Category: books and comics

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Date, blurb for Kevin Hearne’s Luke Skywalker novel

Luke, Leia and HanKnights’ Archive spotted an Edelweiss listing for the audio version of Kevin Hearne’s Luke Skywalker novel. No title (Untitled Star Wars #3 and/or Untitled Ballantine #50) but it gives a release date of January 13 and a small synopsis:

In an attempt to distract the Empire from important Rebel Alliance activity, Luke Skywalker draws the attention of Imperial Security, leading him-along with Princess Leia Organa, Han Solo, and Chewbacca-into a deadly trap right in Darth Vader’s sights!

This would be the third, and probably final, book in the informal Empire and Rebellion series.

And to chase our earlier mystery books – as pointed out by commenter Ewan, two of them have the same ISBN, so there are only 2 of them – including the one formerly labeled as the Jedi Academy Trilogy on Amazon. (Untitled Star Wars #2, aka 978-0-345-51152-2. Untitled Star Wars #1 is 978-0-553-39286-9.) It’s now Untitled Ballantine #43 there. But the ISBN given to the hardcover version of Untitled Ballantine #50 (978-0-345-54485-8) on Edelweiss doesn’t match either of our mystery books, either. So whatever they are, neither seems likely to be a version of the Hearne book.

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Mystery: What are Ballantine’s ‘Untitled Star Wars’ books?

It’s been a while since we’ve had any of these, but Roqoo Depot has pointed out various directory listings: Untitled Star Wars #1, Untitled Star Wars #2 and perhaps the weirdest of all – a rerelease of Anderson’s Jedi Academy trilogy? Or a new Jedi Academy trilogy? Or are all three destined to be rereleases of the previous books? A Thrawn trilogy omnibus, perhaps? (And what would that mean for the Expanded Universe and Episode VII? All three books have fall 2014 release dates.)

The author of all three listings is simply ‘Ballantine’ – a Random House imprint like Del Rey and Bantam. And while the third listing is on the often untrustworthy Amazon, the first two are on Random House’s own catalog.

The future of Del Rey’s Star Wars contract may still be in question, but we do know they have several books left on it – particularly if Sword of the Jedi and Paul Kemp’s duology are shelved, as is increasingly likely. A division of Random House printing these may not mean anything – both Bantam and Del Rey published new Star Wars books in 1999, the last time the license changed hands.

Whatever the case, hopefully the appearance of these listings means we’re getting closer to finding out something.

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Mike Stackpole remembers Aaron Allston

Aaron, Mike and Jennifer, GenCon 2005.
Aaron, Mike and Jennifer, GenCon 2005.
There have been many memorials to Aaron Allston since our last roundup, but today brings one from one of the people who knew him best, Mike Stackpole:

I want you to know that all of you knew Aaron, the real Aaron. Those of us who were lucky enough and honored to log more hours in his company didn’t know him better, we just knew him more. Aaron was the man you meet in his books. He was the man you saw on panels. He was the man who would listen and smile, and listen more.

I fully admit that I’ve lost track of things in the midst of our server issues, but you can read more from Janine Spendlove, Eleven-Thirty Eight, and sithwitch plus an episode of Tosche Station.

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Review: James S. A. Corey’s Honor Among Thieves

honor-among-thevesLike Razor’s Edge, the previous book in the Empire and Rebellion series, James S. A. Corey’s Honor Among Thieves harkens back to a simpler time in the Expanded Universe.

Like it says on the tin, the book is Han-centric, and keeps a fairly close character focus – It serves the story, and this one feels even more back-to-basics than Razor’s Edge. Yes, it’s short, but
this isn’t a story that requires a tome – though Corey is more than capable of such, if you’re familiar with their Expanse books. It’s a quick, fun read, and despite a bit of potential galaxy-shaping consequences, there is not a lick of the Force.

Minor spoilers beyond this point.

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