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3.35 AVERAGE
3.35 AVERAGE
This was a really good origin story for Poe Dameron. A setup for his character in The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker. In this story you see the building blocks or a hero. He has made a number if mistakes, but he has a true heart.
Poe Dameron had a well-established back story going into The Rise of Skywalker and I know that many fans were disappointed in the perceived changes to it. I was one of them. I tried to wrap my head around what I knew about Poe already and tried to figure out when our dashing Resistance hero could have possibly been a spice runner in the company of Zorii Bliss - Alex Segura came in to answer those questions and no mental gymnastics were needed to make it fit the story.
Readers of the Poe Dameron comics will be familiar with his time in the New Republic and as Leia's protege, but who was Dameron before then? Segura's YA novel introduces us to a young man who is grieving the loss of his beloved mother and dreams of flying away from home and the father that would have him always choose the path of least resistance. When a young woman named Zorii Wynn catches his eye in the cantina that refuses to serve the still underage fly boy, Poe is caught in a whirlwind affair that takes him off of his home planet of Yavin 4 and into uncharted territory with the Spice Runners of Kijimi.
I enjoyed getting to know Poe as he learns more about himself and decides which course to take in life. I think a lot of people assumed the worst about Poe's "shady" history from what was mentioned in Episode IX, but, like most Star Wars characters, we see having been a spice runner doesn't necessarily tarnish the shine of the accolades that Poe earns in adulthood.
Free Fall was well written and the dialogue flowed naturally between characters. I appreciated that it was a little hazy in its timelines, as so much of adolescence can be, with one day easily blurring into the next and suddenly you can't remember if something happened in March or October. Zorii's character is fleshed out in a way that I wish we'd gotten more of on screen and makes her sudden change of heart towards Poe and the Resistance all that much more believable.
All that said, I highly recommend picking this book up if The Rise of Skywalker left you feeling more listless than an X-Wing with a fried engine or if you just enjoy a good YA space adventure. You're sure to find answers to those questions and some entertainment. Oh, and did I mention that there's an appearance from everyone's favorite black market droid smith? Much like TRoS, Babu Frik makes it totally worth your time.
Readers of the Poe Dameron comics will be familiar with his time in the New Republic and as Leia's protege, but who was Dameron before then? Segura's YA novel introduces us to a young man who is grieving the loss of his beloved mother and dreams of flying away from home and the father that would have him always choose the path of least resistance. When a young woman named Zorii Wynn catches his eye in the cantina that refuses to serve the still underage fly boy, Poe is caught in a whirlwind affair that takes him off of his home planet of Yavin 4 and into uncharted territory with the Spice Runners of Kijimi.
I enjoyed getting to know Poe as he learns more about himself and decides which course to take in life. I think a lot of people assumed the worst about Poe's "shady" history from what was mentioned in Episode IX, but, like most Star Wars characters, we see having been a spice runner doesn't necessarily tarnish the shine of the accolades that Poe earns in adulthood.
Free Fall was well written and the dialogue flowed naturally between characters. I appreciated that it was a little hazy in its timelines, as so much of adolescence can be, with one day easily blurring into the next and suddenly you can't remember if something happened in March or October. Zorii's character is fleshed out in a way that I wish we'd gotten more of on screen and makes her sudden change of heart towards Poe and the Resistance all that much more believable.
All that said, I highly recommend picking this book up if The Rise of Skywalker left you feeling more listless than an X-Wing with a fried engine or if you just enjoy a good YA space adventure. You're sure to find answers to those questions and some entertainment. Oh, and did I mention that there's an appearance from everyone's favorite black market droid smith? Much like TRoS, Babu Frik makes it totally worth your time.
Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Lucasfilm Press for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Poe Dameron : Free Fall starts to fill in the gaps for this beloved, at least by me, Star Wars Sequel character. It follows Poe Dameron on Yavin 4, young and full of that spirit that we know and love. He's itching to fly, a skill that his mother had begun to teach him and having in inherited her love for the freedom it affords he is acting out.
After facing off with his old man, Kes Dameron, Poe runs off with a group of trouble makers he met at a local watering hole. Spice traders, smugglers and among them a young and fiery Zorii.
This shows that there is a lot of history left within the Skywalker Saga, focusing on the lives of the characters before and after the events of the film. It's just the start of Poe's story, but does so much to expand the universe, dipping into the world of smugglers Post-Han Solo.
You can feel the chemistry between Zorii and Poe in the film and the same is true in this book. Even though I already knew who she was, the way the characters play off each other is so satisfying. Along with Zorii we also get a few scenes with Babu Frikk and a droid that likely sets the stage for Poe's future bond with BB-8.
Poe doesn't just grow up in this story, he finds his place. The son of two heroes in the Rebellion looking for his own adventure, he finally finds his footing and learns what type of man he wants to be.
I did really enjoy this and I hope this turns into a series and his character is expanded upon more. I'd love to see him starting out with BB-8 or when he first meets Leia. If Poe is a favorite if yours, you'll love this.
Poe Dameron : Free Fall starts to fill in the gaps for this beloved, at least by me, Star Wars Sequel character. It follows Poe Dameron on Yavin 4, young and full of that spirit that we know and love. He's itching to fly, a skill that his mother had begun to teach him and having in inherited her love for the freedom it affords he is acting out.
After facing off with his old man, Kes Dameron, Poe runs off with a group of trouble makers he met at a local watering hole. Spice traders, smugglers and among them a young and fiery Zorii.
This shows that there is a lot of history left within the Skywalker Saga, focusing on the lives of the characters before and after the events of the film. It's just the start of Poe's story, but does so much to expand the universe, dipping into the world of smugglers Post-Han Solo.
You can feel the chemistry between Zorii and Poe in the film and the same is true in this book. Even though I already knew who she was, the way the characters play off each other is so satisfying. Along with Zorii we also get a few scenes with Babu Frikk and a droid that likely sets the stage for Poe's future bond with BB-8.
Poe doesn't just grow up in this story, he finds his place. The son of two heroes in the Rebellion looking for his own adventure, he finally finds his footing and learns what type of man he wants to be.
I did really enjoy this and I hope this turns into a series and his character is expanded upon more. I'd love to see him starting out with BB-8 or when he first meets Leia. If Poe is a favorite if yours, you'll love this.
Gifted by Netgalley for an honest review.
Honestly, this was just a Star Wars story with Poe shoehorned into it. Surface level relationships with forgettable action sequences.
Honestly, this was just a Star Wars story with Poe shoehorned into it. Surface level relationships with forgettable action sequences.
A 3.5 but I think this book got some unfair reviews so here I am with a 4. Even though I don’t like episode IX very much, this made me like Zorii Bliss and Babu Frikk that much more
This book was published a bit predictably after the Rise of Skywalker hinted at some backstory with Poe being a spice runner on Kijimi. I was never bothered by this so called conflict, because I knew there was room for Poe to have a history we simply didn't know about. This book was actually a lot of fun to read. It's not a story I needed and I think they could have worked more romance between he and Zorii, which I don't say often. There wasn't much of a story here, but it hit some fun Star Wars tropes and gave us some more scenes with Babu Frik. I think this fits in with [b:Most Wanted|38600062|Most Wanted (Star Wars)|Rae Carson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1518809651l/38600062._SX50_.jpg|60206050] or [b:Rebel Rising|32617148|Rebel Rising (Star Wars)|Beth Revis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1485379708l/32617148._SY75_.jpg|53203858], which both sort of help us tie in some implied backstory in their respective related films. I am actually surprised they didn't release this as part of the Journey to the Rise of Skywalker series as it would have felt less like a book shoehorned in to fill in Poe's Spice Runner days. Free Fall doesn't improve on the Rise of Skywalker, but has plenty of fun connective tissue. I think that young Poe would make for a pretty good series of books or comics, but I also think that some Zorii books could be a lot of fun too. Not to mention, it would be another reason to have Babu Frik in the book! This was a lot of fun to listen to on audiobook as well. It kept my interest and went at a good pace. Free Fall should tick plenty of boxes in getting your Star Wars fix, unless you despise everything it stands for because you hated Rise of Skywalker.
As always this pairs well with Star Wars Explained on Youtube!
Check out my spoiler free reviews on Youtube!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPX5tKj9__V8Vx-dl7qpwhQ
May the Force be with you!
As always this pairs well with Star Wars Explained on Youtube!
Check out my spoiler free reviews on Youtube!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPX5tKj9__V8Vx-dl7qpwhQ
May the Force be with you!
**I received a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**
I've been on quite the Star Wars kick lately. Though I'm wrapped up in watching Rebels for the first time, I really enjoyed reading this book to gain more insight into Poe Dameron. I think we can all agree RoS was an . . . interesting . . . conclusion to the Star Wars sequel trilogy, that introduced some new faces and new storylines. FREE FALL sought to explain who those new faces were and why they were important to Poe Dameron's character arc.
Poe Dameron is just one of the many characters in the sequel trilogy whose character arc was pushed aside after The Force Awakens. I think RoS tried to explain more about who he was and how he came to be involved with the Resistance, but left a lot of things unsaid. I really liked this book, because it offered insight to a young, rising pilot, Poe Dameron and introduced us to his relationship with Zorii and the planet Kijimi. It was an adventure that reminded me of The Clone Wars and Rebels especially, and I could really see this plotline turned into a television series for Disney+ and probably do extremely well.
The story contained nuances of a prodigal son, who in seeking after adventure and a life outside the one he grew up in, Poe finds himself caught up in something more sinister than he first realized. I loved seeing Poe toil over the morality and ethics of his choices, whether he should continue on with the Spice Runners, and whether or not he'd follow Zorii to the end of the galaxy.When his father finally chases him down after a year with the Spice Runners, my heart just hurt. Because I can only imagine the pain he must feel when everything good he fought for to make a happy life for his family is turned upside down when his son rejects it all. And though I don't think Poe fully rejected it, he had to learn for himself the truth of what his parents fought for and why he must also continue to fight for good in the galaxy, far, far, away.
The ending laid great groundwork for Poe's introduction and involvement with the Resistance, and I think that's a book I'd like to read next. There was a lot left open-ended here, and many plot holes left over from the sequel trilogy that I think would make for some great books involving Poe (and others.)
4/5 stars
I've been on quite the Star Wars kick lately. Though I'm wrapped up in watching Rebels for the first time, I really enjoyed reading this book to gain more insight into Poe Dameron. I think we can all agree RoS was an . . . interesting . . . conclusion to the Star Wars sequel trilogy, that introduced some new faces and new storylines. FREE FALL sought to explain who those new faces were and why they were important to Poe Dameron's character arc.
Poe Dameron is just one of the many characters in the sequel trilogy whose character arc was pushed aside after The Force Awakens. I think RoS tried to explain more about who he was and how he came to be involved with the Resistance, but left a lot of things unsaid. I really liked this book, because it offered insight to a young, rising pilot, Poe Dameron and introduced us to his relationship with Zorii and the planet Kijimi. It was an adventure that reminded me of The Clone Wars and Rebels especially, and I could really see this plotline turned into a television series for Disney+ and probably do extremely well.
The story contained nuances of a prodigal son, who in seeking after adventure and a life outside the one he grew up in, Poe finds himself caught up in something more sinister than he first realized. I loved seeing Poe toil over the morality and ethics of his choices, whether he should continue on with the Spice Runners, and whether or not he'd follow Zorii to the end of the galaxy.
The ending laid great groundwork for Poe's introduction and involvement with the Resistance, and I think that's a book I'd like to read next. There was a lot left open-ended here, and many plot holes left over from the sequel trilogy that I think would make for some great books involving Poe (and others.)
4/5 stars
I enjoyed getting to know more about Poe Dameron and his past, The Spice Runners of Kajimi were a very interesting faction, and seeing Poe’s relationship with them, especially Zorii was super interesting. The book jumped around a bit, going from one scene to a completely different one a little disjointedly, but over that, it was fun, and a nice, quick read to learn more about Poe. I also liked how Poe’s relationship with Zorii was handled, and now, the interactions of the two from The Rise of Skywalker make much more sense to me.
In "Poe Dameron: Free Fall," Alex Segura shines a light on a part of the charismatic Resistance pilot’s life we only get our first hints of in The Rise of Skywalker. A character with a shady becoming a hero for the good guys isn’t new territory in the franchise (a certain other charismatic pilot had done the same thing a generation earlier, after all). But some were taken slightly aback by the film’s revelation that Dameron had spent time in the galaxy’s criminal underworld and had a hard time squaring that with the character they already knew. But in revisiting a trope we know well in Star Wars, that of a frustrated young man eager for adventure, Segura draws a clear arc through Poe’s development. From a restless adolescent, through a not-quite-convinced member of a criminal enterprise, to a young man who finds his true calling, we find out how Poe got from the frigid Thieves’ Quarter of Kijimi to his place as one of the leaders of the Resistance. The author does a beautiful job of capturing Oscar Isaac’s portrayal of the character, nicely sets up things we see in the films, and provides just as much – if not more – backstory about the Kerri Russel’s enigmatic Zorii Bliss.