Author: Chris

Canon Novel Review by Chris: The High Republic – The Eye of Darkness

The Nihil are in a position of power. The vicious pirates have raised the Stormwall – an impenetrable wall blocking off major portions of the galaxy – to claim their power in the galaxy. The Jedi and Republic find themselves in one of their worst positions ever as they come to face the marauders. Read Chris’ review of The High Republic: The Eye of Darkness!

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Legendary Adventures: Crosscurrent

While the galaxy suffers from the effects of Darth Caedus, Sith Lords of old threaten to re-emerge on the galactic scene. Can Jedi Knight Jaden Korr save the galaxy – one that doesn’t even know how much more danger it is in? Join the Legendary Adventures as we read Crosscurrent!

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Legendary Adventures: 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!

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Legendary Adventures: 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!

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

– 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

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

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?

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The High Republic – Phase II: 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

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!

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