Club Jade

HuffPo’s Mike Ryan has the first look at the book trailer for The Making of Return of the Jedi as well as an interview with author J.W. Rinzler. It starts off with Ewok sex, of course.

In other bookish news, there’s a chat with Dawn of the Jedi and Legacy writer John Ostrander on the Star Wars Books Facebook page this afternoon, while Into the Void author Tim Lebbon will do the same on Wednesday.

Out right now – I missed it last week – is Star Wars Storyboards: The Prequel Trilogy by J.W. Rinzler.

Meanwhile, Wednesday brings the conclusion of Dawn of the Jedi‘s second arc in Prisoner of Bogan #5 as well as Legacy #3.

Our forthcoming slate includes Aaron Allston’s X-Wing: Mercy Kill in paperback (June 25,) William Shakespeare’s Star Wars by Ian Doescher (July 2) and Troy Denning’s Crucible (July 9.)

Street dates. We got the cover and now Empire and Rebellion: Razor’s Edge – the Leia novel by Martha Wells – has moved up from October 15 to October 1.

It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything about The Essential Characters, but it’s popped up in Random House’s Edelweiss catalog with a brand new far-off date of October 7, 2014. Will it stick? Probably not! (We’ll see.) Pencil it in.

Out now. Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void came out almost a week ago, and author Tim Lebbon has been making the interview rounds with Suvudu, Jedi News, Star Wars Action News and Roqoo Depot. Meanwhile, there are reviews at Tosche Station, Fangirl, Jedi News, Knights Archive (x2) and Roqoo Depot.

The blogside. Tor’s Emily Asher-Perrin has a list of what Episode VII could life from the Expanded Universe. I haven’t covered a ton of these sorts of posts, but hey, it’s Tor and she made Mara #1, so. And speaking of… Bria has reached Legacy of the Force.

Audiobooks. Timothy Zahn’s Allegiance and the Hand of Thrawn duology (Specter of the Past and Vision of the Future) are coming as unabridged audiobooks.

Comic reviews.James reviews The Assassination of Darth Vader, Brian Wood’s Free Comic Book Day story, as well as Fire Carrier #4 and Star Wars #5.

Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void is not really my kind of Star Wars book. It’s very much not my era and while I’ve bought some of the Dawn of the Jedi comics, I haven’t actually read any of them yet. But you know? I tried it, and despite my long tendency to not get more than a chapter or two into most Star Wars books set before Return of the Jedi, I kept reading. And I actually enjoyed it.

The Dawn of the Jedi period – introduced in a a comic from John Ostrander and Jan Duursema – is set about 36,000 years before A New Hope, in the earliest days of the Jedi (here called Je’daii) before the Old Republic. Into the Void is actually my first encounter with it, and while some questions are certainly raised, I think it’s safe to say that one doesn’t to know anything about the comics to enjoy the book.

Some spoilers beneath the cut, but nothing major.

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It’s finally a novel week! Coming out tomorrow in hardcover is Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void by Tim Lebbon. Look for my review in the morning. (Spoiler: I actually kinda liked it.)

Meanwhile, Brian Wood fans can look forward to Wednesday and the release of Star Wars #5.

Back to novel land, our next upcoming releases are the paperback reprint of Aaron Allston’s X-Wing: Mercy Kill on June 25, William Shakespeare’s Star Wars by Ian Doescher on July 2 and Troy Denning’s Crucible on July 9.

For May 4th, Suvudu is giving fans an excerpt of Crucible, the upcoming post-Fate of the Jedi novel by Troy Denning. The book will be out in hardcover on July 9th.

If that’s not quite your thing, they also have 50 pages of Tuesday’s new release Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void by Tim Lebbon.

Have a Kindle? Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire – the book that started the modern Expanded Universe! – is only $1.99 today. Buy it! Buy it like the wind! (Okay, Darth Plagueis, Path of Destruction and Tatooine Ghost are also $1.99 – and a bunch of comics are deeply discounted too – but trust me, it’s Heir to the Empire you should be voting for with your wallet buying.)

Entertainment Weekly has revealed the cover for J.W. Rinzler’s The Making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, along with 5 ‘unseen’ pics that are probably not all that unseen if you’ve been paying any attention throughout the years. (Though I admit the shot with Harrison Ford and George Lucas is not quite as familiar as the others.)

The book’s release date has also moved up a week to October 1!

In more upcoming upcoming releases, Hollywood.com has an excerpt and a look at the cover art process for next week’s novel Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void.

Chat. Pablo Hidalgo will be chatting on the Star Wars Books Facebook page this Friday, where we’ll be sure to ask him all sorts of weird stuff about Episode VII. Or something.

Interviews. ScienceFiction.com talked to Timothy Zahn at Starfest, while Roqoo Depot catches up with Patricia A. Jackson, who wrote for the Star Wars Adventure Journal back in the day.

The blogside. On the official blog, Jennifer Heddle talks Star Wars storytelling hallmarks, while J.W. Rinzler discuses The Star Wars comic

Excerpts. The third and fourth excerpt from Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void

Review. Ania and Sauk are on the run, and we get a new awesome droid character in Legacy #2

Mythbusting. Tosche Station got Pablo Hidalgo to dig into his notes to clarify one of the most widespread rumors about the New Jedi Order series. Did the almighty George Lucas order LucasBooks to kill off Anakin Solo? Turns out… Not so much.

Forthcoming. Jeffrey Brown, the author of Vader and Son and next week’s Vader’s Little Princess, told the Full of Sith podcast about his next Star Wars project, Jedi Academy. In a hurry? FOS co-host Bryan shares the relevant details.

Comics. Brian Woods’ Star Wars gets a new artist, Ryan Kelly, for the new arc that starts with issue #7. Meanwhile, Cosmic Book News interviews Wood.

Excerpt. Just a little one from Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void.

Reviews. James is glad the action picks up in Star Wars #4 and thinks the story gets off to a fast start with a very intriguing foe in Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #1.

The blogside. Nanci at Tosche Station points out how backstory isn’t an impediment to Expanded Universe characters appearing in the sequel trilogy. (If you really want to make that point, there are plenty of more legitimate reasons!) Meanwhile, on the Star Wars blog, editor Jennifer Heddle talks a bit about editing the roleplaying books.

Upcoming. The Making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi has a blurb now, and Kevin Hearn’s outline for his Rebels book – the Luke one – has been approved. Making of is due in October, while we’ve got a tentative January 2015 date for the Hearns. And while we’re on the topic, the first Rebels novel, the still-untitled Leia one by Martha Wells, has moved up a week to October 15. (via)

Excerpts. And on that note, the first chapter of Tim Lebbon’s Dawn of the Jedi: Into the Void has appeared in the Random House catalog. That one is out in May. (via)

Podcasts. Our own Jawajames guested on the second episode of Star Wars Bookworms.

Conventions. Dark Horse will be selling a limited edition cover variant of the new Legacy at WonderCon.

Translation. Abel Pena will be translating some vintage Droids and Ewoks comics from Spain into English.

Reviews. James gives Dawn of the Jedi: The Prisoner of Bogan #4 a big thumbs-up, while he’s ‘intrigued’ by the new Legacy #1.