Greetings, exalted ones! I love talking about the original Star Wars EU and I hope I can convince you to try some of it. Thanks for watching and may the force be with you.
@jerimiahjohnson42724 жыл бұрын
So, this was good. I really enjoyed the EU overall. I thought the new movies were going to pull more ideas from these sources and I was pretty bummed out that they didn't pick up some of the pieces from the EU. Also, the death in Vector Prime was one of the first things that I read where I teared up. But, how it impacted the characters that were left really got it hooks in me. How were they going to deal with it etc. Good stuff Mike. *Edit* Love Coran Horn I, Jedi was such good book and how he impacted the Yuuzhan Vong battles was great.
@caseywestrope33574 жыл бұрын
Great way to sum up the series without spoiling anything. Hopefully you will be able to do a reread and we can discuss with spoilers at some point! Unifying Force was a great conclusion, by far the best ending in a Star Wars series. Legacy was ok, I made it about half way through fate of the Jedi when I found out about Disney so I just stopped. I’ll do a read along with you if you ever get back to that point.
@caseywestrope33574 жыл бұрын
Also, I took a studio maintenance class when I was in college and my teacher was Michael Stackpole’s niece. That was a fun class with probably too many Star Wars analogies for some people in class. lol
@magnenoalex24 жыл бұрын
I hope you do legacy of the force at some time as well
@exovisible95393 жыл бұрын
I think the greatest strength for NJO was it really tested what it meant to be a Jedi without facing an exact opposite as their opposition, (various reincarnation of new Sith order) , and exploring more about how to view the force; as well as the trials of what the galaxy had to endure with a war this devastating.
@Sergeant_Camacho4 жыл бұрын
After my personal disappointment with the Disney Sequel Trilogy, I'm going to start my journey into the Expanded Universe! And I'm truly excited as a Star Wars fan! Thanks for this video!
@turtleanton65393 жыл бұрын
Thrawn 1-3 then vector prime
@laking09_573 жыл бұрын
Tbh I wouldn’t recommend NJO to a newcomer. I’d start with something like thrawn trilogy or bane trilogy. And it also depends on ur taste and what era u r interested in.
@frankheninja13 жыл бұрын
Reading prep for the NJO: Condensed: 1) Thrawn Trilogy 2) Jedi Academy Trilogy 3) Hand of Thrawn Duology Expanded: 1) Truce at Bakura 2) The X-Wing books 3) Courtship of Princess Leia 4) Thrawn Trilogy 5) Dark Empire 6) Jedi Academy Trilogy 7) I, Jedi 8) The Corellia Trilogy 9) Hand of Thrawn Duology 10) the Young Jedi Knights
@storba38602 жыл бұрын
@@frankheninja1 You forgot Dark Empire.
@frankheninja12 жыл бұрын
@@storba3860 I literally didn’t lol. Read my comment again.
@baliocelot25374 жыл бұрын
That intro on its own was better than all three of the new trilogy combined.
@mikesbookreviews4 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@aamirrazak34673 жыл бұрын
for sure i got chills from it
@andrewbirkett6984 жыл бұрын
Timing couldn’t be Better: just started getting into the old EU.
@mikesbookreviews4 жыл бұрын
You’re in for a ride.
@andrewbirkett6984 жыл бұрын
Mike's Book Reviews Just halfway through plagueis after finishing the bane trilogy. Trying to do it in chronological order.
@dimond360_4 жыл бұрын
Your starting off with some of the best the EU offers mate
@luckykennedy73643 жыл бұрын
Your in for a great time..I new two and trust me it’s great
@DualFrodo3 жыл бұрын
@@dimond360_ What would you say the best EU books are?
@B.LEE.DbrianleedurfeeREVIEWS4 жыл бұрын
the New Jedi Order books were great. But some of the covers were crap. They needed to stick with illustrator Drew Struzan on all the books.
@mikesbookreviews4 жыл бұрын
Drew Struzan art is canon!
@caseywestrope33574 жыл бұрын
Brian look up the Japanese covers, they are sooo much better than the ones we got in the US.
@sawyeratkinson7 ай бұрын
Dude agree 1000%
@ChrisfromtheBasement4 жыл бұрын
I completely missed the EU growing up. So for the past 5 years I've been working through the Bantam era and prequel stuff. I'm almost ready for NJO.
@mikesbookreviews4 жыл бұрын
Enjoy! I wish I could experience it again for the first time.
@txy99114 жыл бұрын
If you wanna read the NJO here are the essentials after ROTJ (There are way more good books in after ROTJ): Thrawn trilogy, Jedi-academy trilogy, hand of thrawn duology, NJO, Legacy of the Force, fate of the jedi
@kingkusnacht3 жыл бұрын
@@jamesskidmore3750 Probably answering this far too late but Jedi Academy is not really important for the NJO. All you've got to know is that Kyp Durron and Cilghal were introduced there.
@uogz433 жыл бұрын
Fate of the Jedi is the final series of books
@abeabe883 жыл бұрын
You can also replace Jedi academy with I, Jedi
@Webshooters13 жыл бұрын
@@uogz43 Which is sad because Sword Of The Jedi was looking promising.
@vaderkurt78486 ай бұрын
@@Webshooters1 There is fan fiction or a fanmade book you can look up online that's the closest thing we were going to get.
@Hadrian16164 жыл бұрын
I need to install a red plastic telephone in my home that loudly rings when there begins a Mike's premiere.
@mikesbookreviews4 жыл бұрын
Ha. Haven’t been doing them a ton lately. But I really want to encourage folks to read the real EU for many reasons. One, to see why those of us who did were so disappointed by what Disney gave us. But mostly because it’s just a continuation of what we fell in love with in the first place.
@dpeady784 жыл бұрын
“Greetings Exalted Ones” love it! My wife hates it when I say this whenever guests arrive
@mikesbookreviews4 жыл бұрын
My wife rolls her eyes at all of my Star Wars quotes that are a part of my daily vocabulary
@dpeady784 жыл бұрын
Mike's Book Reviews also me pausing while in shops and saying “I have no memory of this place” annoys the shit out of her as well 😬
@juresaiyan2 жыл бұрын
@@mikesbookreviews you're awesome and your wife is a keeper. :D
@anasol7724 жыл бұрын
I highly recommend the Star Wars: Legacy comic series. It jumps 100 years into the future and does some amazing things. As someone who had not read Thrawn nor New Jedi Order yet, it's one of my favorite star wars stories.
@kingkusnacht3 жыл бұрын
After reading through all Bantam Era books, I thought I was done. I loved Zahn's Thrawn and Hand of Thrawn books, as well a XWing and I Jedi, but didn't like a lot of the rest of it, as you said for the most part. However NJO got me reading SW again, it's like a new Era, it feels like Star Wars' Infinity War storyline.
@markmanhire51043 жыл бұрын
I have read about 55+ novels in the EU and I absolutely love all of them. Now I may be biased because I am an avid Star Wars Collector but they are a must read.
@mikesbookreviews3 жыл бұрын
I concur.
@DarthVaderReturns12 жыл бұрын
@@mikesbookreviews i currently am reading the x wing book series njo book series legacy of the force book series and fate of the jedu book series all back to back to back to back all at the same time i just finished reading 3 star wars books in 2021 i read dark lord the rise of darth vader bloodlines by karen traviss betrayal by aaron allston all in one year
@juresaiyan2 жыл бұрын
So am I.
@DarthVaderReturns12 жыл бұрын
@@juresaiyan the new jedi order is way better than the entire star wars sequel trilogy same goes with both legacy of the force and fate of the jedi book series along with the thrawn trilogy hand of thrawn duology and the x wing book series as well
@juresaiyan2 жыл бұрын
@@DarthVaderReturns1 yes, absolutely
@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy4 жыл бұрын
I was five years old when the first Star Wars movie came out in theaters in 1977. It's the first movie I can remember watching, and I've been a fan ever since. Thanks for this video --- I enjoyed it very much!
@joshuafowler8834 жыл бұрын
I have always looked at it this way. All these authors kept Star Wars alive when it was a non-factor at that point in the mainstream. Disney came along and said, "All this work you did, yeah, it doesn't mean shit." It was disrespectful to all the creators.
@mikesbookreviews4 жыл бұрын
So glad you said that. Mandalorian was above average and everyone treats it like it’s the greatest show ever made. I didn’t know if I had just become so jaded that it wasn’t hitting the same or if it was just folks are so hungry for competent Star Wars they are over the moon when it isn’t garbage.
@mikesbookreviews4 жыл бұрын
I get that these are the things that happen with a corporate takeover but they could have handled it differently. They almost act as if they’re embarrassed about the EU when they need to put their eyes on the screen and be embarrassed by what they’ve done.
@turtleanton65394 жыл бұрын
Yuuup
@turtleanton65393 жыл бұрын
@Mystic Scholars ofc
@codysparks14544 жыл бұрын
I just got the complete series today, perfect timing.
@mikesbookreviews4 жыл бұрын
Enjoy the ride!
@aamirrazak34673 жыл бұрын
lucky i wish i had them all i have to try and find them through ebay and the library lol
@docvader823 жыл бұрын
Vector Prime, Star by Star, everything from TrAitor and onward. Basically I loved EVERYTHING involving Jacen from Star by Star and onward.
@JaimeEnFuego4 жыл бұрын
Spent tons of time reading the newer 'In-Canon' stuff, but beyond THRAWN I had not taken the time. You're legit inspiring me Good Sir.
@mikesbookreviews4 жыл бұрын
I think you’d enjoy it. It’s not all brilliant but it felt like the Star Wars ending we deserved.
@LiesandPolitics4 жыл бұрын
I dig your vibe, I can tell you’re really sincere about your love for the original EU and there’s nothing pretentious about it. Subscribed!
@yaboijardo2319 Жыл бұрын
Listened to the audiobooks of this series, finished it and immediately listened from the beginning through again, easily in my top 5 book series and I love star wars. It's impressive how so many authors kept the idea and point of the series reasonably together while feeling like star wars despite the weirdness of the story compared to what's before. Great characters and relationships, important moral quandries and philosophical themes. Beautiful series 9/10
@CaptStewee084 жыл бұрын
Loved this series, I've only read through it once, maybe I need to again. Star by Star is so great!
@mikesbookreviews4 жыл бұрын
That ending though 😭
@CaptStewee084 жыл бұрын
@@mikesbookreviews Tough ending, but the ramifications from what happened in that entire book extend into the Legacy and Fate series!
@RosLanta3 жыл бұрын
"When Star Wars grew up" - absolutely, and very much why I love the New Jedi Order series so much. Well, that and for it giving us some of the best characters in Star Wars' history (Jaina Solo is a particular favourite of mine). I was coming up to the end of a full (year long!) re-read of post-ROTJ books when they announced that the EU was ending. I understood why but was so disappointed, especially when the Jaina-centric book I had been looking forward to was cancelled. I still miss it but there are so many EU books I love and still pick up from time to time. (Fate of the Jedi was... okay, but you didn't miss a lot really. It had its moments but it was a long way off the heights of the Thrawn trilogy or NJO.)
@adamborst4 жыл бұрын
Love the EU! If you're a fan of Star Wars, the arcs that all the old and new characters go through are great. I haven't read them in a few years, but I may do a re-read later this year after getting through the new Butcher and Sanderson releases.
@DarthVaderReturns12 жыл бұрын
im a hardcore star wars fan and i miss my mom my mom passed away in jan of 2014 when she died i lost all my star wars books i once owned people picked on me bashed on me harrased me and bullied me in high school for being a fan of star wars harry potter and batman when i got into star trek i was bullied even more and harrased even more just because i read books i was called names for also reading books like the stand by stephen king lord of the rings the hobbit i was only 15 years old when i fist got into high school i was even bullied for my own taste in music i was bullied because i loved bands like metallica megadeth slayer anthrax and exodus i told my high school classroom who was my favorite charecte in harry potter and they put me down and bullied me i tryed explaining to the kids in my high school how imprtant reading was and how when charecters die it moves the story forward they didnt care i was bullied by a 25 year old when i first got into high school after he got expelled i found him on facebook and aol i found him gave him my address and i told come to my house right now lets fight like men instead of fighning me he blocked me one day i was minding my own business in the lunchroom a student and the 25 year old was doing something for the tv room and my friend travis was like hey interview nick he knows alot about star wars and harry potter and then they said no way man that kids gay hes a fag then when they were walking up the stairs i ludged at both of them the 25 year old turned around and fell on his butt and he looked seriously scared like he just saw a ghost the other guy who was on top of the stairs as well looked seriously scared as well when i ludeged at these two people i got held back at the end of the day they both looked like they saw either a monster or a ghost till this very day i bet they tell a very differnt story these idiots who picked on me in high school liked to bullie people when they had their friends with them they cant fight one on one or two on one like jedi or sith or even bounty hunters or smugglers if star wars charecters were real these kids would run away scared out of their minds if they met any star wars charecter including the new ones even tho i seriousluy hate rey poe finn and ben solo those charecers are far better warriors than they are and i was bullied in high school for beilining in gay rights as well i felt the day i scared both those students who were doing something for the tv room that were in my high school classroom of course this was a ese high school classroom could not read any book at all to save their own lifes but yet they bullied me for being a reader yet the 25 year old thinks im stupid and lame for being a star wars and a harry potter fan im sorry for ranting but i seriously had to tell you this
@Webshooters13 жыл бұрын
I think the main problem with the Disney Trilogy is this: 1. The state of the galaxy isn't fleshed out, key parts that need to be explained in order for the movies to make sense are relegated to books. 2. The legacy characters were not given the respect they deserved. Han is estranged from Leia and a relapsed smuggler, Luke fucked off to an island to die, and Leia is a general again. It's like our characters have regressed to what they were pre-ANH. 3. It rips off elements of the EU and badly so. Turning Jacen into Kylo Ren without ANY of the depth, bringing Palpatine back is ripped straight out of Dark Empire, etc. But the worst part was Disney's decision to just nuke all of the EU and discontinue any stories that were part of it. They say it would be confusing to people but you already labeled it "Legends" so would it really be hard to have your new canon while still continuing the EU that by this point many have invested time and money into reading? But just seeing what they did just make me love the EU even more. Sure with so many books there are going to be some stinkers but I feel the majority of books were well-written and worth reading. Matthew Stover's ROTS novelization is a masterpiece.
@mikesbookreviews3 жыл бұрын
I’m reading this and just nodding along. You nailed my feelings on it exactly.
@Webshooters13 жыл бұрын
@@mikesbookreviews Then you have Kathleen saying they have no source material and alot are like "You have 40 years worth of content to draw on!" I think the only EU book I ever truly didn't like was Death Troopers and that's moreso because I don't like zombies.
@conradojavier75472 жыл бұрын
Killing Luke's Jedi Order in a Flashback also means, Obi-Wan, & Yoda died for Nothing.
@yaboijardo2319 Жыл бұрын
Plageuis is a great start for the casual fan if they're interested in sith, a lot of interesting lore plus creamy sheev in spades and it ties into the prequels directly
@darrion508 Жыл бұрын
I started with the Bane trilogy and then read Plagueis. I read all 4 while listening to the audiobooks and it was one HELL of a start to the EU. I feel like anyone who reads the Bane trilogy has to read Plagueis immediately after. I never cared for Episode 1 at all but that book had me invested in Trade Federation politics. Definitely amazing.
@yaboijardo2319 Жыл бұрын
@@darrion508 I loved the prequels because I'm a fuckin nerd and nostalgia probably but the plageuis novel does make them significantly better, all those plot points that are a mystery now have massive weight and backstory
@ACEnBEAKY3 жыл бұрын
One one hand I kind of wish the sequel trilogy was about the Vong Crisis, on the other the Vong Crises has so much material that it would probably be better in a TV series. Theoretically, we could have both in the same way that the Clone Wars was filling in the gaps between the episodes of the Prequels. The Vong crisis might be a logical target for the third trilogy because look what it does as far as continuing a pattern. I need to read it for myself, but based on what a lot of people tell me, the Vong Invasion/Uprising would offer these desirable things for a sequel trilogy. 1. Escalation of enemies. In the Prequels, the enemy was a rebel faction (the CIS). In the OT, the enemy was the government. If the Vong were the prequels, they're bigger than the galactic Empire. They're an entire galaxy's worth of invasion force, not just the government of this galaxy that's not completely divided. The threat is so big that the good guys and bad guys have to join forces (variety of good guys, leading into point number 2) and a new regime that's a fusion (leading into point number 3). 2. Variety of enemies (and heroes): In the Prequels, the bad guys were largely droids. In the OT the bad guys were largely humans in plastic armor. In this one they are ghoulish aliens in bio armor with bio weapons (not to mention, it would be based on anti technology theocracy instead of a high tech secular regime inspired by, largely, fascism). Would have made the next Battlefront more interesting, am I right? Not to mention, the good guys wouldn't just look like Empire/Rebellion "light" they would have evolved and changed since then. 3. Pivotal change of government: The prequels showed how the clone wars led to the transition from Old Republic to Empire. The OT showed the transition from Empire to Alliance/New Republic. The Vong if they were sequels, would show the transition from New Republic and Remnants to Galactic Federation. Also, in the previous trilogies, the winner absorbed the loser. This one there's a cross roads (Remnant and Republic Join, Vong sent away to clean up the mess they made). The Yuuzon Vong seem to be several Warhammer factions thrown together. They seem to be an empire of theocratic fanatics in heavy armor much like the Imperium of Mankind, but their use of bio technology is almost tyrannid in nature. Their pointed ears, sadism, and desire to augment their body is similar to the Dark Eldar. It's like they came from a galaxy where they put down their own equivalent of Necrons and it made them evil. Some people say that this makes your Star Wars a little too much like Warhammer 40k for their taste. That's not a deal breaker for me. If it can be original enough to not be derivative and it's fun, I'll give it a chance. Generation Tech's Alan, I believe, said that this was the part of star wars that also felt like a 1980s Arnold Schwarzenegger action flick. Not my cup of tea, but if done well I will give it a chance. I read one comic of it, and it seemed interesting enough, a bit dark and hard corp for Star Wars but again, that's not a deal breaker in and of itself. This might be the part of Star Wars Legends that would go well in a theoretical, adult swim style anime
@stuart00knight3 ай бұрын
I just did listen through the unabridged NJO. They're not officially released, but you can find them on youtube. Really great series. Now I'm on The Dark Nest series before going onto the Legacy of the Force and Fate of the Jedi series.
@KingOfAllBlerds3 жыл бұрын
Just discovered your channel, I just read dark empire and now I am into the EU. I have a few of the comic adaptations from the thrawn trilogy and now I am searching all of this stuff out. Thanks for the content
@monsouranda28224 жыл бұрын
That's the most epic thumbnail I ever seen.
@starwarstimeline3 жыл бұрын
Very cool video. I felt The New Jedi Order is one of the absolute stronger points in the EU (although too brutal & dark for SW "space fantasy" aesthetic at times.) The Solo kids went through some devastating challenges and seeing the lead characters suffer losses was very rewarding!
@DarthVaderReturns12 жыл бұрын
i was bullied in high school for being a star wars fan and yet im speacil needs its a long story and i love reading books like star wars star trek harry potter and more
@gibbs6153 жыл бұрын
What I would like to see is a SW movie trilogy that takes place in the LEGENDS EU timeline! One of the things about it is the rebel alliance was more stronger and had more resources too.
@sirremicable4 жыл бұрын
I love this series. I'm also a fan of the legacy era comic series that's set about 100 years after a new hope. that tells a story that ties right into the njo as well
@christopherdyer20464 жыл бұрын
I loved Jasen solos arc especially through the last few books but I hated the direction they took him after the yuzahn vong war. I interpreted his place in the world way different I guess
@magnenoalex24 жыл бұрын
I disagree i think its natural progression
@Raechill924 жыл бұрын
I recently discovered your channel and have enjoyed watching several of your videos. My TBR is now overflowing! I had the pleasure of meeting Zahn at a con, he was very nice! I’ve only read his more recent Thrawn books. I’ll have to fit this series in somehow!
@TheBlackstaff4 жыл бұрын
I recommend starting the Thrawn trilogy by Zhan and the Jedi Academy trilogy by Keven J Anderson. The Anderson trilogy is the actual start of Luke's Jedi order.
@Historylord152 жыл бұрын
I’m currently at book 6 of the series
@BlackSteelKeyChain3 жыл бұрын
My favorite Legends era series God I wish it got the clone wars treatment and got a animate adaption that also expanded the lore it deserves it so much
@Starwarsfearsome2 жыл бұрын
Wow what a good video! You did a great job at explaining your opinions without spoiling it. I have the first three books of this series and I haven’t read them yet as I’m reading a couple of OT books, but I must say now I want to get the whole series.
@thelemmiebee4 жыл бұрын
You’ve got some of the best KZbin intros known to mankind. Great video mike! I love the EU. I’m glad you’re bringing it up and covering it
@mitchellkois16014 жыл бұрын
Growing up I was always way more into Star Trek. I just felt like there was more world to explore. Now in adulthood, I've rediscovered a love for reading. And I've been meaning to check out some Star Wars books so I'm glad I now have a good place to start. Because sweet Jesus there's a lot of them. And I've heard a lot of them aren't worth the time.
@turtleanton65394 жыл бұрын
There was way more world in Star Trek but star wars is much better.
@juresaiyan3 жыл бұрын
@@turtleanton6539 I agree.
@powermetalbard4 жыл бұрын
Just recently started getting into the old EU after being a Star Wars fan for my entire life. I’ll definetly have to give these a shot once I am done with the Thrawn books. I’m having a blast with them!
@TheMenace98914 ай бұрын
Really appreciate the book reviews and recommendations man. I honestly haven’t read an actual book since I was in jr high. Until now of course. Lol just wanted to say thanks and I appreciate the content man.
@njoreviews83462 жыл бұрын
I watched your video about 6 months ago. In that time I've read a few if the bantam era books and am on Dark Tide Ruin as of now. Loving this series.
@yokiryuchan76553 жыл бұрын
The EU will always be canon to me. The Disney stuff is set in an alternate timeline. Julianne Moore would have been perfect as Mara Jade.
@PnutButtaJllyMan4 жыл бұрын
I love the new jedi order series. Its a favorite of mine. I agree its not perfect, there are some books that miss the mark, but overall its amazing. Star by Star by Troy Denning and Traitor by Matthew Stover are my favorites. One day I'd like to do a big reread of the series.
@Edog13374 жыл бұрын
Jacen and Jaina, the Vong, Coruscant underworld, loved it. Had some problems with Vong power scaling. This NJE saga was the ending of the EU for me. Cathartic ending, became crazy with the 2 follow up series and Jacens heel turn, and a magic Cthulhu lady.
@magnenoalex24 жыл бұрын
I like it. Jacen solos turn is much better then Ben solo. Everybody's said its too abrupt his turn but like did they forget about all of New jedi order its a continuation of his development in that. And im glad its not all sunshine and rainbows. And the mortis arc in clone wars was super popular and I loved them so im sure I would enjoy fate which I haven't read yet.
@t.d.w.maverick5727 Жыл бұрын
Expanding Univers.🎉 It's Caled.😊❤.
@tylervogt4128Ай бұрын
I own every Star Wars book on your shelf. Except mine are hardback. All of them. SFBC was amazing back in the day.
@aamirrazak34673 жыл бұрын
Great video, i always found the idea of a new jedi order fascinating, and mara and the solo kids and seeing luke han and leia lead the next geneartion is so cool! I much prefer that to what we got with the sequels, as I am a huge EU fan and was upset they were considered non canon. Currently reading the second book in the NJO and can't wait to see how things go from here
@asfaloth124 жыл бұрын
This brings back some good memories I agree that Disney should have pulled some elements from this series. It would have been amazing to see the Yuuzhan Vong on the big screen. And Mara Jade! How could they not have included her? Side note: Daisy Ridley would have been a perfect Jaina Solo.
@DarthVaderReturns12 жыл бұрын
i hate to say this but the sequel trilogy is pure filth and garbage before disney got the rights to star wars their was going to be a sword of the jedi trilogy of books featuring jaina solo fel but when disney got the rights they cancelled all the eu books that were going to be made yes they cancelled them heck they even cancelled a new star wars video game that never got made called star wars 1313 it got cancelled as well besides i heard a rumor that troy denning was going to write the sword of the jedi trilogy featuring jaina solo fel thats what i heard but it got cancelled plus aaron allston died in 2014 which saddens me hes my favorite star wars author along with k w jeter and timothy zahn and matthew stover im trying to read new eu buts its not as good as old eu im reading heir to the jedi and its not as good as my favorite luke skywalker book written by matthew stover called luke skywalker and the shadows of mindor basically thats the first book to feature black armored storm troopers basicallu rogue one ripped that off and the entire sequel trilogy seriously steals alot of legends stuff as well like differnt colored x wings and other colored ships and im pissed off the y wigs were not in the last jedi those new bomber ships looked stupid dumb and lame compared to the y wings they tryed soo hard to make the new cast work the rise of skywalker destroyed star wars for me the movie i wanted to get made never got made due kathleen kennedy firing two seriously talented guys i wanted to see star wars episode 9 duel of the fates which never got made because kathleen kennedy fired my favorite team yet in the rise of skywalker tey still got writers credit you got to read star wars episode 9 duel of the fates on wikipedia its far better and far more powerful than the rise of skywalker yes they still rip off old eu but its done proply and it has style and it actually feels like a true star wars movie and it ties the force awakens and the last jedi together and forms a awesome trilogy and guess what the ending of the duel of the fates is more better than the rise of skywalker
@BantisMedia3 жыл бұрын
I would recommend fate of the Jedi, fat from perfect but another great take on a new villian
@bobc538Ай бұрын
If Disney wanted toys and a lot of movies, this would have been the perfect series for them to use. I think they just didn't want to share the money for one thing. It is one of the very best series I've ever read. I love the Yuzhon Vong.
@ShoeboxActual3 жыл бұрын
Old buddy of mine recommended this series to me. Told him i was disappointed with the sequels and I was reading stand alone EU books. He sent me the first 3 of the series for Christmas. Can't get enough, definitely wish the sequels were based off this series. It's been a hot minute since I was this engrossed in a book series.
@pyroblade61503 жыл бұрын
It’s a shame Disney decided not to do the NJO storyline because the potential is there to be bigger than the MCU. And they’ve shown with the MCU that they don’t mind adapting from source material so I really don’t understand the pushback with Star Wars. Vector Prime is a perfect opener to the series. Star by Star is incredibly good. The ending had me in tears and the ramifications of this single book are felt in the rest of the EU. Traitor was amazing and the series builds from there to The Unifying Force; the best ending to a book series I’ve read. Disney could have had it all with the NJO. A proper follow up to the OT, treat our beloved characters with the story and respect they deserve, pass the torch to a new cast of characters and, for Disney, have another (arguably bigger) MCU. Also Jaina and Mara Jade >>>>>>>>>> Rey. If they were looking for a new female character to lead the Star Wars franchise forward then Jaina should have been their top choice. Also I really enjoyed Legacy of the Force and Fate of the Jedi. Should definitely give those a read as well.
@mikesbookreviews3 жыл бұрын
If they had pulled from this road map, Epsiode 9 would have been every bit as bag as Avengers Endgame was.
@kingkusnacht3 жыл бұрын
Think you're a bit wrong about Hand of Thrawn personally, think it might actually be better than the Thrawn trilogy, particularly when considering how amazingly it ties together and wraps up its Era.
@Falsedragon2984 жыл бұрын
Hey thanks for the review! I cannot wait to get through the original Thrawn trilogy, it has been so good. I wish I had read these books years ago, I was too busy absorbing Old Republic. It makes me sad but happy in a strange way that these still exist. Also you mentioned Star Trek in your video.. if you are a Star Trek fan the EU for that is AMAZING if you have not read that yet. If you have, a review video for that would be awesome!
@stephen88053 жыл бұрын
The Expanded Universe will always be better than Disney. The Mandalorian is great and everything but it cannot reach the levels of epic ness like the New Jedi Order books or Legacy.
@Uncouthsasquach4 жыл бұрын
I almost missed this video in my sub feed, I'm glad I didn't. Any time anyone I know expresses any interest in star wars books, I always tell them to read the NJO series, because it was so damn good.
@PizzaNife4 жыл бұрын
New Jedi Order pulled me in, but Legacy of the Force is my favorite arc of Star Wars EU. I was for sure one of those sad boys when Disney disavowed the EU because I desperately wanted to see Jaina and Jacen and Anakin and Ben on screen in some way.
@mikesbookreviews4 жыл бұрын
They threw out some gold.
@mrpopodopalis10567 ай бұрын
Hopefully you do more Star Wars EU videos I'm just now getting into it.
@geofflink62643 жыл бұрын
I read the first book it was good. I love the legacy of the force stuff.
@poolplayerbrian4 жыл бұрын
Vector Prime got me back into the books for the exact same reasons as you. Only got through about the first four or five books which were awesome but ended up hitting a snag with a particular novel that derailed my momentum. May have to give it a another chance if I ever happen to get the down time again. Definitely enjoyed the fresh characters.
@RiddlesOfSteel5 ай бұрын
My EU collection is a holy relic during these dark times. The comics and books keep the feeling alive. I've lived long enough to live in my own swamp/desert like Yoda and Obi-Wan hiding from Disney I mean the Empire
@jeffk3746 Жыл бұрын
‘Traitor’ is the best Star Wars book straight up
@plungeybabie4 жыл бұрын
Alright, I'm sold. My bank account is not a fan of you.
@turtleanton65393 жыл бұрын
Mine neither
@juresaiyan3 жыл бұрын
You will not regret it.
@endc304310 ай бұрын
This is a great start for me to get into and forget what disney made since they bought the rights to Lucas..
@annetteanderson74824 жыл бұрын
Enjoyed the video. You have convinced me to pick this up again. I had read one or two books prior to the New Order many years ago but dropped out of any further reading in this EU. I will start catching up again and looking for the books.
@thamel8634 жыл бұрын
Job done Mike, I'm sold and putting that on my TBR!!! Good stuff!
@katya20324 жыл бұрын
I love the EU. It actually felt like the Star Wars Universe, more so than the sequels. I honestly think they didn't mine from the EU because the authors, despite the stories being owned by Disney, had a contractual clause that set additional fees for additional use, and Disney didn't want to pay them It blows because there are some things in those stories that could have made the movies so much stronger.
@thelemmiebee4 жыл бұрын
Stoked for this.
@mikesbookreviews4 жыл бұрын
Adventure. Heh. Excitement? Hah. A Jedi craves not these things.
@AndreNitroXАй бұрын
18:00 this is the exact reason I dived into the expanded universe after watching Disneys trilogy and being disgusted with the way they went about it. I haven’t even read all these books yet, but I am loving every second of this story and will get to finish them in my own time. The EU as far as I’m concerned is the true Star Wars and this story is a superior sequel following the OT.
@mikesbookreviewsАй бұрын
It's still the true canon, in my mind.
@AndreNitroXАй бұрын
@@mikesbookreviews agreed, for the last 10 years the only star wars content i buy and enjoy is only EU material and i avoid Disney's content entirely. Im much happier with that decision
@TreySaunders884 жыл бұрын
Keep the Star Wars videos up! Also I love the quotes in your intros
@joesstrangejourney33874 жыл бұрын
Hello, thanks again for this video. I really like Star Wars (the first trilogy) but I never had the opportunity to read a book of legends. You seem so passionate that I'll probably give it a try.
@christianvincentcostanilla84283 жыл бұрын
The first old Star Wars legends : Star wars the splinter of the minds eye by Alan Dean Foster
@ImTheReverse3 жыл бұрын
Why do you spam this everywhere?
@t.d.w.maverick5727 Жыл бұрын
I ❤ Read 📚 Some of it.🎉😊❤.
@IhlowistenAG3 жыл бұрын
i am total with you! the NJO books were the best sw books in my opinion. I loved them so much and even though i parted with most of my star wars obsession i will never part from my NJO books, ever. Sure they had their flaws but they where so much fun! Loved some Clonewars books and the Darth Bane saga, too or the x-wing and wraith squadron books from time past but none where as entertaining, shocking and just full of the finest star wars and jedi action anyone could wish for. nothing shocked me more, talking about my fanfeelings and fanlove for a thing then when disney decided to declare the SWEU finished. i almost stopped reading SW completely..well i did not.. but i dont read them like i used and they are not as they are used to.
@blacklabelz93 ай бұрын
Mike this might be one of your cheesiest intros to any video of yours I've seen over the years. AND IM TOTALLY INTO IT.
@JoshyBoy983114 жыл бұрын
Just got back into the old EU. I had just started reading the old EU when Disney threw the EU out. I got mad and didn’t even read the Thrawn trilogy. I got back and just finished the Thrawn Trilogy and was blown away! Can’t wait to get to the New Jedi Order!
@Skywalker20239 Жыл бұрын
I like new jedi order books series a lot, i think all books is great)))
@kyrilson714 жыл бұрын
Oh yeah man!! One of my personal faves!! A lot of people don't like this series, but I read them all and I loved them. I don't care about the purist view or any of that other bullshit. I like all of the Star Wars books and view them all as their own differing timelines and just enjoy them on their own.
@joshfuller50764 жыл бұрын
Was laid up in a hospital after the first of 2 surgeries when I started this series back in 2003. Agreed it did kind of suffer from bloat, but that didn't stop me from devouring the series in less than 6 months. The ending of the war was properly awesome.
@marcofeola80943 жыл бұрын
chewbacca was sad, anakin even sadder, but jacen that one broke the dam, i re-read the series from the ld republic with the darth bane series all the way up to crucible , then i do game of thrones then the kingkiller chronicles then back to my star wars and every time i dread chewbacca, dred anakin, but then i get to jacen and jaina and the damn breaks all over, it kills me everytime, I always identified with jacen the most, so getting to where they are born and their adventures together and jacen saving the galaxy then becoming the big bad I know where its leading and it still kills me at that final moment at where jaina is holding him and it tears my heart out. I know you say start with thrawn but DONT SKIP A SINGLE BOOK!!! if you have to start with a "TRUCE AT BAKURA" AND WORK YOUR WAY ALL THE WAY UP TO "CRUCIBLE"!! I get why he's saying start with thrawn but you cant skip all the books they are all great, some are out there but by the "legacy of the force" story line it start going back to those other stories that are more out there, "children of the jedi" "dark saber" "twilight dawn" the "corellia trilogy" IT ALL COMES FULL CIRCLE IN LEGACY AND FATE OF THE JEDI!! and do your self a favor do not miss the darth bane rule of 2 trilogy that is the origin of the rule of 2, and dont miss DARTH PLAGIOUS!! SOOOOOO GOOOD!! the origin of palpatine and his master it is so freaking good and after reading it it makes 1,2 and 3 make so much sense that it makes those movies actually really good!! I promise you DO NO0T MISS A SINGLE BOOK WRITTEN PRE DISNEY!! THE REAL SOLO AND SKYWALKER KIDS CAN NOT BE MISSED!! just skip bridged audio books they destroty the story and the shit hey cut out m,akes nothing make sense!! unabridged is fine!!
@juresaiyan3 жыл бұрын
Wow, a true fan. Respect!
@ArtyrVandelae4 жыл бұрын
Eye of the world and The Great Hunt are in reverse order and I can’t unsee it.
@mikesbookreviews4 жыл бұрын
Ha ha thanks for letting me know. I was checking which editions I had and put them back wrong.
@ArtyrVandelae4 жыл бұрын
Mike's Book Reviews No problem, I’m so ocd lol. I picked the wholesale editions a few weeks back for real cheap. As long as they match the set I’m fine with not having early copies!
@jamesi91744 жыл бұрын
Spreading the word of pre-Disney Star Wars EU? You've got yourself a new subscriber, sir.
@michaelquon17543 жыл бұрын
Hands down anakin solo was the best character. Star by star was such a good book .
@pyroblade61503 жыл бұрын
Anakin was my favorite! Star by Star is an incredible book. Unifying Force is one of the best ending books to a series I’ve read (Star Wars or otherwise)
@ACEnBEAKY3 жыл бұрын
The Disney Sequels should have been a tv series. That way they could have had more time to flesh out characters and world building. Make the story feel less derivative of the OT, make the characters feel less like they were character-assassinated (Luke, to a lesser extent Poe) and make the other characters feel less like Mary Sues. There would have been more wiggle room for world and character building, and marinating in the moment emotionally. There would have also been more room to use the discarded story ideas and scripts (including George Lucas's) that were not only just cool ideas, but cool ideas that would have at least made the story more unique (even if it's skeleton or spine remained the same). The Disney Sequels also should have taken place a little bit later, which would have allowed them to be grafted/retconned with EU Legends. Basically everything from Thrawn, Vong, Swarm, and 2nd Galactic Civil war happened and the events of the Disney Trilogy happened shortly afterwards (so it would be around 40 ish years after Episode 6 instead of 30). This would actually explain a lot in the Discan Sequels. *** Kylo Ren could have been a clone resurrection of EU's Jacen Solo that previously died, which is why Han and Leia are so depressed and are seeing if they can give their resurrected son a chance. It would even explain why Luke was thinking about killing Kylo in Last Jedi, because there would have been a history of Kylo Ren in his previous life of Jacen Solo as being vulnerable to the dark side, and already committing Vader like attrocities (including some that directly hurt Luke). It would have actually justified a lot of the stuff fans complained about in the sequels. Hell, if it incorporated the death of Chewie from the Eu, and that the current Wookie serving Han Solo was Lowbacca (who offered to take the late Chewie's place concerning his life debt to Han), then that would explain the cold emotional distance between Han, Leia, and the new Wookie side kick (and why he didn't get a hug). See! This would have solved almost everything! I didn't say it would be GOOD but that it would have at least made sense. I'm not saying the fans are wrong at all, it's out of nowhere in the Sequel Trilogy. That's a valid complaint that Disney has no way of covering it's ass for. But if they made it happen in the same universe as EU Legends, what happened between trilogies could be used as a flimsy justification for what happened in the Disney Sequels.
@ACEnBEAKY3 жыл бұрын
**The Galaxy would be weak and demoralized from the previous big conflicts in legends, making it vulnerable to the First Order. Particularly the Vong Crisis, the galaxy would still be recovering from terraformed worlds and an economy in a depression, the Federal Republic's Galactic Alliance not always making the most popular decisions as seen from the 2nd Galactic Civil war. Areas would be recovering from a mini depression, dark age, or apocalyptic level event. It would be no fault of the good guys, but this level of suffering and the fear it generated might make the populace pine for a more militarized and authoritarian regime that they feel could protect them from extra galactic invasion or more homegrown domestic threats (Swarm, Corellia etc). In that dark age, through no real fault of the good guys (as individuals at least), the galaxy would be ripe for the plucking, esp if there was a half true rumor going around that Palpatine had saved the galaxy from this kind of disaster before, and was using the Empire to militarize the galaxy to be better prepared at fending off an invasion like the Vong, even to the point of making the Death Star seem necessary. When people suffer through a dark age, they want a renaissance of peace and prosperity, or at least direction and security. The person who could provide that would be Kylo Ren serving snoke. The idea is that Kylo Ren isn't full blown sith, but he gets a new name in the same way Sith do. Instead of Darth whatever, his name Kylo Ren is short for Kylo Renaissance, with his first name being based off of "kilometer" and "sky", proposing making strides in progress.
@justintack52054 жыл бұрын
I was in middle school and high school when the New Jedi Order novels were coming out, and I continued up to Legacy of the Force. Personally, I think I would stop at New Jedi Order on a re-read now, but that's possibly to personal taste. I did like certain aspects of the new Star Wars movies, but the story and (ESPECIALLY) the enemies of NJO were fantastic.
@taunttitan1714 Жыл бұрын
Why is it that the MCU and Marvel Comics can run Side by side but The EU and "The New Canon" for star wars can't because it's basically the same thing
@marcusmusings3 жыл бұрын
would love to see you do your ranking of the EU books
@JCAntarex3 жыл бұрын
I know the EU/canon debate has a lot of people choosing sides, but i like them both. I feel the new canon has a bad rep among EU fans because comparations are inevitable, but some of its books are actually amazing. James Luceno paved the way perfectly for Rogue One. Claudia Grey is becoming one of the greats, and Timothy Zahn's work has been stellar so far. His new book, the start of his Chiss Ascendancy trilogy?, simply brilliant. I agree with the new movies though, i don't hate them, but i understand the dissapointment. Right now, The Mandalorian feels like the true live action follow up to Episode 6. Clone Wars is another exception, great last season, and an excellent prelude to Rebels.
@gatling2164 жыл бұрын
Legacy of the Force and Fate of the Jedi both suffered from the same problem: Aaron Alston and Troy Denning were just not on the same page with the third co-author, and they actively worked to minimize the impact of their stories and their ideas. Karen Traviss pretty much made the Mandalorians what they are today, and her fingerprints are all over The Mandalorian. Christie Golden made the Lost Tribe feel like a legitimate threat. Both got screwed over, hard, by the other two. Hell, Lucas screwed over Traviss and her version of the Mandos before the EU was even officially cancelled. It's nice to see that they're rolling that back a little with the new TV series, but it still feels like too little, too late. I had some serious problems with the NJO, namely how inconsistent it felt at times, but overall it was a fun ride.
@morandasavich95634 жыл бұрын
Just finished the series a month ago. I already want to the-read it. That’s not usually my style, with so many other books to read on my list.
@marcofeola80943 жыл бұрын
best book series ever, its such a bummer that the only have the audio books in abridged copies for the new jedi order, especially for star by star! like wtf?! i never have time to read the hard copies anymore but they cut out half the story!
@dkmoon75434 жыл бұрын
I read most of the SW books up to NJO. I got a couple NJO books back then, but took a break and started Wheel of Time. Then SW Episodes I, II, and III were just so-so and just never went back to any of the SW books. With the newer SW movies (being what they are), just didn't have much interest in any of the books. BUT you do make it sound exciting enough for me to consider. I keep a short TBR and it's full. When it empties some, I may reconsider the NJO books. Thanks for another good video. On Dresden Small Favor right now. Loved the 20 foot dude saying his big brother is going to kill Dresden!
@t.d.w.maverick5727 Жыл бұрын
I❤Was So Looking Thame Doring The Roque Squad Movie 🎬 s.
@slowlyred20824 жыл бұрын
1 reason and 1 reason only... Ganner Rhysode
@mikesbookreviews4 жыл бұрын
A legend among the Jedi as well as the Yuuzhan Vong.
@slowlyred20824 жыл бұрын
@@mikesbookreviews Facts! Had such a great arc. Starting as such a arrogant knight.. I'm gonna re-read Traitor. And probably only review that one book.. I got butt hurt about the non canon issue Disney brought upon the galaxy.
@mikesbookreviews4 жыл бұрын
@@slowlyred2082 Oh, Disney Star Wars might come up more than once in this video.
@slowlyred20824 жыл бұрын
@@mikesbookreviews I am glad you're doing this video.
@mikesbookreviews4 жыл бұрын
@@slowlyred2082 I'm glad someone is ha ha, Star Wars stuff does peanuts on the channel but I love talking about the (real) EU.
@dimond360_4 жыл бұрын
Jaina and Jacen over Rey and Kylo every time
@robpaul75444 жыл бұрын
I sense a sadness in the Force that Disney will now get moneys if people are inspired to delve into the EU, the Real Canon. However, there is also the hope that rising sales in the EU might someday open someone's eyes at EvilMouse Inc. Either way, forget about them. Read the original EU!
@christianvincentcostanilla84283 жыл бұрын
Revive Old Star Wars legends
@edosaomoruyi14 жыл бұрын
THAT INTROOOOOO😤😤😤😤
@PrivateEye104 жыл бұрын
I really love your intros! Thanks for leaving the source of the music this time, but did you ever found the source of the other videos intros?
@mikesbookreviews4 жыл бұрын
Which ones? I usually give credit in the descriptions.
@PrivateEye104 жыл бұрын
@@mikesbookreviews The one of "why you should read the expanded universe" you didn't credit that one and I have been looking like crazy for it, its so good I want it!