New Jedi Order

[Darth Bigalow]

I wanna read the some New Jedi Order books but do I havto start from the beginning for it to make sense???? is there little things i need to know to read it????

[Luvinna.]

They've been doing a pretty good job in the NJO explaining things that happened in previous books. *You'd probably understand it better if you did start at the beginning and read through, but I don't think it's necessary. *I seem to remember hearing that the NJO was to be written in a way so that you really only had to read the hardcovers to know what was going on. *And I think for the most part, that's been true. *All the 'big' stuff's happened in hardcover books.

[RedMirax]

The Vong have progressed throughout the series, though. At least they have for me.

At first, I couldn't really get a fix on their culture, but in each novel, it becomes a little clearer....


Maybe it's just me, though...

[Doctor Evil]

Why would you NOT want to start at the begining? This makes no sense to me. It is one thing to pick up a NJO book and read it , not knowing it is a continuing storyline, but since you already know this.....

Start at the begining. Then if you don't like it after a few, you at least know you gave it a fair chance. If you pick it up in the middle somewhere and don't like it, it may be the books, but it may be you picked a bad place to try to pick it up.

Doc :saber:

[lathian]

Start from the beginning, Vector Prime is a better book then some from the NJO.

[Whuffa]

Yeah, if you're anxious to catch up, then read only the Hardcovers.

[jade51999]

Start from the beginning, and my advice is that while only the "major" stuff happens in the hardcovers there are some "pseudo major things" that hapen in the ppb i.e. i think those of us who read Rebirth would agree that at least one insident in that set is important...

but that's just IMHO style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif

[Nathan Butler]

I wouldn't skip Traitor, if I were you. The rest of the paperbacks are iffy, but Traitor fundamentally changes several major Star Wars concepts and plot threads.

[Handothrawn]

If your going to start now, start from Vector Prime and then read the Dark Tide Duology, I recomend just reading an online overiew of Agents Of Chaos, read Balance Point, head into the Edge of Victory Duology, and then read Star by Star, and just read an overview of Dark Journey(The last chapters run at a pace that just doesn't read very well, and most of the book is just uninteresting), definetly read the Enemy Lines Duology and read Traitor, the greatest none-Hardback of the NJO.

[Swamprat_Jedi_Knight]

Is their a differance between the Hardcovers and paperbacks, as far as the content goes? I was under the impression that paperbacks were the same thing word for word, just made in a less expensive format. Please set me straight on this, I'm confused. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/banghead.gif

Thanx

[RedMirax]

You are right about that. Nothing is changed when a hardback becomes paperback. The only thing is.... the hardback doesn't come out in paperback form, for about a year. I think.

[Flight]

Right, there's no difference in content between the hardback version of a novel and the paperback version. However, there are some exceptions. The paperback version of Star by Star will include the printed form of the e-book Recovery, just like the paperback version of Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter included the printed form of the e-book Saboteur.

[cmulligan01]

Given that there is a third SW ebook 'Ylesia' by Walter Jon Williams I'm guessing right now that book will be included in the paperback of Destiny's Way when the paperback comes out in around a year from now, give or take a few months.

Except for those ebook cases the paperbacks of the hardcovers are word for word what's in the hardcover just a cheaper format. If you look in, I believe, the copyright page in most books that were originally in a different version or format you'll find something like, 'Not one word has been omitted from the original hardcover edition'. They just changed the spacing and lines per page but the content is completely intact.

[Brian]

Doh! I failed to read previous posts, therefore I am editing my stupid question.

[Swamprat_Jedi_Knight]

Thank you all for setting me straight on that. I was just wondering because of the way I took the comment "The important stuff only happens in the hard covers." I had read the hc of Vector Prime, and then told my freind about it and he started reading the paperback. I was nervous because of that statement, thinking the pb was condensed or something, and that my freind had got the cheap version of the story. But now I know that that isn't true. Thanx again.

[Flight]

<<I was just wondering because of the way I took the comment "The important stuff only happens in the hard covers.">>

That's referring to the NJO as a whole. Generally, the really monumentous events are saved for the books that are first released in hardcover - Vector Prime, Balance Point, Star by Star, and Destiny's Way .

[imperialcacner]

I think that you should start at the begining. IT just makes the stroy flow better. Plus some of the paperbacks have some major points in them to, such as the dark tide series. I kno i didn't expect what happene in taht book. The whole series is very good and when u pick up that first book, i garuntee you will continue to read teh others none stop. They just kinda put all of the star wars universe together in one large series. All teh characters from previous books are there and it jsut makes for a good story.

[Handothrawn]

Go check collecting, I just posted a thread that will help you.

[Lianna]

You can always check out the NJO Sourcebook to get some get some description on characters and the like to supplement your reading.

[TyQuinn]

I think you should start from the beginning. Vector Prime was not the most well written story ever, but it was a decent one and it introduces the Vong well enough. I personally am reading from the star. Currently I am only at Dark Tide II: Ruin but so far the whole NJO storyline is really captivating.

[Booster Terrik]

I didn't read Vector Prime because I just finished I Jedi, and wanted another book with Corran. If I had read it I probably would have cried. Since, I haven't missed a copy and cried again during Star by Star. Traitor kicked @$$ and a currently trying to fit Destinys Way into a my budget.
NJOrulz!!!!! Read them all.

[Das_Funked]

I was wondering if Luke, Leia, Han etc. are still in the NJO books. I know they were in Vector Prime, but are they still in or have been 'retired'?
And, if I wanted to read the rest of NJO, and I could only get it in paperback, are you saying that I would be missing out on important events?

style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool.gif

[Das_Funked]

....yes....

[jade51999]

no..b/c as of right now you can get
Vector Prime, Balance Point and Star By Star (3 out of the 4 already published hardcovers) in paperback..

so you could get as far as traitor and not worry about buying a hardcover..

as for han and leia..they are a prominant piece of the NJO..as is LUke and Mara..style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

[Suzanne (ex CoS Leia)]

I didn't really get into the EU until a couple of years ago by which time the NJO was half way through - I had just read the courtship of princess leia and saw Dark Journey in the bookstore. I decided to buy it because of the Hapes common link.

I was a little lost at first (I couldn't believe that they'd killed Anakin) but I enjoyed it enough to go back for Rebel Stand and Rebel Dream - and I was hooked.

I went back to read the earlier books after that and found the first few to be fairly heavy going. Had I started with them I don't know if I would have continued. However, because I enjoyed the other books so much I perservered and thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the series.

Whilst there may have been the occasional continuity glitch and lame idea, overall the series was magnificent and I wouldn't hesitate in recommending it to anyone with any interest at all in Star Wars.

[3rdgenerationfett]

my 2 cents, read the whole series, its awesom!

[Ripley the Warmaster]

<span style='color:blue'>By looking at my user name, it isn't hard to find out that I like the series. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif New Jedi Order is a shot of adrenline into the EU. By the end of the Bantam run, everything one of their novels, except for the Tales line, was pretty much a rehash of Thrawn Trilogy and earlier X-Wing. I enjoyed the new style. Returning authors like Stackpole and Allston gave their SW novels in the series, IMO. Plus new authors like Luceno, Denning, and Stover have added greatly. While there are some flaws and a few bad books, the overall series is brilliant. Well worth reading.</span>

[Soontir Solo]

Das-Funked: I think TUF is out in paperback now too.

[Durnar]

'Should I read the NJO?'

In a word....yes. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

[Soontir Solo]

Definitely.

[Sam Kenobi]

Why not?

[Soontir Solo]

The only reason one shouldn't read it is if one doesn't like Star Wars, then of course you probably wouldn't like NJO. Besides that though everyone should read the series.

[Sam Kenobi]

Of course, lol.

[Kapit]

everyone who likes SW as a whole should read the NJO, because it has some of the best books i've ever read

traitor and the unifying force are my two favorites out of the NJO

but i think all of the NJO should be read, because then you will understand it all, and there's some great stuff in there........anakin on yavin 4, and the whole force heretic series was pretty sweet too!

so read the NJO

[Soontir Solo]

I completely agree, I also think Traitor and TUF are the two best books in NJO.

[DarthSolo]

deffinetly, and SBS was right there too IMO

[Kapit]

oh man, how could i forget STAR BY STAR!?!?!?!?!?!

that book was sweet!

but, i do have to say, vector prime made me get watery eyes cause chewie died

i remember being completely taken aback, and going back to that part multiple times because i couldn't believe it!!!!!!!!1

[Soontir Solo]

I felt no sadness when Chewie died, only acceptance.

SBS was really good.

[Mask of Ice]

i ALMOST cried when finished reading SBS.
How could Anakin die?

[Greedo Boy]

Always start from the second book, double back to get the first, skip forward to the third, and then continue on reading in order if possible. That's how I'm doing. And how I did a couple other book series... style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wacko.gif

[Mask of Ice]

Ha, its NOT effective at all.

[Soontir Solo]

Or just read them in order to make sure you get the story as it comes. It is better that way. More enjoyable and suspensefull.