Star Wars: Bloodline - New Republic

"Today is the end of the Republic. The end of a regime that acquiesces to disorder. At this very moment in a system far from here, the New Republic lies to the galaxy while secretly supporting the treachery of the loathsome Resistance. This fierce machine which you have built, upon which we stand will bring an end to the Senate, to their cherished fleet. All remaining systems will bow to the First Order and will remember this as the last day of the Republic!"-General Hux, The Force Awakens I love the First Order as baddies as this speech implies a rather interesting new galactic status quo. Who are the First Order? What do they want? Where did they come from? Who is the Resistance? What do they do? Where did they come from? How do both of these relate to the New Republic. A lot of this can be inferred but we really don't have a context for it all and I was hoping the new Star Wars Expanded Universe would fill it in. It hasn't until now. I was a big fan of Claudia Gray's Lost Stars (reviewed here) so was excited about this book. I felt she had an excellent ability to get inside character's heads and was interested in her take on Princess Leia. Honestly, I think this is probably the best Princess Leia book ever done. Leia has long been the most overlooked member of the Big Three and with the exception of her recent comic book series as well as Star Wars: Razor, she doesn't get much in the way of attention. The premise is it's been twenty-years since the fall of the Galactic Empire. Unlike in the Legends universe, the Empire is nothing more than a story told to scare children now. While Leia and other politicians are venerated for their wartime service, they are considered increasingly irrelevant to the public at large. Worse, the New Republic which Leia fought so hard to preserve has become a gridlocked mess where the two sides of the political debate refuse to compromise on any subject. Our plucky heroine has been worn down by fighting this uphill battle and wants to retire to be with her husband. Han is, I kid you not, an announcer for space races now. Leia is drawn back into the political arena, though, by the revelation of a massive criminal syndicate threatening the galaxy. Teaming up with an idealistic but naive Empire-loving Senator, a source of considerable disagreement to say the least, Leia discovers the syndicate is part of a grander conspiracy to create a new government that will revive the Empire in practice if not name. This also ends up to the revelation of Leia's greatest secret: her biological father's identity. Bloodlines provides a lot of necessary context to The Force Awakens. We find out the First Order has been a conspiracy within the Republic for some time as well as the seeds which are laid for a complex relationship between it and the rest of the galaxy. We also find out how Leia has gone from being one of the most respected people in the galaxy to a virtual pariah leading another ragtag resistance. Claudia Gray creates a complex political situation which is familiar enough to be understood by American readers. We've all been troubled by political gridlock in the past as well as a knowledge of two separate political parties at each other's throats. The addition of a secret Imperial conspiracy within one of them prepaing an "evil plan" to take over reminded me more of Captain America: The Winter Soldier than anything resemblilng RL politics. Those looking for insight into Supreme Leader Snoke, Ben Solo, or Luke will be disappointed as none of them make an appearance in this book. The biggest revelation is Ben Solo is still a Jedi Knight trainee six years before the events of The Force Awakens and isn't aware of his grandfather's identity. Given the Vader-worshiping idealism of Kylo Ren, it seems likely the discovery of this plays a big role in his fall to the Dark Side. I like the set up for the First Order with the Centralists' politicians. While they're clearly the "bad" guys, Claudia Gray shows many of them are simply frustrated with the way the galaxy is run. They're catspaws for the First Order conspiracy which will eventually be created from the New Republic (rather than a pre-existing Imperial State).. This makes them more akin to the Prequel's Separatists than the Legends Imperial Remnant. Claudia Gray has an excellent grasp of characters with all of her supporting cast being likable and interesting. The stand-out character, however, is Senator Casterfo who is an extremely nuanced personality. A labor camp survivor, he has a personal hatred for Darth Vader but believes the Empire is superior to the Republic in terms of government functionality. He is enamored of the TIE fighters, stormtroopers, and beauty of the Empire while missing the darker undercurrents within. The fact he's otherwise a nice guy and a political idealist makes him an interesting set of contradictions. I'm also a big fan of Lady Carise who is a great character. A political gadfly and idealist, she's much more into the Empire's values than Senator Casterfo. These are just part of her identity, though, and not the whole of her belief system. Indeed, she's just as loyal to the principle of Core World nobility as she is the Centralist cause so this provides her a curious loyalty to Princess Leia. Not all of this fits together. According to this book, the earliest the First Order, as a government rather than a secret conspiracy at least, could come into existence is five years before the events of The Force Awakens. This doesn't fit with Finn's background of being raised from birth or the fanatical hatred the group holds for the New Republic. Still, as a secessionist movement, it certainly is more threatening than a hold-out remnant with outdated equipment. Fans who want a shoot-em up, bang-bang adventure may be disappointed by a more cerebral take on the franchise. On the other hand, this is a great deal less boring than the Prequels politics as well as a good deal better-written. Those who enjoy political thrillers, conspiracy, and spy fiction (like me) will find this quite entertaining.10/10

Bloodline is the second Star Wars novel by author Claudia Gray and the first “adult” novel through Del Rey. As the author of the fantastic young adult novel Lost Stars (go read it if you haven’t), I was excited to see Gray earn the opportunity to write again in the Star Wars universe. Set six years before The Force Awakens, Bloodline is a rarity on two fronts: it’s a novel about politics and a novel about Leia Organa. Thinking back to the hundreds of old Legends novels, many included Leia but few ever focused on her (Razor’s Edge being the most notable). The level of political intrigue in the Legends timeline varied greatly, but I can really only think of one that focused completely on politics and that was Darth Plagueis. To write a book focused on politics, Leia is the obvious choice of a main character, so it was great to see these two ideas come together.Ever since this new Story Group-driven canon was announced, I’ve been advocating for material featuring new characters. There are plenty of great new characters to be found in this book, but it struck me that Leia is really a new character as well. I hate to keep comparing these new novels to the old ones. But after 20 years of reading post-RotJ Legends material, it’s hard to shake my understanding of the characters as they were in this time period. In Legends, Leia was the most ill-defined and underused character out of the Big Three. She was in the books more often than not, but she never really stood on her own. It was always “The wife of Han Solo, Chief of State Leia Organa Solo” or “The sister of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight Leia Organa Solo.” Her character was frequently defined by comparison to the men in her life instead of her standing on her own merits.With Bloodline, Gray had a huge opportunity not only to define the political state of the New Republic, but also to redefine how we have come to view post-Return of the Jedi Leia. This is Gray’s greatest accomplishment. This is a book that is 100% Leia from cover to cover. Much like her character in A New Hope, this is not a damsel in distress. She is an accomplished politician, a decorated war-time leader, and doesn’t need rescuing. This is a Leia that is defined by her own actions. Even her interactions with her husband serve to highlight her independence and the importance of her work in the Senate. She is now Senator Leia Organa, who happens to be married to Han Solo.Bloodline was also full of great new characters. First and foremost among these was Ransolm Casterfo, up and coming senator in the Centrist faction. He is a proponent of a strong central government, while Leia and the Populists are in favor of individual planets or systems keeping much of their independence. Essentially, he is the Alexander Hamilton to Leia’s Thomas Jefferson. First impressions of Casterfo are poor to say the least as he and Leia are tasked with a joint investigation into a criminal cartel. They butt heads like any good political rivals would, but their respect for each other (and the reader’s respect for Casterfo) grows as his true self is revealed throughout the book. Without spoiling anything, the conversations Casterfo and Leia have are some of the most important and emotionally impactful of the book. He was instantly one of my favorite new characters. The only issue I had was with his silly name (even by Star Wars standards), but that is a minor quibble.We were also introduced to two new pilots: Greer Sonnel and Joph Seastriker. Greer is the personal aide to Senator Organa as well as her pilot. She is confident, competent, and loyal. Though she plays a minor role compared to Leia and Casterfo, she is not without depth. Gray gives her a compelling and moving subplot which adds rather than distracts from the main narrative. Joph is young and cocky, everything an X-wing pilot should be. Through him, we see the rogue spirit of the Rebellion hasn’t completely died off in the New Republic military. In fact, he reminds me of another Rogue, Gavin Darklighter, in that he is talented, if somewhat inexperienced, naive, and has a heart of gold. His story may not be very important going forward, but what he represents as a pilot who is willing to shirk authority for what he feel is right certainly is important.The wonderful characters were my second favorite part of Bloodline. A close second, but second to be sure. My favorite part was the excellent sense of history and how it all connected with the rest of the canon. We learn a lot about Leia’s relationship with her past and that is about the only way I can describe it without getting into spoilers. It’s safe to say, though, the history in this book is some of the most emotionally devastating reading I’ve ever done in when it comes to Star Wars. In just a few chapters worth of writing, Gray manages to connect half a century worth of Star Wars history better than it has ever been done before.Bloodline is a serious book. It’s a book about the unpleasantness of politics, how the sausage gets made and how it impacts the personal lives of those involved. It isn’t a love story, but it is a story about love. It’s a story about the love a woman has for the very thing she helped build. It’s a story about her love for her family and her family’s love for her. And despite all these serious and sometimes overwhelming feelings, it retains that sense of adventure, that essential Star Wars-ness that makes a good story great. I’m going to take this back to Legends one more time because Bloodline isn’t just the best book of the new canon. It’s one of the best Star Wars books I’ve ever read.

✨ Leia⭐ Politics of Star Wars🌟 Sequel TrilogyHonestly, Bloodlines by Claudia Gray might be one of my new favorite Star Wars books. I originally borrowed the audiobook from the library but loved it so much I needed a copy of my own.You really get to sit in the discomfort of the New Republic. A dysfunctional picture is painted of what follows the fall of the Empire. Clear types of characters show up that felt almost a little too real at moments.Leia is tired of the current state of politics and is ready to step down. She ends up having to work with another senator, Ransolm, who has an odd affinity for the Empire. The two have to find in themselves to work together especially as they investigate a crime cartel learning what really is at stake.Throughout all of this it's public learns about Leia's relations to Darth Vader along with her hatred toward him. It really helps drive up the stakes of relationships around her and how to grapple with all of this though what I enjoyed most was just sitting in the unfolding political disaster of the New Republic.

Liens du Sang est un livre qui plonge les lecteurs au cœur de l'univers Star Wars avec une histoire palpitante et des personnages emblématiques. En tant que fan de Star Wars, j'ai été ravi de retrouver l'univers étendu dans cette nouvelle aventure.L'intrigue de Liens du Sang est captivante, mêlant action, suspense et rebondissements. L'auteur a su parfaitement capturer l'essence de Star Wars, avec des batailles spatiales épiques, des duels au sabre laser et des intrigues politiques complexes. J'ai été totalement immergé dans cet univers riche et bien développé.Les personnages sont également bien écrits et fidèles à l'esprit de Star Wars. J'ai été ravi de retrouver des personnages emblématiques tels que Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa et Han Solo, ainsi que de découvrir de nouveaux protagonistes qui apportent une fraîcheur à l'histoire.L'écriture est fluide et addictive, avec des descriptions vivantes qui permettent de visualiser facilement les décors et les scènes d'action. J'ai été transporté dans une galaxie lointaine à chaque page tournée.Cependant, j'aurais aimé que l'histoire explore davantage certains personnages et leur développement. Certains d'entre eux semblaient rester en surface, ce qui m'a laissé sur ma faim.Malgré cela, Liens du Sang est un livre incontournable pour tous les fans de Star Wars. Il offre une aventure palpitante dans l'univers étendu de la saga, avec des moments de nostalgie et de nouvelles révélations. Que la Force soit avec vous pendant cette lecture passionnante !

Star Wars: Bloodline" è un romanzo che riesce a catturare l'essenza dell'universo di Star Wars in modo straordinario. Scritto dalla talentuosa Claudia Gray, il libro ci riporta in un periodo di transizione per la galassia, in cui la Nuova Repubblica sta cercando di consolidare il proprio potere dopo la caduta dell'Impero.Il romanzo si concentra sul personaggio di Leia Organa, che è diventata una senatrice della Nuova Repubblica. Tuttavia, la pace è minacciata da un nuovo movimento politico, i Centristi, che stanno guadagnando sempre più potere e minano la stabilità della Repubblica. Quando un evento tragico sconvolge il Senato, Leia si ritrova coinvolta in una missione per scoprire i responsabili e salvare la Repubblica dal caos.Uno dei punti di forza di "Bloodline" è la caratterizzazione dei personaggi. Leia è rappresentata in modo eccezionale come una leader forte e determinata, ma anche come una madre che deve fare i conti con le proprie debolezze. Gli altri personaggi, inclusi i nuovi arrivati come Ransolm Casterfo e il pilota Joph Seastriker, sono altrettanto ben sviluppati e contribuiscono a creare un cast affascinante e variegato.Inoltre, il romanzo presenta una trama intricata e coinvolgente, piena di colpi di scena e intrighi politici. Gray riesce a mantenere un ritmo serrato e a mantenere l'attenzione del lettore fino alla fine, quando tutte le tessere del puzzle si uniscono in un finale sorprendente e appagante.In conclusione, "Star Wars: Bloodline" è un romanzo eccellente che porta l'universo di Star Wars in una nuova direzione emozionante. Se sei un fan della saga, non puoi perdere questa storia avvincente che ti farà innamorare ancora di più dei personaggi e dell'universo che conosciamo e amiamo.

Heiß ersehnt und am 3.5.2016 endlich erschienen: “Bloodline” ist der zweite Roman der neuen Lieblingsautorin der SW-Leseratten, Claudia Gray, die mit “Lost Stars” letztes Jahr einen Überraschungserfolg landete. Kann ihr Nachfolgewerk das extrem hohe Niveau von “Lost Stars” halten?Um was geht’s?6 Jahre vor den Ereignissen aus “Das Erwachen der Macht”: Leia Organa ist Mitglied des Senats der neuen Republik auf Hosnian Prime. Dort haben sich zwei große Parteien gebildet: die Zentristen, die eine starke Führungspersönlichkeit mit vielen Vollmachen wollen und von denen einige auch mehr oder weniger offen das Imperium als Vorbild sehen, und die Populisten, die den einzelnen Planeten mehr Entscheidungsmacht geben wollen. Zu letzterer Gruppe gehört auch Leia. Doch leider hat die politische Elite anscheinend nichts aus den Tagen der Alten Republik gelernt und verstrickt sich immer wieder in ellenlange, zu nichts führende Diskussionen und Kleinkriege, ohne die Probleme der Republik wirklich anzugehen und zu lösen.Um den Senat wieder handlungsfähig zu machen, schlagen die Zentristen vor, einen sogenannten “First Senator” zu wählen, der mit viel Macht ausgestattet sein soll. Leia wird von ihrer Partei als Kandidatin aufgestellt.Gleichzeitig erhält der Senat auch Hinweise auf Aktivitäten und Verschwörungen einer kriminellen Organisation und einer paramilitärischen Gruppierung. Da der Senat untätig bleibt, beschließt Leia, der Sache selbst auf den Grund zu gehen. Auf ihrer Mission schließt sich ihr der eingebildet und karrieregeil erscheinende Zentrist Ransolm Casterfo an, den Leia zunächst überhaupt nicht ausstehen kann, mit dem sie aber nun zusammenarbeiten und ein Team bilden muss. Auch mit von der Partie sind Leias Assistentin Greer, der Pilot Joph und die Praktikantin Korr Sella (die hier erst 16 Jahre alt ist und in Episode VII beim Untergang von Hosnian Prime auf dem Balkon zu sehen ist).Doch während Leia und Ransolm die große Verschwörung aufdecken wollen, werden im Senat Intrigen und Ränkespielchen in Gang gesetzt, die Leias Leben für immer auf den Kopf stellen werden: Sie muss sich ihrer Vergangenheit in Form der im Titel genannten “Blutlinie” stellen...Warum sollte ich das lesen?1.) Endlich Infos zur Zeit zwischen Episode VI und VII!Endlich! “Bloodline” ist das erste Buch im neuen Kanon, das uns mal einen richtigen Einblick gibt in das, was zwischen Episode VI und VII passiert ist. Hier wird kein irrelevanter Kleinkram auf einem Hinterwäldlerplaneten erzählt, sondern eine zentrale Wendung im Leben der Leia Organa und der Neuen Republik.Wir erfahren: - wie die politische Lage der Neuen Republik zu der Zeit aussieht und wie der Senat funktioniert. - wie weit die Gründung der First Order und des Widerstandes zu der Zeit schon fortgeschritten ist. - wie Leias Privatleben zu der Zeit aussieht. - einen überraschenden Fakt zu Ben Solo, den viele nach Episode VII wohl so nicht erwartet hatten. (Ich zumindest nicht!) - ein paar ganz kleine Infos dazu, was Luke zu der Zeit macht.2.) Tolle FigurenClaudia Gray ist eine Meisterin darin, sympathische und glaubhafte Figuren zu erschaffen, die einem als Leser sehr schnell ans Herz wachsen, egal ob Gut oder Böse. Ransolm Casterfo ist in “Bloodline” der interessanteste Charakter und als Leser dürfen wir zusammen mit Leia aus ihrer Perspektive entdecken, was hinter ihm steckt. Ist er ein politischer Gegner? Ein heimlicher Anhänger des Imperiums? Ein Freund? Ein Verbündeter? Ein Intrigenspinner? - Bis zum Schluss bleibt es spannend und wir können uns nicht sicher sein, wie sich dieser faszinierende Charakter weiterentwickeln wird.Aber auch alle kleineren Nebenfiguren wie Korr, Greer und Joph haben ihre eigenen kleinen Geschichten neben der Haupthandlung um Leia, sodass auch sie als vollwertige Personen erscheinen und nicht nur als Handlanger und Statisten.Leia selbst ist unglaublich authentisch geschrieben und wir erfahren so viele neue Details über sie und ihre Gedankenwelt, die so meines Wissens noch nie in einem anderen Buch angesprochen wurden. Extrem interessant fand ich beispielsweise, wie Claudia Gray Leias Gefühle gegenüber Vader beschreibt: Während Luke persönlich dabei war, als Vader sich zur hellen Seite bekehrte, kennt Leia die Situation nur aus den Erzählungen ihres Bruders. Sie kann diese ganze Wendung nicht so recht realisieren und sich wie Luke daran erfreuen, da ihr die Situationen, in denen sie Vader persönlich als kaltblütigen Feind kennenlernte, viel präsenter sind, z.B. als er sie stundenlang auf dem Todesstern folterte. Wunderbar, wie weit in die Psyche ihrer Figuren Claudia Gray vordringt!3.) Spannende HandlungJa, hier geht es viel um Politik und Intrigen, aber Claudia Gray schreibt auch dieses trocken erscheinende Thema so spannend und mit so viel persönlichem Bezug zu ihren faszinierenden Figuren, dass man sofort in diese politische Welt eintauchen kann und das Buch nicht mehr aus der Hand legen will. Neben dem komplexen Netz aus Verschwörungen, Kontaktpersonen und geheimen Basen, das Leia und Ransolm hier aufdecken wollen, gibt es auch genügend Drama auf persönlicher Ebene, so beispielsweise zwischen Ransolm und Leia, deren Beziehung sich im Laufe des Buches immer wieder wandelt.Die Action kommt in dem Buch für den Geschmack mancher Leute vielleicht etwas zu kurz, aber auch in “Bloodline” ist Leia nicht nur als Diplomatin, sondern auch mit dem Blaster in der Hand unterwegs.Wie auch schon in “Lost Stars” webt Claudia Gray hier eine sehr dichte Handlung ohne sinnloses Geplänkel oder lose Enden. Alles, was zu Beginn gesagt wird oder geschieht, hat auch später noch eine Relevanz, ob es der Name von Leias Raumschiff ist oder eine zunächst beiläufig erscheinende Bemerkung von Ransolm, die später noch sein Schicksal wesentlich beeinflussen wird. Hier merkt man wieder, mit wie viel Planung, Voraussicht und Liebe zum Detail Claudia Gray ihre Bücher schreibt. Ich bin jedes Mal überwältigt, wenn ich merke, wie sich am Ende alles zusammenfügt und jedes Detail seinen sinnvollen Platz im Gesamtbild findet.Ohne zu spoilern, kann ich sagen, dass mich auch das Ende des Buches sehr überrascht und ergriffen hat. Beim Lesen hat man ja immer gewisse Vorstellungen, wie die Figuren am Schluss enden könnten. Wie schon bei “Lost Stars” hatte ich auch bei “Bloodline” zwei mögliche Schlussszenarien im Kopf - und dann kommt Claudia Gray und überrascht mich mit einem dritten, vollkommen unerwarteten und noch emotionaleren Ende! Wahnsinn!Absolute Leseempfehlung!Zum Abschluss kann ich nur sagen, dass dieser Roman der erste Kanon-Roman ist, der einfach auf allen Ebenen und für jeden Fan ein Muss ist! Die Geschichte ist für die gesamte Galaxie relevant, exzellent erzählt, stellt mit Leia eine große Figur ins Zentrum und Claudia Gray ist einfach die Beste! Ist so. Ganz ganz lockere 5 von 5 Sternen von mir.

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This sets up why the Republic would fall and how the vacuum of power would be filled. Makes watching episode XII make way more sense.