I over the course of the last six months finished some books and would like to give my thoughts on them. I've got some other blogs I hope to at some point get done but really don't know when it will happen. Namely a collecting blog to show my finally cleaned up and rearranged Star Wars room. Anyway back to the blog at hand.

I got for Christmas the novels "Millennium Falcon" and "Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor". The former I enjoyed as it was a fairly lighthearted adventure. No complicated story arcs. The addition of Alana to the Solo family has brought some lovely moments back into the mix. Plus we get to learn more about the history of our most beloved Starship in the GFFA. I won't get into details but with the exception of a couple of spots I had a hard time putting it down. I wanted to get to know how it would end too much and read it in no time.
The latter book I just finished this week and I have to say I had a hard time with it. I know it was supposed to be this way but I did not enjoy the style of writing. It reminded me a lot of the comics and daily strips after the first movie. Don't get me wrong I loved those, but as a full novel form it just didn't appeal to me. Luke's personality seemed too unsure of himself. Fitting more with the time after A New Hope than after Return of the Jedi. The only part I have to say I really liked was the part where he connects to and communicates with the Melters. Mostly for the metaphysics of it more than anything else.

Some other books I'd like to share I read before these and they are not Star Wars. Though the series did serve as a part of Lucas' inspiration. These are the newest of the Dune Series "Hunters of Dune" & "Sandworms of Dune". Written by Frank Herbert's son, Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson from recently discovered outlines his father made before he died on the next part of the story. In the 80's I read all of the six original novels. I remember waiting for the last to be released. When he died I was saddened but thought the last book was a good place to end and never expected anything else of the story to come.

When I saw the two books I got so excited and got straight to reading them. Anyone who loved the Dune series should pick these up. Set three years after the last novel "Chapterhouse: Dune" and some 4- 5 thousand years from the first book, pretty much everything has gone to pot. The story brings back many familiar characters and within the context of the story the two books speak to the good and the bad in humanity. Political intrigue, the nature of death, genocided, morality, religious & gender persecution, the question of what is life. I'll leave it at that as well. Check them out for yourselves.

I have another blog that will relate to the Dune books as well sometime. I just don't have the time to put what I intended in this one at the moment.

Till then!
MTFBWY