Breaking in to the Expanded Universe

Recently my friend Molly asked an interesting question: “If I want to explore the Star Wars expanded universe, where do I start?” That started me thinking, and here's my response. 

-Nate 

Breaking in to the Expanded Universe

1. Start with the young adult books.

In my opinion, the most consistently good books have been the ones intended for young adults. I especially enjoyed Lost Stars, but also liked Queen's Shadow, Ahsoka, and Rebel Rising. Those books provide more depth for some of the great heroines in the Galaxy Far, Far Away, and bridge gaps between Episodes I and II, the Clone Wars and Rebels cartoons, and the flashbacks and main story of Rogue One. Lost Stars tells a story about friends who become caught up in the Galactic Civil War, against the backdrop of events from all three Original Trilogy movies and beyond.

2. Speaking of the cartoons, they're great.

Clone Wars may have had some clunker episodes, and Rebels was a little slow in building momentum, but the animated series have provided some of the greatest moments in Star Wars outside of the movies themselves. I will admit that I haven't watched Resistance, and am waiting to see what I think of Rise of Skywalker before I do so.

3. The adult novels have been, in my opinion, hit-or-miss.

I've enjoyed some of them, especially Catalyst, which is a prequel to Rogue One. I also liked the three Aftermath novels, which tell what happened right after the Battle of Endor. The same goes for A New Dawn, which tells more about how Kanan Jarrus and Hera Syndulla first met. Others I've found to be too dark in tone, such as Lords of the Sith and even Heir to the Jedi.

4. If you're okay with reading old, non-canon books, there are some great ones.

The Han Solo trilogy by Brian Daley is perhaps the best, in my opinion. A.C. Crispin's Han Solo trilogy is good, too, if a little too grandiose at times. There's also a special place in my heart for the Lando Calrissian trilogy, which is full of strangeness but I loved it—and it explains some of the references made in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Most of the other stuff, even if I liked some of it, has been swept away by Disney, and just doesn't seem worth it to me.

Bloodline Review

Yesterday I finished the newest addition to Star Wars literature, the novel Bloodline by Claudia Gray. This one had me excited for a while, for multiple reason. For one, I quite enjoyed Gray's young-adult-oriented Lost Stars. For another, this is the first adult novel since Aftermath to deal with the time period between Episodes VI and VII, and this one is a lot closer in time to the events of The Force Awakens.

This novel did not disappoint. While it's not the most action-packed entry in Star Wars literature--along that line, I think it's hard to top any of Brian Daley's Han Solo novels--this one held my interest throughout the story. There are some action scenes, but they take second place to the drama that comes from political intrigue. Although that might not sound so exciting, it really was. It was interesting to see some of the machinations in the New Republic Senate that lead up to the formation of the First Order and the Resistance, especially as they directly affected Princess Leia. I can't say too much without spoiling things, but secrets are revealed that have heavy ramifications.

Perhaps most importantly, Gray does a good job of capturing Leia's character. Her voice--internal and when used to address other characters--rang true to what we know of Leia from the movies. She has some good interaction with Han, too, in scenes that help to explain their situation in Episode VII. There are some new characters, too, who are likable without overshadowing our main protagonist. Finally, the novel includes a foldout political poster that captures the spirit of the novel well. All in all, Bloodline sets the bar high for any other books set in this time period.

-Nate