I’m reading Children of the Jedi and am almost through with it. I also own Planet of Twilight by the same authoress. My friend seems to think there is a book in between these two that would make it a trilogy–I cannot find any records of any such book, and suspect that there are only the two books, in sequence, or that the two books are unrelated. Can anyone set us straight?
This website has a chronological listing of all Star Wars novels. It places Darksabre in between both of Hambly’s novels. It also has reviews, which might be helpful.
Incidentally, what do you think of her work? I remember reading both books and disliking them completely.
Thank you kindly. I’ll be sure to look for that one.
As for my opinion–I love her work. A bit confusing at times–ie I can’t quite follow Luke’s path through the ship and I don’t rightly know why he had to disable the blasters in the shaft to get the speeder moving (although I may have merely skipped something). However, other than that, I enjoyed everything. Everyone seems incredibly in character, and I can’t wait to finish finals so I can keep reading!
In reading the Darksaber description, I find that it is indeed the sequel to Children of the Jedi. I also find that I confused Hambly’s work with that of Vonda McIntyre, whose Crystal Star was the horrid bit of writing I recalled earlier. Sorry.
I remember, albeit faintly, reading Crystal Star a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away and I think I rather liked it, although there is a better than good chance that I am mistaken and thinking of another book.
Have you read Splinter of the Mind’s Eye? Now THAT was a bad book.
Nope, never had the pleasure. Isn’t that the book supposedly between ESB and ROTJ? I remember a synopsis that described Luke and Leia getting closer (cues the boom chicka wow wow music) that was so creepy I avoided the book. Familiar with the X-Wing Squadron series, by any chance?
Haven’t gotten to the X-Wing Squadron series. Any good? I’m semi-interested.
It seems to me that I read the first half of several Star Wars books in middle school but in my youth never got around to finishing them. Looks like I’ve a summer project!
As for SotME–I don’t recall a great amount of explicit incest, but enough mushiness to make me, as a sixth-grader, a bit queasy as I read it. I found the plot itself to be stupid, however. Finished it, though. Worth a shot just to appreciate the rest of the books, I suppose.
X-Wing Squadron was fun, if a bit comicbook-y.
What you described sounds a lot like me. I used to read Star Trek/Star Wars novels by the dozen in middle school, and then was assaulted by the amount of work required for high school. Leisure reading time was a sacrifice to the Gods of Academia. 
Now that I’m in college, pleasure reading has come back with a vengeance! I found and enjoyed the Artemis Fowl series, as well as Harry Potter, and I’m now wading into Herman Wouk.
However, of all the Star Wars novelists, two reign supreme: Timothy Zahn and Michael Stackpole. Zahn is the Great Unifier of the Expanded Universe, filling in all continuity gaps, while Stackpole had a great knack for the action-filled and exciting.
Enjoy your literary summer!
Zahn rules. I think Courtship of Princess Leia was the only Star Wars novel I read straight through! Simply magnificent.
I think I’ll be checking out that X-Wing Squadron. I assume it’s set during the Rebellion?
The X-wing books are set just after Endor, if I recall correctly. Michael Stackpole wrote the first ones, I think- he’s very good with space combat, and develops lots of non-Jedi characters. I missed the earlier ones, but I can not recommend the ones by Aaron Allston highly enough. I loved his writing, and his ‘signature’ characters, the Wraiths (misfit counterparts to the Rogues), are kick-ass.
His novels are: Wraith Squadron, Iron Fist, and Solo Command. They feature a lot of great commando stuff, space fights (between capital ships!) and a knock-down dragout fight: a joint Alliance/Empire fleet commanded by Han Solo vs. a Super Star Destroyer!
off to re-read them
and yes, Timothy Zahn is sort of required reading for SW…he sets the stage for post-Empire galaxy in his first series, and then comes back in his second series to tie up a lot of loose ends before the New Jedi Order story arc (a 20 book series authored by different writers under the guidance of Lucas) is set to begin.
hope this helps. frankly, i’m more into the books now than the movies. sad, eh?
Stonebow, I’m excited. After this trilogy and the Han Solo trilogy, I’m reading X-Wing Squadron!
I liked Children and Twilight, though mainly for their villains, especially the Will and the little Force crabs (and the big fat one, I want it as a pet).
SPOOFE has implied that Children of the Jedi was really, really bad.
I just finished listening through Children of the Jedi as a book-on-tape (abridged). And I can’t quite put my finger on it. Barbara Hambly’s writing style seems enthralling. The plot seems tremendously interesting. And yet … it. Just. Didn’t. Grab. Me. I felt like I was slogging through it. I took an effort of will just to finish the darn thing. For weeks, I preferred being bored in silence on my 50-minute commute than to finish listening through Children of the Jedi.
Stonebow-YUB YUB! I’m a HUGE fan of the Wraiths-I’m completely in love with Face Loran!
Yes, read the X-Wing series. It’s the BEST of the EU. I’m always re-reading it-I start with Book One: Rogue Squadron, and then when I finish Book Nine: Starfighters of Adumar, I start up again with Rogue Squadron again. Right now, I’m reading Book Six: Iron Fist and dreading Chapter 12.
The first time I read it, right after Ton died, I put it down and didn’t pick it up again until almost two years later. It’s not fair!
Starfighters of Adumar, the last book, is hysterical. A few lines that don’t spoil:
Wedge Antilles: Sithspit! What’s that?
Wes Janson: That’s the sun, Wedge.
Wedge Antilles: Well, turn it off, it offends me.
And there’s the Two-Headed Lady, the tickle torture, and Wes just kicking ass!
I’m also a regular poster over at theforce.net and a writer of SW fan fiction.
Yes, I’m a geek. I admit it.
Okay, but anyways, the X-Wing books start about, oh say, two-three years after ROTJ? They’re about taking Coruscant. If you like the Jedi and the Force and stuff, you might not be as crazy about them, but if you’re like me and like hearing about the “everyday” folks in the Rebellion, these are definitely for you.
And yes, Allston-I love Allston. He wrote two books for the NJO: Rebel Dream and Rebel Stand*-and the Wraiths are back!
I liked COTJ okay, but I loathed Darksaber and Planet of Twilight was dull. Of course, with DS, I just hate Kevin J. Anderson on principle, and Kyp Durron is an asshat.
Okay, I think I’ve embarassed myself enough for one evening.
Scabrous Pirates to you!
So, how did you like I’m Dreaming of a Coruscant Christmas?
<ducking and running>
Thanks. I had all but purged that one from my memory.
shudders
Incidentally, I had a friend who MSTied the hell out of that. And I actually knew the original author from a Daria site she had-she wrote decent fan fiction there, but I don’t know WHAT the hell they were smoking when they came up with Coruscant Xmas.
Of course, ever hear of Mother-Daughter Bonding-? If not, I envy you.
Barbara Hambly has been reduced to writing Wookie books? That’s so fucking tragic. She’s a genuine talent: her original books are some of my favorite light fantasy out there. Of course, no one wants to read anything that’s original anymore…
Sorry, don’t mean to cap on books you all like, it’s just that I’m still waiting for book three in her Sun Cross trilogy, and apparently she’s being forced to waste her time with this stuff to make ends meet. She deserves better. Grr. Arrgh.
Seriously, if you like her SW stuff, check out The Darwath Trilogy, or The Silent Tower. Excellent stuff.
I have read those…they are some of my favs in the story arc, along with Stackpole’s stuff. I love Face as well, though I have always liked Kell and Tyria (and Piggy!) But Face ends up with all of the good one-liners.
to paraphrase from Rebel Dream:
Luke Skywalker: We’re in a tight spot, but if we stick together, we’ll make it through this (or some other cheesy line).
Face: You said that the first time we met.
Luke: I don’t remember ever meeting…when was that?
Face: I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you. Classified.
(this happens several times during the novels)
God, i’m a nerd.
Allston and Zahn are my favorites of the Star Wars authors, by far. Zahn’s books are simply great Star Wars stories, as epic and full of life as the original trilogy. Allston’s books are as hilarious as everyone here has mentioned, especially the first three Wraith novels, which I consider the high point of Star Wars written fiction. They have all the humor and biting wit of Allston’s later books, but with some really interesting (and fractured) characters that I missed in his later, more Wedge/ Luke-centric books. The Myn/ Lara story arc, for example, is a very well-written tale about two people who are essentially emotional cripples.
Mike Stackpole’s quite good too, but there’s something about his writing style that tends to irk me- possibly his inability to end a chapter without having a character say something vaguely impressive-sounding. I don’t remember Hambly’s work too well, but I do remember enjoying Children of the Jedi and strongly disliking Planet of Twilight.
My favorite from Rebel Stand:
If you go to Allston’s homepage, he has a lot of fan art of the Wraiths and answers some questions about his books.
Stackpole-by far, his best character is Tycho Celchu-although I actually liked Corran (he was usually pretty funny). I love seeing Tycho and Winter together-I wish more authors would pay attention to them!
BTW, Hambly also wrote two short stories for the anthologies Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina (which I’m re-reading right now) and Tales from Jabba’s Palace. They were really good. I just didn’t like Callista-she was too whiny.