Star Wars Winter Wonderland

A little season fun with Star Wars....

 

 

 

The Force Awakens

The Force Awakens

   I did not know what to expect with this movie. Disney was making a gamble on this. The prequels were hated by so many. (not by me) It's not like Star Wars fans will love anything labeled Star Wars.
   To me I have read 40+ EU novels so now the future of those become uncertain. Jaina, Jacen, Mara Jade... what will happen to these beloved Old EU characters? (I'll call it OEU for short)
    I know this review comes late. I saw TFA when it was still in theaters but now I have watched it a number of times and have noticed a number of details I missed at first. Looking at it through the eyes of an OEU fan...
    In TFA the New Republic apparently didn't rise like it did in the OEU. In the OEU Coruscant once again becomes the Capital of the Republic. Mon Mothma it's leader and eventually Leia takes her place. The fall of the New Republic comes with the Yuuzhan Vong. This would take place before TFA so I guess you could use that to explain why Coruscant is no where to be seen in TFA but what I got from the movie was the New Republic never took hold and this First Order is what rises from the fall of the Empire.
    As in the OEU Luke Skywalker starts a Jedi school where he does teach his niece and two nephews. Jacen and Jaina (twins) and Anakin. In TFA so far we know he has a nephew named Ben not Jacen but clearly the actor was cast to look a bit like Jacen who also ends up falling to the Dark Side. There is a Ben in the OEU but it's Luke's son whom he has with Mara Jade who is one of the most beloved character's in the OEU.
    That brings us to Rey. A girl left on a planet that is quite reminiscent of Tatooine but it is not. So what happened to Tatooine? Anyway... I love when they show she lives in an AT- AT walker and made a doll that looks like a rebel solder! So who is Rey? We know she is force sensitive and is waiting for someone to come for her. Later Leia tells her they won't come but she should seek out Luke... well, that crosses Luke off the list of who was coming back for her. Also at one point she states "Thought Luke Skywalker was a myth" this is puzzling if she had been in his Jedi school and doesn't know he is even real. So I cross Luke off the list. Is she Han and Leia's daughter? Ben's sister like with Jacen and Jaina? This is puzzling too cause wouldn't Leia and Han have known this was their daughter and told her? Leia just simply says that Rey knows who was coming back for her wasn't coming back... which makes me wonder... who can not come back? Yeah, Han. So is this their daughter? Leia nor Han seem as emotionally connected with her then with Ben. I really believe she is either a Skywalker or a Solo but not sure which.
    Just a personal tidbit: Rey looks so much like my mother at that age it is CREEPY! Since I look a bit like my mom I guess I found my Star Wars look a like :-) Rey costume in the works!
    Sticking with Luke Skywalker it seems in TFA his school failed and he split. This is very typical for Luke in the OEU as well. He constantly battled the idea of what if one of his students fell. He also ran off for this reason in the OEU. He does so in one of my favorite trilogy The Dark Fleet Crisis. He also has students fall, one being his nephew Jacen Solo. But is Luke running here or more looking for something? Could he be searching for information about the Jedi? In the OEU he had little to go on but his short time with Yoda and Obwan. In one series there was a holocron with the secrets of the Jedi. Could he be searching for something like that?
    OK, here's the thing... I've been into Star Wars for years and have read many books (I've even played KOTOR)... who on earth are The Knights of Ryn!?! I missed this somewhere... I see people talk about them like they are old news and I've never heard of them nor heard of any knights in Star Wars other then Jedi Knights, so you got me on that one....
    Snoke. I've heard this and that on who Snoke could be. First I cross Darth Vader off the list. "Why?" Well, think about it. In Return of the Jedi we she Anakin as a force ghost showing he was indeed saved. As may times as the first trilogy was messed with I don't think they are going to mess with that. I will admit I've heard some interesting theory but I just don't think they are going to go in that direction. Let's look at the OEU. Who does come back? Emperor Palpatine. In the comic series Dark Empire Emperor Palpatine returns using cloned bodies to live in. His gole is to take over the body of Leia's unborn child Anakin. Also Luke gets pulled under by the dark side and is really never the same in the future because of it. But my point is, I would lean to this being Emperor Palpatine. In the Rogue One movie coming in Dec. Someone pointed out the Emperor kneeling at a bakta tank in one of the clips... interesting... could this be his old master... or maybe a body he has cloned to move into like with the OEU Dark Empire. Mara Jade later on doubts the Emperor ever returned being she would have felt him if was alive but that may have been just to cover up and inconsistency.
    Speaking of inconsistencies. In the OEU Jedi could not read your thoughts. Only feel your emotions. Vader was able to discover Leia was Luke's sister not by reading his mind but reading how he felt about her. So Kylo Ryn seeing the map in Rey's head would not be possible.
    Another thing is with the release of TFA they started using the term "the light side" in fact that was not a real term before. There was only the "Dark side"
    Random notes. Starkiller sound a lot like Star Crusher which destroyed stars. In the OEU a student of Luke's, Kyp Durron turns to the Darkside and runs off with this weapon.
    Anyone ever wonder if Finn was related to Lando? And come on, Fin likes Rey. Fin is not gay. I think they threw that out there just to get people talking knowing people would.
    Who is Poe anyway? I don't know what part he really plays in all this...
    Captian Phazma... no. Why? Just trying to get another female in the cast? Yeah, everyone was just dieing to see a female storm trouper finally, weren't you? They can lose her if you ask me. I don't see the point. She's just annoying.
    One thing had me puzzled, why did Kylo Ryn keep hitting his blaster woud? Was there a meaning to that? Coolist effect in the movie... the frozen blaster bolt! I'm not kidding, I though that was really cool!

    OK. Now the BIGGIE! Before they decided to do this last trilogy it was common knowledge that Harrison Ford would not be in another Star Wars film unless they killed him off. They were going to kill him in The Empire Strikes Back but didnt. So yeah, I even told my friends this when they asked me about what did I think might happen in the new movie. I don't know what was wrong with me. I sort of forgot that fact when I started watching it. He was so good in the part! When it happened I was kind of shocked! They really killed him! They REALLY killed him! Wow... that was a little hard and I was never even that big of a Han Solo fan though he was winning me over a little.

    Last but not least. The whole silent Luke deal is Epic! Top billing, no lines, and a couple of minutes of film time... how much did he get paid for this? You know it's funny after Star Wars Mark Hammel became a voice actor... back to Star Wars, no lines....

( I came across this on Wookiepedia. I wondered why they only gave Luke a minute of screen time in TFA. I liked the fact it made Han more of the Star and Luke gets the next film but here is what they say...
'"Luke's minimal screentime in The Force Awakens was decided by screenwriter Michael Arndt, who felt whenever the character entered his draft of the script, he would upstage Rey and the audience would cease caring about her. Ultimately, he, J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan agreed Luke would have to withdraw from the story and become a plot device instead.[42] Hamill still attended the cast's script reading, thereby concealing Luke's role, and was assigned to read the stage directions. "It was a way of having [him] be part of every scene, every moment, not just spiritually or thematically or narratively, but actually," Abrams said. "Having his voice in it made the read through a better experience for everyone.")

My Star Wars Christmas List

New Star Wars Novels
Found in Mohegan Lake NY

    Never in my life have I seen so much Star Wars goodies in the stores. So much I have to plan out what I like best to get myself! Too much to get everything! And hey, I'm not that rich! I'm hoping to see some stuff hit clearance after Christmas! +Star Wars

    I went picture shopping with my cell phone. So, for those of you planning out your Star Wars Christmas List!



    The old EU is gone... at least for now. (cause hey, we yet know what happens in the movie and maybe some of the old EU will apply, IDK...)

    I was excited to find one centered around Leia! Disney is welcoming us ladies to the Universe like never before! I found these in Mohegan Lake NY in the Young Adult book area in Walmart... I'm like, so older people won't like them or something? What makes a young adult novel a "Young Adult" novel??? I've wondered about that with the Hunger Games as well...



Star Wars Classic Darth Vader Battle Buddy
Found in Mohegan Lake NY

    This is something of all ages would think as cool but made for kids to have light Saber fights with while I'm guessing they are play acting the fights between Darth Vader and his son Luke Skywalker. It's about 3 or so feet tall. Motion activated.
    Personally I find stuff like this a little creepy, lol...    I was also amused at Vader's chain necklace! Vader's from the Hood!

"The officially licensed Star Wars Darth Vader Battle Buddy offers young fans hours of fun. This oversized toy features realistic details, including a flowing fabric cape, metal chain and signature lightsaber hilt on the belt. Interactive friend or foe modes and seven-point articulation allow kids to re-enact their favorite scenes from the hit film franchise. This 48" Darth Vader Battle Buddy is also equipped with a motion detector that triggers sound clips and breathing noise effects."







Men's Shirts
Walmart in Mohegan Lake NY

   I was getting annoyed when they started rolling out the Star Wars stuff and again very few items for girls and women. Here was a nice display of men's t-shirts. Since I took these picture they have rolled out some geared to women and girls! But the men's came out first! What is it with that? Will have to post more on the newest wave that has hit the shelves!
    Of these I think I like the hoodie the most and the B8 one is cute.
    This was also taken in Walmart in Mohegan Lake NY. It's that only one who had this display! Other Walmart are not that organized! Have fun digging through the piles and racks of shirts!









Cover Girl's Star Wars Make-up Collection
Walmart in Mohegan Lake NY

    I found out about CoverGirl's +COVERGIRL Star Wars line online. I went looking for it and just could not find it! The first display I found was in a CVS. Here this was the first one I found in Walmart. Walmart is a bit cheaper the CVS. Around $6 for the lip stick in Walmart and $9 in CVS!
    I'm going to have to do a whole post about this make-up!
    Honestly, the fact they went this direction in including women's girly side makes me happy and want to show support! THANK YOU
    Wouldn't it be cool if they had done something like this with the prequels? You know with all that amazing costumes and crazy makeup of Padme!








      I giggled at this one (left) R2D2 Bop It game. Brought back a personally memory of a friend and I joking about the prequel droids they would turn on and off by hitting them on the head.
    (right) These are a little strange artistic wise. They a cups with lids. Is it just me or does the cup next to Darth Vader look like a Donald Duck Storm Trouper?

Star Wars Towels
Walmart in Mohegan Lake NY

    You can even find cool Star Wars stuff in the home decorating area! Sheets, trash cans, rugs, towels, window curtains... and so forth!

Storm Trouper/Vader Plush Throw
CVS in Croton-on-Hudson NY

   Who doesn't love compfy blankies? Been seeing a number of them coming out. Recently I came across one of Ray in Walmart didn't get a pic of it though. Found these in a CVS in Croton-on-Hudson NY.

Finn
Shop Rite in Croton-on-Hudson NY

    One place I wouldn't think to find stuff like this was at a Shop Rite grocery store! This was the first time I had seen the Finn Doll. Give me a break fellows, it is a doll! A doll for boys but a DOLL... So why are the boys getting a doll but not for girls? They made a 11 1/2 Barbie type dolls of Padme (not a very good one but there was one)... so where are they Disney??? I have seen online "Action" dolls of Ray but not one with real hair and changeable clothing. +ShopRite (Official Page)  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Star Wars Vintage Hot Wheels Cars
Croton-of-Hudson NY

 

 

 

    Look at Hot Wheels! This is an interesting idea... assigning vintage cars to Luke, Leah, Obi-Wan... and on. And putting their pics on the cars.

    I would more likely want models of actual ships from the movies but this wasn't a bad idea, it's creative.  

    Actually a while back I did buy me an X-Wing model.

    And again this was in a Shop Rite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luke Skywalker's 2nd Lightsaber
Croton-on-Hudson NY

 

 

 

 

    I'm looking for Luke's green saber for my Lightsaber collection! Finding some here and there through the years I have managed to get everyone that belonged to Anakin Solo/Darth Vader. But I love the green in Luke's. For years I thought his saber was always green. But his father's was blue that Old Ben gave him... He later made this green one but... was I watching a really bad recording on a VSH as a kid or did they change out the color at some point in all those fixings they did to the movies through the years...

    This too was in Shop Rite but I have also seen them in Family Dollar stores as well.

 

 

 

 

 

And here I will leave you with Christmas Tree Yoda! Have a blessed Merry Christmas!

 

Dark Tide I: Onslaught

  This is the first book of two. This is just a continuation of Vector Prime by another author as I am guessing most of The New Jedi Order series will be. This one is written by Michael A. Stackpole author of I, Jedi. Stackpole has this knack of picking scenes in which he stops and describes in great detail that I don't understand why! This happened a lot in I, Jedi and I noticed it in this one as well but it was better then I, Jedi.
  For some reason they changed up the style of artwork on the cover. Very impressionistic.

  Not much I can say without giving much away from here... fair warning.




Battle of Dantooine

Spoiler Notes;

After killing Chewy in the last book, they did their trick. I really thought they were going to kill another one off in this one with Corran Horn! I was pretty convinced they had by the end of that chapter.

Jacen dropped quite a bombshell on Luke. I did not see that coming either, an interesting twist though it's pretty obvious he will continue on as a Jedi, partially after he up and runs out on his uncle after thinking he had a vision.

  How Anakin got the Alien on Dantooine to understand the bargain to bring them firewood is beyond me cause I read that scene over and over again and I could not figure out what he was telling him! And speaking of that tribe, what happened to them? Anakin sent them away but did they make it? Did the Vong find them? They were dropped from the story after that... maybe they will show up later.

“I placed quite a burden on Anakin, didn't I, by giving him that name." –Leia Organa Solo

  Anakin was given his name against Han's wishes for a Han Jr. in the graphic novel series Dark Empire which is the first Expanded Universe book I got my hands on. I have wondered since why Leia named him Anakin! Other then in Dark Empire does she do anything that shows she truly embraces who her father was or forgives him in anyway. Tatooine Ghost is as close as she gets to seeing her father as anything close to being human. And now at last it is questioned why Leia named Anakin after his grandfather! I'm surprised it took this long! I wish there had been a book where it gave the reaction of everyone when they found out about the Skywalker twins and who Darth Vader were! Cause you know, that would have been interesting. In the Truce of Bakura Leia is struggling with the fact that Vader was her father and at that point in time only Luke and Han knew.
  So her reasoning is that she is trying to redeem her father's name... I guess that's a fair explanation but I think it would have been better had they brought this up way before now! You hate your father but you name your child after him... well, I'm glad someone finally tried to give a good reason for this at least.


  Great, I don't have the next book! So... until I can fix that little problem I think I'll backtrack again by reading Slinter of the Mind's Eye I found a copy of not long ago with Survivor's Quest.
 

Ring in the New Year!

Happy New Year 2013!

 It’s been a crazy year! Hard to comprehend I’ve been reading the Star Wars Novels for over a year now!

Ringing in the New Year

 I had a pretty good Christmas. Spending it with family for the first time in several years! Family in both blood and made. I didn’t realized how much I missed some of them! But I miss NY as well as in some ways I’m just not a southern girl... in many ways really. It's funny though that I left NY/NJ getting away from Sandy and Christmas day in AL greeted us with Tornados! Such a wild year!

  But, I wanted to share my prize of the season. :-) I saw these first on a blog about black Friday and thought that’s neat… I’ll never see them as I don’t often do black Friday. I think it’s silly after trying my hand at it a couple of times.

 I did go to the store later that day and found these! BUT I did not buy them as I just still thought they were overpriced for me. Christmas came and went and I was looking over the clearance and came across toys half price! I started looking for these as I had been watching them for a while… YES! HALF PRICE!

  One set is classic prequel characters and the other is Clone Wars characters which I started watching in Oct. on my trip to NY. What bugs me in nether have an adult Anakin Skywalker in it! There is a child Anakin and a Darth Vader but not a young adult Anakin... oh well, maybe I'll get one later... Oh, and I did go back later and find a cute R2D2 candy dispenser!

 Here's to 2013! May it be as crazy as 2012 but in a much better way!

Shadows of the Empire

   It was Ebay time again to search for copies of the next books and while waiting I back tracked to a book I missed, Shadows of the Empire.

  Apparently this novel originated from a video game of the same name. I really can’t say I cared for it a whole lot. Maybe if I had played the game it would been a little better. Maybe. But I felt as I was reading it, this could be a whole lot better… It takes place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.  If you ever noticed there is a lapse in time between the two movies. This book fills in the blank.

  The connection between the siblings was kinda a nice touch though still rang a little on the author’s part of, oh, it would be really cool if I can make this point, and forces it into the story. The author’s writing style bugged me. It read a bit like a movie script and jumped back and forth and back and forth which wasn’t awful but just because Star Wars started out as a movie does not mean novelizations have to read like a movie as well… I personally like novelizations of movies cause they can tell a story with so much more detail and depth. I’ve read some people’s reviews and they like fast pace and jumping around like the movies and that’s their right but novels seem to me are a whole different medium and can’t be treated like a movie without selling yourself short.
  Secondly, I just didn’t like the author’s writing. It was just bad, in an amateurish way.

  What really bugged me was the story line which I guess you can’t blame the author being they had to go with the story line from the game but it was… just not great. Things didn’t jive. The Empire doesn’t like aliens yet the main villain is an alien competing with Darth Vader for the Emperor’s favor? I disagreed with some of the author’s views on some aspects of the story and the way things work in the SW world as well. Some of the twist of the story was just kinda out there.  It did not seem like a likely set of event that leads to Return of the Jedi.
 Another thing that bugged me was in TheEmpire Strikes Back the end is a shocker finding out that Darth Vader could be Luke’s father! What kind of emotional state would that put Luke in? The events are continuously pushed back for later thought in this novel. He just finds out this crazy news and he’s going to set it aside and not think about! What?! I would think he would be quite preoccupied with all sorts of scenarios at that point! He was a mess at the end of The Empire Strikes Back! How did he get from that to where he was when he appears in ROTJ. It did explain one part of ROTJ I had wondered about so I will give it that but to sum of the whole book, it could have been better, more creative, and fulfilling to the original trilogy.

Re-reviewing Return of the Jedi

Inside my paperback copy of Return of the Jedi

The weird thing about this book is the first time I read it I was like... "What movie did this man watch!?!?" BUT, after reading what, about 20 SW novels now? After completing Revenge of the Sith and Dark Lord I pulled out my copy of Return of the Jedi and started reading bits and pieces here and there mainly reading through my favorite scenes. I discovered a WHOLE new depth to this novel!!!

Movie Poster

My Copy

 Amazingly a lot of the newer movies played into this one but they weren't even made then! There were a few things that wasn't right, but most was... down to the thoughts going through Vader and Sidious's mind! It's amazing back in 1983 so much of the story was kinda already there! I have to read the first movies to understand last book! Really weird and that depth is really what has made Star Wars what it is... laugh at it if you like but honestly it was a modern work of art in story telling!
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 Another interesting bit of info about the movie I came across tonight Click Here
I for one think the right chose was made for the ending. I gives a since of hope to the out come of everything that had happened. The light side won! Uh... Plus... who would have Leia ended up with in the next 100 novels to follow! As much as I dislike Han when I was a kid he has grown on me through the years... :-)

Dark Lord - The Rise of Darth Vader

Following Revenge of the Sith this novel could have held so much promise of being a great book... sadly this being the second of James Luceno's books I have read I have come to the conclusion that he is not that great of writer. While it had it's moments they were equaled with boring battles and bland story telling... bordering on silly and pointless scenarios and too many characters but not enough quality of characterizations. But at least I didn't have flashback of 9/11 reading this one! (See my review of Labyrith of Evil)

You do get to know a Jedi named Shryne and another called Starstone who survive "Order 66". Others enter the picture but good luck keeping up with all of them and in doing so it is pointless due to very little is said about them other then they are there. Maybe they show up in later books but that is left to be seen.

I will give him this, he did an OK job at transforming Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader. And that's one thing that makes it sorta worth reading. You got to know more then you ever thought (or ever wanted to know) about what it was like to wear the black armor that is so well known.

Fan art I came across on Google.
Captures exchange between Sidious and Anakin.
Not sure what the caption says, looks Russian to me.

It's a thought provoking question on how did Anakin become such a killer... a man who did what he did because he loved someone (Padme) and ended up killing her and on top of that what was his thoughts on his Sith Master Sidious who was the master mind of it all. All this becomes an issue when his son returns later. I'm not sure I can buy all of this author reasoning but I give him a hand for trying.
I was happy to see Luke and Leia do appear in this novel! So does Chewbacca! Another thing making it worth reading.
On the cover it states that this is a "must read"! That's a little over hyped... at least in my option. While it's an OK read I just think this writer is not the best the Star War Universe has seen... sadly, far from it.

The Truce at Bakura

Leia on the planet Bakura

Dev Sibwarra and the Ssi-ruuk

This was a “couldn’t put it down” for me. It starts the next day after Darth Vader died. The author of this book in my opinion is quite a talented writer. The story was elaborate, the characters were very close to the originals and contained a great bit of depth. I could kind’a hear Star Wars music playing as I read it. :~) I liked the personal secondary story of Leia having to face her origins. I wish there could have been more but I hope that will pick up in later books but I am slightly confused why a few years lapse before a new book picks up after this one. I have read there are some children novels that span this time span but I don’t know if they really counts? There is also the X-wing series which I will not be reading at this point. They may be good but I’m just not that interested in the battles of X-wings :-/ The books written before the last three movies cause a problem in story cause I was under the impression that Jedi do not get married. If you have watched the last three movies you will know what I am talking about but someone did not inform Luke of this in this book. Not too give too much away but it’s something you will notice in a few spots.


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On to; The Courtship of Princess Leia

Return of the Jedi

UPDATE; I have rereviewed Return of the Jedi...

HERE 

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(This review needs to be updated since I have reread some of it after reading Return of the Sith and Dark Lord... coming soon...)
My question is, did the writer watch the movie?! I mean for the most part it was OK but there were some spots left out of this book that I feel are very important to the story that are not there! One being when the Emperor is killing Luke and Luke calls out to Vader for help. The cry for help is not in the book. In my opinion that was a very important moment in the story. This was part of what brought out the good in Vader! His sons desperate cries for help. If a parent can’t come to the help of their child with that, they are lost. Otherwise your left there wondering… why did Vader change his mind there and not the other times Luke almost dies when he’s around :-/ Well, unless you think that maybe Darth Vader never wanted to kill Luke in the first place which I think could be likely and seems to be a trend in all the movies and even noted by Luke in this book but according to this author Darth Vader was quite willing to kill his son up to the very end… I don’t know what was up with the author of this one. I do under stand sometimes these authors have to work more with a script the watching the finnished movie... but still! Being this is my favorite SW movie I was very disappointed. But anyway, this is a different author then The Empire Strikes Back and the writing styles are quite different. Not in a bad way though, other then my issues with the above...

Top; the way I saw it as a kid
Bottom; The same scene as kids see it today!

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On to; The Truce at Bakura

The Empire Strikes Back

Moving all my past reviews from Pinterest onto my Blog. In case your wondering, I am reading throught the Star Wars Saga and trying to do so in as close to order as I can though, I do have to jump to the Old Republic stories from time to time due to not being able to get my hands on the next book but other wise is pretty much in order as they should be read.
I have been a Star Wars fan since I was little and they showed the movies on TV and my mom recorded this one and ROTJ for me. As a teenager they started talks of making the prequels and I again I found my VHS of the movies and started watching them again! I've never been too out spoken about my love of the movies untill recently and I discovered there is a HUGE library of novels! I wondered where these books had been all my life! First one I ever bought was on clearance for $5 at Books-a-Million.
Now with that said, let's star here...
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I read The Empire Strikes Back in under 2 days. Yes, I would have started with Star Wars: A New Hope but I have yet gotten my hands on a copy! But being I pretty farmilar with the movie, it wasn't a huge big deal though I would like to read it! Anyway...

My Copy

This was well writen and easy to follow. The thing that bugged me most was it didn't have the classic...
Leia - "I love you!"
Han - "I know!"You have to realize that these type of movie novalizations are often written before the movie is released so should a line be throw in there that is not in the script it could quite easily be left out of the book.

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On to; Return of The Jedi