carl_nowack 's review for:

Last Shot: A Han and Lando Novel by Daniel José Older

2.0

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Daniel José Older’s Star Wars debut adequately bridges plot points from the recent Solo movie and, if read for for its characterization and story, adresses the pre-TLJ post-ROJ Han whose lack of story hurt the launch of the reboot trilogy. Unfortunately, Older’s inexperience writing Star Wars novels becomes evident in a few minute yet glaring faux pas that shatter one’s willful suspension of disbelief and pull the reader out of the universe and make them acutely aware that they are reading a book rather than participating in the story itself. Oftentimes it is some technical tidbit such as calling a freighter’s fuel “jet fuel” which, while it exists in the universe, is not used for larger craft (as they aren’t called jets and therefore their fuel would not be “jet fuel”). While it could be argued to be technically possible, the glaring error is not a breach of fictional science but rather that the use of the term dismantles the universe the rest of the novel serves to create. The problem would not be worthy of comment had it not been a reoccurring issue. While the novel is fine, it lacks the refinement found in the likes of Zahn’s works.