My Entertainment Update for April 2025

Hello friends! I’m a bit late with the update, but I wanted to wait until Andor was finished so I could comment on the show as a whole. But now I have so many thoughts I think I’ll do a separate post on Andor, so stay tuned. Until then:

Into the Light, by Claudia Gray. This is the final YA novel of the High Republic series, and Claudia Gray got a chance to focus on Reath Silas, the character she began with in Into the Dark. Reath has grown up quite a bit since his debut as a Padawan, and now as a Knight is leading a mission to Kashyyyk to investigate the Blight. Unfortunately, a patch of the force-eating blight has been found on the Wookiees’ home world, and since Reath has been involved in trying to find a way to eradicate it, he brings a team that includes Avon Starros, two Wookie Jedi–Burryaga and Kelnacca (from the Acolyte)–a Padawan named Amadeo, and Reath’s former Master, Cohmac.

Infiltrating the group is Nan, a Nihil member Reath met in Into the Dark, who now claims she has left the Nihil and wants to help the Jedi find renegade Nihil scientist Dr. Mkampa, who has also gone to Kashyyk for her own nefarious purposes. Also along for the ride is Azlin Rell, the former Jedi from the second phase of the High Republic who has fallen to the dark side. He’s no Sith, of course; he’s just been consumed by the dark side since a run-in with a Nameless. He’s been around for over a hundred years, his life sustained by the dark side, and he’s, well, a little crazy, lol. But Reath seems to think he can be of some help.

In trying to fight the Blight and Dr. Mkampa, the group discover a deeply-held Wookie secret: the white wroshyr tree grove that has held back a dark-side object for millennia. It turns out to be a Stormseed, which spreads the dark side to everything around it, and the trees have used all of their Light in the Force to hold it back. The Stormseed is also the object that Dr. Mkampa has been looking for.

All of these elements come into play in the climax of the book, and while I don’t think this is one of the best books to come out of the High Republic, I’ve always loved Reath and enjoyed it immensely.

Other books I’ve read this past month:

The Frozen River, by Ariel Lawhon. For the sake of getting this darned post out, I’m going to just put some Amazon blurbs about these books here:

Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.

Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.

Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon’s newest offering introduces an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.

The Mercies, by Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

After the men in an Arctic Norwegian town are wiped out, the women must survive a sinister threat in this “perfectly told” 1600s parable of “a world gone mad” (Adriana Trigiani).

Finnmark, Norway, 1617. Twenty-year-old Maren Magnusdatter stands on the craggy coast, watching the sea break into a sudden and reckless storm. Forty fishermen, including her brother and father, are drowned and left broken on the rocks below. With the menfolk wiped out, the women of the tiny Arctic town of Vardø must fend for themselves.

Three years later, a stranger arrives on their shore. Absalom Cornet comes from Scotland, where he burned witches in the northern isles. He brings with him his young Norwegian wife, Ursa, who is both heady with her husband’s authority and terrified by it. In Vardø, and in Maren, Ursa sees something she has never seen before: independent women. But Absalom sees only a place untouched by God, and flooded with a mighty evil.

As Maren and Ursa are drawn to one another in ways that surprise them both, the island begins to close in on them, with Absalom’s iron rule threatening Vardø’s very existence. Inspired by the real events of the Vardø storm and the 1621 witch trials, The Mercies is a story of love, evil, and obsession, set at the edge of civilization.

Both of these were excellent books and inspired by real events. Highly recommended if you like historical and/or women’s fiction.

Announcements: Between Celebration Japan and May the Fourth, we got a few exciting announcements for future projects.

As far as movies go (besides the ones we already know about, like The Mandalorian and Grogu and the Rey movie, etc.), there’s one in the works called Starfighter with Ryan Gosling starring. Sounds like it might be a pilot movie that replaces Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron idea that was announced a few years ago. Anyway, with Ryan Gosling on board, I’m in.

We’ve all been waiting for a new animated series, and now we’re going to get Maul: Shadow Lord. Not really what I was expecting or wanting, but okay. I think it starts shortly after the Empire takes over, but I’m really interested in his dealings with Crimson Dawn and Q’ira, how he got to Malachor, later stuff like that. Hopefully we’ll get some answers. Even though I’m not super-excited, I’ve learned to wait and see and be prepared to love it. When The Bad Batch was announced, I thought “Them? Why?” Same with Andor. And I’ve come to love both of them and believe that they’re some of the best Star Wars out there.

Also announced was Season 3 of Visions, coming out in October. I’ve really enjoyed Visions and am looking forward to another season. Visions is fun because creators can play around with Star Wars and follow their own, well, visions of what it could without worrying about “canon” and all that. With both Seasons 1 and 2, there are some episodes that I absolutely loved, and some that didn’t resonate with me all that much. And that’s all right; it’s just interesting to see what these anime creators come up with.

As far as books go, we’ve got two new announcements:

The Last Order, by Kwame Mbalia (no cover yet), which comes out in October 2025, is a post-sequel book (finally!) with Finn and Jannah. Apparently, they come across some kids who had been kidnapped by the First Order, which I imagine triggers memories of their own childhood and time as stormtroopers. I’m looking forward to this one, as I’ve been starved for post-sequel material.

The other book is Master of Evil, which I believe focuses on Vader and his pursuit of the dark arts that bring back the dead (he presumably has Padme in mind). I feel like there’s so much Vader stuff out there, why do we need this, but okay, I’ll check it out. It’s by Adam Christopher, who wrote the excellent Shadow of the Sith, so I have hope that I’ll like it indeed. It comes out in November of 2025.

So here’s my latest Star Wars drawings (All Andor characters, as I’ve been watching and loving the show):

I’m pretty happy with Dedra here, despite her weird neck roll, lol.

Bix came out all right, even though the eye on the right is a bit wonky.

This is my favorite of the bunch. And one of my favorite characters. (I spelled his name wrong, though, lol).

Syril didn’t come out as well as I’d hoped.

I think Kino Loy came out well. I’m getting better at beards!

I’ve got more Andor character drawings in the works, and I’ll share them with you next month.

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

More of My Star Wars Fan Art

Hello friends! I thought I’d share some more of my drawings in a separate post instead of waiting until next month’s catch-up post. I just have so many! And there will be more next month, too, lol (fair warning!). So here goes:

Our pirate queen, Phee. This girl’s hair was quite the challenge. This is the last of the animated characters I’ll do for a while since I’d rather work on real people in photos.

This is my fourth attempt at Padme, and I just can’t seem to capture her to my satisfaction. But this one is passable. The shadows from graphite don’t show up in these photos and I didn’t think to add charcoal until after this one.

I like this one of Osha, even though her nose is off, and her eyes are a bit too far apart, and I didn’t quite nail her expression. Hair is a win, though, lol.

I feel like I made some kind of breakthrough with this one and I’m proud of it. My Lukes tend to look like Justin Bieber, lol, and maybe this one does a little. Doing better with shading.

Poe looks a bit cross-eyed here, lol. The eyes are the hardest to do and make or break a portrait, imo.

I’ve always had good luck with Obi-Wan and I really like this one.

I had such high hopes for this one, lol, but it didn’t quite pan out. Right eye’s a bit wonky. A lot of dark shadows in this one (appropriately) but didn’t quite work out.

With Andor S2 coming up soon I wanted to work on some characters from that show. Pleased with Cassian here.

I’ll post again when I have another handful of drawings; I seem to be doing one every couple of days. I’m starting a drawing class this Thursday (general drawing, not portraits specifically, should be fun) so we’ll see. Hope you enjoyed this post!

My Entertainment Update for January 2025

Skeleton Crew. I really enjoyed this one. I thought this show about four kids getting lost in the Star Wars galaxy would be a bit kiddie, and it’s certainly appropriate for the whole family, but I was surprised by how much I liked it. It did take a few episodes to pull me in all the way, but once I was invested, I was all in.

The 80’s kids-on-bikes-having-adventures vibe made it fun, and although suburban Star Wars felt a bit jarring, it soon fell into classic Star Wars mode, with lots of cool aliens, pirates, and space action. The whole mystery surrounding At-Attin was cool, the kids were great, and Jude Law as Jod was fantastic. It wasn’t my favorite live-action show, but it was certainly enjoyable and I’m all for a Season 2, if it happens.

Last Shot, by Daniel Jose Older. I tried reading this book back when it first came out (it was one of the first crop of canon books that came out), but after a few chapters, I just couldn’t go on. This writer is terrible, I thought. I have no idea what’s going on. And I was sad, because I really wanted a Han and Lando adventure to enjoy. So I thought maybe I’d try again someday and I’m glad I waited this long, as I’m 1.) more familiar with Daniel Jose Older’s style from the High Republic, and 2.) more familiar with some other canon lore that is subtly referenced in the book, such as the Aftermath Trilogy, and the movie Solo (I hadn’t seen it yet). So, this time when I picked it up, it was much easier to get into and enjoy.

That’s not to say it was a great book, but it was fairly enjoyable. It takes place a few years after ROTJ, as Ben Solo is two years old at the time. Han feels distinctly out of place as a husband and father, so when Lando comes around demanding he help him with something, he’s ready to go. That something is finding out where the Phylanx Redux Transmitter is, as Lando had been attacked by a droid-like being who demanded he find it. See, the last person who had seen it was the owner of the Millenium Falcon, and this person thought it was Lando. But guess who it really was? And what, exactly, is a Phylanx Redux Transmitter? They don’t really know, but they figure they better find it.

So then we go back fifteen years when Lando and L-3 still have the Falcon and L-3 drags Lando on some secretive mission involving droids; then we go back ten years when Han, Chewie and Sanna Starros (I’m still a little fuzzy on who she is, but Leia had referred to her as Han’s “other wife.” Okay.) are on Takodana and Sanna convinces Han to help her with some score, going after a device that is very valuable to many different people. Then we go back twenty years to Utupau, where a doctor there is kidnapped by thugs, his friend is killed by other thugs along with many others, but there are plenty of droids around. He’s so traumatized that he decides droids are the superior beings, and outfits them with the limbs of dead people.

Confused yet? Yeah, me too, but I was determined to make it through this book. It shuffled between all these timelines, and we finally figure out the Phylanx is a device created by that Utupaun doctor that, once activated, will cause all the droids in the galaxy to turn on their masters. Yikes!

This book was sloppy, confusing, and I’m still not fond of Jose Older’s writing style (his HR books are usually my least favorite). BUT–I did like the banter between Han and Lando, seeing L-3 again, seeing little Ben Solo, and seeing Lando fall in love with a Twilek woman named Kaasha Bateeen. I’m assuming this is the mother of Lando’s child who got kidnapped, presumably by the First Order when she’s two years old (who we learn about in the book Shadow of the Sith). So ultimately, I am glad I read this book, but it’s easier to read if you’re familiar with other canon material.

Announcement: A Bad Batch Novel coming in August 2025!

I’m super-excited about this news, as some of you know I’m a huge Bad Batch fan. There are some upcoming comics with the BB (“Ghost Agent,” a Clone Wars mission story) but as I’m more of a book person, this is great news. Here’s the synopsis:

Hunter, Wrecker, Tech, and Omega gamble on a mission to help rebuild Pabu in this thrilling adventure for The Bad Batch.

A good soldier knows that life is all about change — whether it’s on or off the battlefield. Surviving, living, means adaptation. Hunter is well acquainted with this lesson. He’s on the run from the Empire, Echo’s off on a mission with Captain Rex, and Crosshair is . . . still Crosshair, but amidst all the change, Hunter still has Tech, Wrecker, and Omega.

And it seems that his small family might have finally found a safe place to land, far from the increasingly vigilant eyes of the Empire: Pabu. But their potential new island home is in desperate need of resources if there is any hope for the fledgling community to recover from a devastating sea wave. That’s where Phee Genoa, self-proclaimed liberator of treasures, comes in, with a couple of jobs she swears will get them the funds they need. Despite Hunter’s concern with Phee’s precarious plans, the rest of the crew is fine following her lead.

Things go wrong almost immediately, as Phee’s droid blows the crew’s cover at a high-stakes auction, and they barely make it out with the relic they’d been paid to acquire. Hunter insists they finish their first mission and deliver the relic before taking on more work, but Phee and the others push forward with a second job: ferrying a couple on the run, one of whom is due to give birth at any moment. Hunter worries what they’re risking, especially when their mysterious new passengers cling to lies and secrets that trace back to an Imperial Security Bureau officer hot on their trail.

As Hunter tries to get the crew back on a stable, safe path far, far away from anything to do with the Empire’s watchdogs, their overlapping missions only invite more danger and chaos. On the verge of failing both their desperate passengers and their community on Pabu, the Batch must remember that the only way they succeed, the only way they survive to fight another day, is by trusting each other.

I was kind of hoping for a post-finale story, but I’ll take this, as at least we have Tech back (and I’m hoping for a bit of Tech/Phee flirtation, lol). The drawback is no Echo or Crosshair. Also, I have to wait until August to read it. 😦 But I’m very happy it’s on the Star Wars book horizon.

So I’ve mentioned before that I’ve been getting back into drawing and practicing portraits, mostly because I want to draw Star Wars characters. I’ve made some progress, though I have a long way to go. I do like this Obi-Wan Kenobi drawing I did a little while ago:

Yes, the top of his head is not there, lol, as the photo reference cut it off and I didn’t dare fill it in at the time. And yes, that’s an envelope at the top covering up some comments for improvement I made. But otherwise, I like it. I drew a lot of other SW live-action characters, but I’m not particularly happy with them; I need to improve a bit before I share them.

However, I have been drawing some Bad Batch characters, as they’re animated and already 2D, so I thought I’d have an easier time with them. I wouldn’t say they were easier, but they did come out better than the live-action characters. Here’s what I have so far:

I’m happy with these. Omega is up next, as well as Wrecker and Echo. I’ll share those next month.

Lastly, here are some non-Star Wars books I’ve enjoyed lately:

Wool, by Hugh Howey.
The End of Men, by Christina Sweeney-Baird.
Future Home of the Living God, by Louise Erdrich.

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

Ahsoka Fan Art

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Return of the Jedi Fan Art

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

I love this art nouveau style poster for the film.

Leia releases Han from carbonite in Jabba’s palace.

Couldn’t find artist info. Looks like a comic?

Luke constructing his green lightsaber on Tatooine before rescuing Han from Jabba.

No artist info, only Fantasy Flight Games.

A great scene of Luke on Endor with Rex, er, I mean Nik Sant, lol.

No artist, just Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game

A charming portrait of Leia with Wicket on Endor.

Han on Endor with stormtroopers and an AT-ST.

Luke holding his dying father.

A Father’s Sacrifice…For the Love of One’s Child by ChaosEmperor971

What do you think of these images? What’s your favorite part of Return of the Jedi? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Star Wars Fan Art: Tech

In honor of our fallen hero, I thought I’d post some great fan art of Tech. Enjoy.

This is a great one of Tech in his distinctive armor and with his double blasters.

This is a metal plate that can be bought on Displate. There are tons of these of other characters’ helmets, too, very cool.

Just thought this was adorable. The artist’s name is on the piece, I think it’s Gatia 2002?

Very awesome helmet shot of Tech with the amazing goggles.

No fan art compilation would be complete without Jake Bartok. This is his medieval Tech. I can totally see him with his bunch of scrolls rather than a datapad, lol.

Just thought this was cute, mostly because of his supply of Crosshair’s toothpicks and Hunter’s bandanas.

Couldn’t leave without the classic goggle-adjust.

I believe the artist’s name on the piece is kailynnxo?

What do you think of these? How are you doing with your grief? Lol. Check in with me in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Some High Republic Fan Art

Hello friends! I’ve been busy lately taking care of my 87-year-old dad who fell a few weeks ago and was in the hospital for a bit and is now in rehab. As I often do when I want a quick, fun post, I thought I’d put together another fan art showcase, this time from the High Republic. Enjoy!

This one is from one of my favorite artists, Jake Bartok. Here he’s brought to life characters from the latest adult High Republic novel, Convergence. On the top is Jedi Knight Gella Nattai, and to the left is Axel Greylark. On the bottom is Phan-tu Zenn from Eiram, and next to him is Xiri from E’ronoh. Phase 2, Wave 1.

Here’s some concept art of Jedi Knight Silandra Shoh, from the middle grade novel Quest for the Hidden City, which I’m reading right now. She’s unique in that in addition to a lightsaber, she carries a Force shield, which is pretty cool. Phase 2, Wave 1.

Here’s one of Bell Zettifar and Ember, because I love them. Phase 1.

At first I thought this was Ty Yorrick, the former Jedi who is now a “monster hunter.” But Ty has a purple lightsaber. So I believe it is Indeera Stokes, Bell’s new Master. Both women are Tholothians. Phase 1.

Elzar Mann and Avar Kriss embrace after the events of The Fallen Star, in which Starlight Beacon, helmed by their best friend, Stellan Gios, falls into the sea on Barazza and is destroyed. Phase 1, Wave 3.

star the rebel by jgss0109 on deviantart.

Have you read any High Republic books? Do you have a favorite character? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Star Wars Fan Art: Obi-Wan Kenobi

I just finished my rewatch of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and I’m still in that frame of mind, so I thought I’d do another Obi-Wan fan art post. I’ve done a few of him in the past, but there’s always room for more, lol.

This is a pivotal moment for Obi-Wan in the series. He’s just finished fighting Vader, apologized to Anakin, realized how far gone he is, and let him go–not just physically (again refusing to kill him) but emotionally as well, which was a major part of his story arc.

I’ve seen a lot of fan art of Obi-Wan in exile on Tatooine in which he is in despair, lonely, defeated. The series shows us that may have been true for the first ten years of his exile, but after the events of the show he is at least at peace, and simply waiting for Luke to grow up and fulfill his destiny (and keeping an eye on him, of course). This one is in the style of early Obi-Wan in exile, perhaps contemplating his mistakes or lost in memories.

This one is another contemplative Obi-Wan in exile on Tatooine, but it’s not as despairing. There’s something mystical about it, perhaps showing his meditative calm, the Jedi Zen he found in the desert that led to the wise old man we see in A New Hope.

And of course, Uzuri Art has some wonderful images of Obi-Wan from the show. I love this scene of him with Leia after he rescues her from the Fortress Inquisitorious. When she takes his hand, something is reborn in him in that moment: the ability to let someone else into his heart; and a determination to protect Anakin’s legacy.

What do you think of these images? I have a few other posts of Obi-Wan fan art here and here and here. Check them out!

Obi-Wan Kenobi Fan Art

I’m getting excited for the book Padawan by Kiersten White; it was released yesterday, but it’ll be a few days until I receive it. Until then, thought I’d share some Obi-Wan fan art to get by. Your welcome.

This is the only one of Obi-Wan as a Padawan I found that I liked. It looks like the Tatooine suns are shining off of him (and that he doesn’t look too pleased to be there, lol).

I couldn’t find any artist info on this, but found it on **fanpop**

Obi-Wan presumably talking to Dex at Dex’s Diner in AOTC. He also went to Dex for advice and help in the recent book Brotherhood by Mike Chen, which I loved.

I thought this one was kind of sweet. Some feel it portrays Obi-Wan and Ahsoka as a romantic couple (which is just wrong, btw), but the artist is actually showing an alternative universe where Obi-Wan is Ahsoka’s Master, reading her a story, or maybe a lesson from a Jedi text. Perhaps a bit too intimate for such a thing, but I love how Ahsoka trusts him completely, and Obi-Wan looks happy with his Padawan (as opposed to being eternally frustrated with a certain someone, lol).

I can’t read the name of the artist on this piece–Autumn something…

I can’t have a fan art post without including Uzuri Art. I think she made this piece just before the series Obi-Wan Kenobi came out, and is her rendition of him in his exile on Tatooine.

I adore this one of Obi-Wan with Leia and Lola on Mapuzzo.

Jake Bartok is always another favorite of mine, and his medieval series is awesome. Here’s older Obi-Wan as the vaunted Knight.

What do you think of these fan art pieces? Are you planning on reading Padawan? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!

Anakin/Vader Fan Art

I didn’t have a subject planned for my Wednesday post, so I had to throw together something quick but fun, which usually turns out to be fan art. I was going to focus on Obi-Wan considering the latest series, but found some really neat Anakin/Vader stuff instead, which still applies. Enjoy!

I like this portrait of Anakin because it’s fuzzy and vague, kind of muddled, like Anakin’s mindset just before he turns to the dark side. He’s a hot mess, lol.

I like to include fan art that’s different, something I’ve never seen before, but something that speaks to me in some way, too. This one of Anakin looking at a hologram of Padme is kind of strange, but unique. She’s looking at him with compassion and love, despite the wreck he seems to be here.

This one shows another link to Padme, as a helmetless Vader looks at the necklace he made for her when he was a boy. I’m not sure how he got hold of it, since it was buried with Padme on Naboo, but it’s still an emotional scene.

I just thought this one looked really cool. There’s also the fact that Vader is a shattered man, and this image projects that.

And you can’t have a Vader fan art collection without Vader having tea in a meadow. I love this artist’s images of Star Wars characters in whimsical situations. And how does he sip through that thing, anyway?

I hope you enjoyed this group of Anakin/Vader fan art. What do you think of them? What’s your favorite? Let me know in the comments and we’ll talk about it!