Win Battlefront II: Inferno Squad

It’s Force Friday but our countdown giveaways are still going! Thanks to our friends at Del Rey, we’re giving away a hardcover copy of Christie Golden’s Battlefront II: Inferno Squad. Set right after Rogue One and A New Hope, the Empire wants justice for the Death Star, and they assemble Inferno Squad to get it for them. Learn more about the Empire’s best in my interview with Golden at the official site.

Want to win? Simply leave a message in the comments with your favorite ship of this post by the deadline of 11:59 pm EDT on September 3, 2017, and we’ll announce a random winner the following week. Only one entry per person, so choose wisely. We can ship the book to a winner in the US or I can deliver it to you in person at Salt Lake Comic Con (Sept. 21-23, 2017) or at the Rancho Obi-Wan gala in November.

From a Certain Point of View’s final cover, author lineup revealed

Del Rey has revealed the final cover and complete author lineup for From a Certain Point of View, the 40th anniversary short story collection coming in October. The final additions are Kieron Gillen, Greg Rucka, Elizabeth Wein and Jeffrey Brown.

Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larocca will take over Marvel’s flagship Star Wars title with #38 – and most intrigingly, their first arc will take us to “the post-apocalyptic hell that remains of Jedha after the Death Star punched a hole through its mantle.” Gillen will continue to write Doctor Aphra.

→ Christie Golden talks Inferno Squad with the Verge.

Out this week: Inferno Squadron, Star Wars Super Graphic

This week brings two books on Tuesday, July 25, and one new comic on Wednesday, July 26. Christie Golden’s Battlefront II: Inferno Squadron is a tie-in to the upcoming game, while Tim Leong’s Star Wars Super Graphic looks like something fun to page through.

Meanwhile, comic fans have Doctor Aphra #10.

Our next book is On the Front Lines by Dan Wallace, on August 8. (Though it apparently has been sighted in stores, likely due to a fairly late change in release dates.) You can check out more on our release schedule.

Forewarned is forearmed: How to get the Inferno Squad exclusive at SDCC

Del Rey has the details on how San Diego Comic-Con attendees can get a copy of the convention exclusive edition of Battlefront II: Inferno Squad. It’s a little more complicated than the Thrawn sales at Celebration, but will hopefully result in more folks being able to actually get the book.

→ J.W. Rinzler, formerly of Lucasfilm, is writing a blog series about his time with the company, as well as his own history with the Bay Area. Check it out on his blog.

→ And finally, some release notes: On the Front Lines got pushed back at some point. It’s now due out in August. The schedule has been updated.

Inferno Squadron exclusive coming to SDCC

Among the Star Wars exclusives for San Diego Comic-Con is a special edition of Christie Golden’s Battlefront II: Inferno Squadron. The book is officially out July 25, so this gives fans at the con (July 20-23) a few days jump on it, assuming they get there before it sells out. For now, there’s the first excerpt. The game’s star, Janina Gavankar, has an extended interview from her Star Wars Show apperance.

→ In addition to their Star Wars Adventures series, IDW will launch a with an 80-page The Force Awakens adaptation for young readers. It’s written by Alessandro Ferrari, with art from “a group of Disney artists.” Look for it in August.

Timothy Zahn talks writing and his latest Star Wars novel, Thrawn, with the New York Daily News. He reveals that he’s pitched two-more post-Thrawn novels on the character. (Though, as us Legends fans know, that doesn’t mean LFL will take him up on them.) He also has an extended version of his Star Wars Show interview.

Post-Rogue One novel Inferno Squad coming in July from Christie Golden

The Star Wars book schedule is rounding out with a new post-Rogue One/A New Hope novel from Christie Golden. Inferno Squad features an elite Imperial squad that’s tasked to take on what remains of Saw Gerrera’s Partisans. Here’s the blurb:

The Rebellion may have heroes like Jyn Erso and Luke Skywalker. But the Empire has Inferno Squad. After the humiliating theft of the Death Star plans and the resulting destruction of the battle station, the Empire is on the defensive. In response to this stunning defeat, the Imperial Navy has authorized the formation of an elite team of soldiers, known as Inferno Squad. Their mission: infiltrate and eliminate the remnants of Saw Gerrera’s Partisans. Following the death of their leader, the Partisans have carried on his extremist legacy, determined to thwart the Empire — no matter what the cost. Now, Inferno Squad must prove their status as the best of the best and take down the Partisans from within. But as the danger intensifies and the threat of discovery grows, how far will Inferno Squad go to ensure the safety of the Empire?

The book will be out in hardcover and eBook on July 25. I can’t say this one appeals to me, and Golden seems like an odd choice for it – we last heard from her with 2015’s Dark Disciple – but seems like this is a continuation of the new EU’s tendency to focus on brand-new characters.