Book 169: Star Wars: Boba Fett 4: Hunted

Star Wars: Boba Fett #4: Hunted, by Elizabeth Hand

“Hunted” is the fourth book in a six book series on the life of young Boba Fett. In “Hunted,” Boba Fett flies to Tatooine to find the crime lord Jabba the Hutt.

Jango Fett, Boba’s father, had left instructions for his son to go to Jabba to learn knowledge. But Boba runs into problem after problem on Tatooine, first losing his father’s Mandalorian helmet to a street gang, to having no credits to buy water – a necessity on the desert planet.

Will a trip to Jabba’s palace teach young Boba the knowledge necessary for a bounty hunter?

As with the other books in this series, I’m not entirely thrilled with the writing. I do understand that they are written for younger readers and I’m over the intended age, but I wish Star Wars had kept up the quality a little better. The passage of time in this series isn’t clear – the first three books seemed to take up only days, but this book is apparently set months after the event of book three, “Maze of Deception.” At least the story in “Hunted” was better than the previous book.

2/5.

Book 168: Star Wars: Boba Fett 3: Maze of Deception

Star Wars: Boba Fett #3: Maze of Deception, by Elizabeth Hand

“Maze of Deception” is the third book in a six book series on the life of young Boba Fett. In this installment, Boba and Aurra Sing journey to Aargau, the banking planet of the galaxy. Similar to Coruscant, Aargau is a layered planet; the lowest levels are the most dangerous, full of the scum of the galaxy.

Aurra Sing, a very dangerous bounty hunter, takes Boba to Aargau to get half of Jango Fett’s fortune. Boba, naturally, isn’t keen on splitting his inheritance with her, and makes a dangerous escape to keep the entire fortune for himself.

But can a young, inexperienced boy really avoid all the pitfalls a planet like Aargau holds?

I found “Maze of Deception” to be an okay book in the Boba Fett series. A week after reading it I’ve already forgotten most of it, so it’s not that memorable. Younger readers will enjoy Boba’s exploits on Aaragu, and his gradual evolution into the great Boba Fett of Star Wars Legend.

2/5.

Book 167: Star Wars: Boba Fett 2: Crossfire

Star Wars: Boba Fett #2: Crossfire, by Terry Bisson

“Crossfire” is the second book in a six book series on the life of young Boba Fett. Boba is now the guest, or prisoner, depending on how you look at it, of Count Dooku. When the starting war comes to Raxus Prime, Boba manages to escape the junkyard planet by pretending to be an orphan.

While en route to a Bespin orphanage, Boba makes the first friend of his life. But when he’s torn between his new friend and his father’s teachings – which will he choose?

“Crossfire” was a bit blah to me, and even though it’s a short book, it felt like it dragged on for too long. I think it could have been tightened up a little.

2/5.

Book 161: Mapping the World of Harry Potter

Mapping the World of Harry Potter: An Unauthorized Exploration of the Bestselling Fantasy Series of All Time, edited by Mercedes Lackey

Complete through book six, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” this collection of essays takes a look at why and how the Harry Potter series appeals or angers people. There are essays on religion, education, politics, feminism, and more.

“Mapping the World of Harry Potter” mostly added to my enjoyment of J. K. Rowling’s series; some of the essays gave me a lot to think about for the next time I reread the series.

Here is a list of the essays:
-Harry Potter and the Young Man’s Mistake, by Daniel P. Moloney
-The Dursleys as Social Commentary, by Roberta Gellis
-To Sir, With Love, by Joyce Millman
-Harry Potter and the End of Religion, by Marguerite Krause
-It’s All About God, by Elisabeth DeVos
-Hermione Granger and the Charge of Sexism, by Sarah Zettel
-Neville Longbottom: The Hero with a Thousand Faces, by Martha Wells
-Why Dumbledore Had to Die, by Lawrence Watt-Evans
-From Azkaban to Abu Ghraib, by Adam-Troy Castro
-Ich Bin Ein Hufflepuff, by Susan R. Matthews
-Harry Potter as Schooldays Novel, by James Gunn
-Harry Potter and the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Counselor, by Mercedes Lackey
-The Proper Wizard’s Guide to Good Manners, by Roxanne Longstreet Conrad
-Why Killing Harry Is the Worst Outcome for Voldemort, by Richard Garfinkle

While “Mapping Harry Potter” was written before the publication of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the essays are still worthwhile reading. All are authored by writers of science fiction and fantasy novels, and I plan to check out the work of several of the contributors.

I think my favorite was “To Sir, With Love,” an essay on fanfiction and Professor Snape. I appreciated Joyce Millman’s wit and humor, and I think I’ll look up a few of the stories mentioned. I also enjoyed “Harry Potter as Schooldays Novel,” which gave history on the tradition of British schooldays novels. I had heard Harry Potter referred to as that, but had no clue what it meant. Now I do, and it’s a subgenre I plan to learn more about. I found “Why Killing Harry is the Worst Outcome for Voldemort” particularly clever, and something only the mind of a science fiction writer could create.

“The Proper Wizard’s Guide to Good Manners” was my least favorite; I don’t really see it as an essay but more fiction, and was a bit baffled while reading it.

I would recommend this for adult readers looking to expand their knowledge or thoughts on Harry, as some of the subject matter and language levels are above young fans.

4/5.

Book 96: Magic the Gathering: Agents of Artifice

Magic the Gathering: Planeswalker: Agents of Artifice, by Ari Marmell

I’m a little up in the air about “Agents of Artifice.” I had never read a Magic the Gathering book before, but have played it and have read other Wizards’ product lines, such as Forgotten Realms. So I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I think the surprise was a good one.

The author is capable, and his characters are definitely interesting. Jace is a planeswalker, a magic user who can travel between worlds with the power of his mind. After being recruited by an all-powerful and evil organization, his abilities increase while his heart dies from the acts he is forced to commit. Jace finds a friend in Kallist, a fellow Consortium recruit, but his skills are with a blade. The two eventually meet Liliana, a powerful necromancer with an agenda of her own, one that will keep you guessing.

The first quarter or so of the book is confusing, until you realize that it’s a type of flashback. There were a few other points where action jumped around a bit, but I just had to reread a section or two to figure out what was going on. This book is best if you can sit down with it for a while and take some time to get into it.

I wasn’t overly impressed, but I also wasn’t disappointed with the plot of “Agents of Artifice.” The story is interesting enough, with a lot of soul searching for each of the main characters, and each make some surprising decisions. The villains are just as intriguing, and Marmell makes his bad guys extremely bad – they think nothing of repeatedly torturing their victims, or of mind-raping someone. It’s a bit chilling, really.

You don’t have to be familiar with Magic the Gathering to read this book; I hadn’t played in 10 years or more and understood the magic system easily, thanks to the author’s descriptions.

I would say this book is average, but it’s a good average. It’s a decent romp in a magic universe with some good characters.

3/5.

Book 78: Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones

Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones, by R. A. Salvatore

While this is a novelization of the film, it is also more, as Salvatore fleshes out and adds to the “Attack of the Clones” story. He introduces readers to Padmé’s family, Shmi Skywalker’s new family, including Owen and Beru whom fans will remember as Luke’s aunt and uncle, and just gives some great background information on lots of other aspects that fans will appreciate.

Personally, I enjoy reading this book rather than watching the movie when I need a refresher on the events of “Attack of the Clones.” I think Salvatore was a good choice for the author; his writing fits perfectly in the universe, and he captures the essence of each character neatly. I could hear Anakin’s grumpy teen voice in my head, I winced at Threepio’s annoying whining, etc. Salvatore is also good at writing battle scenes, but I do think that some of them were rushed – I didn’t get the grand feel of battle when Yoda brought in the clones on Genosis, but Obi-Wan and Jango Fett’s battle on Kamino was perfect.

The additional insight into the primary and secondary characters is the best value of this book. In the movie, Anakin and Padmé’s relationship was always a little to quick for me, but thanks to Salvatore their relationship gets some much needed development before the marriage.

4/5.

Book 50: Avatar: An Activist Survival Guide

Avatar: An Activist Survival Guide, by Maria Wilhelm and Dirk Mathison

Written as a survival guide for Pandora, this book provides in-depth information on the flora, fauna, and Na’vi people on the moon, as well as details on the human weaponry and military vehicles imported from Earth. The plant and animal descriptions include classifications, Latin names, ecology, pictures, and their use on Pandora, as well as possible uses on Earth. The information on the Na’vi people tells about their customs, culture, and how they live. There’s also some pseudo-scientific explanations for the formation of Pandora and its inhabitants.

“Avatar: An Activist Survival Guide” is full of beautiful glossy photos and is a good companion for the movie. While I haven’t seen Avatar yet, I’m more eager to after reading this book, as there are things I’ll probably look for in the movie now. This seems like the perfect book for anyone who is really into Pandora and the Na’vi, or maybe someone curious about something specific, such as Na’vi mating habits.

One of my few complaints for this book is the design of the pages. While the pages are designed to look like crumpled paper, going with the survival guide/smuggled information theme, it does make it difficult to read the text. If the gray of the pages were a little lighter I think the text would be easier to read. Otherwise, it feels as if a lot of time and thought went into the appearance of the book, and the visuals are very nice.

3/5.

Book 44: Criminal Minds: Killer Profile

Criminal Mind: Killer Profile, by Max Allan Collins

Chicago is plagued by a series of seemingly unrelated murders. A couple shot to death in a car. Two women strangled in a park. A male body found in a barrel. Because the crimes are spread out over the city, the different police departments haven’t seen any connection, and who would see a connection between such crimes, anyway?

The BAU, or the Behavioral Analysis Unit, does. When one of the members of the unit sees crime scene photos, he knows that the cops are dealing with a copycat killer – someone copying the crimes of famous serial killers. But can the famous FBI agents of the TV series “Criminal Minds” track a killer who’s hiding behind the profiles of others?

“Killer Profile” is a tie-in novel and reads like an episode of the TV show it’s based on. Collins creates an interesting plot by using the crimes of famous serial killers such as John Wayne Gacy and Ted Bundy for his suspect, who copies each crime, but also improves on them. This allows for plenty of trivia, and a chance to follow the profiling process as the BAU team attempts to figure out what would drive a person to copycat.

“Killer Profile” is a good book for “Criminal Minds” fans, but it can also be read by someone without knowledge of the show. It’s a self-contained book, and Collins describes the characters well enough that you don’t have to have seen the show to know what’s going on.

4/5.

Book 43: Criminal Minds: Jump Cut

Criminal Minds: Jump Cut, by Max Allan Collins

In a town in Kansas homeless people are being found murdered, cleaned up, and dressed in clean clothes. It’s a case for the Behavioral Analysis Unit, a FBI profiling team out of Quantico, a team mainly featured in the TV drama “Criminal Minds.”

“Jump Cut” is very true to the show it is based on, with Collins capturing the essence of each of the profilers, and creating a plot that would fit right into the series. The format of the book even matches the show’s format, including voice-over quotes, scenes from the perspective of the UnSub, and trivia from real-life related cases. I felt like I was almost reading an episode, and could imagine each character’s voice talking to me as the book progressed. I only have a few complaints: Collins sometimes puts too much into details, such as describing what every person is wearing, and the book starts off slowly.

I’d say this is a good book for anyone who’s a fan of “Criminal Minds” and may want something to tide them over between episodes. I personally liked reading the profiling process being described, rather than shown as in episodes.

3/5.

Book 23: World of Warcraft: Arthas: Rise of the Lich King

World of Warcraft: Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, by Christie Golden

“Arthas: Rise of the Lich King” feels like it should be the best of all the Warcraft books published so far. Golden has a lot to work with: the previous Warcraft books, all the Warcraft games and expansions, and the multitude of lore and history that exists. But there’s a feeling I’m always left with after finishing this book – a feeling that *something* is missing.

The novel is the story of Arthas Menethil, heir to the throne of Lordaeron; a bright boy with a promising future. But instead of becoming a wise king and faithful paladin, Arthas will fall into the dark and icy deep and rise as the Lich King. The book starts out well enough, with Golden tying many of the scenes into other published Warcraft novels and game history. Arthas is established as a boy desperate to do the right thing, eager for his father’s approval, and to be his own person. He makes a misguided vow to do whatever necessary to protect his people, one that he holds to at all costs. Golden is good at writing misguided characters, ones that start with noble intentions that disintegrate – it seems to be her forte; she’s done this in the other Warcraft books she’s authored.

But I feel something is missing from “Arthas: Rise of the Lich King.” For me, Arthas’ fall is too fast. There isn’t enough believability in his fall from grace – while all Warcraft players know that he becomes evil, Golden doesn’t do a good enough job of making it a realistic journey. The third section of the book also glosses greatly over many important events; barely mentioning some and forgetting others all together. The end comes far too quickly. In my opinion the third section is very lacking; it could have used more detail, length, and coverage of important Warcraft events.

Fans of the game will appreciate the little touches Golden puts in, such as Arthas’ anger being described often as righteous fury, a spell paladins have. Or the smell of peacebloom, a common herb in the game. “Arthas: Rise of the Lich King” also features Jaina Proudmoore, Kael’thas Sunstrider, and Sylvanas Windrunner, all legendary figures in their own right.

“Arthas: Rise of the Lich King” was the first Warcraft book to be published in hardcover, and while I did splurge and purchase it in hardcover, I feel $25 is a bit much for this book. Only buy it if you have a good coupon, or wait for the paperback. It’s too short for my tastes, and isn’t long enough to be worth that much, frankly. I was very excited when this book was published, and I couldn’t wait to read it, and I do enjoy rereading it, but I just wish there was more too it. I always feel a bit blah at the end, and I wish I didn’t feel that way.

3/5.