Teetering on the edge **Sacrifice spoilers**

[Luvinna]

I am so close to giving up the EU that it's not funny.

The next LOTF book comes out next week and I find that I am not the least bit interested in reading it. Or any book that comes after it for that matter.

I've already posted some thoughts about this at my LJ which you can read at the following links.

**I'd warn anyone who has managed to stay spoiler-free about the events in Sacrifice to stop reading now.

After the Grief (http://luvinna.livejournal.com/99805.html)
Crashing Down (http://luvinna.livejournal.com/104399.html)

Am I being stupid for letting the events of Sacrifice ruin the EU for me? Part of me says I am. I used to roll my eyes at people who would let one little thing ruin an entire book for them. Like a friend of mine who hated Harry Potter 6 all because Harry said he wasn't going back to Hogwarts the next year. But I can't help how I feel. This wasn't a little thing to me. (http://luvinna.livejournal.com/91917.html)

It used to be that if I didn't have a new book to read, I'd pick up a Star Wars book and read it again. Now I can't because any mention of Mara depresses me and any mention of Jacen outrages me. That severely limits the books I can read because I was never really able to get into the prequel and Sith era books. I've read a few of them and they just don't interest me.

I don't want to give up on the EU, but what else can I do when I don't like what it's become? And if I were to give it up, I feel like I'd be giving up a part of myself because the books played such an important role in getting me to come out of the Star Wars geek closet. The EU is also really the only reason I come to the GS anymore. To quote Luke from the ESB radio drama, I feel like I'm being torn in two.

Is there anyone out there who can pull me back from the edge of this abyss before I jump? :help:

[empire21]

I wouldn't say it's stupid. Mara has always been my favorite EU character and after spoiling myself with what happens in Sacrifice it's killed all interest in me to even begin that series of books.

It's weird how a fictional character can have such an affect on you, but it does. :ohwell:

[TuskenRaider1]

Luv, there is a simple and complex reason for not jumping off the edge. It is that there is death as part of the cycle of story in Star Wars. There always has been. Whether it was the first loss of Owen and Beru in the movies, or the death of Obi-wan, or the (still a little hard to define) death of Padme after the birth of the twins, death is a parallel that has always driven the character arc of star wars.

Lets look at Mara from a character perspective. She was created to give Luke both a foil and a future after various other love-life characters failed to grab hold of the EU public, and Lucasfilms LTD. She was set up as the perfect/complimentary part of Luke, and their relationship helped develop a character that has been at the heart of everything SW. Her sickness in NJO was a character developing event for the series, the solo/skywalker clan, and Luke, as was the birth of Ben. The growth of Ben through DN and LotF has continued that journey. Her death is a part of it still.

Was Anakin Solo's death necessary? Chewies? Obi-wan or Qui-Gon? All were part of a larger picture, a larger structure of character and balance and the very dynamic that keeps us reading deeper into the stories of characters that some folks were content saying goodbye to after one, three or six movies.

From a writing stand-point, I stand by my feeling that it could have been better, could have been a more significant event, but it was still the focal point of a mid-series hardcover, even if most folks saw it coming. Could have it been pulled off with more emotion, sure, but just as the death of chewie was necessary to pull the EU out of the everyone gets away happy funk, and prepare us for the NJO, and just as the death of Anakin Solo prepared us for the downfall of Jacen (though I know the two were originally supposed to have been reversed, thus making in my view a better arc), they were necessary evils in a world that requires them.

I hope you dont give up on the EU. Good stories or bad, they have fullfilled our need for more SW and a greater look into the characters that hooked us in the series. As a member of the EUDF, I hope you dont give up, cuz we lose a good leader, but as a SW fan, I hope you dont give up becuase if they write the aftermath well, the death will help further develop a series of books over a 15-20 year period that we have grown to love, grown to accept as part of the SW legacy that could have ended for us all with the role of the credits.

Just my humble opinion, but I hope it helps.

[Sam Kenobi]

I think we'd all agree that Mara's death lacked the Uumph of Chewie and Anakin's. That being said, it really is time that people need to start dying off. I don't mean everyone has to go right now, but to further the story . . . things need to change. I always thought that the NJO should have had one more major character death. And as much as I would have hated it, It would have made sense.

I don't know if your interested in comic books, but the Legacy comic series really is a great addition to the Star Wars universe. And if they start to draw more and more parallels between the two series, I might start to get really excited again. Give them a shot.

[JediDad]

I think we've all had plot threads in the EU that drive us crazy. I absolutely hated the bug books. (That's what I call the Joiner trilogy) I hated what they did to Jania's character (among others)

I also wasn't a huge fan of the NJO. I didn't mind the Vong as a villianous race. At first it was better than another Empire remnant, or Superweapon to deal with. However, it went on too long, and I got tired of everything being about the Vong....for twenty books (or however many there were...seemed like twenty!)

Now, it seems that Jacen's experiences with the Vong (and Vegere) in the NJO set him on the path which has now taken him off the deep end of the dark side. His character is not even remotely sympathetic or understandable at this point. At least with Anakin Skywalker you could kinda understand his motivation. (Let's face it, growing up a slave on Tattooine...not the sharpest knife in the drawer, Anakin, naive and powerful..scary combination.)

I would say, tough it out on this latest series of books. I know it was tough to lose the Mara character...it was for me too...not as tough as losing Chewie, but much tougher than losing Anakin Solo.

But now, we gotta see what happens next...who learns what about Jacen, and who ultimately confronts him...Luke? Ben? or Jania...assuming Jania can fully recover from that bug voodoo!

[Master Magnus]

The EU has become progressively worse ever since the release of the NJO. I favor a few authors who I feel manages to capture the feeling of Star Wars (albeit sometimes with a little minimalism), Timothy Zahn, Matthew Stover and James Luceno. Then there are individuals novels (such as the Medstar duology) and generally (with the exception of Zahn's novels), I'd say that the prequel era material far surpasses the post-ROTJ era. I pretty much lost interest in the 'big' series by multiple authors after the NJO as they tend to feel somewhat disjointed and I became rather skeptical towards the LOTF (especially when I learned that a certain author would be part of it) and as I feel at the moment, I doubt I'll finish it.

[Arica]

Hi there. Luv I stand by what I said before. If you want to give up the EU go ahead. Even though it will be totally weird since I can't really imagine you not being involved in it. Hey you're the one that got me into the EU, but as I said Friday night I totally one hundred percent understand.

After chapter 17 in Vision of the Future you had to bribe me to finish the book. Balance Point I dont remember how you got me to finish that one. Anyway the point being as I said on your live journal, if you want me to read the series and tell you what happens I will. You know im curious to see what happens and if the theories I have come up with are correct.

Of course if they do become correct I dont know exactly how im going to feel about it.

Anyway I hope this helps and remember a character is never truely gone as long as there are fans who are still loyal to them.

A

[RedMirax]

I will probably keep reading the series, but I don't really care about it anymore. I am not of the belief that there has to be major deaths in books to be interesting. As I've said before, I read to get away from real life, I don't need to feel a book is being realistic by killing people off that I like. I actually used to like the fact I knew all of the characters would survive. And part of me doesn't believe Chewie is dead. I can watch any of the films and see him! :)

I agree this was the final straw with Mara's death. She was the first EU character that I wanted to keep reading about. And with these new author's, I don't think they will come up with a new character that will match her. They haven't so far (save us from Boba's family!).

I know and understand exactly where you are coming from. The only reason I will read more of the series is because I like to read and it's SW. Other than that, unless someone starts writing something better, that's all the series means to me. Just words. :(

[BoHeDia]

Luvinna, i read all your links and your dedication and love for not only mara but star wars itself struck me with such an amount of awe...i love the fact that you love mara so much, and me, being a huge jacen fan, even i was torn in two when it happend...i fell in love with jacen during the new jedi order and his trip of pain...vergere made jacen into a man that i wish i could be, but ever since lotf has begun i have found that he is a distant stragner blurred by a desert heat to me...i cant see what he is anymore...he is definetly not the joke telling boy he once was...i hate him for changing so suddenly on me...the jacen i know would have scoffed at the idea of the galaxy needing a sith to be a peaceful galaxy...it pisses me off that they have done this to him, and that Mara has suffered because of it...i am truly sorry for your loss luv, and i hope for some miracle, as im sure that you do...

[Luvinna]

I know and understand exactly where you are coming from. The only reason I will read more of the series is because I like to read and it's SW. Other than that, unless someone starts writing something better, that's all the series means to me. Just words. :(
And as I always ask the perpetual EU bashers, why do you keep reading the books if you don't enjoy them? With the exception of Zahn's books, I haven't really enjoyed a SW book since 2002. Why should I keep spending my time and money on these books when there are so many others out there I want to read?

I think we'd all agree that Mara's death lacked the Uumph of Chewie and Anakin's. That being said, it really is time that people need to start dying off. I don't mean everyone has to go right now, but to further the story . . . things need to change. I always thought that the NJO should have had one more major character death. And as much as I would have hated it, It would have made sense.
As much as they can upset me, I don't have a problem with main character deaths. I've read enough on-going series to know that's just a part of telling a story. Raymond E Feist, in one of his Midkemia books, killed off every person who had ever been a main character in the 12 books and 70-ish years of story except for 5 people.

I think the thing that upsets me most about Mara's death is that they're making it out to be more that it was, IMO. We can say for certain that there are 3 people Jacen would have had a harder time killing - a harder time sacrificing - than Mara: Allana, Tenel Ka and Ben. I don't even think Ben's "hero worship" was more important to him than his child. And to place Mara that far down the list makes it seem like hardly any kind of a sacrifice for him at all, and so belittles her death in my mind.

Saying Jacen killed her simply because she found out he went Sith would sound better than saying he killed her to "sacrifice" Ben's hero worship. Besides, Jacen hasn't even sacrificed anything yet because he won't completely lose Ben's hero worship until Ben finds out. Which just adds insult to injury.

I don't know if your interested in comic books, but the Legacy comic series really is a great addition to the Star Wars universe. And if they start to draw more and more parallels between the two series, I might start to get really excited again. Give them a shot.
I'm not a major fan of comics. I prefer to picture what's going on in my own mind than to see someone else's vision of it. But I have read the first volume of Legacy, and it was rather interesting. The only other comics I've read are (surprise, surprise) By the Emperor's Hand and Union.

Lets look at Mara from a character perspective. She was created to give Luke both a foil and a future after various other love-life characters failed to grab hold of the EU public, and Lucasfilms LTD.
I shouldn't comment on this, but I can't help myself... Are you saying you don't know the story? I thought that was basic EU defense knowledge. Luke and Mara were slated to be together from 1994 (the year after TLC came out). Straight from Timothy Zahn's mouth (http://luvinna.livejournal.com/13708.html#cutid1)(scroll down a bit to the "General Information" section, third bullet).

Her sickness in NJO was a character developing event for the series, the solo/skywalker clan, and Luke, as was the birth of Ben. The growth of Ben through DN and LotF has continued that journey. Her death is a part of it still.
This approach might work... if Ben doesn't backslide again as I suspect he will because that's what his character seems to do. Two steps forward, one step back. I can't imagine Ben going back to Jacen after that conversation he overheard. But then, I also had a hard time believing he would go running back to Jacen after the conclusions he came to about the events at the end of Exile, and he did that.

Every other character death that has helped drive the story of Star Wars forward had an immediate impact on the character affected. Qui-Gon, Shmi, Padme, Owen and Beru, Obi-Wan, Biggs, Chewie... They all had an immediate impact.

So, I guess it depends on what Ben does next. Feel free to tell me after you've read Inferno.

[RedMirax]

I guess I keep reading them hoping I will start to enjoy them again. Each book comes with the hope that it will get better! :)

[TuskenRaider1]

Yeah Luv, re-reading that my order was off. I meant to say she had been created as a foil for Luke, not after others failed, but that in the continuity arc, they got together after others failed. Not a lack of EU defense knowledge, but a mistype and bad writing...oops.

Ill let you know with Inferno. First couple chapters are pretty decent so far.

Sorry about that.

[DarthSolo]

I am so close to giving up the EU that it's not funny.



Is there anyone out there who can pull me back from the edge of this abyss before I jump? :help:

One word, my friend. Ben.

The kid will make Mara proud.

[Luvinna]

One word, my friend. Ben.

The kid will make Mara proud.
Yes. I know. "Cometh the hour, cometh the man." I guess I was expecting that to be in Sacrifice since Traviss was the one who said it.

Forgive me if I don't hold my breath. I haven't been real impressed with his character so far.

[JediDad]

Ordered Inferno from Amazon today. No matter what misgivings I have about the EU, it's still got a hold on me...and it's still a fun diversion to spend 20 min or so reading each evening...

Star Wars is Forever...even if I have to tolerate books by Troy Denning...

[DarthSolo]

Yes. I know. "Cometh the hour, cometh the man." I guess I was expecting that to be in Sacrifice since Traviss was the one who said it.

Forgive me if I don't hold my breath. I haven't been real impressed with his character so far.
Sacrifice was his turning point. But, hey, maybe you just need some time to detach for a bit. :)

[Sam Kenobi]

I picked up Inferno last night . . . but I want to finish rereading Dark Apprentice (the JKA book, ugh) before I dive in.

[Luvinna]

Sacrifice was his turning point.
Which is why I want to know what he does in Inferno. I've seen too many hints that he still goes back to Jacen to completely believe that he's fully come to his senses.

[Arica]

Luv my friend. Dont give up on the kid yet ;) Ill let you know more after I finish Inferno.

[TuskenRaider1]

Luv, we can chat about it in the inferno forum with spoilers, but dont give up. Not at all...