Scan barcode
brendalovesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
This is the first Star Wars book I've ever read, and I liked it pretty well. Thing is, I like Star Wars, but I don't LOVE Star Wars, and this was about like watching a Star Wars movie. The characters all seemed true to how they should be. The plot was pretty fun, if a bit predictable. It was a pretty good introduction to this kind of book.
electra_reads's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
Solid Star Wars book.
gndlf's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
cyris_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
dantastic's review against another edition
3.0
In the aftermath of The Battle of Yavin, Han Solo takes on a new mission for the Rebel Alliance: pick up a spy named Scarlet Hark on a planet in Imperial space. Since things are rarely simple, he finds a couple bounty hunters that want to take him back to Jabba the Hutt, Scarlet Hark, and the existence of an ancient device the Empire could use to control all of hyperspace travel. Can the legendary smuggler and his Wookie save the day?
There have been a couple periods in my life where I was convinced Star Wars was the best thing since sliced bread. The first time was when I was a very young lad and had 50-something Star Wars action figures. My relatives say I even slept with them when I was 4 but they are known liars. The second period I became enamored with Star Wars was when Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy came out. Between then and my second, much more successful, stint in college arount the year 2000, I read 40-something of the Star Wars novels. Then I lost interest around the time the prequel trilogy was in full swing.
Anyway, when this came up on Netgalley, I decided I'd put the trauma of the prequel trilogy aside and give Star Wars another chance. It was a fun read but I'm not going to dig my old Star Wars sheets and pillowcases out of storage.
Han Solo and Chewbacca rang pretty true to their screen incarnations, although I thought Han could have been a little more capable. The novel does a good job illustrating how the events of Star Wars changed him by having him encounter an old crony and contrasting the two of them. Bassen Ray reminded me of a broken down Han Solo with an English accent. Scarlet Hark felt like Princess Leia with a lick of paint, however.
The plot was a little overly complicated but it was still fun. There were double crosses, the Millenium Falcon malfunctions, and lots of gunplay. There were event a few fairly funny bits. But at the end of the day, it's still a Star Wars novel. You know nobody who has an action figure made in his or her likeness is going to get killed and because of this particular novel's place in the timeline, you know the likelihood of any recurring character getting introduced is pretty slim.
All gripes aside, I was fairly entertained by this book. I wasn't as crazy as a Bantha in heat over it like I was the Zahn Trilogy or I, Jedi, but it was a good bit of pulpy fun that reminded me why I liked Star Wars in the first place. Three out of five stars.
There have been a couple periods in my life where I was convinced Star Wars was the best thing since sliced bread. The first time was when I was a very young lad and had 50-something Star Wars action figures. My relatives say I even slept with them when I was 4 but they are known liars. The second period I became enamored with Star Wars was when Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy came out. Between then and my second, much more successful, stint in college arount the year 2000, I read 40-something of the Star Wars novels. Then I lost interest around the time the prequel trilogy was in full swing.
Anyway, when this came up on Netgalley, I decided I'd put the trauma of the prequel trilogy aside and give Star Wars another chance. It was a fun read but I'm not going to dig my old Star Wars sheets and pillowcases out of storage.
Han Solo and Chewbacca rang pretty true to their screen incarnations, although I thought Han could have been a little more capable. The novel does a good job illustrating how the events of Star Wars changed him by having him encounter an old crony and contrasting the two of them. Bassen Ray reminded me of a broken down Han Solo with an English accent. Scarlet Hark felt like Princess Leia with a lick of paint, however.
The plot was a little overly complicated but it was still fun. There were double crosses, the Millenium Falcon malfunctions, and lots of gunplay. There were event a few fairly funny bits. But at the end of the day, it's still a Star Wars novel. You know nobody who has an action figure made in his or her likeness is going to get killed and because of this particular novel's place in the timeline, you know the likelihood of any recurring character getting introduced is pretty slim.
All gripes aside, I was fairly entertained by this book. I wasn't as crazy as a Bantha in heat over it like I was the Zahn Trilogy or I, Jedi, but it was a good bit of pulpy fun that reminded me why I liked Star Wars in the first place. Three out of five stars.
bookhoarding's review against another edition
4.0
The Death Star may have been destroyed, but our heros must still try to strengthen the Rebel Alliance in the face of all the Empire's spider-like arms that still stretch across the galaxy. Han is sent to make contact with what could be a crucial contact, but soon realizes that the spy, Scarlet Hark, is in demand by forces other than the Alliance. Still being pursued by Jabba and bounty seekers, Han must safely shepherd his precious cargo across enemy lines, away from headhunters and into another death-defying adventure.
I feel like this book really did a lot to show Han's inner-dialogue, something we rarely see in most books, and shows how much he really cares in the moments he pretends he doesn't. His concern for Luke and Leia, and any other hangers-on he manages to pick up along the way, over-power the concern he has for his own livelihood. Throughout the course of this book, especially at the end when a crucial intelligence decision must be made, it becomes clear that the outward appearance of an unconcerned pirate is not a true reflection of the man. Instead there are glimpses into the inner-workings of the military man that Han once was, and maybe secretly wants to be again.
This Empire and Rebellion series serves as a fantastic and needed bridge between the first movies. The Rebels would have had to do everything in their power to maintain secrecy while attempting to court new allies, a hard tightrope to walk. We get glimpses of other missions going on at the same time, see the deaths that occur on a daily basis in skirmishes and the emotional toll each loss takes on the trio, especially Leia. These well-known characters pop off these pages in a fresh way that stays true to the characters, but somehow makes them more human and complex than other EU books have in the past.
I feel like this book really did a lot to show Han's inner-dialogue, something we rarely see in most books, and shows how much he really cares in the moments he pretends he doesn't. His concern for Luke and Leia, and any other hangers-on he manages to pick up along the way, over-power the concern he has for his own livelihood. Throughout the course of this book, especially at the end when a crucial intelligence decision must be made, it becomes clear that the outward appearance of an unconcerned pirate is not a true reflection of the man. Instead there are glimpses into the inner-workings of the military man that Han once was, and maybe secretly wants to be again.
This Empire and Rebellion series serves as a fantastic and needed bridge between the first movies. The Rebels would have had to do everything in their power to maintain secrecy while attempting to court new allies, a hard tightrope to walk. We get glimpses of other missions going on at the same time, see the deaths that occur on a daily basis in skirmishes and the emotional toll each loss takes on the trio, especially Leia. These well-known characters pop off these pages in a fresh way that stays true to the characters, but somehow makes them more human and complex than other EU books have in the past.
le_canuck's review against another edition
4.0
Great Star Wars book. The characters are true to their film iteration, and the plot keeps the book very hard to put down.
ericbuscemi's review against another edition
4.0
Having never read a Star Wars novel, I wasn't sure exactly what I was getting into. Were the lot of them just poorly thought out pulp slogs churned out to cash in on the franchise's fame? I doubted it after seeing James S.A. Corey's name on it cover of this one, as Corey is the writing team behind the [b:Leviathan Wakes|8855321|Leviathan Wakes (Expanse, #1)|James S.A. Corey|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1411013134s/8855321.jpg|13730452] series. While I didn't like the first book in that series enough to keep going with it, having read it made it clear that a) they could write well and b) they loved science fiction. I actually think the constraints of writing in the Star Wars universe helped them in this case, as it kept them from flying off the creative rails.
As far as this novel specifically, it was exactly what I hoped it would be -- a great Han Solo story. Corey captured the voices of familiar characters like Luke, Leia, and especially Han, but the focus remained on Han, Chewbacca, and the Millennium Falcon. Also introduced were Scarlet Hark and Baasen Ray, roguish characters fitting with the novel's title. The plot, which I won't spoil here, felt right at home in the Star Wars cinematic universe. There were a few lampshades I enjoyed, such as a throw away line about how Han likes to shoot first, and a scene in a temple reminiscent of Indiana Jones, but the novel took itself seriously, and never slid into farce.
While sometimes I feel it doesn't matter, in this case I feel compelled to mention that I listened to the audio book of this novel. Both the narrator, Marc Thompson, and the production quality were amazing. I am sure some people will be turned off by the sound effects -- beeping droids, blaster fire, wookie grunts, music from the cinematic score -- but I thought it added immeasurably to the experience. It was basically an audio play with Thompson voicing every character, and he did an amazing job with the voices, capably switching between all the different characters, male and female, and his Han Solo impersonation, second only to Harrison Ford himself, is alone worth the cost of the audio book.
As far as this novel specifically, it was exactly what I hoped it would be -- a great Han Solo story. Corey captured the voices of familiar characters like Luke, Leia, and especially Han, but the focus remained on Han, Chewbacca, and the Millennium Falcon. Also introduced were Scarlet Hark and Baasen Ray, roguish characters fitting with the novel's title. The plot, which I won't spoil here, felt right at home in the Star Wars cinematic universe. There were a few lampshades I enjoyed, such as a throw away line about how Han likes to shoot first, and a scene in a temple reminiscent of Indiana Jones, but the novel took itself seriously, and never slid into farce.
While sometimes I feel it doesn't matter, in this case I feel compelled to mention that I listened to the audio book of this novel. Both the narrator, Marc Thompson, and the production quality were amazing. I am sure some people will be turned off by the sound effects -- beeping droids, blaster fire, wookie grunts, music from the cinematic score -- but I thought it added immeasurably to the experience. It was basically an audio play with Thompson voicing every character, and he did an amazing job with the voices, capably switching between all the different characters, male and female, and his Han Solo impersonation, second only to Harrison Ford himself, is alone worth the cost of the audio book.