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When I first heard of eBooks, I thought, Who in the world would buy one of these things? I mean, you have to sit in front of your computer, staring at the screen, reading a novel you could have purchased at any 
bookstore. Unless you have a special eBook reader or a laptop, you can only read these books at a desktop computer. That means no tucking the book in your pocket and reading it on the train, in the park, at the beach, or in the bathroom.
When the world of Star Wars began popping up in eBook form, I scoffed and eagerly awaited the release of the eBook in paperback format. However, I soon realized it was not going to happen. It seems some marketing genius decided this was a great way to make money, especially since these eBooks were essential reading for the Star Wars Expanded Universe. So I gave in and ordered my first eBook.
There are currently three Star Wars novels in eBook format. One dealing with the prequel-era, and two involving the New Jedi Order era. I ordered one of each - Star Wars: Darth Maul: Saboteur, by James Luceno, and Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Recovery, by Troy Denning.
Recovery was my introduction to the eBook world. The novel is set in The New Jedi Order era, an era in which the latest threat to the Republic is not the remaining Imperial factions, but rather invaders from another galaxy, called the Yuuzhan Vong, who have come to conquer and rule. Recovery begins shortly after the events in the novel Balancepoint. Han Solo has taken his wife, Leia Organa Solo to the Corellian system, where she is recovering from severe injuries dealt at the hands of the Yuuzhan Vong. While at the Corellian medical facility, an attempt is made to assassinate Leia. Han is aided in thwarting this assassination attempt by some surprising new allies. What follows is an investigation to discover just who hired the killers and why. I'm happy to say that purchasing this ebook was one of my better judgement calls! This book was excellent! Troy Denning captures the relationship between Han and Leia beautifully! My aprehension about having the time to sit in front of the computer to read 97 pages was unounded. Recovery is so fast-paced and action-filled that I finished it in a matter of hours! I definitely think this book is well worth downloading.
Darth Maul: Saboteur, my follow-up eBook, is the ultimate quick-read novel. Set before the events of Phantom Menace, Darth Maul: Saboteur begins at a lommite ore mining facility called Lommite Limited, which is located on a planet named Dorvalla. Lommite ore is one of the ingredients of transparisteel, a strong, transparent metal used in building starships. Lommite Limited has been having trouble lately on two fronts - the Trade Federation has been looking to purchase the company and its rival, InterGalactic Ore, is looking to put them out of business. Enter Darth Sidious. Seeking to keep the Trade Federation loyal to him, Sidious sends his evil apprentice, Darth Maul, to Dorvalla to find a way to secure the planet and its abundant supply of lommite ore for them. I enjoyed the novel, but I'm glad this wasn't my first eBook. For one thing, most Star Wars fans are very intrigued by the character of Darth Maul. We want to know more about him. Well, if you're looking for the mystery of Darth Maul to be revealed, look elsewhere. This novel is more about the conflict between two bitter rivals and how Maul uses this conflict to carry out his master's orders. It's not the best Star Wars novel, but it is well-written and keeps your attention.
For those of you who don't want to order these Star Wars eBooks, take heart! You can read Darth Maul: Saboteur, which is finally in printed form in Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter. But you can only find it in the paperback edition. The hardcover version doesn't have it. I have heard rumors that Recovery will be reprinted in a paperback version of a New Jedi Order novel. But if you want to read these books now, eBooks are great. In fact, I can't wait to order the next one - Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Ylesia.
The only problem that I can see is that the Star Wars eBooks cannot be saved to disk, sent to other fans, or printed. However, I can understand why this is not allowed. If the eBooks are not copyright protected, the publishers stand to lose a great deal of money. At $2.00 to $3.00 an eBook, is this really a significant problem? I think not!
Send your comments and or questions about this article to Bandwidth@ybfree.com. MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU!!!