by Matthew Wilson
Star Wars: Cloak of Deception Book Review
Star Wars: Cloak of Deception was written by New York Times Bestselling Author, James Luceno. This novel is the fourteenth event on the Legends novel timeline..It takes place 32 years before A New Hope.
SUMMARY
The Nebula Front, is an organization that takes issue with both the Republic on Coruscant and the Trade Federation. This group launches an attack against the Trade Federation and infiltrates one of their ships to steal a cache of Aurodium Ingots, a precious element.
The Trade Federation has a small security force of armed droids, which are powered by a central control unit on the Federation ships. The rise in attacks by groups such as the Nebula Front, has brought unrest and sparked debates as to the Republics reactionary roll to the terrorism. The senator from Naboo, advises the Chancellor of the Republic, that it may be a good idea to allow the Trade Federation to increase its own security droid force. The catch would be that trade would be subject to Republic trade taxation.
As the motion is introduced to the senate floor by Chancellor Valorem. The governing body has a mixed reaction to the idea of arming the Trade Federation and its taxation. Surely the price of goods would increase! Senator Palpatine calls for a Summit in Eradu, where the politicians can discuss matters further and work out the details. During this political mayhem, an assassination attempt is made on the Chancellor!
In this book, we learn how the Jedi overstep their bounds by getting to closely involved in political matters. This story is an important step into the Star Wars film saga. (The Legends Timeline)
CHARACTERS
In this novel we are introduced to a few familiar characters we see in the films, I’ll mention a few that are well known and one new character.
Finis Valorum: The chancellor of the Republic. His job is a stressful, difficult one. He’s calm and collected, but the burden of current events is heavy on him. He wants peace within the republic and
Cohl: He’s a mercenary, who took a job with the Nebula front. He’s tactical and thorough. The thought of retirement is pulling at him. However, the easy-going farm life may be just too dull for Cohl. Half his heart belongs to Rella, and the other half to action. He keeps getting himself sucked into more work for more credits.
Qui-Gon Jinn: He’s a Jedi master, inquisitive, and wise. He’s always focusing on the living force (the force that binds all living beings together) to guide him. Qui-Gon is stern and unafraid to confront the Jedi Council of his concerns. He’s a good master to his padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, keeping him on his toes; everything is a lesson to be learned. Qui-Gon is a great detective, trusting his gut and the force. He seems to be aware of a darker force manipulating events across the galaxy.
Senator Palpatine: He’s a senator from Naboo, serving the Republic on the capital world, Coruscant. He plays as a trusty adviser to Valorum, the Chancellor of the Republic, but insures he must remain loyal to his home world, Naboo. Palpatine’s identity as a Sith, Darth Sidious is his secret. As the cloaked Dark Lord, he has allied with the Nemodian Trade-Federation, using them as a pawn to manipulate the galaxy to his design.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. The political aspect was entertaining and easy to follow. I believe this novel borders on the genre of political thriller. It’s hard to talk about this book and not mention Episode I: The Phantom Menace; it’s an excellent build up to the film! Palatine is a master of disguise as he plays his role in the senate as a trusty servant to the Republic. Meanwhile, in the shadows he manipulates the galaxy to his twisted will.
I love how the author gives a character that we’ll read about way down the line in the legends canon, a little cameo. We learn a lot about Qui-Gon Jinn in this novel, it actually helps me understand and appreciate his character and personality. His perspective on the force is unique and defines who he is a Jedi.
The novel is a great prequel to The Phantom Menace as it gives a great introduction to the instability of the galactic republic and how the Trade Federation became so menacing.
So, do I recommend that you read Cloak of Deception? Yes! A wonderful buildup to Episode I: The Phantom Menace
RATING
I will give this book a B+. The politics and action is well balanced!
by Matthew Wilson
Star Wars: Resistance Reborn was written by Rebecca Roanhorse. This novel is marked with the Journey to The Rise of Skywalker banner, preparing us for the final Skywalker saga film.
SUMMARY: The Millennium Falcon holds the remanence of the Resistance. After the events of The Last Jedi, all but a handful of the Resistance have perished. The small group is hurtling through space in a desperate attempt to find a safe haven to refuel and rest. Poe Dameron has sought out his Black Squadron, who’d been preoccupied with a mission of their own and informed them of their losses, and confessed his actions. Black Squadron remains loyal to Dameron despite his failure. Soldiers are important, but what Leia also needs, is a leadership team.
Rebecca Roanhorse writes a hopeful tale filled with nostalgia, connectivity, and thrills!
It’s brought to Leia’s attention that a number of allies may have been captured by the First Order. In this novel, the mission of the Resistance, is to find allies to build up their numbers… and survive.
CHARACTERS: This book does something fresh in canon with characters. Of course we have the popular Resistance characters left over from The Last Jedi, but so many other characters are either new, or brought in from other media. I’m not going to go deep into all the characters, but I’ll mention two that we have been introduced to in previous material, and just one other character.
Rey: She’s awkward, very awkward. Although she’s with the Resistance physically, mentally, she’s absent. She has a really hard time expressing herself and doesn’t know how to relate to anyone around her. She only really feels comfortable around Finn. We don’t get a lot of action with Rey in this novel. I’m not sure how to interpret her as a character in this book. I get the feeling that maybe the author wasn’t really given the freedom to fully dive into character details. Rey is very confused, maybe even conflicted.
Roanhorse nails it! This is definitely a book the Star Wars fans have needed!
Shriv Suurgav: He’s a Duros, an alien with a big head, blue skin, and bulbous red eyes. He makes his return to canon material! He was a character in the video game Battlefront II. He’s got a fun sense of humor, the go to character for comic relief. His presence is a welcome one. I hope we get to see more of him in future novels or possibly a cameo in The Rise of Skywalker.
Wedge Antilles: He’s retired from the military lifestyle, living in the outer-rim just living his life. He’d done so much for the Rebel Alliance, fighting in all the major battles and doing what most of his peers did do, survive. He’s an old man now, living with his wife in peace on an outer rim world. However, he’s got his bug-out-bag packed and ready for the day if he’s ever needed. Now, after the First Order decimated the New Republic and nearly wiped out the Resistance… Wedge is hesitant, but willing to jump back into the fray.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: This book was pretty darn good. Rebecca Roanhorse writes a hopeful tale filled with nostalgia, connectivity, and thrills! In my opinion, this book reminded me of how it feels reading the original Star Wars Expanded Universe. By that, I mean that this story is so connected to the overall canon. The return of many characters from across different mediums was so awesome. Roanhorse brings in things from comics, video games, the original film trilogy, and other novels.
While the story is fun and the plot thrilling, the dialogue is mostly fair. Some of the characters were written spot on, some not so much. I believe that may be a result of an upcoming film involving these characters. The humor from Shriv was excellent, it was organic. Many other comic lines from other characters came across a little forced and just too silly, not funny. My only other complaint would be the usage of the social justice quota. The sexual orientation of a side character is unimportant and irrelevant to the overall story or to the character in general. Stop with the forced “millennial emotional equality” checklist and tell the story naturally.
This novel is great, Rebecca Roanhorse nailed it. I’d say this is definitely a book the Star Wars fans have been wanting.
So, do I recommend that you read Star Wars: Resistance Reborn? Yes, it’s a book that brings in so much from the overall canon story.
RATING: I give this book an A
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by Matthew Wilson
Star Wars: Maul – Lockdown Book Review
Star Wars: Maul – Lockdown is written by New York Times Bestselling Author, Joe Schreiber. This novel is the sixteenth event on the Legends novel timeline. The tale takes place during the Rise of the Empire Era. It takes place 33 years before A New Hope.
SUMMARY
Darth Sidious sends his apprentice Darth Maul, to the prison colony, Cog Hive Seven. In this facility, prisoners are forced to fight each other, largely for gambling purposes. Maul is to seek out an individual known as Iram Radique, a dangerous and mysterious arms dealer, who somehow manages to run his crime ring behind bars.
Maul is given a false identity, a mercenary called Jagganath. He is to find this secretive individual, who no one really knows, and secure a nuclear device to place in the hands of a terrorist organization. The only other order Maul has from Darth Sidious, is to not use the force whatsoever.
Can Maul conquer the enemies placed before him? Will he find Radique? Will he get the weapon? Will he manage without the force? Darth Maul has quite the burden to bear.
CHARACTERS
While there are a ton of characters in this book, I’m only going to talk about one.
Darth Maul: He’s ferocious yet controlled. He’s a superior warrior and tested to the limit, he pretty much doesn’t have one. He is forbidden to use the force and he does a great job without it. I can’t imagine what damage he could do if he was allowed to use it. He’s focused and confident.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This book is dark and gritty. Like I said about Maul, he’s ferocious and controlled, which is what I hoped he would be. I liked the surprise appearance of Sidious and a certain someone who I won’t mention. Joe Schreiber brings in some gory moments, which is expected in a Schreiber book, he does it so well. The book could be categorized as a horror/thriller.
Honestly, I thought the book was kind of boring. It drags a bit and was a little repetitive. Even though the book felt really long and never ending, I was left irritated with the climax and abrupt ending. I think this story could have wrapped up a little better.
The concept of Cog Hive Seven was pretty neat though. Pitting the prisoners against each other in a gladiatorial fashion was cool.
So, do I recommend that you read Star Wars: Darth Maul – Lockdownt? Well, if you are someone who wants to explore Darth Maul as a character, yes. If you could care less about Darth Maul, no.
RATING
I will give this book a C. It was somewhat repetitive and felt like it took forever to get through.
by Matthew Wilson
Star Wars: Death Troopers, was written by New York Times Bestselling Author, Joe Schreiber
This novel is the forty-first event on the Legends novel timeline. This tale takes place during the Rise of the Empire Era. It takes place one year before A New Hope.
SUMMARY: The Purge, an imperial prison barge in route to a detention moon loses engine power. Unlucky for them, they are right next to the imperial Star Destroyer, Vector. The Destroyer’s tractor beam keeps a tight grip on to the prison barge. The crew of the Purge have trouble contacting anyone aboard the Destroyer. After running a bio-scan, they discover only a handful of survivors are on the ship.
A team sets out to investigate and find parts on the Vector, but return with a hacking cough that escalates rapidly into much worse symptoms. Until death consumes them and then… reawaken. Only a handful seem to be immune to the spreading sickness.
In this haunting tale of zombies in space, we follow a few inmates, two young brothers and their father. They fight for survival among other inmates, and zombies.
CHARACTERS: There were just a few characters in the novel, a nice surprise character as well, but I won’t spoil that for you.
Zahara Cody: She’s the doctor aboard the Purge. She’s fed up with her job and is ready to end her service to the Empire. She’s strong willed and determined. I’d say most importantly, she’s trustworthy and intelligent. If I found myself in a space horror, I’d want her on my team.
Trig Longo: He’s just a boy, an inmate along with his brother and father. This kid isn’t annoying. He’s smart because he listens, doesn’t whine or argue. He’s frustrated but he’s curious, which makes since. He’s a kid and they like to learn the hard way.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: I absolutely loved this book! It’s a terrifying horror story and it’s Star Wars! The book was surprisingly extremely gruesome and gory! It’s like the show Walking Dead meets Star Wars. A haunting read for sure.
The characters were all written so very well. The surprise character was spot on. The best part was that I didn’t even see it coming when this character was revealed. Joe Schreiber told a great story with a creepy backdrop. Everything was set up really well. Descriptions were detailed, the words became a bloody painted picture in my brain.
Do I recommend you pick up Star Wars Death Troopers? I sure do! It would be great to start reading this around Halloween!
RATING: I give this book a B+ While it was awesome, there was still a little cheese… what horror story doesn’t?
by Matthew Wilson
World of Warcraft: The Last Guardian was written by Jeff Grubb.
SUMMARY: Long ago, Azeroth was protected from outside forces by the Guardian of Tirisfal. The guardian was a mage, keeping watch over the world, insuring that the burning legion (demonic forces), could do no harm. Sargeras, the dark titan, leader of the Burning Legion, is unrelenting in his campaign to rule the worlds in the universe. After his successful takeover of Draenor in the previous novel, Rise of the Horde, he turns to Azeroth in an attempt to capture it. Throughout Azeroth, Orc numbers have been rising, villages pillaged, farms destroyed, and people slaughtered. The portal used to link Azeroth to Draenor remains undiscovered by warriors of the Stormwind kingdom, they’re busy defending themselves.
An organization known as the Kirin Tor, an order of mages, users of magic, have been deteriorating as the rise in demonic forces have crept over the land.
The Guardian of Tirisfal has always been hesitant to take on an apprentice, until Kahdgar comes to his door.
CHARACTERS: In the world of Azeroth we are met with many new characters, but I haven chosen two to talk about.
Kahdgar: He’s a young man who wields mage powers learned from the Kirin Tor. He is sent to the Guardian with hopes of becoming an apprentice. He’s patient, yet desperate for knowledge. Kahdgar is eager to see visions of either the past or the future within the Guardians tower. He’s a fast learner and skilled at problem solving.
Medivh: He’s the Guardian of Tirisfal, the most powerful mage in all of Azeroth. This power was inherited by his mother Aegwynn, who held on to the roll of Guardian for an extremely unnaturally long time. Medivh is strict, but can also have a sense of humor. He is very mysterious, as he would often disappear from his tower at random and would reappear at his leisure. His odd and inconsistent behavior is confusing for the young Kahdgar.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: I really enjoyed this novel, but I have to be honest… it’s not the greatest. The story was fantastic and the plot was executed well. Dialogue wasn’t so smooth. I found story beats getting a little rough towards the last half of the book when the character Garona was introduced. She is half orc and half human, sent to spy and gather info on the Guardian for the orcs. The banter between Garona and Kahdgar was not organic.
A lot of the same words were used within a sentence or paragraph, it made some of the story sound cheaper (if that makes any sense?) a thesaurus would have come in handy for sure. These hiccups with the writing didn’t take away from the story, just the way it was hashed out. Had the book gone through another editor or another set of eyes, I think some of these issues would have been fixed.
Do I recommend that you read World of Warcraft: The Last Guardian? Yes, a great continuation of the Warcraft story from Rise of the Horde
RATING: I will give this novel a B.
by Matthew Wilson
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – Black Spire was written by New York Times Bestselling Author, Delilah S. Dawson. She also wrote the novel, Phasma. Galaxy’s Edge – Black Spire is a tie-in novel to Disney’s Star Wars theme park, Galaxy’s Edge. Delilah S Dawson tells a wonderful adventure story that takes hope to the furthest reaches of the galaxy.
SUMMARY: This tale takes place after the events of The Last Jedi. After the resistance suffered a terrible blow when the First Order reduced their numbers in a cat and mouse chase, through hyperspace. The small fleet desperately needs to increase its headcount along with a place to set up camp.
General Leia calls on Resistance spy Vi Moradi, who recently, just barely escaped with her life, along with a dying First Order Captain, from the clutches of the First Order. Moradi is to head to the planet Batuu, on the furthest reaches of known space, to set up a resistance base and recruit Resistance soldiers. She won’t go alone on this mission, her new partner is her former foe… Archex, formally known as Captain Cardinal.
Follow Resistance spy, Vi Moradi, as she goes on a wild escapade to find hope a home in the furthest reaches of the galaxy.
The mission falls flat when Moradi’s ship crashes on Batuu, on the outskirts of Black Spire Outpost. While Vi and Archex are unconscious and their droid wrecked to bits, their ship is raided and all their goods, including their long-range communication equipment, is stolen. Now Vi Moradi has to figure out a way to get back their lost supplies, recruit to her cause, and contact General Leia.
Oh… and figure out a way to work with the local gangster and fight against the First Order!
CHARACTER: From a line up of new characters and a few familiar, I’m mentioning two… slightly familiar.
Vi Moradi: Vi is a horrible spy. She wears a jacket with the resistance logo, and has her hair dyed with blue… when you’re a spy, you should blend in to your surroundings, don’t have logos on or near you. She talks too much, telling people she just meets that her mission is to recruit folks to the resistance She’s reckless, careless in fact. However, she’s put into a rough situation and manages to pull through.
Archex: He’s a wounded warrior, on the mend from a life-threatening poison. He’s seen, first hand, how the First Order can be. After the crash landing on Batuu, Archex feels helpless and he can’t stand it. The toll on his battle with Phasma has done serious permanent damage to his body. He can hardly do any physical activity for the resistance, which makes him feel more like a burden than a contributor. He’s loyalty to the Resistance is unclear, making it difficult to trust him.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: Delilah S. Dawson delivers a fun, action-packed, high-stakes adventure! In my overall review section, I give my honest opinion. This novel is mostly easy to read, but for me, there are a few parts that I feel drag a little. Yet, the plot is simple, making the adventure feel like an enjoyable classic.
I had a hard time taking Vi Moradi serious. Her sarcasm at odd times and cockiness was a little much. If she’s one of the best in the Resistance, then yeah, the Resistance is in serious trouble. I didn’t like how this spy was so outspoken and flamboyant about who she was and what she was doing on the planet. Most of the other characters in the story were well written. Archex/Captain Cardinal was an interesting choice of character to bring back. I don’t know if bringing him back (pretty much from the dead) was really necessary. However, Archex does have a pretty cool moment in the book that might make you pump your fist in the air.
The dialogue isn’t too bad. Sometimes I think the sprinkled sarcasm from Vi Moradi (as mentioned before) was off putting. The Batuuan cultural greetings are a nice touch, making Batuu feel like a real place.
Dawson’s writing style in this novel was pretty straight forward, telling a linear story without cutting to past events. The book is good advertisement for Disney’s Galaxy’s Edge theme park, and it does fit in nicely with the overall Star Wars story, progressing events forward. Some of the writing was a little choppy, making the final climax come off like an 80’s or 90’s action movie. It was quick wrap up to a story that could have been a little shorter to build up to the final climax. Meaning, two opposing sides somehow knowingly expecting an event at specific time.A few story points felt a little repetitive, some events being too similar to each other multiple times… cut have cut some of that out.
There are a few teases and call backs that raise a few questions and stir excitement. Overall the book was pretty good despite the few dull and overly exaggerated moments.
Do I recommend that you read Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Black Spire by Delilah S. Dawson? Sure, especially if you have plans to visit Galaxy’s
RATING: I give this book B.
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