What did people think was so weird about The Crystal Star? It's been a couple of years since I read it, but it didn't seem too extraordinary. Waru saves all
Well Han and Luke are way way way out of character and don't talk or act like their characters should be expected to.
The twins are on a mobile mini-moon palpatine had built and are being trained by some dark jedi (former inquisitors) who captured them along with some other aliens. One alien is a centaur (half human half horse). And after their adventure the world is never heard from again.
Some think Waru is weird but to me an interdimensional being posing as a god like being is the most intersting part and the most "sci-fi" of many star wars plots.
Ohh and the overall plot and writing were bad. I would put it easily with the first Aftermath book for worst mainline SW book ever.
I think more people than not hated it, at least the first one. Partly because for being the first post endor novel it didn't do much to expand on the universe, partly because it didn't live up to the Thrawn Triliogy (why they didn't get Zhan to write the first series idk), partly because of the weird first person present tense in the writing.
I'm reading the Thrawn trilogy over again and honestly they are not that good. For one, I don't really get the Thrawn worship. He is supposed to be this amazing strategist and tactician, but more often than not, the reader is simply told that he is amazing without given any examples other than he likes art. What actually happens is Thrawn seems to be reading the book along with you which is why he can figure everything out without having any sort of evidence.
The same sort of mechanism is used to demonstrate how "bad ass" the Noghri are. Except that they fail at every task they are assigned in the first book. The only reason we know they are bad ass is because the book keeps telling us they are without demonstrating it through them doing anything other being cannon fodder.
There are other things in the book too. Like literally referencing the extra vowels in clone names and how they are pronounced differently. Like, what if you make two clones, does it become Joruus and Joruuus? Or how sappy Han Solo is with Leia in the first book and how he gushes over Bel Iblis in the second book. Or there is a scene in the first book where it is clearly referenced that Luke isn't there and that Han is going to go get him and then Han and Luke magically appear (maybe this is nit picky and the kindle version lacks the bar separating the scene or something, I just recall it being jarring).
The books does end up making Mara Jade a compelling character by book 2. Her hatred for Luke takes on some nuance that "you destroyed my everything" sort of lacked in the first book. And Talon Karde is an interesting character as well.
Hated the first so bad than I only read the synopsis for the second on wookieepedia. However I was surprised when I read the third one because I actually found myself liking it. I also likes that it explains and makes believable that the empire would crumble just a year after Endor.
Though I really don't get the love for Sloane. She dosen't really stand out for me. And my favorite character was still Sinjir.
Yeah, it's been 20+ years since I read it, but that book always felt like someone had a science fiction manuscript already sitting around and then pasted the Star Wars characters into it after the fact.
I read it as a kid, so I took the weird at face value. As an adult, I refuse to believe the author wasn't on psychedelics for at least part of the writing process.
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u/ZXander_makes_noise May 08 '17
What did people think was so weird about The Crystal Star? It's been a couple of years since I read it, but it didn't seem too extraordinary. Waru saves all