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Sci-fi

Light of the Jedi

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Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Adults

There’s a new Star Wars book series, set in the High Republic era, a golden age in which the Republic and Jedi reign supreme, and it all starts with Light of the Jedi.

“We are all the Republic” is the message of unity Chancellor Lina Soh wants to send to her constituency. She has a variety of “Great Works” planned to improve life for all, starting with the installation of the Starlight Beacon, a space station in the outer rim, which will improve communication and provide security for some of the more remote territories in the galaxy.

But just as the Starlight is coming online, tragedy strikes, when a disaster occurs in Hyperspace. Luckily several Jedi Knights, like the powerful Avar Kriss, are on hand, to help with the rescue efforts. But who is responsible? Who threatens to end this era of peace and magnanimity? The Nihil, a gang of chaotic marauders, led by the mysterious Marchion Ro.

This book kicks off the High Republic series with all the action, adventure, and emotion Star Wars fans expect from the franchise. There are also High Republic books for children, young adults, and graphic novel readers if you just can’t get enough.

Find Light of the Jedi in our catalog.

Mirka Andolfo’s Mercy

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In the small frontier town of Woodsburgh, during the Klondike Goldrush, an enthralling stranger appears. She wants to purchase the demolished mineshaft on the outskirts of town. Meanwhile, when the streets are cloaked in darkness, something abhorrent and violent is targeting the unwary townspeople, leaving a bloody trail in its wake. There are monsters in this town, human and otherwise, and the strange new visitor might know something about it.

Mirka Andolfo’s Mercy is Victorian gothic meets sci-fi horror with equal parts gore, romance, and tragedy. The plot could be considered obscure and so the reader is left to interpret what exactly is going on all one their own. I didn’t mind being repeatedly confused because the art is gorgeous! How often can you call a parasitic entity beautiful? If you like carriage rides, tragic love stories and interdimensional realms, I suggest you find Mercy in the Library’s catalog or for instant download on Hoopla.

Cosmoknights

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Cosmoknights by Hannah Templer
Format: Book, ebook, Graphic Novel
Who’s it for: Teens

Prepare for the greatest games in the galaxy! Known as cosmoknights, these cyberpunk gladiators travel the stars to compete for the hand of a planet’s princess. However, there are those who find no pleasure in the games, such as Pan—a young girl from the planet Viridian. When she meets two charismatic cosmoknights with ulterior motives for participating in these deadly games, Pan stows away on their ship in hopes of taking a stand against these planetary kingdoms. But space is vast and dangerous place – she’ll have to pick up a few new tricks if she wants to survive.

Cosmoknights is vibrant, fun, and inspiring. Perfect for anyone trying to find their place in the universe.

Find Cosmoknights in the catalog, or read it on hoopla!

Meddling Kids

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Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero
Format: eBook, Book
Who it’s for: Adults

In 1977, a group of precocious kid detectives and their dog solved the case of the Sleepy Lake monster. The culprit turned out to be, as was common in their cases, an old man in a mask. He would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn’t for those meddling kids!

Years later the “Blyton Summer Detective Club” are all grown up, but only barely functioning. One committed suicide, one is a college drop out, one has been in and out of jail, and one has been in and out of psychiatric wards. Turns out they’ve all been haunted by the Sleepy Lake monster case. The truth is: they didn’t actually solve it. Yes, there was a masked man in the abandoned mansion on Deboen Isle, but there were also real live monsters that permanently unsettled them, and they’ve had enough. They are reuniting to solve the case once and for all.

When they return to their charming hometown in the Pacific Northwest they find it’s not as idyllic as their childhood memories. Otherworldly horror lurks around every corner, and only they, and their loyal dog (twice removed from their original dog), can stop it.

This book is basically Scooby-Doo meets H.P. Lovecraft meets Twin Peaks and I thought it was great. The writing style is unique, laden with meta references to popular kid detective and classic sci-fi tropes. If you love stories about young detectives, Lovecraftian horror, or small towns where things are not as they seem, you should definitely check this out from the library, or electronically on OverDrive, today!

Star Wars: Thrawn

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Star Wars Thrawn-Timothy Zahn.png

Star Wars: Thrawn
Author: Timothy Zahn
Format: Adult Fiction
Who it’s for: Adults

Our novel begins with the discovery of an alien, unknown except to legend and myth, a Chiss. Agents of the Empire find themselves completely outmatched by the strategy and capabilities of a single castaway, leading to him making his way into the ranks of the Empire in short order. Thrawn is a character well known to fans of the Star Wars universe, a book series in the 90’s. He takes a page from characters such as Honor Harrington and Horatio Hornblower in that the future Grand Admiral is not a character of great action, but more of plans and tactics. He possesses the keen gift of being able to analyze a society through it’s artistry, giving insight on tactics and processes of his opponents. The novel details the beginning of his imperial career and his feats of prowess, while dragging Ensign Eli Vanto along for the ride becoming one of the only ones capable of understanding and learning the intriguing man’s ways. Interestingly though he is an antagonist in other novels and in the Star Wars Rebels tv series, the books show that he lacks the cruelty and ambition of other Star Wars villains, instead doing the minimum to ensure victory and going out of his way to minimize losses. Thrawn is a fascinating character and the other two novels in the trilogy show an adventure of his and Darth Vader while exploring their shared past, and the third bringing involvement of his species into the fray where he’s pulled on opposite sides of his loyalty. I think if you’re looking to get into the newer Star Wars materials, Thrawn is a fantastic place to start and gives a look at the Empire and all of the background struggles between characters and politics of the setting.

Find it in the catalog.

Bumblebee

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Bumblebee

Format: DVD

Rated: PG-13

Who It’s For: Adult and Young Adult

 

If you are a Transformers fan you will LOVE this DVD!

This movie is a prequel to “The Transformers” film series. It starts on the planet Cybertron as a fierce battle rages on between the good Autobots and the evil Decepticons. Optimus sends B-127 (Bumblebee) to planet Earth for refuge. Agent Jack Burns (John Cena) boasts his paint ball training exercise win to his peers, just moments before they see B-127 come crashing down to the ground.  B-127 is cornered by the agents and they demand the whereabouts of Optimus. I don’t want to spoil any surprises so we will skip the rest of that part of the movie. Onto the year 1987….. Charlie (Hailee Steinfeld), is dealing with the death of her father. She spent time fixing cars with her dad before his death. She finds comfort in the local junkyard. That’s where she finds Bumblebee, broken and scarred. As she is fixing him she quickly realizes he is no ordinary yellow VW bug. Get ready for action, adventure and heart warming moments.

Here are some interesting trivia facts about the movie Bumblebee.

Hailee Steinfeld is the first female lead in the film franchise.

With a budget of $102-128 million, this is the least expensive Transformers movie to date.

Bumblebee” is the only movie in the “Transformers” theatrical film series to have a running time under 2 hours (approximately 1 hour, 54 minutes). All previous films clocked in at well over 2 hours.

Hailee Steinfeld was not born until nine years after the setting of the film and had to be taught how to use some typical items of the ’80s era, such as how to work a Walkman, which was completely foreign to her. I feel really old 🙂
John Cena, who plays Agent Burns, was originally supposed to play a villain named “Scarface” as seen from behind-the-scenes photos from his stunt double Joseph Kelly. It is unclear what made the change but rumor has it, like wrestling, they did not want John Cena the heel but more the face and this would also leave John Cena’s role open for a sequel.