I've just finished reading Sacrifice by Karen Traviss. Anyone reading this series?  I want to say it was very good, and what happened was a huge surprise, etc, but I didn't really like the book. I think it's just her I don't like. If Anderson, Zahn or Allston had written it I think I'd be raving about it.  Anyway, anyone else have any insight or opinions?  

  I don't want to announce the big spoiler of the book right away if you haven't read it yet.

I've only read the Zahn 'sequels trilogy', and a few Kevin J. Andersons (starting, I think, with 'Jedi Search').

I read pretty much all of the after the movies books up until Star by Star (New Jedi Order). I loved the Zahn books and the X-wing series as well as most of the Young Jedi Knights but after the introduction of the Yuuzhan Vong I had a hard time getting the books in order and to be honest after the death in Star by Star I stopped caring as much about the Solo children.  I'll probably get back to them eventually but if I don't I won't consider it much of a loss. 

 But I do have to say I would love to see the Zahn books adapted into films, but I know that won't happen.

Of course you have to take my thoughts with this in mind.... I'm a huge fan of the unconventional characters.... in the extended universe of the books and graphic novels my two favorite characters are Corran Horn and Kyle Katarn.

I recently finished Drew Karpyshyn's Darth Bane: Path of Destruction, and it wasn't too bad at all.  It takes place a thousand years before the films, so it isn't constrained by having to use established characters or accommodate established events.

I have read a good majority of the books and collected alot of them.  Can't wait for the Legacy series to all be on paperback to collect.  I have been starting to get some of the graphic novels also since they contain alot of side stories that are hinted at in the regular novels.  Its my goal to get all of the books(though I know I probably won't lol)

I was highly disappointed with the death of Anakin also.  I am kinda disappointed with the Legacy series right now since it seems like they are recycling the original star wars plot with Jacen in Anakin Skywalkers place.  I thought Darth Bane did a good job of explaining how the Sith changed.

The timeline does get hard to follow in the Yuuzhan Vong because they have some trilogies in the middle.  There are sites that have the timelines set out for you though alot of those are incomplete.  I started to try getting my own going, but since I now have probably close to 100 books in that series but I keep finding new ones and old ones that are just related.  It is hard to keep up. 

You know it is getting confusing when the publishers are now including the timeline in the front of the books.  That is a good way to check where a book goes for the bigger novels, but the smaller ones are not always included(like the kids and graphic novels)  It also got me when they started to point you to e-novellas as part of the storyline.  I like the feel of a book in the hand and seeing it on my shelf not read it online lol.

The one thing about the star wars books is that they aren't coming out in order. You get Outbound Flight, then another one for after the movies, then one in the middle of the movies, etc etc etc. It does make it hard to follow everything. Like right now I'm reading Survivor's Quest and it's like..ok..who's this..and what's this..when did this happen? It's so hard!! You almost need that timeline just to buy the books in order and read them in order!

I tried reading the new jedi order series..and I read some of them in order..but I quickly realized that they repeated themselves for several chapters going over what happened in the last book. Granted that does help..but when I'm going from book to book it gets annoying.

So really I just read them and try and go with whatever they are telling me. It's hard sometimes but I figure eventually I'll understand it all.

But I prefer the books about Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker, especially during their training days.

That is hard for anyone to say for sure.  Part of the problem with the Star Wars universe is its immensity.  It is continually being added to for every age group.  It also is added to different timelines.  For instance there was recently a book that predated all the other books describing how the Sith policy of One Master One Apprentice was started, one that occurs during the Clone Wars, and several that occur after the last movie.  Also because of the various formats, details are related to each other and spread across them. 

Here is one timeline of the novels that you could use as a baseline but it  will rapidly become out of date.  This does not include Graphic Novels, Kids books, Audio Books, and all the E-books. 

Another timeline called Star Wars Timeline Gold is a bit more comprehensive, but it is also alot more confusing.

Hope that helps you at least get an idea where to go.

Yep that is the big problem with the Star Wars books, we have all age groups for the books, so if you really wanna know what happens from point a to point b you gotta read the adult and children's books..and then the comic books, and on and on and on. After a bit it gets tiring on your wallet and your mind. There's just too much..but the Star Trek series is almost the same way..at least they mainly stick to adult books and that was it, but they're going to be making a comic book series here soon.

Star Trek broadened to kids also. I seen 2 kids series: Deep Space Night(Jake's adventures) and Starfleet Academy(Wesley's adventures). And of course they both have thier DVDs lol.  You are right it is pocket draining.  That is why I have several listed on my wishlist here even though I know there is little chance of getting them.  I also check ebay and alot of used book stores.  I get lucky occasionally.

I'm also a big fan of the unconventional characters. I think I've had a crush on Corran Horn since the first Xwing book came out! I'm a big fan of Mara Jade and I love Wedge Antilles. I know he started out in the movies, but his character has grown exponentially in the books and at one point when I thought he'd be killed off by the Vong, I made a vow to never read any again if they did him in!  Thankfully he's still hanging around! 

    I have collected almost every book that's come out, since the early 90's. I started with Timothy Zahn's trilogy and slowly worked my way up.  And, though I thought I was being silly by buying the Young Jedi Knights books, it's helped immensely with reading this new series.  I did not like the Yuuzhan Vong books very much, either. It was WAY too long, and I also started caring less for the Solo kids.

  My favorites are the 2 original Zahn trilogies, and the Xwing series (I've read that series 1/2 a dozen times at least).  You can go in any direction after that, and using the indexes at the beginning of the new books can help you decide, as well. 

I was so excited when they first started the novels and the expanded universe.Nowm I am overwhelmed.I try to collect and keep all of the adult books, and just pick up the others when I can find them.Although, war keeps the plots moving, I would like to see more of the Old Rpublic way of life and more about Luke and Leia's hunt for info on their parents.

There are some new ones concerning the Clone Wars era; especially about the republic commandos.  I can see where they want more information about their mother, but for their father they would have to "back date" the book to when they were younger since they know alot about them. 

I can't remember where, but I thought in one of the early books, Luke did some looking and found traces of his mother in an alternative force users community.  I think that path died quickly though with the release of the prequel movies and their mother passing away at the birth of the twins.  They never did explore Anakins father though.

I think they could explore the "Unknown" and "Corporate" regions more. 

You know what I always wondered about?  In the movie, when Anakin first turned and attacked Mace, the Emperor hits Mace with lightning force.   Mace goes flying out the window for miles.  I always thought he could have survived that.  Anakin was jumping and diving through the traffic jumping from car to car and he was just an apprentice.  Why could Mace not have used the force to save himself by landing on a vehicle also.  Would add an interesting twist if he survived. 

I also wondered why when Luke started rebuilding the order, none of the Jedi who went into hiding came out.  It was only 20 years or so.  At least a few should have survived even if they went into those other regions.  Could you imagine if a hidden colony of Jedi force users was found on the other side of the Unknown region?

I currently have 128 of the Star Wars books. I was jumping all over the place reading what I had complete sets of until I found PBS and filled in alot of out-of-print holes. But now, since I have almost all of them I'm reading them in order. 70+ down and alot to go lol. Right now I'm reading Republic Commando - Hard Contact. But when the next book in Legacy of the Force comes out I will read that ASAP lol.

128?  I think I know of 433 star wars books in various age ranges and formats.  I have only 303 of them lol.  Still have alot to catch up.

I am waiting for the Legacy ones too.

HOLY MOLY.I didn't realize there were that many.As I said, I have been sticking to the adult geared ones only.WOW!

  I've been wondering the same thing, Anthony!   Say 25 yrs have passed, the life expectancy is longer for some Jedi, why wouldn't someone finally come out after the fall of the Empire and say, "Hey, there's some Jedi here!"   Unless they are so deeply hidden?  But  I would like to see Luke and Leia find out about their mother and visit her home planet. Wouldn't they have family left there? We know Vader never set foot on Tatooine again, so maybe he felt the same way about Naboo.    And during "The Swarm" trilogy (which sucked wind, in my opinion!) they were given hints by R2, who has a lot of old holo recordings hidden in him, but many are damaged.   

      My DH is dying to read about Darth Bane, his favorite EU character, hopefully that book will pop up on my WL soon!

The way my son is reading these he'll soon be caught up to Anthony!  Thank goodness for PBS or we'd need a second job!  LOL

I've been reading the EU for about 10 years now thanks to my mom who shoved the Young Jedi Knights novels in my hand in middle school. I'm actually more of a fan of the EU than of the movies, which angers alot of my friend/fans. There are just more characters to enjoy in the EU than in the movies. It's good to find other hard core EU fans here on PBS. I was collecting the books but realized they were taking up to much space that I didn't have so I've been slowing sending them out and just keeping the ones I re-read (mainly Zahn's trilogy and the YJK books since they're the closest to my heart). It was fun to find fans to send the books out to rather than just give them to a book sale where they'd just sit (at least in my town). <3

Sara D

I currently have about 130 of the Star Wars books. After jumping all over the place reading what sets I had complete, I've been reading them in order. I've read 74 total so far with most of them being near the end of the time-line.  If you include all the young reader books I beleive there are about 180 books total.  I have all the mainsteam books. I just need the young readers and tech manuals.

currently reading : Medstar I: Battle Surgeons

I've read Karen Traviss' recent independent series (City of Pearl etc.) and I like it a lot, but around book 3 I did start to feel a certain amount of soap opera-ishness coming in for the main character's personal life. Did she do that in "Sacrifice" too? I've only read a few of the Star Wars books, way back (so many books, so little time...), so I can't entirely guess how she'd be with SW! Sounds like I should check them one of them out for interest's sake.

(Unrelatedly, I have several of the movie books on my shelf right now - my husband's - and would be willing to make a fairly major deal on them, for anyone starting out with the series who'd like to begin with those books. PM me if interested.)

xiqtem (Bob S.),

For me the best way to get into the Star Wars Extended Universe is with Timothy Zhan's "Heir to the Empire." This first books sets off a triology with a bang as big as a star destroyer chasing a fleeing blockade runner. I believe there are ample copies avalible for trade.

Fan of the EU since Brian Daley's Han Solo books.

My favorite books, during the 90's publishing era, were Zahn's trilogy and the X-Wing books.  There was so much disjointment, with the way the books were released, that I never got around to reading the Zahn duology all the way through.

I liked the NJO, for the most part.  I appreciated the fact that the books were chronological and it wasn't rehashing the Alliance vs the Empire, or superweapon du jour, or... you get the picture.  One big story arc.  I stopped buying hardbacks during that period,  so by the time the last book came out in pb, I was focusing on the prequel stuff.  I will eventually re-read NJO and read the Dark Nest trilogy and Legacy books.

Prequel's been hit or miss.  I've been a lot more happier with this publishing schedule.  I'm attempting  to read chronologically (adult books only) as much as I can.  Since the first Bane book is out, I have to decide if I want to read PATH or DARK LORD.  Maybe I'll have both read before Allegiance comes out in pb. :-)

I just read "Sacrifice."  Was not overly impressed with  it.  The book felt disjointed.  I understand jumping the focus from one character to another, but it seemed she jumped prematurely.  Not every book can be a bestseller, but this one did not seem to me to be her best by far.  I am not sure if it was the editoral job or the constraints that Lucasarts puts on the book.  Hopefully the next will make up for it.

I was out at a Walmart yesterday and was going to by the new True Colors, but every copy they had was damaged.  The front covers looked like they had been dragged against concrete or metal. I have noticed alot of damaged books lately in retail stores.  Either the stock people or the printers didn't care about the books and damaged them. 

Sigh guess I just have to wait longer for this.

I was REALLY into Star Wars Novels in the mid 90's. Read: Truce at Bakura, Courtship of Princess Leia, Jedi Academy Trilogy, Original Zhan Trilogy, Corneila Triolgy, Crystal Star, Children of the Jedi and Darksaber. I remember buying Planet of Twilight in hardcover, and I just couldn't get into it. It was expanding too fast for me and I wanted to read other stuff - (plus high school started giving me more homework around that time!).

A few weeks ago I looked up Mara Jade's wikipedia page because I was her biggest. fangirl. ever. back in the day, and found out she at one point married Luke. I was so pissed! I would have totally stayed with the novels if I knew that was coming because I was also a big shipper for them (before I even knew what a shipper was and only had one other friend who read the novels...the internet is an amazing thing!)

Maybe I'll get back to them one day. This thread brought back memories!