#(also thrawn and padme besties)

[mario-art]

so in "star war: galaxy of heroes" the recommended extended party for vader includes thrawn and, surprisingly (for me at least), wampa. and my first thought was this scenario

#there's also tarkin and some random pilot #tarkin is probably done with their bickering #i think i'll add him to this sketch with wine and in slippers #live tarkin reaction #but overall yeah #i love thrawn and vader dynamic #thrawn and anakin too obv #(also thrawn and padme besties) #the way anakin insisted on calling thrawn his full name but couldn't pronounce it right #my fave fragment ever #so i'm always here for thrawn infuriating vader by being himself #star wars #darth vader #thrawn #art #mario-art

[graaaaceeliz]

Bestiiieeee I'm so happy you're reading Thrawn. I need all your opinions stat!

Okaokaokay

Ar'alani and Thrawn would overthrow the Empire/end the clone wars I know this because if she'd gone with Thrawn and met the anakin-padme mess she'd have clocked on sight the political mess and just pointed Thrawn at the armies boom done h

ALSO! THRAWN WOULD NOTICE PALPS WAS SIDEOUS. I don't know if that comes up in the Thrawn trilogy I don't remember well but ! Canon to me

Thalias is just so cool also I saw a post saying that her weirdnesses about thrawn/being Mithh make her so much deeper and rounder and I totally agree. She's such a good caregiver/momish for Che'ri, too, and I really think she'd balance Ar'alani and Thrawn so perfectly.

Hmmm what else

Karyn's passengers and PASSENGERS bit and all round vader hate make me laugh every time I think about her and that's a lot

I know people be like "Good day Leiutenant Vanto is no way to greet your bestie/friend/whatever" but that's soooo Thrawn to me. Like. Ar'alani is his bestie????? She doesn't understand all his thoughts but she gets him so well that they're so unstoppable. Even Thurfian knows it. Everyone sees it

I've just started Greater Good and when Thrass got mentioned I literally leaned out of my chair and went ??????????!!!!!!!!!! Because I'm excited to meet him I've seen so many references to him

#thrawn

[kenobiapologist]

I was inspired by @gffa​ to put together my own little list of Star Wars novel recommendations because I saw theirs here! I love the formatting too so I tried to emulate it. I’m a fan, can you tell?

When I embarked on the journey of reading novels from the Star Wars universe, it seemed overwhelming. Which books do I read first? Is it better to read things in order? THERE ARE SO MANY BOOKS PLEASE HELP.

After 1.5 years of toiling in the novelization realm, I feel confident enough to compile a list. Not complete by any means. I still have a ton of books to read. But these were some of my favorites out of YA and adult novels. 

My recs include Legends and Disney Canon novels, so I’ll indicate the Legends ones by marking them with a little *. 

Thrawn by Timothy Zahn thrawn & palpatine & many imperial friends 427 pages

Painted as a villain by the tv show Rebels, this novel seeks to offer a different perspective of the intimidating admiral thrawn from his discovery as an outcast of his home planet to his ascension in the Imperial Navy. You will fall in love with Thrawn. And potentially ship him with his buddy Eli.

Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover* anakin & obi-wan & padme & cast 451 pages

Anakin’s fall to the dark side is made even more painful by having access to his inner thoughts and his deep love for his friends and wife. You will cry. This whole novel is written like beautiful prose full of feelings and people dying.

Most Wanted by Rae Carson han & qi’ra & corellian gangs galore 400 pages (YA format)

Han and Qi’ra are kids that grew up on the streets of Corellia, doing errands for their crime lord Lady Proxima just to get a bite to eat. A dangerous mission gives them the chance to compete for a leadership position within the syndicate, but it also gives them a chance to get into a lot more trouble than intended.

The Clone Wars: Wild Space by Karen Miller* obi-wan & bail & anakin & ahsoka & padme 342 pages

Bail gets a mysterious message and Obi-Wan accompanies him on a trip to the Wild Space to investigate. Things quickly get dark-sided and Obi-Wan is forced to become friends with his least favorite kind of person - a politician. A fast-paced, quip-filled adventure with all the drama and humor you could dream of.

Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth & Siege by Karen Miller* anakin & obi-wan & ahsoka & bail organa & padme  395 pages and 382 pages, respectively

Obi-Wan and Anakin go undercover as natives of a backwater planet in the Outer Rim to investigate the Separatists next big plan for devastation: a bioweapon! It’s the perfect evil scheme, and The Team ™ is the only way to stop General Lok Durd from murdering billions. Get ready for awkward spying by two Jedi who definitely ARE NOT TRAINED for this kind of mission, pages of banter, and trying to make friends with the locals.

Leia: Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray leia & bail & breha & many cute senator friends 409 pages (YA format)

Leia is sixteen years old and taking on the Alderaanian tradition of proving her skills in order to be named heir to the throne. She learns survival skills, hones her political prowess, and leads relief missions across the galaxy. What should be the most important time of her young life becomes overshadowed by her parents mysterious meetings and hush-hush work. Leia is stubborn, curious, and totally worthy of being Princess of Alderaan in this riveting tale that opens our eyes to Leia’s home planet and her upbringing in the Organa family.

Battlefront II: Inferno Squad by Christie Golden iden versio & gideon hask & del meeko & imperials galore 307 pages

After the Death Star explodes into bits, the Empire is understandably pissed. They assemble an elite strike force of agents and send them undercover to infiltrate and destroy Saw Gerrara’s freedom fighters. Among them is the daughter of Admiral Garrick Versio, the man responsible for bringing their home world of Vardos into the Empire. Iden Versio has a lot of pressure on her shoulders to live up to the expectations of her Empire, her new team, and her father. She’s already a kickass TIE pilot; now she’s taking things up a notch to protect the Empire. Her mission brings her and her team into close contact with people she is told to hate, and the ethics of what she’s been trained to do start to trouble her.

Rogue Planet by Greg Bear* obi-wan & young anakin & sentient prickle plant life-forms that cling to anakin like a magnet 336 pages

Obi-Wan and Anakin are just starting to get the hang of being on missions together as Master and Padawan. In a test of their bond, the pair is sent to a mysterious planet called Zonama Sekot after a fellow Jedi disappeared. Turns out the planet is alive and the people that live there make some dope ass ships. Obi-Wan and Anakin pretend to want one of these special ships in order to get to the bottom of this mystery. Chaos ensues, as always with these two. Anakin is a magnet for trouble, but also for cuteness because he has such a good heart and wants to do his best. I’d watch an animated show about this.

more details and screaming under the cut!

Thrawn by Timothy Zahn thrawn & palpatine & many imperial friends 427 pages

Painted as a villain by the tv show Rebels, this novel seeks to offer a different perspective of the intimidating admiral thrawn from his discovery as an outcast of his home planet to his ascension in the Imperial Navy. You will fall in love with Thrawn. And potentially ship him with his buddy Eli.

Let me be clear, I put off reading this because of assumptions I made about Thrawn as a character. And the fact that I’d read Tarkin and thought this book would be similar. I could not have been more wrong. You have to read this book. The characters are all loveable, the plot is interesting, and the writing style is by far the best part. As someone else mentioned in a review, you can tell that Timothy Zahn loves Thrawn (he created him after all). Thrawn’s inner dialogue is hilarious and his translator/sidekick Eli is quirky and shy, which is SO CUTE. The insight into the workings of the Empire are given from the pov of an “alien” instead of a human, leading to a unique experience of our favorite evil governing body. None of my favorite characters from the movies were in this book and yet it’s my number one pick, if that says anything about how awesome it is.

Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover* anakin & obi-wan & padme & cast 451 pages

Anakin’s fall to the dark side is made even more painful by having access to his inner thoughts and his deep love for his friends and wife. You will cry. This whole novel is written like beautiful prose full of feelings and people dying.

If you ship anyone from the prequels, I’m pretty sure you’ll love this novel. It’s long, but it’s worth it. The opening scene of Anakin and Obi-Wan in their starfighters will never be the same for me after reading this. The struggles and tensions between characters are strengthened by extra scenes and detailed descriptions. The perfect rendition of the compelling fall of Anakin Skywalker! If you didn’t like the movie because his fall felt too awkward or quick, this novel will change your mind. If you liked the movie because of the bants and great fight scenes, you will not be disappointed. There’s plenty of that too.

Most Wanted by Rae Carson han & qi’ra & corellian gangs galore 400 pages (YA format)

Han and Qi’ra are kids that grew up on the streets of Corellia, doing errands for their crime lord Lady Proxima just to get a bite to eat. A dangerous mission gives them the chance to compete for a leadership position within the syndicate, but it also gives them a chance to get into a lot more trouble than intended.

Get to know Qi’ra and fall in love with Han Solo...again, because he’s got a heart of gold and is stupid as hell. Many shenanigans in this book; a quick read! There are some loveable OCs in this story, and about 100 different moments where you’re like HAN STOP BEING PERFECT. I’m such a han stan after reading this. Wasn’t expecting much from this story but I was overwhelmed by how fun it was. There are awesome world-building details (usually glazed over by YA novels, but not this one). It’s the perfect companion to the Solo movie. A must-read before you see the movie or before you see it again ;)

The Clone Wars: Wild Space by Karen Miller* obi-wan & bail & anakin & ahsoka & padme 342 pages

Bail gets a mysterious message and Obi-Wan accompanies him on a trip to the Wild Space to investigate. Things quickly get dark-sided and Obi-Wan is forced to become friends with his least favorite kind of person - a politician. A fast-paced, quip-filled adventure with all the drama and humor you could dream of.

This book starts out strong with some obikin moments: Anakin alluding to a threesome with padme and obi-wan, obi-wan and anakin sparring with mass sexual tension and anakin’s praise kink, and obi-wan getting his ass kicked (which leads to Anakin sobbing). But obi-wan getting ABSOLUTELY DRAGGED BY THE GALAXY doesn’t end here, because he quickly gets caught up helping his new bestie Bail Organa travel out to the space boonies to investigate some mysterious location. Get ready to rare-pair ship Obi-Wan and Bail because they have some pretty great banter and bond over almost dying. If Obi-Wan getting kicked in the face at least once in every star wars movie is your favorite, you’ll love this book. Karen Miller is the queen of writing emotional scenes and loves the cast of Clone Wars just as much as the rest of us. There is a deep focus on the relationships because the chapters give us real-time stream of consciousness from the characters. It’s the opposite of a James Luceno book, if you know what I mean.

Clone Wars Gambit: Stealth & Siege by Karen Miller* anakin & obi-wan & ahsoka & bail organa & padme  395 pages and 382 pages, respectively

Obi-Wan and Anakin go undercover as natives of a backwater planet in the Outer Rim to investigate the Separatists next big plan for devastation: a bioweapon! It’s the perfect evil scheme, and The Team ™ is the only way to stop General Lok Durd from murdering billions. Get ready for awkward spying by two Jedi who definitely ARE NOT TRAINED for this kind of mission, pages of banter, and trying to make friends with the locals.

Anakin is a total badass in this duology btw, with Obi-Wan coming in a close second for his self-destructive healing and NO SLEEP EVER. If you’re a fan of the The Clone Wars, these books encapsulate the feeling of each episode in novel form. It’s a longer assignment for them, and at points I felt like HOLY SHIT how are they still alive, but it wouldn’t be Anakin and Obi-Wan if they weren’t putting themselves in harm’s way at every turn. I love the force-usage and The Team in disguise. We even get a few moments with our favorite, Bail Organa. Tensions are high, emotions are all over the place, and you’ll remember star wars is a space opera with every turn of the page. It reads like a good fanfic, tbh. You’ll love it.

Leia: Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray leia & bail & breha & many cute senator friends 409 pages (YA format)

Leia is sixteen years old and taking on the Alderaanian tradition of proving her skills in order to be named heir to the throne. She learns survival skills, hones her political prowess, and leads relief missions across the galaxy. What should be the most important time of her young life becomes overshadowed by her parents mysterious meetings and hush-hush work. Leia is stubborn, curious, and totally worthy of being Princess of Alderaan in this riveting tale that opens our eyes to Leia’s home planet and her upbringing in the Organa family.

Leia grows so much over the course of this story, both by completing the challenges associated with her claim to the throne, and by discovering the secrets of the newborn Rebellion spearheaded by her parents. She goes from a teenager with a good head on her shoulders to the incredible Rebellion leader we see in the OT. She meets wonderful friends, a cute boy, and everyone’s least favorite person: Holdo. (But she’s awesome in this story, and I think you’ll enjoy her part in The Last Jedi more if you read this book) There are tense moments with Empire officials, world-building for Alderaan, which makes it even more painful because you know it gets blown to bits. AS IF I NEEDED MORE SADNESS ASSOCIATED WITH BAIL AND BREHA. Fuck I love the unconditional love and support the Organa family has for their adopted daughter. And how Alderaan loves her too??!! It’s a beautiful story and we even see her Force-sensitivity come into play. This novel is a real page-turner with action scenes interspersed in political tension and heartfelt moments; never feels too slow and you’ll want to absorb every detail.

Battlefront II: Inferno Squad by Christie Golden iden versio & gideon hask & del meeko & imperials galore 307 pages

After the Death Star explodes into bits, the Empire is understandably pissed. They assemble an elite strike force of agents and send them undercover to infiltrate and destroy Saw Gerrara’s freedom fighters. Among them is the daughter of Admiral Garrick Versio, the man responsible for bringing their home world of Vardos into the Empire. Iden Versio has a lot of pressure on her shoulders to live up to the expectations of her Empire, her new team, and her father. She’s already a kickass TIE pilot; now she’s taking things up a notch to protect the Empire. Her mission brings her and her team into close contact with people she is told to hate, and the ethics of what she’s been trained to do start to trouble her.

It’s a great novel from the Imperial perspective and not full of flat “evil” characters. Stories that seek to explore the minds of those who served the Empire wholeheartedly bring an entirely new take on a regime that originally looked like “space nazis.” How do people get involved in these things? Why are they complicit? What can be asked of a person before they crack? How far will an Imperial go to prove their loyalty? Iden is powerful and demands respect. Her interactions with the other members of the team are great, and also with the freedom fighters when undercover. The tension in this book is insane! The web of lies, the pressure to shut down the fighters, but also the pressure to blend in with them to avoid being exposed; wow it’s intense. I almost feel like this book was better than the actual Battlefront II story, but hey, I think I’m just a fan of Christie Golden. Her writing is wicked interesting and fun.

Rogue Planet by Greg Bear* obi-wan & young anakin & sentient prickle plant life-forms that cling to anakin like a magnet 336 pages

Obi-Wan and Anakin are just starting to get the hang of being on missions together as Master and Padawan. In a test of their bond, the pair is sent to a mysterious planet called Zonama Sekot after a fellow Jedi disappeared. Turns out the planet is alive and the people that live there make some dope ass ships. Obi-Wan and Anakin pretend to want one of these special ships in order to get to the bottom of this mystery. Chaos ensues, as always with these two. Anakin is a magnet for trouble, but also for cuteness because he has such a good heart and wants to do his best. I’d watch an animated show about this.

Are you sitting there thinking, I wish they’d give us some damn adventures about young Anakin and Obi-Wan? Why did they skip ten whole years worth of comedy gold and chances to show us what Jedi training is really like? Well read this book! It’s adorable; I screamed many times while reading it. One of my favorite themes in the novel is the exploration of Anakin being the Chosen One; he has all of this untamed strength and talent, but how can someone so young shoulder all of that weight? Obi-Wan and Anakin learn a lot about how to work together and you can see how much they care for each other during the mission. It’s really just another reason to love Anakin Skywalker, and who can argue with that? If you like Jedi Apprentice or Jedi Quest stories, you’ll love this. Another interesting side of this book is how to shows the growth of darker powers in the galaxy that build up into the Clone Wars. This is not the same galaxy that Obi-Wan grew up in. And no one has ever had a Padawan like Anakin. 

#star wars novels #novel recs #obi wan #anakin #iden versio #leia #padme #bail #thrawn #qi'ra #han #i'm not used to recs like this #did i do alright? #I hope you've become intrigued by at least one of these recs because these are my favorite books and I'd love to scream about them with you #let me know if you've read any of them #canon #legends