Star Wars novels reading updates

[SWSF Hoppus]

Reading "The Paradise Snare" book 1 of 3 in the Han Solo trilogy by A C Crispin. Pretty dreadful writing but its useful to get some perspective on other species, the hutts, etc.

So far, these remain the only "well written" star wars novels I've enjoyed (well written meaning not dreadful prose with flimsy characterization and high levels of abstraction):

1. Darth Sidious (maybe my favorite?)
2. Thrawn Trilogy (Zahn)
3. Hand of Thrawn Duology (Zahn)
4. The Aaron Allston X-Wing books, though they are quite juvenile, still readable as fiction.
5. The newer Thrawn books (Zahn)

Does anyone have recommendations? I've never read the new jedi stuff, and haven't read most of the new canon stuff. Some of the SW novels are pretty badly written. Its very upsetting. Maybe its an age thing, they didn't seem quite so bad when I was 13!

[SWSF Eidolon]

  Han and Leia ESB dialogue and the carbonite saga aside, everything most awesome about star wars is the concept above the reality


  For me the Yuuzhan Vong is most awful.  I would rather watch Ep VII-IX twice in a day than entertain the notion of that crap in my fantasy universe.



   I have been meaning to read Splinter of the Minds Eye though because I have shamefully never digested any of it and am occasionally reminded of it

https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Splinter_of_the_Mind%27s_Eye

[SWSF Hoppus]

Huh, never heard of splinter of the minds eye. 

Agree that the vong and all that go really far away from star wars spirit, IMO.

[SWSF Hale]

I mean, if you haven't read Shadows of the Empire... your membership card in the SW Nerd's Book Club needs to get revoked.

I never got into the SW novels, but I read SOTE.

[Syren]

Splinter of the Minds Eye is considered the beginning of what was once the EU. Always been a fan of Shadows of the Empire, which has heavily inspired our storylines over the years. I tore through the EU books in secret on weeknights in high school and have a soft spot for everything pre-Vong. I have read of a few of the newer ones (Leia, Princess of Alderaan, and Bloodline) which were both very good. When the EU got shafted I kinda lost that spark a bit, at least for the newer canon stuff. The classics are still clutch though. 

[SWSF Hoppus]

I think I have the ebook for shadows of the empire... remember not being able to get into it. This was some years ago. Going to take another go at it!

[SWSF Eidolon]

this sounds good


https://musewithmeblog.com/2018/12/28/book-review-bloodline-by-claudia-gray/

[Starjunx]

Splinter of the Minds Eye is considered the beginning of what was once the EU. Always been a fan of Shadows of the Empire, which has heavily inspired our storylines over the years. I tore through the EU books in secret on weeknights in high school and have a soft spot for everything pre-Vong. I have read of a few of the newer ones (Leia, Princess of Alderaan, and Bloodline) which were both very good. When the EU got shafted I kinda lost that spark a bit, at least for the newer canon stuff. The classics are still clutch though.

Exactly this for me.  When the EU got shafted it pretty much turned me off of Star Wars for many years.  I would say I'm still not the fan I was, but I've come around to an extent.  I very much wish that that sequel trilogy had been based on the Thrawn trilogy instead of the bs we got. 

Syren, I miss you... despite the fact that you used a retardedly OP capital ship that could cloak and then decloak and attack in the same turn in whatever the fuck sim universe that was.  lol.  

[George]

While the Thrawn books are great, my favorite was and is the X-Wing series by Stackpole and Allston (RIP). There are also aspects of the Jedi Academy + I, Jedi series that I like, and likewise with the Black Fleet Crisis.

Anyway, for all things Star Wars novels (and comics), legends and canon alike, I think https://youtini.com is a great reference.

[Syren]

Syren, I miss you... despite the fact that you used a retardedly OP capital ship that could cloak and then decloak and attack in the same turn in whatever the fuck sim universe that was.  lol. 

The good old days. AE, perhaps? I will remind you I was a teenager when I pulled that shit on the OG forum! These days, I'm all about the Holodrama (a decade + worth of storylines and counting). Fantastical things happen, yes, but they transcend the various ongoing sims. 

[Starjunx]

teenagers... always on my lawn, drivin too fast with their cloaked capital ships... ::shakes cane::

[SWSF Hale]

THOSE DAMNED SPACE SOCIALISTS!!! ::shakes cane::

[EmperorSeverus]

My favorites have always been the EU books:

- The Thrawn trilogy
- The Hand of Thrawn duology
- The Black Fleet Crisis trilogy
- The Jedi Academy trilogy
- The Crystal Star
- The Courtship of Princess Leia
- The X-Wing series
- Shadows of the Empire

[SWSF Hoppus]

I havent read black fleet, shadows, or the academy trilogy yet somehow

[SWSF Eidolon]

Courtship was always one of my standalone favs and the most read of all.  That book was practically falling apart.

Jedi Academy Trilogy was actually the first bit of EU novel stuff I'd covered back in the day.  My mom was always an avid reader so would drag me to B Dalton Books every other weekend where at first I started getting a WEG SW Sourcebook here and there and then the novels.

Thrawn Trilogy is probably the overall pinnacle of EU material.

Have honestly never read Shadows novel, played the game and read the comics a lot though and always adored the Starviper!



I still need to read Splinter of the Minds Eye for first time ever.