Star Wars Young Jedi Knights: Shards of Alderaan by Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta

About/Summary

The seventh book in the Young Jedi Knights series by Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta. After the battle against the Shadow Academy, it is time for the Jedi Academy to rebuild. Which is the perfect time for Jacen and Jaina Solo and their friends to go off on their own adventure. Meanwhile, Zekk is off to find himself.

 

Content/Trigger Warnings

minor character death

Characters

The usual gang of Baby Jedi - Jacen and Jaina Solo (Han and Leia's twin children), Lowbacca (Chewbacca's nephew) and Tenel Ka (the daughter of Teneniel Djo and Prince Isolder of Hapes).

Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Chewbacca also show up for a bit.

Oh yeah, and Boba Fett shows up. But he does not have enough screen time to warrant that big of a picture on the cover.
 

Writing

Same as the other books. Writing is good, but it is a book for children, so don't expect exceptional literature.
 

Plot

Raynar Thul (another Baby Jedi)'s father has gone missing. But, who cares about that? Jacen, Jaina and their friends are going to the asteroid field that used to be Alderaan to get their mom a present for her birthday. As one does...

 

How diverse is it?

Does Boba Fett count as a person of color? If not, just a bunch of white people doing... white people things in space, I guess.
 

Overall Thoughts

Boba Fett shows up! And is somehow outsmarted by a bunch of teenagers. Best bounty hunter in the galaxy over here.

Zekk goes back to his home planet, which that place pretty much destroys itself every eight years. And it is time for death and destruction when Zekk gets there. I'm with Zekk... Why keep living there?

This book begins the second arc in the Young Jedi Knights series. First arc dealt with the Shadow Academy. this arc is the Diversity Alliance arc. Which, we don't learn much about them in this book, just that Raynar's (a fellow Jedi trainee who has had a small role in the previous books) father, Bornan Thul, was supposed to meet the leader of the Diversity Alliance and no one has heard from him. Most suspicious.

Good book overall.

That's all for this one.

 

 

Stephy Read Star Wars Young Jedi Knights: Jedi Under Siege

 

Hawke is not amused. And my book is looking haggard... And yes... That is tape covering it. As a child that was how I repaired books.

 

Spoilers ahead

Because I refuse to shut up about things sometimes.

 About/Summary

The final entry in the Second Imperium arc in the Young Jedi Knights series. 

The Second Imperium attacks the Jedi academy on Yavin 4. To... stomp out the Rebellion or something. Fucking Empire is godsdamn stupid. Y'all lost, get over it.

 

Content/Trigger Warnings

Major Character Death (but it's just some of the villains so 🤷🏻‍♀️)

violence

 

Characters

Same bunch of characters as usual. A couple new very minor characters show up. Most don't get names. One did. He died.

 

Atmosphere/Setting

Book mostly takes place on Yavin 4. During a battle. So the atmosphere is a bit tense. And we get a bit more description of Yavin 4. Which, might have happened in previous books, but I can't remember. Do y'all know how many Star Wars books there are? I have been buying them since I was 10 and I am no where near close to having them all. Which makes me sad. Please send me money so I can buy Star Wars books. 

Writing

As with the other books in this series, the writing is good. A bit simplistic at times, but still good. 

Overall Thoughts

Great ending to this arc of the series. Tied up all those loose ends. Killed off some villains. Left plenty of openings for more to happen with the characters.

I do question including a Fake Emperor plot... Which I cannot remember if I mentioned before, but a couple books back, it is revealed that Palpatine is still alive. Supposedly. And when he goes to the Shadow Academy he refuses to see anyone. And then Brakiss discovers it was all a lie. I mean, it works in the books. The bad guys think the ultimate bad guy is still alive and they're gonna be back in power in no time at all. But, even as a kid I remember thinking it was a bit suspicious when no one was allowed to see him aside from his personal guards. Eh, I guess the bad guys were just looking for any bit of hope or whatever.

 

That's all for this one. Sorry it's a bit half-assed, but I told myself I couldn't start reading the next book until I got this wrote up. And I was super excited to start the next book.

Six Lists of Six Things

Since I started this blog I've been trying to figure out how to do a... Well, an introductory post. The thing is, I sort of hate talking about myself. But I do like to talk about shit I like. Plus, I always thought you could tell a good bit about a person about things they like and how they talk about them. So, here's the deal: I'm going to give six of my favorite Movies, Musicians, TV Shows, Books, Video Games, YouTube Channels and animes. Do a bit of ramblings (as I do). And... Well, that's all.

Oh yeah. Don't come at me cause I didn't mention  something. I just went with the first six things that popped into my head.

 

Movies

 Star Wars: Return of the Jedi - Hush. It's my favorite. I like the Ewoks. And I like happy endings. Maybe that's why I'm not a huge fan of the sequel movies. I like happy endings and they took away a bit of my happy ending.

Robin Hood: Men in Tights - I once drunkenly re-enacted this entire movie by myself. Okay, not the entire movie, but a good bit of it.

Shaun of the Dead - This is my favorite zombie movie. Ever.

Kong: Skull Island - I love all the Godzilla movies (that I have seen...) but this one is my favorite. I mean, come on, big monkey, Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson.

Clue - A murder mystery movie based on a board game. That is perfect in almost every way. There is one line that is said during one of the endings that I find a bit questionable, but other than that. Perfection. Tim Curry is fantastic as the butler. The rest of the cast is also perfect. Just so much greatness in one movie.

Jurassic Park - Pretty sure my friend Ryan would start throwing bricks at me if I left Jurassic Park off this list. But yeah, this movie is still fantastic.

 

Musicians

 The Amazing Devil - I can blame The Witcher fan-fiction for this one. Not even joking. A few fics I read mentioned Joey Batey's band so I figured I should check it out. Fell in love. Joey and Madeleine have such beautiful voices. Perfection.

Darren Hayes - I really liked Savage Garden back in the day and got way into Darren's stuff when I learned he released solo stuff.

Korn - Being a Korn fan was about 40% of my personality in middle school and high school. I still love their music.

 Green Day - Green Day is a band that I forget how much I love them and then suddenly remember and that's all I want to think about for a few days.

Stray Kids - This is Ryan's fault. I would have barely listened to any K-Pop if it wasn't for him. And before anyone asks me questions about Stray Kids, don't. Not being mean, but I know almost nothing about them aside from the fact that I am super into a few of their songs right now. And Hyunjin is too pretty to be real.

Dixon Dallas - I will not feel shame over how much I love this dude's songs. Nor will I feel shame when I giggle every time I see an F-150 because of the song.

 

 

TV Shows

 Elementary - This is my favorite Sherlock Holmes adaptation. I just love it so much.

Daria - Daria is such a quality show. Daria is a character that believes she is smarter than most of her classmates (and possibly the teachers at their high school) but she doesn't bully anyone. She is oddly kind to Brittany and Kevin for the most part. I still pull out the DVD and watch this show. It's just really good.

 The Addams Family - The old 60s show. Oh my gods, I love this show. I love anything Addams Family really, but this show is my favorite.

MASH - When I was younger I remember my mom watching MASH, and I kind of made of the show. Then I watched it. Then I watched all 11 seasons. Then I bought all 11 seasons on DVD. Actually, I haven't watched the show in awhile. It is time for a rewatch.

Doctor Who - Doctor Who is such a fun show that goes serious. Or a serious show that goes fun. Both. Great show. I love it. And I need to catch up. I'm a season or so behind.

Wings - I remember my mom watching this show when I was a kid. Then I think I streamed it somewhere and was like "Oh, I still enjoy this." Then I bought the entire series on DVD. Some of the jokes don't hold up anymore. But overall it's a fun sitcom.

Video Games

The Sims - I have been playing The Sims since the first one came out. The Sims 3 has gotten the most gameplay from me. Few years back I would just start a town that was just Sims versions of my friends and family. I did another town with Sims based on my original characters I use in my writing. Last time I played I just made a bunch of randomized characters.

Mass Effect - Took me awhile to decide which Mass Effect game to put on this list. Finally decided to go with the first one. The first game did a great job teasing a bigger plot that would continue throughout the series. The gameplay is pretty good. And I refuse to hear a bad word about the MAKO. Yes, it sucked, but it was my baby. I ran over so many enemies in that thing.

 Batman: Arkham Asylum - This is such a great game. I loved all the Riddles about various Batman villains that didn't show up in the game. And I loved the villains that did show up. Exploring Arkham was super fun. Great game.

Mortal Kombat: Deception - I loved the Konquest mode in this game. It was just so fucking great. I need more Mortal Kombat games like that.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic - This game got me back into gaming. I played games as a kid but kind of drifted away for awhile. And then there was this game. This was so many of the things I didn't know I wanted in a video game. Only complaint was that I couldn't kiss Carth's stupid face...

Dragon Age: Origins - Had the same issue that I had with Mass Effect. Couldn't decide which Dragon Age game would make this list. Once again decided to go with the first one. I love how many different ways you can play this game. The first time I played, I almost had the game beat as an elf rogue that was romancing Alistair. Then I learned if I was a human lady, I could become queen. So... I started the whole game over just so I could be queen.

Books

 The Witch and Wombat by Carolyn Cushman - You can read more of my ramblings about this one here. I just love this book so much.

Star Wars: The Courtship of Princess Leia by Dave Wolverton - this was probably my favorite Star Wars book growing up (still might be...). I read it so much as a kid and a young adult. And I just realized it is a romance novel Star Wars style. The main plot is Han and Leia getting together. 

 The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan - The beginning to the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. And the beginning to all the other mythology based books Rick Riordan wrote. Which are fucking great. Me and my kid get excited every time a new book is announced. Which is another great thing about these books, I can share my love of them with my kiddo. And The Lightning Thief started it all.

The Shining by Stephen King - You can read more of my ramblings about this one here. I'm not sure if this is my favorite Stephen King book, but I know it is pretty high on the list. I love spooky horror shit and this is damn spooky.

Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston - I picked this book up on a whim and godsdamn was it good. Like, so fucking good. It is wonderfully written. Characters are fantastic. Just... Five stars.

Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi - This is one of the few true crime books that I will re-read at this point. I used to be really into true crime, but the interest kind of faded. But, this book still interests me. It focuses a lot on how they caught the Manson Family and the trial. Which I find interesting.

YouTube Channels

CJUGames - CJU plays a lot (mostly) horror games. Which, a lot of which I enjoy the plots of, but I am a big baby and don't wanna play scary games. So it's nice to be able to watch what happens. He also reads, like, everything so I get to learn all the lore and shit. He's also funny as hell. So yeah, love watching his stuff.

Miniminuteman - Dude (Milo, his name is Milo) makes videos about history and shit like that. My kiddo actually recommended the channel to me. Great channel. Milo is a great host. And the videos are super interesting.

Pushing Up Roses - Roses does a lot of Murder She Wrote and Goosebumps related videos. And I love them. She is super funny. And I had to start watching Murder, She Wrote because of the videos.

Outside Xbox/Xtra - Counting these as one for reasons. Outside Xbox consists of Jane, Andy and Mike and they talk about Xbox games. Outside Xtra is Luke and Ellen and they cover other games. My favorite is their list videos. But I do recommend checking out the Hitman 3 Ways to Play on Outside Xbox. Luke did some great Animal Crossing videos on Outside Xtra. Never really watched a bad video from them.

Some More News - Just some news. I dunno. Dude makes the news more entertaining.

Drawfee - Another kiddo recommended channel. Nathan, Jacob, Julia and Karina are artists that take ideas from their viewers or themselves and then draw some weird ass shit. They are all hilarious and their art is fucking superb.

 

That's it for this one

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 Also, I fucking love doing lists like this, so if you got any ideas for more specific one you'd like me to do, let me know. I do want to do a list for some of my favorite Star Wars books.  And I was gonna do a list of animes, but I liked the six lists of six things.

 

Stephy Read Star Wars Young Jedi Knights: Darkest Knight

Hawke is not amused. Not amused at all.

About/Summary

First published in 1996 (which means I was 11 when I first read this book. I was a baby. A little bitty baby nerd), Darkest Knight is the fifth book in the Young Jedi Knights series. In this book, the Baby Jedi (Jacen, Jaina, Tenel Ka, and Lowbacca) are going to Kashyyyk with Chewbacca to visit Lowie's family. But, of course, the Second Imperium is going to cause some problems.

Content/Trigger Warnings

Minor character death

Tropes

Okay. So the tvtropes page is for the entire series. So... I'm gonna hold off on the trope talk until the last book. For reasons that barely make sense to me, so I will not be explaining.

Characters

Once again the main characters are Jacen and Jaina Solo, Tenel Ka and Lowbacca. Oh, and Em-Teedee. This time we get to meet Lowie's sister and parents. 

We also got Brakiss (still think that is a stupid name...), Zekk, Tamith Kai and her Nightsister underlings. 

Characters are good. Lowie's sister, Sirra, was fun. 

Atmosphere/Setting

Main setting is Kashyyyk. The Kashyyyk I grew up with. Which means, the cities are built on treetops and wookiees rarely go into the lower levels that are full of predators and the like. I much prefer this version. Not a beach in sight.

Writing

This is a children's book. Yes, older children, but still for children. The writing is simple and easy to follow. Which is fine. It is a children's book. 

Plot

The main plot is basically the Baby Jedi just chilling on Kashyyyk. Then there is the secondary plot of the Second Imperium stealing computer components from Kashyyyk (ya see, back in the times of the Expanded Universe, Wookiees are great with tech, so a lot of computer things that the New Republic used came from Kashyyyk). Secondary plot also includes Zekk "taking care of" the young Jedi. And then we have the third plot (or maybe the second subplot?) of Lowie's sister, Sirra, preparing to go through the rite of passage that all Wookiee youths go through. And finally, we have the last bit (not really even a plot really) where the Emperor shows up on the Shadow Academy but is acting a bit shady.

That seems like a lot, right? And it is. But things are very well done. And none of the subplots... side plots... Whatever... None were left unfinished. Aside from that Emperor one, but it's fine, it'll be resolved in the next book. 

How diverse is it?

Well... It's just a bunch of white people causing problems for a bunch of furry people... 

Overall Thoughts

I got some thoughts.

The Solo twins decided as of this book to learn the Wookiee language. They have known Chewbacca their entire life. He is a constant feature of their lives. And at age 14 they were like "huh. Maybe we should learn what that guy is actually saying to Dad..." I am disappointed in them. I have had this issue since book one by the way.

Second thought. There are banthas on Kashyyyk. Was that always a thing in the Expanded Universe that I blocked out? Why are there banthas on Kashyyyk? How did they get there? I have so many questions. 

Third thought, why is Chewie not spending time with his wife and son? Which, yeah, he had a wife and son in the Expanded Universe, but he owed Han a life debt, which are super important in wookiee culture so his wife and son stayed on Kashyyyk while Chewie kept Han from dying. I don't remember them even being mentioned in this book. I hope Chewie was visiting them while the Baby Jedi were off doing things without him.

But overall, I enjoyed this one. Did take me a while to read it but I'm easily distracted.

That's all for this one. See y'all on Saturday. 

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Stephy Watched Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008)

Hello There!

Today I will be rambling about The Clone Wars. Movie, not show... Nor the actual war... 

Warning, there might be spoilers ahead?

You're reckless, little one. You never would have made it as Obi-Wan's Padawan... but you might make it as mine.

-Anakin Skywalker

 About/Summary

Jabba the Hutt's son is kidnapped and (for some fucking reason) he contacts the Republic to ask (demand...) for Jedi help. Oh, and Anakin gets a Padawan.

Okay, so, this takes place after Attack of the Clones, and I've always treated it as an opening for the show. But... It might take place during the first season of the show? I am not 100% sure. If you want to watch everything in chronological order I would suggest looking up some lists for that. I know they exist. I am not that dedicated so I watched this before starting up the show. 

Content/Trigger Warnings

Death (a lot of unnamed clones die)

Child endangerment (baby Hutt is in danger, Ahsoka is still a child, and those clones are only, like, ten years old)

Tropes

Here is a list of tropes. Now, let me ramble about some.

Bait-and-Switch - The bit when it looks like maybe Threepio is kicking ass and not taking names and then it's revealed that it was a group of clones (which is obvious, really) made me laugh.

By Wall That is Holey - this is some silent movie shit and I am here for it.

Characters/Casting

Characters are fantastic. And I really liked the voice acting.

Writing

Writing is pretty good. It was written by Henry Gilroy, Steven Melching, and Scott Murphy. I feel like they got the Star Wars vibe pretty good. I would say it's a bit more light-hearted, but... Like, 15 clones die in the first few minutes. 

Plot

The plot is pretty good. The main plot is Anakin and Ahsoka rescuing the baby Hutt and returning him to Jabba. Obi-Wan is off doing something else. And Padme is trying to help, I think? 

Animation

I don't like this animation style. I'm sorry to everyone who did the animation for this, but I do not like the style. I don't think it's bad or anything, I'm just not a fan.

 

Costuming

I suppose... Is costuming a thing in an animated thing? Fuck it, I'm gonna talk about it. Costuming was fine. Padme's one outfit looks like one she wore in Attack of the Clones, but it can't be the same one since that one got damaged and turned into a nice little crop top. So, I suspect Padme has multiple copies of that white outfit and it is her "action" outfit.

How diverse is it?

Not very. I mean, most of the characters look identical.

I think I'm funny.

Overall Thoughts

Overall I enjoyed this movie. I do still question the logic of making Anakin responsible for another sentient being, but Jedi Order be like that. 

The movie is pretty good. And I do recommend checking it out and the series to any Star Wars fan that hasn't watched it. Or, ya know, be confused about so much in the new shows. Whatever you want. I don't control you.

That's all for this one. 

If y'all wanna toss some money my way via Ko-Fi, that would be awsome (disclaimer: All money received from now until January 1st will be used to buy my kid nerdy shit for Christmas and their birthday)

See y'all on Saturday to see what nonsense I got up to this week.

Oh yeah, and if you wanna yell about Star Wars, leave a comment, we can yell together.

Stephy Watched Star Wars: Attack of the Clones

Hello there.

So... Time for Attack of the Clones.

Yes. There will be spoilers. 

I want to go home and rethink my life.

- Elan Sleazebaggano

About/Summary

The sequel to The Phantom Menace (and the prequel to all the rest of the movies) was released in 2002. Directed by George Lucas. Written by George Lucas and Jonathan Hales.

After an assassination attempt against Senator Padme Amidala, the Jedi send Anakin to protect her while Obi-Wan tracks down the assassin. 

Content/Trigger Warnings

Violence

Character Death

Tropes

As I have been doing, here's a list of tropes on tvtropes.org. And I will be rambling about a few.

Battle in the Rain: I loved the fight between Jango and Obi-Wan. If only they would have kissed... I mean *clears throat* Great fight. Great fight. should have kissed and then raised the clones as their children and retook Mandalore and I'm gonna go read fanfiction...

Time Passage Beard: Obi-Wan's beard is lovely. Five stars.

Toxic Friend Influence: Why are the Jedi allowing Palpatine to spend that much time alone with a child? I know Anakin is, like, 19 in this movie, but it is hinted at in this movie, and the next, that Anakin spends a lot of time with Palpatine. That they're "friends". Why? I would not let a former slave child hang out with an old man who is the head of the government. Just... No. Obi-Wan, do better.

Characters/Casting

Ewan McGregor is still doing great. Five stars, Mr. McGregor.

I need more Dexter Jettster in my life.

The rest of the cast did the best with what they had.

Also, Jango Fett is a super interesting character that the movie didn't go into. 

 

Atmosphere/Setting

I like that each planet has its own sort of vibe. We see Coruscant, Naboo, and Tatooine again. And we also get a couple new planets, Kamino and Geonosis. 

Dex's diner looked like a small hometown diner and it was great.

Writing

Oh. The writing. Most of it wasn't bad. But the dialogue between Anakin and Padme was just... It was bad, in my opinion. Anakin is supposed to come off as someone that could (does) fall to the darkside in his dialogue and actions. But they could have made it a bit more subtle. Because, he was throwing up all sorts of red flags and Padme was just ignoring them.

Plot

The main plot is good. The romantic subplot made me cringe so hard at times that I think I pulled a muscle.

Animation/Special Effects

As I said on my ramblings of The Phantom Menace, a lot of the special effects didn't age well. But, they did the best with the technology at the time. 

Costuming

Costuming was great, again. Padme's still looking great. 

How diverse is it?

About as diverse as Phantom Menace was. 

Overall Thoughts

If it wasn't noticeable, the romance between Anakin and Padme annoyed me. As I said earlier, Anakin was throwing up red flags constantly and she ignored them. He slaughtered a group of people and Padme just shrugged it off. Also, they met 10 years before this movie, spent a few days together, and then spent a few more days together in this movie and then they got married. I am used to speed-run romances, I mean, I read romance novels, but this just seemed very quick. And made little sense to me.

Aside from that, it was overall a good movie. But it could have been better 🤷🏻‍♀️

Stephy Watched Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

 Me, end of September: Oh, October is coming up! Spooky month. I'll do a bunch of spooky posts!

Me, on October 7th: Star Wars is a thing. We should focus on that...

Look how pretty Obi-Wan is

There will probably be spoilers. But... come on. I'm talking about a film from one of the biggest franchises that was released over 20 years ago. If you haven't watched this damn thing yet, you're never going to.

You can't stop change any more than you can stop the suns from setting.

- Shmi Skywalker

About/Summary

Released in 1999, The Phantom Menace is both the first and the fourth installment of the Star Wars movies. Look, if you don't know how these movies were released, then what the fuck are you doing here? Do you understand anything I talk about? Star Wars is at least 30% of my personality.

Anyway.

Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi, are sent to deal with a Trade Federation blockade of the planet Naboo. That doesn't go well, and after some shit, they end up on Tattooine, where they meet Anakin Skywalker. Things really go downhill after that.

Content/Trigger Warnings

Death

Slavery

Major Character Death

Tropes

Here's the listing of all the tropes according to tvtropes.org. Now for me to pick out some random ones to talk about.

Achievements in Ignorance - I laugh every time Jar Jar gets out of trouble because he's clumsy. Sorry. I like slapstick humor.

Body Double - I really liked the use of body doubles as a security measure for the Queen of Naboo.

Easter Egg - Didja all see the ET aliens?

Characters/Casting 

Ewan McGregor was fantastic as Obi-Wan Kenobi. Love Ewan McGregor... The rest of the casting was pretty good as well. But I've been an Ewan fangirl since I watched Trainspotting in high school so he was my favorite.

Jake Lloyd, who played young Anakin Skywalker, did the best he could with what he was given. I'm not going to say he was the best child actor I have ever seen, but he did a good job.

Casting was really excellent honestly.

Thinking about it, I don't think I really had a favorite character... I mean, Obi-Wan, yeah, but that comes from my love of Ewan McGregor than anything that happened in this movie. Darth Maul was a fantastic villain. I will admit that none of the characters are really fleshed out. A lot of them just seem very flat. Or we get the beginnings of a personality that goes nowhere. Most of my knowledge of characters in this movie do not come from this movie.

Atmosphere/Setting

Naboo was really beautiful.

Tatooine is still a hellscape.

It was fun to finally see some of Coruscant. Been reading about that place for years and I was excited to finally see it.

Writing

It could have been better. But it wasn't the worst written movie I've seen.

Plot

The plot was good. But honestly that whole "Anakin is the child of prophecy. He will bring balance to the force." was stupid. I'm sorry, but when I first watched this movie when it came out and they brought that up I was like "Uh... what? Y'all realize that bringing balance would result in all you Jedi dying cause there's only one sith but a bunch of you?" But... Plot was fine, I guess. It would have sucked if this was a solo movie, but as the beginning of a trilogy, it was fine.

Animation/Special Effects

Ugh. Okay, I know how much green screen shit they used for this movie. And back when it came out, it was noticeable but ignorable. I saw it, I knew it was special effects, and I ignored it. Now... It aged badly. I know they did the best with what was available at the time. But... some of the stuff looks so bad now. But honestly, it's still ignorable for me. My brain will be like "Oh, that looks bad. Anyways... When does Obi-Wan drop those robes?"

Costuming

Queen Amidala's dresses are fucking fantastic. I always loved Padme's look in this movie.

Putting Darth Maul in all black was cliche as hell, but it fucking worked fantastically.

Honestly, I think the costuming of this movie was top-notch.

How diverse is it?

Well... There are a lot of white people. But there are also a few people of color. And I'm not talking about the aliens. The head of the queen's guard is a black man. And Mace Windu, another black man, is a high-ranking Jedi. And... is everyone else white? Fucking white people. Also, is there any sort of racism against aliens of different colors? Like, do people in the Star Wars universe think one color of twi'lek is worse than the others? Do they have phrases like "Well, you know how those green twi'leks are..."?

No discussions of sexuality, by the way so who knows if any of these people are queer or not. Probably not... Though I think Obi-Wan could have made a fantastic bi-icon.

Overall Thoughts

This movie doesn't deserve all the hate it gets. It's not the best Star Wars movie, but it's not that bad. Some parts were a bit ugh-inducing. But overall it was a good movie. It's probably my favorite of the prequels.

Just Talkin' Bout Star Wars

Hello there!

This popped up on my TimeHop from my Tumblr from about 11 years ago. Soooo... questions might seem a bit out of date. Also, I'm behind on Star Wars stuff. My fault. But anything after... Second season of The Mandalorian (I think that's what I was up to) won't be mentioned. And my brain tends to go back to Legends stuff so... Yeah...

1. All-time favorite character in Star Wars

Jaina Solo.

2. Favorite member of the Rebellion

Han Solo.

3. Favorite member of the Empire

*sings* Fuck the Empire. But if I had to choose, Mara Jade.

4. Favorite Jedi

Obi-Wan Kenobi.

5. Favorite Droid

T3-M4. That little guy saved my life more than once.

6. Favorite type of ship, or specific ship

I'm just gonna say the Millenium Falcon. 

7. Favorite planet

Not Tatooine, that's for fucking sure. Fuck that place.

8. Favorite movie in the original trilogy

I'm going to go with Return of the Jedi

9. Favorite movie in the prequel trilogy

Attack of the Clones I guess. 

10. Favorite photo that’s related to Star Wars

There was this set of pictures of a group of people promoting new Disney+ Star Wars shows. I only remember seeing the picture of Pedro Pascal and Ewan McGregor in costume laughing. It was great.

11. Favorite battle

Battle of Endor

12. All time favorite scene in any of the movies

Shit. I'm going to go with the whole scene when Obi-Wan arrives on Kamino. Just the confusion he has about the whole thing is great. And I've been reading a lot of Jango/Obi-Wan fan-fiction and that is there only interaction in canon so now I'm like "Love that shit..." 

13. Favorite quote

"I have a bad feeling about this"

14. A scene that makes you happy

Well, the ending scene of Return of the Jedi used to make me happy. Everyone celebrating the fall of the Empire. Just so much happy. Then... Things happened.

15. A scene that makes you sad/angry

Remember that bit from the Battle of Endor when two ewoks are running through the forest and get blasted and one dies and the other one is just sobbing over their dead buddy? Yeah. That one makes me sad... 

16. Photo of your Star Wars related things (books, action figures, posters, shirts, etc.)

My stuff is not organized so I can't do this. My Star Wars shit is all over the place. 

17. Your favorite moment in The Phantom Menace

That moment when Padme reveals herself as the queen and Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan just look at each other like "called it".

18. Your favorite moment in Attack of the Clones

When Obi-Wan lost a planet.

19. Your favorite moment in Revenge of the Sith

Obi-Wan's fight with Grevious

20. Your favorite moment in A New Hope

"Boring conversation anyway."

21. Your favorite moment in Empire Strikes Back

When Luke dramatically exits the conversation with Vader on Cloud City.

22. Your favorite moment in Return of the Jedi

When Palpatine dies. Fuck that guy.

23. Something you wished was different in the series

*sigh* I wish the sequels weren't made. I enjoyed some of the characters (Rey is great, shut up). But... I enjoyed the Legends universe more. 

24. A character you didn’t like in the series

Kylo Ren. I dunno. He was just not that interesting to me. I still haven't sat down and watched The Rise of Skywalker so maybe my opinion will change but I doubt it. He just sort of annoyed me. It wasn't like Darth Vader from the original trilogy. Or even Darth Maul from Phantom Menace. He just gave me stereotypical angsty, rebellious teenager vibes. 

25. Your favorite book/series from the Expanded Universe

Probably the Young Jedi Knights series by Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta. Mostly because I'm pretty sure those were the first books I read so I have a soft spot for them. Also, the Han Solo trilogy by A.C. Crispin is super great.

26. Your favorite Obi-Wan Kenobi quote

"Who is more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows"

27. Your favorite Yoda quote

"Judge me by my size, do you?"

28. Your favorite Darth Vader quote

I cannot remember a single thing this mother fucker said. Shit... Uh... "Noooooooo!" Yep. Really liked that line. 

29. Best Star Wars related story/incident you’ve had

My brother and I once had an entire conversation in Star Wars quotes. We were out at the bar and were talking about something, can't remember what. But we just kept using Star Wars quotes that fit into the conversation. And then I didn't use a quote and he laughed and declared himself winner of a game I didn't even know we were playing... 

30. Why you love Star Wars

Cause it's fun? When I got into it, it was kind of just a way to bond with my older brothers. They liked it, so I wanted to like it. They were awesome to 10-year-old me. I did enjoy it, which was great cause I suck at fake enjoyment. Unless a dick is involved... Oh, I think I'm funny.

That's it for this week. Well, kind of. Still gonna have the wrap-up for the week on Saturday. Also working on a monthly post thing. Might or might not have that ready by August 1st. Who knows with me. I sure as fuck don't. 

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Star Wars Young Jedi Knights: Lightsabers by Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta

Hello there!

So... This one is a bit messy. Sorry about that. I'm still cranky after my kiddo's eye doctor appointment. Glasses are fucking expensive. Why are glasses so expensive? Oh, hey, you need these things to see? 900 dollars!

Ugh. Anyway.

Today I'm rambling about Lightsabers. The fourth book in the Young Jedi Knights series by Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta.

 

Wicket is not amused

Trigger Warnings:

Very brief mention of suicide.

Assassination attempts

Minor character deaths

Spoilers ahead! 

The four Jedi are tasked with building their lightsabers. Jaina has enough random power sources laying around so that part is covered. But they need crystals.  

This is the old Legends Canon so, kyber crystals that were only found in certain places throughout the galaxy weren't a thing. Instead, they can use random crystals or jewels. Luke does mention kaiburr crystals. Which I need to look up. (update from when I took notes: This is what Wookieepedia says on kaiburr crystals: 

The Kaiburr crystal was an ancient Force relic, initially located on the planet Circarpous V, locally known as Mimban. When in its natural location in the Temple of Pomojema on Mimban, the crystal increased a Force-sensitive's power one thousand times over. Among its magnification of abilities were the ability to heal, to further augment a Force-user's connection to the Force, to project Force lightning by those typically unable, and to empower and energize a tired being close in proximity to the crystal. If cut properly, the Kaiburr crystal also worked as a lightsaber crystal.

At least that's the basics. So it's a Legends thing. Not a new canon thing.)

 So, Jaina builds her crystal. Jacen uses the Corusca gem he picked up on Lando's GemDiver Station during the events of the second book (read my ramblings about that here ). Lowbacca finds his gem/crystal in the bits and pieces the Rebels left on Yavin 4. Tenel Ka makes her lightsaber casing from a rancor tooth, which I always thought was super cool. And just some random crystal she found in a volcano. 

Luke had the four train against remotes together. Like how Obi-Wan trained him on the Falcon. Glad Luke didn't take away the kids' sight completely but still… seems unwise… Seemed unwise when Obi-Wan did it with Luke. Maybe I'm just projecting since I have seen my kid turn on a flashlight and blind themselves multiple times. These kids know how to turn on a lightsaber. It'll be fine. 

Narrator Voice: It was not fine.

Tenel Ka destroyed her remote. Because of course she did. And she didn't need the Force to do so. That is a big part of her character. She only uses the Force as a last resort. 

I feel like Luke rushed this training. I know he needs to get them advanced a bit thanks to Brakiss and the Second Imperium but fuck dude. These kids just turned on their lightsabers for the first time and, like, five pages later he is having them spar each other. Just seems a little rushed. Patience, Luke. 

"She switched the lightsaber to her left hand to prove she could fight just as well with either arm. She had practiced equally with her left and right hands, knowing it might prove a useful skill sometime." 

Well, that sounds like some foreshadowing.

Yep. Tenel Ka's lightsaber shorted out during her spar with Jacen and off with her arm. 

Tenel Ka's family comes to get her so she can recover with them. But, Jaina notices that the ship had the markings of the Royal House of Hapes. Uh-oh. Looks like that secret is out. 

By the way, this book is about Tenel Ka. The POV alternates as it has in previous books so you still get just as much Jacen and Jaina and Lowie, but this is Tenel Ka's story. 

Tenel Ka is on Hapes with only her grandmother and Ambassador Yfra. Which is not good. Ta'a Chume is manipulative and does not approve of Tenel Ka's decisions. 

Luke, realizing that Tenel Ka's parents are not with her on Hapes, decides he is going to take Jacen, Jaina, and Lowie to join Tenel Ka so they can all heal their mental wounds. Power of friendship, y'all. 

I hope Luke told someone that he took three students with him… I know there is only one other teacher at the academy, and she is gonna panic if she goes to find the Solo twins and Lowie to see they're missing. Again… 

Meanwhile, at the shadow academy, Qorl (the TIE fighter pilot from book one) is training Norys (gang leader from book three).

Luke and the Baby Jedi arrive at Hapes to an angry Ta'a Chume. Which, she's always angry. And Luke is not making her any less angry. Good for him. 

The Baby Jedi are spending a month with Tenel Ka on Hapes. At the… lake palace… fountain palace… there was water and a Palace. But yeah. A month. A month for Tenel Ka to decide if she is going to continue her training as a Jedi. 

Jacen made Tenel Ka laugh! Goal achieved. 

Oh no! A bomb! I would be more shocked about this if I hadn't read this book a lot. I can't remember who is causing trouble (I have an idea) but I remember the trouble. 

The Baby Jedi are sent to the Reef Fortress to hide out. Tenel Ka picked out their rooms, which were perfect for her friends. 

Ambassador Yfra sends them out on a speeder to explore the ocean. She mentions a few times that she programmed it herself. Suspicious. 

The wavespeeder was programmed to take them into the middle of some killer seaweed with no return course. Most suspicious. 

Meanwhile, back at the Shadow Academy. Zekk must fight Vilas, Tamith Kai's apprentice from Dathomir.

Zekk wins the fight but feels bad for killing Vilas.

Tenel Ka wakes up to a sound that might have been an explosion. 

It was an explosion! The shield generator is down!

Not just the shield generator. All the power is out!

Oh no! A Bartokk assassin squad! 😱

So, Bartokks are insectoids and they have a hive mind. And there is a scene where one gets their head chopped off but the body keeps trying to complete the mission. The mission being kill Tenel Ka's grandmother. 

They all escape out the window and grab a wavespeeder to escape.

Jacen: You're not actually going into that seaweed field, are you? 

Jaina: They'd be crazy to follow us, wouldn't they? 

They are their parents' children.

The monster seaweed takes out the assassins and the group goes back to the palace to find the ambassador taking control since Ta'a Chume and Tenel Ka were dead. But wait. How could she have known that there was any danger? The assassins took down the communications? Ah! She is a traitor! 

And after the adventure, Tenel Ka decides she will continue her Jedi training. She makes herself a new lightsaber using a rancor tooth and a gem from her tiara from Hapes, cause symbology. 

Jacen and Tenel Ka have another lightsaber spar. And the whole book ends with a rather cheesy scene about friendship and the four of them light their lightsabers… 

Good book. Again, these are books for children so... But still a fun read. Now onto the next book. For some reason it is taking me forever to get through these lately. I keep getting distracted. Oh well. I'll get through them all. It will just take me a while.

That's all for this week. See y'all next week.

“I haven’t slept for ten days, because that would be too long.”

-Mitch Hedberg

Star Wars Young Jedi Knights: The Lost Ones by Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta

Up to the third book in the Young Jedi Knights series.

Jacen, Jaina, Tenel Ka, and Lowbacca go to Coruscant. While there they introduce Tenel Ka and Lowbacca to Zekk, an old friend. Zekk is an orphan from Ennth. He had made his way to Coruscant and survived by finding bits and pieces in the undercity that he could sell. He lived with Peckhum, the guy that delivers supplies to the Jedi Academy. 

They have a little adventure with Zekk, and the twins invite him to some diplomatic dinner one evening. Which, this doesn't go great. In the end, Zekk feels embarrassed and leaves. And while he's walking around feeling sorry for himself, Tamith Kai shows up. She tells Zekk he's force sensitive and that he could be a dark Jedi. And Zekk agrees. Sort of. He doesn't agree right away, but in the end, he does. 

And that's basically it. They go back to Yavin 4 and Luke tries to give them some realistic hope about their friend. The end. Time for the next book.

Okay. So, when I was a kid, Zekk quickly became one of my favorite characters. I don't really know why, but I fell in love with him. And I still fully enjoy his character. And as a kid, this was my least favorite book in the series because I was so angry at Jacen and Jaina for not knowing their friend was force sensitive. I'm still a little angry about it, but less so. I get why they didn't know. And I understand why Zekk felt that going to the Shadow Academy and becoming a dark Jedi was a good idea. Though, I gotta say, if I was in Jaina's situation where I had this good friend, I would beg Luke to test him for force sensitivity. Even if he showed no signs. But... I'm a little clingy with people I care about. 

This is still not a favorite book of mine from this series. I enjoyed the family bits with the Solos. But the book still leaves me feeling kind of sad. Even though I know what happens in the later books.

It is not a bad book. Great plot. Characters are great. I just have some weird childhood anger towards it.

That's all for this week. Follow me on the socials. 

“I believe that one defines oneself by reinvention. To not be like your parents. To not be like your friends. To be yourself. To cut yourself out of stone.” 

~ Henry Rollins

Star Wars Young Jedi Knights: Shadow Academy by Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta

 

Star Wars Young Jedi Knights: Shadow Academy by Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta

Second book in the Young Jedi Knights series. 

Warnings: 

Mentions of slavery

violence

Jaina, Jacen, Lowbacca, and Lowbacca's translation Droid, Em-Teedee are off to visit Lando Calrissian's newest venture. Corusca gem mining at Yavin. Meanwhile, Tenel Ka is unhappily waiting for a visit from a Hapes ambassador sent by her grandmother.

While on the mining station, a group of Imperials bust in and kidnap the Young Jedi. When Lando notifies Luke of the news, Luke and Tenel Ka are off on a rescue mission.

Jaina, Jacen and Lowie are taken to the Shadow Academy. A dark Jedi training academy ran by Brakiss, someone from Luke's past, and Tamith Kai, a nightsister from Dathomir. Qorl, the TIE pilot from the last book is also there. 

Plot is good. Characters are great. Luke is a bit of a troll and I love him. Villains are villainous. Though… I cannot take Brakiss seriously. I know (or at least hope) I am pronouncing his name wrong but I refuse to look up how to actually pronounce it. His name is fucking stupid. Sorry to whoever named this character, but his name sounds like something a character in a romance novel would do before kissing nipples. 

There was a bit in the beginning of the book where Jacen is telling Luke that he is ready to learn to use a lightsaber and he mentions that he is tall enough. Did Luke put height restrictions on lightsabers? Rude, Luke. 

Also, there was a bit that had me fucking laughing so hard. Brakiss hurt Jaina, so Lowie starts throwing benches, as one does. A group of Stormtroopers arrive. Lowie hits them with a bench, they fall down. Another group arrives behind that group and trips over the first group. Third group arrives at another door. Lowie hits them with a bench. First group gets back up, tries to hit Lowie with some stun bolts, hits the bench Lowie is holding. He throws that. They're down again. The third group gets back to their feet, fires at Lowie, but he's bent over to get another bench, so the blaster bolts go over him and hit the second group of Stormtroopers. There were little dark Jedi wannabes running around in terror and Brakiss was telling everyone to calm down. And no one was calming down. It was fucking great. Five star fight scene. 

Great book. Sadly, I had to repair my copy multiple times while I was reading. Starting to think it is more tape than book at this point. But, it is still readable so I'm good. Which I hope it holds together for a bit longer.

“Books are no more threatened by Kindle than stairs by elevators.” 

– Stephen Fry