With the dark ascension of the Empire, and the Jedi Knights virtually wiped out, one Jedi who escaped the massacre is slated for a date with destiny–and a confrontation with Darth Vader.

Jax Pavan is one of the few Jedi Knights who miraculously survived the slaughter that followed Palpatine's ruthless Order 66. Now, deep in Coruscant's Blackpit Slums, Jax ekes out a living as a private investigator, trying to help people in need while concealing his Jedi identity and staying one step ahead of the killers out for Jedi blood. Others search for the elusive Jax too. Hard-boiled reporter Den Dhur and his buddy, the highly unorthodox droid I-5YQ, have shocking news to bring Jax–about the father he never knew.

But when Jax learns that his old Jedi Master has been killed, leaving behind the request that Jax finish a mission critical to the resistance, Jax has no choice but to emerge from hiding–and risk detection by Darth Vader to fulfill his Master's dying wish.

Den Dhur and I-5YQ are not new to the Star Wars dramatis personae. Their stories are continued from other other books by Michael Reaves; Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter (I-Five only), and MedStar I and II with Steve Perry.  They were also mentioned in Death Star.

What are you looking forward to the most in 2008?

• Classic tale Shadows of Mindor (Feb)
• The Force Unleashed multimedia event (Mar)
• Final two Legacy books (Mar,Apr)
• Final Republic Commando novel (Aug)
• Coruscant Nights series (Jul, Sept, Nov)

I really like The Force Unleashed cover by Petrol Advertising.  I have actually had one of the early pieces of concept art of this scene as my desktop for about a year now.  You can see it and more at LucasArts' website.

For the Jedi, the Galactic Alliance,
and the entire galaxy, the heat
is on…and rising. 
On August 28th, 2007…
all hell breaks loose.

The article mentions that placeholder artwork is done to give booksellers something to post on their websites when they take preorders.  Sometimes the preview is almost final, but not quite, and sometimes it is just a teaser like this. Why the teaser this time?  The article says "sometimes the story is just too hot…"  Take that as you will, but I suspect that the cover will give away something that happens in book five, Sacrifice, perhaps what exactly sets off the 'inferno.' 

Sacrifice is due out May 22nd, Inferno is due August 28th.  To view the cover, go to the Inferno page.

The book is being written by three-time Star Wars novelist Sean Williams. The game will be on next-gen consoles, most likely the Xbox 360 and PS3. 

George Lucas has had a large part in designing the story for The Force Unleashed.  This is good in my eyes because he is also going to write the story arc for the upcoming 2008 live-action television show, also taking place between Episodes III and IV.  Writing both of them minimizes the continuity problems.

Currently the only other upcoming novel to take place in this time period is Death Star.

Allston does an interview with The Official Site and discusses modifying the general plan of Legacy of the Force, the decision that Jacen has drawing near, Jedi philosophy on attachment, and more.  Following the interview are three previews from chapter four of Exile featuring Wedge Antilles, Lando Calrissian and Jacen Solo.

Next up is book five in the Legacy of the Force series, Sacrifice by Karen Traviss, due May 22nd.

Having done a tour of duty during The Clone Wars and the New Jedi Order, Matthew Stover is back with a new adventure set shortly after Return of the Jedi.  The Battle of Mindor, as told in Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor, is said to be one of the greatest conflicts in the Galactic Civil War, against Lord Shadowspawn and his black-clad shadow stormtroopers.  The Alliance is fresh from destroying the second Death Star and must stop Lord Shadowspawn as he rises to fill the void created when the Empire cracked.

This will be Stover's first novel featuring the young heros of the classic trilogy, Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, Lando, Threepio, Artoo, and Rogue Squadron.  His previous Star Wars novels are Mace Windu's Shatterpoint, Jacen Solo's Traitor, and the Revenge of the Sith novelization.

Also on the Official Site's announcement is a picture of Luke during the Battle of Mindor.  The illustration will be used in the upcoming New Essential Chronology.  Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor is scheduled for a February 2008 release in hardcover by Del Rey. 

What does this have to do with novels?

“Working with its sister company Lucas Licensing, LucasArts is preparing an unprecedented promotional effort around the launch of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, encompassing a full line of toys and game-based action figures from Hasbro, as well as a full publishing program from Dark Horse, Del Rey and Palace Press.”

That Del Rey is mentioned means that we will see some books as a part of the multimedia push. Nothing specific has been announced yet, but I would guess that it involves at least a hardcover book. When I hear more, I’ll pass it along.

The last time the Lucas companies did a multimedia push for a non-movie Star Wars was in 1996, with Shadows of the Empire. It involved a book, a novel, video game, comic books, action figures and more.

I like the book’s color scheme. The main colors are a smokey yellow and firey orange for the landscape and faded green for the title text. The troopers are going through or into a forest that appears to have smoke coming from it into the sky, though it could just as easily be fog. It the background, you can see what appears to be a waterfall into a body of water. The most prominant feature on the cover is that of a Republic commando looking over to where two other commandos are heading into the forest.

I’m not sure where they are at. It could be Kashyyk, but the trees don’t look big enough, or perhaps Naboo, though the colors aren’t right for that. It’s probably a new planet.

The Official Site article shows where the book gets it’s name:

In the Grand Army’s desperate fight to crush the Separatists, the secret special ops missions of its elite clone warriors have never been more critical… or more dangerous. A growing menace threatens Republic victory, and the members of Omega Squad make a discovery that shakes their loyalty.

As the lines continue to blur between friend and enemy, citizens — from civilians and sergeants to Jedi and generals — find themselves up against a new foe: the doubt in their hearts and minds. The truth is a fragile, shifting illusion — and only the approaching inferno will reveal both sides in their true colors.

The book is written by Karen Traviss and is due in stores July 31st.