The CSB (Christian Standard Bible) translation Apologetics Study Bible is published by Holman Bibles. It’s available in several bindings, the copy I have here is the Navy LeatherTough.
It’s loaded with commentary & several articles on apologetics. A few names to mention out of the 90 plus apologists who have contributed: Ted Cabal, Lee Strobel (who wrote, The Case for Christ), Josh Mcdowell.
Citied Information from the box:
9.75-point type size Smyth-sewn binding Leading Article by Lee Strobe (Author of Case of Christ)
Commentary & Articles from over 90 leading apologist.
The Apologetics Study Bible CSB Review
The CSB (Christian Standard Bible) translation Apologetics Study Bible is published by Holman Bibles. It’s available in several bindings, the copy I have here is the Navy LeatherTough.
Star Wars: Empire & Rebellion: Razor’s Edge was written by Martha Wells. This Expanded Universe tale takes place during the Rebellion era, 2 ABY (2 years after the Battle of Yavin).
SUMMARY
The Gamble, an alliance ship is thrown into a tough situation right off the bat. The ship, which contains a small crew including Leia and Han, drop out of hyperspace and are immediately attacked. The crew were on a mission to acquire materials for Echo-Base. The attack raises the big question… how did the Empire know where The Gamble was dropping out of hyperspace? It appears that there is a deep cover Imperial Agent within the rebel group.
The Gamble is now in need of repair after successfully fleeing the Imperial attack. Contact is made with a pirate ship which turns out to be full of former Alderaanians!
The story is all about building trust, relationships, and a fight of survival.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This book was fine. It starts off really strong and exciting, throwing Leia, Han, and a few others into a dangerous situation. I found this story to be okay overall. It has filler vibes, just a blip on the timeline, but written well. I wasn’t bored with the story, but not excited either.
I think the greatest thing about this book is the characterization of our leads, Han and Leia. In the films we get to see the friction between the two, this book dives deeper into the frustration these characters feel toward each other. Han really does come across as a difficult man to work with, hard headed and prefers to go rogue instead of following orders. I like that we get into Leia’s mind and her thoughts toward Han. She understands his distrust for others. I do think that Leia comes across a bit too harsh at times with a lot of attitude.
The banter between Leia and Han was great. However, the characters use air quotes with fingers to be sarcastic, which I thought was a dumb thing to put in the book
The story takes a route that made me think of a YA storyline. When Leia meets with the other Alderaanians they get hooked into meeting up with some other Pirates. It turns into a fight for survival game, it made me think of Hunger Games or Ender’s Game… that sort of thing. I am thankful though that the game they play wasn’t through the entire book. For me though, it went on a bit too long.
I’d say this book will be forgettable, the only takeaway is the stuff between Leia and Han; maybe the interaction with the Alderaanian pirates.
Do I recommend you read this story? Eh… sure. It wasn’t bad.
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire was written by bestselling author, Steve Perry. This Expanded Universe tale takes place during the Rebellion Era, 3 ABY (3 years after the battle of Yavin).
SUMMARY
Lando, Chewy, and Leia are on the search for Han Solo, who was taken by Boba Fett aboard his ship, Slave 1, after being frozen in carbonite! Lando calls on his old buddy, Dash Rendar to assist in the investigation.
Prince Xixor, leader of Black Sun, the largest criminal organization in the galaxy; wants the be the right hand man of Emperor Palpatine. However he faces one challenge, Darth Vader. Vader is responsible for the death of Xixor’s family; now, Xixor will do what he can to get his revenge.
The pieces of Emperor Palpatine’s puzzle are falling into place, the events taking place are aligned with his vision of things to come.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
I did it, I made it through this book a second time, and I’ve got to say, I enjoyed it a little more than I did the first time. The elements of the story that I still don’t like are the pervy little things the author had thrown into the book. Such as the foreshadowing of Lando telling Leia not to get in bed with Black Sun. To have Xixor, a Falleen species that uses pheromones to manipulate others. It was gross reading Xixor’s attempt at seducing Leia… they even kiss!
I did enjoy that book, this multimedia project brought in new characters, ships, and other cool ties to the films. The author does a fine job showing us Luke constructing a new lightsaber while in Kenobi’s old hut on Tatooine. It was cool getting a story between two fantastic Star Wars films.
Perry did well establishing a solid motive for our new villain. The main reason Xixor hates Vader, is because years ago, Vader had a planet sterilized after a failed biological weapon incident. In order to protect the planet, the city around the lab was destroyed, killing Xixor’s family. Xixor was off planet when it happened. He managed to delete any record of his families death, to appear as though he had no emotional ties. It’s mentioned taht 200k Falleen had been killed.
Overall the story was decent, I still prefer the Nintendo 64 video game over the book, we see things from a different perspective in the game. The soundtrack to Shadows of the Empire is also pretty decent, hints of it can be heard in newer Star Wars material. At least, I hear some similarities, especially in the Rogue One soundtrack.
RATING
I will give Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire a B-.
Star Wars: Republic Commando – True Colors, book three in a series of Republic Commando novels, written by Karen Traviss. This Expanded Universe tale takes place during the Clone Wars in the Rise of the Empire era. Twenty-one years before the Battle of Yavin (BBY).
SUMMARY
There is quite a lot happening in this story, making it a little difficult to summarize. Heroes aren’t immune from harm, as this tale puts the cast of Commandos and Jedi into deadly situations.
Weapons aren’t the only object of war, but secrets that lie behind a vale of darkness. Doubt, insecurity and moral conduct of the Republic is in question. The secrecy of the financial support of the galactic war and it’s tools of conquest, arouse suspicion in some.
A quest to alter the lifespan of the clones is underway. The lifespan, so short, creates an issue of where loyalty should lie.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This book starts off so much better than the previous. I think Karen Traviss did well in setting a tone. There are moments in this book I found extremely interesting and some, very boring. I’ve got to say, Traviss has done well in this series keeping the characters consistent. I still believe the first book is the better tale of the Republic Commandos.
The one thing I really enjoy is getting into the thoughts and doubts some of the troops and jedi have about the war. While the clones can’t help being – clones, there is a gross vibe that comes from the whole ordeal. It’s immoral, technology replicating life, speeding up the growth rate, just to send these men to fight and die… not really expected to live off the battlefield.
A Jusik, a jedi, leaves the order. It made me wonder just how many Jedi overall had abandoned the order during this time period, their position in galactic affairs were a heavy burden, one that many but not all would have been able to handle.
I love that one of the characters is digging into the financial side of the the war. She finds the lack of financial reporting questionable. The budget doesn’t really exist.. not just a lack in payments for the Clone Army, but the equipment; weapons, ships, vehicles, armor, med-kits – everything… so much money would be needed to fund this war!
Do I recommend you read this book? I say yes, even though didn’t recommend book two, Triple Zero.
RATING
I will give Star Wars: Republic Commando – True Colors, a C+.
The X-Files: Perihelion, was written by bestselling author, Claudia Gray.
SUMMARY
Dana Scully and Fox Mulder are back! The FBI has called upon the two seasoned agents, who were previously suspended from the bureau. The duo have been asked to investigate an unusual murder by the hands of a Washington, DC serial killer; with the latest crime scene appearing to have ties to the supernatural. This new X-File case appeals to Scully, as the serial killer’s victims are pregnant women; like herself.
Mulder and Scully still mourn the loss of their son, William. Yet, a rekindling of their relationship is sparked by the mysterious pregnancy of Scully. The couple dust off their guns and badges to report back to the FBI headquarters to find new X-Files piled high on their desks.
The Inheritors, a mysterious group lingering in the shadows have intentions of altering the course of humanity! The members are cautions of Mulder and Scully and keep a watchful eye on the duo. As Dana Scully’s pregnancy progresses and through her and Mulder’s investigation, the massive threat to humanity is revealed.
This novel is a story of self discovery in a world of constant change, violence, and mystery!
OVERALL THOUGHTS
I must clarify, before getting into the review, that my knowledge of all that happens in the X-Files show is limited. I am a new fan of the series and have only watched the first two seasons as of this book review. However, I have read just about all of the X-Files novels. It’s exciting to get new material in the world of the X-Files!
This story is a continuation of the X-Files timeline, so if you are not familiar with the material that came before this novel, such as the later seasons of the show, you may be scratching your head many times trying to piece together what all had happened leading up to this novel. I would have appreciated the story more if there was a dedicated chapter or even a prologue that summarized the history that ties into this story. Previous books were simple X-Files adventures that didn’t require foreknowledge that linked to the show to understand what was happening or who characters were.
It’s easy to see that the author has a genuine attachment to the characters and source material. There are many moments where the story feels like an episode of the show, which is fantastic. However, there are also many moments that feel completely disjointed, as though the material was written by someone else entirely. The mention of William and the emotional state of Dana and Fox regarding him, is repeated so many times it just becomes filler, to expand the word count.
Yet, when it comes to the meat of the story, the investigations and the explorations of the unexplained, Claudia Gray did a fantastic job. Chunks of the book feel like an older episode that really grabbed my attention. I could have done without the unnecessary pop culture references to Star Wars and a few other franchises; it went too far, giving someone the name, Starwarski. Those were the moments that brought in the cheese factor… so cringey at times.
I did enjoy this book overall, but there were many times I questioned the decisions made in the direction of the story. My experience with this book would jump from love it to hate it to like it. I am curious to know how some of the content/writing style could be so great, while some of it seemed to have been scrapped from the bottom of a dumpster. In the end though, there were more pros than cons.
