Book Wars Pod, Episode 86: Space Crack is Space Whack

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We’re beginning our read of BATTLEFRONT: TWILIGHT COMPANY by Alexander Freed by, as always, figuring out where and when in the galaxy the story takes place, examining loyalty among the Rebel Alliance, and thinking about the unique aspects of a story with no heroes.

This podcast is NOT spoiler-free.

Book Wars Pod explores the Star Wars universe through the franchise’s non-screen media: the canon novels, comics, and video games. Check out our guide to past episodes, and subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and wherever else you cast your pods. You can also subscribe to the Tosche Station Radio Mega Feed on iTunes Google Play, or Stitcher for more great shows from our podcast network.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr for episode updates! Hosted by Kristen Sereci, Chris Sedor, Kate Sedor, and Miranda Eldon. Art by Joe Butera. Music by Podington Bear.

This podcast has been brought to you in part by your support on Patreon!

Holonet Blast #102

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This news post was definitely not written at the last minute, no sirree bob. It definitely wasn’t overlooked due to Avengers Endgame hangover and feeling sick all weekend. (I don’t even watch Game of Thrones so I have no excuse there.) ANYWAY. On with the show!

Speaking of Endgame, yes this is a Star Wars centric blog but it would be remiss not to mention Endgame‘s humongous box office take this weekend. $1.2 billion worldwide, to be specific. Aka the biggest worldwide opening weekend ever. The previous record? Infinity War, with $640 million. That’s a HUGE difference. Domestically, Endgame also broke records, taking in $350 million to Infinity War‘s $258 million. Something tells me that Disney is going to have a very good year at the box office.

Back to Star Wars, we have an excerpt for Dooku: Jedi Lost, by Cavan Scott. The audio original releases tomorrow, April 30, from Del Rey.

In news very relevant to my interests, reservations for Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland open on May 2. Yes, you will need a reservation to enter Galaxy’s Edge when the land first opens. Reservations will be handed out in four-hour chunks on a first-come, first-serve basis. Guests with Disneyland hotel reservations can already book their guaranteed time slots. Learn more about the reservation system at this link. (I am very glad this system will not be in place at Disney World. That we know of, at least.)

Finally, a big congrats to the Star Wars team for their five 2019 Webby awards! The Star Wars Show won both the Webby Award and the People’s Voice Award in Social: Television & Film as well as the Webby Award for Video: Variety. The Live From the Red Carpet of Solo: A Star Wars Story! coverage was voted the People’s Voice Winner in Video: Events & Live streams. Starwars.com won the award for People’s Voice Award for Website in the Movie & Film category (for the third year in a row) and was selected as an honoree in the category of Websites: Best User Experience.

Book Wars Pod, Bonus Episode 17: If Only She Were Blue

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In this second part of our Star Wars Celebration coverage, we discuss every single trailer we got to see in Chicago: The Rise of Skywalker, Vader Immortal, Jedi: Fallen Order, The Mandalorian, The Clone Wars season 7, and what we could clean from Star Wars Resistance season 2. Plus, we discuss what we hope to see from the mysterious Project Luminous.

This podcast is NOT spoiler-free.

Book Wars Pod explores the Star Wars universe through the franchise’s non-screen media: the canon novels, comics, and video games. Check out our guide to past episodes, and subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and wherever else you cast your pods. You can also subscribe to the Tosche Station Radio Mega Feed on iTunes or Google Play for more great shows from our podcast network.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr for episode updates! Hosted by Kristen Sereci, Chris Sedor, Kate Sedor, and Miranda Eldon. Art by Joe Butera. Music by Podington Bear.

This podcast has been brought to you in part by your support on Patreon!

Book Wars Pod, Bonus Episode 16: Back in the Nap Room

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We’re joined by Jess of Lousy Beautiful Town Pod to discuss our experiences at and reactions to Star Wars Celebration Chicago! What upcoming projects are we excited for? What are we a bit skeptical of? What were our favorite moments? Listen in to find out!

This podcast is NOT spoiler-free.

Book Wars Pod explores the Star Wars universe through the franchise’s non-screen media: the canon novels, comics, and video games. Check out our guide to past episodes, and subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and wherever else you cast your pods. You can also subscribe to the Tosche Station Radio Mega Feed on iTunes or Google Play for more great shows from our podcast network.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr for episode updates! Hosted by Kristen Sereci, Chris Sedor, Kate Sedor, and Miranda Eldon. Art by Joe Butera. Music by Podington Bear.

This podcast has been brought to you in part by your support on Patreon!

Book Wars Pod, Episode 85: Approximately 33% Good

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We’re wrapping up our read of AFTERMATH: EMPIRE’S END by Chuck Wendig with a wide-ranging discussion on the nature of reading and writing trilogies, the emotional impact of the end of the series, and, of course, your social media questions.

This podcast is NOT spoiler-free.

Book Wars Pod explores the Star Wars universe through the franchise’s non-screen media: the canon novels, comics, and video games. Check out our guide to past episodes, and subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and wherever else you cast your pods. You can also subscribe to the Tosche Station Radio Mega Feed on iTunes Google Play, or Stitcher for more great shows from our podcast network.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr for episode updates! Hosted by Kristen Sereci, Chris Sedor, Kate Sedor, and Miranda Eldon. Art by Joe Butera. Music by Podington Bear.

This podcast has been brought to you in part by your support on Patreon!

Holonet Blast #101

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HELLO THERE. We’re all back from Star Wars Celebration and boy howdy was there some news. So much news. We have an Episode IX title! The Rise of Skywalker! Can you believe? No but actually… Whaaaaaaat?! *insert Palpatine cackle here* Listen, I’m going to be honest with you: I’m going to try and get everything in here but I still need at least three more naps before I’m recovered from the con. Effort’s being made here though. Okay, let’s do this!

On the television front, we got a cool new poster for Season 2 of Star Wars Resistance and also people at the panel got to see the first episode and I am dying because I wasn’t there but apparently it was good. We also got a trailer for the final season of The Clone Wars and you’d best hold on to your butts because whoa those last few seconds. Even cooler though was our first look at The Mandalorian. I was lucky enough to see some of the footage and November cannot be here fast enough. (That music. THAT MUSIC!) Also, Alan Tudyk is officially returning to the part of K-2SO for the Cassian Andor series.

In publishing news, IDW announced more Jaxxon and a return to Vader’s Castle this fall. On the Marvel side of things, we mostly got art and cover reveals but we also learned of a forthcoming series (Target: Vader) and that Greg Pak and Phil Noto will be taking over the main Star Wars comic series this summer once Kieron Gillen concludes his run. We had some reveals at the Lucasfilm Publishing panel. Also wtf is Project Luminous?!? We don’t know and Del Rey is being a massive tease about it but with Claudia Gray, Daniel José Older, Charles Soule, Justina Ireland, and Cavan Scott all involved, I’m 100% onboard no matter what it is.

EA unveiled more about their new game Jedi: Fallen Order and the trailer looks pretty darn cool. Of note, Second Sister and the Purge Troopers from Soule’s Darth Vader comic will be in the game. You can also look forward to an The Art of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order book later this year.

What else, what else? Galaxy’s Edge is going to be next level cool. (I still can’t get over the Coke bottles.) We got our first look at Vader Immortal and judging by the demo they had on the floor, it’s going to be really freaking neat. (Maya Rudolph is in Star Wars!) Hasbro is putting out new things because Hasbro and I did not try and steal the display Black Series Aphra so you should all be proud of me. Finally, Star Wars Pinball is coming to Nintendo Switch.

Whew. I think that’s everything. I hope it’s everything. Celebration is always a lot. I also recommend heading over to StarWars.com as they have some great features on plenty of panels that didn’t have news and are definitely worth taking a look at. Now if you’ll excuse me… I have a Star Wars Resistance poster to stare at some more. (Tam! Just look at Tam!)

Review: Master and Apprentice

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There are three certainties in life: death, taxes, and that Claudia Gray’s books will make you feel things.

Master and Apprentice explores the relationship between Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi at an uncertain time. They haven’t quite meshed together yet in the way expected of masters and padawans who’ve been together for several years and when Qui-Gon is offered a seat on the Jedi Council, he thinks that accepting it may be the best possible solution for both of them. Before he can make a decision, they’re specifically called to assist with a political dispute on Pijal by Rael Averross, another former padawan of Dooku. What should be simple mission quickly grows more far complicated especially once the Force shows Qui-Gon violent visions of the future… Continue reading →

Book Wars Pod, Episode 84: Darth Twink

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For this episode, we’re discussing the last quarter of AFTERMATH: EMPIRE’S END by Chuck Wendig! Join us as we discuss the Battle of Jakku, the destruction of the Empire, and what creepy Force stuff Palpatine might have been up to when researching the Unknown Regions.

This podcast is NOT spoiler-free and covers “Interlude: The Imperialis” through the end of the book.

Book Wars Pod explores the Star Wars universe through the franchise’s non-screen media: the canon novels, comics, and video games. Check out our guide to past episodes, and subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, and wherever else you cast your pods. You can also subscribe to the Tosche Station Radio Mega Feed on iTunes Google Play, or Stitcher for more great shows from our podcast network.

Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr for episode updates! Hosted by Kristen Sereci, Chris Sedor, Kate Sedor, and Miranda Eldon. Art by Joe Butera. Music by Podington Bear.

This podcast has been brought to you in part by your support on Patreon!

Review: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

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If you’re a Star Wars fan, you probably at least know of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, the groundbreaking BioWare RPG that’s still beloved by thousands to this very day and for good reason: it’s damn good. In his first book, journalist Alex Kane dives into the game’s history and its creation, offering a brief yet well-researched oral history of Knights of the Old Republic, showing why it’s so special and why people still play it well over a decade later.

There’s a little bit of something for everyone within these pages whether you’re more of a Star Wars person or more of a BioWare person. (And if you’re both, you’re golden.) The book focuses on the first game and barely mentions Obsidian’s sequel which came out the following year but the tight focus is to its advantage. It’s a fairly quick read but makes good use of every page. As a long time fan of Knights of the Old Republic (aka KOTOR) who considers it to be one of her favorite games of all time yet never really looked into anything behind the scenes for it, the book was a quick yet fascinating read that goes all the way back to the game’s genesis. I was relatively young when KOTOR first came out and didn’t really grasp how revolutionary it was to have the dialogue fully voiced instead of just as text on the screen. No matter how well versed you are in the history of the game, you’ll likely learn at least a new thing or two about it. (I learned far more than that!)

Kane talked to just about all of the major players in KOTOR’s development, from Mike Gallo of LucasArts to James Ohlen of BioWare, and even spoke with voice actress Jennifer Hale who played Bastila Shan. The almost a dozen interviews have been supplemented with previous published ones, all meticulously cited at the end. The love that everyone had for both the game and the galaxy comes through without sugar coating the game-making process. In particular, concept art director John Gallagher seemed to hold nothing back and recounted not only being able to meet the incredible Ralph McQuarrie in a “life-changing” experience but also his dislike for Darth Malak’s final design. It all helps add a delightful sense of this being a true conversation; if you close your eyes, you might be able to imagine them reminiscing over a beer. Games are both an art form and hard work, something the book makes clear without putting one above the other.

Statement: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is out today from Boss Fight Books and is perfect for fans of the iconic game. It’s absolutely worth picking up. Come for the game’s history, stay for the HK-47 tidbits, meatbags.

Thank you to the author for providing an early copy of the book for review purposes. It is available for purchase through the publisher. 

Review: No Country for Old Gnomes

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Two gnomes, a dwarf, a gryphon, a half-sheep woman, and a halfling set out one morning from a gnome refugee center. No, that’s not the start to a joke, it’s the start of an adventure in No Country for Old Gnomes, the latest entry in the Tales from Pell series by Kevin Hearne and Delilah S. Dawson. Everything’s not fine and dandy in Pell even now that King Gustave (who was definitely not once a goat because wow wouldn’t that be silly) on the throne. The gnomes are in trouble because of some very cruel halflings and it’s up to our new band of heroes to find a way to save the day. Hopefully. What could possibly go wrong?

In all honesty, a heck of lot of things go wrong for our heroes but it would make for a pretty boring story otherwise. And if you think a book by Hearne and Dawson is going to be boring, boy do I have a lake on Tatooine to sell you. No Country for Old Gnomes has the same irreverent sense of humor as the first book, combined with the same heart and soul as a new set of heroes embarks on a crazy journey. Continue reading →