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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.
petealdin's review against another edition
4.0
I liked it. Helped wash the Disney taste out of my brain and return me to Star Wars and what Star Wars is.
Nice embodiment of Episode IV/V Han Solo. Terrific detailing of some of the romantic buildup between him and Leia between the first two movies. And "Corey" adds a little science to this science fantasy which doesn't undermine it (it easily could have).
Loses a point for some "what??" prose late on and a real and persistent fascination with wee-wee and poo-poo.
But this was a good book.
Nice embodiment of Episode IV/V Han Solo. Terrific detailing of some of the romantic buildup between him and Leia between the first two movies. And "Corey" adds a little science to this science fantasy which doesn't undermine it (it easily could have).
Loses a point for some "what??" prose late on and a real and persistent fascination with wee-wee and poo-poo.
But this was a good book.
litagentsaritza's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars
While I really enjoyed the beginning of the book, it felt like the last third was a chore to get through.
While I really enjoyed the beginning of the book, it felt like the last third was a chore to get through.
kb_208's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this was a pretty good adventure centering on Han Solo. It involves him picking up a spy for the rebels on an Empire heavy planet that is trying to acquire information about an ancient super instrument that can control hyperspace travel. So Han gets involved in finding this device, all the while being chased by a bounty hunter. It starts out as a simple small idea story and quickly turns into an adventure that puts the fate of the entire galaxy in their hands. It's a fun story and I enjoyed reading it.
fisk42's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not sure what I was hoping for when I started reading this. Maybe I secretly wanted the crew of the Rochiante to appear it the Star Wars universe, who knows. All in all it just didn't feel like a James S.A. Corey book to me (whatever that means) but it was still good.
As far as the characters go, the authors got them down pretty well. They have said that in preparation for this book they watched the original trilogy several times to get a good grasp of Han Solo. This pays of as the book feels like a continuation of the movies, and is where the novel really pays off for the reader.
The entire plot revolves around Solo on a short mission after the battle of Yavin to pick up a Rebel spy. This of course doesn't happen according to plan because Jabba's bounty hunters have once again caught up with Han. The spy Han is picking up has plans of her own as well, before they can return to the Rebellion they have to pursue her leads further. These leads eventually end up with them on the trail of a mysterious superweapon left by a long extinct race. Given the relatively short length of recorded history in the Star Wars universe it would seem as if there would be many such technologies long abandoned. I was glad to see James S.A. Corey use this sci-fi trope.
Overall a must read for the Han Solo enthusiast and a good read for anyone looking for another Star Wars adventure.
As far as the characters go, the authors got them down pretty well. They have said that in preparation for this book they watched the original trilogy several times to get a good grasp of Han Solo. This pays of as the book feels like a continuation of the movies, and is where the novel really pays off for the reader.
The entire plot revolves around Solo on a short mission after the battle of Yavin to pick up a Rebel spy. This of course doesn't happen according to plan because Jabba's bounty hunters have once again caught up with Han. The spy Han is picking up has plans of her own as well, before they can return to the Rebellion they have to pursue her leads further. These leads eventually end up with them on the trail of a mysterious superweapon left by a long extinct race. Given the relatively short length of recorded history in the Star Wars universe it would seem as if there would be many such technologies long abandoned. I was glad to see James S.A. Corey use this sci-fi trope.
Overall a must read for the Han Solo enthusiast and a good read for anyone looking for another Star Wars adventure.
jaredkwheeler's review against another edition
5.0
Star Wars Legends Project #271
Background: Honor Among Thieves was written by [a:James S.A. Corey|4192148|James S.A. Corey|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1573162332p2/4192148.jpg] and published in March of 2014. It was actually the very last Legends novel ever published, and was supposed to be the middle book of a loose trilogy (all by different authors). It instead became the second book in a loose duology and the final book in the trilogy became a stand-alone novel published in the new canon continuity. Corey is the pen name of cowriters Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, best known for their amazing series The Expanse. This is their only Star Wars book.
Honor Among Thieves takes place sometime during the second year after the Battle of Yavin. The main characters are Han Solo and Chewbacca, but also include Leia, Luke, Threepio, Artoo, and Wedge Antilles. The story takes place on Cioran, Kiamurr, and Seymarti V.
Summary: Once again, the Rebellion has a mission that it seems only Han Solo can do: Extract a spy from deep cover in the middle of the Core Worlds. Of course, everything goes wrong almost immediately and Han is left to improvise as only he can. To make matters worse, the spy, Scarlet Hark, has her own ideas about what the actual mission is, and she can be extremely persuasive . . . Especially when she tells Han that the intel she's gathered could spell doom for Princess Leia, the Rebellion, and maybe the galaxy itself!
Review: The Expanse may just be my all-time favorite science fiction series, so suffice to say I went into this novel with very high expectations. If anything, Honor Among Thieves exceeded them. Seldom do you read a Star Wars book that just gets these characters the way this one does. It's so rare that it must be difficult to do, but they make it look easy. This had everything I want in a Star Wars novel from this era, and then some.
What I particularly love about their Expanse books is, every time you think you've figured out the trajectory of the story, they throw a massive bomb into the middle of everything and blow up the status quo, forcing events to take a hard left turn. The plotting in this story isn't quite that disruptive, but it does keep you guessing and never feels predictable. I love the way they'll seed something into the story and you'll have all-but-forgotten about it when suddenly it pops back up again in an unexpected way.
The real star of this story is Han, and they've tackled the key transformation of his character from a pragmatic individualist into a selfless Rebel leader. Throughout the book, Han repeatedly confronts the question of why he's choosing to remain with the Rebellion when he doesn't entirely trust that their ultimate victory (if its even possible) will be an improvement. And of course, that isn't entirely resolved (we're still pre-Empire Strikes Back after all), but it does paint a picture of why he's even still hanging around so long after Yavin.
My biggest complaint is that I can't believe this got stuck right behind the slamming door of the old closed canon! Scarlet Hark is an awesome character, and I want more! Let's get these guys another novel in the new canon, ASAP!
A
Background: Honor Among Thieves was written by [a:James S.A. Corey|4192148|James S.A. Corey|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1573162332p2/4192148.jpg] and published in March of 2014. It was actually the very last Legends novel ever published, and was supposed to be the middle book of a loose trilogy (all by different authors). It instead became the second book in a loose duology and the final book in the trilogy became a stand-alone novel published in the new canon continuity. Corey is the pen name of cowriters Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, best known for their amazing series The Expanse. This is their only Star Wars book.
Honor Among Thieves takes place sometime during the second year after the Battle of Yavin. The main characters are Han Solo and Chewbacca, but also include Leia, Luke, Threepio, Artoo, and Wedge Antilles. The story takes place on Cioran, Kiamurr, and Seymarti V.
Summary: Once again, the Rebellion has a mission that it seems only Han Solo can do: Extract a spy from deep cover in the middle of the Core Worlds. Of course, everything goes wrong almost immediately and Han is left to improvise as only he can. To make matters worse, the spy, Scarlet Hark, has her own ideas about what the actual mission is, and she can be extremely persuasive . . . Especially when she tells Han that the intel she's gathered could spell doom for Princess Leia, the Rebellion, and maybe the galaxy itself!
Review: The Expanse may just be my all-time favorite science fiction series, so suffice to say I went into this novel with very high expectations. If anything, Honor Among Thieves exceeded them. Seldom do you read a Star Wars book that just gets these characters the way this one does. It's so rare that it must be difficult to do, but they make it look easy. This had everything I want in a Star Wars novel from this era, and then some.
What I particularly love about their Expanse books is, every time you think you've figured out the trajectory of the story, they throw a massive bomb into the middle of everything and blow up the status quo, forcing events to take a hard left turn. The plotting in this story isn't quite that disruptive, but it does keep you guessing and never feels predictable. I love the way they'll seed something into the story and you'll have all-but-forgotten about it when suddenly it pops back up again in an unexpected way.
The real star of this story is Han, and they've tackled the key transformation of his character from a pragmatic individualist into a selfless Rebel leader. Throughout the book, Han repeatedly confronts the question of why he's choosing to remain with the Rebellion when he doesn't entirely trust that their ultimate victory (if its even possible) will be an improvement. And of course, that isn't entirely resolved (we're still pre-Empire Strikes Back after all), but it does paint a picture of why he's even still hanging around so long after Yavin.
My biggest complaint is that I can't believe this got stuck right behind the slamming door of the old closed canon! Scarlet Hark is an awesome character, and I want more! Let's get these guys another novel in the new canon, ASAP!
A
kimscozyreads's review against another edition
4.0
This was a nice, entertaining adventure story set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, and I really enjoyed it. I definitely recommend it to anyone with enough nerd in them to read a star wars book!
hstapp's review against another edition
2.0
I enjoyed the story but it's a bit of a strange one. The way the book used luke is very interesting. It kind of sets things up so that you expect to have it go back and forth between characters but it doesn't do that. It sticks with Han and you just have to know that luke is doing some cool stuff without directly experiencing it.
They also really wanted to use Leia but didn't think that made sense so made a new character who basically takes Leia's role for most of the book.I
There are other choices that I didn't really enjoy but the overarching idea was interesting.
They also really wanted to use Leia but didn't think that made sense so made a new character who basically takes Leia's role for most of the book.I
There are other choices that I didn't really enjoy but the overarching idea was interesting.
graff_fuller's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I absolutely had a good time reading this story. It did exactly what is was supposed to do...with these beloved characters.
Han Solo, Chewie, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, R2-D2 and C3PO were what we expected.
My favourite character in this story was obviously Han. Like in the first book in this duology, Razor's Edge by Martha Wells...Princess Leia was the favourite character...and this book was a lot of fun.
Han was his scoundrel self. He was arrogant, but not to the point that you'd hate him for it. He was the loveable smuggler type trying to do good for the rebellion (but also having qualms with authority...as he should).
I liked Scarlett. She was just enough to put Han Solo off his game a bit, but not too much. She was a great character to play off of (for both Han and Princess Leia...for she knows what's going on).
The adventure they were on was just the right amount of difficult, but not absurdly ridiculous. There was the right amount of feints and betrayals (for there always has to be someone(s) that is in it for themselves).
It was a good duology overall, too. It adds to the lore of our beloved heroes, but also doesn't upset any/much from any other writer's forward/backward progress during this time of the Extended Universe.
I really do love reading Legends books. Wish I had read more of them BEFORE the Disney acquisition, but there is still a LOT of great stories there.
I think my next foray into Legends...is actually reading the Prequel trilogy (which is actually Canon). That should be fun.
Han Solo, Chewie, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, R2-D2 and C3PO were what we expected.
My favourite character in this story was obviously Han. Like in the first book in this duology, Razor's Edge by Martha Wells...Princess Leia was the favourite character...and this book was a lot of fun.
Han was his scoundrel self. He was arrogant, but not to the point that you'd hate him for it. He was the loveable smuggler type trying to do good for the rebellion (but also having qualms with authority...as he should).
I liked Scarlett. She was just enough to put Han Solo off his game a bit, but not too much. She was a great character to play off of (for both Han and Princess Leia...for she knows what's going on).
The adventure they were on was just the right amount of difficult, but not absurdly ridiculous. There was the right amount of feints and betrayals (for there always has to be someone(s) that is in it for themselves).
It was a good duology overall, too. It adds to the lore of our beloved heroes, but also doesn't upset any/much from any other writer's forward/backward progress during this time of the Extended Universe.
I really do love reading Legends books. Wish I had read more of them BEFORE the Disney acquisition, but there is still a LOT of great stories there.
I think my next foray into Legends...is actually reading the Prequel trilogy (which is actually Canon). That should be fun.