My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello friends, and happy weekend!

Last week, I forgot to mention that I finished Black Spire by Delilah S. Dawson. I was a little wary at first, considering it’s a tie-in to an amusement park; but besides an introduction to the Outpost at the beginning that seemed like a tour at Galaxy’s Edge, I have to say it was a really good book. Vi Moradi, a Resistance spy, and Archex (aka Cardinal), both of whom were in Dawson’s excellent book Phasma, are sent by General Organa to Batuu to set up a Resistance base. Of course, everything goes wrong immediately, and Vi must somehow get back her equipment (which was stolen after they crashed), find and set up a Resistance base, recruit the locals to the cause, and stay out of the First Order’s clutches, who have recently landed. Vi has become one of my favorite Star Wars characters, by the way; she’s tough but compassionate, funny but one hundred percent committed. This poor woman was not only tortured in Phasma, but is beaten and tortured several times in this book as well. As a spy, she’s been trained to deal with torture (which seems kind of appalling to me, but makes sense); she tells another character at one point, “Spy school was fun,” with tongue firmly in cheek. She’s even got a poisoned tooth to get her out of unbearable situations, but she’s never used it. Atta girl.

I also finished Padawan by Kiersten White, about a young Obi-Wan Kenobi. I talked a little bit about in last week’s post, before I finished it. It’s a good book, a great coming-of-age story for Obi-Wan, who learns to trust not only himself, but the Force; and I liked its theme of how those with power must learn how to responsibly wield it. A very fun but also thoughtful book.

I debated on whether or not I wanted to get into the whole “Obi-Wan’s sexuality” controversy brought on by this book, and I just want to say: who cares? A few lines in a book (in which he isn’t explicitly attracted to another male, he’s simply wondering about kissing, well, anyone) isn’t a big deal. Yes, he fell in love with Satine, but the point is, he never acted on any sexual attraction he might have had for anyone during his entire life, as he’s committed to the Jedi Order above anything else. So the argument is moot, in my opinion. People love making mountains out of molehills, and it’s annoying, lol.

Anyway, I’ve been reading the novelization of Solo: A Star Wars Story on my Kindle just for the fun of it, and it made me want to watch the movie again. So I did the other night, and I’m just reminded how much I love this story. Because it is SO much damn fun! And the book delves into a lot of details that the movie leaves out, like what, exactly, happened to Qi’ra after Han escaped Corellia but she didn’t. There’s more about Lando and his delightful idiosyncrasies. And a whole lot more about L3-37, Lando’s revolutionary droid–about how she became who she is, and how she integrated with the Millenium Falcon. Just really cool, neat stuff.

I also watched the Star Wars LEGO Summer Vacation, and as usual, it was fun and delightful. I still think the Holiday Special reigns supreme, but these specials never disappoint. I still think the Emperor steals the show, though, as always, lol. Got a little misty-eyed at the end of the third one when Han tells Ben “I love you,” and Ben says, “I know.” Some high points are Obi-Wan singing “Gamorrean Girls” in Jabba’s palace, and Anakin’s Force ghost showing up in scuba gear, of all things. I’m hoping we someday get to see the sequel crew doing their things–Finn looking for Force-sensitives, Rey searching for Jedi Temples, Poe training X-Wing pilots, and Rose going on relief missions. I want to see ALL of this, okay LF/Disney? Please?

In Marvel news, I heard that there may be a second season of Moon Knight! I hope this is true, because I loved that series. I’m disappointed that in a long list of Emmy nominations, Oscar Isaac did not get an acting nomination. This is criminal, in my opinion. So it’s fantasy, who cares? His performance was phenomenal, I don’t care what anyone says. These kinds of shows always do great in the technical categories (as they should), but for some reason the actors get passed over. And that’s too bad, because they often pour their heart and souls into these roles, and should be taken as seriously as anyone else. Anyway, that’s my rant for the day, lol. Ooh, and I hear he’s not against coming back as Poe Dameron. Whaa??? Don’t get my hopes up, Oscar!

I’m now patiently awaiting The Princess and the Scoundrel by Beth Revis, which comes out on August 16th, but I probably won’t receive it until the next week. That leaves me some time to read another book. I was browsing around my local bookstore when The Fifth Season, by N.K. Jemisin caught my eye. This one’s been on my someday list for a long while, so I finally bought it. I just started it, but I can tell it’s going to be a really different, interesting read. It’s the first non-Star Wars book I’ve picked up in probably over a year, lol, so it will be a nice change of pace.

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

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello friends, and happy weekend!

I’ve been continuing my Black Spire read, and I’m about halfway done. I’m waiting for my copy of Shadow of the Sith from Amazon, but it looks like I won’t get it until early next week. I’m eager to read it, but at least now I have some time to finish Black Spire before I start that one.

On Kindle, I’m re-reading Claudia Gray’s Bloodline. One, because it’s one of my favorite canon novels, and two, because I just want more Leia right now. Feeling the post- Obi-Wan Kenobi blues, lol. At the end of July, Padawan by Kiersten White will release, and so I’ll get some more Obi-Wan goodness.

That’s really it for Star Wars right now.

I had been planning on re-watching Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, but honestly, I’m just not feeling it right now. It was a fun, enjoyable movie–but I don’t love it the way I love his origin story. Which makes me sad, because Dr. Strange is one of my favorite Marvel characters. I guess I just feel like it was more about Wanda/The Scarlet Witch than Dr. Strange. I find Wanda an interesting character, but this was supposed to be about Steven Strange, and she ended up kind of stealing the show. And that makes me kind of grumpy, lol. Anyway, I’ll rewatch it one of these days, and then we’ll see how I feel.

Another show I’ve been thinking about is Stranger Things Season 4. I really got into the first three seasons, but again, I’m just not feeling it right now. Not enough to subscribe to Netflix for a month in order to watch it. Maybe it was gone for too long and it fell off my radar. Maybe I just need to watch the first episode to get back into it. I don’t know; all I want to do is rewatch Obi-Wan Kenobi, lol.

Not much else this week. Kind of boring. To make it a bit more interesting, here’s a few fan art pieces I found and adore:

Another wonderful piece by the talented Uzuri Art. Obi-Wan and his memories of the people he loved.

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

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello friends, and happy weekend!

What’s been on my mind mostly this past week is the Obi-Wan Kenobi finale, but I think I have a to say about that, so I’m going to do a separate post for that. Stay tuned.

In the meantime, I’ve been reading Black Spire by Delilah Dawson, and it’s enjoyable. It takes place after the Battle of Crait, but before The Rise of Skywalker. I like this time period because it shows how the Resistance slowly regained allies after their devastating defeat during The Last Jedi. The story takes its time with the world-building of Batuu, which is understandable since it showcases the main venue of Galaxy’s Edge theme park. It’s fun, though.

A live action Vi Moradi from Black Spire, presumably at Galaxy’s Edge.

I also finished Stories of Jedi and Sith, the middle-grade book of short stories that came out a couple of weeks ago. These were some great stories that starred a multitude of familiar characters, including Qui Gon Jinn, Asajj Ventress, Maul, Luke Skywalker and several others. The one I want to talk about is the Luke one, called Luke On the Brightside, by Sam Maggs.

This story takes place on Hoth, when the Rebels are just beginning to set up their base. Luke and another male character, Sergeant Reye Hollis, are about to work on digging some tunnels, when a cave in nearly buries them. Hollis barely tolerates the sunny Skywalker, but now they have to work together to get out of their mess. The interesting part is that the author implies the two, while bickering, are secretly attracted to each other.

The two are always noticing each other’s bright smiles and nice eyes, and the smell of their hair. Not normally something two men would bother to notice about each other unless they’re attracted to each other. It’s subtle but it’s there.

And let me be clear, I have no problem with this at all. I’m just surprised no one else in a particular part of the fan base has noticed and freaked out about it. Or really anyone in the fandom at least raising their eyebrows. Because this is canon, and let’s be honest, this isn’t some new or minor character. This is Luke freaking Skywalker, lol. To suggest that he’s gay or bisexual is a BIG DEAL. It’s huge. I’m waiting for the outrage, but I haven’t seen it. Maybe because it’s a middle grade book and not many “older” fans–the ones who might take offense–have seen it. Maybe it’s going to take a bit of time, but I have no doubt it will make its way into the land of Star Wars controversy. Me? I kind of like the idea. Bravo for the LF Storygroup going there.

Anyway, if you’re a Legends fan, their are some more new editions to some classics:

I actually have an older cover edition of Revan because I thought I might like to read some Old Republic stuff (I couldn’t get into it), and also an older copy of The Bacta War I found in a used bookstore (haven’t read it yet). These covers are beautiful, though. Yes, it’s a new way to get our money, but I don’t think many serious SW book collectors will complain too much.

That’s it, besides the Obi-Wan finale. I did see that Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness is already on Disney+. It just came out a month or so ago, so I’m wondering why I bothered to go to the movie theater, lol. I can’t believe the turnaround time. I may not even bother going to the theater for the next Thor movie. But maybe I will, lol, we’ll see.

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

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello friends, and happy weekend!

In books this week, I’ve started Galaxy’s Edge: Black Spire. Despite some reservations at first (I thought it might be too gimmicky, considering it’s based on an amusement park, lol), it’s pretty good so far. I like the complicated past between Vi Moradi and Archex, and am looking forward to the evolution of that relationship. I have to admit, though, when Vi walked through Black Spire Outpost on Batuu with a native showing her around, I got some serious “amusement park tour” vibes. That’s okay, though, as long as it pulls through on its promise of an interesting story.

I also finished “Skywalker: A Family At War,” by Kristen Baver. I’d had some reservations about this book, too, but it turned out to be surprisingly entertaining. It’s not in novel form at all, just a straight retelling of what happened to the Skywalkers, beginning with Anakin and ending with Rey. I appreciated Baver’s insight and interpretation of events, and liked reliving the scaled-down story in chronological order.

So now I get to choose a new Kindle book, and I think I’m going to order “Stories of Jedi and Sith,” a new book of short stories that just came out. I kind of forgot about it in my excitement of new novels; plus, I usually buy the middle-grade stuff on Kindle for some reason (don’t want to be caught reading kid’s stuff? Hmm…) Anyway, it should be fun.

Now, onto Obi-Wan Kenobi Part 5.

This was a great episode. I really loved how the director juxtaposed the flashback duel between Obi-Wan and Anakin with the events of the show. It was a great way, not only to get more Anakin in the series, but to show how these two know each other so well. It was a great characterization method.

As predicted by many, it was revealed that Reva had been one of the younglings shown during Order 66 at the beginning of the series. The revelation didn’t really have much of an impact for me, because it just seemed so obvious. And I’m not sure how she survived a lightsaber to the gut as a little girl, and again as an adult. Yeah, the Grand Inquisitor survived his gut-stab (two stomachs or something?) but Reva is human. It beggars belief, but okay.

But there’s still a lot of questions left about Reva: how did she become an Inquisitor? Why is she considered the “least” of them? I do like the fact that she only did it to get to Vader for revenge. I hate the idea of children being tortured into evil. That’s super disturbing. At least here, she has a purpose. And I love how Obi-Wan turns himself in and says to her, “You’re not bringing me to him. I’m bringing him to you.” Basically he’s saying, he’s all yours if you can manage it. He still doesn’t want to kill Anakin/Vader (his hesitation when Reva asks him, “You don’t really want to kill him, do you?” is telling.) So he’ll let Reva do it if she can, and in the meantime, get the people of the Path away.

Reva does attempt to get her revenge on Vader. But it just seemed so hopeless to begin with. When she began her attack, I thought, oh honey, no, that’s not gonna work…going up against Vader is beyond insane. And she fails miserably. He just toys with her for awhile before stabbing her with her own weapon. Why they don’t finish her off is beyond me, but it gives her a chance to find Bail’s message on that holo-chip thing (is it just me, or is Bail being extremely foolhardy for naming names in that message? Seems out of character, but he IS worn down with worry.) So now we have to wait and see what Reva does with this information. Clearly, with the last scene of little Luke sleeping away on Tatooine, he’s in danger, and Obi-Wan senses it.

There was a lot to love and mull over in this episode (and a few little nitpicks–seriously, they lost the hyperdrive? What is this, the Millennium Falcon? Lol.) But I’m chomping at the bit for next week, and there seems to be a lot to wrap up. I heard a rumor it might be an hour and a half long, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

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

My Entertainment Weekend Update

Hello friends, and happy weekend!

So I finished the book Brotherhood this past week, and I really enjoyed it. It’s a great Obi-Wan and Anakin Clone Wars adventure (and would make a great arc in the Clone Wars animated show). The timing of its release (May 10) to almost coincide with the release of Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+ (May 28th) is meant to make us cry a little harder about the ruin their relationship ultimately came to. Because they were brothers, the greatest Jedi team of the Clone Wars era, and quite simply, good friends. So yeah, my heart’s twisting even more now at how sad and terrible events turned out, if that’s even possible. Anyway, if you’re an Obi-Wan and Anakin fan, a Clone Wars fan, or a Star Wars canon fan, this book is for you.

I’ve also been making my way through Skywalker: A Family at War, by Kristen Baver, on my Kindle. I thought this book was just going to be a rehash of what we already know about the Skywalker saga, and it is that in a very basic sense. But it’s also surprisingly insightful about the characters and their relationships, and has the added bonus of telling us the story in chronological order. The author also includes events that occurred in some of the comics, which was helpful to me since I don’t normally read the comics. I feel that the book will constantly need to be updated, though, as the canon is continually being added to with all the new shows and books.

Now that I’m done with Brotherhood, I was casting around for the next Star Wars book, and actually had some trouble picking one out. There’s plenty in the canon I haven’t read yet, including the Thrawn books, as well as the books that concentrate on Alphabet Squadron (Shadowfall, etc.) and Inferno Squad. I’m just not interested in reading those books. I’m not into the pilot stories, and I tried reading the first new Thrawn book, but couldn’t get into it. I love the character, but I like him as the villain rather than the protagonist. I find I don’t like reading books with villains as the protagonist (Tarkin, Vader, Thrawn, etc). That’s just me.

Anyway, I finally decided on Galaxy’s Edge: Black Spire, by Delilah S. Dawson. At first I stayed away from the Galaxy’s Edge books because they just seemed gimmicky. But after reading the synopsis for the hundredth time, and considering I liked Dawson’s book Phasma, I decided to give it a go. We’ll see how it goes, and I’ll let you know what I think.

I also ordered along with it a copy of Queen’s Peril, by E.K. Johnston, to add to my Padme collection. I read the book on my Kindle because it had been on sale at the time, but I want all three physical copies on my shelf. That’s just me, too, lol.

Now, onto Obi-Wan Kenobi Part 4. Like many, I was disappointed it was so short (37 minutes as opposed to the usual 55 or so), but it was still enjoyable. It was your typical Star Wars rescue story, something we’ve seen so many times before (Jedi: Fallen Order in particular here), but you can’t argue that it wasn’t Star Warsy. Fairly easy rescues from Imperial facilities is just what Star Wars does best, I guess, lol.

I liked the beginning, when both Obi-Wan and Vader were in their respective bacta tanks and they were both haunted by their last meeting on Mapuza. They’ve both been through the fire now, literally and metaphorically, and while Vader became something unrecognizable, Obi-Wan is becoming more like his old self, more resolved than ever to find Leia. I loved seeing him becoming a little more confident in himself and his Force abilities, especially the hallway scene with the water (hallway scenes are apparently another thing Star Wars does well, lol).

Besides the big bulge under the coat, Obi-Wan’s bearded face should be a red flag amid the clean-shaven Imperials.

I at first thought the scene where Leia was hiding in plain sight under Obi-Wan’s cloak was beyond silly, and it kind of is; but then I thought about how they walked right past Fifth Brother and company, and how he was so absorbed in complaining about Reva that he didn’t even notice it (there were plenty of others around that could have and should have noticed it, but whatever). I think the point was to show how the Sith are so wrapped up in themselves, while people like Roken and his group selflessly help others. It was a little too convenient that the Path people showed up at just the right moment, but again, I’m not going to complain too much. This is Star Wars, what do you want? I still thought this episode was fun, and can’t wait for the final two parts. Oh, and that Jedi tomb in the bowels of the Fortress Inquisitorious was gruesome and macabre. Seeing Tera Sinube there (a gentle old Jedi who helped Ahsoka in an episode of the Clone Wars) broke my heart. But then we see a youngling, and then it was just horrific.

Not much to report in Marvel, except that I think Ms. Marvel has dropped and maybe She-Hulk will drop soon? I don’t know, and honestly, I don’t care. I’m just not interested in these shows at all. Right now I’m all about Marvel movies, and can’t wait for Thor: Love and Thunder next month!

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