Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor

This is another novel by Matthew Stover, the author of the novelization of Revenge of the Sith. It comes between The Truce at Bakura and Tatooine Ghost. I missed reading this one until now. I need to blog my own reading list to help anyone who wants to read these books in order! Being a later published book (2008) it did not appear on my book chart. It is hard to find a good chart on the Internet as well. I recall first seeing this book in a book store back in 2009 when I first discovered this book series but didn't know where in the series it fell. I later last year got a copy of it off E-bay which.... is another blog of it's own to come...

Holo-Drama

But back to the book! This novel deals with Luke Skywalker's last days of his military career and his issues with the media. I was excited to read this one due to I was so impressed with his novelization of Revenge of the Sith.  What sets Matthew Stover apart in the Star Wars writer Universe is his way of describing the "Dark Side". He becomes very metaphoric and poetic in a creepy nightmarish way. You start to wonder which side he is really on! Of course the "Light Side" wins out, that's a given, but Stovers writings can get down right erry.
The whole book is a bit different then other SW books I have read yet. Like with Lybrith of Evil modern issues are brought up but unlike LOE it is done in a way that I feel does not get too close to the real world that it doesn't work. In it Luke is struggling with half true stories being told and published about him as such has happened with many heroes through the years in reality. Basically Luke has an issues with being 'Hollywoodized'!
Stover also has a very different depiction of Luke Skywalker then I've seen. Basically this is Luke having a VERY BAD DAY! Some things that are said sound more like something Han would say! But he does at least stick to the fact that although very powerful Luke is also a very compassionate and hurt human being.

There was a bit more tech talk then I would have liked but I wont complain much about it. Being written after all three prequels, details could be added to give a little more depth. He was able to make comparisons between Luke and his father along with little stuff like the fact that R2 is a very old model droid which makes you realize he's not only a faithful friend to Luke but had also been Anakin's droid as well. It's little details but so nice when they are thrown in there. Unlike some who can even get Luke's lightsaber color right... ugh! Actually with one character I wish a little more time had been spent on details from the past but sadly this sub-story gives a little info and does not pick back up which I find odd on why they cut it so short. Maybe there was a reason but you are left wanting more.
I'm now going to pick up where I left off in the Callista trilogy. I have gotten my hands on a copy of Planet of Twilight and now can move on...