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lydiapopthof's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
thekarpuk's review against another edition
1.0
There are problems with all licensed fiction.
Then there are problems with Star Wars licensed fiction.
My general complaint about licensed fiction is the hacky prose. I like direct writing. When I tried to reread the "Aliens" series of books as an adult I was struck by the sub-Dean Koontz clumsiness of the prose. It's all like that, even when there's a good story or even a good idea involved.
My issues with Star Wars licensed fiction are multiple. The first I feel was best addressed by Gabe from Penny Arcade when he said, "This jackass just said that something can go 'through a ferrocrete bunker like a neutrino through plasma.' I get it, man. It says 'Star Wars' on the cover. I know I'm reading about 'Star Wars'. It's like, do they not have butter in space? Or hot knives to cut it with?"
Even the most basic metaphor has the nouns swapped out for some hokey space equivalent.
My other issue in most extended universe stories is the constant, CONSTANT references to famous scenes from Star Wars movies. There's a high probability that you've already seen the movies at least once if you're braving the fiction, making it ridiculous for Luke Skywalker to spend multiple pages reminiscing about that time he totally hung out with that Yoda guy.
Beyond that, there's the general issue of it all being humorless, a sad state of affairs common to sci fi and George Lucas, making it a double wammy when his hired nerd mercenaries write his prose.
Death Star has a premise so good it almost bucks the trend. It's a story about the construction of the Death Star and the issues of people running various aspects of the operation.
And for most of the book it actually works, clumsy prose, dorky metaphors, and humorlessness aside. Pointing out that the guy pulling the trigger on the giant cannon might feel conflicted with essentially being a genoicide gunner is compelling, as is observing that a million people got blown up by Luke Skywalker while Han Solo went, "Yee haw!"
It made me realize there's probably a disgusting asteroid belt of junk and scorched bodies that someone might feel the need to clean up at some point.
They really address the Star Wars universe in a morally ambiguous way that almost undermines the Star Wars mythos rather deviously.
Until the last fifty pages of course, when half the characters we've grown to sympathize with make a daring escape from the Death Star at the last minute. As is Lucas' way, defeat is snatched from the jaws of victory.
Damn it. Damn it to hell. My high school acting teacher once said that a traditional tragedy is where you know it's going to end badly from the beginning. What could be more tragic than the stories of people doing mundane do-nothing jobs on the Death Star? You're going to get blown up, and it wasn't even your fight.
But why go for a dramatic and powerful ending when you can take the people-pleasing cowards way out by having them ride off into the sunset having a corny conversation about what their plans are for their new lives.
It gets the one star primarily for the ending.
Then there are problems with Star Wars licensed fiction.
My general complaint about licensed fiction is the hacky prose. I like direct writing. When I tried to reread the "Aliens" series of books as an adult I was struck by the sub-Dean Koontz clumsiness of the prose. It's all like that, even when there's a good story or even a good idea involved.
My issues with Star Wars licensed fiction are multiple. The first I feel was best addressed by Gabe from Penny Arcade when he said, "This jackass just said that something can go 'through a ferrocrete bunker like a neutrino through plasma.' I get it, man. It says 'Star Wars' on the cover. I know I'm reading about 'Star Wars'. It's like, do they not have butter in space? Or hot knives to cut it with?"
Even the most basic metaphor has the nouns swapped out for some hokey space equivalent.
My other issue in most extended universe stories is the constant, CONSTANT references to famous scenes from Star Wars movies. There's a high probability that you've already seen the movies at least once if you're braving the fiction, making it ridiculous for Luke Skywalker to spend multiple pages reminiscing about that time he totally hung out with that Yoda guy.
Beyond that, there's the general issue of it all being humorless, a sad state of affairs common to sci fi and George Lucas, making it a double wammy when his hired nerd mercenaries write his prose.
Death Star has a premise so good it almost bucks the trend. It's a story about the construction of the Death Star and the issues of people running various aspects of the operation.
And for most of the book it actually works, clumsy prose, dorky metaphors, and humorlessness aside. Pointing out that the guy pulling the trigger on the giant cannon might feel conflicted with essentially being a genoicide gunner is compelling, as is observing that a million people got blown up by Luke Skywalker while Han Solo went, "Yee haw!"
It made me realize there's probably a disgusting asteroid belt of junk and scorched bodies that someone might feel the need to clean up at some point.
They really address the Star Wars universe in a morally ambiguous way that almost undermines the Star Wars mythos rather deviously.
Until the last fifty pages of course, when half the characters we've grown to sympathize with make a daring escape from the Death Star at the last minute. As is Lucas' way, defeat is snatched from the jaws of victory.
Damn it. Damn it to hell. My high school acting teacher once said that a traditional tragedy is where you know it's going to end badly from the beginning. What could be more tragic than the stories of people doing mundane do-nothing jobs on the Death Star? You're going to get blown up, and it wasn't even your fight.
But why go for a dramatic and powerful ending when you can take the people-pleasing cowards way out by having them ride off into the sunset having a corny conversation about what their plans are for their new lives.
It gets the one star primarily for the ending.
jotyler2021's review
3.0
I wasn't too sure about reading a book about the development of the Death Star, but I knew I wanted to start here before reading New Hope. I gotta say I was surprised by how much I liked this book. You have a story with different characters who eventually converge at the end, which I like. The story was pretty smooth all the way through and you get to see what Darth is up to until the end of New hope. All in all, it was a good starting point to the series if you want to start off reading the series with Luke and the gang.
lmcox's review against another edition
4.0
There are many, many Star Wars books and even more Star Wars stories, which take place over literally thousands of years in the Expanded Universe. Still, the best, most quintessentially epic story is the one told by the first three movies. Death Star tells the other half of that story - the stories of those civilians and military personnel living on the Death Star as it became the galaxy's most feared weapon. This isn't the Star Wars book about heroes; it's about a cantina owner, a small-time smuggler, an architect, a librarian, a doctor, a pilot, a guard, and the guy who pulls the trigger. It tells how they got to be on the ship in the first place, what makes it worth staying, and whether they decide to leave in time. I love the storytelling element here. It's far more of a social story than the typical war story, and you even get some insight into Grand Moff Tarkin himself.
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