Our Bothan spy Eddie has sent in these blurbs for the new Scholastic series Rebel Force:
Book 1: Target
Just after the events of Episode IV: A New Hope, the Imperial forces have a new plan to stop the Rebellion - and the pilot who destroyed the Death Star. With the Rebel Alliance's finances were lost with the destruction of Alderaan, their last hope is to access the secret accounts on Muunilinst, the former home of the InterGalactic Banking Clan and the financial heart of the galaxy. So Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, and the droids head for Muunilinst - only to find the Empire's top assassin waiting for them.
Book 2: Uprising
For the first time ever, the world of the original Star Wars movies comes to a Scholastic series! Expect new missions, new revelations, and a whole new side of the saga. it is a struggle between the Rebels and the Empire as the Force itself hangs in the balance, and all the hopes of the galaxy depend on the adventures of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and a host of other heroes!
I?m a little nervous about the dating of these new books, since both the Marvel and Dark Horse comics and Scholastic?s own Star Wars Mission series have claimed to be set just after the events of A New Hope, but it?s possible that, like Timothy Zahn?s Allegiance, these books just take place further along in the time line.
The plot of the first book is more than a tad reminiscent of classic Star Wars adventures like Marvel?s The Third Law and the Rebel Mission to Ord Mantell audio drama, but the inclusion of the banking world Muunilist is definitely an interesting choice. Kids reading these books might well remember the Clone Wars microseries, in which that planet played an important role.
Finally, whoever wrote the press release seems to have forgotten Scholastic's Star Wars Missions, Science Adventures, and Journals series, all of which took place in the Original Trilogy era. So it's been quite awhile since Scholastic had an Original Trilogy Star Wars series, but it's hardly "the first time ever!"
We?ll bring you more information as we get it!
UPDATE: The cover for Rebel Force #1, Target, has shown up on Amazon as well as StarWarsShop. Click the links or click on the pic below for a larger view...
UPDATE #2:Click here and head on over to Starwars.com where they dish out a synopsis for each of the first two books in the Rebel Force series as well as offer up your first look at the cover of Hostage.
UPDATE #3: Seems as though book #3 of the Rebel Force series has been named Renegade and is listed for a May 1, 2009 release on Amazon.com.
UPDATE #4: Friend of TFN, Michael W., wrote to let us know that the cover art for book #3 of the Rebel Force series has been posted on Amazon. It appears that book #3 is titled Firefight, which is contradictory to update #3 above. We'll be sure to keep you posted!
Thanks Michael!
UPDATE #5: Well it seems as if the cover for Firefight (above) is not for book #3 but possibly for one down the road. Starwars.com has posted the cover for Rebel Force #3, Renegade, along with the back cover blurb. Click here!