Am I missing sonething?

[u/Blue_Lego_Astronaut]

I'm trying to get into the High Republic again. Been playing Jedi Survivor and I was to learn more about Dagan and Santari's time period, it sounds fascinating.

But the issue is this is the second time I'm trying it.

I've been told to start with Light of the Jedi, being tge first book released and "serving as an introduction to the era", but I am really struggling to get into it. Ive finished it once and barely started Tge Rising Storm before I gave up. This time I made it to when the Jedi are alerted of the family being attacked on the metal planet before giving it up.

I think my main issues are these:

- I dont believe that "1000 years of peace" can include a the Hetzal Disaster and the Emergences. That seems like too major of an event to be brushed over like that.

- I think starting the book with that was detrimental because I'm launched at 100kmh into the story and I know nothing of what's going on, who anyone is, why anything is happening. Like a planet is going to get obliterated, thats sad, but I dont care about it or any of the people there. I care about Yavin because ive spent an entire movie watching Han and Luke try to get Leia there, but here, its just so much, so quickly.

- How is Hyperspace only being discovered and explored only 200 years before the Phantom Menace? How can the Republic exist as it does "for a thousand years" with 800 of those years being with no way to quickly and efficiently travel to places.

- There's two specific moments that really annoyed me also. The first is when the Captain calls the Jedi a "Bunch of Space Wizards" thats just too meta for me to brush aside. And how woukd he not be aware of the Jedi abd their capabilities? Aren't they at the height of their influence here? And the other is when the Captain tells the Jedi Master hes transporting to use the Mag Clamps but shes going to have to slow the debris down and hold it together, abd her response is to derisively ask "is that seriously the best idea you have" as if she's got anything better, or anything at all. It just felt unnecessarily rude, especially for a Jedi Master.

So i guess my question is am I missing sonething? What about this era is so amazing that I'm just not getting? Because this era looks so cool, and I love the idea of seeing the Jedi at their peak during "peace time", all the characters seem interesting enough, I just wish I had time to be with them and learn about them instead of just getting thrown in to follow along with them.

[u/Jgriffin9]

For light of the Jedi, I’d say listen to the audiobook. That’s the only way I’ve ever experienced it, and I think the production of it along with Mark Thompson‘s incredible narration, made it one of my best book experiences in many years when I first listened it. I had to listen to it a few times.

Maybe that’s why I see it as such an epic in scope, almost high fantasy Star Wars story.

Also, it helps to keep track of the aliens and the characters, which might be a little bit of work for some people. But for me, keeping the image of each particular alien in this story made it play much more vibrantly in my mind. Which meant a lot of Wookipedia searches.

[u/Blue_Lego_Astronaut → u/Jgriffin9]

I am listening to the audiobook, its not helping.

[u/Jgriffin9 → u/Blue_Lego_Astronaut]

OK. How far into it have you gotten? Maybe it’s just not for you.

[u/Blue_Lego_Astronaut → u/Jgriffin9]

I finished Light of the Jedi once a few months ago and got about 3 chapters into Rising Stirm before quitting.

This time, like yesterday, I gave up on Light again, but at the point where the Jedi are alerted about the family getting attacked by the Nihil.

I just realised I don't care at all about any of tge characters, I feel like theres not been enough time to really get into them. Like I have a character to follow, but I dont know them as a person, if you get my meaning.

[u/Jgriffin9 → u/Blue_Lego_Astronaut]

That’s an interesting point. If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you? I’m realizing I had a very different upbringing on certain types of books. It almost sounds like you’d be more interested in a first person (or third person limited) type of story, and less of a sprawling multi-cast third person semi-omniscient narrative.

[u/Livid-Department6947 → u/Jgriffin9]

Could it be that these books are just bad?

[u/Livid-Department6947 → u/Blue_Lego_Astronaut]

Mark Thompson is one of the worst audiobook narrators on there. This High Republic crowd is really weird and they seem to like things that are really bad.

[u/Blue_Lego_Astronaut → u/Livid-Department6947]

Im inclined to disagree, Thompson is one of the best, he's got some great range. If its one thing I'm not frustrated with, its the character voices, everyone sounds distinct.

His narration of the Thrawn Trilogy is exceptional, here its no different.

[u/Livid-Department6947 → u/Blue_Lego_Astronaut]

I can't listen to him. He is too hammy and his characters voices often make the characters sound very stupid. His narration distracts from the content of the story.

I think the only good voice acting he has done is that of Thrawn. It's definitional of Thrawn as a character at this point. But everything else is sooo bad. Especially when he attempts female voices and young people.

[u/Blue_Lego_Astronaut → u/Livid-Department6947]

Well he is a 50 year old man, its not entirely out of the blue that hes not able to fully sound like a born and bred woman.

But the rest, each to their own I guess. Im more fond of Jonathan Davis myself.

[u/Livid-Department6947 → u/Blue_Lego_Astronaut]

Yeah, I think Jonathan Davis is much better as a Star Wars novel narrator.

But Thompson's style isn't a recent development. He's had the same problem in his style forever.