Geeks + Gamers › Forums › Entertainment › Books › Question for Star Wars EU fans
So, I just finished the Thrawn trilogy (loved it), but I was wondering what I should read to continue the story? There are probably videos online that can tell me this, but I just figured I’d ask here.
My advice for your path forward:
Shadows of the Empire.
Truce at Bakara
Courtship of Princess Leia
Go through those and you will fill in the years between RotJ and Thrawn Trilogy. After that just follow the timeline and you’ll be fine. You move onto:
Dark Empire (if you can find it)
Jedi Academy Trilogy
That should hold you for a bit, depending on how fast you read. Me…that’s maybe two weeks or less, heh.
Umm…I don’t know about the others but isn’t Shadows of the Empire set between ESB and RotJ? Don’t know if that’s going to be the next step for OP to continue the post-OT EU…
Umm…I don’t know about the others but isn’t Shadows of the Empire set between ESB and RotJ? Don’t know if that’s going to be the next step for OP to continue the post-OT EU…
You are correct, but it is EU, and if he’s going to go back in time to fill in gaps, he might as well go that far back. Shadows of the Empire was a good book.
In newer printings of the books you will find a timeline of books.
I agree with the assessment of Shadow, Truce & Courtship, they really kick the EU into gear.
Mind you some of the oldest EU books are not really that good (Darksaber). Once you get to the New jedi order series they really kick into 5th gear and never slow down. There is a good 30 years of books so have fun.
There are so many novels it can be hard to determine an ‘optimal’ reading order, (if that’s what you’re asking). Particularly in regards to the Bantam era, because unlike Del Rey they didn’t have any larger projects and a reading order in mind.
This is as an excellent archive resource I use when looking which novels to catch up on (there’s also a tab to switch to the ‘Legends’ timeline, if you prefer a pure chronological order).
I would say the best novels that would make up the bulk of the story of the “New Republic” era to be:
– Thrawn trilogy
– Truce at Bakura
– Jedi Academy trilogy
– Courtship of Princess Leia
– Corellian trilogy
– Hand of Thrawn duology
“I, Jedi” and the X-Wing series are also really recommended. After that it becomes a bit easier to figure out.
Dude, you really can’t leave anything out of the list, especially for later pay offs.
The Barbara Hambly Trilogy is VERY important: Children of the Jedi, Darksaber, Planet of Twilight. So many important characters get screen time, and we get some hutt action.
Then Crystal Star as fallout, and also the first time we are put behind the eyes of Jacen and Jaina.
Black Feet Crisis is really the only one that can probably be skipped because of some of its pointless plot, unless you want to watch a study of Leia’s leadership…and if you are a Lobot fan…I think that was Black Fleet crisis :P
New Rebellion is a good read, having my favorite R2 plot arc EVER.
Personally, I do not recommend skipping anything along the main plot timeline, ie. anything with the Holy Trinity. There is always something important in each book, and always fun to be had.
:/ Can’t really agree, I found those novels to fall flat and a chore to read. But each to his own. If he wants to read every single book that’s up to him, just thought I’d advise on my own must-read’s. I just find the Bantam books a real mixed bag. Some novels are winners but others are just… odd (Glove of Vader, I’m looking at you).
Glove of Vader and all those books were not EU. They were some weird off shoot at the start of it all.
co-signed on the Shadows and Truce recs!
So, I checked the EU timeline in the back of my copy of Dark Force Rise and it says the next book chronologically is X-Wing: Isard’s Revenge. Is this important or can I just skip that and go to the Jedi Academy trilogy, which is next in the timeline?
IMO, X-wing books are supplementary. You miss nothing in not reading them in regards to the main story.
My advice for reading the EU remains the same as my previous posts.
Does anyone get the feeling that the authors could have done more with Anakin solo in the expanded universe
He was created to die for a greater cause. He served that purpose.
And it was a major gut punch, because he had finally started acting like a man and a Jedi.