How far should I go with the Star Wars novels?

[JD]

I'd been planning on read the books entirely in chronological order, from Phantom Menace through FotJ, but now I've decided to just read whichever ones I felt like reading. So I was wondering, should I read Rogue Planet after The Phantom Menace, or before NJO? What about Outbound Flight and Survivor's Quest, should I read them together or read SQ in it's place in the timeline?

 

[Skywalker]

I think it would be better to read them all in chronological order, which is how I listed them in this post. That's just my opinion, though.

 

[PsychoPere]

I agree with Skywalker. You certainly don't have to read everything but go in chronological order for what you do read. To that end, Rogue Planet definitely takes place after The Phantom Menace. I strongly disliked the novel, but it is unfortunately important to The New Jedi Order. I haven't read either Outbound Flight or Survivor's Quest, but again I'd recommend chronological order. SQ takes place so far along the post-ROTJ timeline that it really should be read in its correct place for a proper understanding of where the characters are in their lives. I would have to assume jumping from OF straight to SQ would be a bit jarring if you don't have prior experience with events that take place in the intervening years.

 

[JD]

Ok, I'll stick to chronological order then.

 

[Skywalker]

If you're going to include the movie novelizations, I'd also recommend the following:

Cloak of Deception by James Luceno (before TPM)
Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter by Michael Reaves (between CoD and TPM)
The Phantom Menace by Terry Brooks
The Approaching Storm by Alan Dean Foster (between Outbound Flight and AOTC)
Attack of the Clones by R. A. Salvatore
Labyrinth of Evil by James Luceno (after Shatterpoint, leads directly into ROTS)
Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover
Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader by James Luceno (though I never finished this one)

I also forgot to include The Han Solo Trilogy (The Paradise Snare, The Hutt Gambit, Rebel Dawn) by A. C. Crispin, which I thought was pretty good. After that, you can go ahead with the ANH novelization, and then continue on from there.

 

[DarKush]

I've read Rogue Planet. I also didn't care for it. There are important events pertaining to both Anakin's development and the NJO, but I don't think its essential to read before reading NJO. That being said, it does plant seeds for AOTC, NJO, and to some extent LOTF as well. There are probably other references in there as well, I just can't fully remember. It adds some nice background, foreshadowing. But I don't think not reading it will dampen your enjoyment of those other works.

BTW, has anyone read the Lando books? Are they any good?

 

[Admiral_Young]

I concur with regards to Rouge Planet...I was expecting more from Greg Bear and was interested in reading about Young Anakin. I wish there were more Young Anakin during his time as a Padawan, and I'm not talking about young adult books either. There's so much to cover during this time period...as it was his shaping and forming into the arrogant punk we saw during the films. Palpatine's first discussions with the boy...etc. I was wrote a fan fic depicting Anakin's first month at the Jedi Temple, he still is struggling to adapt to life away from Courscant and is not getting along with Obi-Wan who is also struggling with Anakin and the boy seeks out Supreme Chancellor Palpatine for advise.

 

[Lindley]

Temis: The more of your thoughts I read re: the Clone Wars and the GAR, the more convinced I am that you would greatly appreciate the way Traviss approaches the clones in the RC series. For a series that began as a tie-in to a video game, it really does handle well the issues you rightfully bring up.

I liked the characters in Republic Commando a lot. However, it was going downhill towards the end. The first three books are great, but Order 66 is essentially just page after page of "it's not yet time, wait for the right time", followed by a fairly anti-climactic O66 sequence with a certain pointless event that shall remain unspoiled.

Imperial Commando: 501st was a bit better, but it still seemed like it the series was getting so bogged down in keeping up with all of its history that it didn't have time to introduce much that was new.

 

[PsychoPere]

BTW, has anyone read the Lando books? Are they any good?

The trilogy by L. Neil Smith? I have, though it's been a long time since, at least 10 years or so. My memory of the content is very hazy, but I do recall having a blast reading the trilogy (of course, I would have also been 13 at the time, so take that for what it's worth).

 

[omgahitsbritt08]

I haven't read any but, I hear that they are good alittle depressing.

 

[Stevil2001]

Personally, I really liked Rogue Planet. I think it's best read after The Phantom Menace; it's far more important to the Obi-Wan/Anakin character arc than it is to The New Jedi Order.

I liked the characters in Republic Commando a lot. However, it was going downhill towards the end. The first three books are great, but Order 66 is essentially just page after page of "it's not yet time, wait for the right time", followed by a fairly anti-climactic O66 sequence with a certain pointless event that shall remain unspoiled.

Imperial Commando: 501st was a bit better, but it still seemed like it the series was getting so bogged down in keeping up with all of its history that it didn't have time to introduce much that was new.

This is a pretty good summation of the series. I found Order 66 kinda tedious, but it felt like things picked up in 501st even if very little actually did happen. I am disappointed we'll never get an end to the story.

I haven't read any but, I hear that they are good alittle depressing.

I remember the Lando books (as well as Daley's Han ones) being good, solid fun. "Rollicking space adventures," so to speak.

 

[JD]

If you're going to include the movie novelizations, I'd also recommend the following:

Cloak of Deception by James Luceno (before TPM)
Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter by Michael Reaves (between CoD and TPM)
The Phantom Menace by Terry Brooks
The Approaching Storm by Alan Dean Foster (between Outbound Flight and AOTC)
Attack of the Clones by R. A. Salvatore
Labyrinth of Evil by James Luceno (after Shatterpoint, leads directly into ROTS)
Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover
Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader by James Luceno (though I never finished this one)

I also forgot to include The Han Solo Trilogy (The Paradise Snare, The Hutt Gambit, Rebel Dawn) by A. C. Crispin, which I thought was pretty good. After that, you can go ahead with the ANH novelization, and then continue on from there.

I'm actually working my way the the TMP novel right now, and I'm really liking it. But then again I'm one of the few people out there who actually likes the movie.
As for the others I've read TAS and most of AoTC (When I read novelisations of movies when I was younger I'd stop a few chapters before the end)
and RotS. And I own and plan on reading OF and LoE. I also plan on getting Dark Lord after I read RoTS.

 

[JD]

Why are there so few Star Wars novels released as E-books? I have a Nook, and I've looked through the E-Book store several times, and pretty much all they have are the LOTF, FOTJ, and a handfull of pre-TV series Clone Wars, and a couple other random books.

 

[Lindley]

Not sure. I do know a couple of minor installments of the NJO (Recovery, Ylesia) were released only as e-books.

 

[SpeedRacer]

At this point, the only Star Wars books I'd be attached to are my old Star Wars: X-wing novels.

Yub yub, commander.

 

[Skywalker]

Not sure. I do know a couple of minor installments of the NJO (Recovery, Ylesia) were released only as e-books.

Actually, Recovery was later included in the paperback version of Star by Star, and Ylesia was also later included in the paperback version of Dark Nest I: The Joiner King.

Here's a list of all the Star Wars eBooks that have been published so far. Some you can only find online, others you can find in paperback versions of other novels.

 

[JD]

Oh yeah, I just remembered another book I meant to ask about... Allegiance. Is it any good? I'd assume that since it's Timothy Zahn it probably is, but I've learned over the past few years that even the best authors occasionally.

What about the books between the Jedi Academy trilogy and the NJO? Other than Children of the Jedi, which should I read and which should I avoid?

 

[Jack Bauer]

Oh yeah, I just remembered another book I meant to ask about... Allegiance. Is it any good? I'd assume that since it's Timothy Zahn it probably is, but I've learned over the past few years that even the best authors occasionally.

It's the one Zahn book I didn't care for. It focused too much on renegade Stormtroopers for me and not enough Luke, Leia and Han. I didn't care much for the Stormtrooper characters either.They were rather dull personalities.

 

[PsychoPere]

What about the books between the Jedi Academy trilogy and the NJO? Other than Children of the Jedi, which should I read and which should I avoid?

I, Jedi is a good companion piece to both The Jedi Academy Trilogy and the X-Wing series. It focuses on Corran Horn.

Avoid the whole Callista Trilogy: Children of the Jedi, Darksaber (my recollection of this one actually is that it was okay, so you could read it but the Callista thing may be a bit confusing without COTJ. I even had a copy signed by KJA once upon a time); and Planet of Twilight.

Avoid The Crystal Star The Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy, and New Rebellion.

Read The Corellian Trilogy (Ambush at Corellia; Assault at Selonia; Showdown at Centerpoint). I don't recall them being great books but they weren't bad either, and they are important for the galactic landscape post-NJO.

Read The Hand of Thrawn Duology (Specter of the Past and Vision of the Future), particularly if you've read The Heir to the Empire Trilogy.

Can't comment on Survivor's Quest because I haven't read it.

The first six books in the young adult series Young Jedi Knights are worth reading. Since they're YA, they likely won't "wow" you but I recall them being fairly good. More importantly, they focus on the Jedi of Jacen and Jaina's generation, those who will be stepping to the front of events in The New Jedi Order. I have no personal experience with the two arcs from the following books in that series. Likewise, I have no experience with the Junior Jedi Knights series focusing on Anakin Solo's time at the Jedi Praxeum.

 

[Lindley]

Junior Jedi Knights introduces Tahiri, who becomes fairly important later. So at least check it out if you don't have a problem with junior writing.