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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
It turns out that "Star Wars meets Ocean's Eleven" is a better idea in concept than in execution. Or at least, this novel about Han Solo putting together a team for a heist soon after the destruction of the first Death Star never quite lives up to its potential. It's periodically thrilling, but with no real cleverness or depth to its characters. Audiobook reader Marc Thompson does an outstanding job with all the different character voices, but he's wasted on this material.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
In the past I've always loved books focusing on Han Solo, and I've always found Zahn's work very readable, but this book just didn't work for me. Maybe if it had been half the length, but 500 pages of an Ocean's Eleven ripoff was a bit too much.
I have been trying to finish this one off and on again for over two years. That's probably the main issue I had with Scoundrels: it didn't grab me as well as I hoped it would. It's a solid heist story with a great twist ending, but I just couldn't get into it the same way I can with many of Zahn's other Star Wars stories. The fact that it relies so much on heist movie tropes takes the focus off the fact that this is set in the Star Wars Universe. Just take away the recognizable characters and this could quickly become a generic sci fi story. It definitely connects with the OT story in key ways, but Scoundrels ultimately suffers as a Star Wars story because of its heist gimmick.
This book, like most of the other stories that take place between Episodes IV and V, lacks teeth. There are no stakes because we know right where the characters end up. In this case, it starts off with a weak premise and thus he gambles on a caper with a big payoff. It's Ocean's Eleven in the Star Wars universe. One of the biggest issues I have with the story, just like the cover shows, is that Lando is involved. The impression we get in The Empire Strikes Back is that Han and Lando haven't seen each other for years, probably since Han won the Falcon from him. It feels awkward having them team up here, and it could have been handled better. Several new characters are introduced, but I can only tell you a couple things about 2 of them. The rest are more or less blank templates to fulfill a role in the story, with no personality or character of their own.
The writing was competent, but didn't transport me to a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away like many of Zahn's other books have done. I don't know if he changed, or if I changed, but the magic wasn't there this time. I also feel like the twist at the end wasn't needed and felt done to check a box or to please some editor, rather than for the actual needs of the story or to play out character motivations. It bothered me.
I wouldn't recommend it.
Spoiler
(Han loses his money from transporting Luke and Obi-Wan to Alderaan and rescuing Leia because he was caught by pirates)The writing was competent, but didn't transport me to a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away like many of Zahn's other books have done. I don't know if he changed, or if I changed, but the magic wasn't there this time. I also feel like the twist at the end wasn't needed and felt done to check a box or to please some editor, rather than for the actual needs of the story or to play out character motivations. It bothered me.
I wouldn't recommend it.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
A fun, non-stop heist story, filled with interesting characters and lots and lots of twists and surprises. The focus was split between about 15 main characters, so there isn't a ton of just Han, Chewie or Lando. But the situations and people are well conceived and entertaining, so you don't find yourself minding so much. The copy I had includes a bonus prequel, explaining how Han lost his reward money and ended up in his current situation. A fun read that went a lot faster than I thought it would!
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes