It's really well written and gives a ton of backstory to the entire Clone Wars.

Like Rebels, it starts out a little clunky, especially some of the animation, but by the end of Season 2 and into Season 3, it just kicks all kinds of ass.

I understand Ventress may be coming back. The old canon had her killed during this big to-do with Dooku and Vos, but the old canon is dead.

He's right.

Look at it this way - the writers found a way to make clones, Anakin, and SW's politics entertaining.

That alone should be award-worthy...

That would be cool. She was easily my favorite non-Ahsoka character on clone wars.

OK. I watched the Clone Wars movie. It was kind of interesting but it did have a bit of that Saturday morning cartoon feel to it. I'm not used to watching shows that are meant to include kids in the audience anymore because mine are all grown. I'll keep giving it a shot, but it's a culture shock to be going back and forth between catching up on this and catching up on Orange Is The New Black.

The movie is among the worst episodes of the series. Season one is okay. It gets more mature as it goes on after that, with the occasional obvious kiddie episode thrown in here and there (just like rebels...).

Rian Johnson Contributed to Star Wars Bloodline - Release Date May 3rd
 

1. How and why the Resistance was formed. One thing we know about Leia is that she’s always willing to do the work. She just wants to Get Stuff Done. So how does the Resistance figure into that? What events would push Leia to break away from the Republic she has dedicated herself to serving? And who was there with her from the beginning? There’s one way to find out…

2. Seeds of the First Order. You’ll get hints (and more than hints) as to what’s up with the players who are working to build the First Order and what they want. And I know you want to know that.

3. Political intrigue. Just what was the state of the galaxy before the First Order rose to prominence? Who was in charge? What were the different factions and what did they want? You’ll see Leia work to uncover questionable alliances and shady dealings, and get in plenty of hot water along the way.

4. Han and Leia. Not satisfied with the bits of Han/Leia interaction we got in The Force Awakens? Looking for more about your favorite pop culture couple? We’ve got your back. Han is a secondary character in the novel, but he and his relationship with Leia get a chance to shine.

5. Outstanding original characters. If you loved Thane and Ciena from Claudia Gray’s first Star Wars novel, Lost Stars, you’ll also love Claudia’s newest young heroes: Joph and Greer. Joph is a New Republic pilot who craves adventure, and Greer, Leia’s personal assistant, has her own yearning for excitement. They are loyal to Leia and her cause — and to each other. You’ll also meet a complicated politician on the opposite side of the aisle from Leia, and get some insights into why not everyone might have thought the Empire was such a bad idea.

6. Rian Johnson’s input. Some of the story ideas and elements in this novel came straight from Rian Johnson, director of the forthcoming Episode VIII. We are indebted to him for his creativity and generosity!

7. Huge revelations. In case you hadn’t noticed, there’s a big Darth Vader head on the cover of the book. Let’s just say that the galaxy finds out a scandalous secret, and you don’t want to miss the fallout!

8. Seeing Leia surrounded by a group of dedicated younger people who support her and know that she’s awesome. Okay, maybe not everyone is as excited about that sort of thing as I am. But I’m mentioning it anyway.

Those are just a few reasons why Bloodline is a great Star Wars novel. Claudia Gray has penned a compelling and thought-provoking story that will help scratch your itches while you wait for Episode VIII. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed working on it!

More Bloodline Info:

A steady stream of Star Wars novels have been published since Disney wiped out the original expanded universe and started rebuilding the larger canon from scratch, but only a few of them have felt like required reading. The upcoming Star Wars: Bloodline is being promoted as something more than just another story set in this beloved universe – it sounds essential to understanding the state of the galaxy as seen in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Now, it’s been revealed that Star Wars: Episode 8 director Rian Johnson contributed to the novel in some capacity, which is an intriguing prospect. It certainly sounds like the seeds of the next movie will be found here.

Here’s what we do know about Star Wars: Bloodline: It’s set about five or six years before the events of The Force Awakens, features Princess Leia as the lead character, will explore the formation of the First Order, will explain why Leia founded the Resistance, and will reportedly shed details on Supreme Leader Snoke and his connection to the Solo family. Much of that sounds like information that probably should have been explained in The Force Awakens (where the dynamic between the two conflicting groups really doesn’t make sense unless you leap to a few conclusions), but at least it’s being explained somewhere. That it’s being explained in a novel and not the next movie suggests that Rian Johnson has bigger things to deal with in the actual film.

And that brings us back to where we begin. Heddle reveals that “some of the story ideas and elements in this novel came straight from Rian Johnson,” which suggests a close connection between whatever occurs in Episode 8 and the events of Bloodline. Considering that The Force Awakens left Snoke and the details of his relationship to Kylo Ren a big mystery, it’s starting to feel like Episode 8 will explore that dynamic…and that Johnson was called in to make sure this book aligned with what he was already planning to put on the screen.

Anakin had an affair with an intern while Padme was pregnant, Monka Starlinksee, who later gave birth to Rey.

What? She dies in Dark Disciple. Is canon from the last couple years no longer canon?

Is that the falling in love with Quinlan Vos-thing?

Yep

I believe it was on the cusp of the buyout, and is dead.

The book is less than a year old.

Unless there has been a second culling, it is canon.

EDIT: The paperback was just released March 1.
http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Disciple-...1809042&sr=8-1

The contract for the book may have been in place prior to the buyout. Books, unlike a Lucas script, generally take time to write.