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Star Wars: The Weapon of A Jedi Book Review

Star Wars: The Weapon of A Jedi Book Review

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SPOILER FREE

Star Wars: Weapon of a Jedi– A Luke Skywalker Adventure, is a junior novel written by Jason Fry. The book was published by Disney Lucasfilm Press as part of the Journey to The Force Awakens in 2015.

SUMMARY: This tale focuses on Luke Skywalker and the first use of his lightsaber in action. Luke is sent off on a mission to gather some intelligence on imperial business. But as the force reaches out to him, it pulls him in, luring him to complete his own personal mission… to become a Jedi.

Luke travels to an old Jedi temple and trains with his lightsaber. He also has some unwanted guests showing up.

CHARACTERS: Now let’s just talk about Luke. He is not a great character in this book. It drives me crazy how Luke is written and portrayed in books, be it legends and canon. Always ignorant and boring. There is one ignorant thing about him I believe is legitimate and it really is sad. He never knew his father, he hasn’t heard the truth about his father. So, he thinks his father was a great Jedi, and Luke wants to be just like him! Oh, Obi-wan and your point of view.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: Well, I thought the book was boring. Wild animals are involved in the so called climax. They gather around Luke in protective ring, giving him knowing looks of, we got your back. So bummed by this book.

I think this story would have been more entertaining as a comic. Seeing Luke use the saber would be cooler than reading about it in a junior novel. Between this and Heir to the Jedi, (review link to that posted below) I want to give up on Luke in the books. He’s my favorite character in the movies. Least favorite in the books… canon and legends.

RATING: I will have to give this book a 0 of 5. It was just way too boring.

Star Wars: Battlefront II Inferno Squad Book Review

Star Wars: Battlefront II Inferno Squad Book Review

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Star Wars: Battlefront II Inferno Squad

SPOILER FREE

Star Wars Battlefront II: Inferno Squad is written by New York Times Bestselling Author, Christie Golden. This story takes place after the events of A New Hope.

SUMMARY: Inferno Squad is an elite group of imperials who were placed together to weed out some “bad eggs” in the Empire. The elite group was put together after discovering, that an imperial scientist was ultimately responsible for creating the very weakness that caused the Death Star to be a vulnerable target. Therefore, the Empire needs to clean house, and that’s exactly what Iden Versio and her team will do.

The team is tasked with a dangerous mission, different than their previous missions., Inferno Squad is to infiltrate the extremist rebel group known as the Dreamers. This particular cell has direct ties to Saw Gererra’s Partisan group. With their intelligent/elite minds, they devise a risky plan to be naturally adopted into the rebel cell. If successful, they will put an end to the extremist rebels and save many within the Empire.

CHARACTERS: As always I like to briefly mention a character or two. For this novel, I’ll mention three.

Iden Versio: The leader of Inferno Squad. She was a military child from Vardos, now grown, we meet her as a senior lieutenant in the Empire. She’s smart and tactic, that’s why she holds such high rank and climbing, for such a young woman. Iden is loyal and hard edged. She won’t hesitate to complete her task.

Gideon Hask: He’s an imperial, also a part of Inferno Squad. He’s always been a good friend to Iden. In the past, they would challenge each other in many areas, to excel, to become the best of the best. Gideon’s roll within the Dreamers is pivotal to Inferno Squad’s success or failure. He must instill doubt within the cell, to turn them against each other.

Staven: He’s a Dreamer, determined to bring drown the Empire. He’s aggressive, fueled by the passion of the loved ones lost. His quest for justice against the Empire is cruel and extreme. Is tactics would be seen as vile to both the Rebel Alliance and the Empire.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: Wow… this book is a must read. Christie Golden, just knocked it out of the park! The book is a tie in to the upcoming video game, Battlefront II. Inferno Squad sets the new bar in Star Wars literature. It’s so captivating… so surprising! This novel is reminds of some mafia/FBI films. It’s Star Wars meets Donnie Brasco, or Star Wars meets The Departed.

Why is this novel so short? I want more! There are some time jumps that I think could have been fleshed out, to add a few pages. The characters were outstanding, the chemistry between them, outstanding. I was so invested in the story and the characters. This novel made my heart race. I haven’t stayed up late to read in a long time… I was up past midnight reading this treasure.

Thank you DelRey and Christie Golden for putting this story out. I honestly didn’t expect that much. I’ve learned to tame my expectations with the Star Wars books. We’d get one good book, followed by some mediocre books, a stinker, and then another decent read. This novel is top notch! I highly recommend you pick up this book. It’ll keep your blood pumping and keep you on the edge of you seat!

Battlefront II – Inferno Squad was an absolute treasure. A must read for anyone who enjoys Star Wars.

Rating: I give this book a 5 of 5

 

Star Wars: Rebel Rising Book Review

Star Wars: Rebel Rising Book Review

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SPOILER FREE

Rebel Rising was written by Beth Revis. It was published by Disney Lucasfilm Press. It is the third YA novel in canon.

SUMMARY: The life of Jyn Erso, it’s her prequel story to Rogue One. When the Empire splits up the Erso family, Saw Gerrera comes to her rescue. He raises her as his own, to be a warrior and a weapon against the Empire. She’s an expert when it comes to forging imperial codes. Sadly the day came when Saw abandons Jyn and she’s forced to figure out how to survive on her own at the age of 16. We meet new characters that she comes to call family. We follow her transition of working against the Empire… and with the Empire. The cat and mouse game is ever present in this entertaining biography of Jyn. The story leads up to her introduction in Rogue One.

CHARACTERS: There are several characters in the book, a few from Rogue One, most that aren’t. I’m going to talk about Jyn Erso and Hadder Ponta. I was going to mention Saw, but I’ve talked about him on previews reviews and his character has remained consistent.

Jyn: She isn’t really the person I thought she was when we meet her in Rogue One. She’s had a rough life since childhood after her parents were torn from her by the Empire. She keeps her guard up and her identity secret. She’s an exceptional fighter yet she’s pretty hesitant. Jyn’s broken, yet she’s most certainly a survivor.

Hadder Ponta: He’s the son of a cargo pilot. He’s not allowed to fly, because his mother fears he may become sick with Bloodburn. He’s a lonely teen, until Jyn shows up. He’s a good kid with good intentions. He’s a little pushy through when it comes to the flirting. He desperately wants off his home world, but with restrictions, all he can do is dream and hope for a way to get off the blasted world of Skuhl.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: This book wasn’t that bad, I enjoyed it. I believe this is the first character in Star Wars in which we have their entire life story. Jyn Erso was in Catalyst, Rebel Rising, Rogue One. Her full arch completed. I think now, after this YA novel, we won’t be getting anymore Jyn for a while. I don’t know what else they can cover with her.

I’m a little disappointed in her character though. We meet her for the first time in Rogue One, she’s an excellent fighter and doesn’t hesitate. In this book, even though she’s raised as a warrior… she can’t bring herself to do certain things involving violence. Is this to make her seem more compassionate just for some political correctness agenda? Why can’t she just be compassionate for the ones she loves? Why can’t she be cold and strong against her enemy? She doesn’t have to have compassion for everyone, I didn’t get that from Jyn in the film, or the novelization of Rogue One.

It was cool getting to see how her life did play out in her younger years. Can’t say that I’m interested in reading a novel based on the entire life of another character from the films.

RATING: I give this book a 3 out of 5.

 

Star Wars Book Review: The Classic Newspaper Comics

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Star Wars: The Classic Newspaper Comics

Star Wars: The Classic Newspaper Comics by Russ Manning, with Alfredo Alcala and friends. This book was released by IDW Publishing.

This amazing book is the first volume published, with two more volumes hitting stores soon! This first volume is loaded with 600 newspaper comic strips, beginning with their first appearance on March 11th, 1979. The book ends with the comic released on October 5th, 1980.

I was surprised to see that the first several pages are loaded with the rich history of early Star Wars literature. It’s crazy, that in this current time we have so much Star Wars content. We’ve got books, comics, cartoons, 7 movies (as of this post), magazines, and more. As a fan today, I can’t imagine what it must have been like in 1977, to have just one movie with so very little other material! Before the newsprint comics in 1979, the only books available were the Novelization, Splinter of the Mind’s Eye, and Han Solo’s Revenge. In the comic realm, issues #1 and #2 were available from Marvel Comics.

The newspaper comics are truly a delight. It’s fun to read these great stories and definitely a treat to gaze at the amazing artwork! A goofy observation, but I am a huge fan of the attached ribbon bookmark! That little detail was fantastic. I’m going to grantee you, that any Star Wars fan will love The Classic Newspaper Comics. Volume 1 is fun, a collectible, and it’ll look really cool on your coffee table and/or bookshelf.

I highly recommend you pick up Star Wars: The Classic Newspaper Comics Volume 1 for yourself, for the favorite Star Wars fan, or comic book collector in your life!

 

 

Star Wars: Moving Target Book Review

Star Wars: Moving Target Book Review

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SPOILER FREE

Star Wars: Moving Target – A Princess Leia Adventure, is a junior novel written by Cecil Castellucci and Jason Fry. The book was published by Disney Lucasfilm Press as part of the Journey to The Force Awakens in 2015.

SUMMARY: General Leia is recalling events from the old days to a droid. Specifically an event that takes place after The Empire Strikes Back, before Return of the Jedi.

The rebel alliance has obtained important information, the intelligence is so important, it’s kept classified among the alliance high command. The Empire is constructing a new Death Star.

Leia comes up with a plan to distract the Empire while the alliance can regroup and prepare for a massive assault on the new Death Star. Leia wants to lead a decoy mission on the opposite side of the galaxy. The plan is to place recruitment beacons on various worlds with codes that will attract the Empire.

The alliance command approves the mission, calling it Operation Yellow Moon.

CHARACTERS: Kidi Aleri: She’s the communications expert in Leia’s crew. Never before have I been so annoyed with a character… well maybe a few, she’s on par with a few others. She’s the Jar Jar Binks of the prequels, the Mr. Bones of the Aftermath trilogy. She’s smart when it comes to remembering codes, but she’s the most ignorant, sensitive, space hippie in the galaxy. She’s so surprised that people actually die in war… she’s so stupid! Someone should have disposed of Kidi through the airlock!

Princess Leia Organa: I’m really starting to think that only one author should be allowed to write for Leia. She’s written in this book like she has in a few others, even in Legends canon. A mean, bitchy, all about herself princess. Leia gives classified information to her team… she was ant supposed to do that.

Overall Thoughts: A quick read doesn’t mean a great read. I thought the best thing about the book are the planet descriptions. The snowy mountainous planet, the tropical planet with giant lilly-pads for ships to land on, kind of silly but neat. Other than that, I found no enjoyment reading this book. The characters are boring or irritating. I’m frustrated with the misuse of character, especially Leia. The mission that Leia and her team go on, Operation Yellow Moon, doesn’t even make since for the movie timeline.  Awful books make me angry… all that time invested for nothing, geez… sometimes it feels like a weekend in Vegas, reading is gambling. I’m so glad I didn’t read this right after its release back in 2015. I really hope the upcoming Leia book set to release in September for Journey to The Last Jedi, is much better.

RATING:  I give this book a 1 out of 5