First thing, check out this cover for the first Imperial Commando novel, written by Karen Traviss, 501st:
Doesn’t that look cool?! And here’s the official blurb for the book, taken from this post on the official site:
The Clone Wars are over, but for those with reason to run from the new galactic Empire, the battle to survive has only just begun….
The Jedi have been decimated in the Great Purge, and the Republic has fallen. Now the former Republic Commandos — the galaxy’s finest special forces troops, cloned from Jango Fett — find themselves on opposing sides and in very different armor. Some have deserted and fled to Mandalore with the mercenaries, renegade clone troopers, and rogue Jedi who make up Kal Skirata’s ragtag resistance to Imperial occupation. Others — including men from Delta and Omega squads — now serve as Imperial Commandos, a black ops unit within Vader’s own 501st Legion, tasked to hunt down fugitive Jedi and clone deserters.
For Darman, grieving for his Jedi wife and separated from his son, it’s an agonizing test of loyalty. But he’s not the only one who’ll be forced to test the ties of brotherhood. On Mandalore, clone deserters and the planet’s own natives, who have no love for the Jedi, will have their most cherished beliefs challenged. In the savage new galactic order, old feuds may have to be set aside to unite against a far bigger threat, and nobody can take old loyalties for granted.
Pre-order your copy here for those in the States and here for those in Europe!
Next up, the incomparable Timothy Zahn returns to the Star Wars Expanded Universe!
Bestselling author and fan-favorite Timothy Zahn will return to the Expanded Universe of Star Wars novels with a new full-length story to be published by Del Rey Books in 2011. The new tale of intrigue and action is set in the time of classic Star Wars trilogy, not long after the events of his previous novel, Allegiance. The legendary heroes return — Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Chewbacca — along with some of Zahn’s most popular creations: Thrawn, Mara Jade and the Hand of Judgment stormtroopers.
The book is as yet untitled, but is slated to debut in fall of 2011, the year that marks the 20th anniversary of his first Star Wars novel, Heir to the Empire, the blockbuster book that launched the modern era of Star Wars publishing.
Taken from this post, this is also great news! Zahn’s Thrawn Trilogy were the first EU books I ever read, and probably what led me to having over 110 SWs novels in my collection so far. 🙂 The man knows Star Wars, knows the characters, knows the themes – in short, he’s one of the best EU writers working today, and his books are always entertaining and true to the galaxy that George Lucas created. 🙂 You can be sure I’ll update you on any further information and will post the cover as soon as it’s available. 🙂
And last but not least, some cool Fate of the Jedi goodies! Want some peeks into the 9-book series opener, Outcast? Follow this link. 🙂
Be Fantastic!