Current Events > I read Star Wars Shadows of the Empire *spoilers*

(+) Yeah! (+)

That book was ass. Xizor is an extremely shallow make power fantasy, and the book almost reads like the author describing his personal sexual fantasies. Like 1/3 of this guy's plot relevant scenes are spent being horny for Leia, and he had a super sexy robot pleasure assassin. Leia resisting the seduction pheromones was an extremely awkward scene. Meanwhile, Dash Rendar is a very shallow "scoundrel" trope almost literally described as "we have Han Solo at home." The best part of it was probably the Darth Vader bits, which had some standard (but perhaps unique for the time?) Sith warrior shenanigans. Also the plan to blow the whole castle at the end was straight out of a video game plot (probably literally in this case).

I started reading the first Darth Bane afterward, and it is a literary masterpiece by comparison. I don't regret reading Shadows, but mostly because I enjoy bad media.

I refuse to believe Darth Bane is a masterpiece in comparison to anything

I've never really heard anyone talk about the book until now. With what you said, I can see why.

LightSnake posted...

I refuse to believe Darth Bane is a masterpiece in comparison to anything

naw, some of the old Legends books are legitimately almost unreadable.

I think Darksaber is one of the ones i remember almost nothing about except for how the bad guy gets foiled and it's hilariously silly

Vokrent posted...

naw, some of the old Legends books are legitimately almost unreadable.

I think Darksaber is one of the ones i remember almost nothing about except for how the bad guy gets foiled and it's hilariously silly

Oh, yeah, totes. I'm just saying the bane books are bad in comparison to those. At least Darksaber is silly

LightSnake posted...

Oh, yeah, totes. I'm just saying the bane books are bad in comparison to those. At least Darksaber is silly

maybe it's just me and my absurd tolerance for stuff but i don't hate most media i consume.

the only time i hate media is when someone takes the characters/setting from an author/creator who died and "continues" it while completely changing the characters and setting to be almost unrecognizable. example, the continuation of Stieg Larsson's Millenium Trilogy. holy shit that made me so mad

Karen Traviss star wars was about the only part of Legends continuity that actually made me a little bit upset, and she managed to ruin Halo for me too

LightSnake posted...

I refuse to believe Darth Bane is a masterpiece in comparison to anything

I don't know what to tell you bro. This book ain't Shakespeare, but it at least has some decent prose and at least one reasonably developed character. I'll admit my nostalgia for KOTOR has me biased. But I do think the prose is now descriptive and enjoyable than the Heir to the Empire trilogy. I enjoyed those books, but Zahn does not exactly exhibit a masterful use of language. Lips twisting can apparently convey any and all facial expressions.

YellowSUV posted...

I've never really heard anyone talk about the book until now. With what you said, I can see why.

It actually comes up a lot in recommendations. Partly because it is set between V and VI and was tied in with the video game. But most admit it is not the highest quality book.