I rank the Star Wars books that came out in 2023

Since I’m on a roll with ranking Star Wars content, I thought I’d give my highly subjective ranking of the Star Wars novels that came out in 2023. From most to least favorite, here’s my list:

The Eye of Darkness, by George Mann. It was a close contest between this one and Rise of the Red Blade, but this one was more anticipated by me and didn’t disappoint. It begins Phase 3 of the High Republic, getting back to many beloved characters from Phase 1 after the destruction of Starlight Beacon. Marchion Ro has erected a “Stormwall” around a section of the galaxy that is called The Occlusion Zone. This area is inaccessible to the rest of the galaxy, trapping many worlds behind it, along with many Jedi and Padawans. These Jedi, among them Avar Kriss and Porter Engle, are trying to help those trapped under Marchion’s rule, as well as finding a way through the Stormwall; on the other side, the Jedi, particularly Elzar Mann and Bell Zettifar, and the Republic are trying to find a way through as well. I loved every minute of it.

Rise of the Red Blade, by Delilah Dawson. Delilah Dawson is one of my favorite Star Wars authors. In her own words, she loves to write about “violent women,” lol. She wrote about Phasma’s origins in Phasma, and the Resistance spy Vi Moradi in Black Spire, which I greatly enjoyed. This one tells the story of Iskat Ikaris, a Jedi Padawan who, after Order 66, becomes an Inquisitor. Most of the book chronicles her experiences in the Jedi Order and how they, let’s say “mishandled,” Iskat and her dark side tendencies. We spend most of the book witnessing her frustration at being held back and not allowed to use her strengths in the Force. She seems to be made for battle, and her skills are extraordinary. But the Jedi are keeping secrets from her, and Iskat feels alienated and angry. We come to sympathize with her, while at the same time dreading her descent into the dark, which of course we know is coming. Very compelling story of a woman caught between worlds.

Cataclysm, by Alyssa Wong. This is an adult novel of Phase 2 of the High Republic and was a stronger installment for me than its predecessor, Convergence. It highlights the renewed violence between the two planets Eiram and E’ronoh, and the part played by the Path of the Open Hand in the war. But the main character arc is that of Axel Greylark, the disgraced son of the Chancellor, who is approached by Jedi Knight Gella Natai for help in the conflict. Axel must ultimately decide if he wants to truly help the Republic (represented by Gella, who he’s developed feelings for, and his mother, the Chancellor) or remain a part of the Path of the Open Hand–and the supposed “freedom” the group offers from the weight of his past and family name.

Path of Vengeance, by Cavan Scott. This is the companion Young Adult novel to Cataclysm, and here we get to see more closely the machinations of the Path of the Open Hand through its mysterious leader the Mother, as well as what happens with Marda and Yanna Ro, ancestors of Marchion Ro of the villainous Nihil. We see the Battle of Dalna from multiple viewpoints, both Jedi and Path members, and witness the Mother’s unleashing of the terrifying Nameless–creatures that can turn Force-users into ash. Marda’s story, in particular, is of interest, as it’s she who sows the seeds of the future Nihil. Her path from sweet, gentle believer in the Path to a cold, ruthless leader is chilling.

The Battle of Jedha (Script), by George Mann. I’m generally not into audiobooks. I know some people love them, but I have to read a book rather than listen to it to fully absorb its story. I’d much rather read the script than listen to it, and that’s what I did with the Battle of Jedha, since I didn’t want to miss the story it tells. Representatives from the warring planets of Eiram and E’ronoh have gathered on Jedha to sign a peace treaty, but it’s sabotaged by the Path of the Open Hand with an explosion. The two enemies blame each other, and their forces begin fighting in the streets. To add to the confusion, a Nameless creature has escaped and is destroying many Force-users present in the Holy City. Jedi Master Creighton Sun and Jedi Knight Aida Forte, with the help of the Guardians of the Whills, try to stop the battling armies as well as investigate who caused the explosion in the first place. This is my first audiobook script, and I enjoyed reading it; it’s like reading the script of a play, that’s all.

Tales of Light and Life, by various authors. This is a book of short stories taking place in the High Republic. Some occur during Phase 2, and some are “prequels,” of sorts, to Phase 3. I liked all of them, though some were better than others. The most important, from a plot standpoint, is “After the Fall,” by Claudia Gray, which tells a story about Bell Zettifar soon after the fall of Starlight Beacon in Phase 3, and which reveals the fate of the Wookiee Jedi Burryaga. My favorite story, though, is “A Closed Fist Has No Claws,” by Tessa Gratton, which is about what Mardo Ro is up to after the events of Phase 2, and how she sets the remnants of the Path toward their destiny as the Nihil.

Crimson Climb, by E.K. Johnston. This book is about Q’ira from the movie Solo: A Star Wars Story. I wrote about it here in one of my Updates if you’d like to read it, but basically, it’s about what happens to Q’ira after Han escapes from Corellia, but she doesn’t. It chronicles her rise through the Crimson Dawn ranks and how she becomes Dryden Vos’ lieutenant. I enjoyed the book, but it wasn’t as if I tore through it eagerly. I do think it might be the first part of a trilogy, which would be great and I’d be here for. Despite all the stories of Q’ira taking place in the comic world, I think there’s more room for her in novels, as well.

Quest for Planet X, by Tessa Gratton. The middle-grade books of the High Republic have been consistently good, nearly on par with at least the young adult entries. This one is pretty good, but not one of my favorites. It takes place during Phase 2 concurrently with the young adult book Path of Vengeance; as is often the case, it focuses on some Jedi Padawans or other young people and their stories. This one stars Jedi Padawan Rooper Natani; Skye Graf, a young member of the powerful Graf prospecting family; and Dass Leffbruck, the son of an independent prospector. Dass and Sky recruit Rooper to help them on a race between the Grafs and the San Tekkas to chart new hyperspace lanes; however, their real mission is to find the mysterious Planet X (where, incidentally, the Nameless creatures are from). However, they run into some members of The Path of the Open Hand and must decide if they’re going to help the Jedi during their fight on Dalna.

Jedi: Battle Scars, by Sam Maggs. This one excited me at first; I’m not a gamer, and so felt like I was missing out on some important Star Wars lore with Cal Kestis and his crew. I so badly wanted a novel with these characters, so I, too, could participate in their coolness, lol. But this book falls short of what I was hoping for. It wasn’t terrible; it just wasn’t that great. The romance between Merrin and the female Imperial deserter was cringe-worthy at best. I’m all for romance in Star Wars, but this was like really bad fan-fiction (and I’ve written fan-fiction, lol). The rest of the plot was fine, I suppose, but I guess I was hoping for more characterization of the main characters, probably because I don’t play the games and didn’t really know them that well. Cere, in particular, really interested me, but I was left wanting. Very much my least favorite book of the year.

So these were the Star Wars novels that came out in 2023 and my thoughts on them. Did you read any of these books? Which was your favorite? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

What I’m looking forward to in Star Wars in 2024

Now that I’ve talked about what I loved in 2023, let’s talk about what’s coming up in 2024.

The Bad Batch S3. Again, no surprises here if you know me. The Batch’s third and final season still has no release date, but at some point I heard maybe April, so we’ll see. It can’t come fast enough! How will Crosshair and Omega escape Tantiss? Who will the rest of the Batch recruit to help find them? Phee? Rex? Fennec Shand? Benny? How will the story of the clones in general wrap up? And of course–is our favorite goggled clone still alive?

The Acolyte. I’m pretty psyched about this one. It takes place near the end of the High Republic, perhaps fifty years before the prequel era. Here’s a plot blurb from The Nerdist:

“The Acolyte is a mystery-thriller that will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.”

Oh my word, I am so there, lol. I’m guessing it’s going to hint at the Sith planning their return, which of course leads to Palpatine and his devastating coup d’etat. One of my favorite High Republic characters, Vernestra Rwoh, is presumably going to make an appearance, and will be near one hundred years old (which is prime for a Mirialan). I’m eager to see what kind of role she’ll play in the series. As far as I know, there is no release date as of yet.

Tales of the Jedi S2. I really enjoyed Season One of this little animated series, which focused on Ahsoka and Count Dooku in three 10-15 minute shorts for each character. I’m looking forward to seeing which Jedi Season Two will focus on, and when it will drop (all the episodes of Season One dropped at once, and I assume this one will do the same).

Phase Three High Republic books. I’m including books in this list as well as streaming content, since I’m a huge Star Wars book reader. Phase Three (Trials of the Jedi) began in late 2023 with George Mann’s Adult Novel The Eye of Darkness in November. The Phase continues this year with the Middle Grade book Escape from Valo at the end of January and the Young Adult book Defy the Storm in March. That’s Wave One of this Phase, and waves two and three will continue throughout the rest of the year, wrapping up the Phase, as well as the entire series, in early 2025. The High Republic has really been a highlight of my Star Wars love since it began three years ago with the release of Light of the Jedi.

Other Canon Books: The Living Force, by John Jackson Miller, and The Glass Abyss, by Steve Barnes. There seems to be a pattern to Star Wars publishing lately, namely that early in the year we get the latest High Republic, then in the spring a standalone canon novel, another standalone at the end of the summer, and then the High Republic again in the fall and winter. The Living Force, about the Jedi High Council on a mission in the Outer Rim, will release in April, while The Glass Abyss, about Mace Windu, will be out in August. I’m looking forward to both books.

Skeleton Crew. This show has been talked about for a long time now, but because of the writer’s strike (which I absolutely supported), it looks like this one won’t be out until the end of the year. I’m okay with that, as it’s the thing this year that I’m the least excited about, but I will certainly be happy to watch it. It’s about a bunch of kids going on adventures in the galaxy, to put it very basically. It stars Jude Law as a Force-sensitive who looks after these lost children; the show is being billed as a fun family adventure. Perfect for Christmastime.

As of this writing, Andor Season Two is not on the roster for 2024 and seems to be slated for release in 2025.

What about you? What Star Wars projects are you most excited about? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

I rank Star Wars streaming content from 2023

Now that 2023 is over, I thought I’d do a personal ranking of the streaming content we got in Star Wars during the course of the year (excepting Young Jedi Adventures, which I have not watched). Here’s my list, beginning with my favorite, on down to my least favorite:

One of the most wrenching scenes of TBB S2 (besides *that* one): Crosshair is brought to the brink.

The Bad Batch S2. I think you all know how much I love the Bad Batch, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Season 2 had some great story arcs, more characterization, a new villain, and some heartbreaking moments. The Clone Conspiracy arc was especially fantastic; Echo and Tech both got some quality-time episodes that help us understand their characters more; Dr. Hemlock is creepy, cold-hearted, ambitious, and probably a little insane; and Plan 99–well, you know. I’d like to give a shoutout to Crosshair’s episodes, The Solitary Clone and The Outpost, as nominees for Best Star Wars content probably ever. Once we see a trailer for Season 3, my anticipation will reach a fever pitch, lol.

Oh Baylan, we hardly knew ye. The mystery of Baylan Skoll was one of highlights of Ahsoka, as well as the great performance of the late Ray Stevenson.

Ahsoka. This series was a bit uneven for me, but I still enjoyed it immensely. I will say it’s basically Rebels Season 5, but it was great to see some of my favorite animated characters in live-action. It has great mystical elements (Dathomirian witches!), warp-speed space whales, zombie stormtroopers, ancient artifacts, lots and lots of lightsaber battles, Baylan Skoll (he warrants a category of his own), the return of Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn, and oh yeah, Anakin Skywalker in the World Between Worlds. It was quite the spectacle, it was fun, and I love Ahsoka.

I loved the look of this episode (“Sith”) and the theme of leaving your past behind to become a better person. Also: Force Art.

Visions S2. I really enjoyed Season 1 of Visions–I thought it was a great way to get new, original Star Wars-inspired stories. I had some clear favorites, while others didn’t grab me, but overall it was great fun. So I was excited to learn about Season 2, and I think I loved it even more. Every single episode was a strong installment for me, and I loved the global feeling of this season as well. Some standouts for me were Sith, Screecher’s Reach, and The Spy Dancer. But seriously, I loved them all. I hope we get more Visions in the coming years.

“Bad baby!” Grogu is always the best part of The Mandalorian.

The Mandalorian S3. Sad to say, this was my least favorite Star Wars offering of last year. I’m not saying it was bad; it was entertaining, and I enjoyed it. But it just didn’t grab me the way the first two seasons did. Part of this is because a good portion of it consists of the Mandalorians trying to get along with each other as they attempt to retake their homeworld (I’m not sure why, since it’s almost completely destroyed), and Din and Grogu’s part in it. That’s fine, I understand why this story needed to be told, but I really just prefer the more intimate story of Din and Grogu, what they mean to each other, and their adventures together. I hope we get more of that if a Season 4 happens; the Mandoverse is in a bit of flux right now. Will we get a S4? What about an Ahsoka S2? How will Filoni’s movie fit into it all? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, but this is the only series I have not rewatched yet, and that says a lot.

What about you? What was your favorite Star Wars streaming content last year? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Star Wars Chat Pack: What one Force ability would you choose and why?

First of all, Happy New Year friends! With the new year, I have a slew of new plans, goals, and ideas, including post ideas for the blog. I’ll be blogging more and testing these ideas out, so stay tuned.

I thought I’d start with going back to the Star Wars Chat Pack and do a question once a month, just because it’s fun. Today’s question is: What one Force ability would you choose and why?

Hands down, my choice would be Force Healing. Maybe not as cool or sexy as lightsaber skills or telekinesis, but I can’t think of anything more satisfying than being able to heal someone’s injuries or illness or take away their pain. I think it’s a rare ability, but it would certainly be a valuable one.

Rey had healed a vexis, a monster snake in TROS. It’s a bit of foreshadowing, as she calls Kylo Ren a “snake” and then heals him later in the film as well.

I feel like we don’t see too many examples of this ability before Rey in the Sequel trilogy. Maybe in Clone Wars or some Legends books here and there, but when I saw Rey heal that big snake, I thought, Wow, Jedi can do that? Now we see Grogu with the ability. But it makes total sense. The Force is life energy itself. Why shouldn’t someone who can influence the Force be able to transfer some to an injured or sick being?

There’s nothing worse than watching someone you love (or just anybody, really) suffer in pain and not be able to do anything about it. So that’s why I’d choose Force Healing as my Jedi ability.

What about you? What one Force ability would you choose? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My Favorite Dystopian/Apocalyptic Books

I’m a fan of dystopian fiction, but I’m a bit finicky about it. I tend to stay away from Young Adult dystopian (no Hunger Games or Divergent series, thank you). I usually like more literary-minded picks, but there are exceptions. I’ve been reading Octavia Butler, so I started thinking about my favorite dystopian novels. Here they are, in no particular order:

The Stand, by Stephen King (1978).

How it all ends: Accidental release of deadly bio-weapon

Basic premise/plot: A superflu kills 99% of the population; the survivors must choose between the powers of good and evil for the fate of humankind, following either Mother Abigail (good) or Randall Flagg (evil).

My thoughts: One of my first Stephen King reads, and one of my favorites. It’s a huge book with a ton of characters, but gripping for the most part. It’s been years since I’ve read it, but there are memorable characters I’ll never forget: Trashcan Man, in particular, who likes to set garbage (or anything, really) on fire–and even sets a whole empty city on fire; Tom Cullen, the mentally-challenged guy who is always spelling moon (“M-O-O-N, that spells moon.”) King is always entertaining.

Adaptations: I’ve seen the 1994 miniseries with Gary Sinise as Stu Redman and Molly Ringwald as Frannie. I liked it, for the most part. I haven’t watched the 2020 version, but maybe I’ll put it on my list.

The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood (1985).

How it all ends: Subjugation of women through theocracy take-over.

Basic premise/plot: In the near future, America has been taken over by a theocracy and renamed The Republic of Gilead; in a world of dwindling birthrates, women of child-bearing age have become property with no rights and used by wealthy couples to have children.

My thoughts: I read this book years ago, and it outraged me. Not the book itself, which is brilliant, but what happens in the book. I was young and couldn’t imagine such a thing coming to pass, couldn’t imagine women’s rights being so eradicated and reduced to basically medieval status. Ah, the naivete of youth. Now, it not only outrages me, but scares the hell out of me. Because it absolutely could happen, as far-fetched as it sounds. I won’t get into politics here, but let’s just say I’m not too optimistic about women’s rights just about now.

Adaptations: There was a 1990 film that I never saw (and I heard it wasn’t very good), but I’ve watched the first season of the series on Hulu in 2017. It’s fairly true to the book with a few smart changes, and was sobering and upsetting to watch. In fact, I decided not to watch the following seasons because I just couldn’t bear it, lol. I’m someone who can get through every brutal season of Game of Thrones, but this show just hit a nerve for me and I couldn’t continue.

Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel (2014).

How it all ends: Worldwide Deadly Pandemic

Basic premise/plot: A worldwide pandemic has nearly destroyed the human population; a group of actors and musicians travel the countryside in the Great Lakes region to entertain the survivors with Shakespeare and classical music, as they believe “Survival isn’t enough.”

My Thoughts: I adored this book. I mean, it’s tragic that the flu happened, but the story and the writing is wonderful. If you’re looking for a Mad Max kind of post-apocalyptic world here, you won’t find it–it’s too quiet. There’s just not enough people. But those who are left behind find a way to survive, and this particular group–actors and musicians–try to bring a little joy back into life through art. It makes you think about what makes life worth living, beyond survival. It’s about art and memory and what lasts. There’s a bit of danger from a religious zealot (of course), but it’s the connections between past and present that’s really interesting to me.

Adaptations: HBO Max has a miniseries adaptation, but I haven’t seen it. It sounds like a lot of changes have been made, and I love the book so much, I don’t want to experience that.

The Road, by Cormac McCarthy (2006).

How it all ends: Unknown; landscape destruction and societal breakdown.

Basic premise/plot: An unidentified disaster has reduced civilization to rubble and anarchy. A man and his ten year old son travel the dangerous landscape, heading south along the east coast for warmer weather and hope.

My Thoughts: This is a very difficult book to read. I’m not talking about the language; it’s simple and clear. But the subject matter is so damn heavy. There’s been some vague disaster (I think it’s clever that we, the readers, don’t know what it is, because it puts us in the characters’ shoes–they don’t know, either.) It doesn’t really matter what happened, only that it destroyed life as we know it. A nameless man and his ten year old son traverse an ash-covered wasteland, heading south along the Atlantic coast in search of warmer weather. They must find food and shelter along the way, and avoid those who would steal from them or kill them. Cannibalism is a very real thing (there’s a few scenes concerning this that traumatized me, lol). The man is determined to keep his son alive and safe, though he knows he himself his dying. His son, a sweet, good boy despite the horrors he’s seen, “carries the fire,” which I interpret as the light of civilization, the hope for humankind. It’s a very dark read, but does offer some hope.

Adaptations: There’s a 2009 movie with Viggo Mortensen as the Man and Kodi Smit-McPhee as the Boy. I thought it was a great adaptation, and not just because I love Viggo.

The Passage/The Twelve/City of Mirrors, by Justin Cronin (2010-2016).

How it all ends: Accidental release of scientific experiment that turns humans into vampire-like creatures.

Basic premise/plot: A scientific experiment intending to make humans stronger goes awry; it instead turns the test subjects into vampire-like creatures who escape and either kill or transform the rest of the human population into more of them. The key to saving humankind resides in a little girl named Amy.

My Thoughts: I was totally mesmerized by this trilogy of books. It was recommended to me by my sister, who had read the first book, and I instantly fell into it. My sister ended up not reading the next two books, lol, but I tore into them eagerly. It alternates between past and present, from just before the experiment destroys the population, to a hundred years into the future with people trying to deal with the aftermath. Each book gets closer to the origin of the experiment and how it all went wrong, and how those in the future will begin a new era.

Parable of the Sower/Parable of the Talents, by Octavia E. Butler (1994, 1998).

How it all ends: Societal breakdown and anarchy; theocracy take-over.

Basic premise/plot: In the 2020’s, society has broken down into violence, illiteracy, drug addiction, and corporate slavery. Precocious 15-year-old Lauren Olamina sees the direction her world is going in. After her walled neighborhood is attacked and destroyed, she heads north from LA to northern California with a group of survivors, traversing the dangerous roads, determined to survive and start a new way of living.

In Talents, Olamina and her people have been living in their new community, Acorn, for five years, and it’s beginning to grow and thrive; she and her husband have a baby, Larkin. But disaster strikes–the community is raided by Jarrett’s Crusaders, an extremist group from Christian America; the men and women are enslaved and the children abducted. They live in abject slavery and horror for seventeen months. When they’re finally free, Olamina must decide how to rebuild her life, and Earthseed. Her husband was killed and her two month old baby taken, while her passion about Earthseed is stronger than ever.

My Thoughts: I really wish Butler had been able to write her intended third book in this series, because I did not want to say goodbye to these characters and this story. Talents ended in 2090, with Earthseed flourishing and fulfilling their Destiny, but Olamina and her daughter, finally reunited years after the disaster, have a strained relationship. The ending was fairly rushed, and I think Butler intended to write more about Olamina’s final years, and her struggles with establishing Earthseed and her relationship with both her daughter and her brother, in the third book, which she was going to call Parable of the Trickster. But alas, we will never know that story. These books will stay with me for a long while.

Adaptations: I’ve heard that an adaptation is in the works; A24 has bought the rights and slated to be directed by Garret Bradley, but no other details as of yet.

I’m sure I’ve overlooked other dystopian books that I’ve read over the years, but these are the ones that come to mind and I loved the most.

What are your favorite dystopian stories? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

My December Entertainment Update

Hello friends! Time to talk about what’s been entertaining me lately.

Quest of the Jedi Book 1: The Way of the Apprentice, by Jude Watson. I needed an e-book to read, and after not finishing the series The Last of the Jedi, lol, I decided to try this one. It’s the first in a series chronicling the adventures of a young Anakin and Obi-Wan. Like the other series, these are short junior novels, quick, fun reads. This one has Obi-Wan and Anakin sent to a planet in trouble with two sets of other Padawan/Masters that includes Siri and Ferus Olin (I’ve finally gone back far enough to meet him as a Padawan). The planet has been devasted by some kind of bio-weapon disaster, and the Jedi are supposed to help the planet evacuate. Of course, the story becomes more complicated than that, and it’s essentially a story about Anakin learning (or not learning) how to work with other Padawans. I’ve started Book 2, but got distracted by If It Bleeds, by Stephen King. I’ll get back to it.

Ahsoka Rewatch. I decided to rewatch Ahsoka since a friend of mine at work said he was going to watch it, so we could discuss. But he’s been so obsessed with Loki, he hasn’t even gotten past Part 2. Sigh. Oh well, I enjoyed the rewatch, and like it even better on the second watch. It all seems to come together better when you can binge it rather than waiting a week between episodes, idk. Part 5, Shadow Warrior, remains my favorite episode, but I also just adore Ezra, too. And Baylan continues to intrigue. So many great moving parts to this series, though it comes off a little clunky as a whole.

Parable of the Talents, by Octavia E. Butler. In Progress. I’m about halfway done with this book, and I’m totally engrossed. The sequel to Parable of the Sower, it tells of Lauren Olamina and her Earthseed group finally finding safety and relative peace at Acorn, the community they build together in northern California. But disaster and tragedy strike when The Children of Christian America, a fanatical religious group, descends on the community, enslaves the adults, and steals their children. Very difficult part to read, but Lauren finally escapes and is trying to find her infant daughter. I’m eager to see how this one ends. Butler had planned on a third book but unfortunately she died of a stroke in 2005 before she could write it.

If It Bleeds, by Stephen King. In Progress. I was feeling in a bit of a King mood lately, so I thought I’d check this one out. I’ve always enjoyed his shorter fiction, sometimes more than his novels. I’ve only just started the first story, so not much to report on this one. More next month.

Timeless Heroes: Indiana Jones and Harrison Ford. Saw this a few weeks ago and of course watched it. Harrison Ford and Indiana Jones are intrinsically linked, obviously, and this documentary was about both. I’ve always been an Indy fan but I have my favorites (Raiders and The Last Crusade). And I’ve followed Ford’s career but have by no means seen all his films. I also have favorites of those (Blade Runner, Witness and Regarding Henry are top notch). This doc follows Ford’s career, but particularly focuses on the evolution of the Indiana Jones franchise. I did like the interviews with Ford and I decided I like him a little bit better, as in the past few years he just seemed like an ungrateful jerk, lol. Perhaps just misunderstood, but in these interviews he really radiated a warmth concerning these films that redeemed him a bit for me.

New book announced: The Glass Abyss, by Stephen Barnes. I always get excited when new Star Wars canon books are announced, and this one is no exception. I’m really hopeful about this one, because, as you may know, I’ve never been a big Mace Windu fan. He’s just unlikable, lol. I want to like him, though, and in the past have tried to read the Legends Mace book, Shatterpoint, in the hopes of understanding why people love him so much. But I just couldn’t get into it at all. Maybe a canon book will do better for me, as I prefer canon to Legends. Anyway, this one comes out in August of 2024, so not for awhile. Steven Barnes wrote the Legends book The Cestus Deception, which I have on my shelf but haven’t read yet, lol.

Anyway, this is the plot summary:

The Jedi are reeling from Qui-Gon Jinn’s sudden death at the hands of a Sith. Jedi Master Mace Windu’s feelings about Qui-Gon have always been complicated, and have not been made any simpler in death. While they often disagreed, Mace valued Qui-Gon’s unique perspective, and their shared dedication to the Force made them allies. Without Qui-Gon and his unorthodox views, Mace feels out of balance.

While considering his fallen friend’s legacy, Mace is surprised to receive a final message from Qui-Gon, marked to be delivered to Mace on the event of Qui-Gon’s death. The message contains a last request: a plea to help the Outer Rim planet of Metagos.

Many years ago, a violent solar flare transformed the surface of the desert planet into a landscape of irradiated glass—as beautiful as it is dangerous. Now most of the surviving inhabitants live underground, where rival clans fight to control the planet’s limited resources. As a young Jedi, Qui-Gon protected the Sa’ad farming clan from the planet’s less scrupulous factions. The Sa’ad practice the art of dream-weaving, retaining their waking minds upon sleep in order to communicate and coexist with the wild creatures around them. Qui-Gon vowed to return if they ever required his aid, but now it falls to Mace to fulfill that promise. The Sa’ad’s leader, KinShan Nightbird, has begged for the Jedi’s help in freeing Metagos from the crime lords who threaten to eradicate her people’s way of life.

Intent on fulfilling Qui-Gon’s final wishes, Mace travels to Metagos and infiltrates the enemies of the Sa’ad. But as the Jedi Master investigates the intricate web of adversaries and allies, Mace finds himself pushed to the boundaries of the Jedi code, challenging his beliefs and his relationship to the Force itself.
Amazon

Sounds good to me.

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

My Entertainment Update for November

Hello friends! As I was busy in November doing my NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) Challenge, I waited until the end of the month to post my Entertainment Update, instead of mid-month. There’s a few things to talk about, so I’ll be as brief and to the point as possible.

Crimson Climb, by E.K. Johnston. At the beginning of the movie Solo, a young Han Solo attempts to escape the White Worm gang on Corellia with Qi’ra. He succeeds; she doesn’t. She gets dragged back to the White Worm lair and faces the consequences. This book covers the first year after her failed escape attempt: Lady Proxima punishes her and sells her to a violent criminal; she’s then plucked from him by an associate of Dryden Vos, and becomes a member of Crimson Dawn. The book tells of her rise in that criminal organization to Vos’ lieutenant, the Qi’ra we see later in Solo when Han meets up with her again. I enjoyed the book, though it wasn’t a page-turner for me. I get the feeling we’re going to get a Qi’ra trilogy from Johnston, in the same way we got a Padme trilogy from her. I do like this idea. I wouldn’t say I like Qi’ra; she’s done some pretty bad stuff. But I do admire her smarts and her drive to survive. I was going to do a post on other Qi’ra-related content (comics and books, etc) but got side-tracked by the Chat Pack, so maybe I’ll do that next.

The Eye of Darkness, by George Mann. The long-awaited first book of Phase 3 of the High Republic released this month, and I tore through it pretty quickly. After a detour into the past with Phase 2, we now go back to the Phase 1 characters we know and love: Avar Kriss, Elzar Mann, Bell Zettifar and Burryaga. I was particularly happy to see Avar Kriss as a main protagonist; after meeting and really liking the character in Light of the Jedi, the first High Republic novel, she then retreated mostly to the comics for the rest of the saga so far. I loved seeing her in action again in a novel. Another character I haven’t seen in a novel since LOTJ and whose been in the comics is Porter Engle, who is also one of the main characters here. Both he and Avar are trapped behind the Stormwall, an impenetrable barrier put up by Marchion Ro, leader of the Nihil. Ro has claimed a large portion of the galaxy, calling it the Occlusion Zone, and the people who live within it are at his mercy. Boiling it down, Avar and Porter are trying to find a way out, while Elzar Mann, and Bell and Burryaga, are trying to find a way in, but of course it’s much more than that. This book really deserves its own post, because it’s fantastic and I loved every minute of it.

Star Wars Myths and Fables, by George Mann. I downloaded this to my Kindle because I needed something to read there, and it was free through Prime, lol. And I’d just read George Mann’s High Republic novel and loved it, so why not read him again? This was very different from that, of course, as it’s set up as a telling of, well, myths and fables. These stories are straight exposition, as if told around a campfire or as a bedtime story. They’re fairly entertaining, and Mann does a good job here, but not my favorite type of story. Just something to read between the major Star Wars reads. I love the cover and wouldn’t mind having the hardcover on my shelf, though.

Parable of the Sower, by Octavia E. Butler. This is a dystopian novel published in 1993, but remains relevant and frighteningly prescient, considering the events of the book take place in 2024-2027. Lauren Olamina is a precocious 15 year old who lives with her family in a walled community in the suburbs of Los Angeles. It’s walled to keep out the thieves, beggars, homeless, drug addicts, and other desperate people who are willing to kill to survive. It’s not easy living within the walls, but it’s a death sentence outside them. Society has broken down to a point where there aren’t many jobs that pay decent money, or money at all, for that matter; some work for food and board. Some flee to corporate-owned towns and cities and basically become slaves to the corporations. Lauren’s father is a preacher, and teaches at the local college (who he’s teaching, I have no idea; illiteracy is running rampant), though it’s precarious travelling to and from work. One day he just doesn’t come home. That’s after her 14 year old brother runs away and decides to try to make it outside the walls; he’s found dead later, horribly mutilated. The police and fire fighters charge fees for their services, which most people can’t afford. Their community is destroyed by “pyro” addicts, who smash through the gate and set fire to the houses, killing people and stealing their things. Lauren, whose remaining family is killed, is set on her journey north on foot, with a few survivors, to try to find a new, safer life. She’s been preparing for this, and has ideas about a new way of living, a kind of new religion called Earthseed, in which “God is Change.” Life on the road is dangerous and heartbreaking, but she meets people willing to join the group and protect each other. I found this book engrossing and terrifying, mostly because it has elements that we already see in our society, but on a larger scale. I can totally see it happening if we’re not careful, if we don’t pay attention and take action. Anyway, there’s a sequel called Parable of the Talents, which I want to read, but I don’t know how much more human suffering and tragedy I can take right now, lol.

Loki Season 2. I’m going to be honest and say I didn’t enjoy this season as much as I did Season One. I started out with “I’m so happy to see these characters again!” to “I have no idea what’s going on” to “This is okay but not great” to “All right, this is pretty good” to “I have no idea what’s going on” again, to “This is really good but now I’m sad.” In other words, it was uneven for me. However, I loved the character arc that Loki went on during the entirety of Seasons One and Two. He’s come full circle, from his arrogant proclamation of “I am burdened with glorious purpose,” to his acceptance of the actual burden of his glorious purpose. In finding that purpose, he had to understand himself, find his heart, make some friends, and realize he needed to give up the people he loved in order to save them. To see him transform like that was very satisfying; I love a good redemption arc. But I was kind of hoping he was going to lead the TVA, not have to sit on that throne all by himself for eternity. But he’s doing what gods do, I guess. Or what they’re supposed to do. At any rate, I have mixed emotions: I’m glad he’s found his glorious purpose, but I’m sad by how lonely it must be. Will this be the last we see of Loki? It seems that way, but I wouldn’t count on it. I also watched Assembled: The Making of Loki S2, which I always enjoy watching.

Snowpiercer. I’ve had this in my Amazon Prime queue for a while now, and decided to finally watch it at the beginning of the month. The premise is this: the world has frozen solid from some last-ditch experiment of launching something into the sky that presumably would “fix” climate change. Instead, it turned the world to ice. The last fragments of humanity are travelling around this ice globe on a train that never stops, circling the world on an endless track for years and years. The problem is, the train is divided into the haves and have-nots. At the front of the train are the haves, I’m guessing the people who originally paid for a spot on the train at the beginning; while the end of the train is for the have-nots, who I’m guessing were desperate people who fought their way onto the train when things went south (or should I say north?). These poor souls are locked in the back cars, cramped and nearly starving, at the mercy of the will of the creator of the train, Wilford. Chris Evans is great as Curtis, who decides to lead a rebellion and bust his way through the train cars to the very front, where Wilford, and the engine, are. It’s quite a journey, and very violent, which I suppose makes sense. Interesting premise, and entertaining.

Whew! It seems like a lot, but I’ve been reading and watching these things since mid-October. What’s been entertaining you lately? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Star Wars Chat Pack: How would a droid help you?

Hey, we made it! Welcome to Day 30 of my NaBloPoMo Challenge, where I randomly pick a card from the Star Wars Chat Pack.

Today’s question is: You’re given a droid in real life. What would you like them to help you with?

Heck yeah, this would be great!

My first thought was: car repair, please god, car repair. We’ve been having some car troubles, and I’m sick of dealing with it. An astromech or droid that deals with mechanical repairs would be most welcome.

We could have used this guy’s help today installing a car battery.

But that’s only an occasional need (usually), and I’m thinking something I could use every day. I’m often exclaiming to my husband, “I need a secretary!”

So my droid would be a protocol droid that’s a personal assistant. This droid would make the phone calls that I hate making: scheduling doctor appointments, or any appointments for that matter, dealing with health insurance issues, ordering medical supplies for my daughter.

Perhaps not Threepio himself, but a similar protocol droid.

This droid could also keep track of things I need to buy, be it food or other products, keep lists, keep track of finances (such as they are), and pay bills. Basically the usual stuff of running a household that takes up my time when I’d rather be reading or writing, lol.

Of course, some light housekeeping would be in order: dishes, laundry, dusting, sweeping, cleaning the bathroom, etc. My spouse helps with this stuff, naturally, but we’ll give him a break too!

The droid could also help me take care of my elderly father, maybe even watch over him when I’m not there. It would probably freak him out, though. Hey, he’s eighty-eight, what can I say?

I just thought of something else: a cooking droid!

As long as he just cuts vegetables with those knives, this guy could live in our kitchen.

I’m not much of a cook. My husband knew that when he married me, but I still feel bad making him do most of it, lol. A cook droid would be a welcome addition. I still think I’d take the protocol droid, though.

What about you? What kind of droid would you like to help you in your life? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

So this is the last Chat Pack post for this challenge. It’s been a lot of fun, and it made me think about Star Wars in ways I never have before, but I’m ready to move on to other things. However, I’ve only used 30 cards out of 100, so there’s 70 more to explore in the future! Maybe I’ll do a Chat Pack post once a month or so.

I want to thank everyone who took part in the challenge and answered the questions along with me, particularly Tim from the Canon Padawan (seriously, check out his site, especially if you love clones) and For Tyeth from FTsabersite (awesome lightsaber designs!). Thanks guys, for making this so much fun!

Star Wars Chat Pack: Which Star Wars character is most like you?

Welcome to Day 29 (we’re getting there!) of my NaBloPoMo Challenge, where I randomly draw a card from the Star Wars Chat Pack.

Today’s question is: Which Star Wars character is most like you? What traits do you share?

Let’s see. Not many! Star Wars is full of larger-than-life characters: brave, reckless, dangerous, devious, genius, ambitious, charming, you name it. I’m not really any of these things, lol. But I think I do share a trait or two with certain characters.

I’d like to think I’m kind and compassionate like Obi-Wan. Most of the time.

I tend to be studious and enjoy learning; I’d rather spend time in a library than go on adventures, like Reath Silas.

There aren’t many space-moms in Star Wars (Padme didn’t get a chance; Leia was a career mom who clearly loved her child but lost him). But I do like Miramir, Rey’s mother, and admire the lengths she went to in order to protect her child. Oh, and Shmi is a great mom, too.

I’m an animal lover, like Ezra. He’s also a little goofy, which I can relate to, lol.

And let’s not forget: I’m always hungry, like Grogu.

So not one person in particular; just certain parts of many characters. And I suspect that’s true for most of us.

What about you? Which character(s) are you most like? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Star Wars Chat Pack: Would nine-year-old you go to the Temple?

Welcome to Day 28 of my NaBloPoMo Challenge, where I randomly pick a card from the Star Wars Chat Pack.

Today’s question is: You’re nine years old, like Anakin Skywalker, and a Jedi offers to take you away from home for training. Would you go?

No. As much as I love the idea of the Jedi, and think it would be cool to be one, at nine years old, I never would have left my family. It would have worked much better if I’d been taken at birth. That’s why the Jedi do it, of course. Less traumatic for the kids, and the Jedi can shape their young minds from the very beginning.

I was much too close to my family, as well as shy and reserved, and would not have done well in a new, strange place like that. Besides, my mother would never have allowed it. No one takes her babies, lol. Best to just let whatever powers I had fade away.

Besides, look what happened to Anakin. It didn’t end well, obviously. It began a chain of events that led to tragedy and the galaxy falling into darkness. Not that that would happen anytime they took an older child–there is precedent in the Order for taking in older Force-sensitive kids (Zeen in the High Republic, for example), but not to be trained as Jedi Knights. They can find a place of belonging, and fulfill other roles in the Temple. But Qui Gon was adamant that Anakin was the Chosen One and needed to be trained as a Knight, and I think this was what Yoda and the Council objected to. They were right, of course; but so was Qui Gon, from a certain point of view.

So, not me. What about you? Would you give up your family at nine to train as a Jedi? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!