I just now have set down my copy of Truce at Bakura, happy and ready for more Star Wars goodness. Next up is Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor (to be started as soon as I finish this here post...)I had no expectations, good or bad, for Truce. I was simply looking forward to getting this project started, and I have to say I was pleasantly rewarded. In agreement with what Es already wrote, I also loved how Tyers picks up the day after the battle at Endor finishes. Word hasn't even gotten around that the Emporer and Vader are dead. In fact, when Leia tries to tell the Imperials this later in the book, they scoff. "Of course he's not dead you simpering idiot... He's all powerful..." (This quote does not actually exist in the book... It's more my rough estimation of what they said.) Tyers kicks right into high gear, not even letting Han, Leia, and Luke rest (or in Leia and Han's case, not rest resting... *winkwink*) She ships them off, bruises and all to Bakura where they have to outwit unknown aliens hellbent on taking over the known universe. Of course our plucky crew dispatches them effectively by the end of the book, acquiring more bruises along the way, creating quite an enjoyable read.
One aspect I really liked is that Tyers picks up right away. Happy endings don't really exist, life continues on, and it continues on in this book for our wonderful Star Wars characters. No more dancing around the bonfire, posing with ghostly images, and smiling like the very traumatic space battle/lightsaber battle/ground battle never happened. Tyers makes Luke, Leia, and Han's aches and pains very real. She doesn't start Truce a week later, when everyone's all healed and feeling ansty for the next adventure. Luke is dog tired. He can barely move. Leia is emotionally scarred from finding out about Vader. And Han just wants to get some action, dangit! No, he's really not that shallow... I greatly appreciated that Tyers didn't let anyone rest. It was off to the next space battle, the next Imperial intrigue right away. That's exactly how life is for us here in the real world. You're not ready to deal with this next issue? Too bad, it's happening and you are just going to have to deal with it.
What I didn't expect, and definitely noticed, was the foreshadowing Tyers builds into her novel of scifi intrigue. Especially regarding children of Jedi. Luke and Gaeriel have quite an intense conversation about the Jedi and Jedi children at on spot, and some of the comments and thoughts presented really got me thinking. Not all of these Jedie kids are going to stay on the Light Side of the Force. How d'ya think the Sith evolved? Because to be human is to have some of the dark in you too. And Tyers does an excellent job of illustrating this in one short paragraph that has me wondering if she was somehow able to foresee that the Solo and Skywalker children could, and some do, turn to the Dark Side in books written far after this one. Or perhaps those authors just read this book, picked up the idea, and ran with it. Either way, I was struck by my still very innocent shock at the idea that any child of a good and loving Jedi mother or father could drift toward the Dark Side. But of course, it would be silly to assume that it doesn't happen. Of course it happens! This is real (Star Wars-esc) life, and I love that Tyers doesn't shy away from the harsh reality that some Jedi will choose the Dark Side. If I'm not mistaken, Luke himself goes to the Dark Side in one of our future books.
I also did pick up on what Es has already discussed, Luke and Leia's relationship shifting from crush interests to brother and sister. Tyers does this without a hitch, and I really enjoyed how she turns it more toward Leia struggling to accept Anakin as her father, than Luke as her brother. It's easy to switch them into the brother and sister roles when Han and Gaeriel are hanging around just waiting (in Han's case) to offer themselves as a distraction and future love interest.All in all, a fantastic read. I'm already cracking the spine on Shadows of Mindor...
I especially like your focus on foreshadowing for the future (and the fact that you didn't put in spoilers!! That would suck for some unsuspecting reader who doesn't know exactly what to expect in future books!). I hadn't even thought about that but it's something Luke struggles with for years before Leia ever has kids. Luke himself takes on kids to train at his Jedi Academy with mixed results. It's fascinating to think that in so many ways, Tyers sets the stage (or rather, dramatically draws the curtain) for so many events in the coming novels.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't help but notice how much foreshadowing she puts in, and not just about future children, but about Han, Leia, and Luke. This tells me that all the authors since have read Truce, which is a nice little endorsement for the book. I wondered, while reading this, if the authors who write EU books have to read everything that came before so they don't repeat storylines... ^_^ Maybe they don't and Es and I will find some repeating novels. That might be fun!
ReplyDeleteI doubt they could get away with NOT reading everything else first ... especially more recently. I think TZahn could probably get away with it if he really wanted to, just because he basically created the EU in the first place. But it's become SO massive that I can't imagine most of them not reading like maniacs to keep up! Especially given how rabid the fans are (not that we know anything about that ^_~).
ReplyDeleteI'm also going to be keeping an especially weather eye out when we get closer the weird YJK/original EU split. It seems strange that there would be an alternate universe situation there. Strange and a bit tacky on someone's part. We'll have to focus on sorting that out when we get there ...
Oh, I didn't realize a split occurs. Are the events of YJK happening at the same time as another book/series? Because that would be seriously interesting to read both series and compare what happened in each...
ReplyDeleteSo here's the interesting thing to look out for ... as far as I know, shortly after the events of "Survivor's Quest" (which events I won't detail here, for spoiler's sake), Luke splits his Jedi academy up and turns it into a traveling, intergalactic academy with more of a Jedi/Padawan system back in place. I think Mara has a lot to do with this decision because, if I remember right, she never liked the academy on Yavin and had some pretty good reasons.
ReplyDeleteWhat gets interesting is that according to the timeline I'm familiar with, Luke and Mara should be married (sorry, there goes a spoiler) before Jacen and Jaina get sent to Luke's Jedi academy but there's no reference at all to Mara anywhere in the YJK books. And actually, Jacen and Jaina are ten years old during the events of TZahn's pivotal Thrawn duology so Luke and Mara would have to be married well before YJK begins ... anyway, I'm excited to look into this when we get there. Since you'll be reading YJK and I'll be reading NJO, we'll have some great comparisons to make! Shame we've got so many books between now and then but I love the anticipation!
Oh. Yes. A shame. Totally. ^_~ I'm actually really looking forward to rereading YJKs again, since the last time I read them was when I was in my formative years. And you're right, Mara should, in theory, be in them. How interesting... I'm definitely looking forward to this part of our reading project!!
ReplyDeleteI know right!! I'm so excited to get deeper into this. I mean, we're only two books in and it's already kind of crazy how much we have to talk about! I'm really excited to read "Rogue Squadron" and "Courtship" but I'm actually really excited about post-Thrawn trilogy, like "Children of the Jedi," "Darksaber" and the academy trilogy. I HATED those growing up and there was one giant reason for it. Now I'm curious how I'll react and if I'll like them ... seriously, thank you so so much for doing this with me!!!
ReplyDeleteGah, of COURSE!! I'm equally excited for those books as well, mostly because I own all of them and there are some I can't remember if I've actually read or not.
ReplyDeletePS: We are big, fat, giant nerdettes, geeking out over this project the way we are! Just thought you should know... ^_^
Dude, I know it and I LOVE it! Honestly, how many friends are lucky enough to have someone who they could turn to and say, "So, remember being nerdy as a child, when it was excusable? Well, how'd you like to be even nerdier now, despite the fact that many people would judge us within an inch of our lives?" I'm so lucky to have you ^_^
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