Damn You, Troy Denning
Aug. 16th, 2008 11:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jade_sabre...even though he didn't really do it this time. I'm sure it was his idea, though.
So I had a guest come through my lane today who was buying KOTOR II (or some expansion pack thereof), and I said something about reading Star Wars, and that I was reading through Legacy of the Force, and he said, "Y'know, I swore off reading them after the last series, but I just finished that one."
And I said, "Yeah, I'm halfway through, marathoning them now that they're all out."
"Yeah, that's what I did!"
So the thing about Legacy of the Force is that the first novel was the first Star Wars book I had picked up in a while, after reading the first bit of Troy Denning's bug series and deciding I didn't want to sit through that man telling me all about how he was going to destroy the neural makeup of some of my favorite characters. Instead I went and read plot summaries online. TENEL KA DESERVES A HUNDRED TIMES BETTER THAN WHAT YOU'VE GIVEN HER, YOU JERKFACE.
Anyway, I picked up Betrayal, by Aaron Allston (who I trusted because he wrote X-Wing novels, rather like I trusted Tim Zahn and was totally not disappointed by Allegiance which was also a ton of fun [forced-to-defect, in-earnest stormtroppers! IT WAS FRICKIN' AWESOME]), and loved it. It was funny, it had political stuff (there's a LOT of political stuff going on in these novels, and the more you go into the series the more the authors go into the politics), it had JACEN THINKING ABOUT GOING TO THE DARK SIDE, and it was just--such a relief to sit down and read a book that wasn't all about "What is the nature of the Force?" or "How can we totally fuck the galaxy over today?"
...of course, that was just the first novel. They suck you in with that first novel, you know. You think, oh, this is going to be a good series, because the writing is good, and then you see Troy Denning's name attached to one of the novels, and you think, hm, well, I really like the other two authors (three authors are working together on this series, and they're really, really working together--it's just an incredibly awesome example of how tag-teaming should work) so I'll keep going...
...and then it turns out to be really sad. And depressing. Because Jacen is going TO THE FUCKING DARK SIDE. But it's so well-written! Not just prose-wise--the prose doesn't make you cringe (although Troy Denning is my least favorite for many reasons, including his not-as-good-as-the-other-two's prose), and in some places is quite good--but plot-wise, and character-wise. The main character paths--Jacen and Ben--have just been amazingly well-thought-out and -executed. Everything involving Ben Skywalker has been awesome, from the fact that Luke and Mara have that "oh we have no moral high ground as parents" failing to his determination that "this must be how the grown-up world works, so I'll just keep it to myself"--my heart aches for the kid. And Jacen's oh-so-controlled fall--he keeps telling himself that he's not following his grandfather's path, but they start out the exact same way--both going "wait, don't kill the Sith yet, I need to know." I am in trips of fangirl bliss just thinking about it. SO WELL DONE.
I keep reading (and at this point, the depressing stuff is getting to the point where angst-happy me is having trouble coping) because it's so well done. The end of Sacrifice was just...hoshithoshithoshit. I--yeah.
So, er, all two of you Star-Wars-reading fans on my list...this series will probably make you very unhappy (because I'm very unhappy, although at the same time I'm so happy because it's so much better than NJO), but I do recommend you give it a try. I might change that when I hit the end. We'll have to see. But for now--do pick it up.
So I had a guest come through my lane today who was buying KOTOR II (or some expansion pack thereof), and I said something about reading Star Wars, and that I was reading through Legacy of the Force, and he said, "Y'know, I swore off reading them after the last series, but I just finished that one."
And I said, "Yeah, I'm halfway through, marathoning them now that they're all out."
"Yeah, that's what I did!"
"You know, I came into work today thinking I wouldn't meet a single person who would understand why I was so upset that Mara died, and lo, I have!"
"Yeah...it just gets sadder."
So yes, Mara Jade has...um, died. Horribly. It's--it's like a trainwreck. Except better.
"Yeah...it just gets sadder."
So yes, Mara Jade has...um, died. Horribly. It's--it's like a trainwreck. Except better.
So the thing about Legacy of the Force is that the first novel was the first Star Wars book I had picked up in a while, after reading the first bit of Troy Denning's bug series and deciding I didn't want to sit through that man telling me all about how he was going to destroy the neural makeup of some of my favorite characters. Instead I went and read plot summaries online. TENEL KA DESERVES A HUNDRED TIMES BETTER THAN WHAT YOU'VE GIVEN HER, YOU JERKFACE.
Anyway, I picked up Betrayal, by Aaron Allston (who I trusted because he wrote X-Wing novels, rather like I trusted Tim Zahn and was totally not disappointed by Allegiance which was also a ton of fun [forced-to-defect, in-earnest stormtroppers! IT WAS FRICKIN' AWESOME]), and loved it. It was funny, it had political stuff (there's a LOT of political stuff going on in these novels, and the more you go into the series the more the authors go into the politics), it had JACEN THINKING ABOUT GOING TO THE DARK SIDE, and it was just--such a relief to sit down and read a book that wasn't all about "What is the nature of the Force?" or "How can we totally fuck the galaxy over today?"
...of course, that was just the first novel. They suck you in with that first novel, you know. You think, oh, this is going to be a good series, because the writing is good, and then you see Troy Denning's name attached to one of the novels, and you think, hm, well, I really like the other two authors (three authors are working together on this series, and they're really, really working together--it's just an incredibly awesome example of how tag-teaming should work) so I'll keep going...
...and then it turns out to be really sad. And depressing. Because Jacen is going TO THE FUCKING DARK SIDE. But it's so well-written! Not just prose-wise--the prose doesn't make you cringe (although Troy Denning is my least favorite for many reasons, including his not-as-good-as-the-other-two's prose), and in some places is quite good--but plot-wise, and character-wise. The main character paths--Jacen and Ben--have just been amazingly well-thought-out and -executed. Everything involving Ben Skywalker has been awesome, from the fact that Luke and Mara have that "oh we have no moral high ground as parents" failing to his determination that "this must be how the grown-up world works, so I'll just keep it to myself"--my heart aches for the kid. And Jacen's oh-so-controlled fall--he keeps telling himself that he's not following his grandfather's path, but they start out the exact same way--both going "wait, don't kill the Sith yet, I need to know." I am in trips of fangirl bliss just thinking about it. SO WELL DONE.
I keep reading (and at this point, the depressing stuff is getting to the point where angst-happy me is having trouble coping) because it's so well done. The end of Sacrifice was just...hoshithoshithoshit. I--yeah.
So, er, all two of you Star-Wars-reading fans on my list...this series will probably make you very unhappy (because I'm very unhappy, although at the same time I'm so happy because it's so much better than NJO), but I do recommend you give it a try. I might change that when I hit the end. We'll have to see. But for now--do pick it up.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2008-08-17 05:47 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-08-17 11:51 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-08-17 03:23 pm (UTC)I wonder how Tim Zahn feels about Mara's death?
(no subject)
Date: 2008-08-17 01:54 pm (UTC)I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE NEVER PLAYED VIDEO GAMES IN YOUR LIFE; PLAY KOTOR GODDAMN IT!
Seriously, especially if you play as a female character. I won't ruin it for you, but there is a good plot twist and a heartbreaking romance if you choose to follow it. PLAY IT NOW.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-08-17 03:22 pm (UTC)If I'm not mistaken the same people who did KOTOR did NWN 2, which also had
a better storyline altogethera heartbreaking romance for female characters. And awesome companions/sidekicks/whatevers in general.(no subject)
Date: 2008-08-19 04:22 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-08-23 03:14 pm (UTC)DON'T WORRY IF I DON'T SEE YOU FOR A FEW WEEKS I UNDERSTAND, 'CAUSE KOTOR IS JUST THAT FUCKING AMAZING.
(wait until you're half-way through. Wait until you think you only have one thing left to do, and then BAM KICK IN THE GUT!)
(no subject)
Date: 2008-08-23 03:37 pm (UTC)AND YEP THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT'S HAPPENING. I HAVE...SIX DAYS TO FINISH IT (AND PACK AND OTHER STUFF). THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT'S HAPPENED SO FAR IS THAT IT TURNS OUT CARTH WAS MARRIED, WHICH IS LIKE THE WORST THING TO DO TO A POTENTIAL LOVE INTEREST. THAT IS ENTIRELY TOO MUCH BAGGAGE FOR ME TO TRY TO COPE WITH WHEN THERE'S A WAR GOING ON. COME ON.
(don't tell me that! I spent an hour last night trying to figure out how to be a decent Sand Person [mostly, I think it was a game glitch, because when I restarted from the beginning of the quest it worked FINE]...I am so sloooooooooooooooooooow, I have not the time for plot twiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiists... :-b)
(no subject)
Date: 2008-08-26 09:34 pm (UTC)it went about like this:
Darth Malak: Oh, you don't know what I'm talking about? HERE LET ME SHOW YOU!
Jade [and Malone]: *watch cutscene*
Jade: I'm not...Revan, am I?
Cutscene: *keeps playing*
Jade: WHAT THE FUCK. WHAT THE HOLY SHIT I'M REVAN. WHAT THE HELL? WHAT THE--OSHI--
KOTOR: *pwns*
YEP THAT'S MAH GUT. ITZ BEEN KICKED.
(no subject)
Date: 2008-08-18 02:14 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-08-18 04:22 am (UTC)