I've really liked them, I hear what you're saying, these episodes do come off a bit hardcore fantasy, more Lord of the Rings or World of Warcraft than Star Wars, but then that is kinda what has always been so cool about Star Wars and a galaxy of possibilities, it can be so many things. Even though it was stretching out of the comfort zone and going quite far from what would normally be considered Star Wars, I feel the right tone was still struck, and though it felt like an area of that universe that we'd not explored before, it still felt like that could be happening in that universe. I mean EU Star Wars stories have come up with far crazier stuff than this in the past.

I also like how they're linking how things transpiring in this realm will have repercussions on the rest of the galaxy.

It is a shame Ashoka didn't die here, but it is too soon, I think they're not going to get rid of her until the last or penultimate series, but obviously it has to happen some time, but I hope they don't leave it until right at the very end because that would just make no sense, with her dying just before the events in Revenge of the Sith and never being mentioned again. At least if it happens a while beforehand they can say they have already grieved, and that time has passed or whatever. Who knows, perhaps with the way she ends up going out the writers will come up with some clever reason why she is never mentioned again?