youtuber with his own ASMR podcast as well (y’all have heard his voice, right?). he has merch that, of course, has plenty catered to pau’an tastes and fit.

lana: seeing as she canonically writes poetry, she’d definitely be a writer! poetry would be her main focus, but she’d probably branch out to essays and such.

#benadrylgelll #ask #:)#sith #vader #sidious #darth maul #savage opress #asajj ventress #dooku #kylo #darth nihilus #darth sion #visas marr #(both mentioned)#general grievous #grand inquisitor #lana beniko

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jewishcissiekj · 2 months

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Since Asajj Ventress appeared in recent media and is set to appear in future shows and Star Wars content, I've seen a lot of people starting to read Dark Disciple. but besides that book, there are so many stories featuring Asajj over her 22 years of existence. So if you are looking for some recommendations and entry points to Asajj outside of the TV shows, here are some recommendations to get to know her a bit better, in both the Canon and Legends timelines:

(for anyone looking for a definitive list of everything she's ever been in, I also have that)

for anyone looking for just the list of recommendations without all my babbling, scroll down to the bottom, it'll be there.

Canon

Dooku: Jedi Lost Audiodrama - Script by Cavan Scott, preformed by full cast (also available in Script format) Starting off, this masterpiece. Telling the dual story of Asajj and Dooku, Jedi Lost is genuinely some of the best Star Wars content out there, in my opinion. Taking place early in The Clone Wars, it tells Asajj's journey battling her ghosts and uncovering her Master's history. It requires only the context of the prequels and The Clone Wars, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who likes the Prequels, Dooku, or Asajj.

Brotherhood - by Mike Chen Continuing with the book that serves as an introduction to Asajj in canon (chronologically), Brotherhood presents an interesting take on her first meetings with Anakin and Obi-Wan. She's far from the main character here, only supporting the book's plot as the villain and the initiator behind some of the troubles Obi-Wan faces on Cato Neimodia. This Asajj is more calculated, working behind the scenes while still facing off face to face against Obi-Wan and Anakin, and it uniquely handles her character. The book is a Clone Wars adventure taking place before and it requires only the movies' and TCW's context, once again. *While technically taking place after Hyperspace Stories #5, it contradicts that issue's events and makes more sense if it takes place before, so I listed it first (for more info on the contradictions you can go here)*

Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories #5 - Written by Amanda Deibert, with art by Riccardo Faccini (Variant cover by Cary Nord) Taking place shortly after Anakin's knighting, before The Clone Wars show, this is a short and interesting comic story for Asajj. While tying into an over-arching plot of the series, this issue stands alone well. Simply put, Asajj is sent to retrieve a mysterious item by Count Dooku and encounters Anakin and Obi-Wan in the process. It has fun art, fun dynamics, and it's really good.

Worthless - a short story from Stories of Jedi and Sith - written by Delilah S. Dawson with an illustration by Jake Bartok This one is not as set on the timeline, but we do know it takes place while Asajj is still working for Dooku. In short, without too many spoilers, Asajj falls into a pit and has to trust on a Clone Trooper's help to get out. The story is a part of an anthology, but it completely stand-alone on its own. If you can read it on its own, I recommend it, but the rest of the book is also very much worth it if you want to buy it for the story. Dawson captures a version of Asajj that rarely gets attention, before the Nightsisters, and manages to show her identity and tell a wonderful story without that tool that's often overly used (in my opinion).

Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader's Castle #3 - Written by Cavan Scott with art by Francesco Francavilla & Nick Brokenshire Jumping forward in the Timeline, we have another Asajj story by Cavan Scott! It has Bounty Hunting, A baby Sarlacc, pretty art, fun coloring, and Asajj. So what's not to love? Like Hyperspace Stories, Return to Vader's Castle also has an over-arching plot, but that's 4 framing pages of Vaneé being a bitch and has no effect on the rest of it. Solid stuff. (it is also the source of the first picture in this post)

Sisters - a short comic story from the Age of Republic Special - written by Jody Houser with art by Carlos Gómez Next, we have a wonderful short story taking place just before The Clone Wars episode "To Catch a Jedi". In just a few pages, Jody Houser brings conflict and personality to Asajj's time on Coruscant. And there's gorgeous art.

Legends

While Legends, and especially the comics, have some of my favorite stories with Asajj, it's hard to recommend individual issues. They can be stand-alone but still connected and ingrained in the ongoing story of the comics. But I tried to hand-pick the best for introduction and knowledge of who Asajj is a character there. So I won't recommend the 12 issues she's in, I set myself the limit of sticking with the same number of recommendations I had for canon.

Star Wars: Republic: The New Face of War - 2-issue Comic arc - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello Although I'm assuming you all have at least a passing familiarity with Asajj's character, introductions are still important. And, yes, Asajj first appeared in a different comic and after a month or so in Clone Wars (2003), but chronologically, in-universe, this is her first appearance. The Face of War is comprised of issues #51 and #52 of the Star Wars: Republic comic series, and although Asajj is only in the last page of #51, it's necessary context. This one isn't a must for me, but it sets the ground for her. And it's good. Giorello's art brings a unique perspective to Asajj's character, and by that I mean it may not be to some people's taste. So take your pick with this one.

Star Wars: Republic #53 - written by W. Haden Blackman, with art by Brian Ching If the last one isn't a must, this one is. It is a stand-alone adventure, almost feeling like a (better) TCW episode. Obi-Wan is off to infiltrate a Techno Union base with a team of all-star legendary Jedi that are introduced, and everything goes wrong when they run into the Confederacy's best, Durge and Asajj Ventress. I say it's a must because it establishes the nature of the rivalry between Obi-Wan and Asajj, and gives us such a sense of who those people are. It also lays the foundations to my next comic recommendation.

Dark Heart - short story by August and Cynthia Hahn This one, a 1784-word story, originally published on Wizards.com as a part of The Living Force roleplaying campaign, is definitely not a must, but it's barely 2k words, just read it. In all seriousness though, it captures Asajj's essence and I just. love it. You can read it right now, that's the link in the name, it's up online for free legally. While it is a part of the RPG campaign, I read it individually and had no trouble at all.

The Cestus Deception - by Steven Barnes (The Japanese cover is prettier and has Asajj, ok?) Obi-Wan Kenobi and Kit Fisto head to the planet Ord Cestus to try and convince Ord Cestus's government to ally with The Republic. But under the surface, a mysterious scheme had developed and it gets messy. Never ask me to write a publisher's summary. Asajj is the villain of this one, and I don't have much to say about it, but it is good. Fair warning: it hasn't aged the best in my opinion, and not even in a politically correct sense, some of the descriptions and relationships were questionable at best. If you like Kit Fisto and political adventuring and Clone Wars fights and a mascarade ball, if I remember correctly, this one's for you. It's not much of a story for Asajj but it is a fun read.

Star Wars: Republic #60 - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello I have never ever not once said it but this right here is my favorite Asajj story of all time ever. It does require context, though, so here's it: after the battle of Jabiim, Alpha-17 (Legends Arc Trooper, you may have heard of him) and Obi-Wan (a staple in Asajj's stories, he needs to gtfo women's business) are blown up and declared dead. Turns out Asajj Ventress has been holding them in her castle on the planet Rattatak and this is the daring story of their escape. In this issue, Asajj's origin story is revealed, before the Nightsisters had anything to do with her. More than any other Legends issue, it differentiates greatly from anything you know about Asajj in TCW/Canon. She's a warlord, with armies at her beck and call, a military commander, And it's fun. Her origin story is told in this issue, and it's such a great story that shifted my understanding of her a lot. The art, once again, is by Giorello, keep it in mind.

Yoda: Dark Rendezvous - by Sean Stewart (Japanese cover, once again) Last but certainly not least, the Legends Clone Wars book I've heard the most positive reviews of, and was not disappointed in the slightest. It is as good as they say. The story doesn't focus on Asajj, and she isn't even the main antagonist, but she gets a meaningful role in it and has her place and her arc in the story. It's also my favorite approach to how Asajj would act when she has to deal with children. Worth the hype and an excellent book to read unrelated to Asajj.

Alright, that's all! I hope you check out at least one of these, they're all great. As said before, I also have a complete list of everything Asajj in chronological order. Feel free to ask me anything about the list and the things in it. I can also give a complete comic reading list for her, since it's a bit more than just the issues she appeared in. For anyone struggling with the accessibility of these recommendations, I have a hopefully comprehensive guide in the complete appearances post. And now just this list because I promised that:

Canon 1) Dooku: Jedi Lost Audiodrama - Script by Cavan Scott, preformed by full cast (also available in Script format) 2) Brotherhood - by Mike Chen 3) Star Wars: Hyperspace Stories #5 - Written by Amanda Deibert, with art by Riccardo Faccini (Variant cover by Cary Nord) 4) Worthless - a short story from Stories of Jedi and Sith - written by Delilah S. Dawson with an illustration by Jake Bartok 5) Star Wars Adventures: Return to Vader's Castle #3 - Written by Cavan Scott with art by Francesco Francavilla & Nick Brokenshire 6) Sisters - a short comic story from the Age of Republic Special - written by Jody Houser with art by Carlos Gómez

Legends 1) Star Wars: Republic: The New Face of War - 2-issue Comic arc (Star Wars: Republic #51-52) - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello 2) Star Wars: Republic #53 - written by W. Haden Blackman, with art by Brian Ching 3) Dark Heart - short story by August and Cynthia Hahn 4) The Cestus Deception - by Steven Barnes 5) Star Wars: Republic #60 - written by W. Haden Blackman with art by Tomás Giorello 6) Yoda: Dark Rendezvous - by Sean Stewart

tag list: @thechaoticfanartist @charmwasjess @metalatl @redsandspirit @slutshartsstuff @housepartyfortwo @karma-malfoy @thelivingforce

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gffa · 3 years

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So I’ve been wanting to get into reading Star Wars books and have no effing idea where to start. Basically I’ve read the novelizations of a couple of movies, Jedi Apprentice everything and Rogue Planet because of my obsession with Obi-Wan back in the prequel era... and that’s it. Oh, and a few comics set in the Rebellion era.

Do you have any recommendations on where to start or just some good reads to start with? The obi-wan obsession is still alive and well if that’s a factor... anyway, thank you!

I’m going to include both canon and Legends in this list, because if you want more than, like, two recs for Obi-Wan stories, you’re pretty much going to have to dig into Legends, too. Plus, they’re genuinely good stories and that continuity has a lot of value and great stuff! - Revenge of the Sith novelization by Matthew Stover, which I assume you’ve read already but just in case you haven’t! The characterization for Anakin is really the selling point for this novelization + Stover knows how to deliver a killer line or twenty, it knows how to really pack a punch to the feelings and make that movie an even better experience. - Wild Space by Karen Miller has a lot of issues with the structure of it, it feels like two books stitched together, it doesn’t earn its ending, it prioritizes whump over staying true to the canon, it doesn’t really quite get the Jedi, but MAN is that book quotable as all hell and so dramatic and an absolute scream of a read, so it’s still one of my favorites to this day. Miller’s work tends to be very iddy, but if you like that stuff, it’ll be stellar. - From a Certain Point of View: A New Hope by various authors. The first anthology was absolutely stellar for the three prequels characters stories, the Yoda pov, the Obi-Wan pov, and the Qui-Gon pov are all must reads. The Motti story is also the funniest thing I have read in my life. (I, uh, to put it mildly do not recommend the second/ESB anthology.) - Dooku: Jedi Lost by Cavan Scott is an audiodrama and it’s a lot of fun and gives us a nice sketch of what the Jedi Temple was like, what Dooku’s time as a Padawan was like, and a really good look at Asajj Ventress’ character as she tries to uncover Dooku’s past. - Choose Your Destiny: An Obi-Wan & Anakin Adventure by Cavan Scott is very much a young readers book but I loved both characters here and there were some really hilarious moments in it. It’s just fun to read. - Force Collector by Kevin Shinick is set in the sequels era and it doesn’t deal with the prequels characters much directly, but it is a lovely look at a Force-sensitive young man trying to figure out what the Force is telling him and to rediscover the actual truth about what happened to the Jedi Order, not what the galaxy says happens. A lot of cool worldbuilding here that I loved! - Dark Rendezvous by Sean Stewart is probably the best book for the Jedi, as well as for Yoda and Dooku feelings, but all the Jedi get really good moments in this one, definitely read this! - Shatterpoint by Matthew Stover is focused on Mace, but again he brings his A-game to Star Wars and it’s an excellent read overall. - I haven’t finished either Labyrinth of Evil or The Rise of Darth Vader by James Luceno, but I’ve liked everything else I’ve read of his and I’ve heard good about these ones! - I’ve heard good about The Cestus Deception by Steven Barnes, though, I haven’t read it myself yet. - Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston has a bit of Obi-Wan and Anakin it, a couple of short scenes from Obi-Wan’s povs (like a single page short) and mostly Ahsoka occasionally thinking of them, but I enjoyed this book a lot for the look at Ahsoka’s character. - I have greatly enjoyed both Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule (definitely read this one first) and A Test of Courage by Justina Ireland, which are about the Jedi Order set about 200 years before the prequels and they’re set in a golden age where the Jedi are shown to be much more revered by the galaxy, there’s a lot more good faith going around, and yet you can see exactly how the cracks in it all are first appearing. Lots of really good worldbuilding and fun action and Jedi stuff! If you’re looking to expand beyond the prequels or looking for some comics/etc. recs, I have a handful of posts that may help you out here, here, here, here, and here..

#novels #fic recs #not really but that's my tag!#bewilderebeest

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charmwasjess · 3 months

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25 for Sifo, please 😁

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

Oh Ingata, you've unknowingly asked me to present my thesis on my favorite topic and I love you for it. (Okay, this could have been a two sentence answer, but it's me.) So I wrote you an essay on Sifo-Dyas, but I'm putting it below a cut to save everyone from my rambles on Sifo in the old EU and the greater meaning of his doom-ass storyline.

Apparently, I once casually mused to readalong back in the day (exactly how long ago? No need to worry about that!) that Sifo-Dyas must have been a pretty nice guy, what with him putting up with Dooku all those years. Oh sweet summer child. If only I knew then how long I would spend thinking about this idiot and their dynamic.

Back then, he was on my mind simply because of Dooku. In Luceno’s Labyrinth of Evil, Yoda takes some time to describe in length Dooku and Sifo-Dyas’s close friendship, “bound by the unifying Force,” and speculates what Sifo-Dyas knew about the lead-up to Dooku’s fall. That he was desperately worried about Dooku, that he thought Qui-Gon’s death was a breaking point for him, that Dooku might have been actively hunting down his killer's Master to fuck shit up, and this was about to be A Big Problem for Everyone.

All of this was very interesting, especially back then, when Dooku was not a popular character and depictions of him having meaningful, positive connections in the Jedi Order were few and far between. I want to be careful here, because I’m not calling the EU/Legends bad - Dark Rendezvous has some of the most beautiful Dooku character work I’ve ever read. But compare, say, Jude Watson’s Qui-Gon in Legends Legacy of the Jedi outright calling Dooku “too cold to love,” as a Master, versus examples from new canon, where Dooku repeatedly and effusively praises his Padawans, casts their relationship as mutually loving, and even offers to get drunk and cry it out over Rael’s dead Padawan. Those present really different pictures. So Sifo-Dyas stood out to me right off the bat as unusual for being close with Dooku: a meaningful connection for a character who, at that point, didn't have meaningful connections.

As for my impressions now, I think I have a soft spot in general for characters who seem to exist simply to die in a tragic, unescapable way, sacrificed to the narrative or for other character’s growth. In a way, Sifo-Dyas’s story is still certainly both of those.

But he’s so much more. He walks into Dooku: Jedi Lost as this vivid, funny, weird, fearless, chaotic good goofball of a character. Sith Dooku is breathlessly, affectionately describing him to Asajj Ventress (of all people) within the first few seconds of his own life story. That's crazy?! "I was born, I went to the Temple, oh, I MET THIS INCREDIBLE PERSON." Sifo-Dyas's first scene in the damn book is to make a silly little song about Dooku’s name and then telling him to "tell it to your face"?! And we’re not supposed to love him?!

I could go on. But here’s the heart of it for me with the character. The penultimate scene in Dooku: Jedi Lost, comes when he and Dooku are estranged, having been for years over what seems implied as a breakdown over an escalating series of visions that cast Dooku at the center of a world-shattering conflict. Yet, when Dooku comes to Sifo-Dyas for help, one last desperate get-the-gang-back-together, he won’t deny him. When Dooku suggests what Sifo-Dyas literally describes as “insane, the worst plan I’ve ever heard” (I’m quoting directly here), his answer is, again, directly quoting: “I’m in.” He never stopped saying that to Dooku. For all their ultimate ruin, it's sort of beautiful.

That’s the impression that stands out the most strongly - not tragic doom or narrative foil - but the aspects of bravery and loyalty to the character. Someone who would have spent his whole life having visions about someone ending the world, and still show up for that person, and later, still come to them with their own problems. It seems very, very likely - he outright says it during a vision in the cursed book – that he knows Dooku is the person who will make all the futures converge into the one terrible timeline. But EVEN THEN, Sifo-Dyas would rather bring hundreds of thousands of lives into existence than take out Dooku. And whether you read that as friendship or something more, at the end of the day, it’s love.

#Of course this is all based on my reading of the supplemental canon and others might have different readings #And I’m not arguing that the clones were a great idea either #But it’s like Sifo-Dyas got told you have to go back in time and kill Hilter but guess what Hilter is your best friend #and he’s like no I’ll do some batshit crazy third thing because I’m the embodiment of living chaos #sifo dyas #star wars meta #dooku jedi lost

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perfectlywisedelusions · 3 years

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Things that should show up in upcoming Star Wars shows: A compilation list.

Feel free to add.

-The Asajj Ventress/Quinlan Vos arc

-The Darth Maul Son of Dathomir arc (here's an audio comic version if you want to read/listen)

-The scrapped Boba Fett killing Cad Bane and taking over the bounty hunter world arc

-What happened to Mandalore

-What happened to Korkie Kryze

-The Jedi invasion of Sith temples

-What happened to different crime syndicates with the Empire and First Order

-Anything Eldra Kaitis

-Training of young Sidious/Palpatine

-Ahsoka v Thrawn

-Admiral Trench’s military history

-The First Order’s rise to power

-Phasma’s entire backstory (I read the book and let’s just say it’s pretty savage)

-Stories of other rebel stormtroopers

-A collection of Grogu’s exploits training with Luke

-An entire show just devoted to the Sith (ie, Count Dooku, Ventress, Maul, and the old Sith of legend as well)

-The entire Darth Maul set of comics (because they’re great) Also here's the link to an amazing audio comic version so you don’t have to buy it :)

-Hondo Ohnaka’s exploits

-Stories of Princess Leia before A New Hope, when she’s trying to stop the Empire peacefully from Alderaan

-Luke’s training in between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi (I mean, he got more training, right?)

-A story about a powerful Force wielder who isn’t descended from someone powerful and is just a random kid

-Maz Kanata stories

-Stories of random Rebel Alliance sects on different planets fighting the Empire

-Bo Katan trying to free Mandalore (again) and her story

-A set of High Republic Jedi stories, each episode centered around different Jedi (Luminara, Kit Fisto, Ki Adi-Mundi, Aayla Secura, the list goes on)

-Barriss Offee and her decision to bomb the Jedi Temple and blame Ahsoka for it

-Tera Sinube, the guy who helped Ahsoka find her lightsaber, and the Jedi librarian

-What happened to the clones after Order 66 (did they feel remorse, etc.)

#star wars #star wars shows #ahsoka #ahsoka tano #star wars characters #star wars theories #all of these and more but especially the grogu one i mean come on #add on please there's so many

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jedi-order-apologist · 4 years

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I finished reading Yoda: Dark Rendezvous, and I have to say, I really, really loved it! Everyone who recommended it to me was 100% right - this book is great, and especially great in its representation of the Jedi. I think I like it even more than Shatterpoint, and I really liked Shatterpoint.

There are some weak points - it was a little slow to pull me in, and there’s a couple of Weird Legends Things™ that, with me not being particularly immersed in that continuity, don’t quite fit in with my conception of Star Wars (Dooku apparently having had a Master that was not Yoda; the infamous 13-year-old age limit (though I was at least familiar with that one), the Jedi being so far in the public eye that there exists a famous Yoda impersonator, etc), and I was a little iffy on how it handled the “Jedi shouldn’t be in the war” angle (I’m fine with there being Jedi who think that the Jedi shouldn’t be in the war. I’m less fine with an author deciding that other Jedi can’t find the words to defend their involvement, because that’s a cheap way of framing the argument), and a small moment of the “everyone falls in love” stuff I dislike.

But those were very small aspects of the book, all things considered, and pretty much everything else about this book is really, really good, and very Star Warsy - a very healthy mix of the wacky as well as the philosophical sides of the franchise, which suited my tastes really well. This book is fun - Yoda is the grumpy grandpa that he deserves to be, and spends a good portion of the book disguised as an astromech that gets into all sorts of trouble. Obi-Wan and Anakin have peak sibling energy in the handful of scenes that they show up in - Anakin at one point insisting that a woman would have to be desperate to want Obi-Wan, and only a younger sibling could possibly say something like that with a straight face to a man as attractive as Obi-Wan, as well as Obi-Wan lying to Mace Windu’s face to cover for Anakin and then immediately grumbling about it to Anakin that he doesn’t know why he does these things for him is such an older sibling thing to do.

Where this book really shines, though, is the serious stuff - the philosophy and the dark side and especially grief. What absolutely sold me on this story, and what made me sit up and go “this is going to be one of my favorite Star Wars books”, was the part where Yoda speaks to the padawans and helps them address and work through their grief. It was phenomenal, and beautiful, and absolutely everything I want out of depicting the Jedi - especially in the context that only a chapter earlier, Ventress had been hurling those standard accusations of “the Jedi don’t let you feel”, and this book wonderfully, completely demolishes that nonsense. This section is absolutely amazing:

Yoda set his bowl of gumbo regretfully aside. “Hear it working, do you?”

“Hear what?” Whie snapped.

“The dark side. Always it speaks to us, from our pain. Our grief. It connects our pain to all pain, our hurt to all hurt.”

“Maybe it has a lot to say.” Whie stared at the starscape hovering over the projector table. “It’s so easy for you. What do you care? You are unattached, aren’t you? You’ll probably never die. What was Maks Leem to you? Another pupil. After all these centuries, who could blame you if you could hardly keep track of them? Well, she was more than that to me.” He looked up challengingly. Tear tracks were shining on his face, but his eyes were still hard and angry. “She was the closest thing I had to a mother, since you took me away from my real mother. She chose me to be her Padawan and I let her down, I let her die, and I’m not going to sit here and stuff myself and get over it!” He finished with a yell, sweeping the plate of crêpes off the projection table, so the platter went sailing toward the floor.

Yoda’s eyes, heavy-lidded and half closed like a drowsing dragon’s, gleamed, and one finger twitched. Food, platter, drinks, and all hung suspended in the air. The platter settled; the crêpes returned to it; Whie’s overturned cup righted itself, and rich purple liquid trickled back into it. All settled back onto the table.

Another twitch of Yoda’s fingers, the merest flicker, and Whie’s head jerked around as if on a string, until he found himself looking into the old Jedi’s eyes. They were green, green as swamp water. He had never quite realized before how terrifying those eyes could be. One could drown in them. One could be pulled under.

“Teach me about pain, think you can?” Yoda said softly. “Think the old Master cannot care, mmm? Forgotten who I am, have you? Old am I, yes. Mm. Loved more than you, have I, Padawan. Lost more. Hated more. Killed more.” The green eyes narrowed to gleaming slits under heavy lids. Dragon eyes, old and terrible. “Think wisdom comes at no cost? The dark side, yes - it is easier for them. The pain grows too great, and they eat the darkness to flee from it. Not Yoda. Yoda loves and suffers for it, loves and suffers.”

One could have heard a feather hit the floor.

“The price of Yoda’s wisdom, high it is, very high, and the cost goes on forever. But teach me about pain, will you?”

“I...” Whie’s mouth worked. “I am sorry, Master. I was angry. But...what if they’re right?” he cried out in anguish. “What if the galaxy is dark. What if it’s like Ventress says: we are born, we suffer, we die, and that is all. What if there is no plan, what if there is no ‘goodness’? What if we suffer blindly, trying to find a reason for the suffering, but we’re just fooling ourselves, looking for hope that isn’t there? What if there is nothing but stars and the black space between them and the galaxy does not care if we live or die?”

Yoda said, “It’s true.”

The Padawans looked at him in shock.

The Master’s short legs swung forth and back, forth and back. “Perhaps,” he added. He sighed. “Many days, feel certain of a greater hope, I do. Some days, not so.” He shrugged. “What difference does it make?”

“Ventress was right?” Whie said, shocked out of his anger.

“No! Wrong she is! As wrong as she can be!” Yoda snorted. “Grief in the galaxy, is there? Oh, yes. Oceans of it. Worlds. And darkness?” Yoda pointed to the starscape on the projection table. “There you see: darkness, darkness everywhere, and a few stars. A few points of light. If no plan there is, no fate, no destiny, no providence, no Force: then what is left?” He looked at each of them in turn. “Nothing but our choices, hmm?”

“Asajj eats the darkness, and the darkness eats her back. Do that if you wish, Whie. Do that if you wish.” The old Jedi looked deep into the starscape, suns and planets and nebulae dancing, tiny points of light blazing in the darkness. “To be Jedi is to face the truth, and choose. Give off light, or darkness, Padawan.” His matted eyebrows rose high over his swamp-colored eyes, and he poked Whie with the end of his stick. Poke, poke. “Be a candle, or the night, Padawan: but choose!”

Whie cried for what seemed like a long time. Scout ate. Fidelis served. Master Yoda told stories of Maks Leem and Jai Maruk: tales of their most exciting adventures, of course, but also comical anecdotes from the days when they were only children in the Temple. They drank together, many toasts.

Scout cried. Whie ate. Fidelis served.

Yoda told stories, and ate, and cried, and laughed: and the Padawans saw that life itself was a lightsaber in his hands; even in the face of treachery and death and hopes gone cold, he burned like a candle in the darkness. Like a star shining in the black eternity of space.

I want to show this passage to every hot-take Yoda-critical fan who’s ever leveled that kind of nonsense at him. I want every one of them to read this and still try to tell me that Yoda is detached and uncaring of the galaxy around him. I want every fan who thinks the Jedi are expected to be unfeeling to read this and understand what the Jedi actually say and do and why giving into these feelings is the issue, not the feelings themselves.

The confrontation with Dooku is also amazing. Yoda challenges him to explain why the dark side is so great, and Dooku only gets more and more frustrated as Yoda is unswayed by any of what he tempts him with. I especially love this bit where Yoda lays out exactly why what the dark side promises is false:

“Want something else. Want power.”

“Power have I.”

“Want wealth.”

“Wealth I need not.”

“Want to be safe,” Dooku said in frustration. “Want to be free from fear!”

“I will never be safe,” Yoda said. He turned away from Dooku, a shapeless bundle under a battered, acid-eaten cloak. “The universe is large and cold and very dark: that is the truth. What I love, taken from me will be, late or soon: and no power is there, dark or light, that can save me.”

That then leads into a bit where Dooku has a vision of what a dark!Yoda would look like, and realizes how utterly terrifying that would be.

Dooku also has abandonment issues on full display - lashing out at the lady who had given her son up to the Jedi, getting furious at her on the son’s behalf (but so clearly, his own, speaking of his own resentment towards his parents), and throwing an absolute hissy fit because he’s convinced Yoda likes Anakin more than him. I’m not kidding, he’s so offended by Anakin’s entire existence that just his mere presence in his house is enough for Dooku to stop feeling conflicted about the whole thing and jump right back into the dark side.

And there’s just so many good little moments throughout it all on top of all that. Whie’s dreams - and oh, I knew exactly what his dream of his own death was when he described it to Scout and it hurt at the end when he hugged Anakin while saying “I’m so glad you’re not coming to kill me!”. And Ventress, calling Dooku out on the fact that it’s so obvious that Sidious will end up replacing him (also for a more humorous bit - the fact that she apparently has some petty grudge against Anakin and Obi-Wan for stealing her ships so she goes out of her way to steal their ship at the end), and the droids, and Scout’s cleverness in winning the tournament despite her disadvantages, Jai Maruk’s last stand and refusal to fall when he was at the edge, and...so much, really.

And above all else, the book really latches onto the idea of Jedi as family, and you all know how much I really, really love the idea of the Jedi as a big found family. The idea that they consider each other to be family is driven home again and again, in their words and in their actions, and I absolutely adore this book for that emphasis.

#yoda dark rendezvous #yoda #in defense of the jedi #book review #book recommendation #jedi positive #jedi #the jedi order #jedi order #guys i REALLY LOVE THIS BOOK #seriously #i highlighted so many passages in it and I couldn't possibly include them all in this post #there are so many REALLY good conversations #about the dark side #and grief #and so much #on the dark side #on emotion

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