2013 in the Star Wars Expanded Universe

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Bria

It’s the vogue thing to do right now so I couldn’t help but sit down and take a retrospective look at this year’s Expanded Universe books and then rank them in my order of preference. (Because hey! All the cool kids are doing it!)

Overall, 2013 was a solidly enjoyable year for Expanded Universe releases. After all, what else could it be when we literally started 2013 with Scoundrels? I can promise you that I paid no attention to the ball dropping in Time’s Square and was instead impatiently waiting for Scoundrels to finish downloading to my Nook instead. As those who followed the Waru Express are probably well aware, I’ve had my fair share of problems with a number of the Expanded Universe releases in the past five years or so. 2013 has, for the most part, been a giant breath of fresh air.

We’ll start with my basic rankings and then I’ll go a bit more into detail because this list is going to look deceptive. My reviews for each of these books are linked.

That’s the simplified version of the rankings. If you really want a better sense of how I felt about these books, it’ll look something more like this.

Kenobi
Razor’s Edge OR Scoundrels
Into the Void.

9. The Last Jedi

87. Crucible

Let’s start with the good. (And a few spoilers that will be said in passing.)

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Tosche Station Radio #56: Our Favorite (Star Wars) Things

Posted on May 9, 2013 by admin

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This week on Tosche Station Radio, the hosts celebrate the beginning of Star Wars Month by talking about some of their favorite things from the franchise!

Kicking off the show, the hosts highlight what’s New on the Blog. Bria finished up the NJO and suffered through the Dark Nest Trilogy. Somewhere in there she also found time to do an Awesome Con cosplay roundup and write up a review of Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void. She liked it! Meanwhile, Brian gave his thoughts about the Lucasfilm/EA game deal.

In Fixer’s Flash, Nanci’s was over at Disney’s May the 4th Be With You celebration at Hollywood Studios. Brian’s been reading through Crucible. Both the hosts watched the Abrams Star Trek 2009 to prepare for a guest appearance on WOAM’s Star Trek Into Madness series this weekend.

There’s a whole bunch of news on Deak’s Dirt this week, so get comfortable! Her Universe teased the Rogue Squadron dress and released new merchandise through Hot Topic. The Clone Wars bonus content will feature Plo Koon and the mystery of Sifo-Dyas. In EU news, The Making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and Empire and Rebellion: Razor’s Edge got covers. Meanwhile, there’s a new synopsis for Kenobi by John Jackson Miller.Pablo Hidalgo’s conducted a Facebook chat (link to Club Jade article). In Episode VII news, Kathleen Kennedy says they won’t be as secretive as JJ Abrams was during Into Darkness. JJ Abrams says he expects John Williams to score Episode VII. Bad Robot’s producer said that Episode VII is targeting an early 2014 filming start. Mark Hamill crashed RotJ screening on May 4, but still is not confirmed for Episode VII. In other Star Wars related news, a full guest list for Star Wars Weekends was released. On the gaming side of things, Lucasfilm selected EA for multi-year licensing deal. In other franchise news, the Ender’s Game trailer dropped! Finally, legendary special effects and creature artist Ray Harryhausen passed away.

On Camie’s Concerns the hosts have some fun and pull out the grab bag to discuss their favorite things in Star Wars. From films to music to books, there’s a whole lot in this universe to enjoy.

Wrapping up the show, the host field questions from listeners in Ask Us Anything and give away a copy of Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void by Tim Lebbon.

Tosche Station Radio is the official podcast of Tosche-Station.net and a part of Majestic Giraffe Productions. If you like what you hear, please leave a review on the iTunes Music Store. We can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Nanci and Brian are the co-founders and writers of Tosche-Station.net. You can find Nanci on Twitter with the handle @Nancipants and you can find Brian with @LaneWinree.

This podcast has been brought to you in part by Her Universe and Audible.com.

Review: Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Bria

Into the Void is unlike any Star Wars book you’ve ever read before and that’s not a bad thing. In fact, it turns out to be a rather good thing.

Set over 25,000 years before the Skywalkers were playing leading roles on the galactic stage, Tim Lebbon adds to this new era in the Star Wars universe with the tale of Lanoree Brock, a Je’daii Ranger. She has been summoned by the Je’daii Council to embark on a mission to stop one man from trying to open a hypergate and incidentally destroy the entire Tythan star system. It is a mission of utmost importance. As if the mission wasn’t pressure enough, the Council reveals that she has been chosen for the job because the man is believed to be Dalien Brock, her brother thought to be dead for years.

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Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void Cover Revealed

Posted on January 17, 2013 by admin

Hollywood.com revealed the cover of Tim Lebbon’s upcoming Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void cover today. The official summary of the book:

On the planet Tython, the ancient Je’daii order was founded. And at the feet of its wise Masters, Lanoree Brock learned the mysteries and methods of the Force—and found her calling as one of its most powerful disciples. But as strongly as the Force flowed within Lanoree and her parents, it remained absent in her brother, who grew to despise and shun the Je’daii, and whose training in its ancient ways ended in tragedy.

Now, from her solitary life as a Ranger keeping order across the galaxy, Lanoree has been summoned by the Je’daii Council on a matter of utmost urgency. The leader of a fanatical cult, obsessed with traveling beyond the reaches of known space, is bent on opening a cosmic gateway using dreaded dark matter as the key—risking a cataclysmic reaction that will consume the entire star system. But more shocking to Lanoree than even the prospect of total galactic annihilation, is the decision of her Je’daii Masters to task her with the mission of preventing it. Until a staggering revelation makes clear why she was chosen: The brilliant, dangerous madman she must track down and stop at any cost is the brother whose death she has long grieved—and whose life she must now fear.

And the cover …