Ahsoka Fan Art

It’s been a while since I poked around for Star Wars fan art, so I thought a few pieces inspired by the Ahsoka series was in order.

This one showing the first duel between Shin and Sabine is colorful and vibrant, giving off the energy of the fight. Fabulous.

I love how this one shows the intense ferocity of Shin. She’s absolutely a beautiful woman, but I like how this one showcases her intimidating skill and not her looks. Not that there’s anything wrong with being beautiful, lol.

When I first saw howlers on the show, they looked pretty scary. But the one Sabine ends up riding turns out to be a very good boi, lol. Apparently, they’re very loyal, as this one refuses to leave Sabine even after she scolds him. She was clearly projecting her feelings toward Ahsoka onto the animal (after it “abandoned” her), but they got on well after that.

I always need to include Uzuri Art pieces in these posts, because she’s just so good. This one of young Ahsoka reminds us again of just how young she was during the Clone Wars; it really hit hard during the live-action show, more so than the animated series.

Here’s another Uzuri Art piece of Baylan Skoll, easily my favorite new character. She imagined him as a general during the Clone Wars.

I love the blues and purples of this one of Ahsoka. There’s an aura of the mystical around Ahsoka, more so than any other Jedi. Some have suggested that she will replace the Daughter; I’m not sure I’m on board with that idea, but we’ll see.

I love fan art, and how Star Wars inspires artists and sparks their imaginations. What do you think of these images? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Entertainment Update for October

Hello friends! Here’s an update on what’s been entertaining me lately.

Ahsoka. The Ahsoka series finished up a couple weeks ago to mixed reviews, from what I could see. I enjoyed it, but it certainly wasn’t perfect. I put forth my thoughts on it in my last post, which you can check out here.

Loki S2. After two long years, we finally got Season Two of Loki, and I was super-excited. I couldn’t wait to see what happened next, after Sylvie pushed Loki through the time door and back to the TVA, only for him to find it changed–with Mobius not recognizing him and a Kang statue where the Timekeepers used to be.

The first episode “Ouroboros” was pretty good, with Loki running around time-slipping (something I didn’t completely understand, but okay); the introduction of Ouroboros, who is weird and adorable and a nice new addition; and the Time Council, who we hadn’t seen before, and who are dead set on finding Sylvie, who is now living happily in 1982 Oklahoma working at McDonald’s and doesn’t want to be bothered, thank you very much. A lot happened in this episode but I felt hopeful it was going to be a good season.

Episode Two, “Breaking Brad” kind of erased that, with Loki and Mobius finding and interrogating an AWOL TVA operative named Brad, who was living his best life being a famous actor and promoting his new movie “Zaniac.” They’re trying to find Sylvie, too, but Brad is being uncooperative and just generally a jerk, because….I don’t know why, really. But they find Sylvie, and she’s not happy and not willing to help with….something, I don’t know, I was really confused with this episode. Turns out the Time Council is trying to destroy the rogue time branches that have been popping up since Sylvie killed He Who Remains, and Loki, Mobius and Sylvie manage to stop them but not before they blow up quite a few. Anyway, Loki and Sylvie are, not exactly enemies again, but definitely not on the same page.

The first two episodes were entertaining, but not grabbing me the way the first season did. Season One was much more streamlined, with a clear story arc; this season seemed all over the place. I was feeling a little disappointed.

But Episode Three “1893” restored hope. Loki and Mobius are trying to fix the Temporal Loom, and for that they need Miss Minutes, who they assume is with Ravonna Renslayer. They find Renslayer in 1893 Chicago at the World’s Fair. She herself is trying to find a variant of He Who Remains, following the advice of Miss Minutes, who claims she knows his grand plans. They all find him in Victor Timely, a Kang variant who is displaying some time technology at the Fair (after receiving the TVA Guidebook as a kid from Renslayer anonymously at Miss Minute’s direction). The guy is just as strange as He Who Remains, a man with big dreams but without the technology needed to bring them to life. Basically he’s a con artist, but he does believe in his work. I feel kind of bad for this guy, with all these weirdos from the future showing up and wanting him for something or other. He seems innocent, but there are clues that his ambition will always come first, as seen when he throws Renslayer off the boat because he doesn’t do partnerships. Anyway, Loki and Sylvie are at odds again, fighting over the life of this variant; they all find him at his workshop and go at it again. This is after that wily Miss Minutes gets all creepy on him and declares her love for him. Sylvie nearly kills him, but Victor begs for his life (something He Who Remains didn’t do), and she decides to spare him. She tells Loki “Don’t make me regret this.” And oh, I think that’s where we’re headed. Victor goes with Loki and Mobius to the TVA to help with the Temporal Loom, and I think something Bad is going to happen, lol.

Anyway, faith restored in the series, and looking forward to the next episode.

Crimson Climb. I’ve been reading Crimson Climb by E.K. Johnston, a book about Qi’ra and how she became enmeshed in Crimson Dawn. In the movie Solo, we get Han’s story about what happened to him after they were caught in the spaceport, where he escaped and she didn’t. In this book we pick up there and see what happened to Qi’ra as she’s led back to the White Worms. It’s not pretty, and we see how she becomes the person we see later in the movie. She relies on no one anymore except herself, never trusting anyone, and always does what is best for her. Sounds like an awful person, but it’s what she needs to do to survive. She’s also very, very smart, and we see that in this book: how she rises in the ranks of Crimson Dawn. I’m not finished with the book, and it’s kind of stalled for me in the middle, but I’ll get back to it. I’ll give my thoughts on it, in a post I have planned outlining other Qi’ra-related content.

Octavia Butler books. I found these books at a favorite used bookstore the other day and decided to give them a go. Octavia Butler is a kind of pioneer in “Afrofuturism,” a popular genre of fantasy/science fiction written mostly by black women. I was first introduced to it in the book “Who Fears Death?” by Nnedi Okorafor, which knocked me off my feet. I then discovered N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth Trilogy, which really opened my eyes to what fantasy/science fiction can be, as well as getting a different perspective other than white male/medieval-based fantasy, or even white female/goddess stuff, which was getting a bit boring, to be honest.

Here’s a summary of Parable of the Sower from Amazon:

When global climate change and economic crises lead to social chaos in the early 2020s, California becomes full of dangers, from pervasive water shortage to masses of vagabonds who will do anything to live to see another day. Fifteen-year-old Lauren Olamina lives inside a gated community with her preacher father, family, and neighbors, sheltered from the surrounding anarchy. In a society where any vulnerability is a risk, she suffers from hyperempathy, a debilitating sensitivity to others’ emotions.
Precocious and clear-eyed, Lauren must make her voice heard in order to protect her loved ones from the imminent disasters her small community stubbornly ignores. But what begins as a fight for survival soon leads to something much more: the birth of a new faith . . . and a startling vision of human destiny.

Parable of the Talents is the sequel; I haven’t started reading them yet, but I’m going to try to get the first one in after Crimson Dawn and before The Eye of Darkness, the first High Republic novel of Phase 3 (I have a post planned for those books, too).

I’ve been on vacation this week and had some extra time, so I have several posts planned for the next week or so. Stay tuned.

What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Thoughts on the Ahsoka Series

So the Ahsoka series finale aired a couple weeks ago and I have thoughts, lol.

If you’re reading this, you’ve probably watched the show, but just be aware that SPOILERS are ahead (and I won’t recap the plot of the show, just react to it).

The bottom line is, I enjoyed the show. A lot. I’m an Ahsoka fan, and a big Rebels fan as well, so this show was satisfying to me in many ways. There were a few things that niggled, and I’ll mention them, but for the most part, I’m happy. In the way that Andor was great in its gritty drama, this one was great at what Star Wars does best–weird, mystical, goofy, space opera fun that made me love it in the first place.

The first few episodes, I wasn’t sure. Ahsoka seemed….lackluster. But then I realized, well yes, of course, she’s depressed or whatever. She’s been through a lot. But the crux of her problem was that she let fear take over: fear that Anakin’s weakness was within herself as well. That the violence she experienced in the Clone Wars would cause her to be vulnerable to the dark. And she feared she’d pass that vulnerability onto her Padawan, Sabine, who she already feared would take vengeance on the Empire for destroying her home world and her family (which we learn about later). So she abandoned her, which also seemed very un-Ahsoka-like.

The fact that Ahsoka was training Sabine to be a Jedi was a surprise to me. Really? Sabine? Of course Sabine trained with the Darksaber with Kanan in Rebels, but I thought it was just to become proficient with it. Even though Kanan had said to Hera that the Force is in all of us, I didn’t really get the idea that Sabine had any natural talent in it. And she doesn’t, really, as Huyang seems to love telling her. So yeah, it was kind of a curve ball to me. I thought, why isn’t she training Jacen, who clearly has Force powers and wants to be a Jedi like his father? Thoughts on this later, but okay.

So Ahsoka’s got issues, and that will be her story arc for the series–how will she get her mojo back and again become the optimistic Jedi we see in the animated series? That the lesson came from Anakin himself in Episode 4 was so fitting, and just fantastic. And the way he did it was so Anakin–he didn’t just sit down with her and have an Obi-Wan-like conversation about it: “Look, Ahsoka, you’re letting fear drive you, and that will lead you down the dark path.” Nope, he literally came at her and made her work for her insights. Total drama queen Anakin, and it was great.

I liked the symbolism of her coming out of the water, as if being baptized and reborn; and when she wakes up and puts on the white, we finally start to see the Ahsoka we knew, as well as the Ahsoka we suspected she’d become: “Ahsoka the White” at the end of Rebels. But there’s still work to do.

So Sabine has been mercilessly criticized for giving the map to Baylan so he could destroy it and going with him willingly to Peridea. The idea being that she’s risking the galaxy by helping Thrawn come back for selfish reasons, namely finding Ezra. And yes, that is what she did. And yes, perhaps it was the wrong thing to do. Okay, not perhaps, it clearly put the galaxy in danger. But I’m willing to cut her a little slack. Let’s review: she thought Ahsoka was dead; her entire family was dead and Mandalore destroyed; besides Hera and Zeb, she had no one left. And Ezra, her adopted brother she loved, left her a message saying he was “counting on” her. Talk about pressure! Here was a way to find Ezra. She didn’t have time to think about it–Baylan would have killed her, too and gotten the map anyway. Haven’t we all made questionable decisions in the heat of the moment? Perhaps it was selfish, but she didn’t just do it for herself. She did it for Ezra, too, to give him at least a chance of coming home. And this Star Trek fan remembers this line from Wrath of Khan: Sometimes, the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many. Anyway, that’s my defense of Sabine, lol.

So let’s talk about the villains here. And there’s quite a few: Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati, Morgan Elsbeth, Thrawn, and the Nightsisters.

Most Intriguing Character Award Recipient

Baylan and Shin were the most interesting to me, especially Baylan. Clearly, he’d been a Jedi, raised at the Temple, an Order 66 survivor (I think? Or did he leave earlier?). But what was he now? A mercenary. Okay, but he also has a Padawan learner. So he hasn’t completely given up the Jedi ways. He’s a little snobbish about it, calling Ezra a “bokken” Jedi (a Samurai term used for wooden training swords), trained in the wild and not the Order. He clearly doesn’t want to kill Ahsoka, though he will if need be. But he is most definitely not a Jedi, as he and Shin indiscriminately kill New Republic officers in their very first scene. By his own admission, he admires the “idea” of the Jedi Order, but not the reality they became. Fair enough, but damn, Baylan, that’s pretty dark. But they’re not Sith, either. Dark Force users? That’s the closest I can come up with, but that’s still not quite right. I don’t think they call upon the dark side of the Force when they fight (but I could be wrong?). And don’t even mention “Gray Jedi” to me. There’s no such thing. You can’t use the dark side of the Force and call yourself a Jedi. Period. Anyway, Baylan is a cipher throughout most of the show, clearly after something, his alliance with Morgan and Thrawn a means to an end, but we don’t know what that is until we get a clue in the finale. That’s what makes him so intriguing, and I wanted MUCH more of him. And now with Ray Stevenson gone, I’m not sure what they’ll do with the character. It’s heartbreaking.

To me, Morgan Elsbeth was more interesting in The Mandalorian, in her brief appearance there. She’s fine here, but she didn’t really shine until her duel with Ahsoka in the finale, after she’d been transformed by the Nightsisters and given the Blade of Talzin. I guess I just like to see Diana Inosanto in glorious action. Other than that, the character falls flat to me. It’s a shame she died just when she got interesting.

So, Thrawn: I thought it worked. Lars Mikkelson provided a great voice for Thrawn in Rebels, and it was nice to hear that same voice here. And he was great in live-action as well, despite that little pot-belly people keep harping on. Give the man a break; he’s been in exile on a dreary witch planet for ten years. I’d probably binge-eat, too, if I could, lol. So he looked and sounded great, but he wasn’t given a chance to show anyone who hasn’t seen Rebels or read the books why he’s so feared in the first place. Clearly, he’s different, more methodical, making carefully considered decisions. I guess that’s enough for now, and later (either in a Season 2 or Filoni’s movie) we’ll get to see his military genius in action.

The Nightsister Mothers are, let’s face it, weird, and it’s strange to see Thrawn working with them, but I have a feeling he didn’t have much of a choice in his situation. Also, he was defeated by mystical forces before (the Bendu and the Purgill in Rebels, not to mention Jedi) and won’t make that same mistake again. His Night Soldiers are creepy, especially Enoch with that weird mask. At first I thought they were zombies right from the beginning, maybe made of smoke like Marrok was, but I guess not, because it was only later they came back to life through Nightsister magic. Clearly the Mothers are helping Thrawn for their own purposes, and I think Thrawn is smart enough to know that. It will be interesting to see how that relationship plays out later.

Okay, back to our heroes: Ezra!!! Oh, how I’ve missed this kid, who’s all growed up now. His reunion with Sabine was typical of their relationship, I think, with some teasing at first and then a warm hug. It was telling, though, that Sabine avoided answering his questions about how she found him. He was happy to be found, but I think he’d be a tad upset that she basically undid his sacrifice by coming back for him only to unleash Thrawn again. (I still understand her decision, though).

It’s typical Ezra that he’s been living with some adorable natives of Peridea and has protected them from raiders. When Thrawn’s forces attack, he refuses to take his lightsaber back from Sabine and says, “The Force is my ally!” while making classic goofy Ezra faces. Eman Esfandi is perfectly cast as Ezra; it’s as if he’s been plucked straight from the animated series. Next to Baylan Skoll, it’s one of my favorite performances in the show.

Despite claiming the Force is all he needs, he ends up constructing a new lightsaber with the help of Huyang, and the fact that it’s similar to Kanan’s is wonderful.

The finale was….fine. Ahsoka got to duel Baylan again, and then she dueled Morgan (there were a ton of lightsaber fights in this show, and I loved it). Sabine finally uses the Force, and I’m not sure how I feel about that. It kind of seems out of the blue when she couldn’t even twitch a cup a short time ago; but I suppose it’s no different than Luke calling his lightsaber to him in the wampa cave.

Ezra gets on Thrawn’s ship, but Ahsoka and Sabine are left behind. Shin is seen overlording some raiders, and Baylan is on the outcrop of a statue of the Father (with the Son next to him, and a damaged Daughter on the other side), looking out over the mountains toward a shining light in the distance. I’ve seen fan theories on social media that what Baylan was looking for was Mortis, and I thought, “Nah!” Yet, here we are. But for what purpose? Time will tell.

Thrawn goes to Dathomir, and Ezra escapes the Chimaera on a shuttle and gets to Home One (and I was so nervous he wouldn’t, after all his repetitions of “I can’t wait to go home.” Don’t jinx it, Ezra!). Chopper recognizes him at once, even though he still has a trooper helmet on (for that dramatic entrance, you see). I don’t understand why we couldn’t see Ezra and Hera embracing after all these years. Let us have that sentimental reunion, Filoni, lol. Anyway, now I’m hoping Ezra will be the one to train Jacen. It’s fitting for him to train the son of his Master.

Ahsoka sees the Force ghost of Anakin at the end–not a hologram, not a murderous Force-vision, but Anakin himself, so that was nice. I loved seeing Hayden Christianson so much in this series; I hope we see more of him.

There’s so many other things I loved about this show, little things that I could go on and on about: young Ahsoka played by Ariana Greenblatt, seeing Rex, Threepio, Morai, slimeball Senator Xiono, Purgill, the Nodi, the wolf creatures, even Sabine’s tooka cat; but this post is long enough, so I’ll end it here. All in all, I think this show worked, but I’m saying that as an Ahsoka and Rebels fan. I have no idea how viewers new to these characters feel about it, but I don’t particularly care, lol. This has been a love letter to Rebels fans, like it or not.

So those are my rambling and disjointed thoughts on Ahsoka. What did you think of the series? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Entertainment Update For September

Hello friends! Here’s my now-monthly check in with all the things that have been entertaining me.

Ahsoka. I’m going to wait until the end of the series to give my thoughts on this as a whole, but here at the midpoint, all I can say is WOW! It took its time to get going, bring us up to speed on characters and where they are now, and introducing new villains (and can I add that I NEED MORE BAYLAN SKOLL RIGHT NOW, lol). But each successive episode just got better and better, until we got the truly epic Episode 5. It was just so wonderful to see Hayden Christensen back as Anakin Skywalker in a truly satisfying way, and in a way that further develops Ahsoka’s character. Now we’re off to a distant galaxy via Purgill (awesome!) to hopefully find Ezra. And oh, yeah, Thrawn, whatever, lol. Jumping out of my seat in anticipation!

Last of the Jedi Book 4 (Death on Naboo) and 5 (A Tangled Web), by Jude Watson. I’ve finished Book 4 and am working on Book 5. Four had Ferus Olin following Inquisitor Malorum to Naboo, who is investigating Padme’s death. Ferus, at the behest of Obi-Wan, must keep Malorum from finding out Padme’s secret, without knowing himself just what the secret is. Five has Ferus summoned to Coruscant by Palpatine himself to figure out a systems breakdown on the planet Sath; if he doesn’t comply, his friends Roan and Dona will suffer the consequences. These little books are always fun to read; I really like the character of Ferus Olin, who had left the Jedi Order as a Padawan (and I believe that story is told in the junior novel series Jedi Quest, also by Jude Watson, which I’ll probably read after this series).

Tales of Light and Life, by various High Republic authors. In the lead-up to Phase 3 of the High Republic, this short story collection was recently released on September 5th. There are several stories with characters from Phase 2, but most are from Phase 1, with some serving to set us up for Phase 3. I enjoyed most of these stories; the one I was least impressed with was the one by Daniel Jose Older, whose writing I don’t particularly enjoy. It was a sweet story about Padawan Ram Jamoram, but its sin was being extremely boring. The best out of the bunch was the Phase 2 story about Marda Ro by Tessa Gratton (A Closed Fist Has No Claws). It shows what happens to her after the events of Phase 2, how she has changed, and how she plants the seeds of the Nihil, the villains of Phase 1. If you like the High Republic, I highly recommend reading this collection.

Out of the Shadows, by Justina Ireland. Also in preparation for Phase 3 (coming in November), I’m rereading a few Phase 1 novels. The first reread was The Fallen Star, the adult novel by Claudia Gray; and now I’m rereading this YA installment by Justina Ireland. When I first read it, I wasn’t too impressed and thought it was a little boring. But on this reread, I’ve done a total 180 and think it’s not only interesting, but super important for going into Phase 3. From what I understand, in Phase 3 the Nihil have separated a whole sector of the galaxy for themselves called The Occlusion Zone, like a big wall they put up in space. Part of how they did that, I presume, is through a contraption called the Gravity’s Heart, which is the brainchild of and built by Chancey Yarrow in this book. It’s got a lot of Vernestra Rwoh in it, too, a favorite Jedi of mine in this period (I’ve got a lot of favorite High Republic Jedi, though, lol). Anyway, I’m enjoying this second reading.

So as always I’ve been busy reading and watching Star Wars, but I’ve also been working on something else I’d like to tell you about. I’ve been creating a new blog that will have some fiction by me, including original fiction and some Star Wars fan fiction. I’m actually quite terrified of sharing my stories, which simply means that I have to do it, lol. (Do what terrifies you, all the self-help books say). I’m maybe a week or two away from launching it, but I’ll mention it here when I do in case any of you are interested.

That’s about it this time around. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Entertainment Update For August

Hello friends! I’ve been busy with reading, as usual, and looking forward to a few upcoming shows. Here’s the deets:

Rise of the Red Blade. This is the latest Star Wars canon novel, by Delilah S. Dawson, and it is a great read. It chronicles Jedi Padawan Iskat Akaris during her time at the Jedi Temple, and the events that influenced her turn to the dark side and led to her becoming an Inquisitor. Iskat is the only one of her species in the Temple, and she feels out of place most of the time. She had caused an accident that injured another Padawan; she’s not very good at meditating, and she discovers at the Battle of Geonosis what she’s truly good at: killing. When she tries to discover more about her species and/or family, she gets the distinct feeling that the Masters are hiding something (they are). We spend about two thirds of the book with Iskat as a Jedi, and only the last third as an Inquisitor; this is the story of her lead-up to turning, voluntarily, to the dark side. And Dawson does a fantastic job of it, making Iskat a sympathetic character, while not shying away from her violent, dark side tendencies and her misguided choices.

Last of the Jedi book 2: Dark Warning. My continuation of the junior novel series that features Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ferus Olin. Obi-Wan discovers that an Inquisitor (and I find the Inquisitors in Legends rather lame, lol) is investigating something at Polis Massa, where Padme gave birth to Luke and Leia, so he goes there to protect that secret. Ferus must go to Ilum to find a surviving Jedi and while he’s at it, find a crystal for a new lightsaber. They also discover a livable asteroid in a cosmic storm that Ferus wants to turn into a refuge for any surviving Jedi. This idea of a safe haven for Jedi survivors reminds me of Tanalorr in the Jedi: Survivor game, which is a haven for the Hidden Path. I love how Star Wars canon is frequently borrowing ideas from Legends.

The Fallen Star Reread. With Phase 3 beginning in the fall, I thought I’d reread the last adult book of Phase 1, as Phase 3 will return to these characters after a trip back in time in Phase 2 with new characters. The Fallen Star tells how the Nihil, specifically its leader, Marchion Ro, orchestrated the destruction of the Jedi space station, Starlight Beacon, ending the phase at a very low point for the Jedi. I’m eager to see where these characters are and how they’ll respond to the Eye of the Nihil in this last phase. (There will be a book of High Republic short stories, Tales of Light and Life, coming out on September 5th, that will be a sort of preview of Phase 3, and I’ll be reading that, as well).

The Echo of Old Books. This is the latest book we’re reading in the book club I’m part of. It begins with Ashlyn in 1984, who has psychometry, the ability to sense emotions from objects, primarily books (I only knew the word from Star Wars as a rare Force ability, lol–like Quinlan Vos, Cal Kestis, and Karr from the book Force Collector). She owns a used book shop, and finds a self-published book from which she feels intense emotions. She begins to read it, and finds it’s a memoir-like tragic love story between a Brit and a New York socialite in 1941,written by the Brit, Hemi. She’s intrigued, but it gets more interesting as she find another self-published book written by the socialite, Belle, as a written answer to his book. Ashlyn becomes determined (and perhaps a bit obsessed) to find out who these people actually were and how their story ends. A kind of tragic love story literary mystery sort of thing, with psychometry thrown in. An interesting and absorbing read.

Countdown to Ahsoka. Of course, I’m hyped about Ahsoka, which premieres next week on August 23rd. I haven’t done a lot of prep, as in rewatching Rebels in its entirety (I’ve already watched it through 2 or 3 times in the last few years), but I have cherry-picked a few episodes and arcs the past few weeks. Namely, the finales of the four seasons, as well as the Twilight of the Apprentice arc and the Lost Commanders arc. It’s all great, though. Can’t wait to see these characters in live action! Seeing Thrawn will be cool, but I’m most interested in Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati, the two dark force users with orange lightsabers. Bring it on!

Loki Season 2 Trailer. I am soooo excited for this! I’ve been waiting two long years for season two of Loki, and it will finally be here on October 6th. I’ll admit, I haven’t been as faithful to Marvel lately, just catching the movies that interest me (Dr. Strange 2, Thor 4, and Guardians of the Galaxy 3) and skipping a lot of the shows (Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, Secret Invasion). But I will ALWAYS be here for Loki, lol. Can’t wait to see what shenanigans Loki gets into with Mobius and Sylvie in this multiverse madness.

Are you looking forward to Ahsoka and Loki? What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Latest Entertainment Update

Hello, friends! I haven’t posted for a while, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been reading and viewing. There’s a lot here, so I’m going to be brief. Here’s the latest:

Rebel Force: Trapped (Book 5), by Alex Wheeler. I’ve been enjoying this junior novel series, and I think Trapped is my favorite. It deals with X-7 trying to figure out who he used to be before he was brainwashed to become an Imperial assassin. We never find out who he really was, which is a disappointment, but over all this one was good.

Star Wars Rebel Force: Uprising (Book 6), by Alex Wheeler. This is the final book in the Rebel Force series, bringing the story to a fairly satisfying conclusion. Luke is drawn to a cold desert moon by the Imperial who brainwashed X-7 (under a project that is called Project Omega, btw). Luke is caught, of course, and begins to undergo the same sort of brainwashing X-7 did (in other words, torture), but because he has the Force or something, it didn’t quite work. His friends hatch a plan to rescue him, and it works, but we lose Ferus Olin and Lune Divinian, which made me sad.

The Last of the Jedi Book One: The Desperate Mission, by Jude Watson. After reading the Rebel Force series, I wanted to learn more about Ferus Olin, Lune Divinian, and Trever Flume, characters that I first met in that series; turns out these characters are also in The Last of the Jedi series, by Jude Watson, which takes place twenty years beforehand. I also get the feeling Ferus is also in the Jedi Quest series that comes before that series, so the character has a long history in Legends. This first book has us meet him as a young man, who has been taken prisoner by the Imperials on the planet Bellarasus for leading a rebel group called The Eleven. Obi-Wan Kenobi gets wind of this, and decides he must go help Ferus, who he remembers as a feisty young Padawan who left the Order. A young Boba Fett makes an appearance here, hired by the Imperials to find Obi-Wan and Ferus.

The Six, by Anni Taylor. Off and on, I’m part of a book club that includes me, my sister, her husband, and their daughter. We decided to start back up again, and picked this book to read. It’s a thriller, and a fairly gruesome one, at that. Evie, who has a gambling problem and has racked up a ton of debt, is desperate and agrees to go to a monastery on a Greek island for a chance to compete in six challenges, the winner of which will win money–enough to pay off her debt. But she can’t tell her husband or two small children where she’s going, and Evie has no idea that what she’s signed up for is a game of horror. Not my usual fare, but it did draw me into its mystery, and had plenty of surprising twists at the end.

Disney Gallery: Mandalorian S3. I’m going to say it: Season 3 of Mando is not my favorite. I really liked the dynamic and relationship between Din and Grogu in the first two seasons, and maybe I wanted more of that. But the first two seasons obviously were building up to something more, something broader than just these two characters. Mainly, the Mandalorians, and Bo-Katan’s role in uniting them to retake Mandalore. Fine. But I’ve only watched it once through, and haven’t had any desire to rewatch, which is a big indicator of how much I love a show. At any rate, it’s still interesting to watch these making-of specials, and they never fail to make me appreciate the story more. After watching this one, I thought, eh, it wasn’t so bad.

Emily. I’ve seen plenty of movies about the Bronte sisters, or about Charlotte alone, but I’ve never seen one about Emily specifically, and this one was pretty entertaining. Since we can’t possibly know everything about her personal life, there’s quite a bit of creative license taken here, but it’s not completely outside the bounds of belief. Things like Emily partaking in opium with her beloved brother Branwell; and more particularly, having an affair with the local curate, William. These things are suggested as having an influence on Emily’s outlook and personality, and how she came to write such a strange, passionate tale like Wuthering Heights. Emily has always been characterized as the “strange” Bronte sister, content to spend time alone and not go out into the world; but still, how could a “proper” Victorian lady, the daughter of a clergyman, sheltered and shy, write such a thing? By taking drugs and falling in love and having sex, of course! Oh, and getting a tattoo on her arm that says, “Freedom of Thought.” Who knows? Maybe it’s true, but at any rate, I enjoyed the movie.

That’s what I’ve been up to lately, in between writing some fan fiction, which I’m having a blast with. Feels good to get the pen moving and making characters speak again.

What have you been up to, Star Wars or otherwise? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Star Wars Update: Some Reading, Some Writing

As always, the Star Wars reading continues. Here are the books I’ve been diving into:

Star Wars Rebel Force Book 4: Firefight, by Alex Wheeler. This is a continuation of the junior novel series I started a while ago and which has been surprisingly entertaining. This outing takes us to Kamino, which I thought was really neat, considering all the Bad Batch I’ve been rewatching. So we know what happens to Kamino in Canon, but this is a Legends series, and here Kamino hasn’t been destroyed by the Empire, but simply abandoned. Luke, Han, Chewie and Artoo are sent there to investigate why the Empire abandoned it and any weapons that may have been created there; but are ambushed in orbit by a group of assassins hired by X-7 to kill Luke. Han, Luke and Chewie crash land, as well as a few of the assassins, but only one named Div survives. They end up having to help each other to get out of the creepy, abandoned city that is overrun by mutant sea creatures the Kaminoans created. A lone Kaminoan scientist, who has gone insane by this time, still runs his “experiments” and calls in the Imperials to take care of the intruders. Turns out Div is a former Jedi, but after Order 66 turned to mercenary work. After working together to escape Kamino, Luke and Han consider him a friend, but want him to tell them who hired him to kill Luke (although they already suspect it’s X-7) and where to find him, but Div refuses to divulge that information, presumably because it’s “bad for business.” I can’t decide if I like Div or not, lol. They reluctantly keep him prisoner on Yavin 4 at the end of the story, hoping he’ll spill the beans. This was a fun read, with sea monsters that can swallow you whole and then regurgitate you back up to eat later; and flying dinosaur birds that our characters get to ride over the stormy Kaminoan ocean. Cool!

Star Wars Rebel Forces Book 5: Trapped, by Alex Wheeler. The fifth installment of the series that I just started and am currently reading. Div escapes Yavin 4, and our characters set out after him. Stay tuned.

Force Collector, by Kevin Shinick. This is a reread between the latest canon releases (waiting for Rise of the Red Blade in July). I really enjoyed it when I read it a couple of years ago, and thought it would be fun to read again. It takes place in the sequel era, just before The Force Awakens, and is about a teenage boy named Karr who has a strange ability: psychometry, which is a Force ability wherein you touch an object and get flashes of things and people and events that object has “seen.” This is an ability that the Jedi Quinlan Voss and Cal Kestis possess. At this point in history, not much is known about the Jedi, and most people don’t even believe they existed. But Karr’s grandmother insists that Karr has the Force, and though she doesn’t possess the Force herself, she takes it upon herself to teach Karr what she knows, which admittedly is very little. But Karr is determined to use his ability to find out more about the Jedi and how to become one himself. With the help of his new friend, Maize (the daughter of a First Order officer), they traverse the galaxy in her father’s shuttle, following clues and piecing together the story of the Jedi. It’s not a real deep story, but it’s super fun seeing the Jedi through the eyes of a young person who knows very little about them but wants to penetrate the myth.

Shatterpoint, by Mathew Stover. This is a Legends book about Mace Windu that I was hoping to get into and see Mace in a new light. I never really liked him in the films, but in books you get a chance to see more of a character’s personality, and I wanted to give him another chance, lol. But I only got about 40 pages in and got bored. It’s not that I don’t think it’s a good story, I just don’t think I was in the right frame of mind to read it. I put it on my “Hopefully I’ll get back to reading this one day” pile, which includes Tarkin, Thrawn, Ronin, and Revan.

Other than reading, I’ve been writing some Star Wars fan fiction, this time about The Bad Batch. If you haven’t noticed, I’m a bit obsessed with this show and these characters, and I wasn’t ready to let them go yet. So it’s been really fun spending more time with them in my own story. Not sure if I’m going to share it, either here or on a fan fiction site; I might just be writing it for myself. But if you see fewer blog posts from me, it’s because I’m spending more time with Clone Force 99, lol.

So that’s what I’ve been up to. What Star Warsy things have you been doing? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Thoughts On The Movie 65

So I finally got around to watching the movie 65, starring Adam Driver. My impression about this movie was that it was about this guy from Earth that was on a spaceship, something went terribly wrong, and he ended up going back in time 65 million years and ended up back on Earth with dinosaurs.

Nope.

What it’s actually about is this: it takes place 65 million years ago, and is about a guy from another planetary system who is on a spaceship, something goes terribly wrong, and crash lands on Earth, which is only at the dinosaur phase in its development.

Ohhhh. Interesting.

Captain Mills is a pilot who is transporting a group of cryogenically frozen people from one place to another. He’s taken on the job, even though he’ll be gone for at least two years, because his family needs the money to help pay for his daughter’s medical care, who has a serious disease.

While on the trip, the ship is hit by an unexpected meteor shower, and it crash lands, killing everyone on board except Mills. And, as he comes to find out a bit later, a young girl named Koa, who speaks a different language than him. The two must navigate this strange land that is dense with foliage, dangerous lizard-like life forms, and geothermal explosions, in order to reach an intact escape pod fifteen kilometers away (for some reason, this alien culture uses the metric system, lol).

The survivors must learn to communicate, trust each other, and help each other as they’re attacked by an assortment of dinosaurs that want to eat them. To make matters worse, Mills uses his technology to find out that a big meteor is heading toward the planet. Yeah, THAT one, the one that wipes out the dinosaurs, and its impact is imminent.

Mills also has to deal with multiple injuries, the fact that Koa reminds him of his daughter (who had died while he was on the trip), and that he lied to Koa and made her understand that her parents were on the mountain they’re heading to, to get her to go, while he knows that they’re dead.

So this movie is your classic “throw in every possible obstacle to the goal, make it worse, and add a ticking clock, as well psychological and emotional trauma” story. Oh, and dinosaurs!

It was actually pretty enjoyable, a great popcorn movie that did have me on the edge of my seat. At only an hour and a half, it was just the right amount of time for the nonstop intensity. And as always, Adam Driver gives his all in whatever his role requires.

I recommend it if you’re looking for something that’s pure entertainment, but something a little more interesting than your usual Jurassic Park dinosaur/human matchup.

Have you seen this movie? What did you think? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Upcoming Star Wars Content I’m Looking Forward To

It’s been a pretty busy first half of 2023 for Star Wars fans, what with The Mandalorian and The Bad Batch episodes, the Jedi: Survivor game, and the High Republic book releases, all the way up through May. June is a quiet month (unless you’re a comics reader), but starting in July, we’ll have at least one Star Wars project I’m looking forward to each month to the end of the year.

July: Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade, by Delilah S. Dawson. July 18. Inquisitors are compelling characters–fallen Jedi, often younglings or Padawans who were captured and turned to the dark side rather than killed during Order 66. The young ones are easier to influence, obviously. Iskat Akaris is one such Jedi, and this is her story. There’s something both fascinating and horrifying about watching a formerly innocent young Jedi turn from a good-hearted soul to an evil one. For Reva, from the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, her motivation was revenge. I’m interested to see how Iskat’s story unfolds. I’ve really enjoyed Dawson’s Star Wars books, like Phasma and Black Spire, so I’m guessing this is going to be a great read. Here’s an excerpt:

https://www.starwars.com/news/inquisitor-rise-of-the-red-blade-excerpt

August: Ahsoka series. Woo-hoo! This is the series we’re all looking forward to right now, and I can’t wait to see it. Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka Tano is pretty awesome, and based on the teaser trailer we got from Celebration this year, I have so many questions! Are Ahsoka and Sabine already looking for Ezra, or will that come to be in the show? Will we see Ezra this season (apart from a hologram)? Who are the dark Force-users with the orange lightsabers (and I’m so sad to hear of Ray Stevenson’s death; watching his performance will be bittersweet)? And will Thrawn be a big part of it? There’s no specific release date, only that it will premier in August. Here’s a link to the teaser trailer:

September: Tales of Light and Life, by various authors. I’ve seen release dates of July 25th and Sept. 5th, and I’m not sure which one is right, so I’ll just put it in September for now. Four High Republic authors–Zoraida Cordova, Justina Ireland, Lydia Kang and Tessa Gratton–offer some High Republic short fiction that adds to the already ambitious storyline. I’ve been loving the High Republic books and I can’t wait to see what this collection brings to the table.

October: Crimson Climb, by E.K. Johnston. Oct. 10. This is the story of Qi’ra that we don’t get to see in Solo: A Star Wars Story: when Han escapes Corellia and she doesn’t. Dragged back to the White Worm Gang, she is eventually bought by Dryden Vos of the crime syndicate Crimson Dawn. This book will go into detail of what she had to do to earn Vos’ trust and rise in the ranks to become who we see in the movie. Johnston wrote the Padme trilogy of books, as well as the Ahsoka book, all of which I enjoyed, so I’m guessing I’ll like this one, too.

November: High Republic Phase 3 The Eye of Darkness. Nov. 14. There’s not much information on Phase 3 of the High Republic yet, or even a cover for its first book, but we do know that it will be returning to the era and characters of Phase 1. Phase 2 was great, but I’m eager to get back to Avar Kriss, Elzar Mann, Bell Zettifar, and the many others that I came to know and love. I don’t know if this will be the adult or YA novel of Wave 1, but no matter. They’re all good! George Mann wrote a middle grade book in Phase 2, so this could be either/or. Excited for this!

December: Skeleton Crew series? This is a guesser for me, because we still don’t have a release date for Skeleton Crew besides “sometime in 2023,” and late 2023 seems logical. And it could perhaps be pushed back further due to the writer’s strike still going on (which I very much support, btw). But this story of a group of kids who rattle around the galaxy with a Force-sensitive pilot played by Jude Law sounds like it could be fun. I really don’t know much else about it, but I do hope we see it sooner rather than later.

So mostly books, and a couple of shows, and that makes me really happy. What are you looking forward to in Star Wars for the rest of the year? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Return of the Jedi Fan Art

I’m a little late with this, as the 40th anniversary of the release of The Return of the Jedi was last week on May 25th, but I thought I’d celebrate that iconic film with some fan art. Enjoy!

I love this art nouveau style poster for the film.