Star Wars: Before the Storm (The Black Fleet Crisis, #1) in The Expanded Universe

Jan 03, 2012 Scott Rhee rated it really liked it

Shelves: star-wars, science-fiction, movie-tie-in, old-canon-legends, fantasy

Every once in a while, I have to let my sci-fi geek get its freak on (I have no idea what the hell I just said there), which usually entails a lazy day of watching six hours straight of cheesy science fiction movies. My wife loves it when I do this.*

So, anyway, I just recently watched the original Star Wars trilogy again, for the 153rd time, and it still remains awesome. Now, of course, I am back on a Star Wars book-reading kick. There are roughly several hundred-plus novels in the "Expanded Uni Every once in a while, I have to let my sci-fi geek get its freak on (I have no idea what the hell I just said there), which usually entails a lazy day of watching six hours straight of cheesy science fiction movies. My wife loves it when I do this.*

So, anyway, I just recently watched the original Star Wars trilogy again, for the 153rd time, and it still remains awesome. Now, of course, I am back on a Star Wars book-reading kick. There are roughly several hundred-plus novels in the "Expanded Universe" of Star Wars, novels which have carried on the adventures of Luke, Leia, Han, et al beyond creator George Lucas's six films.

I have only read about a dozen of these novels. I would say that 60% of what I have read is decent, 10% is garbage, and 20% is actually excellent writing. ** (I wish I could say that a very scientifically-based rubric of my own device went into those figures, but, alas, no. I kinda just made it up based on what I liked and disliked.)

I'm reading Michael P. Kube-McDowell's three-novel Black Fleet Crisis series now, starting with Book 1: "Before the Storm", and I have to say that it falls into the 20% category of excellent writing.

It's much better than Kevin Anderson's "Jedi Academy" trilogy and on a par with Timothy Zahn's superb "Thrawn" trilogy, in my opinion. Sadly, if you haven't read those series prior to this, parts may seem confusing as McDowell does reference characters and events from them. But, unless you are a die-hard Star Wars fan-boy like myself, you won't care.

Plot synopsis: The story takes place twelve years after the events of "Return of the Jedi". Leia and Han are married with three children, twins Jacen and Jaina, and baby Anakin. Leia is President of the New Republic, and she is currently in negotiations with the stubborn Yevethans to join the Republic. Unbeknownst to her, the Yevethans may not just be stubborn but plotting something nasty against the Republic.

Meanwhile, Admiral Ackbar learns of a missing "Black Fleet" of old Imperial star destroyers, rumored to have been destroyed but never confirmed. If it still exists, and it falls into the wrong hands, the New Republic would not be able to stand up to a fleet of that magnitude. Okay, actually it would be able to---I just wanted to use Ackbar's famous phrase.

Also meanwhile, Luke is feeling somewhat antsy and depressed and leaves the Jedi Academy to go searching for his long-lost mother (here is where the expanded universe kind of falls apart, because this was written obviously before the second prequel trilogy and McDowell obviously does not know, as we all now do, that Luke's real mother, Amidala, is dead).

Also also meanwhile, Lando Calrissian, Artoo, and Threepio are on a secret mission to investigate a mysterious ship that they have dubbed the "vagabond". When they attempt to sneak on board, the ship (which they begin to suspect is actually "alive") kidnaps them and hyper-drives them to a far corner of an unexplored galaxy. All of this is very fast-paced and exciting, and I pretty much devoured it in a sitting. I'm just starting the second book and loving it as well...

* That's sarcasm, btw...

** My math sucks. ...more

6 likes · Like · see review

Mar 15, 2011 William rated it liked it

Shelves: star-wars

This was a thousand times better than Crystal Star. I still shudder when I mention that book. This novel had some intrigue, a reasonable plot, and some decent action sequences. I do believe the writers for Star Wars could condense these three book arcs into longer, but better edited single books. Like the Jedi Academy series, this one has such separate plots, you get the feeling that each could have been handled in its own book. Besides that, I didn't think Leia was so gullible. Is the position ...more

1 like · Like · see review