Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope novelization

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope novelization by George Lucas 
The very first Star Wars book ever, this novel was written by Alan Dean Foster based on George Lucas's script for the original Star Wars movie (Foster agreed to do it without credit). It was released in 1976, six months before the movie, and was then titled Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker.

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This is a movie novelization from the Legends timeline. Though the movie itself is canon, original content in the book could be contradicted by future books, movies, or TV shows (if so, you can think of it as an alternate universe).

Honor Among Thieves

Honor Among Thieves by James S.A. Correy
The last book ever published in the Legends timeline, Honor Among Thieves is a book focused on Han Solo, set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. The Rebel Alliance assigns new member Han Solo to extract a rebel spy from behind enemy lines, but the mission turns out to be way more complicated than anyone expected.

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This is a classic era book from the Legends timeline. It will likely be contradicted by newer books (if so, just think of it as an alternate universe).

Allegiance

Allegiance by Timothy Zahn
Young Imperial agent Mara Jade is on a mission to root out corruption in the Empire's middle levels, even as a squad of stormtroopers on the same planet deserts and sets out to uphold justice on its own terms. Before long, Mara, the rogue stormtroopers, and the heroes of the Rebellion will see their paths converge - despite the fact that Mara and Luke Skywalker won't meet face-to-face until almost eight years later! In the process, each person will have to contemplate what "allegiance" means to them.

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Story continued in Choices of One. 

This is a classic era book from the Legends timeline. It will likely be contradicted by newer books (if so, just think of it as an alternate universe).

Choices of One

Choices of One by Timothy Zahn
In this sequel to Timothy Zahn's novel Allegiance, Mara Jade and the Hand of Judgment are sent on a mission to prevent a traitorous Imperial governor from allying with the rebels - even as Luke, Leia, and Han are on their way to meet with that very governor. Looming over the whole thing is a threat from a mysterious warlord from the Unknown Regions, whose power might take both Rebel and Imperial courage and brains to overcome.

A younger version of fan-favorite character Thrawn - not yet a Grand Admiral - plays a role in the story, and this book is also a must-read for any fans of his future right-hand man, Gilad Pellaeon.

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This is a classic era book from the Legends timeline. It will likely be contradicted by newer books (if so, just think of it as an alternate universe).

Empire and Rebellion: Razor's Edge

Empire and Rebellion: Razor's Edge by Martha Wells
One of the last books to be published in the Legends timeline, Razor's Edge is a book focused on Princess Leia between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes back. On a mission to save the Rebellion, Leia and friends come up against a group of dangerous pirates with a secret that will chill Leia to the bone.

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This is a classic era book from the Legends timeline. It will likely be contradicted by newer books (if so, just think of it as an alternate universe).

Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back novelization

Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back novelization by Donald F. Glut
Based on the movie script and written while the film was still in production, this is the original adaptation of The Empire Strikes Back from 1980. It closely follows the plot of the movie, but with some small differences (such as a "blue" Yoda) due to the fact that author Donald F. Glut didn't get to see the movie before writing the book.

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This is a movie novelization from the Legends timeline. Though the movie itself is canon, original content in the book could be contradicted by future books, movies, or TV shows (if so, you can think of it as an alternate universe).

Episode VI: Return of the Jedi novelization

Episode VI: Return of the Jedi novelization by James Kahn
Written based on the script while the film was still in production, this is the original novel adaptation of Return of the Jedi from 1983. Author James Kahn brings depth and a slightly different perspective to what is probably the second-best of the main Star Wars movie novelizations (after Matthew Stover's Revenge of the Sith). Though there are naturally also some inconsistencies with the final film and later books, the novel also includes interesting expanded versions of some of the scenes from the movie.

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This is a movie novelization from the Legends timeline. Though the movie itself is canon, original content in the book could be contradicted by future books, movies, or TV shows (if so, you can think of it as an alternate universe).

The Truce at Bakura

The Truce at Bakura by Kathy Tyers
Immediately after the destruction of the second Death Star, the heroes of the rebellion are caught up in a quiet alien invasion at the edge of known space. If the evil Ssi-ruuk are allowed to steal the minds of the planet Bakura's population to power their droid army, the rest of the galaxy could be next. Rebels and Imperials will have to work together to defeat the invasion.

The Truce at Bakura is the earliest Legends novel in the post-Return of the Jedi timeline, but the Thrawn Trilogy (set five years later) was the first published.

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This is a post-Return of the Jedi novel from the Legends timeline. Think of it as an alternate universe from The Force Awakens and newer books.

Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor

Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor by Matthew Stover
An unusual but intersting novel from author Matthew Stover, known to Star Wars fans for the exceptional philosophical and emotional depth of novels like Shatterpoint, Traitor, and the Revenge of the Sith novelization.

Dismayed by sensational film portrayals of his exploits for the Rebel Alliance, the self-critical Luke Skywalker finds himself caught up in an all new B-movie adventure, facing off against a mysterious dark side foe who has a theatrical side of his own. Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor is a self-consciously pulpy adventure that winkingly explores the sometimes unclear relationship between reality and fiction (while still staying strictly within the Star Wars universe).

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This is a post-Return of the Jedi novel from the Legends timeline. Think of it as an alternate universe from The Force Awakens and newer books.

The Courtship of Princess Leia

The Courtship of Princess Leia by Dave Wolverton
An early Star Wars novel from the 1990s revival, this book tells the spunky story of how Han Solo and Princess Leia finally ended up getting married. After Leia receives a marriage request from the powerful prince of the neutral Hapes Consortium, she's divided between her love for Han and her duty to the New Republic. Han, reverting under pressure to the criminal instincts of his past, kidnaps Leia and spirits her away to the remote plant of Dathomir. They soon find themselves stranded groundside - trapped between the Empire and a clan of Force-using, rancor-riding witches - with Luke Skywalker obliged to come to the rescue.

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This is a post-Return of the Jedi novel from the Legends timeline. Think of it as an alternate universe from The Force Awakens and newer books.

The Thrawn Trilogy

The Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn
Among the most beloved of all Star Wars novels, the so-called Thrawn Trilogy (a name that doesn't actually appear on the books themselves) was the story that launched the Legends expanded universe in earnest back in 1991. These books were the first ever written to take place after Return of the Jedi, and they set the stage for much of the rest of the Legends continuity. They tell a masterfully-written, multi-faceted story that's at once both epic and deeply personal.

Five years after the destruction of the second Death Star, the budding New Republic is threatened by Grand Admiral Thrawn, an alien military genius who has returned from the Unknown Regions to retake the galaxy for the Empire. Worse, Thrawn teams up with an insane Jedi clone who boasts access to secret Imperial technologies. Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia must rediscover old secrets and search out new allies in the struggle to stop Thrawn. But among these new "friends" is Mara Jade, a former Imperial agent who lives for one purpose: to kill Luke Skywalker.

The Hand of Thrawn duology is a sequel to this trilogy, set ten years afterwards.

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Book 1: Heir to the Empire
Book 2: Dark Force Rising
Book 3: The Last Command

This is a post-Return of the Jedi series from the Legends timeline. Think of it as an alternate universe from The Force Awakens and newer books.

(Do you miss Grand Admiral Thrawn? He's back in the new Star Wars canon, starting with Timothy Zahn's novel Thrawn!) 

The Jedi Academy Trilogy

 
The Jedi Academy Trilogy by Kevin J. Anderson
Though fan opinions vary on its quality, the Jedi Academy Trilogy plays a key role in the timeline of Legends novels set after Return of the Jedi. The series follows Luke Skywalker's mission to rebuild the Jedi Order by searching out Force-sensitive candidates and establishing a new Jedi Academy on Yavin IV. All does not go well at first, with a powerful Imperial superweapon emerging from hiding even as the spirit of an ancient Sith Lord works to corrupt the new generation of Jedi apprentices.

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Book 1: Jedi Search
Book 2: Dark Apprentice
Book 3: Champions of the Force

This is a post-Return of the Jedi series from the Legends timeline. Think of it as an alternate universe from The Force Awakens and newer books.

Children of the Jedi

Children of the Jedi by Barbara Hambly
Not long after the events of the Jedi Academy Trilogy, Han and Leia are searching for a lost group of Jedi children. Meanwhile, Luke must find a way to stop an aging computerized superweapon, even as he falls in love with an Old Republic Jedi whose mind is trapped inside the computer.

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This is a post-Return of the Jedi novel from the Legends timeline. Think of it as an alternate universe from The Force Awakens and newer books.

Darksaber

Darksaber by Kevin J. Anderson
In this follow-up novel to the Jedi Academy Trilogy and Children of the Jedi, Luke Skywalker and his lover Callista set out on a journey of Force discovery, even as an evil Hutt crime lord builds a superweapon inspired by the Death Star. Meanwhile, Admiral Daala consolidates her power over the remnants of the Empire, preparing to strike back at the New Republic and Luke's recently-formed Jedi Academy. Remembered by some fans as one of the worst Star Wars novels, despite being a great financial success.

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This is a post-Return of the Jedi novel from the Legends timeline. Think of it as an alternate universe from The Force Awakens and newer books.

Planet of Twilight

Planet of Twilight by Barbara Hambly
As Luke Skywalker searches for his lost love, Leia is captured by a dangerous cult using Force-sensitive crystals to threaten the New Republic. Before the end, the heroes of Star Wars must come together on a strange planet to protect the galaxy from the return of an ancient and horrible plague.

Planet of Twilight is the third in a loose trilogy of novels that began with Children of the Jedi and Darksaber.

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This is a post-Return of the Jedi novel from the Legends timeline. Think of it as an alternate universe from The Force Awakens and newer books.

The Crystal Star

The Crystal Star by Vonda N. McIntyre
Meet the bizarre book that went down among fans as the most disliked Star Wars novel of the 1990s, despite being a great financial success. Written by noted Star Trek author Vonda N. McIntyre, The Crystal Star introduces readers a world of centaurs and werewolves, an evil chunk of meat from another dimension, and a strangely out-of-character Luke Skywalker.

The story follows Leia on a mission to rescue her kidnapped young children, while Han and Luke race to solve the mystery of a trans-dimensional space anomaly. Though clearly out of place among the Star Wars novels, it's not without its positive aspects, and is worth reading for both completists and those who appreciate the absurd.

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This is a post-Return of the Jedi novel from the Legends timeline. Think of it as an alternate universe from The Force Awakens and newer books.

The Black Fleet Crisis

 
The Black Fleet Crisis trilogy by Michael P. Kube-McDowell
The remnants of the Empire have retreated and the galaxy is experiencing a period of peace. Han, Luke, and Chewbacca finally have some time to dedicate to themselves and their families. But Leia, now president of the New Republic, must grapple with the political maneuverings of a ruthless regional leader whose machinations threaten to tear the galaxy apart. Meanwhile, Luke is drawn off on a wild goose chase in search of knowledge of his mother, and Lando investigates the secrets of a mysterious and ancient ghost ship.

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Book 1: Before the Storm
Book 2: Shield of Lies
Book 3: Tyrant's Test

This is a post-Return of the Jedi series from the Legends timeline. Think of it as an alternate universe from The Force Awakens and newer books.

The New Rebellion

The New Rebellion by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Master Luke Skywalker faces one of his greatest challenges since restoring the Jedi order, as a Force-using genocidal maniac threatens to take down the New Republic. As Han and Lando dive into the criminal underworld of their past to clear Han's name of fraudulent terrorism charges, Luke must face the dark side of his own Jedi order.

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This is a post-Return of the Jedi novel from the Legends timeline. Think of it as an alternate universe from The Force Awakens and newer books.

The Corellian Trilogy

The Corellian Trilogy by Roger McBride Allen
When Han and Leia return to Han's home planet of Corellia 14 years after Return of the Jedi, they find themselves caught up in a dangerous spy game even as the Corellian system threatens to erupt into civil war. But it gets worse: A mystery left by an ancient civilization could put an unimaginable superweapon into the hands of brutal insurgents, led by none other than Han Solo's long-lost cousin!

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Book 1: Ambush at Correllia
Book 2: Assault at Selonia
Book 3: Showdown at Centerpoint

This is a post-Return of the Jedi series from the Legends timeline. Think of it as an alternate universe from The Force Awakens and newer books.

The Hand of Thrawn

The Hand of Thrawn duology by Timothy Zahn
The thrilling follow-up to Timothy Zahn's beloved Thrawn Trilogy! Ten years after Grand Admiral Thrawn nearly brought the New Republic to its knees, the Imperial Remnant is ready to finally surrender to the former rebels. Not everyone would have peace: Three well-placed Imperials conspire to fake the resurrection of Thrawn, not realizing how close to the truth their charade really is. Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade follow a mysterious trail of clues to a shocking discovery in the Unknown Regions, while a revelation from the past threatens to tear the New Republic apart from the inside.

Want more of Luke and Mara exploring Thrawn's legacy in the Unknown Regions? Read Survivor's Quest next, set three years after the Hand of Thrawn books.

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Book 1: Specter of the Past
Book 2: Vision of the Future

This is a post-Return of the Jedi series from the Legends timeline. Think of it as an alternate universe from The Force Awakens and newer books.