Author: Chris

Legendary Adventures: Legacy of the Force – Invincible

legendary adventures 113 legacy of the force invincible

Darth Caedus’s take over of the Galactic Alliance (now paired with the Imperial Remnant) is finally completed. Only his sister stands in his way – and she has gone to the ends of the galaxy, and Jedi teaching, to stop him. Join the Legendary Adventures as we finish the Legacy of the Force series with Invincible!

Continue reading “Legendary Adventures: Legacy of the Force – Invincible”

Legendary Adventures: Legacy of the Force – Revelation

legendary adventures 112 legacy of the force revelation

The Second Galactic War rages across the galaxy, but the biggest battles are in the heart. As Jaina Solo and Ben Skywalker contemplate the hardest decisions of their life, they are forced to ask – is Jacen too far gone? Join the Legendary Adventures as we read Revelation!

Continue reading “Legendary Adventures: Legacy of the Force – Revelation”

Canon Novel Review by Chris: The High Republic – Tales of Light and Life

high republic tales of light life review mynockmanor1

– Spoiler-free Review –

The High Republic is back, and Tales of Light and Life is leading the charge into Phase III by bringing together the past, present, and future of the initiative into one bound volume. And what a volume it is. If you’re a frequent reader here at the Manor, you know I absolutely loved Phase I of THR: I bought every variant of the novels (so, uh, four editions of Light of the Jedi and The Rising Storm; three editions of The Fallen Star, Out of the Shadows, and Midnight Horizonetc.) and a lot of the comic variants, but Phase II fell rather flat to me. Thankfully, Tales of Light and Life comes in blasters blazing, creating new, exciting possibilities for the initiative and getting me excited again for the future. Continue reading “Canon Novel Review by Chris: The High Republic – Tales of Light and Life”

Artfully Done: The Essential Legends Thrawn Collection: Legendary Adventures Pit Stop

thrawn legendary adventures guide ahsoka

On June 15, 2021, now-Random House Worlds released the first wave of what they were calling the Essential Legends Collection. Reasons for the Essential Legends Collection were threefold: it was a way to get Legends novels back on the shelves, and for some, with new versions (trade paperback instead of hardcover or mass market editions) with new audiobooks; it was a way to help new readers navigate the world of the extremely large franchise library; and it’s a way to resell some older books. Most readers who came into the fandom since 2014-2015 would only really only have one consistent way to purchase Legends novels: mass market paperbacks, at the whim of the stores who still sold books. (I know I personally would avoid mass market as much as possible.) With the Essential Legends Collection, new readers can be introduced to stories they might have missed and familiar readers can experience these books in better formats. Specifically, with the upcoming release of Ahsoka, readers may be curious to read more about Thrawn, one of the main antagonists in the show. This article will give a short synopsis of the five books published under the Essential Legends Collection banner, with a short note about the canon books about Thrawn and the Legends novels that have yet to be reprinted under the banner. Continue reading “Artfully Done: The Essential Legends Thrawn Collection: Legendary Adventures Pit Stop”

Novel Review by Chris: From a Certain Point of View – Return of the Jedi

from certain point of view Return of the Jedi review mynockmanor

40 years of Return of the Jedi can only mean one thing…a new edition of From a Certain Point of View! Does the third movie’s edition hold as much fun and excitement as the previous two?

Continue reading “Novel Review by Chris: From a Certain Point of View – Return of the Jedi”

The High Republic – Phase II: Quest of the Jedi Retrospective

high republic phase 2 quest of the jedi retrospective

After a successful run, the decision was made not to pick up where the story left off, but rather dive further back, exploring how the galaxy got to where it was in the original story. To do so, George Lucas followed, much to fans’ chagrin initially, a young boy named Anakin Skywalker, preferring to go further back than many imagined to help tell a wider story of not only the fateful character’s life, but the machinations of those around him conspiring to the take over the galaxy, while still leaving a large chunk of time unexplored between trilogies. Prequels are nothing new to Star Wars, though that doesn’t mean it still wasn’t surprising to fans of The High Republic’s first Phase to find out Phase II: Quest of the Jedi, would actually jump a full 150 years backwards, leaving many fan favorites in the grips of the dreaded cliffhanger. With the second Phase all wrapped up, Chris and I (Ryan) explore its strengths and weaknesses like seasoned Pathfinders in our latest retrospective! Continue reading “The High Republic – Phase II: Quest of the Jedi Retrospective”

Legendary Adventures: Legacy of the Force – Fury

legendary adventures 111 legacy of the force fury

Personal and galactic stakes are raised even higher as the Galactic Alliance, under the leadership of Darth Caedus, drives the Second Galactic Civil War to Corellia. As the Jedi search for Mara Jade Skywalker’s killer, will this bring them peace – or closer to the darkness? Join the Legendary Adventures as we read Fury!

Continue reading “Legendary Adventures: Legacy of the Force – Fury”

Legendary Adventures: Legacy of the Force – Inferno

legendary adventures 110 legacy of the force inferno

Darth Caedus now rules the galaxy! Nothing seems to stand in the way of the growing darkness, and even Luke Skywalker has been severely hampered in his battle against the Sith after the loss of his wife. But how far is Caedus willing to go in his embrace of the Dark Side? Join us as we continue through the Legacy of the Force with Inferno!

Continue reading “Legendary Adventures: Legacy of the Force – Inferno”

Canon Novel Review by Chris: Inquisitor – Rise of the Red Blade

inquisitor rise of the red blade review mynockmanor

In Charles Soule’s Darth Vader Dark Lord of the Sith, we spend a lot of time with Darth Vader after he was defeated on Mustafar. Part of spending time with Vader was seeing how he interacted with the Inquisitors, who were (mostly) fallen Jedi, who were commissioned by the Emperor to track down Jedi who survived Order 66 and eliminate them. In one of the story arcs, we meet two unnamed Inquisitors, whom Vader chases across Coruscant after he suspects them of treason. This story, in the comic, was the motivation for Palpatine to give Vader Mustafar, where he built his fortress. Delilah S. Dawson, author of Phasma and Black Spire, took these characters and built an entire novel around them, hoping to expand their stories a bit. This novel was birthed out of that desire, and it comes years after the comic. The question is: was it worth the wait? Is this a story worth telling? And, ultimately, I’m leaning toward: maybe it was worth being told, but this novel made me wish that it hadn’t been. Continue reading “Canon Novel Review by Chris: Inquisitor – Rise of the Red Blade”