A Little Explanation

 So to explain my giddy last post: I am a guest blogger on a super cool Star Wars fan site, Fangirlblog.com. I'm reviewing a book called Revan.

The Star Wars franchise is much much more than the movies we grew up watching, and the three newer movies. It's the Expanded Universe:
There are, of course, the Clone Wars cartoon. Which are really engaging, btw; we're watching them on Netflix. They really explain Anakin's descent into the Dark Side and who knew Obi Wan Kenobi was once in love?
Then there are the books: several series  set before, after and during the destruction of the Death Star the first time (the Battle of Yavin). Many chronicle the lives of Han, Luke and Leia and what happens to them and their children...my favorite author of the series is Timothy Zahn. His writing is cogent, mature, thought provoking. His characters are multi-layered. They grow and change. The type of characters who become imaginary friends. (See what happens when I don't have coffee with you? I'm talking to you Roca Coca and Rainbow Brite.) The books are often comic books and the comic books often have their own series, but as I am still working, and seeing to Papoose and Hubs, I haven't gotten into those. A girl has to set some boundaries.

Then there are the video games. So many video games. You may be familiar with Lego Star Wars. But there are also lots of role playing, online games (like Sims, for Star Wars) and that leads to a whole new part of the Expanded Universe ( the EU, and I don't mean France). The Old Republic. It's a period that's 5,000 years before Luke Skywalker. Talk about a galaxy far, far away...though the biggest leap you have to take is that the technology is essentially the same as Luke's- do you remember your first cell phone? And your current one?- I guess that's why it's fiction and you have to be willing to take a leap of faith.
Anyway, 5,000 years before Luke (and Yavin) there were lots of super bad ass Sith Lords, and lots of equally super bad ass and often emotionally conflicted Jedis.There were soldiers, smugglers and mercenaries. The video games allow you to become one of them.
The original role playing video game was Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR), by a company called Bioware.

Revan in KOTOR- he's on the right; note the different color in lightsaber than the book cover above

And the a second video game, KOTOR II: The Sith Lords.
Now,  after EA bought Bioware, there is a new video game coming out, Star Wars, The Old Republic (SWTOR).
Because LucasArts is such a juggernaut, there's been a slew of media tie ins to everything, including books. The books explain the back stories to the video games and set up readers to the video games.

Of course I didn't know all this at first. i had burned through all of Tim Zahn's books and a few others and was looking for a good read. Thanks to Amazon, I stumbled onto Revan.

The story engaged me enough to want to talk about it and Fangirl was gracious enough to let me review the book. When it's published on her site, I promise I'll send the links.

In the mean time, enjoy this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lrk2BE4Tqc&feature=fvsr