Sunday Post 011 | IMWAYR

Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

 Corny Joke Monday 

 Last Week on the Blog 

The Kingdom of Oceana by Mitchell Charles Review

Dear Anakin: A Star Wars Love Letter Worth Watching

 This Week on the Blog 

Lone Ranger/Green Hornet: Champions of Justice Comic Review

Geekerella by Ashley Poston Review

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and

share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. 

 What I'm Reading: 

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold by Iain Reading

Battlefront: Twilight Company by Alexander Freed (audio)

 What I Read: 

Star Wars: Clone Wars vol 3, Last Stand on Jabiim

Star Wars: Clone Wars vol 4, Light and Dark

 What I'm Watching 

I FINALLY have Star Wars: Rebels S2 to watch!

Also, I've been binge-watching Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, which has been amazing. It's been a few years since I've read the managa so I don't remember quite everything, but the best part is my deeper appreciation for the fantastic, complicated characters in here and the phenomenal worldbuilding and magic system. This one is a 5-star story, no doubt!

 In Real Life 

Last month was crazy! I usually see my siblings once, maybe twice a year, and throughout last month I wound up visiting/being visited independently by four of them. Now that the routine is settling back into normal, I'm ready to get back to business!

 New Additions 

Thanks to my local thrift store:

• The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• The Magical Worlds of The Lord of the Rings by David Colbert

Thanks to Barnes and Noble:

• Old Ways, Old Secrets: Pagan Ireland by Jo Kerrigan
• Celtic Myths and Legends by Peter Berresford Ellis
• Heartstone by Elle Katherine White <3

I've been going a little book store crazy. I need to tone it down a few notches...

 Random 

This is as good a place as any to talk about my latest obsession:

Yondu Udonta

If you haven't seen Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 yet, you should really consider it. I've seen it four (five?) times already, which is more than I saw either Star Wars: The Force Awakens or Fantastic Beasts in theater, and I'm still ready to see it a few more times.

It's a great movie -despite an increase in the crude humor- and Yondu totally steals the show, in my humble opinion. I've always liked this grouchy, blue-skinned Ravager, but I am now an officially devoted fangirl. He has a great story and arc in this film, and James Gunn did a magnificent job weaving it together with everything else going on. I not only love this film, I have serious respect for the writing and execution of it. <3

  What's new with you? 

Sunday Post 003 | A Weekly Recap!

Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

The Sunday Post is a weekly chance for me to recap on what's been happening on my blog, in my reading, and my personal life, plus what posts you can expect from me in the coming week.

 Last Week on the Blog 

Chocolat by Joanne Harris Review
Ten of My Favorite Movies You've (Probably) Never Heard Of List/Worth Watching
Book Blogger Hop Meme
Sunday Post 002 Meme

 This Week on the Blog 

Sunday Post 003 Meme
Tricked by Jen Calonita (FTRS #3) Review/MMGM Post
Take Control TBR List Challenge
The Blacklist Mid-Season Thoughts Worth Watching

 What I'm Reading 

Beauty by Robin McKinley
I've tried reading this book twice before, but could never get past the first three pages. Not a great hook. It's a really slow beginning but two friends have recommended this, so I'm going to push through.

Heartless by Marissa Meyer (audiobook)
The Queen of Hearts and I have some bad history. She threatened to chop off my head and I had nightmares. But I admit, this 'origin' story by the Lunar Chronicles author is very interesting, mostly because our future hothead is such a sweet, mellow girl. Every once in a while, though, she loses her cool and I start to see that terrifying woman.

In Such Good Company by Carol Burnett
I used to think I didn't like nonfiction but lately I've come to realize that I don't like dry nonfiction. Just like with fiction, I prefer my nonfiction books to have palatable personality, so I'm moving into memoirs.

 In Real Life 

I spent four dollars in the 'Retrocade' section of a local arcade. We're talking Asteroids, Centipede, Galaga, Q*bert, Ms. Pac Man, Donkey Kong, and Dig Dug. The whole time I felt like I was living in Pixels or Ready Player One. Plus, I totally managed to enter Level 3 on Q*bert. Since I don't easily pick up on video games, this is definitely a win. Next time I'm taking more money. I must ensure my name stays on the scoreboard.

 New Additions 

I'm watching my spending right now, but I did purchase a copy of 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff and, yes, it's gorgeous.

 Random 

Found this last week. Completely adore it. I'm already going through The Blacklist withdrawals so until it returns April 20, you can expect to see plenty more of this guy around here.

  What's new with you? 

Amanda & the Star Wars Summer -Episode V

Amanda & the Star Wars Summer

Episode I | Episode II | Episode III | Episode IV
The Force Awakens Spoiler-Free Reaction
The Force Awakens Review

Because what better way to celebrate Star Wars day than a new chapter in my Star Wars adventure?
Absolutely nothing! 
Except maybe being in the Star Wars universe and getting to fly an X-wing. Now that would be something!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens by Alan Dean Foster
3/5 stars

This is the novelization of the movie and we're going to cut right down to the chase: I didn't love this book. I do like that they got Alan Dean Foster to write it, since he wrote the first Star Wars novel ever -Splinter of the Mind's Eye, and no, I haven't read it- but I didn't like the writing style, so it was hard for me to get through.

The Highlights:

There are a couple of very intriguing conversations between Kylo Ren and Snoke. For example, Snoke tells Kylo Ren at one point that the Galactic Empire fell because Darth Vader had one moment of emotional weakness -of sentiment; there are other conversations where they speak of Rey as 'the girl', always in italics, so you know something's going on there. And when Rey calls the lightsaber to her just before the epic duel, Kylo Ren mutters, “It is you.”

So yeah. Significance.

It is worth noting, too, that Rey's vision when she finds Luke's lightsaber is a little bit different in the book. She sees things we didn't see in the movie, but she also doesn't hear Obi Wan's voice. *shrug*

I think a big reason I didn't love this book is because it did not contain what I felt was missing from the movie, which was more interaction between Rey and Han. Really, really wanted to see that here, like deleted scenes that made it to the book, but there weren't any, and my heart had been set on that.
The other big thing. I really hated Han's death scene. It carried a completely different feel than the scene in the movie. In the movie, we have Han reaching out to Ben, even as he dying. He touches his son's face and gives him this look like he forgives Ben for everything. Maybe I'm misinterpreting the scene, but I always felt that in that moment after Kylo Ren stabbing him that Han came to peace with it. Han has to know that anger and pain and hatred are paths to the Dark Side; so in his last moment, he still reaches out to Ben. That one gesture tells his son that he loves him and he forgives him.

That is not at all what we see in the book. It's a very dark moment for Han and there is no indication of this and an even bigger piece of my heart died and just no. No no no no no no. Okay, so despite the fact that I didn't find what I wanted in this book, the writing style did drive me nuts, and there was no greater familiarity with the characters one hopes to glean from a novelization, so The Force Awakens does get 3/5 stars. It has a couple of extra scenes, but it didn't offer up much more than the movie itself whereas, I don't know, I feel like novelizations should delve even deeper into the story than the movie. Maybe I'm nuts.


Before the Awakening by Greg Rucka
4/5 stars

Want a good Star Wars book? Give this one a try. It tells the prequel stories of Finn, Rey, and Poe. I actually really, really loved it. I'm not always a fan of prequels, but these focused on moments in the characters' lives that were truly important or major. My favorite story in here is Finn's. It was very interesting to see him in the life of a Stormtrooper. Bonus? More Phasma.

Rey's story is also good; it also answers the question of how someone who has never flown a spaceship can fly so well! Maybe not everyone will like the answer, but it works for me. I'm cool with it.

And of course Poe's story. Poe is awesome, but we also get to see more of General Leai. So each of these stories has a bonus in it! Plus, they're all interesting stories, they're not just 'normal life' stories, they're specific and important moments from the lives' of the character prior to Force Awakens.

I love this series of books they've been doing alongside the new chapter in the Star Wars saga. I've reviewed in one of my last videos more from this series and they've all been really good books. They are classified as Juvenile Fiction, but don't let it stop you from reading it.

I've also just learned that there is an anthology in this series called Aliens Vol 1, so I'll be looking for that.


Heir to the Jedi by Kevin Hearne
4/5 stars

This book has a convoluted origin, because it was initially intended for the Classic Cannon, the last of a trilogy of stand alones, but it hadn't been published before they dismissed the Classic Cannon as the Legends, so they switched it over and made some changes, and it's now considered part of the New Canon. The title of this book was actually changed as an homage to Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire, widely considered the beginning of the EU. It's convoluted, yeah. Anyway.

I really enjoyed this. It takes place between IV and V so Luke is still pre-Jedi and trying to learn new things; he's more rash and naive and impulsive and he's still pretty much the farm boy of Tattooine. I feel like Kevin Hearne had a really interesting and kind of clever way in showing us how Luke can explore a different avenue of the Force and how he figures out what it means to him and for his life. Let's face it; we had plenty of stories dealing with this topic in the original EU. Now we're starting ALL OVER again? But Hearne puts his best foot forward on this and manages to keep the story interesting, even if the character development Luke goes through is technically 'old hat'.

The big thing I liked actually involves the love interest we find here. I recently read Truce at Bakura, which is interesting because the Alliance and the Empire have to join forces against an alien threat and they're still enemies and at each other's throats, but the one thing I didn't like was the love interest. She paled in comparison to Mara Jade and I had just finished The Last Command. So compared to Mara, I found the love interest in Bakura boring. I didn't like that the story spent so much time on this potential relationship that I already knew wouldn't go any where. So far, most of the books I've read have Luke with a love interest, so he's becoming a bit like James Bond to me. :P

Back to Heir. There is a love interest, but it's handled really, really well. With how everything turns out, the love interest actually has an affect on the greater Star Wars story and Luke's personal development. There's a purpose for this romance; it's beneficial to the further story, whereas the romance in Bakura felt more like a Bond fling. Kevin Hearne did a brilliant job making it work; he also created a much more interesting character, so even though I was griping about yet another love interest in the first few chapters, she was so clever and funny that she won me over pretty quick. She worked for the greater development of Luke Skywalker. It satisfied me. It was fantastic!


I was browsing through the library catalog one day and came across something amazing. Cue up that Star Wars music in your head.
THE STAR WARS

This is a graphic novel of one of the original drafts of Star Wars that George Lucas ever wrote. This is a completely different story than what we have now. It's a completely different universe, world, and characters. It was so interesting and I loved every minute!

So much is recognizable, because so much of it was eventually used in the original trilogy. And then other things. Like Darth Vader wasn't originally intended to be a Sith Lord. He was just a dude, a general. And then. And then! One of my favorite characters was the Sith Lord whose actually in this story, and I'm quite miffed because it ends off at a cliff-hanger, especially for this character. This is based off a first draft of a story that never technically officially existed so I”m nerve going to find out what happens to this version of this character who doesn’t actually exist in the Star Wars universe!

I'm a little miffed.

But the big thing about this story is that the more I read it, the more so many confusing questions about the prequel movies started to find answers. One of the major differences in this story and the original trilogy is that Luke Skywalker is old -an Obi Wan-like General of an army on a world -and Annakin Starkiller is the padawan he gains in the first couple chapters. The personality between Starkiller and the eventual Annakin Skywalker is almost identical!

The BIG THING is that Leia is essentially Padme! She resembles very little of the Leai we know and love -obviously, since Luke and Leia are not twins.

Just in reading this I could suddenly understand how the prequel movies could turn out the way they did. So much of what's in here was eventually recycled to the prequels! I think Lucas took it as an opportunity to use so much of this that didn't make it into the original that it blinded him from realizing they weren't great stories. He was excited!

You can obviously tell there's a lot that would eventually be recycled into the prequel movies, and I think that's why the prequel movies never quite meshed up with the original trilogy and they were never quite up to par either.

An I'm not saying this as an excuse that should have or could have been -I just think I understand now how we could have gone from the Original Star Wars to the prequels.

It's just a very interesting look at almost was and then how it actually evolved into what eventually came about. If you're a Star Wars nerd and you want to know more about the inner workings of the Universe and the minds of the people who made it, you'll want to check it out.

I do only give this one 3/5 stars, because as interesting and fascinating as it was, the story wasn't quite coherent. It jumped around a bit and I got lost a few times. There was a lot going on. Still, totally compelling.

The Star Wars. Check it out.


And speaking of the prequel movies! I have found a really interesting series of YouTube videos. The first one is called What If Episode I Were Actually Good? by Belated Media. It is a very interesting idea because basically this guy goes through and tells a different version of The Phantom Menace, the premise being that if he had been an executive at Fox when George Lucas said 'Hey, what about this idea?' he would have said 'Hey, we think this is awesome buuuuuuut what about this?' or 'this doesn't quite make sense' or 'this would make a much better story!'

So it's very interesting. He has a video for I, II and III. I don't agree 100% with the stories he comes up with, but he has some very interesting ideas, my favorite being that the prequel trilogy should have been focused on Obi Wan as the main character. That would have been so complimentary, going from the prequel movies as Obi Wan's story, into the original trilogy which is Luke's story instigated by Obi Wan, and between the two, the overarching story of Annakin Skywalker!

So anyway, that video series is called What If Episode I Was Good? and it's by the channel Belated Media. The first video does contain a lot of swearing, but he did publish a censored version which is what I watch and you can find that link on the original video. Here are the subsequent links for Episodes II and III.

Speaking of a fantastic YouTube series for Star Wars! There is one I've found that's absolute gold. The YouTube channel is called Jamie Stangroom and he is doing a show called These Are the Actors You're Looking For. He is a huge Star Wars nerd and what he's decided to do is find the actors behind some of the iconic minor characters of the Star Wars universe to talk to them about what they're doing now, their experience working on the movies and how it's affected their lives. He also has each one of them do an audition to see whether they could score a role in the new movies.

They are absolutely fascinating and he is very entertaining so I highly recommend them, because he is a SW nerd and he really owns the SW nerd so it makes it very fun to watch for, well, fellow SW nerds.
He has interviewed the actors who played Greedo, Boba Fett, Jar Jar Binks -which was very interesting. They are all great and fantastic stories and they're hilarious and I would love to see this show continue on forever.

 
The Last Command by Timothy Zahn
5/5 stars

I finished it ages ago but I haven't done another video since then. The final book in the Thrawn trilogy by Timothy Zahn was absolutely magnificent. I loved it. As of now, with the very few EU books I've read, this series is my favorite by far. It's fantastic; Zahn tells the story in such an entertaining way. I love Mara Jade as a character, I also love Talon Karde, so those are two high, high points right there. Zahn also handles the original cast so well and I loved seeing this continuation of the original trilogy and the more I delve into the Classic Canon the more miffed I am it's been dismissed and no longer considered real.

Why? Why would you do that?!

Anyway, Thrawn trilogy, Timothy Zahn, fantastic, all the way through. Just another one to get 5/5 stars. Thank you, Timothy Zahn, for writing such a wonderful and complex SW trilogy.

May the Force be with you!
How are YOU celebrating Star Wars Day?

Amanda and the Star Wars Summer | Episode III

Amanda & the Star Wars Summer

Episode I | Episode II | Episode III | Episode IV
The Force Awakens Spoiler-Free Reaction
The Force Awakens Review

Who can't get enough Star Wars? This girl, that's who.

You can watch the video in all it's eccentric and ecstatic glory, but the high points are all covered below as well.





The Dark Force Rising by Timothy Zahn
5/5 stars

The second book in the Thrawn trilogy did not disappoint. I was a little concerned because when I finally got into the first book -Heir to the Empire- it was an audio. With me, some books only interest me on audio, and vice versa.

GOOD NEWS!

I had no problems whatsoever getting into this book, even in spite of its lengthy sections of prose. (I'm totally a dialogue girl.) It's a fantastic continuation and I'm excited to see how Zahn wraps everything up.


The Phantom Menace by Terry Brooks
3.5/5 stars

This, to me, was fascinating. It's been long enough since I've watched this movie that parts of it felt new -and I'm not just talking about the extra content added to the book.

This novelization gives us a chance to better understand characters, backstory, and the events that unfold. I particularly like seeing more things from Anakin's point of view and the relationship between Qui Gon and Obi Wan.

[Warning: JarJar Binks is still annoying.]



Disney is kind of brilliant with their merchandising...

R2-D2 Bop-It! and Millennium Falcon-shaped Star Wars Catch Phrase.

Seriously.

Disney has assigned some kind of Jedi Master to their merchandising team.

Plus, a STAR WARS THEME PARK
If you haven't heard about this, read the announcement here because it sounds freaking fantastic! I fangirl way more in the video but what you need to know is:

• Designed to look like an alien world
• Interaction with droids and aliens
• YOU CAN FLY THE MILLENNIUM FALCON

Proceed to freak out.

Before I let you go, two questions:

• How do you feel about Disney's involvement? Have their fantastic Marvel movies granted you my same outrageous optimism or are you worried they'll screw it up?
• Summer is over and 'Amanda and the Star Wars Fall' just doesn't have the same ring, but I love using my Dramatic Title Voice. New title suggestions?

Tune in next time to hear my opinions on the 'Journey to The Force Awakens' series, the new canon for the Star Wars Universe.

As always

There's more where this came from!

Amanda & the Star Wars Summer

Episode I | Episode II | Episode III | Episode IV
The Force Awakens Spoiler-Free Reaction
The Force Awakens Review

Disney Songs Book Tag + Story Publication!!!

Today's the day! You can finally read my short story, The Curious Concoctions of Thornton Thoreau, in this month's issue of Bards & Sages Quarterly. You can buy a copy here. Woohoo! This is one of my favorite stories and I'm so excited that I can share it with you.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Being the Disney fan that I am, I could not resist doing this tag video over on YouTube.


Questions:
1. A whole new world - Pick a book that made you see the world differently.
2. Cruella De Vil - Pick your favorite villain.
3. I won't say I'm in love - Pick a book you didn't want to admit you loved.
4. Gaston - Pick a character that you couldn't stand.
5. Part of your world - Pick a book set in a universe you wish you could live in.
6. A dream is a wish your heart makes - describe what the book of your dreams would be like
7. Someday my prince will come - What book character would you marry if you could
8. I see the light - Pick a book that changed your life.
9. When you wish upon a star - Pick a book you wish you could reread for the first time.
10. I just can't wait to be king - Pick a book with some kind of monarchy in it.
11. Colors of the wind - Pick a book with a beautiful colorful cover.

It looks like this tag was started by Aria's Books. Fantastic job, Aria!

And hey, this tag doesn't have to exist on YouTube alone. It will be easily adapted for a blog post, so I'll tag you too, you blogger dying to do this!

Amanda & the Star Wars Summer -Episode II

Amanda & the Star Wars Summer

Episode I | Episode II | Episode III | Episode IV
The Force Awakens Spoiler-Free Reaction
The Force Awakens Review

This year I was determined to not only re-watch the Star Wars movies, but to read as many of the books as I could and devour any announcements and previews about the upcoming Episode VII and generally just live, breathe, and fangirl Star Wars.

So far it's working.

The Empire Strikes Back

I'm embarrassed to say that it's been much longer since I've watched these then I thought. Because Han and Leia's flirting. They flirt so much. And it totally went over my head the last time I saw it. *hangs head in shame*

But the flirting. It's so fun.

Return of the Jedi

Originally, this was my favorite Star Wars film. I don't think it quite lives up to my expectations now. Things that I've heard about how it should have ended and how Lucas went off into toy merchandising wonderland has made me re-evaluate many things about it. I can see where it could have been better. And, while the eight-year-old inside will always love those furry little Ewoks, I can see how they changed the tone of the film.

It's hard to say, really, if I would have preferred one of the other RotJ stories make it to film instead, because I did grow up with this. I don't hate it; I don't think it's terrible. There are many things that I love about it and, even though I recognize that it was a cop-out ending, I don't know that I would have liked another ending any better.

Like anything involving the death of Han Solo.

Just saying, I would have had serious issues if that had happened. (Part of me is terrified Han Solo will die in VII.) And I'm not just saying that as a now-serious Han Solo fan. When I first watched these movies, I was young enough a movie death like that could have ruined the entire trilogy for me -not to mention scar my innocent, childish nature.

If Han Solo had died in this movie, I wouldn't have wanted to watch it again, never mind any time I got bored. I likely would not have imagined myself as a Jedi, or longed to work the powers of the Force, or wanted a laser blaster strapped to my leg.

In short, I would not have grown up in love with Star Wars. I may have come back around to it, years later, but it would not have been such a big part of my childhood.

If Han does happen to meet his end in Episode VII, I'd like to say I'm adult enough to accept it.

Nope.

Still going to have a problem with it.

Star Wars Comic-Con Panel

If you haven't seen it yet (and if you've stuck through my rambling this long, you probably have) the Star Wars panel is a must-see. I don't care if you don't want spoilers, or you think Abrams will ruin the franchise, or you just don't like panels.

Watch. It.


It has sent me into Star Wars crazed enthusiasm overdrive for so many reasons. It's totally worth an hour of your time.

ALL THE STAR WARS BOOKS!
I finally started in on my lofty goal to read ALL [read: as many as I can] the Star Wars books before VII is released. I've wanted to read these for years. I reviewed all the books I've read so far in this super special Star Wars video, but if you'd rather read the reviews, they're down below.

Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Excellent! Fantastic! Superb!

Now that I finally begin reading the Star Wars fiction, they are no longer cannon. Go figure, huh? It's a shame, though, because this book was absolutely magnificent. It read just like a Star Wars movie and -best of all!- everyone felt in-character and true to form. There's been hype around this book ever since it was released, and I can tell you it was earned. It's a great continuation of the series, even if it's now 'unofficial'. Really, though, with the new movies coming out, this just means Star Wars fans get TWO universes to enjoy, so it's kind of a win-win.

Zahn does a spectacular job with the Star Wars universe. I read his Star Wars: Scoundrels last year, so it seems he consistently masters the voice of the setting and characters, which makes me indescribably happy, considering he's written so many books in the Star Wars universe. I can't wait to read more!
View all my reviews

The Courtship of Princess Leia by Dave Wolverton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. From reviews, I got the feeling it was just a cheesy romance but -while it did have some cheesy romance aspects- it was a great Star Wars adventure.

It did seem broken into parts, starting with the romance story line, but switching gears to an adventure story as soon as they touch down on the planet Dathomir. There was not always a great meshing of the adventure with the romance conundrum, so it felt sometimes like two different stories, but they did come together at the end, and they were both parts were fun.

I actually found the first half -the romance bit- the most compelling. Even though you know how the story is going to end, it's so much fun to watch Han trying to win Leia over again because he's just so, so Han. I could be biased, because this part of the story does focus more on Han; once they hit Dathomir, we jump over to Luke a lot more often as he learns some new secrets of the Force.

On the whole, a good read, and it's successfully fueled my growing Star Wars enthusiasm.

View all my reviews


Star Wars: Tatooine Ghost by Troy Denning
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was not quite what I expected. With a title like Tatooine Ghost, I anticipated something more...ghostly. Spooky. All the same, this was a fun book. And even though there isn't an actual ghost here, the title wound up making total sense.

Newlyweds Han and Leia travel to Tatooine to buy a surviving Alderaanian masterpiece up for auction. Not only is it a piece of Leia's home world, the painting also happens to contain Alliance secrets they can't let the Imperials get their hands on. Between dodging Imperials, some very impressive speeder chases, and dealing with squabbling Squibs, Leia also uncovers some history of a local podracing legend -Anakin Skywalker.

This is the first time I've started reading the Star Wars novels, but I've always been a big fan of the universe. Aside from the movies, though, I've had limited exposure. Instead, I sort of ruminate in the world and idea of Star Wars, so I tend to forget or glaze over certain things. Like the fact that Leia never knew Anakin. Luke has a great arc with this in RotJ, of separating Anakin and Darth Vader, eventually bringing their father back from the dark side, but it wasn't until I listened to this audio that it really hit me: To Leia, Darth Vader was always the villain. He was the tyrant who kidnapped and tortured her, and helped murder her entire home planet. (!!!) Just think back at their confrontation in the original film. That is the only way Leia ever knew her father.

Troy Denning took that as a challenge. Leia is given a look into the life of Anakin before Darth Vader and it fascinated me. The rest of the story is fun, a great adventure, but Leia learning about her father's past is what really made this book for me.

My brain is in Star Wars overdrive.
View all my reviews

Shadows of the Empire by Steve Perry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I wasn't sure about this one because some reviews said it was 'a must for all Star Wars fans!' and others said 'only for the die-hard fan.' I would say it's somewhere in between. If you're into Star Wars fiction, it's worth a read, but I do think the quality is on the mediocre scale.

The story itself is fun, and they get enough content in there to make it its own story, not just a 'filler'. The villain, Prince Xizor, head of the Black Sun crime syndicate, is interesting, and I liked his rivalry with Vader (because it makes Vader more interesting), but Xizor's bits did tend to be long-winded. His POV sections and monologues could have been paired down a lot.

There is a Han substitute, since he's currently frozen in carbonite, in the form of Dash Rendar -a cocky smuggler/pirate/mercenary/ace pilot who 'only cares about getting paid'. It was made a little less irksome because Luke and Leia are constantly comparing him to Han, so their similarities are noted, and he was kind of fun, but I honestly would have liked it better if the twist was he genuinely only cared about getting paid. As it stood, it felt rather like a carbon copy.

Speaking of Han, one thing I really liked is Leia struggling with this question of what might happen after they -if they ever- free Han. She loves him. She's head over heels in love with him. She told him so. And he said 'I know.' Does that mean he loves her too? Or...or... I just loved this, because it's completely genuine.

And speaking of feelings, Perry had fun messing with readers. This is before Luke and Leia are twins, right? And Luke still totally has a crush on Leia, right? And Leia cares about Luke, but not the same way she cares about Han, and why are feelings so COMPLICATED?! I laughed and I winced. (But don't worry; there was no more kissing.)

The story is full of hints and events leading into Return of the Jedi, right down to the Bothans gaining 'critical information' that Luke is sure he'll be briefed on soon enough.

The best part about this book by far was getting inside Darth Vader's head, even for a little bit. There are tidbits and tiny, tiny hints about how RotJ is going to end, without making him sympathetic. I loved that they were so subtle it did not ruin his eventual turn.

On that note, I do wish Perry had given us one final hint at the end. It seemed like the perfect opportunity, and it was completely passed up. This novel supposedly shows the events between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, where Luke goes from 'NOOOOOOOOOOO!' of finding out Darth Vader is his dad to 'I can still sense the good in him.' It didn't occur to me until I was reading this book, which has Luke still dealing with this revelation, that this transition of his was kind of...sudden. I felt this would have been the perfect time for Luke to sense something still good in Vader, because in this story Vader admits to himself that a part of Anakin has survived in him -and he's determined to destroy it. He realizes a part of the Jedi is still alive inside and that it's keeping him from fully embracing the dark side. For the last 50 pages I was waiting and waiting for Luke to sense this in Vader, to have this realization, but no. A perfect moment squandered. *sigh*

Like I said, it's worth a read if you like the Star Wars fiction, because if nothing else, it helps you to embrace the universe and, as you can see, really deepens your appreciation for it by getting you to analyze and question all the little details.

View all my reviews

WOOOOOOOO STAR WARS!!!

There's more where this came from!

Amanda & the Star Wars Summer

Episode I | Episode II | Episode III | Episode IV
The Force Awakens Spoiler-Free Reaction
The Force Awakens Review

May Wrap Up: What I Read, Wrote, and Reviewed

What I read:

Of Enemies and Endings by Shelby Bach

Video Review | Blog
Spelled by Betsy Schow

Video Review | Blog
The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows

Video Review | Blog 

Seekers of the Weird

**coming soon**
A Whole New World by Liz Braswell

**coming soon**

Bonus! For those of you ecstatic about the upcoming finale of The Ever Afters, I'm putting together a week-long blog party leading up to the release date. I'm looking for fan art as well as fans who want to answer fun series-related questions. If you want to participate or find out more, to that post.

There were also several audiobooks I started that I just couldn't get into. The God Engines by John Scalzi, but I know this disinterest was born of mood. Just coming off Scalzi's Fuzzy Nation, The God Engines was much more serious sci-fi than I anticipated. I'll likely pick it up again.

The second was The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister. I'm not sure if I just couldn't get into the story or if it was just the audio, but it didn't pull me in. This was on my list of anticipated releases this year, so I might go back to it later.

My Top Tens:

Top Ten Tween Books
Top Ten Beach Reads

On the Writing Front:

I'm getting my second short story published! 'The Curious Concoctions of Thornton Thoreau' will appear in the October issue of Bards and Sages Quarterly.

Looking back, I wonder what I was doing with all my reading time last month. The answer: working on my novel. It's full of loose threads, timeline confusion, and in all around need of tightening, but I've had my nose to the grindstone, and it's looking better every day.

This month, I did discover an absolutely spectacular set of videos on YouTube of all the lectures from BYU's writing class. The one taught by Brandon Sanderson. I feel as though I've struck gold, and I'm more than happy to share my wealth.

And that's it. Ta-da!

Giveaway | April Wrap Up

Two book giveaways in one day? How did we get so lucky!?

Cheree Alsop, author of seven YA series and several novels with a supernatural edge, is launching her brand new series, The Monster Asylum, and she's providing an ebook copy of the first book, The Fangs of Bloodhaven. (This giveaway is open internationally.)

Being a teenage vampire in a human family isn’t easy, especially in a city where harboring any monster subspecies is illegal. When Everett is injured attempting to save a werewolf, she takes him to the Monster Asylum, a place that shouldn’t exist, and introduces him to a world of acceptance and possibility. Dark creatures begin to plague the five cities. Everett’s ability to fight against them makes him irreplaceable if the human world that fears him can accept a vampire as a hero.

 


Cheree Alsop is a seriously accomplished independently published author who churns out books like there's no tomorrow. She's one of those indie authors who's helping the industry get a good name. Find out more about her:

Website | Facebook | Twitter |

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords |

a Rafflecopter giveaway


J.E. Thompson is celebrating an awesome new book cover, and wanted to share the love. A paperback copy of the first book in his Almost Human series, Revelation, is also on the giveaway list! (This giveaway is only open to US residents.)



Headline reads, "New tribe emerges from the Brazilian jungle."
A never before seen tribe suddenly appears. Bigfoot sightings filter in. A raccoon shows up with red fur. Animal Control rounds up increasing numbers of stray dogs wandering the beach but no owners claim them.
For fifteen year old Michelle Thorn, seeing a living Bigfoot in the Oregon forest is only the beginning. The next few weeks will shatter her beliefs about who she is.


Bigfoot. Conspiracy. Murder.
Bring it on.

This adventurous thriller, laced with a bit of sci-fi flair, is J.E. Thompson's first novel. You can find out more about him and his newly released anthology Deliciously Dark Tales here:

Blog | Facebook | Amazon |

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Now for the wrap up! I'm talking about all the books I read and got in April, with just a little bit of singing and maybe a pantomimed Psycho scene. (Okay, definitely that.)

ALL THE LINKS:

Geek Girl by Holly Smale
Video Review | Blog

The Ghost is Love by Jonathan Carroll
Video Review | Blog

Brother Odd by Dean Koontz
Goodreads

Of Witches and Wind by Shelby Bach
Video Review

Of Sorcery and Snow by Shelby Bach
Video Review

OF ENEMIES AND ENDINGS by Shelby Bach

Video Review | Blog

Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Goodreads

Third Daughter by Susan Kaye Quinn
Video Review | Blog

Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi

Video Review | Blog

May the Fourth Be With You Always

Ten Books I Recently Added to my TBR