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I just finished the new book, Balance Point by Kathy Tyers, she also did Truce at Bakura. Let me just say that this book was phenomenal. For anyone who doesn't know, its the sixth book of The New Jedi Order series, second hardback, one hardback per year, with paper backs to fill in the gaps(ala Shadows and Splinter). I will not ruin it for anybody, but every SW fan should read all these books. I know people were disappointed that Chewie died in the first one, but read them all, they are fantastic. Also, not one author is writing the entire series, it the best of the best. The series is not set to end until of 2004, so its only going to get better.

Man, you are promoting this book almost as shamelessly as I do Shadows. I'll have to admit though you got me really wanting to read them. Could you post the title and order of each book. Tell me where to start and I'll start reading them. Also could you better explain this hardcover/softcover thing? Thank you, oh, and have you read Shadows of the Empire?

I have read Shadows of the Empire, and it was very good.

First off, these books take place twenty two or so years after ROTJ, and the Solo children are in their teens and Mara and Luke are now married. The first book of the New Jedi Order is Vector Prime. The next two books were written by Michael A. Stackpole(X-Wing series) and are called Dark Tide nslaught and Dark Tide:Ruin. The next two books were written by James Luceno and are called Agents of Chaos:Hero's Trial and Agent's of Chaos:Jedi Eclipse. Then came Balance Point. The deal with these is an alien invasion force from outside the galaxy have come to take over the galaxy, and the Jedi are helpless because these creatures are outside the Force. There have been two hardbacks VP and BP and the rest are paperbacks. The hardbacks are what continue the story along to a major event(VP-the invasion, BP-I won't tell) the paperbacks are the inbetweens like Shadows was for ESB and ROTJ and Splinter was for ANH and ESB

Thats real cool sounding. So VP was a big major event/movie type book. Then you have 4 in betweens which I assume are shorter, and describe all the political and character details, plus minor battles. Then BP is another whoop dee-doo like Empire(probably dark as well, I'll theorize that Jacen falls to the DS b/c these aliens can be controled with dark but not lightside power). Then are 4 more shorter in betweens scheduled to come out? Finally I assume there will be the big ending with a huge war and Jacens brother/sister coming to save him or else Luke sacrificing himself to save him. I'm going to have to read them!! Do the alien species have an evil villain worthy of Palpy/Thrawn/Xizor comparisons?

Yeah, the hardbacks are like the movies. The next books were going to be called Knightfall, but Lucas didn't like the way they were going, so he canceled them. And yes the Vong have villains on the same level as Palpy/Vader/Thrawn/Xizor. Warmaster Lah is rather evil. These Vong HATE technology, all of their ships and equipment is made from living organisms. On every planet they control all the droids and stuff is destoryed. They really HATE the Jedi, they call them the "supercreatures of the galaxy" Its true the Vong are invisible through the Force, but the Jedi can still use the Force to anticipate a little bit. Also, they can use rocks or other things and hurl them at the Vong. The only little spoiler I will give is that Anakin Solo kicks some major butt!!!!!!!!!

I'd expect him to, Anakin's a real sweet character. Was Knightfall supposed to be the last HC/movie book or the next 1-4 sofcovers? Did Lucas not like the script or what? I thought his highness mostly ignored the novels, exceptfor Shadows he's taken little intrest in this great aspect of the SW's universe.

Knightfall was supposed to be the next issue of paperbacks but apparently Lucas has taken an interest in this new series of books and didn't like the story of Knightfall, thats all I know. I am not sure when the next book comes out, the next hardback is in November but I am not sure about the paperbacks. I know that one paperback is going to deal with Jaina Solo and her role in Rouge Squadron. I think there are 3 or 4 hardbacks left in the series, a good site to visit is www.unjoh.com it'll give you all the information you need for these books, but be careful, there are tons of spoilers.

Thanks, It sounds like the paperbacks are being written by several diffrent authors. It would be sweet if they had Timmothy Zahn or Kevin J. Andrerson write one, like the Tales series.

Nobody knows yet who will write the last couple hardbacks. There is a huge push by fans of the series for Zahn to write the last one. Zahn is the unofficial ruler of the EU and he should write the last one. I would personally like to see Stackpole but I doubt it will be him because he wrote the first two paperbacks.

OK, Let me try to sum this confusing sounding series uo:

Vector Prime - Hardcover - ?

Agent of Chaos: Hero's Trial - softcover - Michael A. Stackpole
Agent of Chaos: Jedi Eclipse - softcover - Michael A. Stackpole

Balance Point - Hardcover - Kathy Tyers

Knightfall? - softcover - ?
Knightfall? - softcover - ?

? - softcover - ?
? - softcover - ?

? - Hardcover - hopefully Zahn

Want to fill in some of the blanks JM3838?

Vector Prime-HB 1- R.A. Salvatore

Dark Tide: Onslaught and Ruin-2 PB- Stackpole

Agents of Chaos: Hero's Trial and Jedi Eclipse -2PB-
James Luceno

Balance Point- HB 2-Kathy Tyers

Knightfall- Canceled

....and the rest is up in the air, some authors have been assigned but I can't recall the names, I know they are newbies in the SW universe. The last couple books are still undecided.

Lets hope Timothy Zahn intrest might be peeked with the chance to have GL's assistance in writing another duolgy. Since the only other EU book that Lucas involved himself with was Shadows, perhaps Steve Perry might be persuaded to write the in between books as well. I mean he was kind of successful the last time he did that....

In Balance Point there is a scene where Jacen is having a vision of Luke fighting a bunch of Vong warriors and is about to die and tosses his lightsaber to Jacen but Jacen misses. Jacen them sees the universe on a scale of lightness and darkness and when he misses Lukes saber it tilts towards darkness. Then Jacen hears a voice that "shook the heavens" and tells him to "stand firm" he says the voice is deeper than his Uncle's, does this mean its Anakin or maybe Obi-Wan? Maybe the old Jedi Order can help the newbies defeat these invaders and find the "balance point" This series of books is called the New Jedi Order and not the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion, and there are lots of books left and these invaders have already reached the Core, so my guess is they are defeated but something else(New Sith) comes along to challenge the New Republic. Afterall, even Lucas has taken an interest in these books, so something HUGE has to happen. Another thing that is interesting is in Hero's Trial one of the Vong says there kind should learn about the Force, maybe a Vong learns it and becomes more powerful than any Jedi ever.

I say Stackpoles dark tide series is the best so far.

Yes, Stackpole is a great author. I'm sure though that with all
that new stuff to write on(Sith?), plus Lucas being intrested,
that Zahn or Perry could make the next series outstanding.

He's so tactical, during a jedi battle, he'll say that an enemy stepped the wrong way and the jedi tokk advantage of it

Are you talking about Stackpole?

yes I certainly is

OK, because you didn't mention a name and all 3 authors are tactical. Plus the reason you gave was not about tactics at all, just about how the jedi can act through the force.

sure,why not

What are you talkin about?

There's actually another duology announce now: Edge of Victory: Rebirth and I can't remember the name of the other one.

BTW, If you like the NJO come to the forums at:

pub12.ezboard.com/bunjohdiscussionforums

We talk NJO and Expanded Universe almost exclusively there, and we've got a good amount of discussions going there.

Hey Kettch I post on that board every so oftern. My name on that board is Jedi Knight 420, I just felt like picking a different name for the different boards. Its good to see someone else who likes the new series here.

Hey, good to see you again, too.

BTW, the other book is Edge of Victory: Conquest. The first one won't be out until April though.

"Yub yub, commander." -Various Lt.Kettch personaes

Why was Knightfall cancelled?

Lucas didn't like the series. Apparently he's taken an interest in these books. Knightfall was mainly about a new Jedi, can't remember his name, and Danni, a female character who has force power that was introduced in Vector Prime.

I'm a little behind on NJO and I've managed to end up reading the Agents of Chaos Duology before Darktide but I'm just coming to the end of Dark Tide One right now and I see that Stackpole has included hints of a romance between Jacen and Danni, despite Danni being 21 and Jacen being 16.

Does anyone think that this will be picked up on in the future? Perhaps when Jacen is maybe 18? I lookforward to starting Ruin this week to see if he takes it anywhere.

Then onto Balance Point when I am away in 3 weeks time. If it's as good as people are saying it will server me well during a 9 hour flight!

Yay!