In the annals of Kaleesh history, there is not a leader more respected than Qymaen jai Sheelal. There are many things that mark the youngest khagan to sit on the throne of Kalee as a formidable leader, but the crowning jewel of his reign is his clos...
Note: This chapter is NOT one to review, critique, or judge. However, I ask that book clubbers, reviewers, and contest judges read it, as it contains important directory information. The actual story begins on the chapter titled "1 | Ru and the Roggwart".
**No matter who you are....if you see something I could improve on in my writing, please comment respectfully on the chapter. I cannot improve if I don't know what to improve upon.**
If you are reading this book from any online profile other than https://www.wattpad.com/user/JoyeEverett715, it has been plagiarized and you may be at risk of a malware attack. Please report the plagiarized copy and view it safely at the link previously listed.
To Book Clubbers, Reviewers, and Contest Judges:
Welcome to this book! If you're a member of the Wattpad Society of Christian Writers (WSCW) or the Jedi Order Book Club, I'd like to give a very special welcome to you. I am glad to be critiqued; both of us get something out of it. I get to improve as a writer, and you get to find books you enjoy.
And if you're a judge, it's an honor! Chances are that you are a non-fan of Star Wars reading this book if you're involved in judging for fanfiction. If so, I have a couple of helpful resources below for your convenience.
This book is written in a way that non-fans can still understand and enjoy. Even many fans of Star Wars are unaware of the beautiful story this alternate-timeline is based on.
I tried my best to be accurate to the canon (including Legends) in this portrayal of Kaleesh. As the Kaleesh do not appear in many works in Star Wars, there are many headcanons in this book related to worldbuilding. I ask anyone who's a stickler for canon details to keep this in mind.
I will also be providing several appendices in the back of this book. It is advised that if you do not already know the story of Unknown Soldier, you read the appendices before beginning. They are important to understanding where I deviated from canon, whether you're a fan or not.
⚠️ WARNING #1: FANDOM BIASES ⚠️
I am a firm believer that we carry biases no matter our opinions or ideology. For example, I am a fan of Unknown Soldier as a backstory for Grievous, and this affects how I interpret his role in Star Wars as a whole. Other people prefer Dave Filoni's backstory for Grievous, and if they read this book without being aware of their biases, it could cause them to critique or judge unfairly.
There are many instances of this sad scenario happening. For example, in one contest a friend of mine entered, the only fanfictions that placed were from fantasy-oriented fandoms. In another that I observed — a Star Wars fanfiction contest — the only fanfictions that placed were sequel-era fanfictions. This is an easily-made mistake if you judge based solely on your personal views.
If you are reading this book to judge, critique, or review, I ask you to examine and be aware of your biases. Place emphasis on the story, the character development, and other elements not exclusive to fanfiction when you judge. You wouldn't like it if a non-fan of 1D marked down your 1D fanfiction based on a dislike for boy band fanfictions, even if the story was really good.
Similarly, if there are any Filonian Grievous fans here (if so, welcome, and I don't bite) to critique my work — don't let your preference for the Filonian story keep you from assessing the objective quality of this book.
On the converse, if you are a fan of Unknown Soldier (or just Star Wars in general) critiquing or judging my work, please pay attention to the writing and story quality as well. I don't care how much you ship Dreamer/Dreamt—if my writing quality is poor, I want to know, and I certainly don't want any awards for it!
⚠️ WARNING #2: PORTRAYALS OF GRIEVOUS ⚠️
If you are a fan critiquing or judging this book and you think you have found something out-of-character concerning Grievous, please pay heed before marking down for it. Grievous is a difficult character from Star Wars to portray, as many authors had conflicting ideas about his character; it shows in pretty much anything he's portrayed in, Legends or Canon. With this, I ask fans to keep two things in mind.
Know, first of all, that my portrayal of Qymaen jai Sheelal is conjecture. Unknown Soldier was never novelized because of the 2008 Clone Wars retconning Grievous' backstory, but there are certain elements in the article that would imply my portrayal (such as the idealism presented by his byname, which means dreamer).
I will admit that Abel Peña's vision of Qymaen is likely very different than — and superior to — mine, and if any new works about Grievous' past come out in the future, this fact should be kept in mind. This author's note was published on April 22, 2019.
The second thing to keep in mind is that my portrayal is a mix of Legends (a cold, calculating mastermind) and Canon (an emotional warrior wearing his heart on his sleeves). However, I believe that my portrayal skews more in the former direction.
It is advised that one uses Star Wars: Labyrinth of Evil or the 2003 mini-series Clone Wars as a reference if one sees a supposed out-of-character moment in the story. But if there is a legitimate and tested criticism of the way I have portrayed Grievous, please tell me. I can't improve if I don't know what to improve upon.
Finally....
I hope you enjoy this book. It was a huge load of work, it taught me a lot, and I had a blast writing it. May it be a solace to those who liked Grievous' old backstory, to those who like Star Wars reads, or those who just want a good story. Happy reading!
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
