Alex Irvine wrote on his blog Friday that the tentative title for his upcoming Star Wars novel – the one featuring Nomi Sunrider – is Mandorla. The term is Italian for almond and a term for a symbol used in Medieval art. What it means to Star Wars has yet to be determined.
While the art term may give us a hint at the book’s content, I honestly doubt it’ll end up being a final title because of the existing associations. (We’re already seeing folks jump to conclusions on the boards.) A question is in to Sue Rostoni at StarWars.com, so perhaps we’ll get some clarification after the holiday.
TheForce.net found an Irvine interview from 2009 that confirms a Mandalorian link:
AI: I really can’t say much. The story develops the relationship between Nomi and Vima Sunrider and involves a resurgent threat from Sith and Mandalorian forces. Plus I introduce a new character that I’m really enjoying, a sort of interstellar scavenger who runs across some artifacts that are a little more than he can handle.
Oh, bother.
UPDATE (9/08:) Irvine has addressed the title again, clarifying just how tentative it is:
I see that my maundering about a possible title for the Star Wars book has caused more of a ripple than I’d expected, or intended. Just so we’re clear: That’s not anything like a final title. That was me thinking out loud. No telling yet what the final title of the book will be.
Honestly, I can take or leave the title: I’m mostly bothered by how it may reflect on the Mandalorian content of the book. Shouldn’t this flavor-of-the-month have run its course by now?
Sigh, guess I’ll be skipping that one now.
Well…I suppose if it’s Tales of the Jedi era Mandos it’ll at least be different than what we’ve been getting. Do those guys even fit into any of the canon anymore though? I can’t say that I know how far the Clone Wars retconning goes.
I’m still willing to hold out some hope for this, if only because I always liked that time period. Not sure how much of that can be attributed to the visual aesthetic of the comics though.