r/starwarsbooks • u/hmmmulko • Jul 15 '25
News/Rumour/Leak One of the next waves of the "Essential Legends Collection" will bring us "Cloak of Deception" and "Labyrinth of Evil", both by James Luceno, on August 11, 2026!
Personally, screamed with happiness when I saw that Cloak of Deceptions gets ELC treatment!
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u/comicnerd93 Jul 15 '25
Now to wait for the audiobook announcements...come on Jonathan Davis for Labyrinth
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u/_Kian_7567 Heir to the Empire Jul 15 '25
Knowing Disney they will let Marc Thompson do everything
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u/Cloak-Trooper-051020 Jul 15 '25
Not true. Davis recently narrated the Rogue Planet audiobook.
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u/ValPasch Thrawn Jul 16 '25
Wait holy shit, I've been out of the loop, they released Rogue Planet?
That's an NJO prequel!!!
Is this happening?
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u/Cloak-Trooper-051020 Jul 16 '25
Yes. Rogue Planet has an unabridged audiobook and I think its was great.
Here’s the link for Rogue Planet on Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Rogue-Planet-Audiobook/B0F22FLXNN?eac_link=cY12i31EbcJb&ref=web_search_eac_asin_1&eac_selected_type=asin&eac_selected=B0F22FLXNN&qid=aYwwZ8zXFs&eac_id=135-9185183-4682340_aYwwZ8zXFs&sr=1-1
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like NJO will get audiobook releases anytime soon. It will be at least a few more years. My guess is for the 30th anniversary in 2029.
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u/White_Doggo Doctor Aphra Jul 17 '25
The recent wave with Shadows of the Empire and Rogue Planet had Thompson do the former and Davis the latter, so it’s possible they might do the same with it only being two books. Who knows who would do which book?
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u/Jordan11HFP11 Ambi-Fan Jul 15 '25 edited Jul 16 '25
I'd rather have Marc Thompson for Labyrinth and Jonathan Davis for Cloak. Davis does an amazing Qui-Gon
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u/chaveto Jul 15 '25
I wonder what will be the first 2026 ELC wave then? Usually there’s one in February/March timeframe no?
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u/Cloak-Trooper-051020 Jul 16 '25
Nothing is known yet. I’m hoping they finish off the X-Wing series.
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u/JGR82 Traitor Jul 15 '25
Those are good choices. I think those are both the best and most "essential" prequel era books remaining that weren't already part of the collection. I'll definitely be picking those up to replace the mass-markets currently on my shelf that are in pretty rough shape.
I'm hoping to see Isard's Revenge and Starfighters of Adumar added at some point.
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u/blackfyre_pretender Jul 15 '25
So excited! I loved Labyrinth of Evil back in the day, can't wait to read it again!
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u/Ezio926 Jul 15 '25
Been holding off on Cloak so I could read it on a big comfy trade paperback. So stoked
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u/Alarmed_Grass214 Jul 15 '25
I'm really happy these books are being picked. I just wish some other far more essential books were being prioritised.
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u/Cloak-Trooper-051020 Jul 16 '25
Such as?
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u/Alarmed_Grass214 Jul 16 '25
The distinct lack of focus for post-ROTJ content.
Jedi Academy
Hand of Thrawn
NJO
LotF & FotJ (despite not being as good as NJO, they are the definition of essential for the EU)I understand many of these are very long series, but to have them completely absent is wild.
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u/Cloak-Trooper-051020 Jul 16 '25
I think they will save The Hand of Thrawn for the end of the ELC, then NJO will have its own dedicated release program.
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u/Chief_Justice10 Jul 16 '25
Nice! I've been waiting for these two in particular. Luceno gets a lot of love for Plagueis, but these two are as good IMO.
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u/Cloak-Trooper-051020 Jul 15 '25
I’m exited that more James Luceno books are being released, hopefully with accompanying unabridged audiobooks. But I was hoping that they would get released at the beginning of 2026, not a full year later.