Sue Rostoni has posted the Exile blurb. Nothing LOTF readers don’t already know, but it lurks beneath the cut anyway.
Random outbursts of Allegiance news…
A summary of Timothy Zahn’s Allegiance was found by a TFN user on Amazon U.K. I wouldn’t put too much faith in it, as there are two listings for the book and the summary seems a rather rough rewording of the first look at the novel. And they have the movie placement wrong. But, for posterity:
A “Star Wars” novel set between the events of “Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi”, it features a younger Han, Leia, and Luke, as well as Mara Jade. Mara Jade, the Emperor’s Hand, is looking into the illicit financial affairs of a planetary governor, hoping to find evidence that he might be funding the Rebellion. Luke, Han, and Chewbacca are sent on a mission to help some rebel supporters. Leia is busy being a diplomat, trying to drum up support for the Rebel Alliance. And a band of 5 stormtroopers, on the run after refusing a direct order, finds itself in the strange position of doing good deeds…and perhaps even aiding the Rebellion. The paths of all of them will crisscross back and forth as they come closer and closer to meeting up with one another…but never quite managing to.
However, we do have something from an official source: Sue Rostoni posted an excerpt from Allegiance on the starwars.com boards today. Text beneath the cut, nothing all that spoilery, IMO.
Leaked Tempest
Hot on the heels of the Bloodlines preview, JacenSol0 on the TFN boards found what’s believed to be the jacket text for Troy Denning’s Tempest, the third book of Legacy of the Force, on U.K. bookstore site.
Because this is a lot more detailed than the previous blurbs, I’ve spoilered it. Highlight the text in the box below to read:
As the stand-off between the Galactic Alliance and its rebellious member states erupts into full-blown battle, the new Corellian leadership develops a desperate plan to draw the Hapan Consortium into the war on their side. But, the plot poses a moral quandry for Han and Leia Solo, who cannot abide deliberately spreading the war any more than they can the murder of the Hapan Queen Mother, ex-Jedi Knight Tenel Ka. Taking it upon themselves to save her life – and that of her young daughter, Allana – the Solos set in motion a firestorm of confusion and mayhem that will pit children against parents, bring Luke Skywalker into battle with his foremost nemesis, and leave them at the mercy of one of the Jedi’s oldest and most deadly enemies.
I’m not sure if this is official, so take it with a grain of salt.
A first look at Bloodlines
Starwars.com has posted the cover and summary of the Karen Traviss’ Bloodlines, the second book of the Legacy of the Force series. Here’s the blurb:
Civil war looms as the fledgling Galactic Alliance confronts a growing number of worlds set on rebellion — and the approaching war is tearing the Skywalker and Solo families apart. Han’s Corellian roots and Luke’s dedication to the Jedi order are driving a wedge between the families. Han and Leia’s children, Jacen and Jaina, are soldiers in the Galactic Alliance’s campaign to crush the insurgents. Luke and Mara are unable to protect their son Ben from war. The quest of an assassin draws out a dreaded name from the past: Boba Fett. And in the new galactic order, friends and enemies are no longer what they seem…
Bloodlines will be out in September; the first of the series, Aaron Allston’s Betrayal, is due in May.
Swarm War covers for all
The official site reveals The Swarm War cover and blurb for those without Hyperspace.
Likewise of interest to EU fans is the current featured blog: Abel G. Peña’s Only Sith Deal in Absolutes.
ETA: Random House has posted an excerpt from Dark Nest I: The Joiner King.
The Unseen Queen cover
The cover of the second Dark Nest book, The Unseen Queen, has finally been released for real. And naturally, jacket copy:
Despite being given new worlds to populate, the insectoid Killiks have not found peace. An unknown enemy has been attacking the new nests — and the Killiks hold the Jedi responsible. Traveling back to the Unknown Regions to unravel the mystery, the Skywalkers and Solos discover an evil far more familiar than they ever expected… and even more terrifying. Why does the Dark Nest want to kill Mara? Will Jacen’s apocalyptic vision trigger another galactic war or prevent one? And perhaps most ominous of all, what deadly secret are the Killik’s hiding?
To find out, Luke, Mara, Han and Leia must embark on a perilous journey into the uncharted void between right and wrong. The ferocious Unknown Terrors are only the beginning of the awesome challenges that lie ahead in their quest to fathom the unfathomable. For an obscure dispute is about to explode into chaos, pitting Jedi against Jedi — and threatening the very galaxy itself.
As an added bonus, you can see the final cover of Dark Lord as well.
Preview: Dark Lord
Starwars.com posts a preview of James Luceno’s Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader, which is set immediately post-ROTS:
The Republic has become the Empire, ruled by the wicked Palpatine with order enforced by his new right hand agent, Darth Vader. The galaxy is reeling from civil war and the shocking elimination of the Jedi Knights. Some worlds are resistant to the New Order, and are determined to make a stand against these sweeping new changes.
One of Darth Vader’s first tasks is to snuff out these early embers of resistance, and it is this mission that will lead him to discover his true strength and come into his own as the Emperor’s iron fist.
It comes out in November.
Del Rey is also coming out with an omnibus of the ROTS novelization and Labyrinth of Evil, along with a bonus CD-ROM with a “visual script” and concept art.