Most underrated or unsung EU novel?

RadiO · Post by **RadiO** » 2002-08-08 06:18pm

If I was pressed to come up with an answer...
(cautiously looks left, then right)
I'd go for Planet of Twilight. It's really small scale, and has some technical aspects that seem to fly in the face of everything else in the EU (It has a ship large enough to act as a freighter that's built from the hull of the little I-7 Howlrunner fighter, IIRC?), but - basically - it's okay. Rather good, dare I say? It's a stock "goodies rescue Peaceful New-Age Aliens sold into slavery by Naughty Corporation" story, yet still has Leia kicking the living piss out of a Hutt Jedi in a lightsaber duel.

It's different, it's agreeable and it didn't make me vomit blood like certain other EU novels. Can't be bad, then.
Or can it?

Talon Karrde · Post by **Talon Karrde** » 2002-08-09 12:08am

To tell you the truth I quite enjoyed the New Rebellion. The explosions rocking Coruscant and other worlds were a neat twist, and had you wondering what the heck was going on. I thought the Kueller twist turning to be on the Dark Side was interesting too, it was kind of a cameo Star Wars twist with a Anakin to Vader side of it.

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2002-08-09 12:33am

has Leia kicking the living piss out of a Hutt Jedi in a lightsaber duel.

Excuse me...did you say Hutt Jedi....Now THERE's something I would never have imagined...

Talon Karrde · Post by **Talon Karrde** » 2002-08-09 12:40am

That was the one problem I had with Planet of Twilight. I disliked the fact that there was a Hutt Jedi, it just doesnt fit them. Also, Leia has been trained so little as a Jedi, I hate to see her fighting as one.

Cal Wright · Post by **Cal Wright** » 2002-08-09 01:28am

No offense. we all have our opinions, like mine that I am about to state, but PoT sucked hard. However, keeping with your original pupose, I would have to go with Cloak of Deception. I feel that Lucenos NJO books are overlooked for the simple fact that the NJO series sucks. However, I haven't heard anyone mention CoD. That book really has the Star Wars feel to it.

RadiO · Post by **RadiO** » 2002-08-09 11:46am

I think it helped that I wasn't expecting anything at all of Planet of Twilight (IIRC my ungrateful bastard's reaction when I was given it was "Oh shit, not this one."). But I was generally pleased with it.

Crown · Post by **Crown** » 2002-08-09 12:37pm

I, Jedi

Don't know why, I just kinda liked it, especially how it took place over the entire Jedi Academy, shit-olgy, and was one third it's length and ten times it's value.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2002-08-09 02:00pm

I, Jedi was 650 pages long. That is more than half the Jedi Academy's length, and it was not nearly 10 times as good. I, Jedi was stupid and ludicrous at times. Nothing happened in that book that was of any significance, and parts of it made absolutely no sense (a group of Dark Jedi teamed up with a wussy Imperial officer whose fleet consists of ONE ISD and a group of smaller ships exactly.... why?). I, Jedi was a terrible novel.

But I digress, the most underrated SW novel was The Courtship of Princess Leia.

spongyblue · Post by **spongyblue** » 2002-08-09 07:29pm

Shadows of The Empire just for the fact that the author had a bit tougher time writing the story. Think about it, write a story that takes place between two of the movies, without adding contradictions. I think he did a good job. And Xizor was cool as fuck. And the video game was cool.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2002-08-09 08:50pm

.....parts of it made absolutely no sense (a group of Dark Jedi teamed up with a wussy Imperial officer whose fleet consists of ONE ISD and a group of smaller ships exactly.... why?)

A) They weren't Dark Jedi per se. They were only skirting the edge of the dark side rather than full blown evil. Some of their beliefs were for lack of a better term grey, they didn't quite crossover but weren't exactly right either.

B) Tavira had the power to BDZ the planet and she was prepared to use it. She just plain held them hostage. They had to help her in order to survive.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2002-08-09 08:55pm

My favorite underappreciated EU novel? The Han Solo trilogy by AC Crispin. It's got my favorite hero and a pretty good plot to it. Certainly not the continuity murdering that's more or less standard. It expalins why Han's like he is and gives you a real insight into the kind of guy he is.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2002-08-09 09:53pm

Stormbringer wrote:
.....parts of it made absolutely no sense (a group of Dark Jedi teamed up with a wussy Imperial officer whose fleet consists of ONE ISD and a group of smaller ships exactly.... why?)
A) They weren't Dark Jedi per se. They were only skirting the edge of the dark side rather than full blown evil. Some of their beliefs were for lack of a better term grey, they didn't quite crossover but weren't exactly right either.

B) Tavira had the power to BDZ the planet and she was prepared to use it. She just plain held them hostage. They had to help her in order to survive.

That's crap. They seemed powerful enough to be reasonably attempting to conquer the Galaxy. If they had tried to, they should have been able to seize control of Tavira and her forces through their abilities. You are right, they were not Dark Jedi, but they were Jensaari, and they had their own traditions with the DS of the Force. In the power vacuum left after the Emperor and Darth Vader were killed, they should have revealed themselves and taken control of at least a portion of the Imperial forces that were left. Their actions are inconsistent for a group as powerful as they were made out to be.

Talon Karrde · Post by **Talon Karrde** » 2002-08-09 09:58pm

Master of Ossus wrote:
But I digress, the most underrated SW novel was The Courtship of Princess Leia.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the Courtship of Princess Leia. I liked the addition of the Hapes Consortium and the storyline of how Han and Leia FINALLY get married.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2002-08-09 10:23pm

That's crap. They seemed powerful enough to be reasonably attempting to conquer the Galaxy. If they had tried to, they should have been able to seize control of Tavira and her forces through their abilities. You are right, they were not Dark Jedi, but they were Jensaari, and they had their own traditions with the DS of the Force. In the power vacuum left after the Emperor and Darth Vader were killed, they should have revealed themselves and taken control of at least a portion of the Imperial forces that were left. Their actions are inconsistent for a group as powerful as they were made out to be.

They aren't as powerful as you make them out to be. Most weren't very experienced or trained buy their own standards much less Jedi standards. What sahould they have done anyway? Tavira was going to BDZ the planet and they didn't that; not just for themselves but for the other people on the planet.

They were not Dark Siders. They weren't evil power hungry physcopaths like the Sith or Dark Jedi were. They had a moral code of service, honor, and such. The Jensaari's brushs with the dark side are mostly the results of the means they use. They advocate methods that a Jedi would consider of the Dark side for the right reasons. In other words, wrong means to the right end.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2002-08-09 10:56pm

Sure they were powerful. They killed Corran's grandfather (the un-aptly named Keiran Halcyon), and fought against Jedi Knights of the Old Republic. That has got to be pretty tough. And they seem to be Dark-Siders to me. Are you seriously saying that the Jensaari could not have overpowered Tavira and her guards, even in the considerable numbers that they were in? They could have removed the threat of her little armada quickly and relatively easily, IMHO. Also, in some ways their training seems to have exceeded even the training of the Jedi. Remember that they were able to construct both their lightsabers and their armor. Even Jedi Masters sometimes have difficulty crafting just lightsabers, and it was implied that making that armor was actually more difficult.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2002-08-09 11:35pm

Sure they were powerful. They killed Corran's grandfather (the un-aptly named Keiran Halcyon), and fought against Jedi Knights of the Old Republic. That has got to be pretty tough. And they seem to be Dark-Siders to me.

Oh, those guys were powerful enough. They made an even match for a group of battle harened Jedi Masters. It was only a limited fight though, no more than a half dozen people of each side. And all of those guys were all deep in the dark side. They were all on the other hand, killed in the fight. Th current Jenisaari were there students and were not as powerful or knowledgable. Plus they produced a bizzare hybrid of Jedi and Sith philosphy.

PS. Corran's grandfather was Nejaa Halcyon not Keiran. That was Corran's alias at the Jedi academy.

Are you seriously saying that the Jensaari could not have overpowered Tavira and her guards, even in the considerable numbers that they were in? They could have removed the threat of her little armada quickly and relatively easily, IMHO

That's exactly what I'm saying. There aren't that many of them, certainly not more than 100. And not even all of them were fully trained. A half trained kid isn't much use in battle. Plus, Tavira took precautions to prevent a sufficient force from getting at her. Notice she never lets more than one or two around. Plus, she simply has to ry the planet in orbit, one or two warriors might kill Tavira but at the cost of their wold dying.

Also, in some ways their training seems to have exceeded even the training of the Jedi. Remember that they were able to construct both their lightsabers and their armor. Even Jedi Masters sometimes have difficulty crafting just lightsabers, and it was implied that making that armor was actually more difficult.

They certainly seem to have a lot of martial training. They can fight well enough against normal people but they aren't ny where near Jedi level. They don't have the combat-precog skills of a Jedi. Remember Luke and Corran kicked the asses of seven of their better (if not best) warriors with only a little trouble. They don't have the edge to overpower a ship full of blood thirsty troops. Not even close.

The skills involved in creating lightsaber are master level skills. The jedi have however ritualized it so that a Knight can do it. After all Corran, who i most emphatically not a Jedi Master, was able to. Where does it say Jedi Master's were not able to make ligtsabers?

The armor was supposed to a superb piece of craftsmanship and a work of art but nothing really force related.

CorSec · Post by **CorSec** » 2002-08-10 12:43am

Though my favorite EU novel is I, Jedi, I think the Solo Trilogy by AC Crispin is one of the great series to come out of EU SW fiction.

Master of Ossus · Post by **Master of Ossus** » 2002-08-10 02:00pm

So, a group of one hundred people who specialize in fighting against fairly regular people cannot remove a Bridge crew of an ISD when it isn't anywhere near their planet? Why didn't the Jensaari just wait for Tavira to bring her ships away from their planet, then attack her and her crew? They should have been able to do substantial damage to the ship through sabotage or by removing the critical personnel, and then they could have escaped. Alternatively, they could have overpowered the Engineering staff and sabotaged that ISD to scuttle itself, or they could have merely agreed to do whatever else.

They should have been able to defeat Admiral Tavira, IMO. At the very least, they should have been able to strike a better deal with her.

Incidentally, I agree with you. Corran is NOT a Jedi Master.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2002-08-10 05:08pm

So, a group of one hundred people who specialize in fighting against fairly regular people cannot remove a Bridge crew of an ISD when it isn't anywhere near their planet?

Because she was very careful to only allow at most a half dozen Jensaari onboard. They would be wiped out when face with a crfew of thousands of armed and very dagerous individuals. And her crew would very likely carry out the reprisal if those half dozen did make any sort of attack.

Why didn't the Jensaari just wait for Tavira to bring her ships away from their planet, then attack her and her crew? They should have been able to do substantial damage to the ship through sabotage or by removing the critical personnel, and then they could have escaped. Alternatively, they could have overpowered the Engineering staff and sabotaged that ISD to scuttle itself, or they could have merely agreed to do whatever else.

They should have been able to defeat Admiral Tavira, IMO. At the very least, they should have been able to strike a better deal with her.

Sure they could have attacked. If they did and failed to wipe out all the Invids, they would very likely have wiped out the Jensaari and the innocent people on the planet. To them that must not happen even if they have to serve Tavira.

Could they have killed Tavira or destroyed the Invidious? Maybe but the risks of failure were simply to great to allow the to contemplate such action.