SWBC: Rogue Squadron retro review and books to read before 'Andor'
Plus, the first juicy excerpt from "The Princess and the Scoundrel."
Retro Review: ‘Rogue Squadron’ & ‘Wedge’s Gamble’
It’s finally here: My retro review of the first two books in the X-Wing series — Rogue Squadron and Wedge’s Gamble.
These two novels in the 10-book series have gotten revamped paperbacks, new cover art, and new unabridged audiobooks as part of the Essential Legends Collection initiative. Essentially (hehe), Star Wars is rereleasing beloved novels from Legends, formerly the Expanded Universe.
While the new covers are gorgeous and the trade paperbacks are much more reader-friendly and aesthetically pleasing, a big draw of this collection is the release of unabridged, full-production audiobooks. Many of the Legends books had abridged versions, which meant the stories were shortened.
Anyone who’s listened to even just one Star Wars audiobook knows how incredibly captivating and immersive the experience can be. And the audiobooks for Rogue Squadron and Wedge’s Gamble breathe new life into the beloved X-Wing books.
Some snippets from my review over at Dork Side of the Force:
“These books were released more than 20 years ago, but their content holds up remarkably well. And the newly-released audiobooks make these stories feel as fresh and relevant as they did in the mid-1990s.”
“The X-Wing series is one of the earliest pieces of evidence that Star Wars doesn’t always have to be Skywalker stories. The franchise is that much richer because of these fighter pilots’ tales.”
“The content has been there for decades, but new packaging and a new voice immersing listeners make the Rogue Squadron books among the most essential of the Essential Legends Collection.”
Books to read before ‘Andor’
Catalyst
Rebel Rising
A New Dawn
Rogue One
Want a full recommended reading guide for Andor? Click here to read more about these four books, including timeline spot, characters, summaries, and some of their best quotes.
‘The Princess and the Scoundrel’ excerpt
The sound you heard on Monday was likely the collective screaming of Star Wars fans losing their minds over the juicy first excerpt from The Princess and the Scoundrel by Beth Revis.
I certainly gasped several times while reading the excerpt shared by StarWars.com. The Leia POV is mostly about her thoughts immediately post-Battle of Endor. She’s grappling with the human cost of war, the trauma she’s experienced, and the conflicting emotions she feels about her relationship with the Force and her biological father, Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker.
But by the last line, her focus is on Han Solo, whom she’s about to marry and finally get some alone time with.
Check out the excerpt and read more of my thoughts about it in my post for Dork Side of the Force.
Last week, Del Rey/Penguin Random House sent me a digital arc (advanced reader copy) of The Princess and the Scoundrel. My full review is coming closer to the book’s release date. Stay tuned!
Star Wars books and comics out this week
Be More Obi-Wan (July 12)
Bounty Hunters #25 (July 13)
Star Wars Day-at-a-Time Calendar 2023 (July 15)
In other HoloNet news…
Shadow of the Sith is a NYT bestseller
Congratulations to author Adam Christopher and the rest of the team behind Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith, which made the New York Times bestseller list at no. 11.
Check out my review of the novel here.
Light & Magic trailer
This new docuseries chronicles the history of the George Lucas-founded visual effects studio Industrial Light & Magic. The ILM series will feature special interviews and archival footage from beloved films like Indiana Jones, Willow, Transformers, the Marvel Studios movies, and yes, of course, the Star Wars saga.
Longtime fans will also notice something special teased in the trailer — original footage from the first Star Wars film as it appeared in theaters before it received the Special Edition editing.
The moment in the trailer shows the shot of the Death Star exploding — without the digital effects Lucas later added.
Watch the full trailer for Light & Magic here.
Icons Unearthed: Star Wars
This week, Vice TV premiered a new docuseries titled Icon Unearthed, and the first installment is all about Star Wars history. And, the first episode features an interview with Marcia Lucas, an Oscar-winning film editor and George Lucas’s former wife. In the interview, Marcia talks about the creation of Star Wars and the origins of the franchise’s most iconic characters and stories.
Icons Unearthed: Star Wars also includes interviews with Star Wars actors like Anthony Daniels, Billy Dee Williams, Ian McDiarmid, and more, with narration by Michael Pennington, who played Moff Tiaan Jerjerrod in Return of the Jedi.
Tweets and TikToks of the week
I had to include this reply to my retro review of Rogue Squadron and Wedge’s Gamble by none other than the author himself, Michael A. Stackpole:
Just two weeks until Padawan comes out! If you want a signed copy, preorder one through Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore:
Some tweets that gave me a good chuckle:
And finally, two TikToks that sum up my feelings about The Princess and the Scoundrel excerpt:
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Giveaway reminder
Enter here for a chance to win a copy of Star Wars: Dark Legends by George Mann. The giveaway is open through July 25!
Have ideas for the Space Wizards Book Club? Want to see a particular book, series, or author featured? Looking for a reading guide or retro reviews?
Let me know in the comments!
An absolute treasure trove of information here. Thanks for putting this all together and getting me even more hyped for new Star Wars content!