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crystalstarrlight's review against another edition
3.0
"Size matters not. Inertia, however, is a pain in the butt."
At the death of his apprentice, Toro Irana, Mander Zuma arrives on Makem Te to investigate why his apprentice died under such unusual circumstances and to finish up the mission. It becomes clear that Toro was addicted to a new, dangerous drug called Tempest. As he investigates, he teams up with Toro's sister, Reen, a Bothan named Eddey, and a CSA agent named Angela Krin. Where is the spice coming from--and can Mander, the unconventional Jedi archivist from Yavin 4, stop it?
These days, Star Wars books have been mostly set in the "Fate of the Jedi" era or the long, long ago "The Old Republic" era. This little book, written by Jeff Grubb, Star Wars novelist newbie (though not unfamiliar with the franchise), bucks the trend. It stars all new characters and none of the Big Three. It is set in the "quiet" era between Timothy Zahn's Hand of Thrawn duology and the New Jedi Order series. And it's story is a basic mystery, not a Superweapon of the week. And I think those all make this book as great as it is.
Star Wars is an expansive universe, and while I love stories about Luke, Leia, and Han, I also love it when an author can move away from the Big Three and make his or her own creations. Grubb has done this with his main characters, Mander, Reen, Eddey, and Angela. Firstly, THANK YOU GRUBB for the diversity. Taking a quick peek at the Character List shows that few of the characters are human--out of the 11 listed, only 2 are human (Angela and Mander). This carries true for lesser characters not mentioned in the List. I've complained endlessly about the humancentric stories, and it is SO nice to see such a variety of species.
The characters that Grubb has developed are unique and interesting. Mander Zuma is a Jedi archivist, more at home with "scrolls and books" than with swashbuckling and adventuring. I do feel that his bookishness wasn't as pronounced as it could have been, and we don't get a really good description of what he looks like (apparently, he wears "magna lenses" aka glasses--shame on the cover artist for missing this!!). However, it's nice to have a Jedi that isn't all lightsaber swingin', star-pilotin' rip-roarin' adventure seeker. Reen Irana was Toro's sister and looking to find out why he died. She was competent and capable, not requiring some male to rescue her every two seconds or swooning over whether Mander liked her. Eddey was super amusing; he was the brains of the operation, and while that did get a bit stereotypical, he was a lot of fun, and I felt he bucked the Bothan stereotype. Angela was another competent, capable female; the Hutts really pushed the envelope of what we expect (but I have some complaints...).
I liked the concept of the story; I felt the execution was a bit all over the place. I was kinda hoping that the main character Jedi (Mander) would be the one addicted to the spice; however, that wasn't the case. But, honestly the story idea was interesting; sure, it's a common plot to have book nerdy guy go to solve a really action/adventure case, but Star Wars hasn't done that very much. And I really do like this idea of having mystery stories set in Star Wars (if only we didn't have a 10 page "And this is how I, the Bad Guy, did all this" exposition at the end...).
The thing I found challenging was figuring out where the story was going at any time. It seemed at times the characters were just floating from scene to scene, that they didn't have so much of a focus, that things were happening because A) it was exciting or B) that needed to happen to move the story. Some of the investigating was weak; a lot just falls into Mander's lap. The last half is probably stronger and has more of a focus, but I did find my attention wandering at times or asking myself, "And...why are they here?"
Writing wise, Grubb is very adept. Good pleasing prose, some funny scenes (I love me some humor), a really good understanding of the Star Wars universe. And for a newbie to the Star Wars novels, that is a big plus in my book.
And now for the part you've been clamoring for: NERD NITPICKS!
1. I hate species stereotyping. Bothans are all sneaky spies, Mandalorians are all bounty hunters, all Corellians are gamblers, all Hutts are involved in crime, all Gamorreans are stupid security brutes. And so on. And so forth. While this book is certainly not the worst offender, there are hints of it. The Bomu clan of Rodians, for example, are completely inept at handling the Jedi situation. Most of the Hutts are pretty duplicitous and involved in crime. There were notable exceptions (Mika, and the Hunter Hutt, who NEEDS A BOOK OF HIS OWN), but it was still there.
2. The identity of the Spice Lord was a disappointment. Some serious spoilers follow, so don't read unless you are okay with being spoiled!!
3. The science geek side of me rebels against the way that the spice is treated to become Tempest. How could they tell, just by looking at Tempest, that it was irradiated by a black hole and a white dwarf? Isn't radiation just radiation? Maybe I am forgetting my physics. And I know this is spice and it's illegal, but the method of creating it seems VERY hazardous. Contact with radiated water and soil? You are just ASKING to be sued.
And that's all we have time for today. Tune in next time for NERD NITPICKS!
So while this wasn't blow me out of the water amazing, I definitely enjoyed myself and will be looking forward to more of Grubb's Star Wars novels in the future. I wouldn't even be opposed to him writing more stories about Mander and gang.
UPDATE: I'm moving, so as I was weeding through books and came across this one. I COULD NOT remember reading this! I had to come here and look it up.
Just sayin'.
At the death of his apprentice, Toro Irana, Mander Zuma arrives on Makem Te to investigate why his apprentice died under such unusual circumstances and to finish up the mission. It becomes clear that Toro was addicted to a new, dangerous drug called Tempest. As he investigates, he teams up with Toro's sister, Reen, a Bothan named Eddey, and a CSA agent named Angela Krin. Where is the spice coming from--and can Mander, the unconventional Jedi archivist from Yavin 4, stop it?
These days, Star Wars books have been mostly set in the "Fate of the Jedi" era or the long, long ago "The Old Republic" era. This little book, written by Jeff Grubb, Star Wars novelist newbie (though not unfamiliar with the franchise), bucks the trend. It stars all new characters and none of the Big Three. It is set in the "quiet" era between Timothy Zahn's Hand of Thrawn duology and the New Jedi Order series. And it's story is a basic mystery, not a Superweapon of the week. And I think those all make this book as great as it is.
Star Wars is an expansive universe, and while I love stories about Luke, Leia, and Han, I also love it when an author can move away from the Big Three and make his or her own creations. Grubb has done this with his main characters, Mander, Reen, Eddey, and Angela. Firstly, THANK YOU GRUBB for the diversity. Taking a quick peek at the Character List shows that few of the characters are human--out of the 11 listed, only 2 are human (Angela and Mander). This carries true for lesser characters not mentioned in the List. I've complained endlessly about the humancentric stories, and it is SO nice to see such a variety of species.
The characters that Grubb has developed are unique and interesting. Mander Zuma is a Jedi archivist, more at home with "scrolls and books" than with swashbuckling and adventuring. I do feel that his bookishness wasn't as pronounced as it could have been, and we don't get a really good description of what he looks like (apparently, he wears "magna lenses" aka glasses--shame on the cover artist for missing this!!). However, it's nice to have a Jedi that isn't all lightsaber swingin', star-pilotin' rip-roarin' adventure seeker. Reen Irana was Toro's sister and looking to find out why he died. She was competent and capable, not requiring some male to rescue her every two seconds or swooning over whether Mander liked her. Eddey was super amusing; he was the brains of the operation, and while that did get a bit stereotypical, he was a lot of fun, and I felt he bucked the Bothan stereotype. Angela was another competent, capable female; the Hutts really pushed the envelope of what we expect (but I have some complaints...).
I liked the concept of the story; I felt the execution was a bit all over the place. I was kinda hoping that the main character Jedi (Mander) would be the one addicted to the spice; however, that wasn't the case. But, honestly the story idea was interesting; sure, it's a common plot to have book nerdy guy go to solve a really action/adventure case, but Star Wars hasn't done that very much. And I really do like this idea of having mystery stories set in Star Wars (if only we didn't have a 10 page "And this is how I, the Bad Guy, did all this" exposition at the end...).
The thing I found challenging was figuring out where the story was going at any time. It seemed at times the characters were just floating from scene to scene, that they didn't have so much of a focus, that things were happening because A) it was exciting or B) that needed to happen to move the story. Some of the investigating was weak; a lot just falls into Mander's lap. The last half is probably stronger and has more of a focus, but I did find my attention wandering at times or asking myself, "And...why are they here?"
Writing wise, Grubb is very adept. Good pleasing prose, some funny scenes (I love me some humor), a really good understanding of the Star Wars universe. And for a newbie to the Star Wars novels, that is a big plus in my book.
And now for the part you've been clamoring for: NERD NITPICKS!
1. I hate species stereotyping. Bothans are all sneaky spies, Mandalorians are all bounty hunters, all Corellians are gamblers, all Hutts are involved in crime, all Gamorreans are stupid security brutes. And so on. And so forth. While this book is certainly not the worst offender, there are hints of it. The Bomu clan of Rodians, for example, are completely inept at handling the Jedi situation. Most of the Hutts are pretty duplicitous and involved in crime. There were notable exceptions (Mika, and the Hunter Hutt, who NEEDS A BOOK OF HIS OWN), but it was still there.
2. The identity of the Spice Lord was a disappointment. Some serious spoilers follow, so don't read unless you are okay with being spoiled!!
Spoiler
It's Mika, the Force User. I was hoping that we could have a Hutt Force User without him (or her) being evil--unlike the Hutt from "Planet of Twilight". I didn't like the other option of Vago, whose family was killed at the hands of Popara. The one I was REALLY hoping for was the Twi'Lek handmaidens. Now THAT would have been AWESOME!!3. The science geek side of me rebels against the way that the spice is treated to become Tempest. How could they tell, just by looking at Tempest, that it was irradiated by a black hole and a white dwarf? Isn't radiation just radiation? Maybe I am forgetting my physics. And I know this is spice and it's illegal, but the method of creating it seems VERY hazardous. Contact with radiated water and soil? You are just ASKING to be sued.
And that's all we have time for today. Tune in next time for NERD NITPICKS!
So while this wasn't blow me out of the water amazing, I definitely enjoyed myself and will be looking forward to more of Grubb's Star Wars novels in the future. I wouldn't even be opposed to him writing more stories about Mander and gang.
UPDATE: I'm moving, so as I was weeding through books and came across this one. I COULD NOT remember reading this! I had to come here and look it up.
Just sayin'.
book_nerd_1's review against another edition
4.0
This was an interesting book. It's a complete standalone. There are no characters you know. Not only Luke and Leia. No Tenel Ka, no Kyp Durron, no Tycho Celchu, just a new jedi master in the New Jedi Order era investigating the death of his apprentice.
What I liked most was that it made Hutts into actual characters while still being Hutts.
What I liked most was that it made Hutts into actual characters while still being Hutts.
wyrmbergmalcolm's review against another edition
4.0
Although set during the era of the New Republic in the Expanded Universe, this story - base off of a Star Wars roleplaying game - has the benefit of fitting into either the traditional EU or the rubbish Disney timelines. It's about as stand-alone as you can get, and has no effect on anything else Star Wars. This aspect was quite refreshing (much like some of the Mandalorian TV series).
The story itself was of a murder mystery with further intrigue going on and the main character was a Jedi who skills are more in the academical than physical. This again was quite refreshing as we had a character who couldn't just use the Force every time to get out of a situation.
The big reveal was kind of obvious, but the journey getting there was enjoyable. A satisfying tale with characters I would be happy to see again.
The story itself was of a murder mystery with further intrigue going on and the main character was a Jedi who skills are more in the academical than physical. This again was quite refreshing as we had a character who couldn't just use the Force every time to get out of a situation.
The big reveal was kind of obvious, but the journey getting there was enjoyable. A satisfying tale with characters I would be happy to see again.
hstapp's review against another edition
2.0
I'm always excited for books that don't focus on the main cast, especially if they don't even feature in them. Han, Luke and Leia can't do everything. I however, didn't find this book particularly exciting.
I feel like I didn't get a good feel for the characters. The heroes and the villains both remain distant to me in my mind. The plot itself was interesting enough, though nothing outstanding.
The book is set up as a mystery. Our protagonists are trying to find who is behind the trade in a dangerous new spice. And I think the clues we get don't add greatly to the tension and are a little to obvious. The reveal isn't exciting. The reader probably figured it out long ago, and isn't invested enough in the characters for it to have the punch that it should.
I feel like I didn't get a good feel for the characters. The heroes and the villains both remain distant to me in my mind. The plot itself was interesting enough, though nothing outstanding.
The book is set up as a mystery. Our protagonists are trying to find who is behind the trade in a dangerous new spice. And I think the clues we get don't add greatly to the tension and are a little to obvious. The reveal isn't exciting. The reader probably figured it out long ago, and isn't invested enough in the characters for it to have the punch that it should.
colinmcev's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't have high expectations when I started Scourge. This is partially because it's the novelization of a roleplaying game sourcebook and, although Star Wars are my "guilty pleasure" reading and I don't necessarily expect great literature for them, the idea of that still didn't appeal to me. (I also have to admit that the cheap-looking book cover turned me off a bit too; it literally looks like something off of the package of a knockoff Star Wars Halloween costume package.) But I was pleasantly surprised to find that Scourge was a quite enjoyable read. It's perhaps not the greatest Star Wars books out there, but it's well-written, fast-paced, and maintained my interest from beginning to end. In fact, you can tell it's adapted from an RPG sourcebook because of the many action sequences throughout the book. Nearly as soon as one ends, another one starts, and so the book certainly never gets boring.
None of the main heroes from the films like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, or Princess Leia are present for this one, but fans of Star Wars books already know that novels set in this fictional universe can be very enjoyable even with completely new characters, and Scourge is no exception. In fact, the characters were one of the book's biggest strengths. The trio of Jedi Knight Mander Zuma, blue-skinned spacer Reen Irana, and Bothan mechanic Eddey Be'ray were strong protagonists with a good dynamic with each other. Zuma in particular is a Jedi Knight quite unlike the ones we're used to seeing (as the other characters in the book constantly point out to him). At least at the start of the story, his combat skills are quite limited; he has little connection with his lightsaber, a weapon that most Jedi feel as if it were an extension of themselves. But his experience as an "archivist" (or a "librarian," as Irana repeatedly calls him) gives him unique approach to the Force. He thinks outside the box, is able to process and analyze dangerous situations in creative ways, and it made Zuma a more enjoyable character than your straightforward Jedi would have been.
Plus, I personally love Star Wars stories involving Hutts (I was a huge Jabba fan back in my childhood) and the fact that Hutts were so central to this story meant a lot of interesting secondary characters as well. I mean, this book actually gives us Force sensitive Hutts, and a Hutt wearing body armor and engaging in hand-to-hand combat. How cool is that?! A particularly strong character (perhaps the strongest) is Mika the Hutt, the youngest son of a minor crime lord, who is unlike any Hutt character we've ever seen in a Star Wars story before, and who is constantly full of surprises throughout the entire progression of the book.
If I weren't such a completionist when it comes to Star Wars novels, I probably would have skipped Scourge, particularly because it's a standalone novel with little connection to the franchise's major characters and storyline. But I'm ultimately glad I read it, and I imagine most Star Wars fans would find it to be a quick, enjoyable read.
None of the main heroes from the films like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, or Princess Leia are present for this one, but fans of Star Wars books already know that novels set in this fictional universe can be very enjoyable even with completely new characters, and Scourge is no exception. In fact, the characters were one of the book's biggest strengths. The trio of Jedi Knight Mander Zuma, blue-skinned spacer Reen Irana, and Bothan mechanic Eddey Be'ray were strong protagonists with a good dynamic with each other. Zuma in particular is a Jedi Knight quite unlike the ones we're used to seeing (as the other characters in the book constantly point out to him). At least at the start of the story, his combat skills are quite limited; he has little connection with his lightsaber, a weapon that most Jedi feel as if it were an extension of themselves. But his experience as an "archivist" (or a "librarian," as Irana repeatedly calls him) gives him unique approach to the Force. He thinks outside the box, is able to process and analyze dangerous situations in creative ways, and it made Zuma a more enjoyable character than your straightforward Jedi would have been.
Plus, I personally love Star Wars stories involving Hutts (I was a huge Jabba fan back in my childhood) and the fact that Hutts were so central to this story meant a lot of interesting secondary characters as well. I mean, this book actually gives us Force sensitive Hutts, and a Hutt wearing body armor and engaging in hand-to-hand combat. How cool is that?! A particularly strong character (perhaps the strongest) is Mika the Hutt, the youngest son of a minor crime lord, who is unlike any Hutt character we've ever seen in a Star Wars story before, and who is constantly full of surprises throughout the entire progression of the book.
If I weren't such a completionist when it comes to Star Wars novels, I probably would have skipped Scourge, particularly because it's a standalone novel with little connection to the franchise's major characters and storyline. But I'm ultimately glad I read it, and I imagine most Star Wars fans would find it to be a quick, enjoyable read.
verkisto's review against another edition
3.0
This novel isn't that bad. I didn't know what to expect of it -- I've never seen it come up in lists of the better Expanded Universe books -- but Grubb does a decent job of telling a Star Wars story without featuring any key franchise players and genuinely expanding the universe.
It's unfortunate that the key twist of the story was obvious, and the story suffers a bit for feeling out of place in the timeline (it feels much more like a Clone Wars-era story than one set after the Thrawn novels), but it surprised me. I have to give it credit for that alone.
It's unfortunate that the key twist of the story was obvious, and the story suffers a bit for feeling out of place in the timeline (it feels much more like a Clone Wars-era story than one set after the Thrawn novels), but it surprised me. I have to give it credit for that alone.
internpepper's review against another edition
3.0
A very slow start, but once the story gets going, it never lets go. There are no references to movies or other books; this is very much a standalone adventure.
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