Those of you in the know, know what I mean when I say “Former Expanded Universe,” AKA Legends. About 25 years ago, or so, books were published that gave Star Wars fans tales of what happened after the Battle of Endor. These stories were complete with timelines, new characters and mostly logical destinies for our beloved characters. Some believed dead returned and were developed into truly interesting entities while others became as legendary as a Skywalker or a Solo. 

But then Disney bought Lucasfilm and there was a push for a cohesive post-Battle of Yavin universe and the stories we all held dear were cast out to the stars, only to live as legend, no longer canon. It left a bitter taste in my mouth, I won’t lie. I was a huge fan of the Heir to the Empire story, as well as the Jedi Academy trilogy, and absolutely loved the Rogue Squadron/Wraith Squadron books. Oh, and lets not forget the Coruscant Nights Trilogy… a hardboiled Jedi detective? Have you met  me?! All of these stories, and so many others, allowed us to see other parts of the Star Wars universe that was beyond the Skywalkers. It was a case of doing a decent job of being mostly everything to everyone.

But all things must come to an end and, with that, is a new beginning. I was hesitant to accept the new post-Endor world, but I was willing to give it a shot… and what a payoff! There were new and interesting characters, there were nods to familiar faces and there was Black Squadron. OK, definitely not Rogue Squadron, but Poe Dameron was daring, a smart ass and the spirit of the Rogues was alive and well. Plus we got Finn and Rey and then I realized something: it is ok to be a legend and maybe it was time for me to see what this new  EU  had to offer… so far, I have not been disappointed.