If you like romance in Star Wars, this one’s for you.
So I’ve finished The Princess and the Scoundrel this week, and I enjoyed it immensely. Most books I’ve read with Han and Leia in them have the two separated, on different adventures or missions, but this one necessarily has them together during the whole book. It’s the story of their wedding and honeymoon, after all. And because they’re together the whole time, we get all of their arguments, banter, and romance (oh, the kissing that takes place!), all the time. And it’s awesome! They get to know each other better and try to figure out what this whole marriage thing is about. Oh yeah, and they save a crumbling moon from the remnants of the Empire, yadda yadda (I jest; it’s a good story). I think the author, Beth Revis, really nailed the characters of Han and Leia, and their dynamic. It may even be my favorite Star Wars book that was released this year, next to The Fallen Star. I’ve enjoyed all of them, but this one, I think, will have a special place in my heart.
I chose to set aside The Fifth Season in order to finish Princess, but I’ll be getting back to that now, and will have more on that next week
I’ve also downloaded the Ahsoka novel to my Kindle, as there was a $1.99 deal on it, which is something I’ll never pass up. 🙂
When it was announced that Andor was being moved up to Sept. 21, I had wondered if The BadBatch S2 would also get moved up, as it was set to premiere Sept. 18th. Well, I saw that it has, indeed, been moved, but I haven’t seen a new premiere date yet. We’ll just have to wait and see when they’ll drop it.
On Sept. 8th, Disney+ will drop Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi’s Return, a sort of making-of doc about that series. I’m guessing it will be similar to the Gallery series we’ve had about the other shows, and I can’t wait to see it!
Also on Sept. 8th, Thor: Love and Thunder will come to D+. Geez, it’s still playing in my local theater, lol. I probably won’t be rewatching. I love Thor, but this one, while it had me laughing, also left me disappointed. I kind of wish I had laughed less and was invested more in the story.
That’s about it this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!
So I’m almost done with Black Spire–about 50 pages to go, and I’m hoping to finish it before Padawan arrives. Because once the Obi-Wan book is in my hands, Vi Moradi will have to wait…again, lol. It’s actually a really good book, and I’ll get more detailed about it after I finish it, but the new ones coming out right now just demand my attention.
Rey’s ready to take on the First Order.
For my Kindle, I’ve downloaded Spark of the Resistance, by Justina Ireland. It’s a middle-grade book about Rey, Rose and Poe on an impromptu mission to the planet Minfar to help the locals there fight off the First Order. I’m several chapters in, and it’s pretty good. I’ve read a few books by Justina Ireland, mostly from the High Republic, and she’s very good with the middle-grade and YA books. And I’m hungry for more sequel stories. This one takes place between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.
I’ve watched the first episode of Light and Magic on Disney+, the docuseries about Industrial Light and Magic, the special effects company that George Lucas created. It’s fairly entertaining and interesting, but I don’t know if I’m interested enough in the details of special effects to keep watching. I do appreciate the brilliance of these people in bringing to life our beloved stories, and they absolutely deserve to have their praises sung. But I don’t know if I’ll take the time to watch all six hour-long episodes.
I’m ready for some more Wolverine.
What I may want to do with my time instead is watch Logan and Deadpool, which are now available on Disney+. They’ve been on the top of my list to complete my Marvel movie marathon I did last summer, but I never got around to buying them to watch. Now I can watch them with my D+ subscription. Yay!
Speaking of Marvel, I’ve seen the wonderful Wakanda Forever trailer, and will probably be going to the theater to see it when it releases in November. But all the other Marvel Phase 6 stuff that was unveiled at the recent San Diego Comic-Con? Eh, I don’t know. I WILL be watching Loki Season Two (!!!), and probably Guardians of the Galaxy 3, as well as Wakanda, but all the new stuff, like Ironheart, Echo, Blade, etc? Probably not. I can never get enough Star Wars, but it seems I CAN get enough Marvel. At least, going forward, I’ll cherry pick my Marvel viewings. I haven’t even watched Ms. Marvel, and I heard it was quite good.
Mon and Cassian, the two faces of the early Rebellion.
Anyway, Logan and Deadpool are definitely on the horizon for me, but what I’m really waiting for is Andor. Getting really excited to fall deep into the 12 episodes for Season 1. I like Cassian’s character, but what I’m really looking forward to is Mon Mothma’s part of the story. We saw her a little bit in the Clone Wars as a Senator of the Republic, a little bit in Rebels when she leaves the Imperial Senate to lead the Rebellion, a little bit in Rogue One, her small part in ROTJ, and in the Aftermath books as Chancellor of the New Republic. We get little glimpses of her here and there, but she’s become such an important part of the Rebellion, it will be nice to see more of her story and how she operates in the Imperial Senate before the Rebellion coalesces into the Alliance. One more month!
That’s it this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!
Marvel’s Moon Knight, starring Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke, premiered this past Wednesday, and I was very much entertained.
Isaac’s Steven Grant is a “gift shoppist” in a London Museum, and is, quite frankly, wishy-washy. But the reason for this is that his life is, well, kind of falling apart. It soon becomes apparent why he goes to bed with leg restraints, has a circle of sand around his bed, and tapes up his door. He has very real “nightmares” in which he finds himself in strange places and has no idea what’s going on.
In this first episode, he finds himself in what looks like Switzerland, being chased by two men with guns. He runs into a town where a bizarre cult-like meeting is going on. Hawke’s character, Arthur Harrow (who puts crushed glass in his shoes in the opening scene…uh, okay) uses some ancient-looking cane to judge people’s souls, the results of which show on the shape-shifting tattoo of scales on his arm. He seems to be the vessel for an ancient Egyptian goddess (whose name escapes me right now).
Arthur asks politely for the scarab.
Anyway, the two guys with guns work for him, and Steven comes to his attention. He apparently has some scarab jewel that Harrow wants, and Steven very much wants to give it to him so they’ll leave him alone. But he can’t–at this point, he figures out that he’s sometimes under the control of someone else, and can hear a voice in his head (who calls him “the idiot”). This person makes it impossible for Steven to give Harrow the scarab.
A chase ensues. He’s cornered, and something happens–he blacks out, and when he comes to, Harrow’s pursuers are dead around him. He steals a cupcake truck and flees, and more henchmen pursue him down the long, windy roads of Switzerland. Steven, of course, is completely out of his element–but when things seem to get really bad, he blacks out, and someone ends up dead. And the voice continues to insult him in his ear. The most he can do is smash cupcakes into some guy’s face, which was hilarious to me.
Anyway, he finally wakes up in his own bed and laughs because of course it was a dream. Right? But things get worse from there. There’s something different about his goldfish–it’s got two fins instead of his usual one. He’s lost two days, because somehow he’d made a date with a hot chic (this is a guy who has no friends and talks to a statue) for Friday night, but it’s now Sunday. He finds a burner phone and calls someone named “Layla” who calls him Mark, and who is confused by his British accent. There’s also a key to…something. Then something weird starts to happen in his apartment; it begins to shake like there’s an earthquake. He runs into the hallway and into the elevator, and some strange being in white robes and a beak mask nearly attacks him. But it’s only an old lady, who thinks he’s a little bit cuckoo.
Steven was a little late for his date.
The next day he goes to work at the museum, but he see Arthur Harrow on the bus. He runs into the museum, and Arthur corners him there. He uses the weird cane to judge him, and the scale tattoo shifts. He tells Steven, “Your soul is chaos.” No kidding. They’re interrupted by museum goers, and Harrow lets him go.
Steven goes to work pricing souvenirs like nothing’s happened (I think I’d go straight to the nearest mental hospital and check in). Naturally, he’s one of the last people there, and as the lights start to go out, he hears something. Like a fool, he goes to investigate, and ends up getting chased by some kind of Anubis-looking creature, clearly at the behest of Harrow. He runs like hell and ends up in a bathroom with lots of mirrors. That’s when he hears a voice–not the insulting voice of before, but his own voice, in an American accent. Steven finally looks over to the mirror, and sees himself there, but it’s not him, either. The other Steven (or Mark, I’m guessing) pleads with him to let him help. As the creature claws through the door and leaps, Steven passes out and Moon Knight, in white robes and mask with glowing eyes, appears and slaughters the thing. And that’s the end of Episode 1.
“Let me help us, Steven.”
So yeah, it was just about as crazy as I figured it would be. I’m liking it, though. I need to keep watching so I can figure out WTF is going on, lol. It’s all tied up in ancient Egyptian lore and gods, and I’m wondering how Mark is inhabiting Steven (multiple personalities?) but who is the other, insulting voice, voiced by F. Murray Abraham and identified in the credits as Khonshu? So many questions…
I’m pretty intrigued and am looking forward to the rest of the show.
Did you watch Moon Knight? What did you think? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!
I’m done with my reread of The Rising Storm, by Cavan Scott, and as I mentioned last week, I enjoyed it more the second time around. The crux of the story revolves around the Republic Fair on the planet Valo, which is attacked by the villainous Nihil. Jedi Masters Stellan Gios and Elzar Mann lead the Jedi in defending against the attack, along with Padawan Bell Zettifar and his devoted charhound, Ember.
Aw, what a sweet doggie. She blows fire out of her mouth.
I easily finished the book before The Fallen Star arrives at my door. The next High Republic book by Claudia Gray was released January 4th, but delivery being what it is these days, I’m not expecting it for a few more days. Waiting is hard….but while I’m waiting, I’ll start the middle-grade book Race to Crashpoint Tower, by Justine Ireland. It also takes place during the attack at the Republic Fair, but from the point of view of young Jedi Knight Ram Jamoram (that just rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?). It was only 99 cents on Kindle, so why not? 🙂
Meanwhile, I’ve finished my rewatch of the sequel trilogy, with The Last Jedi and The Rise ofSkywalker. One of the most interesting aspects of the sequels for me, personally, is my flip-flopping of how I feel about Kylo Ren. After hating him in The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi delves a little more into his history and your feelings soften for him a little bit. You feel a little sorry for him, lol. But then at the beginning of TROS, he’s hardened again, and you think maybe he’s lost for good and there’s no hope for him. Right up until his and Rey’s last duel on the wrecked Death Star, he’s implacable.
Indeed.
And then, suddenly, his mother reaches out to him, and something answers. Rey deals him the death blow, and then heals him. And then the incredibly emotional scene with Han Solo happens, and he throws his wobbly lightsaber into the sea, and you know Ben’s back. It did seem really quick, but then again, throughout the sequels he’d been as wobbly as that lightsaber, feeling the pull of the light, struggling, torn, miserable. I really didn’t know which way he’d go until the very end. He’s one of the most interesting characters in Star Wars, in my opinion, and it helps that Adam Driver is such a great actor.
So, onto the second episode of The Book of Boba Fett, The Tribes of Tatooine. This was a great episode, and a lot happened, with a lot to take in. Hutts! A terrifying Wookiee named Black Krrsantan! Pykes and spice! A dream-inducing lizard up the nose! So many cool things. I like how we’re getting more cultural stuff about the Tuskens–we got a little bit in The Mandalorian, and there’s some interesting stuff in the book Kenobi that I recently read (although it’s Legends). They’re more than just savage brutes. I’m just learning that the warrior that teaches Boba how to fight with the gaffi stick is a female, which is awesome. (She’s played by stuntwoman Joanna Bennett).
This is one scary Wookiee. He and Boba have a history in the comics.
But besides all that, I think it’s important that we see Boba’s spiritual journey in these flashback scenes. Once he climbed out of that Sarlacc, he was reborn, and now he has to face trials, both physical and spiritual, to figure out who he really is and what he wants now. He needs to become more than his father’s clone, more than a bounty hunter. In Legends, Boba also escapes the Sarlacc, but he remains a bounty hunter for the rest of his life, for the most part. As a main character now, he needs to be more than that, and I think this show is doing a great job telling that story. I love the soundtrack, by the way.
So with this new year, I’m going to be doing more blog posts, and I’ll write briefly about that in my Monday post. Stay tuned.
That’s it for now; what’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!
So this week I’m finally reading our latest book club novel “Abigale Hall” by Lauren A. Forry. It’s a gothic tale that takes place in the aftermath of WW II in England. Seventeen year old Eliza Haverford and her troubled 12 year old sister Rebecca have lost their parents in the war; their Aunt Bess sends them to work in Abigale Hall in Wales. There they meet the stern Mrs. Pollard, the housekeeper, who takes care of the owner of the house, Mr. Brownawell. But–you guessed it–there’s something strange going on in the old run-down house: strange lights and noises, bloodied books, terrifying dreams, and mysterious predecessors. And Rebecca’s fragile mental health is getting worse. It’s a weird, spooky read, and I’m enjoying it so far.
I’m still working my way through Claudia Gray’s Master & Apprentice, but will probably finish it soon. I’m thinking I’ll reread Kenobi by John Jackson Miller, as I’m in an Obi-Wan kind of mood considering all the hype about the series coming up next year. More on that soon.
First, in movies I watched The Outsiders, based on S.E. Hinton’s book. My daughter had read in in her English class, and I read it along with her. I read it ages ago when I was a teen, and remembered liking it. My daughter’s class also watched the movie based on the book; I had never seen it, so I watched it on Youtube so we could talk about it. It was really a blast seeing all these future 80’s superstars before they were famous; it was a laundry list of 80’s teen heartthrobs, lol. The movie was actually pretty good–it stayed close to the book, and only omitted a few things for time. I would have loved to see more of the relationship between the Curtis brothers: Darry, Sodapop and Ponyboy. It’s a great story about the class divide and the futility of violence; the fact that teachers are still assigning it now, a book about youth gangs in the 1960’s, shows that the themes are still relevant today, and probably always will be. Stay gold, Ponyboy.
Recognize these faces? My daughter wrote her school essay on Johnny. I informed her Ralph Macchio just turned 60 years old, and she got a kick out of that, lol.
So there was a lot of hype about Disney+ day this past Friday, and a lot of excitement building around what revelations they may offer us. I will admit I haven’t seen everything–it wasn’t some big special but bits and pieces offered on social media. I’ve seen the sizzle reel of the Obi-Wan show, and while it’s exciting, I think most of us were hoping for a real trailer. No such luck. There was some really intriguing concept art that was shown, which people will be speculating about for the foreseeable future. We’re just going to have be patient, lol. But surprisingly, there wasn’t a lot of Star Wars stuff, which is disappointing.
I did check out the Boba Fett special Under the Helmet, a short doc on the popularity of the famous bounty hunter, leading up to the release of The Book of Boba Fett later this year. I missed the whole obsession with Boba over the years, but he’s cool and I’m on board for the show.
Okay, he’s badass.
Marvel seems to have a TON of stuff coming out next year and beyond, and while I probably won’t watch all of it, I’ll definitely be watching some: Loki Season Two is at the top of the list, as well as What If Season Two. Of the new shows, only Hawkeye has caught my attention (very soon!) and something I’d never heard of called Moon Knight with Oscar Isaac. I’m not sure if I’m interested in Agatha: House of Harkness yet. Maybe, we’ll see. I think I can live without She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel, etc. And I’ll be busy with all the Star Wars shows coming out, too, namely Obi-Wan, Andor and The Bad Batch Season Two. There’s only so many hours in the day, lol.
Also, I suspect I’ll still be busy writing my Star Wars fan fiction. I’m still only in the development stage: taking notes and doing character sketches, putting together a rough outline, and doing a LOT of research on Wookieepedia and Youtube. I’d like to think I know a lot about Star Wars, but when you decide to write about that universe, you realize just how much you don’t know. Writing fanfic is a great way to learn about all the stuff you never knew about. It always amazes me how rich and complex the world of Star Wars is. Sometimes I get a little overwhelmed, thinking I can’t dothis, I’ll never get it right, there’s too much, what have I gotten myself into, etc. But I’m determined. I’m going to see it through, and you know what? I’ll learn something, definitely about Star Wars, but also about writing, and myself as a writer. As daunting as it is, it’s also been great fun, too.
Oh, and I’ll be watching Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings on D+ tonight. I’ve heard good things about it, and it should be fun. I’ll write about that in next week’s post.
That’s it for this week. What’s been entertaining you? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!
So I haven’t posted my usual array of blog posts this week, and the reason is simply this: I’ve been using my blogging time to watch Marvel movies, lol.
I started watching the Disney+ show Loki, because I watched the second Thor movie years ago simply on a whim, and the thing I loved most about the movie was the character Loki. I didn’t follow up by watching more Marvel movies, however, because I just wasn’t interested enough.
But when Loki premiered on D+, I knew I wanted to check it out. I’ve watched the first two episodes, and despite not really knowing a thing about Marvel stories or characters, I love it. You don’t really have to; in a way, it’s like The Mandalorian, where a casual fan can just start watching and enjoy it for what it is. But it IS better appreciated if you know a bit more about the Star Wars universe, especially in the second season when all those cameos from other SW content showed up. I figured that would probably happen with Loki, so I decided it might be time to catch up.
I really only wanted to watch the movies with Loki in it, so I began with the three Thor movies. I know there are Avenger movies in between, but that didn’t concern me too much. I finished those, and now I’m halfway into the first Avenger movie.
I have to admit, these movies are super fun. In Thor: Ragnarok, when Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” busted out at the beginning, and again when they faced Hela on Asgard, I just laughed and clapped with delight, it was so awesome.
Despite all the cool heroes in the series, I still feel that Loki is the most interesting character. The “villain” often is, simply because of their complex psychology. What makes them bad? After watching a few of the movies, I think Loki is just a little boy who wants love and attention, lol. Mobius called it by claiming he was a “scared little boy.” But he just can’t help being bad. He is, after all, the god of mischief, the trickster. He covers his pain in humor. He’s so likable in so many ways, it breaks your heart when he betrays someone.
When I watched the first Thor movie, I thought ugh, Thor is such a jerk. Lol. But he grows throughout the movie, and also throughout the series of movies. Loki never changes, really.
But the show, I think, will really start to dig into his psyche, and we’ll see if he’s capable of change. But do we really want him to change?
So I just thought I’d let you know what’s been going on in my entertainment world. I’ll be back to writing Star Wars probably next week. Don’t worry, Star Wars will always be my first love. But here’s Loki with lightsabers for your viewing pleasure:
Have you watched Loki? What do you think of the show? Let me know in the comments, and we’ll talk about it!
Not a lot to talk about this week, really. I loved the latest episode of The Bad Batch, and I’ll talk about that in Monday’s post.
I’ve been working on a post about the heroes of Star Wars–who are my top ten heroes of Star Wars, how would I rank them, and why. I haven’t written a post like this for awhile, and it’s been fun to work on. I’ll probably post that on Tuesday (since I’m not done yet, lol).
I finished my reread of The Light of the Jedi, and am currently rereading Into the Dark, by Claudia Gray. The next YA novel of the High Republic will be coming out in July, and it’s called Out of the Shadows by Justina Ireland. I am absolutely loving the High Republic stories, and am fully invested in these characters and this time. I think it’s because it’s familiar, in that it’s about the Jedi and the Republic (and the Jedi are my favorite part of Star Wars), but it’s also different because of the earlier timeline. I’ve always wanted to know a little bit more about the history of the Jedi, and we’re getting some here in the High Republic books. We’re also getting some tantalizing clues about how the Jedi were different, and what might have happened to lead them to become the kind of Jedi in the prequels (and subsequently lead to their downfall). I find it all very fascinating.
That’s really about it. I’ve noticed on Disney+ that Loki has premiered. I’m not a Marvel or DC fan at all (I don’t even know the difference, or which one he’s from, lol), but I do remember seeing a Thor movie with him in it (I just went along with some friends). I wasn’t too wowed by the movie, but I LOVED the character of Loki. He was the best part of the movie, lol. So I’m thinking about checking it out, even though I know nothing about the universe at all. I’ll probably be lost, but I’ll at least check out the first episode. Any DC/Marvel/Loki fans here? Have you watched the show, and what do you think?
So a week ago, Disney announced its lineup of new Star Wars content coming out in the next few years, and I have to say that I was surprised, overwhelmed, and giddy with all the great stuff coming our way. I’ve chewed on all the information we got, and thought I’d post my reactions to the shows they announced.
Obi-Wan Kenobi. This is the one I’m most looking forward to, and honestly, if they dispensed with everything else and just gave us this one, I’d be happy (but I’m glad they’re not). And who wouldn’t be excited to learn that Hayden freaking Christensen is coming back to Star Wars for this show? Fireworks, stars exploding, and nuclear explosions–all at once–can’t describe how exciting that is. 2022 is SO far away, wah!
Andor. I loved Rogue One, and especially loved Diego Luna’s character of Cassian Andor. I’m sad that he died at the end of that movie (as they all did, of course) but at least we can see him again in this “spy-thriller” type of show. I liked how Rogue One showed the darker aspects of the Rebellion and the tough choices agents like Cassian had to make. I’m sure this show will feature more of that moral ambiguity.
Ahsoka. I’m very excited for this one, as I loved Ahsoka’s guest appearance in The Mandalorian. Naturally, we want more of her. And since she’s looking for Thrawn, it stands to reason we’ll see him, too. And maybe Ezra Bridger? Fingers crossed.
Rangers of the New Republic. I’m not as invested in this one, as pilots and X-wings and whatnot don’t necessarily hold my interest. I can see how some people would love it, though. And I’m presuming Cara Dune will feature in this show (maybe?), in which case I’ll be tuning in. And I’ve heard this one, Ahoska, and The Mandalorian will be crossing over at some point to culminate in one awesome finale. Sounds excellent.
The Acolyte. I’m very excited for the High Republic books that will be coming out next year, and as this show takes place towards the end of that era, I’m looking forward to this show. I believe it will be about some Dark Side powers that will be rising at this time (the Sith, I presume, working under the radar to rise once again). So while the books won’t have Sith in them, this show will show us what they’re up to, I’m guessing.
Lando. I loved both Landos–Billy Dee Williams in the OT and ROS, and Donald Glover in Solo. I’m guessing Glover will continue his role as Lando; and while I don’t necessarily NEED this show, I’ll probably tune in.
The Bad Batch. I thought the Bad Batch introduced in the last season of Clone Wars were interesting and different, a unique take on the clones that we never thought of. But that was about it; my interest ended there. So when I heard about a possible animated series starring the Bad Batch, I thought, meh. But now that I’ve seen the previews, and thought about what might be explored in the show, I’m all aboard for this one. I want to see how Order 66 affected them (if they have chips at all), and how they get on after the end of the Clone Wars and during the rise of the Empire. I’d love to see other clones, too, and what happens to them after Order 66. There’s a lot to explore here, and it could be really awesome.
Rogue Squadron. As I said above, I don’t get too excited about pilots and X-wings and all, so when they announced that the next movie coming out in 2023 would be about Rogue Squadron, I was a bit disappointed. I am, however, thrilled that a woman (Patty Jenkins, director of Wonder Woman) is FINALLY directing a Star Wars movie. I’ll definitely go see it, and who knows? I’ll probably love it.
Visions. This seems to be a series of Star Wars anime shorts. If you love anime and Star Wars, it’s a match made in heaven. I’m more “meh,” about it, but again, who knows? I’m willing to be surprised, and am predisposed to love Star Wars in any form.
A Droid Story. This seems to be an animated series geared toward younger viewers, and concerns a new droid that is guided by C3PO and R2D2. Not at the top of my list, but it could be fun.
And of course, there will be the third season of The Mandalorian around Christmas of next year. I’m wondering how many seasons we’ll actually get, and what direction it will go in, but I’ve loved everything about it so far, so I really don’t care, to be honest! I just want more Mando and Baby, together forever, maybe taking back Mandalore with Bo-Katan. I can’t wait to see where it’s going to go.
I can’t believe we’ve got all this Star Wars content coming out, it’s just so surreal and amazing at the same time. I never would have guessed, back in 1983 when I was 12 years old, that I’d be swooning over so much Star Wars 35 years later. Life is definitely a strange and wondrous thing!
What shows are you looking forward to? Comment below and we’ll talk about it!
The Mandalorian hasn’t captured my interest as of yet, but this one absolutely has. What did Ben Kenobi do on Tattoine all those years watching over Luke? I think that will make a great story.
What do you think of this idea? Comment below and we’ll talk about it!
Your source for everything Obi-Wan Kenobi. This is the companion blog to the @AllThingsKenobi Twitter. Because our love doesn't always fit into 280 characters.
Star Wars and Other Obsessions 