Star Wars Authors

I didn't mind Karen Traviss's take on the Commando's but I do agree that she didn't need to have them linked into the Mandalorian culture. That suggests too much free thinking and although the commandos are allowed to do more of that then the troopers, it still seems unlikely that they'd try and link back to Jango's heritage.

I have read Ep III by Matthew Stover. I actually found his style a bit disjointed. It was interesting but not what I like.

I really like Timothy Zahn's writing (not just SW either) and James Luceno who wrote Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader. I like descriptive types of writers, plus a start that gets you in from the beginning. I also love strong characters. I found it hard to read a lot of the novels with Han and Leia all lovely dovey. I prefered Luke's stories. But then I tend to go for the SW novels that are about characters that are less explored or totally original from the movies. I loved the 'Tales' books and the 'medstar' books. Haven't read any SW books lately - except one of the commando novels.

I like Zahn best. Followed by Stackpole, cause after the Thrawn Trilogy, the X-Wing books are my favorite. Allston does really good too. I agree about Stover, though all I've read is Shatterpoint but that book was really good. And maybe it's just me but I really enjoy Jude Watson. Kids books yes, but they're good kids books. And I think Dave Wolverton did a good job with his books. Kevin Anderson does decent, but I find he's constantly doing things like this, "And in the midst of this big battle this character suddenly goes into a page and a half or so of remembering things that happened in the movies". And I really did not like how Luke stumbled across the same wampa he ran into in ESB, that was kinda stupid. But otherwise he's fine I think.

Barbara Hambly's the one I don't like. It's not just her SW books either cause I read one of her other books. They just make no sense at all, and half the time I don't know what's going on. Sometimes I had to go back and reread whole sections just to understand something.

As for Traviss, I get the feeling she's attempting to destroy Boba and the Mandos. But then I've never read any of her books so my opinion so far doesn't count for much.

I thought Karen Traviss' take on the Mandalorians was spot on.  I like how the women are as much a part of the Mandalorian Warrior culture as the men are.  It reminds me of the Celts.  Being of Scottish ancestry, that automatically drew me in.  Also, being in the military, I can definitely relate to her portrayal of the Commando's, as well.  The way they pick on each other is just like being at work.  However, they know that in a snap, they all have each other's backs (i.e., the friendly physical bantering between the ARC's and the Commando's).  It makes sense that since they were trained in small groups by Mandalorians that the Commando's drill sergeants would train them in the same way they were trained, and in so doing, pick up alot of Mandalorian habits and traits.  The same way the Alpha ARC's are more like Jango Fett, since he trained them.  I have to say that I'm biased, though, because I loved the RC game, and have always been facinated by the ARC's.  So, in her books, I have all those, and the Mandalorians, in one book. 

I did like her take on Boba Fett, being somewhat out of touch with the Mandalorians, even though he is Mandalore.  Jango was killed early in his life, so he didn't have the formal training in Mandalorian culture that the others have had.  I would actually go so far as to say the Commando's and Null ARC's are more in touch with Mando culture, than Boba is.  I wouldn't call Jango, though, an ideal candidate for living the Mandalorian way, though, seeing as he had his own agenda as a bounty hunter.  Maybe it was something he figured he could teach Boba more of in the future, but his untimely death prevented that. 

My favorite books, though, have been the "Tales of...." series.  It's done by different authors, and Kevin J. Anderson edited the first three, before Peter Schweighofer took over for the Tales from the Empire book.  I think those were very well done, indeed.  Something about reading the stories of characters, who you caught briefly on the screen, and then having the story go into why they were where they were at during the film, made for some very fun reading.  I just finished Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina.  My two favorite stories from that was the one about Davin Felth, and the Moisture Farmer's Tale.  As for the Tales of the Bounty Hunters, I think my favorite story was probably the IG-88 story.  They did a good job of retro-fitting all his appearances throughout the Star Wars universe (even the IG-88 body by the scrap heap furnace on Cloud City). 

I've currently been reading Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader by James Luceno.  So far, I can't complain.  I have really enjoyed the story and he does a great job of the conflicting emotions going through Darth Vader's mind, in the early days after Revenge of the Sith.  I especially liked his take on Darth Vader's displeasure on the limitations of his suit (i.e.--having to alter his fighting style, because he can't lift his arms over his head as he did before, or do all the jumping and flipping around that Anakin was known for). 

The Bounty Hunter Wars was good, but it took me awhile to get used to the story flipping from the present, to the past, back to the present again.  I think it would have been better if they started in the present with the first book, went to the past with the second book, then brought it all full circle in the third book. 

The only thing I've ever read from Timothy Zahn, so far, was the story about Grand Admiral Thrawn posing as Jodo Kast (here's another example of him using Thrawn again, Balancesheet), in the Tales from the Empire novel.  That one was pretty decent, I thought.

You're in luck, I actually brought it with me here to Mississippi.  I still need to finish reading it.  I grabbed it, because it had Fett on the cover, only to find out upon reading the story that it was supposed to be Jodo Kast on the cover.

The story is the last four in the book.  It's called "Side Trip."  Timothy Zahn writes parts one and four, and Michael Stackpole writes parts two and three.