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Star Wars: The Lando Calrissian Adventures #1-3
Star Wars: The Adventures of Lando Calrissian
For the price of one, you get three Lando Calrissian novels: LANDO CALRISSSIAN AND THE MINDHARP OF SHARU, LANDO CLARISSIAN AND THE FLAMEWIND OF OSEON, and LANDO CALRISSIAN AND THE STARCAVE OF THONBOKA. You know him as a gambler, rogue, and con-artist; Lando's always on the frontier scanning his sensors for easy credits and looking for action in galaxies near and far.
Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the "Star Wars" expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular "Star Wars" books of the last thirty years!
Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the "Star Wars" expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular "Star Wars" books of the last thirty years!
518 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1983
130 people are currently reading
1283 people want to read
About the author
L. Neil Smith
39 books69 followersL. Neil Smith was a Libertarian science fiction author and gun rights activist.Smith was born in Denver, Colorado.
Smith began publishing science fiction with “Grimm’s Law” for Stellar 5 (1980). He wrote 31 books, including 29 novels, and a number of essays and short stories. In 2016, Smith received the Special Prometheus Award for Lifetime Achievement for his contributions to libertarian science fiction.
He was editor of LEVER ACTION BBS [now defunct], founder and International Coordinator of the Libertarian Second Amendment Caucus, Secretary and Legislative Director of the Weld County Fish & Wildlife Association and an NRA Life Member.
Smith passed away on August 27, 2021 in Fort Collins, Colorado at age 75 after a lengthy battle with heart and kidney disease. Smith is survived by daughter Rylla Smith and wife Cathy Smith.
Smith began publishing science fiction with “Grimm’s Law” for Stellar 5 (1980). He wrote 31 books, including 29 novels, and a number of essays and short stories. In 2016, Smith received the Special Prometheus Award for Lifetime Achievement for his contributions to libertarian science fiction.
He was editor of LEVER ACTION BBS [now defunct], founder and International Coordinator of the Libertarian Second Amendment Caucus, Secretary and Legislative Director of the Weld County Fish & Wildlife Association and an NRA Life Member.
Smith passed away on August 27, 2021 in Fort Collins, Colorado at age 75 after a lengthy battle with heart and kidney disease. Smith is survived by daughter Rylla Smith and wife Cathy Smith.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
October 30, 2025
Alas, my guilty pleasure is reading cheesy sci-fi paperbacks, and I especially am a sucker for the Star Wars books. (A plethora of old-canon Star Wars paperbacks resides on my bookshelves, along with a collection of Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Robotech, Aliens, and a couple books in the Halo series: they are like literary candy for me...)
The Lando Calrissian series was a fun mix of western and fantasy, and because they were published shortly after "Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back", the stories have very little to do with the mythos and do not follow any of the continuity of the Star Wars old canon. Originally published as three separate novels, these stories by L. Neil Smith follow a younger Calrissian trying to establish a name for himself in the frontiers of wild space.
It's fun to read about a character that probably didn't get a lot of the screentime he deserved in Empire and Jedi. I always liked the character of Calrissian (brought to life wonderfully by the great Billy Dee Williams), and I'm glad someone decided to expand on it and give him a back-story.
The Lando Calrissian series was a fun mix of western and fantasy, and because they were published shortly after "Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back", the stories have very little to do with the mythos and do not follow any of the continuity of the Star Wars old canon. Originally published as three separate novels, these stories by L. Neil Smith follow a younger Calrissian trying to establish a name for himself in the frontiers of wild space.
It's fun to read about a character that probably didn't get a lot of the screentime he deserved in Empire and Jedi. I always liked the character of Calrissian (brought to life wonderfully by the great Billy Dee Williams), and I'm glad someone decided to expand on it and give him a back-story.
October 31, 2012
I loved reading this trilogy. It was a bit on the outer limits of Star Wars stuff, but very inventive. (And not surprising, it was written so early that there wasn't really a "cannon" other than the movies and a few oddities.)
June 7, 2021
Before Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire trilogy opened up the floodgates of Star Wars books and created the Expanded Universe there were a few novels which were written and published contemporary with the original movies. There are the well-known novelisations of the films, of course, but Splinter of the Mind’s Eye by Alan Dean Foster, published 1978, The Han Solo Adventures by Brian Daley, published 1979-80, and The Lando Calrissian Adventures by L. Neil Smith, published 1983, were the first pioneers of the Expanded Universe with fresh stories to tell. It’s no secret that I’m a bit of an old school fan - I don't enjoy the Disney-verse, and to be honest I preferred the EU’s vision of the Clone Wars before the prequel films came out - but the aforementioned books truly are relics. It’s fascinating to look at what vision they had for the wider world of Star Wars before Zahn’s ground-breaking trilogy. Splinter was set just after A New Hope, but the Han Solo and Lando Calrissian Adventures were set a couple of years beforehand, originally as three separate novellas which were later collected into one book.
What I found most jarring was how the author’s contemporary world creeps into the writing here. Lando being a man of style, some time is spent on scrutinising his wardrobe and that of other characters, and we’re subjected to a torrent of “satyn”, “velvoid”, and “denym”. I'm not the only one to complain about real world equivalents in Star Wars – I know that Timothy Zahn’s “caf” drives some people nuts – but for me “denym” is a step too far. The other shocker was how almost every character engaged in smoking cigarettes or cigars across all three stories with the compulsive need of addicts. This story really feels like a product of a time when airlines still allowed people to light up on planes, but to me it feels incongruous with a futuristic sci fi (and before you ask, yes, I thought the “deathsticks” in Attack of the Clones were equally out of place).
Aside from intrusions of the real world, there was a surprising streak of fantasy, particularly in the first story, Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu, but present in all three. Star Wars has always been a blend of sci fi and fantasy, of course, with the mystical Force and its themes of good versus evil and redemption – but for me the sci fi has always been the dominant element, and certain inclusions both in films and novels felt like a fantastical step too far. Anakin’s immaculate conception referenced in the prequel films, for example, was too on the nose and ecclesiastical for my tastes. Sith alchemy, which shows up in some of the graphic novels, struck me as not adhering to established rules about the Force and felt too much like pulling deus ex machinae out of thin air. The Lando Calrissian Adventures have perhaps a little more fantasy than I'd like in their mix. One of the characters in Mindharp of Sharu speaks in faux medieval English, which seems deeply out of place. And Lando’s primary antagonist across all three adventures is a Sorcerer of Tund, with a bag of tricks reminiscent of the aforementioned Sith alchemy.
Barring these two outliers, however, I still found plenty to enjoy. Maybe this is just because Lando is our main character and he’s more of a wandering charmer than a fighter (judging by his adventures in the Black Fleet Crisis trilogy, which now makes a lot more sense in light of this book), or maybe this is just because this book hearkens back to an earlier time in Star Wars novels when the vision for the universe was somewhat different, but this story is much less about starfighter dogfights or lightsabre duels, key battles against the Empire or epic ethical struggles, and much more about what I could describe as pure or old school sci fi – exploration of alien civilisations and grappling with their mind-bending technologies. This is certainly at the core of Mindharp of Sharu, where Lando encounters crystalline flora with both life and knowledge draining and enhancing properties, and the ruins of an extinct species with strange matter manipulation capabilities including teleportation and size alteration. It’s also true of The StarCave of ThonBoka, where a space-dwelling species communicates through radio waves and is capable of making faster than light hops as part of their biology, and struggles to grasp the notion of technology. The Flamewind of Oseon is perhaps a little misleading as a title. Whereas the mindharp is the core subject of the first tale, the flamewind of the Oseon system is merely the setting, the environmental conditions amidst which Lando finds himself struggling to survive against numerous adversaries. The flamewind has some curious effects which are not fully explored, but this story as a whole is much more conventional, with the showdown between protagonist and antagonist the main point of the plot.
L. Neil Smith certainly never lets things get boring and never lets Lando have an easy time of it. All three stories are chock full of obstacles, rivals, and sudden reversals. I was initially concerned that the stories would come off dull, since Lando can charm his way out of some tight spots and his extraordinary skill at sabacc means he has few problems making money. I needn’t have worried. Lando’s problem is holding on to his credits. Ship maintenance is shocking, import fees are impressive, and there are hostile beings everywhere, both within the Empire and independent systems. Our hero has to rely on every bit of his smooth talking to scrape by, and when that runs out, his wits, companions, and plain old luck; and luck seems to hate Lando as much as it loves him. As a result the stories are entertaining and unpredictable.
All in all, this book was a pleasant surprise. I attempted to read the Han Solo Adventures many years ago and gave up on them – I have a vague memory of the style just not gelling with me – so I didn’t pick up the Lando Calrissian Adventures after that, figuring it’d be more of the same. The only other time Lando gets remotely this much page space is in the Black Fleet Crisis. He makes for an interesting and compelling hero. What puts me off, honestly, is the jarring out of place elements, and the high flown fantasy. I don't think I'm going to re-read this one, although I must say I don't regret the time I spent reading this book at least once to see what it was all about.
5 out of 10.
October 7, 2025
The last group of Star Wars books that came out during the Original Trilogy and before the Expanded Universe books really took off in the 90s was “The Lando Calrissian Adventures”. Like “The Han Solo Adventures”, this is a trilogy of short and relatively self-contained adventures of a Star Wars scoundrel before they joined the Rebel Alliance. Brian Daley’s Han Solo stories perhaps set the bar too high for me as while L Neil Smith’s Lando stories are intriguing and unique, they kind of are a good representation of the misfires the early EU was capable of.
“Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu”: The opening story (alluded to in Disney’s “Solo” movie) played out initially how I expected. Lando plays cards, gets caught up in a scheme to find a legendary treasure, has to fight or smooth talk his way out of deals that get worse all the time, etc. And in this first part I think the novel did well even if I think Smith isn’t as good as Daley writing these types of pulpy Star Wars stories. But then in the final act, things really get trippy/mystical for Lando and the reader. It’s not necessarily a bad thing but it does take one out of the feeling this is a story set in the Star Wars story and would make more sense in a different and more magical franchise. To be fair, The Force is pretty much magic and the likes of Witches of Dathomir and The Mortis Gods are very reminiscent of traditional fantasy stories too. But here it just feels like Smith went too hard in making this story something it's not (or at least not supposed to be). All the same I can appreciate that Smith did want to make his Star Wars story stand out and to be fair if one thinks this and the other stories are Lando telling them and embellishing them to impress others so the magical aspects could also be exaggerated, then the fantastical content does work.
“Lando Calrissian and The Flamewind of Oseon”: A continuation of the last book, Lando and his droid companion Vuffi Raa fall back on Lando’s favorite past time of gambling until Lando’s killing an unknown assassin in self-defense lands him in trouble and is blackmailed into a mission to free himself. It's a bit of a repetitive storyline after what happened in the last novel. What makes this unique is the titular Flamewind, a radiation storm Lando needs to pull the job in. The initial foray into the Flamewind leads to another trippy sequence that feels less like a normal radiation storm in science fiction and something out of Doctor Strange but I personally found the sequence to be better than the one in the last book. Likewise, while a bit convoluted I did enjoy the climax of the story where sorcerer Rokur Gepta tortures Lando by making Lando revisit unpleasant memories, a sequence reminiscent of the Emperor torturing Luke but being a fun variation. I likewise enjoyed the twist that the band of marauders hunting the Millennium Falcon were actually targeting Vuffi Raa instead, a nice subversion. So the story was fine, dragged in the middle even with the trippy space storm but did end on a better note.
“Lando Calrissian and the Starcave of ThonBoka”: The final story brings everything in the last two volumes to a close. Lando and Vuffi Raa have to take on their respective nemeses, all while interacting with a race of giant space whale/space jellyfish hybrids. While pooping valuable minerals is weird, the Oswafts were a neat variation of the space whale trope. I particularly liked their interactions with Lando, it was nice having him be in pleasant company and him trying to help them (despite hoping they’d poop him out some gemstones). The story as a whole took a while to get going and is too convoluted at points. But I did enjoy the final battle, the post battle card game and Lando and Vuffi Raa parting ways.
Each story has its appeal but truthfully none of Lee’s stories really grabbed me and have me thinking Star Wars books couldn’t get any better. Lee has some interesting writing choices, a lot of which I don’t agree with like how it always feel like the climax is in the final pages with too quickly a wrap up of remaining story threads afterwards. I do suppose his take on Lando is fine, most of the other characters are forgettable minus Lando’s robot partner and nemesis. Between Vuffi Raa here and L3-37 in Canon I can’t tell which droid companion of Lando’s I prefer. But Vuffi Raa is definitely one of the most unique droids in either continuity, feeling like something George Lucas would have created. So I did like Vuffi Raa and what they brought to the franchise (even if the “don’t call me master” joke with Lando got tiresome). Likewise, even if I don’t quite like the magical/fantasy elements of this, I did like Rokur Gepta (mustache-twirling villainy aside) as an arch-enemy of Lando’s throughout, it made for an interesting enemies dynamic and not just another Han Solo v. Boba Fett scenario.
If “The Han Solo Adventures” are Star Wars at its most Space Western, “The Lando Calrissian Adventures” are the franchise at its most Space Fantasy. There is room enough in the franchise for both but personally I think other creators have handled Star Wars’ Space Fantasy elements a lot better than Smith. The quality of the stories also really ebbs and flows, making me conclude Smith is no Brian Daley and certainly no George Lucas. I don’t know if these are the quintessential Lando Calrissian stories but they’re harmless enough and there are moments when I did think Smith sort of got the character even if I don’t think he got the universe. As far as it goes, I’d put this ahead of “Splinters of the Mind’s Eye” but far behind "The Han Solo Adventures” among the list of early Star Wars literature.
“Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu”: The opening story (alluded to in Disney’s “Solo” movie) played out initially how I expected. Lando plays cards, gets caught up in a scheme to find a legendary treasure, has to fight or smooth talk his way out of deals that get worse all the time, etc. And in this first part I think the novel did well even if I think Smith isn’t as good as Daley writing these types of pulpy Star Wars stories. But then in the final act, things really get trippy/mystical for Lando and the reader. It’s not necessarily a bad thing but it does take one out of the feeling this is a story set in the Star Wars story and would make more sense in a different and more magical franchise. To be fair, The Force is pretty much magic and the likes of Witches of Dathomir and The Mortis Gods are very reminiscent of traditional fantasy stories too. But here it just feels like Smith went too hard in making this story something it's not (or at least not supposed to be). All the same I can appreciate that Smith did want to make his Star Wars story stand out and to be fair if one thinks this and the other stories are Lando telling them and embellishing them to impress others so the magical aspects could also be exaggerated, then the fantastical content does work.
“Lando Calrissian and The Flamewind of Oseon”: A continuation of the last book, Lando and his droid companion Vuffi Raa fall back on Lando’s favorite past time of gambling until Lando’s killing an unknown assassin in self-defense lands him in trouble and is blackmailed into a mission to free himself. It's a bit of a repetitive storyline after what happened in the last novel. What makes this unique is the titular Flamewind, a radiation storm Lando needs to pull the job in. The initial foray into the Flamewind leads to another trippy sequence that feels less like a normal radiation storm in science fiction and something out of Doctor Strange but I personally found the sequence to be better than the one in the last book. Likewise, while a bit convoluted I did enjoy the climax of the story where sorcerer Rokur Gepta tortures Lando by making Lando revisit unpleasant memories, a sequence reminiscent of the Emperor torturing Luke but being a fun variation. I likewise enjoyed the twist that the band of marauders hunting the Millennium Falcon were actually targeting Vuffi Raa instead, a nice subversion. So the story was fine, dragged in the middle even with the trippy space storm but did end on a better note.
“Lando Calrissian and the Starcave of ThonBoka”: The final story brings everything in the last two volumes to a close. Lando and Vuffi Raa have to take on their respective nemeses, all while interacting with a race of giant space whale/space jellyfish hybrids. While pooping valuable minerals is weird, the Oswafts were a neat variation of the space whale trope. I particularly liked their interactions with Lando, it was nice having him be in pleasant company and him trying to help them (despite hoping they’d poop him out some gemstones). The story as a whole took a while to get going and is too convoluted at points. But I did enjoy the final battle, the post battle card game and Lando and Vuffi Raa parting ways.
Each story has its appeal but truthfully none of Lee’s stories really grabbed me and have me thinking Star Wars books couldn’t get any better. Lee has some interesting writing choices, a lot of which I don’t agree with like how it always feel like the climax is in the final pages with too quickly a wrap up of remaining story threads afterwards. I do suppose his take on Lando is fine, most of the other characters are forgettable minus Lando’s robot partner and nemesis. Between Vuffi Raa here and L3-37 in Canon I can’t tell which droid companion of Lando’s I prefer. But Vuffi Raa is definitely one of the most unique droids in either continuity, feeling like something George Lucas would have created. So I did like Vuffi Raa and what they brought to the franchise (even if the “don’t call me master” joke with Lando got tiresome). Likewise, even if I don’t quite like the magical/fantasy elements of this, I did like Rokur Gepta (mustache-twirling villainy aside) as an arch-enemy of Lando’s throughout, it made for an interesting enemies dynamic and not just another Han Solo v. Boba Fett scenario.
If “The Han Solo Adventures” are Star Wars at its most Space Western, “The Lando Calrissian Adventures” are the franchise at its most Space Fantasy. There is room enough in the franchise for both but personally I think other creators have handled Star Wars’ Space Fantasy elements a lot better than Smith. The quality of the stories also really ebbs and flows, making me conclude Smith is no Brian Daley and certainly no George Lucas. I don’t know if these are the quintessential Lando Calrissian stories but they’re harmless enough and there are moments when I did think Smith sort of got the character even if I don’t think he got the universe. As far as it goes, I’d put this ahead of “Splinters of the Mind’s Eye” but far behind "The Han Solo Adventures” among the list of early Star Wars literature.
August 28, 2019
these books are barely recognizable as star wars 35 years after publication--a lot of canon jargon/lore hadn't been standardized, there's no mention of the force or jedi, and the kind of weird the stories deal in are out there even by dagobah and ahch-to force cave standards. it's goofy and reads like extremely self-indulgent fanfiction. lots of it hasn't aged well, from the one (1) female character to the descriptions of the toka. but i can't say that i didn't have a good time.
vuffi raa and lehesu get brought into new canon 2k19
vuffi raa and lehesu get brought into new canon 2k19
April 4, 2009
Don't bother.
More pedestrian pulp fiction hiding behind the "Star Wars" label. Doesn't even connect to the "greater universe" of SW.
More pedestrian pulp fiction hiding behind the "Star Wars" label. Doesn't even connect to the "greater universe" of SW.
October 16, 2014
heart-warming tales of an opportunistic city administrator's bureaucratic maneuvers and sexual harassment of subordinates.
May 6, 2025
The final story, The StarCave of ThonBoka, gets a 1.5/5 stars from me, and overall this deserves nothing higher than 2/5 stars.
It's interesting when reading a book how there are different factors to consider. In this case, the writing style is actually really good -- it's entertaining and not overly detailed or lofty. However, then you have the actual story, and in this case, very little happens! The entire third story was incredibly uneventful, and looking back at the trilogy as a whole, it's a wonder how this was over 400 pages. Finally, you have the author's ability to actually communicate what is happening in the story. This is somewhat related to my first point, but I differentiate the two with this case meaning how easy the story itself is to follow. In the case of the third story, I mostly had no idea what the heck was going on. Random yet important characters were introduced right near the end and the events that were happening were pretty unclear.
Overall, I will never be reading this one again. A missed opportunity to flesh out a really captivating character from the Star Wars universe.
It's interesting when reading a book how there are different factors to consider. In this case, the writing style is actually really good -- it's entertaining and not overly detailed or lofty. However, then you have the actual story, and in this case, very little happens! The entire third story was incredibly uneventful, and looking back at the trilogy as a whole, it's a wonder how this was over 400 pages. Finally, you have the author's ability to actually communicate what is happening in the story. This is somewhat related to my first point, but I differentiate the two with this case meaning how easy the story itself is to follow. In the case of the third story, I mostly had no idea what the heck was going on. Random yet important characters were introduced right near the end and the events that were happening were pretty unclear.
Overall, I will never be reading this one again. A missed opportunity to flesh out a really captivating character from the Star Wars universe.
May 7, 2025
3.5 stars. I was very tempted to round up to 4, because the books are very good for what they are.
they're cheesy 90s Sci fi, with a focus on philosophical questions and character development. Books 1 and 2 were actually enjoyable with very likeable characters.
the trilogy falls a little short when it comes to book 2, the villain and the plot. unfortunately the stories are a little out there and doesn't have much of a plot pushing the trilogy forward; each book has a small hurdle that is resolved by the end and the only thing connecting the three stories are the characters. the big bad felt like a mystery with no satisfying resolution or motives. he ended up being the weakest link. if several aspects of his story had been planned better I think it would have pushed these stories to being a much more memorable and enjoyable trilogy
they're cheesy 90s Sci fi, with a focus on philosophical questions and character development. Books 1 and 2 were actually enjoyable with very likeable characters.
the trilogy falls a little short when it comes to book 2, the villain and the plot. unfortunately the stories are a little out there and doesn't have much of a plot pushing the trilogy forward; each book has a small hurdle that is resolved by the end and the only thing connecting the three stories are the characters. the big bad felt like a mystery with no satisfying resolution or motives. he ended up being the weakest link. if several aspects of his story had been planned better I think it would have pushed these stories to being a much more memorable and enjoyable trilogy
March 25, 2025
Star Wars: Legends: The Adventures of Lando Calrissian by L. Neil Smith
adventurous hopeful reflective sad tense
Medium-paced
Plot or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters are a main focus? It's complicated
3.25 Stars
Overall, this was just an okay book. I wanted more, for the character of Lando Calrissian is such a great character. This collection of three stories added up to 3.42 Stars, and I rated the book at 3.25 Stars.
Finished the first story in this three story anthology about the adventures of Lando Calrissian.
This first story is a little bit mind bending at times, but worked overall...and by the end I felt I enjoyed it. It isn't amazing, but it was a good story.
I'd rate this story at about a 3.5 Stars.
Okay this adventure was fairly good. I got frustrated at the beginning, but by the end...the story made sense, and the characters were well developed (for a short story).
I rate this one at 4.25 Stars
The last story in this anthology was okay, but it just didn't move me emotionally. The actions of Lando Calrissian and the group of people fighting on his side was fun, but I was not emotionally invested. It was happening, and I enjoyed it as I was reading it, but it ultimately was just meh. SO sad to say this.
This last story ended on a whimper. I rate it 2.5 Stars.
Others may enjoy this book, but it was just okay.
The next book I pick up from the Star Wars: Legends series is...
The Force Unleashed by Sean Williams (and the sequel...The Force Unleashed II).
adventurous hopeful reflective sad tense
Medium-paced
Plot or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters are a main focus? It's complicated
3.25 Stars
Overall, this was just an okay book. I wanted more, for the character of Lando Calrissian is such a great character. This collection of three stories added up to 3.42 Stars, and I rated the book at 3.25 Stars.
Finished the first story in this three story anthology about the adventures of Lando Calrissian.
This first story is a little bit mind bending at times, but worked overall...and by the end I felt I enjoyed it. It isn't amazing, but it was a good story.
I'd rate this story at about a 3.5 Stars.
Okay this adventure was fairly good. I got frustrated at the beginning, but by the end...the story made sense, and the characters were well developed (for a short story).
I rate this one at 4.25 Stars
The last story in this anthology was okay, but it just didn't move me emotionally. The actions of Lando Calrissian and the group of people fighting on his side was fun, but I was not emotionally invested. It was happening, and I enjoyed it as I was reading it, but it ultimately was just meh. SO sad to say this.
This last story ended on a whimper. I rate it 2.5 Stars.
Others may enjoy this book, but it was just okay.
The next book I pick up from the Star Wars: Legends series is...
The Force Unleashed by Sean Williams (and the sequel...The Force Unleashed II).
July 6, 2025
Put simply, this is NOT like reading Star Wars: this is reading 80s pulp science fiction starring Lando Calrissian. It makes for an interesting piece of Star Wars history. Lando himself is written wonderfully, and his robotic companion Vuffi Raa is an enjoyable sidekick in the three adventures found here. If you take this book for what it is, you can have some cheesy fun with this one!
June 1, 2022
Excellent mindless entertainment for a steamy holiday weekend. Lando's characterization was spot-on perfect, but the droid Vuffi Raa very nearly stole the show.
November 23, 2025
My opinion of these improved by being less cynical. I'm leaving it struck-out because that's important.
I'll stand by my impression of Lando's improvements. The stories aren't as terrible as past me felt and have their own merit.
I know Vuffi Raa never returns, but he was fun while he lasted.
Finally, I am through the Dark Times.
Seriously, reading the books from before "Heir to Empire" leaves me wondering how we got so lucky in the first place. One should skip all of them. Okay, the Han Solo Adventures were good. Han felt like he would shoot first (he says so, come to think of it), and is true to the conscientious scoundrel we know and love. These...well...
Lando isn't a very well developed character in the movies. You pretty much know that he is an old friend of Han's....and that's about enough to let you know he shouldn't be trusted. Then he betrays everyone, yet they end up making him a general in Return of the Jedi, where he helps destroy the Death Star. End of character.
These short stories don't actually tell you a lot. They have nothing absolutely nothing to do with anything else in the Expanded Universe. You would think the events of these stories would actually have an effect in other novels, but I've never seen these referenced elsewhere. The stories don't read like Star Wars. In fact, I think you could change the name of the main character, the name of his ship, and the name of the card game, and you'd have no problem. There is absolutely nothing else that even matters. No planets we know, no familiar aliens, lots of references that only make sense because I live on Earth, the Empire is such a generic idea that it could be anything, and the bad guy seems to be pretty powerful despite the fact that Palpatine would never allow such a person to work for him.
I find the first story to be the most entertaining because Lando consistently views the universe as though it were a card game. Sabaac is pretty much the plot of all three stories, but the first story works s lot with how the game influences his decision making and world-view.
All three stories are rather anti-climactic, but the first does the best job wrapping it up. I felt the stories were progressively worse and made less sense each time. The third might have been developed into a full novel...but it wasn't able to because of...time, maybe? Universe restrictions? I don't honestly know. All three pretty much felt like cash-grabs.
Just skip. Please skip this book. Read "Heir to the Empire," then be happy that at least Disney's reboot eliminated some garbage (even if they did choose to take out the healthy lung while removing the cancerous...something you can live without).
I'll stand by my impression of Lando's improvements. The stories aren't as terrible as past me felt and have their own merit.
I know Vuffi Raa never returns, but he was fun while he lasted.
Seriously, reading the books from before "Heir to Empire" leaves me wondering how we got so lucky in the first place. One should skip all of them. Okay, the Han Solo Adventures were good. Han felt like he would shoot first (he says so, come to think of it), and is true to the conscientious scoundrel we know and love. These...well...
Lando isn't a very well developed character in the movies. You pretty much know that he is an old friend of Han's....and that's about enough to let you know he shouldn't be trusted. Then he betrays everyone, yet they end up making him a general in Return of the Jedi, where he helps destroy the Death Star. End of character.
These short stories don't actually tell you a lot. They have nothing absolutely nothing to do with anything else in the Expanded Universe. You would think the events of these stories would actually have an effect in other novels, but I've never seen these referenced elsewhere. The stories don't read like Star Wars. In fact, I think you could change the name of the main character, the name of his ship, and the name of the card game, and you'd have no problem. There is absolutely nothing else that even matters. No planets we know, no familiar aliens, lots of references that only make sense because I live on Earth, the Empire is such a generic idea that it could be anything, and the bad guy seems to be pretty powerful despite the fact that Palpatine would never allow such a person to work for him.
I find the first story to be the most entertaining because Lando consistently views the universe as though it were a card game. Sabaac is pretty much the plot of all three stories, but the first story works s lot with how the game influences his decision making and world-view.
All three stories are rather anti-climactic, but the first does the best job wrapping it up. I felt the stories were progressively worse and made less sense each time. The third might have been developed into a full novel...but it wasn't able to because of...time, maybe? Universe restrictions? I don't honestly know. All three pretty much felt like cash-grabs.
Just skip. Please skip this book. Read "Heir to the Empire," then be happy that at least Disney's reboot eliminated some garbage (even if they did choose to take out the healthy lung while removing the cancerous...something you can live without).
October 1, 2013
This comes before Lando and Han Solo every met.
Mindharp of Sharu is 1.5 stars. The writing is pretty piss poor. He makes Lando as this big joker really. All he is just making jokes left and right and when he is not all he says is "Don't call me Master." If you read the book you will understand. But he is playing, you guessed it, sabacc and he wins money and a robot on a different planet. He gets the robot and is blackmailed into getting this object or face prison for the rest of his life. And so the adventure starts... just the writing and description at the end was making me bored and sick at the same time...
Flamewind of Oseon is actually a little better at 2.5 stars. The jokes continue to be annoying as Lando talks to his robot. The basis is that the bad guy, Gepta, survived and wants venagence. He tricks Lando to come to a planet to play, you guessed it, sabacc...Aside from the sabacc playing, lame jokes and more of "Don't call me Master," it isn't bad. I didn't like it, but didn't hate it...
Starcave of Thonboka is a 2 star if that. I honestly wanted it to end... The bad guy is back along with another dude from the second book, who Lando didn't kill, even though he dude said I will kill you if you let me go...awesome... Anyways they get help from this creature that is really described poorly and of course Lando has to show him and the rest of these new creatures sabacc...of course he does... It is quite lame, but not truly a horrible book.
Sum it up and I guess a 2 star...
Mindharp of Sharu is 1.5 stars. The writing is pretty piss poor. He makes Lando as this big joker really. All he is just making jokes left and right and when he is not all he says is "Don't call me Master." If you read the book you will understand. But he is playing, you guessed it, sabacc and he wins money and a robot on a different planet. He gets the robot and is blackmailed into getting this object or face prison for the rest of his life. And so the adventure starts... just the writing and description at the end was making me bored and sick at the same time...
Flamewind of Oseon is actually a little better at 2.5 stars. The jokes continue to be annoying as Lando talks to his robot. The basis is that the bad guy, Gepta, survived and wants venagence. He tricks Lando to come to a planet to play, you guessed it, sabacc...Aside from the sabacc playing, lame jokes and more of "Don't call me Master," it isn't bad. I didn't like it, but didn't hate it...
Starcave of Thonboka is a 2 star if that. I honestly wanted it to end... The bad guy is back along with another dude from the second book, who Lando didn't kill, even though he dude said I will kill you if you let me go...awesome... Anyways they get help from this creature that is really described poorly and of course Lando has to show him and the rest of these new creatures sabacc...of course he does... It is quite lame, but not truly a horrible book.
Sum it up and I guess a 2 star...
January 2, 2015
There were only a few books written back in the days before Star Wars books all had to interlink, feature Mara Jade and reference as many other aspects of the Star Wars universe as possible. L Neil Smith's Lando books are my favourite of them all. Lando could easily have been presented as a Han Solo carbon copy, yet Smith concentrates on the fact he's a con artist gambler who prefers not to dirty his hands (or crumple his suit). As with all great books, they propelled me to read others of Smith's work, which also do not disappoint.
The 3 books here show the beginning, middle and ending for the story told in separate instalments. There's a recurring villain, a pacifist 'droid sidekick and the Millennium Falcon. The major difference between the Lando books and most other Star Wars books is that they are FUN! Action, humour, genuine laugh out loud moments and a suave lead role all make these the best Star Wars books out there. All that's missing from them is a little romance. If you're a fan of Kevin J Anderson's Star Wars books, these are certainly for you. Both authors know, when they're writing, to put fun before fact.
The 3 books here show the beginning, middle and ending for the story told in separate instalments. There's a recurring villain, a pacifist 'droid sidekick and the Millennium Falcon. The major difference between the Lando books and most other Star Wars books is that they are FUN! Action, humour, genuine laugh out loud moments and a suave lead role all make these the best Star Wars books out there. All that's missing from them is a little romance. If you're a fan of Kevin J Anderson's Star Wars books, these are certainly for you. Both authors know, when they're writing, to put fun before fact.
July 28, 2015
This book is a collection of three novellas. All three stories deal with Lando before we meet him in Empire Strikes Back. This is one of the earliest EU books written.
I did not care for this collection as these stories did not capture the essence of Lando or this universe. These three stories read as if the author wrote three science fiction stories and then decided to insert a Star Wars character into them and make it part of the EU. Any nondescript character could have been the main character. As of the essence of this universe, it was never achieved as the force, the Empire or the Jedi wasn't components of the story. That is not a deal breaker for me as this collection was similar to the collection of stories concerning Han Solo. I enjoyed that collection as it captured Han's character. This never felt like it belonged in this universe.
I strongly recommend skipping this novel as it did nothing for the character. These would have been better off as science fiction stories of a new universe instead of part of this one. Even then I don't think I would have enjoyed them too much as the stories never captured my interest and had some aspects that were foolish.
I did not care for this collection as these stories did not capture the essence of Lando or this universe. These three stories read as if the author wrote three science fiction stories and then decided to insert a Star Wars character into them and make it part of the EU. Any nondescript character could have been the main character. As of the essence of this universe, it was never achieved as the force, the Empire or the Jedi wasn't components of the story. That is not a deal breaker for me as this collection was similar to the collection of stories concerning Han Solo. I enjoyed that collection as it captured Han's character. This never felt like it belonged in this universe.
I strongly recommend skipping this novel as it did nothing for the character. These would have been better off as science fiction stories of a new universe instead of part of this one. Even then I don't think I would have enjoyed them too much as the stories never captured my interest and had some aspects that were foolish.
September 28, 2010
The Adventures of Lando Calrissian is a trilogy of poorly written books. They remain interesting, however, and are not outside the realm of possibility in the star wars universe.
The main problem with the book is the shifting in time. In the second book we constantly alternate from lando playing sabaac with one group of people with various adventures he has had in the past. The structure makes absolutely no sense and is confusing. This continues into the third book, though it is not as bad there. I didn't notice it in the first book, so though it may be present it is not nearly as bad.
Despite this and other flaws I enjoyed the books.
What is with the statement that Lando doesn't smoke much then showing him smoking constantly though?
The main problem with the book is the shifting in time. In the second book we constantly alternate from lando playing sabaac with one group of people with various adventures he has had in the past. The structure makes absolutely no sense and is confusing. This continues into the third book, though it is not as bad there. I didn't notice it in the first book, so though it may be present it is not nearly as bad.
Despite this and other flaws I enjoyed the books.
What is with the statement that Lando doesn't smoke much then showing him smoking constantly though?
December 8, 2021
It started off decently. By the third novella, I gave up. Which was unfortunate, because the third one had an interesting premise with aliens that had evolved in the void of space with faster- than- light abilities, being blockaded by an imperial navy. But the same tired villains from the first two books made an appearance again, and I was sick of them. The sorcerer was interesting at first, but not after he was so easily defeated in the first and second books. And the other guy was interesting in book 2, but his arc ended in book 2.
May 5, 2024
I am still determined to read a lot of Star Wars books. I was slightly interested in how this one would go. However, I lost interest pretty quickly. I guess I just don’t care about Lando. I ended up skimming through. Maybe I should avoid reading books that have characters I don’t particularly like as the main focus.
January 28, 2008
A compilation of three Lando Calrissian adventures. A ton of fun and adventure!
September 6, 2025
So I'll start off by saying that this review is of the whole trilogy of stories. If I had reviewed them separately, I would have given Mindharp of Sharu three stars, Flamewing of Oseon teo stars, and Starcave two stars.
The Mindharp of Sharu was a fun, classic sci-fi novel that I enjoyed in its ideas. The exploration of the planet and of the hidden history of the Sharu was a lot of fun. Vuffi Ra's interactions with Lando in the novel are fun. It doesn't overstay it's welcome at all.
Still, Mindharp, along with the other two stories, feel very much like they are just the authors ideas for an original sci-fi novel that couldn't get published without an IP. You could remove the Star Wars from these books and they would hardly change, aside from the proper nouns in a few parts. Lando of course is the protagonist, but I hardly see any characterization in these novels that ties him to who he is in the films (and the later expanded universe). Sure he plays Sabaac and pilots the Falcon, but that is about the only things from his movie personality that remain. The Empire is mentioned in the book, but the rest of the cast/factions are so removed from Star Wars lore. Now, that could have been used as a strength, but I don't think it capitalized on it well. I also understand that these novels came out before the universe was fleshed out, but I still think they could have been better.
The StarCave story is just silly. The idea of the Oswafts and of the creators of Vuffi Ra just didn't seem like they fit within the Star Wars world. I did enjoy Rokur Gepta as an antagonist. The Sorcerers of Tund was a nice addition that these stories brought.
Overall, I wouldn't really recommend this book to anyone other than those who are interested in some of the early Star Wars novel history.
The Mindharp of Sharu was a fun, classic sci-fi novel that I enjoyed in its ideas. The exploration of the planet and of the hidden history of the Sharu was a lot of fun. Vuffi Ra's interactions with Lando in the novel are fun. It doesn't overstay it's welcome at all.
Still, Mindharp, along with the other two stories, feel very much like they are just the authors ideas for an original sci-fi novel that couldn't get published without an IP. You could remove the Star Wars from these books and they would hardly change, aside from the proper nouns in a few parts. Lando of course is the protagonist, but I hardly see any characterization in these novels that ties him to who he is in the films (and the later expanded universe). Sure he plays Sabaac and pilots the Falcon, but that is about the only things from his movie personality that remain. The Empire is mentioned in the book, but the rest of the cast/factions are so removed from Star Wars lore. Now, that could have been used as a strength, but I don't think it capitalized on it well. I also understand that these novels came out before the universe was fleshed out, but I still think they could have been better.
The StarCave story is just silly. The idea of the Oswafts and of the creators of Vuffi Ra just didn't seem like they fit within the Star Wars world. I did enjoy Rokur Gepta as an antagonist. The Sorcerers of Tund was a nice addition that these stories brought.
Overall, I wouldn't really recommend this book to anyone other than those who are interested in some of the early Star Wars novel history.
November 1, 2022
I absolutely cannot recommend these books. Even if you're a fan of Lando such as myself, and even if you enjoy weirder Star Wars books. They're not good enough to be worth the time investment.
Each book suffers from the same problems, they begin and end fairly strong but have long dull slumps in the middle that feel like padding. The characters are so bad they end up being kind of entertaining, and not in a good way. The stories get so out there that it's hard to understand what's even going on a times while paragraphs ramble on for far too long.
However it's not the worst of the EU. Part of that is the context of the time it came out, of course being part of the earliest EU will have growing pains. There's also enough good and fun writing in here in-between dull padding that is interesting. I also respect the downright insane places these books go and the originality and boldness of it all. I will always respect something that swings and misses more than a safe calculated boring bet.
While there is some things to commend this book, please don't waste your time on it. For any reason.
Each book suffers from the same problems, they begin and end fairly strong but have long dull slumps in the middle that feel like padding. The characters are so bad they end up being kind of entertaining, and not in a good way. The stories get so out there that it's hard to understand what's even going on a times while paragraphs ramble on for far too long.
However it's not the worst of the EU. Part of that is the context of the time it came out, of course being part of the earliest EU will have growing pains. There's also enough good and fun writing in here in-between dull padding that is interesting. I also respect the downright insane places these books go and the originality and boldness of it all. I will always respect something that swings and misses more than a safe calculated boring bet.
While there is some things to commend this book, please don't waste your time on it. For any reason.
January 14, 2024
The three books in this collection feature the adventures that Lando Calrissian supposedly had while in possession of the Millennium Falcon. They have much more in common with pulp novels than the Expanded Universe that followed them, though they were considered canon and were retconned as needed (heck, the first book has even been referenced in the Disney canon by way of Solo: A Star Wars Story). I kind of wish they'd been swept under a mat, since they're pulpy and hokey and so freaking irritating.
I suppose some of the goings-on were interesting... and Lando using sabacc as something of a guide to life felt very in character. Alas, any time this trilogy showed a promising spark, said spark was extinguished by villains of Scooby-Doo-esque quality.
I'll never be a fan of L. Neil Smith's, obviously. But he is the being to whom we owe the existence of sabacc and I will grudgingly admit that this is a Big Deal.
I suppose some of the goings-on were interesting... and Lando using sabacc as something of a guide to life felt very in character. Alas, any time this trilogy showed a promising spark, said spark was extinguished by villains of Scooby-Doo-esque quality.
I'll never be a fan of L. Neil Smith's, obviously. But he is the being to whom we owe the existence of sabacc and I will grudgingly admit that this is a Big Deal.
January 1, 2020
I read and reviewed each of the three volumes collected here separately, so this is basically just for my own records. The collection rating is an average of that given to the individual books - both Mindharp and Flamewind earned three stars from me, while Starcave only earned two - it had a pretty terrible ending and an increasingly silly antagonist, and the giant likeable space-dwelling aliens didn't make up for either.
Look, these books aren't rocket science. There's not a lot to them and they're absolutely popcorn reads, but they're still entertaining enough if you want something fun and undemanding, and they serve to round out Lando's character a little more. They are too, it must be said, light years ahead of Brian Daley's Han Solo trilogy, so if you only get the chance to read one of these introductory series, do yourself a favour and pick Smith's.
Look, these books aren't rocket science. There's not a lot to them and they're absolutely popcorn reads, but they're still entertaining enough if you want something fun and undemanding, and they serve to round out Lando's character a little more. They are too, it must be said, light years ahead of Brian Daley's Han Solo trilogy, so if you only get the chance to read one of these introductory series, do yourself a favour and pick Smith's.
December 25, 2020
I think there was a lot of potential here that was essentially lost by...padding? The start of each book was usually quite exciting but each story had a huge chunk in the middle where, generally, nothing happened. How many chapters in Thonboka were dedicated to the Admiral and Sorcerer both reminding each other how much they didn't like each other. Important moments were lost in the writing style and Lando's absence in big chunks in certain stories in a series about him were significant. I enjoyed the Vuffi Raa and Lando banter through the series and was definitely the best part of each story. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to keep it from general mediocrity. 2.5 stars on the low side.
August 24, 2023
Three unnecessary but mostly-fun Lando adventures with diminishing returns. Though well-written, Smith tries too hard to follow the Han Solo model: from self-absorbed to diamond in the rough to heart of gold. “Mindharp” is the best of the three, and is trippy enough that it could have even been expanded. “Flamewind” is ok, too much buildup for not enough payoff. “StarCave” is a disappointment, with minimal Lando participation, and much more focus on his inadvertent enemies with blood feuds. It’s nearly saved by the climactic final battle, but that ends too soon. The most interesting character, Vuffi Raa, gets a minimal send-off; too bad, as he’s the only other character here that would have translated well into the films. Not essential reading, but not terrible.
December 23, 2025
Book #1 in this bind up is Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu. Some back story on Lando kept this one entertaining, but overall not memorable. Book #2 is Lando Calrissian and the Flamewind of Oseon. We learn more about Lando’s droid side kick, Vuffi Raa. This story, although not memorable, is more entertaining than the first one. This bind up concludes with Book #3 Lando Calrissian and the Starcave of Thonboka. I enjoyed this story the best of the three. Lando and Vuffi Raa help Lehesu, an alien being of unknown origin as they deal (once again) with the evil Sorcerer of Tund, Rokur Gepta. I liked the interplay between Lando, Vuffi Raa and Lehesu. The overall the stories were entertaining; 3 stars.
January 2, 2020
This has to be one of the strangest novels in the Star Wars Legends timeline. While some of this can be attributed to the fact that it's one of the earliest novels written, there is very little of this book which fits with the established context of the original trilogy. I'm fact, if you were to simply change the name of the protagonist, his ship, and card game of choice, you'd probably assume this was just another stand alone 80's SciFi novel. There's a lot of imagination... Advanced civilizations, reality altering relics, and wacky alien life forms, etc, but a galaxy away from everything we love about Star Wars.
October 4, 2020
A not-so-worthy follow up to the Han Solo Adventures. Smith lacks Brian Daley's punchy old-school pulp prose and instinctive understanding of the Star Wars universe. The world building here clashes not just with the Star Wars franchise as it would become, but that which existed then.
That said, several of the quirks of the book do help it stand out from its contemporaries, like the presence of pleasantly bizarre droid sidekick Vuffi Ra, who is really unlike any other droid in the verse.
The dialogue fails to be as clever or quippy as it thinks, and the stories are frequently hard to follow. For diehard collectors (like me) only.
That said, several of the quirks of the book do help it stand out from its contemporaries, like the presence of pleasantly bizarre droid sidekick Vuffi Ra, who is really unlike any other droid in the verse.
The dialogue fails to be as clever or quippy as it thinks, and the stories are frequently hard to follow. For diehard collectors (like me) only.
February 16, 2022
Definitely some or the earliest legends books before any continuity had been defined. Even the Han Solo books that came out at a similar time and have some ties into this story have conflicts about what events happened.
This felt much more like a set of science fiction short stories that happened to name a character and starship the same. No references to other characters or goings on, and so many intergalactic, ancient, ultra-advanced societies that would boggle the mind that it just got a little ridiculous. Would do much better if they weren't supposed to be StarWars stories.
This felt much more like a set of science fiction short stories that happened to name a character and starship the same. No references to other characters or goings on, and so many intergalactic, ancient, ultra-advanced societies that would boggle the mind that it just got a little ridiculous. Would do much better if they weren't supposed to be StarWars stories.
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