Read, You Must: Star Wars Galactic Maps

New from Disney/Lucasfilm Press comes one of the last Star Wars books released in 2016, and one of the best surprises of the year!

Galactic Maps: An Illustrated Atlas of the Star Wars Universe is a delight for fans of the whole Star Wars saga. Illustrator Tim McDonagh shines on every large-sized 2-page map spread as writer Emil Fortune (writing as archivist “Amel Fortoon”) tells the story of these newly-discovered “ancient” maps that “seem to be centred on the saga of the legendary Skywalker family”.

These aren’t ordinary maps though - each map is filled with character moments and action scenes based in that location. The illustration style harkens back to antique maps of the high seas (of Earth) and woodcut printmaking, giving the whole book a cool, old-fashioned look. Star Wars is, after all, set “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away”.

The sprawl of Coruscant captured in a few key moments

Obvious important planets like Tatooine, Coruscant, Geonosis, Naboo, Jakku and Hoth are all here but over 80 pages, Galactic Maps also details locations seen only in The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels TV series as well.

Events on Jakku from The Force Awakens

As an added bonus there’s even some info and a map of Jedha from Rogue One. The various planetary systems are organized into groups and then categorized together by proximity. The book is admittedly more an artistic representation of each place rather than a collection of reliable topographical maps for navigation. Amel Fortoon warns at the beginning “these maps are not strictly accurate…the artist was more interested in the feel of these strange worlds and the galaxy-shaking events that took place on them.”

Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon could've used a map on Naboo!

Each map spread is full of detail and in some cases sharp eyes are rewarded with tiny details to discover. With self-referential humour and surprise appearances of all sorts of lesser-known characters from Meebur Gascon to Dr. Vindi to the Gorax, Galactic Maps has a lot of fun with what could’ve been a pretty dry book.  

Galactic Maps is part of a new trend in Star Wars merchandise that gives equal weight to all areas of the saga (not just the movies). Seeing Lothal or the mysterious The Clone Wars world of Mortis (is it a planet…or another dimension??) right alongside Mustafar and Endor is particularly satisfying.

Dathomir has many mysteries

Star Wars Galactic Maps is full of surprises, from its large 11 x 15” size to its cleverly illustrated 2-page spreads to its representation of all eras of Star Wars. 

Jedha, before the events of Rogue One!

It’s simply a wonderful book and unfortunate that it came out so late in the year. It has been added to our “Best of 2016” list now. Highly recommended!

Publisher’s Recommendation: Ages 8 – 12

Read, You Must: Ahsoka

What happened to Ahsoka?

Fans of The Clone Wars TV series were left wondering what happened to Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice Ahsoka Tano ever since her unceremonious departure from the Jedi Order at the end of Season 5. 

There were more planned stories involving the skilled, young Togruta but the show was (also unceremoniously) cancelled before those and the rest of the tales bridging Episode II and III could be told. 

Viewers were speculating if she’d turn to the Dark Side, if she’d disappear entirely, or if she could somehow come back to face Anakin. Little did she know about HIS future!

When Star Wars Rebels re-introduced Ahsoka at the end of Season 1 she was a mature Rebel leader, far more serious than she’d been years earlier.

So what happened to her in those 14 or so years in between The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels? 

Author E.K. Johnston (A Thousand Nights, The Story of Owen) and Disney/Lucasfilm Publishing takes Star Wars into the world of Young Adult (YA) fiction for a second time with Star Wars: Ahsoka and answer many of those burning questions. 

Not her, apparently.

Ahsoka tells the story of the former Jedi on the run from Empire. When the book begins Order 66 has already happened, the Republic has become the Empire and the Jedi Order is widely considered traitorous and dangerous.

It is a dark time when it was not safe at all to use the Force in public, let alone wield a lightsaber (or two).  Moving from town to town, planet to planet, Ahsoka must hide her true identity or be hunted by Imperials. She adopts the name Ashla and befriends a local farmers on the planet Raada.

Author E.K. Johnston

As the Empire’s control of Raada grows, “Ashla” must decide if she can help the locals or if her presence puts everyone in danger. Does doing the right thing mean running away? Ahsoka’s conscience conflicts with her Jedi training here but nothing could’ve prepared her for the heartless acts of the Empire.

Ahsoka from The Clone Wars

The story builds in steps as Ahsoka builds her new life. It starts somewhat slowly with her getting her bearings on a new planet, making new friends and even setting herself up a fix-it shop for droids and equipment. As she learns more about the Empire’s dealings on Raada she knows she cannot sit idly by. She’s no longer officially a Jedi but the Jedi code is deep within her so of course she fights the Empire - but not without cost. 

The pace picks up throughout the book and the story ends with plenty of dramatic Star Wars action. It also sets up the Ahsoka we see in Star Wars Rebels very well. 

Like Claudia Gray’s Lost Stars, Ahsoka is accessible to fans of a wide age range but written primarily with "young adult" (aka teen) readers in mind. There is nothing particularly inappropriate for younger readers here but the slow build may not be of interest to some younglings. 

Ahsoka as she appears in Star Wars Rebels

Ahsoka fans of any age will find satisfactory answers to many of their bigger questions of what happened to her between The Clone Wars and Rebels in Ahsoka.

Now if we could just get a book like this about Rey….please!

Thrawn: A New Threat for Star Wars Rebels

Returning for a third season this month, Star Wars Rebels introduces a dangerous “new” Imperial character named Grand Admiral Thrawn.

But Thrawn isn’t new at all!

Many long-time fans (mostly adults) are excited in anticipation to see this character return to Star Wars. For some, “excited” is a big understatement! But why? Who is Thrawn?

A little history: after the popular appeal of 1983’s blockbuster Return of the Jedi started to die down the widespread appeal of all things Star Wars also started to cool off. Toys, games, clothing, books and more became more and more scarce. As difficult as it is to imagine now, by 1986 it was increasingly rare to find much of ANYTHING Star Wars.

With no new movies on the horizon, no new toys and no new books or comics, the late 80’s are often referred by fans as “the dark times”. Star Wars almost seemed like it was finished forever, at least to the general public. 

Then in 1991, the novel Heir to the Empire was released and became a surprise bestseller! Author Timothy Zahn told his version of what happened to Luke, Han, Leia and the Empire after Return of the Jedi. Heir to the Empire (and two follow-up novels often called The Thrawn Trilogy) ushered in a new era of renewed popular interest in Star Wars. More novels came soon after, along with new comics, toys and by 1999 Episode 1 was released! Star Wars was back!

So for thousands of fans, Heir to the Empire and its sequels were the beginning of a renewed excitement for all things Star Wars.  It’s possible there would be no Episode 1, 2 or 3, let alone The Force Awakens or Rogue One, without the popular appeal of that book and the snowball of fan excitement it created in the early 1990’s. 

Ok, thanks for the history lesson but who is Thrawn? 

Grand Admiral Thrawn is the main villain of that landmark book Heir to the Empire, and several books that followed. He’s a remarkably clever military leader who uses intellect over brute force and almost always wins. He’s a cunning analytical thinker on par with Sherlock Holmes. He’s a villain that for many fans is as important to the Star Wars saga as Darth Vader and the Emperor!

In short: he is incredibly dangerous to the Rebels!

New novel coming in 2017

Even if you’d never heard of Thrawn before there are a lot of reasons to look forward to him appearing in Star Wars Rebels.

First, Rebels features Darth Vader sparingly and so far only glimpses of the Emperor, so a really dangerous and powerful villain would be a welcome addition to the show. 

Second, Thrawn is a very different kind of threat to the Rebels crew and should make for big challenges if they are all to survive to Season 4!

Finally, Thrawn is not human (he’s a blue-skinned Chiss) and in the Empire, humans tend to run everything. Having a very powerful alien within the Empire could cause some interesting conflict within the Empire too!

How long Thrawn lasts and what kind of danger he can pose for the Rebels remains to be seen but what is clear is he will not go down easily! Tune in to Season 3 of Star Wars Rebels to see it unfold!

Scary times ahead for the Ghost crew!

For more information and details about Thrawn see this article on StarWars.com and Thrawn’s Wookiepedia page.