Category Archives: Reviews

Star Wars: Dooku: Jedi Lost No-spoiler Review

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Dooku: Jedi Lost is the first of its kind, audio-only production in the Star Wars Canon. Written by Calvin Scott, the author who brought us the “Adventures In Wild Space” series, and narrated by a full and impressive cast, this audio production lives up to the hype. Just two weeks after the release of Master & Apprentice, which dives into the backstory of Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Calvin Scott delves into both Dooku’s and Asajj Ventress’ origin stories.

As so many Star Wars novels do, this story follows the “story within a story” format. The first layer tells of Asajj Ventress, and how she initially became entangled with Count Dooku as his private assassin. The second layer emerges as flashbacks of Dooku’s youth and early years as Ventress discovers databanks and journals during her first mission to find and rescue Dooku’s kidnapped sister.

The second layer tells of:

  • Dooku’s early years in the Jedi Temple with his close friend Sifo-Dyas
  • how he discovers that Serenno is his home-world
  • his early encounters with the dark side of the force
  • how he is chosen as Yoda’s apprentice
  • how he leaves the Jedi Council to become the Count of Serenno.

Stories such as this one are extremely gratifying to Star Wars fans who – although they already know how the story ends – are intensely curious about how it happened.

While this story wasn’t as impactful to the Star Wars Universe as Master & Apprentice, it compared in excitement by uncovering additional bits of the story that set the stage for the Prequel Trilogy. My only complaint is the order of release. I would have much rather listened to Dooku: Jedi Lost before Master & Apprentice in order to preserve the proper chronology of the story. For anyone planning to read/listen to both of these stories, I recommend doing so in chronological order. This way the reader/listener can experience the building of events that lead to the Galactic Civil War and eventual collapse of the Republic.

The telling of this story only added to its excitement. The audio production was very well done. Many Star Wars audio novels are known for being highly entertaining and animated, complete with music from John Williams and Star Wars-esque sound effects. The difference between this audio-only production and other high-fidelity audio books are 1) the full cast of voice actors representing the various characters in the novel and 2) the absence of connector phrases such as “he said excitedly…” and “she laughed with delight.” The luxury of an audio-only production is that instead of describing who said what and how it was delivered, the listener experiences it first hand through the audio production. At first this was a bit distracting, but progressively became highly entertaining. My only complaint was the voice of adult Dooku. While Christopher Lee’s voice may be hard to match, they could have done a much better job.

Listening to this story, then reading Master & Apprentice and even Dark Disciple (a canon novel released in 2015 featuring Asajj Ventress’ years after becoming free from Dooku’s grip) will make the experience of watching Episodes I, II, & III much richer. Something many fans may not realize is that the story of Palpatine’s plotting in the Prequel Trilogy may have significant implications to the upcoming resolution of the Star Wars Saga in Episode IX: The Rise Of Skywalker. Brushing up on these early years will only make experiencing the upcoming film that much better. I highly recommend this audio production for any Star Wars fan.

Click Here or the image below to pick this up via digital audio. We would like to thank Random House for providing the review sample

Star Wars: Master and Apprentice No-spoiler Review

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If your only motivation in reading this review is to decide whether or not to read Star Wars: Master And Apprentice, let me make this simple for you. Stop reading this review, grab a copy of Master And Apprentice, and read it immediately. To this point (after reading every single canon novel and junior reader) I can say that no other novel has connected to and expanded the Star Wars Universe in a more meaningful way for me than this novel.

If you aren’t convinced yet, please continue reading my short no-spoiler review.

Master And Apprentice, written by Claudia Gray, is the earliest novel, in terms of chronology, in the Star Wars Canon. The main storyline is set about 8 years prior to Episode I: The Phantom Menace, featuring Qui-Gon Jinn and his 17-year old padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Immediately after an encounter with one of the Hutt gangsters, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are sent to assist Rael Averross (a rather unconventional Jedi Knight who apprenticed under Dooku prior to Qui-Gon) in resolving a political situation involving the planet Pijal and its moon and the greedy Czerka Corporation.

Due to Qui-Gon’s cryptic mentorship style and his faith in the ancient Jedi prophecies, which Obi-Wan and most of the other Jedi consider to be useless relics of the ancient mystics, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan’s relationship is strenuous at best. The conflict at Pijal will put to the test both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan’s relationship and the credibility of the ancient prophecies, while hinting at the the deeper seeds of conflict in the republic that would come to fruition in the prequel trilogy.

One of the reasons I love Claudia Gray’s writing so much is her mastery at creating depth and dimensionality with the characters in her novels. This creates an immersive experience with which readers can’t help but connect. In Lost Stars, Gray won our hearts with her ‘Romeo and Juliet’ story featuring the new characters Thayne Kyrell and Ciena Ree. In Bloodline, Gray takes our beloved Leia Organa and adds a depth of understanding that few other authors have managed to accomplish when dealing with characters from the films. Gray’s work in Master And Apprentice follows suit by adding a delicious backstory for Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon (for which I’ve desperately been waiting), while also introducing us to endearing (and unique) new characters such as Rael Averross — the rough, unconventional Jedi with a heart of gold, and Pax Maripher and Rahara Wick — the noble-hearted jewel smugglers.

This novel ties into the events of the main Star Wars storyline possibly more than any other canon novel. Many of the other novels expand the Star Wars universe by telling parallel or off-shoot stories, which are enjoyable to read but ultimately non-essential. But the events in Master And Apprentice naturally set the stage for the prequel trilogy to a degree that it could be considered a prequel novel to the prequels. It also drops a hint or two that are fueling my own theories for the upcoming release of Episode IX: Rise Of Skywalker.

As I said in the intro, Master And Apprentice is a must read for Star Wars fans of all varieties.

Click Here or the image below to pick this up via digital, audio or physical form.  We would like to thank Del Rey/Random House for providing the review sample

 

No-spoiler Review Of Pirate’s Price

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Pirate’s Price is the next installment in the Flight of the Falcon young adult series, featuring a collection of entertaining off-shoot adventures had aboard the famous Millenium Falcon. Surprisingly, Hondo Ohnaka (the Weequay pirate from The Clone Wars animated TV series) occupies the protagonist role alongside Han, Chewie, and even Maz Kanata.

As has become popular with Star Wars novels in the last couple years, the novel is a collection of past stories tied together by a narrative in the present. The novel begins as none other than Bazine Netal (the black leather capped vixen from The Force Awakens) approaches Hondo Ohnaka about purchasing the Millenium Falcon. Readers are left scratching their heads trying to figure out exactly when the narrative is taking place, why Hondo is in possession of the Falcon, and how long Weequays live. You may recall that the first book in the Flight of the Falcon series began in much the same way. But as the saying goes, if the shoe fits…

Before Honda will do any business with Bazine, he recounts to her three successive stories of his previous run-ins with the Millenium Falcon. Hondo narrates each story, so while their actual validity may be suspect, at least they are quite entertaining. The first story is set sometime after Solo and before A New Hope. Hondo finds himself a stowaway aboard the Falcon, and convinces Han, Chewie, and his new friend Mahjo Reelo to enlist his help in saving the galaxy from a dangerous airborne poison falling into the wrong hands. The next story is set in between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens as Hondo reluctantly joins forces with Maz Kanata to rescue Han and Chewie from a gang operating on Takodana right under Maz’s nose. The final, very short story is set sometime after The Last Jedi. Chewie (having come to respect Hondo in a special Wookie sort of way through their previous encounters) asks Hondo to acquire some hard-to-find parts for the Falcon, and lends it to him while he replaces the parts. Hondo almost loses the Falcon to a rival band of pirates, but thanks to the resident porgs who’ve made the Falcon their home, Hondo is able to fight the rival pirates off.

To be honest, when I first started the novel, I was let down by the too frequent use of the “story within a story” format. After getting over that fact, I let myself enjoy the levity of the Hondo-narrated tall tales. Lou Anders’ best strength in the novel is his treatment of Hondo. As a reader, I couldn’t tell whether to respect or despise him. Despite Hondo’s nefarious pirate tendencies, he seems to accomplish rather heroic deeds, albeit in not-so-respectable ways.

Ultimately, the stories in this novel really have little to add to the canon in any meaningful way. But since I just can’t get enough Star Wars, they are enjoyable nonetheless. While I recommend this novel for anyone looking for a short enjoyable read, there are dozens of other books I’d recommend above this one.

Click Here to pick this up via digital, audio or physical form.  We would like to thank Del Rey/Penguin Random House for providing the review sample.

Review: Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy

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The women of the Star Wars galaxy drive its stories and saga forward at every level. This beautifully illustrated, fully authorized book profiles 75 fascinating female characters from across films, fiction, comics, animation, and games. 

Artist: Karen Hallion

Featuring Leia Organa, Rey, Ahsoka Tano, Iden Versio, Jyn Erso, Rose Tico, Maz Kanata, and many more, each character is explored through key story beats, fresh insights, and behind-the-scenes details by author Amy Ratcliffe. Also showcasing more than 100 all-new illustrations by a dynamic range of female and non-binary artists, here is an inspiring celebration of the characters that help create a galaxy far, far away.

Artist: Sara Kipin

The variety of art in this book is amazing and stunning, you get a real feel for how each artist views the character.  As a woman, it was great to see a book like this showcasing the amazing women in the universe.  Too often, it’s assumed that most of the artists are men and this book shows just how many amazing women also help us visualize the characters we love (and some I didn’t even know about). The stories by Amy Ratcliffe are enjoyable and give you a deeper dig into each character. 

I would recommened this book to all fans. This book would make a great holiday gift to a female Star Wars fan in your life, you can get it right now via this link at Amazon, where it is only $19.46.

Contributing artists
• Alice X. Zhang
• Amy Beth Christenson
• Annie Stoll
• Annie Wu
• Christina Chung
• Cryssy Cheung
• Eli Baumgartner
• Elsa Charretier
• Geneva Bowers
• Jennifer Aberin Johnson
• Jen Bartel
• Jenny Parks
• Karen Hallion
• Little Corvus
• Sara Alfageeh
• Sara Kipin
• Sarah Wilkinson
• Viv Tanner

Artist: Sara Alfageeh

No-spoiler Review of Lando’s Luck

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Lando’s Luck is the first junior novel of the Flight of the Millenium Falcon series focused on following the less-known adventures involving the Millenium Falcon throughout the Star Wars Saga. The story features Lando and his first mate, L3-37, as a smuggling duo prior to Solo: A Star Wars Story.

The junior reader follows the “story within a story” format similar to previous novels, such as those in the Journey To The Force Awakens Series. It begins and ends with Bazine Netal (the woman who reported Han, Rey, and Finn in Maz Kanata’s Cantina) searching for leads on the Millenium Falcon in a back world cantina. She stumbles upon a woman who tells Bazine about her adventures with Lando Calrissian when he owned the Millenium Falcon. Interestingly, after recounting the story, the book ends as Bazine receives another tip that the Millenium Falcon was spotted on Batuu (the planet that Disneyland and Disney World’s “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge” attraction is based on).

The “story within the story” begins with young Lando Calrissian at the Sabacc table on a planet named Hynestia, sparing some time for a little gambling while in between various smuggling runs. Lando quickly becomes intertwined in a plot involving the Hynestian royalty, the Empire, and a mysterious cat-like species called the Lynna. While Lando’s luck continually oscillates throughout the story, providing him with great fortune one moment and near-death catastrophe the next, he stays true to form and never loses his cool. Ultimately, he finds a way to become a hero to the Lynna, appease the Hynestian Royalty, and steer clear of the Empire to allow himself to smuggle another day with his loyal first mate.

The story does a great job with Lando and L3. Lando is portrayed as the pretentious, smooth-talking smuggler who is a bit too obsessed with appearances. L3 is as independent as ever, continually insisting that those in the story respect her rights as an equal. And while appearances, credits and ‘illusions of grandeur’ describe Lando’s surface-level motivations, we begin to see a bit more depth as the seeds are planted that eventually grow into Lando becoming a respectable leader in the crusade to overthrow the Empire.

Overall, Lando’s Luck was a quick, enjoyable read. While I didn’t find anything incredibly revealing or consequential as it relates to the rest of the canon, it was still an enjoyable supplement to the overall Star Wars Story. The story had the right mixture of fun and adventure that makes it applicable for Star Wars fans of all ages.

Click Here to pick this up via digital, audio or physical form.  We would like to thank Del Rey/Penguin Random House for providing the review sample.

No-spoiler Review of Solo: A Star Wars Story Expanded Edition

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The expanded novelization of Solo: A Star Wars Story is a must read for any Star Wars fan. It builds on the story in the film in a way that enhances the story and enlivens the characters. Typically, I’m fine giving spoilers for novelizations of previously released films, because the majority of the story is already known. However, the impact of the additions in this novel is rewarding enough to preserve an element of surprise.

The novel follows roughly the same chronology of the film, with several very rewarding additions. Author Mur Lafferty does a masterful job filling in the gaps between Han and Qi’ra’s separation. For instance, Han’s time in the Imperial Navy as a pilot in Onyx Squadron provided an enjoyable view into both Han’s innate piloting skills and his irreverence towards authority.

More impactful, however, was witnessing Qi’ra’s pure tenacity and will to survive as she was left behind in the slums of Corellia. Her rise to power among Dreyden Vos’ entourage was nothing short of horrifying. Yet her ability to separate from her experiences, and do what needs to be done mark her as a true survivor. This background adds so much flavor to her reluctance to share any details about her past. Additionally, it provides incredible understanding about why Qi’ra chooses to abandon Han, as a way to protect him from her past.

Elthree was one of the most misunderstood characters in the film. It’s no secret that I didn’t care much for the prequel novel, Star Wars: Last Shot (see my review here). But the best thing that came from the novel was the depth of Lando’s quirky droid. Those who saw the movie without this context were left wondering whether Elthree’s droid empowerment rants were a stage for some political message, or just a comic relief. Lafferty was able to dive into the droid’s depth in a way the film failed to do. For example, the novel actually provokes empathy in regards to what a restraining bolt “feels” like for a droid. Additionally, Elthree’s journey towards immortalization in the Millennium Falcon’s navicomputer is described over several pages in a surprisingly meaningful way.

So many other characters in the novel receive a fantastic layer of depth: Chewbacca and how Han restores his ability to trust in humanity after years of oppression, Dreyden Vos and the depth of his malice, and Enfys Nest and her representation of a beacon of hope in a galaxy full of despair.

Last but not least, the addition of the epilogue in the novel was nothing short of brilliant. Without revealing too much, I can say that Lafferty was able to connect this seemingly loosely-connected origin story with the galactic struggle against Imperial tyranny in a way I never saw coming.

I can’t emphasize enough how impactful this novel was for me in my understanding of some of my favorite Star Wars characters. I fully recommend it as an engaging, exciting, surprising, and meaningful read.

Click Here to pick this up via digital, audio or physical form.  We would like to thank Del Rey/Penguin Random House for providing the review sample.