Pebble in the Sky by Isaac Asimov

Pebble in the Sky by Isaac Asimov - 255 pages

While on a walk in downtown Chicago, sixty-two year old Joseph happens to be transported about 50,000 years into the future due to an accident in the nearby nuclear lab.  Earth has become radioactive and can only support 20 million people, so people who are the age of sixty or unable to work are terminated to support the young and able.  Joseph finds himself in a predicament, as he is unable to communicate with the inhabitants of Chica. Meanwhile, Dr. Bel Arvardan is trying to prove that Earth is the original world that all humans came from.  The Galactic Empire, which rules over the galaxy, cannot fathom that humanity has its roots in this dying planet.  Dr. Arvardan finds himself in Chica, where he runs into Joseph and their paths intertwine.

Inferno Squad (Star Wars: Battlefront #2) by Christie Golden

Inferno Squad (Star Wars: Battlefront #2) by Christie Golden-307 pages

I played Star Wars Battlefront II the video game and this is a prequel to the campaign mode of this video game. I enjoyed playing the campaign and I enjoyed reading this spin-off prequel novel. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Star Wars, especially those who enjoyed playing the Battlefront II campaign. 

Alliances (Star Wars: Thrawn #2) by Timothy Zahn

Alliances (Star Wars: Thrawn #2) by Timothy Zahn-342 pages

I have read the original Thrawn trilogy and the first Disney Canon Thrawn novel, so when I saw the pre-pub ads for this I knew I had to read it. I enjoyed reading this novel, especially the flashbacks to Thrawn helping Anakin Skywalker during the Clone Wars. Timothy Zahn captured the conflict within Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker well. I was slightly disappointed in his portrayal of Thrawn because he seemed a bit weak compared to his portrayal in Zahn's other novels. I also thought the plot was a bit thin, yet still good. Overall, I enjoyed reading Zahn's latest Thrawn novel and would recommend it to anyone interested in Star Wars.

Thrawn (Star Wars Disney Canon Novel) by Timothy Zahn

Thrawn (Star Wars Disney Canon Novel) by Timothy Zahn-427 pages

I read the Thrawn Trilogy by Zahn in 2015 in anticipation of The Force Awakens, so when I heard this was being written and released as an "official" Disney canon novel (the original Thrawn Trilogy is a "Legends" or not official Disney canon now) I immediately pre-ordered it. I really enjoyed reading this and Zahn does Thrawn well in his imagining of his rise to Grand Admiral. I especially liked that he included Thrawn's studying the adversary's cultural art as a means to glean patterns of expected behavior, just as Thrawn did in the original trilogy. Thrawn is depicted as a master tactician (although not great at politics) in this novel just as he was in the original trilogy. The fact that Zahn wrote both the original trilogy and this standalone novel helps with continuity and effectiveness. I enjoyed the secondary stories of Eli Vanto and Arihnda Pryce woven throughout this novel as companions to Thrawn's rise. Overall, this was as good, maybe better, than I expected and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Star Wars (especially anyone who read the original Thrawn trilogy). 

Star Wars, Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel by James Luceno

Star Wars, Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel by James Luceno-336 pages

This obviously isn't romance, but I wanted to read this anyway. I watched Rogue One in theaters last December and wanted to read this story since it is the background story to Rogue One. It is not an action-filled story, but it is a worthwhile one, nonetheless. It gives more weight to the characters from the movie and it sheds more light/helps one make more sense of the events of Rogue One. Overall, I enjoyed reading this novel, although there were a few typos and grammar errors.

Lost Stars (Star Wars: Journey to the Force Awakens) by Claudia Gray

Lost Stars (Star Wars: Journey to the Force Awakens) by Claudia Gray-551 pages

I read Bloodline, also by Claudia Gray, and enjoyed it quite a bit and I had read many good reviews of this so I wanted to read it. It was very interesting to see the events of the original Star Wars trilogy through the eyes of those who were in the lower positions and worked their way up. I also enjoyed the plot of this novel and Gray's prose is high quality. I enjoyed Lost Stars much more than Aftermath by Chuck Wendig (although I am not as harsh on Aftermath as some) as the plot and prose are so much better and more professional. Overall, I enjoyed reading about a boy and a girl from the same planet who both initially join the Imperial Fleet happily, but eventually take two different paths only to be reunited in the end.

Aftermath-Star Wars: Aftermath #1 by Chuck Wendig

Aftermath-Star Wars: Aftermath #1 by Chuck Wendig-366 pages

I recently learned about the new Star Wars novels set in the years after Episode VI and before Episode VII and decided I want to read them. This is the first of those new novels and part of a trilogy. The story follows a group of New Republic "rebels," first individually, then working together as a group, albeit reluctantly and sort of accidentally. The "rebels" are on Akiva for various reasons and soon learn that the Empire is holding an important meeting on the planet and, in the end, decide to work together to take down the Imperials holding the meeting. Twists and turns occur throughout the story which makes for an intriguing, interesting read. I have mixed opinions about the Interludes littered throughout the story. On one hand, they show the "aftermath" of the Empire's defeat at Endor, while on the other they are merely a distraction. Overall, it was an easy, fun read, though the writing at times was choppy and improper grammar could be found throughout. Having read this, I am interested in reading the rest of the trilogy (which has yet to be published) and in reading Bloodline, which is another of the new Star Wars novels set between the events of Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens.