The Emperor is dead, and the remnants of his former Empire are in retreat. As the New Republic fights to restore a lasting peace to the galaxy, some dare to imagine new beginnings and new destinies. For Han Solo, that means settling his last outstanding debt, by helping Chewbacca liberate the Wookiee’s homeworld of Kashyyyk.

Meanwhile, Norra Wexley and her band of Imperial hunters pursue Grand Admiral Rae Sloane and the Empire’s remaining leadership across the galaxy. Even as more and more officers are brought to justice, Sloane continues to elude the New Republic, and Norra fears Sloane may be searching for a means to save the crumbling Empire from oblivion. But the hunt for Sloane is cut short when Norra receives an urgent request from Princess Leia Organa. The attempt to liberate Kashyyyk has carried Han Solo, Chewbacca, and a band of smugglers into an ambush—resulting in Chewie’s capture and Han’s disappearance.

Breaking away from their official mission and racing toward Kashyyyk, Norra and her crew prepare for any challenge that stands between them and their missing comrades. But they can’t anticipate the true depth of the danger that awaits them—or the ruthlessness of the enemy drawing them into his crosshairs.

Ohhhh boy. Originally I wanted to read through all three Aftermath novels and review them together, but after this book? I can't hold out that long. I dropped Aftermath before, and gave it another try prior to this one, but... These books are pretty terrible.

The Story:

"The Emperor is dead, and the remnants of his former Empire are in retreat. As the New Republic fights to restore a lasting peace to the galaxy, some dare to imagine new beginnings and new destinies. For Han Solo, that means settling his last outstanding debt, by helping Chewbacca liberate the Wookiee’s homeworld of Kashyyyk.

Meanwhile, Norra Wexley and her band of Imperial hunters pursue Grand Admiral Rae Sloane and the Empire’s remaining leadership across the galaxy. Even as more and more officers are brought to justice, Sloane continues to elude the New Republic, and Norra fears Sloane may be searching for a means to save the crumbling Empire from oblivion. But the hunt for Sloane is cut short when Norra receives an urgent request from Princess Leia Organa. The attempt to liberate Kashyyyk has carried Han Solo, Chewbacca, and a band of smugglers into an ambush—resulting in Chewie’s capture and Han’s disappearance.

Breaking away from their official mission and racing toward Kashyyyk, Norra and her crew prepare for any challenge that stands between them and their missing comrades. But they can’t anticipate the true depth of the danger that awaits them—or the ruthlessness of the enemy drawing them into his crosshairs."

The Review:

Aftermath: Life Debt is a terrible book, and an especially bad Star Wars novel. I rarely make statements like these. I actively try to avoid it. I'd rather not review something I didn't enjoy and don't give it more effort and attention than it deserves in my eyes. This time, though? I can't get around venting my frustrations. This will not be pretty. You have been warned.

My main reason for sticking with this novel, and for having to read book three as well, is my own OCD sense of having to complete the new Canon books. I made a checklist to tick off all novel, novella, short story, comic and series releases. I'm still behind on a lot of things, of course, but I didn't want to keep pushing this trilogy ahead of me any longer. I'd attempted to read the first one and didn't finish it. I finally got through it recently and figured hey, let's get through the second as well. I wouldn't call it a mistake per se, because I'd have to read it one way or another, but I can't say I don't regret the time and money I spent on it.

The book's description alone is deceptive already. It promises grand action around the liberation of Kashyyyk, but that's barely an afterthought. All the actual liberation activities outside of taking out the Imperial leader on the Wookiee homeworld happen off-screen. Heck, Han's initial dilemma isn't even shown here - that happened between Aftermath and Life Debt. It is the same for many of the actual WAR scenes in this Star WARS novel. I often found myself thinking I'd skipped a chapter on accident, but no, the content is just not there. One battle we "see" is actually covered more in a short story by another author, it seems. Published after the fact, of course. That doesn't stop Wendig from telling the reader, as he is wont to do, how important this stuff was. You know, the things you did not even get to be shown because the author was too busy writing bad romance plots.
By the 200 page point, things finally got a little interesting as Han Solo finally makes an actual appearance. He didn't really feel like Han in many scenes and got little actual screentime to boot, but hey, the Scoundrel is back. To be sidelined.

Before that point, however, the book is an exceptional chore. Norra Wexley and her team of Chuck Wendig's original characters are often painful to read about. They're supposedly hunting imperial leaders, which we at least get to watch once. The twist the book throws into the mix in those early chapters is... pointless, expected and a waste of time, though. Not just that, it leads right into one of the most aggravating things in this novel:

Everybody feels like they're entirely too horny, hormone-controlled juveniles.
Jom Barell, the supposed hard-ass, special forces Rebel soldier repeatedly forgets all his objections, problems and moral views when bounty hunter Jas Emari "mashes her lips into his". Oh, I was mad about her supposed betrayal? Nevermind, let's go and bang. By the time Han Solo finally shows up, this happened THREE TIMES. Their relationship spins through the entire book and it is tiresome, typical, unhealthy and frankly just bullshit. Especially as Jas keeps harping on and on and on about how she has trust issues but actually loves everyone. She's doing it for the money but not really. You could've replaced her with a cardboard cut-out of the stereotypical soft-hearted scoundrel and that'd have had the same results.

Jom meanwhile goes through hell in one section of the book and they barely even talk about it. In fact, the way he gets into peril, the things that happen to him and his personal losses, are simply mentioned in hindsight. He's not important, not really. We still don't even know much of his history before these books. He may have some of the most growth as a character in the book, especially when compared against his time on page, but as Wendig's Sinjir and Solo will remind us every so often, he's just Jas's "boy toy". My god how I loathe that expression. It is one of the many used by Wendig in this trilogy that feels altogether un-Star Wars and far too much [Current Year]. For somebody who has a history of criticizing representation of women and minorities, I find it pretty ironic that Barell gets such a tag plastered onto him.

The book also features Wedge Antilles. You know, that one guy Luke Skywalker meets at Yavin, one of his two buddies during the Death Star Run? The one who survives the ordeal and goes on to be pretty important within the Rebellion? An ace pilot? A character who raised hell in the old Expanded Universe?
...he's a cripple and basically only exists in the story to be a love interest for Chuck's Norra Wexley. As soon as she's reminded that hey, she was/still is actually married, he's relegated to the back ranks of characters. He gets exactly one appearance in the action and.... as usual, it gets skipped. Who cares about a squadron of X-Wing fighters taking on a trio of Star Destroyers anyway?
This whole plotline with Norra and Wedge is incredibly awkward and so obvious it makes absolutely no sense for none of the crew to take notice. They act like awkward teenagers around one another.

But if you think this was the last of the love-centered subplots, you'd be mistaken. Because Sinjir is gay, if you remember, and he's sitting in a bar with his new boyfriend who we see, I believe, 3 times across the entire novel, never in an important situation, and laments how oppressed gay people still are even in the New Republic. It felt entirely too preachy and has nothing to do with Star Wars. After Wendig had to make sure in the first Aftermath that everybody knew Orphan XY had two daddies and Norra's son was supposed to live with his two lesbian aunts, none of which seemed to have any negative effects from their sexuality alone, this preaching feels especially hollow.
Heck, Lords of the Sith by Paul S. Kemp had an imperial Moff hold female sex partners and nobody really cared beyond the fact that the character was a lazy, self-indulgent mess (who then went on to be one of the coolest characters the book has to offer). And that was during the pre-ANH time, not after the fall of the oppressive Galactic Empire.

Likewise, when the enslavement of the Wookiees is discussed by the author, he first makes sure everybody knows it is down to Xenophobia more than, you know, them being exceptionally strong workers with high endurance and all that. Thankfully those points are made later, ironically by the imperials seeing them as animals to be made to work.
And do I need to mention that [Current Year] pronouns you'd find on sites like tumblr have made their way into Star Wars Canon thanks to this book? There's a pirate...king? queen? I can't even tell you which because this character is, after looking up what the pronouns are supposed to signify, gender neutral. "Zhe" and "zher" are incredibly awkward things to use in a Star Wars book. The scene wasn't even bad. It was too short, again skipping the actual action involved in pirates boarding a smaller vessel, but at least it had a cool core idea behind it that I enjoyed, even if the execution wasn't up to snuff. Maybe this would've been a great scene if the author had focused more on the scene than being obnoxious.

I want to stress that I have no problem with having gay characters, gender-neutral characters and the likes in principle. The worst I can say about it is that it isn't within my range of interests. What I do object to is the entirely too shoehorned and non-organic way these things are pressed into this Star Wars trilogy. They do not belong here, not like this. When the sexual identity of a character overshadows the actual role they have within the story or the author has to write sitcom-tier "maybe I had the hots for you too, my straight friend" scenes into the book, then the least I'll do is cringe or groan in frustration. It is hamfisted and annoying, not clever, fitting or improving the IP.

That's one of the big problems I have with this trilogy so far, not having read Empire's End yet. A lot of it seems entirely too self-serving. To push modern mentalities rather than a desire to write Star Wars. It feels very disrespectful if you ask me. This author got to play in one of the greatest creative sandboxes of the last 40 years, given mostly a free pass on things, and then goes to not tell stories about the Star Wars but about petty things like these, awful soap opera (not Space Opera) romance plotlines and doesn't make use of the things that only Star Wars can give.

Ah, but there's another point about the supposed romance-related plotlines here. One of the characters I enjoyed a great deal turns out to just be a puppet for the big bad, because how could it be otherwise. The motive? Apparently getting under his sheets. Wookiees can't groan hard enough to express my disappointment... Why is everybody here so... so... needy?

Don't get me started on Mister Bones, Temmin Wexley's reprogrammed and heavily modified battle droid. I know he has plenty of fans and is often held up as the best character in the trilogy, but my god was he annoying and cringeworthy. He was obviously there for comedic relief for the readers, as if they'd need more of that considering how the crew is constantly snarking at one another even in the direst of circumstances. But Bones, while occasionally entertaining, was just too much. Multiple times he's being used as a cheap way to get out of trouble and I don't even remember how many times Temmin has rebuilt the droid so far. It was funny the first time, granted, but after this many appearances stressing his love for violence? It got old. Older than the droid model he was based on.
Temmin himself remains a petulant, edgy teen with daddy issues. Sometimes I felt he may be getting there, especially when he's shown early on with Wedge Antilles, but then it stooped right back to soap opera level teen drama.

But I have yet to say anything about one of the worst parts of the book, which should, by rights, have been the coolest: Freeing Chewbacca and other prisoners. Instead of a great prison break story however we are treated to a weird, entirely too high sci-fi super AI being all-too-meta. Heck, her name is even an anagram for Portal's "GLaDOS"! Just without the charme or wit. In fact, most it does is repeat people's replies to the altogether silly code phrase query.

“‘What the hell is this?’ is not an acceptable passcode. Two out of three attempts used. Please speak the passcode aloud to continue.”

Wendig even wastes time coming up with zabrakian translations for queries and repeating this stuff three times.

The whole prison scene quickly devolves into a miasma of rip-offs from other franchises. Portal is but one of them, but there's some distinct Matrix stuff in here as well. Stuff that does not fit into Star Wars. Reading this book especially it makes me wonder if the author even understands the thematic tone of the franchise. This is reinforced by his use of modern slang terminology. From "When I give the say-so" coming from a high-ranking imperial admiral over the use of pronouns, "straight punches", "stay frosty" and "won’t release because spiders, spiders, there are so many spiders" and on and on and on, the book is filled with things characters in this universe, especially the important ones, would not use or say.

Then you have odd issues like Leia Organa being described as an idealist while Mon Mothma is the realist. Are we looking at the same people? Even this book and the previous contradict this assessment! Leia is willing to take risks based on the situation whereas Mon Mothma constantly drives the idealistic route. She's a big annoyance because of it. Heck, it is because of her that the New Republic was established in the previous book as preparing to disarm their military early. She constantly goes on about how the New Republic should be this, needs to act like that, to reach her idealistic standards whereas Leia is realistic enough to see what needs to be done. That simple statement about their roles, especially coming in a Leia-focused scene, baffled me.

But I'd be lying if I was saying this was all, 100% awful. Like I mentioned before, some of the interludes are actually cool. They often have better ideas behind them than Wendig knows how to execute, granted, but especially the interludes dealing with the actual aftermath of the wars are good. There are shell-shocked veterans, people in need of therapy, and even the reporter from the first book's interludes comes back to witness more tragedy. They could have been written better but these scenes are where I had to wonder what the book could have been had it less hung up about the author's original cast's entanglements and more about the aftermath of the Empire's defeat at Endor.

And while I didn't like the way the book got there, or the lackluster focus on the lead up, the climax of the novel wasn't half bad. That was the first time I actually felt the book had gotten exciting and showed me something instead of just telling me about it. Just that then again it skipped things between chapters and wasted another opportunity to show the disastrous aftermath properly.

I won't go into the prose here. I mentioned the awkward terminology but can't bring myself to even find a way to word it properly. Wendig at least learned to ease off on the staccato sentences and written-out sound effects, but the rest is par for the course. He still tells the reader things that the characters think just to then have said character say the thing out loud, verbatim, right after. Many dialogue scenes felt choppy because of the author's insistence to throw in as many bracketed bits of character thoughts or side info as possible before continuing with a simple reply. It made me think that all these characters are so far up their own backsides, it is no wonder there was so little room for other things left.

The worst offense the book made, in my opinion, was presenting events that by rights should have been the focus of the novel as barely worth mentioning, tangential and quite frankly boring. The characters flip-flopped so much throughout that I can't say I cared for their development. It was nice to see Han and Chewie all emotional and Leia had a few nice scenes, but the majority of these 480 paperback pages were poorly utilized. This is one of the rare instances where I'd actually recommend just reading a summary on Wookieepedia or the likes if all you want is relevant information going forward without the nonsense drama. There are some interesting bits for fans, a bunch of questionable things that don't really go hand in hand with established canon as well as they ought to, but they're tangential to the ongoing plot around Norra Wexley and co. I'm not sure whether to be glad or disappointed about that, actually.

I cannot say which of the two Aftermath books I disliked more, though I tend towards this one. After all, this one had a fantastic premise and many opportunities it blatantly wasted or abandoned halfway. I sincerely pray that Empire's End will be better. It has to be. Please let it be. But frankly, if Chuck Wendig never got to write another Star Wars story again, I wouldn't shed a tear.

Star Wars: Aftermath: Life Debt on Goodreads

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When Jyn Erso was five years old, her mother was murdered and her father taken from her to serve the Empire. But despite the loss of her parents she is not completely alone—Saw Gerrera, a man willing to go to any extremes necessary in order to resist Imperial tyranny, takes her in as his own, and gives her not only a home but all the abilities and resources she needs to become a rebel herself. Jyn dedicates herself to the cause—and the man. But fighting alongside Saw and his people brings with it danger and the question of just how far Jyn is willing to go as one of Saw’s soldiers. When she faces an unthinkable betrayal that shatters her world, Jyn will have to pull the pieces of herself back together and figure out what she truly believes in...and who she can really trust.

Here we go again with another Star Wars novel. Catching up more and more with the New Canon material, thankfully!
This one's a somewhat unexpected treat in my eyes, seeing how it wasn't part of the Del Rey lineup of adult novels. Like Lost Stars, Rebel Rising proves these classifications foolish once again.

The Story:

"When Jyn Erso was five years old, her mother was murdered and her father taken from her to serve the Empire. But despite the loss of her parents she is not completely alone—Saw Gerrera, a man willing to go to any extremes necessary in order to resist Imperial tyranny, takes her in as his own, and gives her not only a home but all the abilities and resources she needs to become a rebel herself. Jyn dedicates herself to the cause—and the man. But fighting alongside Saw and his people brings with it danger and the question of just how far Jyn is willing to go as one of Saw’s soldiers. When she faces an unthinkable betrayal that shatters her world, Jyn will have to pull the pieces of herself back together and figure out what she truly believes in...and who she can really trust."

The Review:

Rebel Rising is, essentially, the Jyn Erso Story. If Rogue One didn't give you enough about its protagonist or seeing her parents Galen and Lyra in Catalyst wasn't enough either, this novel (oddly billed as a Young Adult novel and not published by Del Rey like usual) has you covered.

I would, however, recommend reading Catalyst first. Maybe I would even say to watch Rogue One ahead of time too, or at least read the novelization's prologue sections. The reason for that is very simple: Rebel Rising fills out the time between Galen Erso's abduction by Orson Krennic and Jyn's forced recruitment by the Rebel Alliance. It covers the better part of Jyn's life and a good chunk of Saw Gerrera's terrorist acts. I am actually sad that this released so long after the movie did, because it did a bang-up job fleshing out their relationships.

In the movie, Saw and Jyn never quite felt as "close" as they should have been, all things considered. The novelization by Alexander Freed did a better job having Jyn reflect on her time with Saw, but Rebel Rising invests a lot of time in making the rebel leader and the Erso girl feel like an odd patchwork family. Saw's love for the girl bleeds through in a lot of places, even if Jyn herself is plagued by doubts. It was a highly compelling dynamic to follow for about half the book, before their paths inevitably diverged.

But Rebel Rising does not simply set Jyn on her path to become a stubborn young woman, but sees her trained by Saw and his rebel bands. It was a lot of fun seeing her confrontations with some rivals for Saw's appreciation and have her stumble headfirst into the horrors of the rebel terrorism against the Empire. It really helped showcase Saw Gerrera as a dangerous individual who the Rebellion might want to steer away from just as much if not more than he does want to stay out of their business of unity.

Yes, there are plenty of gruesome, traumatic experiences waiting here. Jyn is being remade by the events in the book, inevitably losing the rest of her innocence. There's even a romance plotline popping up at some point that turned Jyn's life even more tragic. She's lost a lot of things throughout her life. With all that is shown here, I cannot really understand why Rebel Rising was billed as a Young Adult novel. Thematically it is as strong as most of the "Adult" lineup. Don't let this classification deter you from the novel!

Beyond some much-needed character development for Jyn and Saw, there's a bunch of decent action to be found. Once Jyn leaves Saw's group, things become more adventurous for the young woman. She is constantly forced to reevaluate her stance on rebels and imperials and forced to work with some slimey scumbags to save her bum. Beth Revis shows Jyn as a person of character, however, which tremendously helped make her a compelling and engaging subject for the novel.

On top of all that, Rebel Rising subtly references things and even just turns of phrase from Catalyst and the Rogue One novelization. It slots in so neatly with these that, if you want a comprehensive and satisfying collection, there's no way you should pass up on this book. It clearly is the missing link that I wanted out of the Rogue One arc for a long while now.

You're right, of course. I am gushing a little much. That should show you how much I enjoyed it, of course. Another thing I appreciated though was the choice for relatively short chapters. If you've read my Leman Russ: The Great Wolf review, you'll know that I have a distaste for bloated, overly-long chapters. Here they were easily digestible and well-paced. I cannot stress enough how much it helps me stay invested in a book!

If there's anything negative I can say without going too deep into spoiler territory, it would be that the novel didn't have room to cover everything. There are a few missing years just before the events seeing Jyn imprisoned and ready for the movie. It only makes quick reference to some of the things she got up to in that timeframe, with some of them being interesting enough to warrant further explanation (for example, apparently Jyn spent nearly a year on Takodana, where Mas Kanata's castle is located. If that doesn't hold potential for some more fiction, I don't know!).

Beth Revis managed to fill a large gap in character development that desperately needed plugging. She defied the Young Adult descriptor in how she approached the matter and made her book a compelling read for even older fans of the franchise. Thanks to her work, I can finally say I get Saw Gerrera and Jyn's reluctance in joining the Rebel Alliance. As an extension to the past year of Star Wars material, I'd call it a must-read. Thankfully Disney/Egmont have finally gotten around to publishing their books in standard B-Format Trade Paperbacks now so it lines up neatly next to the rest of the Rogue One saga. So if you're like me, with shelf-OCD, you should be pleased.

Star Wars: Rebel Rising on Goodreads

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After Thrawn is rescued from exile by Imperial soldiers, his deadly ingenuity and keen tactical abilities swiftly capture the attention of Emperor Palpatine. And just as quickly, Thrawn proves to be as indispensable to the Empire as he is ambitious; as devoted as its most loyal servant, Darth Vader; and a brilliant warrior never to be underestimated. On missions to rout smugglers, snare spies, and defeat pirates, he triumphs time and again—even as his renegade methods infuriate superiors while inspiring ever greater admiration from the Empire. As one promotion follows another in his rapid ascension to greater power, he schools his trusted aide, Ensign Eli Vanto, in the arts of combat and leadership, and the secrets of claiming victory. But even though Thrawn dominates the battlefield, he has much to learn in the arena of politics, where ruthless administrator Arihnda Pryce holds the power to be a potent ally or a brutal enemy.

All these lessons will be put to the ultimate test when Thrawn rises to admiral and must pit all the knowledge, instincts, and battle forces at his command against an insurgent uprising that threatens not only innocent lives but also the Empire’s grip on the galaxy—and his own carefully laid plans for future ascendancy.

I breezed through this novel within about 4 days give or take. Timothy Zahn's done a fantastic job reviving his classic villain from the Star Wars Expanded Universe and I am pretty excited to be reviewing it.

The Story:

"After Thrawn is rescued from exile by Imperial soldiers, his deadly ingenuity and keen tactical abilities swiftly capture the attention of Emperor Palpatine. And just as quickly, Thrawn proves to be as indispensable to the Empire as he is ambitious; as devoted as its most loyal servant, Darth Vader; and a brilliant warrior never to be underestimated. On missions to rout smugglers, snare spies, and defeat pirates, he triumphs time and again—even as his renegade methods infuriate superiors while inspiring ever greater admiration from the Empire. As one promotion follows another in his rapid ascension to greater power, he schools his trusted aide, Ensign Eli Vanto, in the arts of combat and leadership, and the secrets of claiming victory. But even though Thrawn dominates the battlefield, he has much to learn in the arena of politics, where ruthless administrator Arihnda Pryce holds the power to be a potent ally or a brutal enemy.

All these lessons will be put to the ultimate test when Thrawn rises to admiral and must pit all the knowledge, instincts, and battle forces at his command against an insurgent uprising that threatens not only innocent lives but also the Empire’s grip on the galaxy—and his own carefully laid plans for future ascendancy."

The Review:

Star Wars: Thrawn is easily one of the most satisfying novels in the new Disney Canon. Not only does Timothy Zahn reintroduce his classic Expanded Universe character in great detail and style, but it also makes for a cracking read. Thrawn, a master tactician by anyone's measure, is presented as brilliant, calculating and possibly menacing, but also compassionate and mysterious.
If you've never heard of this Grand Admiral before (which would be a pity), then this novel does a damn good job showcasing just why Mitth'raw'nuruodo, more commonly known as Thrawn, has been a fan-favorite for decades and has been one of the most-celebrated re-introductions to the Star Wars canon to date (and may remain so until Disney finally gets around to bringing Mara Jade back...).

Personally, I only ever scratched the surface of the Expanded Universe. I was about to dive fully in when news of Disney's acquisition of LucasFilm hit and the EU got thrown out the window - including Timothy Zahn's classic Thrawn trilogy. A few months back I tried to squeeze in Heir to the Empire, the first book, but didn't get more than maybe 10 chapters in before other reads called. However, what I read of Thrawn was thrilling and engaging. I'm happy to say that this new Thrawn book is just as satisfying as what I read then. But I don't intend to compare the two works. I honestly don't care to do that and there are plenty of analysis videos and articles on the net already. Instead I want to look at it more from the perspective of somebody who hasn't read much EU stuff, hasn't seen the "Yuuzhan Vong" invade the galaxy, or Thrawn's untimely demise. At least not in detail.

The reason for that is simple: Thrawn can stand very well on its own, without the nostalgia or big links to the old material. It simply is a great book exploring incredibly compelling characters and a complex mystery that spans many years of the Empire's history, up to just shortly before Grand Admiral Thrawn's appearance in the animated Rebels series. You do not have to watch the TV show to enjoy it either - in fact, I've seen very little of it outside of choice bits - but it will greatly enhance your understanding of various characters.

The novel primarily focuses on three characters: Thrawn himself, his translator/aide Eli Vanto and Arihnda Pryce. Eli crosses paths with Thrawn when the latter is rescued from lonely exile and the Chiss quickly adopts him as his translator. From then on, their paths are invariably intertwined and we follow their rise through the imperial ranks from the academy to admirality.
In many ways I found their relationship quite resembled that of Sherlock Holmes and Watson; Thrawn is analytical, seeing patterns and studying his opponents' moves, both on the battlefield and in conversation. Eli, meanwhile, has a good degree of understanding but lacks the ability to quickly put things together. Thrawn, like Holmes, attempts to tease out his aide's potential, asking questions and letting him puzzle things out on his own. This also extends to the rest of his command staff later in the book - Thrawn is hugely intelligent, but tries to cultivate his allies for their mutual benefit.

Eli meanwhile has some misgivings about the situation. The encounter with Thrawn means that his career path changed drastically and he becomes the target for a lot of the political fallout of the Empire's upper classes. Having a non-human gain the favor of Emperor Palpatine just doesn't sit right with the higher echelon of the navy or the ruling classes and the duo face stiff opposition on a political level. Thrawn seems relatively oblivious to this - as much of a genius as he is, he isn't presented as flawless. He has his blind spots, and Eli, and later Arihnda Pryce, offer a way to balance those problems out.

Miss Pryce, who also appears in Rebels, gets her origin story here, up unto her introduction in the TV series. It is her that shows the most drastic changes in character and morals over the course of the book. Having grown up as the heir to a mining company on Lothal, she gets thrust into the political power play of Coruscant after her family's properties are taken from them under duress. Her goal? To take back what is rightfully hers and take revenge on the politicians that caused the fall of her family.
But as much as you may root for her success, as she gets further entangled in Coruscant's politics, attempting to raise her own status and forge convenient alliances, her character becomes far more dubious and devious. I loved it. She was never much of a nice person to begin with, but her course throughout Thrawn gives a fantastic view of the political intrigue of the Empire and its corrupting influences.

All these political shenanigans, whether within the army or government, make the book. There is little direct action for most of it, especially as far as Thrawn himself is concerned. Instead you get treated with fleet maneuvers, smartly orchestrated attacks to force surrender rather than devastate needlessly and mysteries rooted in the Empire's secret projects.
Thrawn's hunt for the book's antagonist Nightswan really felt more like something you'd expect from a mystery/detective novel rather than one on science fiction warfare. There are wild goosechases, but they were more considered than what you could find in, say, Battlefront: Twilight Company. Thrawn usually is in a bird's eye position, orchestrating rather than directly engaging, though there are exceptions to that throughout.

At first I was a little concerned by how disparate the Thrawn/Eli and Pryce plotlines seemed. There was the occassional crossover, but only late in the book did the two converge fully. That convergence was hugely satisfying to me, though, and well worth the setup. Both plotlines delivered different things that just clicked into place effortlessly as the story progressed.
Another thing I quite enjoyed were the depictions of Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin and Colonel Wullf Yularen. Both of them felt authentic to their other depictions and Tarkin, for as little time was spent on him, slotted right into place with his appearances in Catalyst, Tarkin and Rogue One. There were even cool little references to Tarkin throughout which served to make the universe and new canon feel even more connected.

The end of Thrawn will have a few very exciting implications for fans of the new canon. Taken along with the recent Rebels season 4 trailer, certain assumptions can be made. Adding to that knowledge of Palpatine's plans for the galaxy as a whole and teases of the threat coming from the unknown regions, you're in for a treat. It doesn't say too much on any of these matters, but just enough to get you speculating and anticipating the next piece in the puzzle. Zahn shows a satisfying kind of subtlety here.

I found much to love about Zahn's return to Thrawn. He maintained the essence of his original creation while reassessing his role and character for the new canon and timeline. Nowhere did the book feel bogged down and exciting twists and shifts of perspective occured throughout. Thrawn himself has proven to be a very complex character with a lot of depth, and pitching Eli Vanto as his aide was the perfect decision to build up the character. Their dynamic shaped the book into what I expect to be seen as a canon classic for years to come. It wouldn't surprise me if Thrawn was cementing the titular character's popularity for another twenty-five years - both with veterans and newcomers alike.

Star Wars: Thrawn on Goodreads

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Among the stars and across the vast expanses of space, the Galactic Civil War rages. On the battlefields of multiple worlds in the Mid Rim, legions of ruthless stormtroopers―bent on crushing resistance to the Empire wherever it arises―are waging close and brutal combat against an armada of freedom fighters. In the streets and alleys of ravaged cities, the front-line forces of the Rebel Alliance are taking the fight to the enemy, pushing deeper into Imperial territory and grappling with the savage flesh-and-blood realities of war on the ground.

Leading the charge are the soldiers―men and women, human and nonhuman―of the Sixty-First Mobile Infantry, better known as Twilight Company. Hard-bitten, war-weary, and ferociously loyal to one another, the members of this renegade outfit doggedly survive where others perish, and defiance is their most powerful weapon against the deadliest odds. When orders come down for the rebels to fall back in the face of superior opposition numbers and firepower, Twilight reluctantly complies. Then an unlikely ally radically changes the strategic equation―and gives the Alliance’s hardest-fighting warriors a crucial chance to turn retreat into resurgence.

Orders or not, alone and outgunned but unbowed, Twilight Company locks, loads, and prepares to make its boldest maneuver―trading down-and-dirty battle in the trenches for a game-changing strike at the ultimate target: the very heart of the Empire’s military machine.

I recently finished Twilight Company, getting me one step closer to being up-to-date on New Canon Star Wars (which is still a good ways off, to be honest, thanks to all those pesky Star Wars Insider short stories and comics...). Initially I was hesitant to even read it, thanks to the Battlefront tagline which is bigger than the actual name itself. Thankfully, this is anything but a shallow video game tie-in for a plotless and bland Battlefield reskin - it is high quality military scifi instead!

The Story:

"Among the stars and across the vast expanses of space, the Galactic Civil War rages. On the battlefields of multiple worlds in the Mid Rim, legions of ruthless stormtroopers―bent on crushing resistance to the Empire wherever it arises―are waging close and brutal combat against an armada of freedom fighters. In the streets and alleys of ravaged cities, the front-line forces of the Rebel Alliance are taking the fight to the enemy, pushing deeper into Imperial territory and grappling with the savage flesh-and-blood realities of war on the ground.

Leading the charge are the soldiers―men and women, human and nonhuman―of the Sixty-First Mobile Infantry, better known as Twilight Company. Hard-bitten, war-weary, and ferociously loyal to one another, the members of this renegade outfit doggedly survive where others perish, and defiance is their most powerful weapon against the deadliest odds. When orders come down for the rebels to fall back in the face of superior opposition numbers and firepower, Twilight reluctantly complies. Then an unlikely ally radically changes the strategic equation―and gives the Alliance’s hardest-fighting warriors a crucial chance to turn retreat into resurgence.

Orders or not, alone and outgunned but unbowed, Twilight Company locks, loads, and prepares to make its boldest maneuver―trading down-and-dirty battle in the trenches for a game-changing strike at the ultimate target: the very heart of the Empire’s military machine."

The Review:

Twilight Company was a blast. It was action-packed, boots-on-the-ground Star Wars action the likes of which you rarely see. Instead of focusing on the Jedi vs Sith conflicts, this one hammered home the methods, heroism and failures of the Rebel Alliance's forward troops. This book proves that Star Wars does indeed work without big roles for lightsabers, and more focus on the wars.

To get one thing out of the way: Ignore the Battlefront logo on the cover. The only thing this novel shares with EA's Battlefield reskin is that both take you to various different locations, many of which are shared between both. You'll even see the Battle of Hoth, and more successfully than in the game at that. If the thought of a game tie-in novel turns you off (I know it almost did for me!), scratch all those thoughts and go in fresh.

The novel focuses on the Rebel Alliance's Twilight Company, a vanguard fighting force, now turned into a glorified rearguard during the retreat of other regiments. It presents us with a diverse cast featuring ex-bounty hunters, mercenaries, aliens and even teenagers and defecting imperials.
Our primary protagonist is, without a doubt, Hazram Namir, mercenary-turned-rebel, just not really because he's in it for his comrades in arms, not the lofty goals of the Rebellion's leadership. He has the ability, but not the faith, and, while generally respected, seems like the odd one out.
This leads him to connect more and more with defecting imperial governor Chalis, who joins and supports Twilight Company in her own manipulative way - resulting in an intriguing, ambiguous relationship between the two that lasts throughout almost the entire book and gives a different spin on the evils of the Empire and the righteous actions of the rebels.

As Namir gets more and more involved in the decision-making for Twilight Company's future, and governor Chalis offers the rebel leaders extensive inside information on the Empire's inner workings and infrastructure, things get ever more murky and Twilight Company becomes a priority target for the imperial antagonists. These come in the form of Prelate Verge, an ambitious, Palpatine-worshipping youth, and Tabor Seitaron, a veteran captain returned to duty alongside Verge. The two hunt Twilight Company to eliminate Chalis, but cause quite some chaos for the Rebellion as a whole.
I found Seitaron to be almost sympathetic; he seemed to be dismayed at being pulled back from his almost-retirement and comfortable teaching career at the academy, and still had qualms about extreme measures, whereas Verge was despicable by design. It was a cool pairing for the antagonist slot.

But the stars of it all are Twilight Company's soldiers, and the entire company itself. While Namir is the character we can connect with the easiest, seeing flashes of his way to become a rebel and following his rise through the ranks, his struggles and relationships, the rest of his squad and beyond added so much color and genuine humanity to the book, it was a pleasure to read, if not for the tragedies engulfing the group.
Early in the novel, Namir and co recruit a teenage girl for the rebels, who claims the name 'Roach' for herself, and, while a rookie, earns her keep alongside Namir's veterans. I found Roach to be among my favorite characters in the book, adding some humor and life to the downward spiral of the Rebellion. The Besalisk-alien Gadren, ever the believer and positive sod, balances the more cynical outlooks of Namir and others, and the ex-bounty hunter Brand adds a layer of professionalism and stealth to the group, often offering judgement to Namir.

The cast expands further out from Namir's own squad, of course, up to the higher echelons of the company, and I thought that things worked exceptionally well, all considered. Twilight Company felt like a coherent force with its own bonds, its haunts, and brotherhood despite their differences. They're loyal to one another and to the cause, resulting in plenty of dramatic scenes and tragic events. Alexander Freed really hit a homerun with making this book more about the grounded battles and real people within the war machine than the more esoteric aspects of the setting.

The individual missions of Twilight Company are just as diverse as the cast - taking you to jungle planets, mining colonies, or even boarding actions and, most notably maybe, the Battle of Hoth. The latter was a blast, and offered an entirely different experience than what we've seen before through the movies. We're in for a bunch of cameos and twists, and I felt that, if Freed had chosen to, this could have been easily the climax of the entire book. But instead it kept going for just as long again after this disastrous battle for the Rebel Alliance.
Things take a nosedive here, for all involved. We know that from the movies, of course, but it is something else entirely to actually see the affected troops and get a new perspective on Vader's hunt for the boy Skywalker and the senior staff of the rebellion. There's even glimpses of Snowspeeders ensnaring AT-ATs!

Looking back at it a couple of weeks after having read this, I still have a vivid memory of key scenes from the book, and the characters involved. It really is a top candidate for my favorite Canon novel I've read so far. It brings the familiar Original Trilogy setting to its pages while offering a fresh new spin, with plenty of intriguing characters coming and going. I'd love to read more about Namir and Chalis before long, and loved reading more about events that had an obvious impact on the victories of the Rebel Alliance in the movies while happening off-screen.

Twilight Company demonstrates the spirit of the Rebel Alliance, the inherent hope, the attrition, the desperation, but also the life and tragic martyrdom, to the point where I didn't want to put the book down. The plot is so packed of exciting content, I thought I got more out of it than I paid for.
It was amazing to see some more ambiguity introduced to the Rebel Alliance vs Galactic Empire dynamic, seeing even a regular Stormtrooper's perspective on the rebel terrorists in the process.
Freed manages to get you thinking about the moral grey areas the rebels have to dip into to achieve freedom from the Empire, and does so with expertly written characters.
The novel lives by its characters, and I'm pleased to say that Alexander Freed nailed them. From their actions in the mess halls to their battlefield heroics, or the funeral rites within the company, the cast felt alive and satisfying.

If you're a bit tired of lightsaber fights and want to see something different set during the Original Trilogy, then this is probably the book you're looking for.

Star Wars: Battlefront: Twilight Company on Goodreads

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For years, the Clone Wars have raged across the galaxy. Countless worlds have been ensnared in the conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Separatist army led by the devious Sith Lord Count Dooku. While rumors spread that the Separatists are nearing completion of a superweapon, fear grips the Republic. In response, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine has tasked a secret team of researchers with perfecting a battle station for the Republic: The Death Star.

While I am not yet sure if I'll run into cinema for Star Wars: Rogue One, I certainly wanted the prequel novel (to the prequel movie, heh?) under my belt. I wasn't sure what to expect from the book, but am quite pleased with it.

The Story:

"For years, the Clone Wars have raged across the galaxy. Countless worlds have been ensnared in the conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Separatist army led by the devious Sith Lord Count Dooku. While rumors spread that the Separatists are nearing completion of a superweapon, fear grips the Republic. In response, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine has tasked a secret team of researchers with perfecting a battle station for the Republic: The Death Star."

The Review:

Star Wars: Catalyst is a relatively slow novel. It kicks off during the Clone Wars and spans about 4-5 years from then until after where Revenge of the Sith leaves off. There aren't many action/battle scenes in the book, which I loved. Instead this book focuses on the Erso family's personal relationship drama, orbiting Galen Erso's scientific pursuits in researching crystals to provide a powerful new energy resource to the galaxy. The antagonist of the story comes in the form of Orson Krennic, a driven, highly ambitious official in the Republic/Empire's weapons research group - and an old friend of Galen Erso.

Galen and Lyra Erso are, for all intents, pacifists. They want nothing to do with the war against the Separatists, and have no desire to see Galen's research abused to create terrifying weapons. So it is up to Krennic to manipulate, lie and scheme, and create the perfect circumstances for Galen to act to his tune and provide the results and theory for him to apply to creating the iconic Death Star laser. Galen seems pretty oblivious to what is going on, whereas his wife, Lyra, is suspicious of Krennic all throughout, and attempts to steer her husband in the right direction. A lot of the book thus focuses on both Krennic and Lyra working against one another behind Galen's back - which isn't too difficult as he gets utterly absorbed by his research in many instances.

Entwined with the drama unfolding are the Erso's young daughter Jyn, who we know to be the protagonist in Rogue One, and a dressellian smuggler named Has, who is exploited by Krennic to create opportunities for planetary exploitation to aid the Death Star's construction. I liked his role in the book a lot, especially as he grows closer to the Ersos and turns from puppet to rebelling against Krennic. I am actually sad that he doesn't seem to be in Rogue One, as he worked very well for the story and would fit well into the rag-tag group of rebels, one of which is actually featured in Has' storyline.

Since James Luceno also wrote the great novel Tarkin, you can expect the Moff to make an appearance or five here. We know he is going to oversee the Death Star project, and has been involved in it all along, but that puts him into direct rivalry with Orson Krennic. I originally feared Krennic to be a Tarkin stand-in for the movie, a new face filling the older character's shoes. Instead, the two are significantly different, one being all-in on the Emperor's plans of order for the galaxy, the other selfish and in for only his own advancement, not caring one iota about the galaxy at large or the skeletons in his closet. Seeing these two pitched against one another and their schemes to weaken the other's position pan out, often through the involvement of Mas Amedda, Galen and Has, was cool and satisfying to me.

In general though, this book is high on subterfuge and character drama, with almost no weapons fired besides a few scenes. The Erso family is front and center, offering a plot full of love and understanding but also a sense of sadness as Krennic tears into the relationship with his lies. Jyn, being just a small child, still turned out to be a great character for what scenes she has, and felt like a believable child to me. But in the end, she feels more like a connecting piece between Galen and Lyra, and their friends, than a character of her own. She is used to full effect, but it isn't her story, but her parents'. It will still add a lot to her appearance in Rogue One, though, and I wouldn't want to miss out on that.
To elevate the book a little further, there is a lot of added context to the Republic's transition to the Empire, various characters' roles and the way the general population views the changes and rumors, while trying to continue on with their lives as more restrictions are implemented.

However. If you want lightsaber fights, Star Destroyer action and bounty hunters, you'll be disappointed. It isn't that kind of book. Its strength are the way it expands on the setting, the genuine relationship of the Ersos, the under-the-table schemes and rivalries, not how many stormtroopers fail to kill the protagonists. It does the job it set out to do well.
Still, there was a little something that I felt missing from the book. I still cannot pinpoint what it is, but it made the difference between an consistently enjoyable and engaging book and one that absolutely wowed me. Maybe it is the lack of big twists for the reader, since we follow Krennic's duplicity and his ideas straight away. Maybe it is simply that the novel plays it a little tame with its methods. Or maybe it is simply that the fate of the Ersos was already telegraphed by Rogue One trailers.

Whatever it is, it simply made the difference between a damn good novel that I enjoyed coming back to and one that blew me away. Either way, Catalyst is a recommended read for anybody invested in Star Wars, especially the new canon under Disney's reign. If you're planning to watch Rogue One, I'd advise you to read this book as well, preferably first, so you can get the full perspective on the characters. You won't regret it.

Star Wars: Catalyst on Goodreads

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The galaxy is at war.

Although the Rebel Alliance has won a few battles against the Empire, hope is fading. The Empire is about to finish building the greatest weapon the galaxy has ever seen—the Death Star. The rebels' only chance to defeat it now lies in the unlikely hands of a princess, a scoundrel, and a farm boy. . . .

Acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Bracken delivers a captivating retelling of Star Wars: A New Hope like you've never experienced before. Since the premier of the original film, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker have become iconic, larger-than-life characters. The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy takes a deeper look at these three heroes as they join forces to defeat the evil that threatens their entire galaxy.

I decided to read this on a whim, to refresh my memories of the original Star Wars movie and out of curiosity. I don't regret my decision.

The Story:

"The galaxy is at war.

Although the Rebel Alliance has won a few battles against the Empire, hope is fading. The Empire is about to finish building the greatest weapon the galaxy has ever seen—the Death Star. The rebels' only chance to defeat it now lies in the unlikely hands of a princess, a scoundrel, and a farm boy. . . .

Acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author Alexandra Bracken delivers a captivating retelling of Star Wars: A New Hope like you've never experienced before. Since the premier of the original film, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker have become iconic, larger-than-life characters. The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy takes a deeper look at these three heroes as they join forces to defeat the evil that threatens their entire galaxy."

The Review

At its core, The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm boy is a simple retelling of the original Star Wars movie, A New Hope. Based on the movie as well as an old radio drama script, this young readers adaptation is more than competent, and a light, enjoyable read.

Alexandra Bracken has split the novel into three parts (as per the title), focusing sections of the plot squarely on Leia, Han and Luke. I'm not entirely on board with dividing the book into three parts like that, since it would have been great so see the growth of Leia especially more directly during the events on Yavin, but by the end of it, I didn't mind it.
In a way, it makes a lot of sense the when read this way - the spotlight does indeed shift throughout the movie plot, even though Luke's journey is front and center. The change gets clear especially in the later parts, where Han is temporarily moved off-stage before returning to help after all.

The best part of the book, for me, was probably the Death Star Run. It captured the excitement and tension of the movie perfectly, adding Luke's inner thoughts and deliberations to the mix in a satisfying way that didn't break the pace. It made me smile, not just for how fond my memories of the movie's scenes are, but because of how well Bracken delivered it.

Overall, the special attention the author paid to the characters' feelings and inner growth throughout their arcs paid off. She filled in gaps here and there that rounded the characters off in a good way. While it is still a pretty straight forward retelling, and doesn't feature much of Vader in the second half, I still enjoyed my time with the book. If nothing else, it refreshed my memories and made me want to watch the movie again.

Star Wars: A New Hope - The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy on Goodreads

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When the Rebellion defeated the Empire in the skies above Endor, Leia Organa believed it was the beginning to a lasting peace. But after decades of vicious infighting and partisan gridlock in the New Republic Senate, that hope seems like a distant memory.

Now a respected senator, Leia must grapple with the dangers that threaten to cripple the fledgling democracy—from both within and without. Underworld kingpins, treacherous politicians, and Imperial loyalists are sowing chaos in the galaxy. Desperate to take action, senators are calling for the election of a First Senator. It is their hope that this influential post will bring strong leadership to a divided galaxy.

As the daughter of Darth Vader, Leia faces with distrust the prospect of any one person holding such a powerful position—even when supporters suggest Leia herself for the job. But a new enemy may make this path Leia’s only option. For at the edges of the galaxy, a mysterious threat is growing....

When Disney bought the Star Wars IP and decided to throw the Expanded Universe into the bin, I was dismayed. I was preparing to get into the fiction for good, and then it was just... gone like Alderan. But then I figured, hey, this might give me the opportunity to dive into all the new, sanctioned canon from the start and not fall behind too much. So far, I have been keeping up well with the new material and am confident to be up to date by the end of the year. Bloodline held a special interest for me, so I dug through it within days of its release.

The Story:

"When the Rebellion defeated the Empire in the skies above Endor, Leia Organa believed it was the beginning to a lasting peace. But after decades of vicious infighting and partisan gridlock in the New Republic Senate, that hope seems like a distant memory.

Now a respected senator, Leia must grapple with the dangers that threaten to cripple the fledgling democracy—from both within and without. Underworld kingpins, treacherous politicians, and Imperial loyalists are sowing chaos in the galaxy. Desperate to take action, senators are calling for the election of a First Senator. It is their hope that this influential post will bring strong leadership to a divided galaxy.

As the daughter of Darth Vader, Leia faces with distrust the prospect of any one person holding such a powerful position—even when supporters suggest Leia herself for the job. But a new enemy may make this path Leia’s only option. For at the edges of the galaxy, a mysterious threat is growing...."

The Review

Star Wars: Bloodline is an excellent character piece on Princess Leia Organa. Set roughly 6 years prior to The Force Awakens, it gives us some much-needed background on the galaxy at large, and the New Republic Senate in particular.

First off, though, I wouldn't recommend reading this book before watching The Force Awakens. It doesn't outright spoil things for the movie, but you will have a much greater appreciation for the small bits and nuggets of info that nod towards the movie. The sense of tragedy and anticipation is also more impactful this way.

The New Republic Senate is pretty much split down the middle (3rd parties notwithstanding). On one side you find the Populist party, which believes in a hands-off approach on most things and is reluctant to assign real power to anybody. On the other, you get the Centrists, who in many ways revere the order and structure that came with the galactic Empire under Palpatine. They wish for a High Chancellor, or First Senator, like in the old days, and execute far more rigorous authority on the galaxy.
They are at an impasse, with no side willing to budge, and as a result, the senate is, for all intents, useless. Decisions get tabled due to bickering, and situations that require quick and decisive action don't get tackled at all. Both sides are just waiting for the other to make a mistake, or open up an angle of attack through their actions.

It is a disaster, and Leia is frustrated with it all. She is much more cynical than she's ever been, but still an idealist. The cumbersome nature of the senate even has her indulge in nostalgia for the old Rebellion days, despite her better knowledge.
She is ready to throw it all away and leave the senate when she, inadvertedly, gets picked for the role of First Senator herself - because nobody else could possibly be trusted not to turn into another Palpatine.

Open to scrutiny by senators on the Centrist side, Leia has to overcome her own fears and Vader's legacy, while figuring out her own priorities and wishes, as well as duties.

Next to the book-spanning political plot, Leia is teaming up with Centrist senator Ransolm Casterfo to investigate a criminal cartell and its connections to republic worlds. What follows is a tale of growing trust and friendship that bridges political rifts, and a good dose of covert action and espionage behind the senate's back. There's a corruption lurking in the galaxy, and Leia and co are trying to uproot it.

I enjoyed pretty much every aspect of this novel. From Leia's characterization, her relationships with Han, Casterfo and her aides Greer and Kor Sella, and even Threepio, everything was spot on. Claudia Gray hit the soft spot with Leia. There is enough of the young, energetic and determined princess here, while highlighting just how resigned she is to the current political situation. Leia's need for action and doing the right things is coming across wonderfully.
Bloodline proves that even well-established characters like Leia Organa can still grow further. In many ways, I see the book as a love-letter to her, and it sheds light on her innermost feelings and fears post-Return of the Jedi.

Meanwhile, I very much enjoyed Gray's original character of Ransolm Casterfo, who turns from somewhat-antagonist to genuine protagonist over the course of the book. His actions, thoughts and feelings were an excellent counterpoint to Leia's own perspective. Through these two characters' combined views, we get a well-rounded idea of the senate as a whole, and the political intrigue going on.

As somebody who enjoys political stories a great deal, even if they can be slow burners at times, I never thought that Bloodline dragged or didn't get off its butt. There was always something to catch my interest or move the plot forward, whether directly or through progressing relationships between characters. I sincerely hope to see or read more of Greer, Kor and Seastriker in the future, for example.

Of course, there are also some cameos here that fans will enjoy and that shed light on just what the old cast was up to before the events of TFA. Not everything is explained, for obvious reasons, but enough to make things come closer together and feel just right.

Claudia Gray has written a truly convincing novel with Bloodline, which ticks all the boxes for a Star Wars book in a satisfying, conclusive way. Well, apart from lightsaber duels. It doesn't have any of those (and it did not need to!). The dramatic nature of the Star Wars series is well and alive here, which earns Gray a merit-Deathstar in my book.

Star Wars: Bloodline on Goodreads

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