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Star Wars: Empire and Rebellion #2
Honor Among Thieves: Star Wars Legends
Nebula and Hugo Award nominees Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck—writing as James S. A. Corey—make their Star Wars debut in this brand-new epic adventure featuring Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia Organa. The action begins after the destruction of the Death Star in Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.
When the Empire threatens the galaxy’s new hope, will Han, Luke, and Leia become its last chance?
When the mission is to extract a high-level rebel spy from the very heart of the Empire, Leia Organa knows the best man for the job is Han Solo—something the princess and the smuggler can finally agree on. After all, for a guy who broke into an Imperial cell block and helped destroy the Death Star, the assignment sounds simple enough.
But when Han locates the brash rebel agent, Scarlet Hark, she’s determined to stay behind enemy lines. A pirate plans to sell a cache of stolen secrets that the Empire would destroy entire worlds to protect—including the planet where Leia is currently meeting with rebel sympathizers. Scarlet wants to track down the thief and steal the bounty herself, and Han has no choice but to go along if he’s to keep everyone involved from getting themselves killed. From teeming city streets to a lethal jungle to a trap-filled alien temple, Han, Chewbacca, Leia, and their daring new comrade confront one ambush, double cross, and firestorm after another as they try to keep crucial intel out of Imperial hands.
But even with the crack support of Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing squadron, the Alliance heroes may be hopelessly outgunned in their final battle for the highest of stakes: the power to liberate the galaxy from tyranny or ensure the Empire’s reign of darkness forever.
When the Empire threatens the galaxy’s new hope, will Han, Luke, and Leia become its last chance?
When the mission is to extract a high-level rebel spy from the very heart of the Empire, Leia Organa knows the best man for the job is Han Solo—something the princess and the smuggler can finally agree on. After all, for a guy who broke into an Imperial cell block and helped destroy the Death Star, the assignment sounds simple enough.
But when Han locates the brash rebel agent, Scarlet Hark, she’s determined to stay behind enemy lines. A pirate plans to sell a cache of stolen secrets that the Empire would destroy entire worlds to protect—including the planet where Leia is currently meeting with rebel sympathizers. Scarlet wants to track down the thief and steal the bounty herself, and Han has no choice but to go along if he’s to keep everyone involved from getting themselves killed. From teeming city streets to a lethal jungle to a trap-filled alien temple, Han, Chewbacca, Leia, and their daring new comrade confront one ambush, double cross, and firestorm after another as they try to keep crucial intel out of Imperial hands.
But even with the crack support of Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing squadron, the Alliance heroes may be hopelessly outgunned in their final battle for the highest of stakes: the power to liberate the galaxy from tyranny or ensure the Empire’s reign of darkness forever.
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First published March 14, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 417 reviews
January 6, 2016
Do you enjoy good Han Solo's stories? Well, this isn't one of them.
This is the second novel in a book event of "Star Wars" titled "Empire and Rebellion". Three books, each centered in one of the "Big Three": Luke, Leia and Han.
This book is centered on Han Solo. (or at least it was supposed to be the original intention, but I feel that it wasn't acomplished.)
IF YOU HAVE ALREADY HAN SOLO...
The Expanded Universe of Star Wars has offered a lot of great original characters on each side of the conflict, even some of them have been on both sides. However, I think that in this particular event, where the original intention was to offer 3 books showing the greatness of each of the "Big Three", creating new characters, and even worse, to give them too much of "screen" time is a bad idea.
I loved the first book centered on Leia ( See review here ) since while there are some new characters, all of them are secondary and/or antagonists, and none of them were able to shadow the greatness of Princess Leia.
However, in here, you have "Scarlet Hark" that it's as daring as Han Solo and as bossy as Leia, so when Scarlet interacts with Han, it's like having "Leia", and if she is interacting with Leia is almost as having "Han", sooooooo...
...mmh... why the heck having there?
It would be better to arrange the plot in a way that Leia and mainly Han (since it's supposedly his book) can interact between them without having a redundant "intermediary".
...WHY DO YOU NEED SOMEONE ELSE TOO?
Also, there is a bounty hunter that I can't tell much to avoid spoiling but his role while it's no redundant first, later it's like having a second redundant Han... and you have the real deal there!!! You have Han Solo!!! Why do you want to have other people doing what Han Solo, let me say it again... HAN SOLO, can do that all that and so much more?!
I know how tempting must be to create new characters in Star Wars and get some extra money when the obligatory action figures would come out, because I know that they will come out, but please, let's create those new characters in another book event. Not here, where one is expecting a solid story real centered on each member of the "Big Three" on each novel.
Luke, while he has a very minor role on Leia's book, he has some cool moments. But here, it was like if the author didn't know what to do with him and he is reduced to some X-Wing pilot but with a name.
AND WHERE IS THAT GUY IN BLACK WITH BREATHING TROUBLES?
Another odd thing, the event is titled "Empire and Rebellion", set between Episode IV: A New Hope and Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and while you have the "Big Three" representing the Rebellion side. On the Empire side, so far, have been a bunch of nobodies and/or "Hey, what do you know?" yep, new characters... mmh, what?
Darth Vader took vacations and he is not available?
I don't feel a good balance of the Force here!
WHY A "TRILOGY" EVENT WITHOUT ANY RELATION BETWEEN BOOKS?
And an odder thing is that the second book is chronologically set before of the first one. I know, in Star Wars, they love prequels, but, there is nothing on the story really forcing to be before of the first book, since it's supposed to be one single book event... was there too much to ask that these three books could be in following chronological order?
If you are fan of Leia, the first book is a "must-read", but...
...if you are fan of Han Solo...
...mmh... maybe you can skip this one.
Sorry, it's my only honest personal opinion.
This is the second novel in a book event of "Star Wars" titled "Empire and Rebellion". Three books, each centered in one of the "Big Three": Luke, Leia and Han.
This book is centered on Han Solo. (or at least it was supposed to be the original intention, but I feel that it wasn't acomplished.)
IF YOU HAVE ALREADY HAN SOLO...
The Expanded Universe of Star Wars has offered a lot of great original characters on each side of the conflict, even some of them have been on both sides. However, I think that in this particular event, where the original intention was to offer 3 books showing the greatness of each of the "Big Three", creating new characters, and even worse, to give them too much of "screen" time is a bad idea.
I loved the first book centered on Leia ( See review here ) since while there are some new characters, all of them are secondary and/or antagonists, and none of them were able to shadow the greatness of Princess Leia.
However, in here, you have "Scarlet Hark" that it's as daring as Han Solo and as bossy as Leia, so when Scarlet interacts with Han, it's like having "Leia", and if she is interacting with Leia is almost as having "Han", sooooooo...
...mmh... why the heck having there?
It would be better to arrange the plot in a way that Leia and mainly Han (since it's supposedly his book) can interact between them without having a redundant "intermediary".
...WHY DO YOU NEED SOMEONE ELSE TOO?
Also, there is a bounty hunter that I can't tell much to avoid spoiling but his role while it's no redundant first, later it's like having a second redundant Han... and you have the real deal there!!! You have Han Solo!!! Why do you want to have other people doing what Han Solo, let me say it again... HAN SOLO, can do that all that and so much more?!
I know how tempting must be to create new characters in Star Wars and get some extra money when the obligatory action figures would come out, because I know that they will come out, but please, let's create those new characters in another book event. Not here, where one is expecting a solid story real centered on each member of the "Big Three" on each novel.
Luke, while he has a very minor role on Leia's book, he has some cool moments. But here, it was like if the author didn't know what to do with him and he is reduced to some X-Wing pilot but with a name.
AND WHERE IS THAT GUY IN BLACK WITH BREATHING TROUBLES?
Another odd thing, the event is titled "Empire and Rebellion", set between Episode IV: A New Hope and Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and while you have the "Big Three" representing the Rebellion side. On the Empire side, so far, have been a bunch of nobodies and/or "Hey, what do you know?" yep, new characters... mmh, what?
Darth Vader took vacations and he is not available?
I don't feel a good balance of the Force here!
WHY A "TRILOGY" EVENT WITHOUT ANY RELATION BETWEEN BOOKS?
And an odder thing is that the second book is chronologically set before of the first one. I know, in Star Wars, they love prequels, but, there is nothing on the story really forcing to be before of the first book, since it's supposed to be one single book event... was there too much to ask that these three books could be in following chronological order?
If you are fan of Leia, the first book is a "must-read", but...
...if you are fan of Han Solo...
...mmh... maybe you can skip this one.
Sorry, it's my only honest personal opinion.
January 27, 2014
In the aftermath of The Battle of Yavin, Han Solo takes on a new mission for the Rebel Alliance: pick up a spy named Scarlet Hark on a planet in Imperial space. Since things are rarely simple, he finds a couple bounty hunters that want to take him back to Jabba the Hutt, Scarlet Hark, and the existence of an ancient device the Empire could use to control all of hyperspace travel. Can the legendary smuggler and his Wookie save the day?
There have been a couple periods in my life where I was convinced Star Wars was the best thing since sliced bread. The first time was when I was a very young lad and had 50-something Star Wars action figures. My relatives say I even slept with them when I was 4 but they are known liars. The second period I became enamored with Star Wars was when Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy came out. Between then and my second, much more successful, stint in college arount the year 2000, I read 40-something of the Star Wars novels. Then I lost interest around the time the prequel trilogy was in full swing.
Anyway, when this came up on Netgalley, I decided I'd put the trauma of the prequel trilogy aside and give Star Wars another chance. It was a fun read but I'm not going to dig my old Star Wars sheets and pillowcases out of storage.
Han Solo and Chewbacca rang pretty true to their screen incarnations, although I thought Han could have been a little more capable. The novel does a good job illustrating how the events of Star Wars changed him by having him encounter an old crony and contrasting the two of them. Bassen Ray reminded me of a broken down Han Solo with an English accent. Scarlet Hark felt like Princess Leia with a lick of paint, however.
The plot was a little overly complicated but it was still fun. There were double crosses, the Millenium Falcon malfunctions, and lots of gunplay. There were event a few fairly funny bits. But at the end of the day, it's still a Star Wars novel. You know nobody who has an action figure made in his or her likeness is going to get killed and because of this particular novel's place in the timeline, you know the likelihood of any recurring character getting introduced is pretty slim.
All gripes aside, I was fairly entertained by this book. I wasn't as crazy as a Bantha in heat over it like I was the Zahn Trilogy or I, Jedi, but it was a good bit of pulpy fun that reminded me why I liked Star Wars in the first place. Three out of five stars.
There have been a couple periods in my life where I was convinced Star Wars was the best thing since sliced bread. The first time was when I was a very young lad and had 50-something Star Wars action figures. My relatives say I even slept with them when I was 4 but they are known liars. The second period I became enamored with Star Wars was when Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy came out. Between then and my second, much more successful, stint in college arount the year 2000, I read 40-something of the Star Wars novels. Then I lost interest around the time the prequel trilogy was in full swing.
Anyway, when this came up on Netgalley, I decided I'd put the trauma of the prequel trilogy aside and give Star Wars another chance. It was a fun read but I'm not going to dig my old Star Wars sheets and pillowcases out of storage.
Han Solo and Chewbacca rang pretty true to their screen incarnations, although I thought Han could have been a little more capable. The novel does a good job illustrating how the events of Star Wars changed him by having him encounter an old crony and contrasting the two of them. Bassen Ray reminded me of a broken down Han Solo with an English accent. Scarlet Hark felt like Princess Leia with a lick of paint, however.
The plot was a little overly complicated but it was still fun. There were double crosses, the Millenium Falcon malfunctions, and lots of gunplay. There were event a few fairly funny bits. But at the end of the day, it's still a Star Wars novel. You know nobody who has an action figure made in his or her likeness is going to get killed and because of this particular novel's place in the timeline, you know the likelihood of any recurring character getting introduced is pretty slim.
All gripes aside, I was fairly entertained by this book. I wasn't as crazy as a Bantha in heat over it like I was the Zahn Trilogy or I, Jedi, but it was a good bit of pulpy fun that reminded me why I liked Star Wars in the first place. Three out of five stars.
June 24, 2025
I have been obsessed with Star Wars for most of my life. I got a late start in high school because my parents are not interested in pop culture and I had to get my exposure elsewhere. After that I watched the original trilogy too many times to count. Unlike many people I also enjoyed the prequel trilogy to a certain extent, and my kids grew up on Clone Wars. Anything after that not so much. I do remember skimming many expanded universe books at my childhood library. I never actually brought any home because even in high school my mom had to approve of my reading material. Books like Sweet Valley High and Star Wars EU stayed in the library. Recently I discovered the new generation of Star Wars EU books. Maybe they don’t have as much of a purpose or plot as the originals, but they are still fun to read, especially if it means spending time with the characters from the original trilogy. Honor Among Thieves brings readers back to the time between episodes four and five when the Rebellion began to gain more traction against the Empire.
It is probably a few years after the Battle of Yavin IV. The Rebellion has won battles and gained more followers against the Empire. Process Leia is now second in command to General Ackbar and pretty much runs the show. It is all but obvious that she will be in charge when the Empire finally falls. She has received word of suspicious activity in the Seymarti system and sends a team of X wings to run surveillance their. Meanwhile she dispatches Han and Chewie to retrieve a spy from Cioban in the galaxy’s core in the thick of empire territory. This spy named Scarlet Hark knows key information that could win the war against the Empire and restore the Republic of old while earning Han much credibility as well as credits. Although he calls Luke a farm boy who hasn’t changed much, it is Han who still cares about money and evading Jabba. Little has changed in his character as of yet.
This author is actually a pseudonym for two respected science fiction writers. As of now they have written many Star Wars books. This book was supposed to be part of a trilogy taking place between episodes four and five, but I read another book and the third book does not exist after ten years. Razor’s Edge by Martha Wells was spot on Star Wars in that I could actually picture Han and Leia speaking the dialect she gives them. Here, the dialect is believable to a point but the writing, perhaps because it is shared by two authors, is not as crisp. The story is still fun because it takes place during the old school Star Wars era, but it is not going to win awards for its prose. Then again, being unfamiliar with the Hugo Awards, maybe it will. If I didn’t have to run errands and keep house for teenagers on summer vacation, I could have finished this book in a few hours because Star Wars is fun. If I wasn’t reading a Star Wars story, suffice it to say, I would still choose to spend many a summer morning watching the original trilogy. At this point in my life though I would rather read and see what new adventures are in store for Leia, Luke, Han, and any new beings that they encounter.
Scarlet Hark has discovered that the Empire is developing a weapon to control hyperspace. They would decide who can leave and enter systems or else be stuck on one planet for eternity. To Han, the idea of being stuck in one cantina indefinitely is horrifying. As a trader and smuggler he would lose his income. Initially he joined the Rebellion for money, and his obvious crush on Leia, but he still has credibility and honor, and a weapon that would jam hyperspace shows him the differences between the Empire and Rebellion. During the plot development on Ciorann, Kiamurr, and Seymarti, the authors decide to get introspective in respect to Han’s character. He encounters older smugglers and pirates who he views as older versions of himself, that is if he did not need to pay back Jabba and assist a farm boy and old man in their mission against the Empire. The rest for him is water under the bridge. Besides, he does indeed have a crush on Leia, although they haven’t had much alone time yet. That comes later. The authors create Scarlet Hark as a badass female spy and of course have Han flirt with her in hopes of getting Leia jealous. Did it work? Having watched the original movies a gazillion times I would think so. Hopefully there are more books with Scarlet Hark because her character is a contrast between risk taking and feminine, the type Star Wars needs more of.
The Rebellion staves off this newest Empire threat. There is no longer a gadget to jam hyperspace routes. The Empire goes back to ruling with an iron fist and building a new Death Star, and the Rebellion begins to build their base on Hoth as well as attract new systems to their cause. Of course in a book with no Emperor or Vader we really don’t know what the Empire is doing but suffice it to say this is the accurate guess, knowing that Episode V looms large. This book was all about what Han and Leia do behind the scenes. Not everything but some things have to be left to one’s imagination. If there is a Star Wars story that holds my interest, I will read it. I do leave the gaps between movies to my imagination but I am all for canon that describes the build up to the action that we see on screen. These books are perfect for long summer days where people of a certain generation would be watching the entire trilogy. Star Wars content will always be on my summer bucket list. As long as these books take place during the time of the original trilogy and hold my interest, rest assured I will keep reading them for pure brain candy fun.
3ish stars
It is probably a few years after the Battle of Yavin IV. The Rebellion has won battles and gained more followers against the Empire. Process Leia is now second in command to General Ackbar and pretty much runs the show. It is all but obvious that she will be in charge when the Empire finally falls. She has received word of suspicious activity in the Seymarti system and sends a team of X wings to run surveillance their. Meanwhile she dispatches Han and Chewie to retrieve a spy from Cioban in the galaxy’s core in the thick of empire territory. This spy named Scarlet Hark knows key information that could win the war against the Empire and restore the Republic of old while earning Han much credibility as well as credits. Although he calls Luke a farm boy who hasn’t changed much, it is Han who still cares about money and evading Jabba. Little has changed in his character as of yet.
This author is actually a pseudonym for two respected science fiction writers. As of now they have written many Star Wars books. This book was supposed to be part of a trilogy taking place between episodes four and five, but I read another book and the third book does not exist after ten years. Razor’s Edge by Martha Wells was spot on Star Wars in that I could actually picture Han and Leia speaking the dialect she gives them. Here, the dialect is believable to a point but the writing, perhaps because it is shared by two authors, is not as crisp. The story is still fun because it takes place during the old school Star Wars era, but it is not going to win awards for its prose. Then again, being unfamiliar with the Hugo Awards, maybe it will. If I didn’t have to run errands and keep house for teenagers on summer vacation, I could have finished this book in a few hours because Star Wars is fun. If I wasn’t reading a Star Wars story, suffice it to say, I would still choose to spend many a summer morning watching the original trilogy. At this point in my life though I would rather read and see what new adventures are in store for Leia, Luke, Han, and any new beings that they encounter.
Scarlet Hark has discovered that the Empire is developing a weapon to control hyperspace. They would decide who can leave and enter systems or else be stuck on one planet for eternity. To Han, the idea of being stuck in one cantina indefinitely is horrifying. As a trader and smuggler he would lose his income. Initially he joined the Rebellion for money, and his obvious crush on Leia, but he still has credibility and honor, and a weapon that would jam hyperspace shows him the differences between the Empire and Rebellion. During the plot development on Ciorann, Kiamurr, and Seymarti, the authors decide to get introspective in respect to Han’s character. He encounters older smugglers and pirates who he views as older versions of himself, that is if he did not need to pay back Jabba and assist a farm boy and old man in their mission against the Empire. The rest for him is water under the bridge. Besides, he does indeed have a crush on Leia, although they haven’t had much alone time yet. That comes later. The authors create Scarlet Hark as a badass female spy and of course have Han flirt with her in hopes of getting Leia jealous. Did it work? Having watched the original movies a gazillion times I would think so. Hopefully there are more books with Scarlet Hark because her character is a contrast between risk taking and feminine, the type Star Wars needs more of.
The Rebellion staves off this newest Empire threat. There is no longer a gadget to jam hyperspace routes. The Empire goes back to ruling with an iron fist and building a new Death Star, and the Rebellion begins to build their base on Hoth as well as attract new systems to their cause. Of course in a book with no Emperor or Vader we really don’t know what the Empire is doing but suffice it to say this is the accurate guess, knowing that Episode V looms large. This book was all about what Han and Leia do behind the scenes. Not everything but some things have to be left to one’s imagination. If there is a Star Wars story that holds my interest, I will read it. I do leave the gaps between movies to my imagination but I am all for canon that describes the build up to the action that we see on screen. These books are perfect for long summer days where people of a certain generation would be watching the entire trilogy. Star Wars content will always be on my summer bucket list. As long as these books take place during the time of the original trilogy and hold my interest, rest assured I will keep reading them for pure brain candy fun.
3ish stars
August 1, 2016
Executive Summary: This is a short but fun book that has finally given me the itch to read Star Wars Books.
Audio book: The audiobook is awesome. The End. I'm told the sound effects and the music are normal for Star Wars books. It seems well done here and not overused/distracting. Marc Thompson is an awesome narrator. He does voices for all the characters, including Chewbacca. What's better than reading about a singing Wookie? Hearing it!
His Han Solo does remind me a bit of Peter Griffin for some reason, but overall it reminds me more of Harrison Ford's performance. His voices for Hunter Maas is probably my favorite. I think this will be my preferred way to read more Star Wars in the future, especially if Mr. Thompson is the reader.
Full Review
So let's set the stage for my review a bit: I'm a casual Star Wars fan. I like Star Trek just as much as if not more than Star Wars (*ducks*). I love the original trilogy (4-6) and I don't really care for the prequel trilogy. Jar Jar can go die in a fire. And this is my very first Star Wars book.
So why start here? My friend loves Star Wars books. I think he's read most of them. He's been telling me to read them for years. Shouldn't I have read Thrawn Trilogy by now at least? I guess so, but there are just so many other books to get to.
For me the final push was the author. I just did the Expanse books earlier this year and I really like James S.A. Corey. The other thing is that despite this being book 2 of a series. It's really just a stand alone as far as I can tell. It's easy to just read this without committing myself to reading more books.
What you have here is a short and interesting tale focused around Han Solo and Chewbacca with smaller appearances of some of the others (Luke, Leia, R2D2, C3PO). So if you're looking for light saber battles and the force, you probably want to pick another book (just don't ask me which one).
There isn't some real deep plot or major revelations here. There can't be really. The book is set between episode 4 and 5. You know that none of the main characters are ever in real danger of dying because they are around in episode 5. Original characters are fair game though.
The original characters (or at least ones I've never heard of before) are all pretty good. The other main character of this is Scarlet Hark a rebel spy who needs extraction from the center of imperial space. And guess who has to go get her? I also particularly enjoy Hunter Maas.
The real winner here is the dialogue though. Maybe it has extra pop for me since I listened to it rather than reading it, but they seem to really capture the mannerisms of the characters that I remember and love from the movies. Han especially. The interactions between him and Leia are really good. There is even a "Han Shot First" joke in there.
So if your a Star Wars noob like me, should you start here? I'm not sure. It seemed to work for me though and now I'm excited to check out some more books later this year. Even if you're a bigger fan, I think there is a lot to like here, especially if you go the audio book route.
Audio book: The audiobook is awesome. The End. I'm told the sound effects and the music are normal for Star Wars books. It seems well done here and not overused/distracting. Marc Thompson is an awesome narrator. He does voices for all the characters, including Chewbacca. What's better than reading about a singing Wookie? Hearing it!
His Han Solo does remind me a bit of Peter Griffin for some reason, but overall it reminds me more of Harrison Ford's performance. His voices for Hunter Maas is probably my favorite. I think this will be my preferred way to read more Star Wars in the future, especially if Mr. Thompson is the reader.
Full Review
So let's set the stage for my review a bit: I'm a casual Star Wars fan. I like Star Trek just as much as if not more than Star Wars (*ducks*). I love the original trilogy (4-6) and I don't really care for the prequel trilogy. Jar Jar can go die in a fire. And this is my very first Star Wars book.
So why start here? My friend loves Star Wars books. I think he's read most of them. He's been telling me to read them for years. Shouldn't I have read Thrawn Trilogy by now at least? I guess so, but there are just so many other books to get to.
For me the final push was the author. I just did the Expanse books earlier this year and I really like James S.A. Corey. The other thing is that despite this being book 2 of a series. It's really just a stand alone as far as I can tell. It's easy to just read this without committing myself to reading more books.
What you have here is a short and interesting tale focused around Han Solo and Chewbacca with smaller appearances of some of the others (Luke, Leia, R2D2, C3PO). So if you're looking for light saber battles and the force, you probably want to pick another book (just don't ask me which one).
There isn't some real deep plot or major revelations here. There can't be really. The book is set between episode 4 and 5. You know that none of the main characters are ever in real danger of dying because they are around in episode 5. Original characters are fair game though.
The original characters (or at least ones I've never heard of before) are all pretty good. The other main character of this is Scarlet Hark a rebel spy who needs extraction from the center of imperial space. And guess who has to go get her? I also particularly enjoy Hunter Maas.
The real winner here is the dialogue though. Maybe it has extra pop for me since I listened to it rather than reading it, but they seem to really capture the mannerisms of the characters that I remember and love from the movies. Han especially. The interactions between him and Leia are really good. There is even a "Han Shot First" joke in there.
So if your a Star Wars noob like me, should you start here? I'm not sure. It seemed to work for me though and now I'm excited to check out some more books later this year. Even if you're a bigger fan, I think there is a lot to like here, especially if you go the audio book route.
May 4, 2019
"The vast, dark ocean of space glittered with light. Each star was the chance of a habitable planet or moon, an independent station or asteroid base. The brightness beckoned and consoled, promising that there was life and energy and civilization all around. That the void could be overcome. And when the violence that life and stars carried with them was too much, the emptiness also offered safety."
As I write this review, Star Wars day is officially minutes away. I'm wearing a Star Wars shirt, drinking out of a Star Wars mug and Rogue One is on in the background. Stars Wars is a lifestyle! MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU!!
Honor Among Thieves is the first book I finished in my month of Star Wars. I decided that I needed to take a step back from ARCs and other books for May and just focus on the War of the Stars! I'll be reading a mix of Legends and Canon, because I DON'T GIVE A FUCK!! If it's Star Wars, I will read it. Of course I'll be focusing a wee bit more on canon, especially since I've fallen somewhat behind on the releases. A new Star Wars book comes out approximately every few days.. or so it seems! It's hard to remain on top of them all! But I try.
You may recognize the author(s) on this. Yes, that's right - that's the pseudonym for The Expanse duo, Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck! Honor Among Thieves is their debut Star Wars novel and is actually the final Legends book. It was a fucking blast!
For those of you that message me, asking where you should start in your Star Wars book journey.. this is one that you could easily begin with. I think just about anyone would dig it!
Honor Among Thieves takes place between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. This? This is most certainly a Han Solo book! We follow the roguish pilot and the always loyal Chewie as they embark on a task set by Leia. They must locate a rebel spy, Scarlet Hark, who has been on a mission in Cioran for two years. She stopped reporting seven months prior, so the worst was assumed. That is.. until a retrieval code was received.
Along the way, Han gets involved in the search for a superweapon that has been discovered by the Imperial astrocartographer, Essio Galassian. The hyperspace nullifier is incredibly important to both the Empire and the Rebellion.
The dialogue was fucking fantastic! There was banter aplenty! Goddamn. I'm such a fan of banter. I mean.. clearly. It just felt so bloody right in this! Not only did the writers nail the voice of Han with his charm and brash sense of humor, but the supporting characters were solid as well. They were true to their characters on-screen, which is especially vital in a Star Wars novel.
"The name's Solo. Han Solo. Might have heard of me."
Fast-paced, exciting, funny. This was such an enjoyable adventure! I found so much to like in this story. It's thrilling, yet comforting. Witty and sarcastic, yet there are more than a few gut-punchy moments as well. Like Chewie. Always Chewie!! I just adore him so much and want to give him a big hug! He has a little crush in this and it made my heart feel extra squeezy. Oof.
“I was afraid you were in trouble for a second, Your Highnessness,” Han said, but the barb sounded hollow and unconvincing. Leia looked up at him, and the softness in her face told him that she’d heard the relief in his voice. He might just as well have said I thought I’d lost you.
“No such luck,” she said softly. He was surprised by the power of his urge to sweep her into his arms and kiss her. For a moment, there was something else in her expression—apprehension or hope or something of both. She blinked and looked away.”
Unfortunately, I was in the middle of reading this when the world found out that Peter Mayhew had passed away. Another huge loss. He was someone that meant so much to so many of us. This hurts. A lot. Not only did he embody Chewbacca, creating one of the greatest characters in film (and my absolute favorite Star Wars character), but he seemed like such a genuine soul with the kindest heart. He was Chewie. His performance has left a lasting impact on both the films and the fans. Such an iconic actor! He is now one with the Force. Dearly missed, but never forgotten.
As I write this review, Star Wars day is officially minutes away. I'm wearing a Star Wars shirt, drinking out of a Star Wars mug and Rogue One is on in the background. Stars Wars is a lifestyle! MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU!!
Honor Among Thieves is the first book I finished in my month of Star Wars. I decided that I needed to take a step back from ARCs and other books for May and just focus on the War of the Stars! I'll be reading a mix of Legends and Canon, because I DON'T GIVE A FUCK!! If it's Star Wars, I will read it. Of course I'll be focusing a wee bit more on canon, especially since I've fallen somewhat behind on the releases. A new Star Wars book comes out approximately every few days.. or so it seems! It's hard to remain on top of them all! But I try.
You may recognize the author(s) on this. Yes, that's right - that's the pseudonym for The Expanse duo, Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck! Honor Among Thieves is their debut Star Wars novel and is actually the final Legends book. It was a fucking blast!
For those of you that message me, asking where you should start in your Star Wars book journey.. this is one that you could easily begin with. I think just about anyone would dig it!
Honor Among Thieves takes place between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. This? This is most certainly a Han Solo book! We follow the roguish pilot and the always loyal Chewie as they embark on a task set by Leia. They must locate a rebel spy, Scarlet Hark, who has been on a mission in Cioran for two years. She stopped reporting seven months prior, so the worst was assumed. That is.. until a retrieval code was received.
Along the way, Han gets involved in the search for a superweapon that has been discovered by the Imperial astrocartographer, Essio Galassian. The hyperspace nullifier is incredibly important to both the Empire and the Rebellion.
The dialogue was fucking fantastic! There was banter aplenty! Goddamn. I'm such a fan of banter. I mean.. clearly. It just felt so bloody right in this! Not only did the writers nail the voice of Han with his charm and brash sense of humor, but the supporting characters were solid as well. They were true to their characters on-screen, which is especially vital in a Star Wars novel.
"The name's Solo. Han Solo. Might have heard of me."
Fast-paced, exciting, funny. This was such an enjoyable adventure! I found so much to like in this story. It's thrilling, yet comforting. Witty and sarcastic, yet there are more than a few gut-punchy moments as well. Like Chewie. Always Chewie!! I just adore him so much and want to give him a big hug! He has a little crush in this and it made my heart feel extra squeezy. Oof.
“I was afraid you were in trouble for a second, Your Highnessness,” Han said, but the barb sounded hollow and unconvincing. Leia looked up at him, and the softness in her face told him that she’d heard the relief in his voice. He might just as well have said I thought I’d lost you.
“No such luck,” she said softly. He was surprised by the power of his urge to sweep her into his arms and kiss her. For a moment, there was something else in her expression—apprehension or hope or something of both. She blinked and looked away.”
Unfortunately, I was in the middle of reading this when the world found out that Peter Mayhew had passed away. Another huge loss. He was someone that meant so much to so many of us. This hurts. A lot. Not only did he embody Chewbacca, creating one of the greatest characters in film (and my absolute favorite Star Wars character), but he seemed like such a genuine soul with the kindest heart. He was Chewie. His performance has left a lasting impact on both the films and the fans. Such an iconic actor! He is now one with the Force. Dearly missed, but never forgotten.
September 13, 2015
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...
I've been a reader for as long as I remember, but science fiction is still a relatively new genre for me. In fact, I don't think I started until I well into my high school years, and back then, I remember cutting my teeth on novelizations of the Star Wars prequel movies. There you go, my not-so-secret confession!
Obviously, I've branched out a lot more since those days, but I still retained my love for Star Wars books. To date, I've read a bunch by many different authors, and some of them have been better than others. Media tie-in novels have always been my guilty pleasure, especially when it comes to my beloved Star Wars, but admittedly the bar has never really been set that high. That's why whenever I do come across one that I genuinely like, I can't help but do a little happy dance.
And I'm definitely dancing now. Actually, I'd been excited about Honor Among Thieves for a long time, ever since I first learned that Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck will be working on a new stand alone Star Wars book under their nom de plume of James S.A. Corey. I adore their work on the Expanse series, and to hear that they would be writing a story about my favorite scoundrel was like a dream come true. Come on, James S.A. Corey and Han Solo? You just can't go wrong with a winning combination like that.
So you can see why I am so thrilled to say this book lived up to all my expectations. You can tell right away that the authors are fans of Star Wars and the characters themselves, because the first thing I noticed was how "right" Han sounded and felt in his dialogue and actions. He even felt true to the character in his internal narrative, all the way down to his growing affection for his new friends in the Rebel Alliance. This book takes place after the destruction of the Death Star but before the events of The Empire Strikes Back, so we get a real good look at how those experiences have affected and changed him.
The best part is, this is a Han Solo book through and through, and no doubt about it. Expect lots of his signature seat-of-the-pants approach to solving problems, the usual daring flyboy maneuvers, and of course a healthy dose of roguish humor. The plot is relatively simple, beginning when Han and Chewy are tasked on an assignment to extract a high-level rebel spy deep in Empire territory. Meet Agent Scarlet Hark, whose moxie might just give Han a run for his money. But as it turns out, Scarlet has uncovered delicate information about a new technology, one that can turn the tide of the war if only the rebels can secure it before the Empire gets their dirty hands on it.
I would say it's fairly predictable how things turn out, but then I think that is to be expected. We all know the war goes on in The Empire Strikes Back, et cetera, et cetera, so to an extent you can guess how everything in the story ends. Still, none of that manages to take away from the fun. Another thing I liked about this book is how deftly the plot involved all the main characters. One of my biggest problems with a lot of Star Wars books is how desperately some authors try to squeeze in all the prominent players, sometimes resorting to giving them obligatory sub plots that feel shoehorned in. Not an issue with this one, I can happily say. Despite Han Solo taking the center stage in this, Luke and Leia both also have their parts to play, and they actually are integral to the story.
Sure I may have my biases, being a big fan of James S.A. Corey and having a massive soft spot for Han Solo, but this is probably now favorite Star Wars novel, beating out Darth Plagueis, which is the former holder of that distinction and also another really great story. Star Wars books have certainly come a long way, and I look forward to seeing this trend continue.
I've been a reader for as long as I remember, but science fiction is still a relatively new genre for me. In fact, I don't think I started until I well into my high school years, and back then, I remember cutting my teeth on novelizations of the Star Wars prequel movies. There you go, my not-so-secret confession!
Obviously, I've branched out a lot more since those days, but I still retained my love for Star Wars books. To date, I've read a bunch by many different authors, and some of them have been better than others. Media tie-in novels have always been my guilty pleasure, especially when it comes to my beloved Star Wars, but admittedly the bar has never really been set that high. That's why whenever I do come across one that I genuinely like, I can't help but do a little happy dance.
And I'm definitely dancing now. Actually, I'd been excited about Honor Among Thieves for a long time, ever since I first learned that Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck will be working on a new stand alone Star Wars book under their nom de plume of James S.A. Corey. I adore their work on the Expanse series, and to hear that they would be writing a story about my favorite scoundrel was like a dream come true. Come on, James S.A. Corey and Han Solo? You just can't go wrong with a winning combination like that.
So you can see why I am so thrilled to say this book lived up to all my expectations. You can tell right away that the authors are fans of Star Wars and the characters themselves, because the first thing I noticed was how "right" Han sounded and felt in his dialogue and actions. He even felt true to the character in his internal narrative, all the way down to his growing affection for his new friends in the Rebel Alliance. This book takes place after the destruction of the Death Star but before the events of The Empire Strikes Back, so we get a real good look at how those experiences have affected and changed him.
The best part is, this is a Han Solo book through and through, and no doubt about it. Expect lots of his signature seat-of-the-pants approach to solving problems, the usual daring flyboy maneuvers, and of course a healthy dose of roguish humor. The plot is relatively simple, beginning when Han and Chewy are tasked on an assignment to extract a high-level rebel spy deep in Empire territory. Meet Agent Scarlet Hark, whose moxie might just give Han a run for his money. But as it turns out, Scarlet has uncovered delicate information about a new technology, one that can turn the tide of the war if only the rebels can secure it before the Empire gets their dirty hands on it.
I would say it's fairly predictable how things turn out, but then I think that is to be expected. We all know the war goes on in The Empire Strikes Back, et cetera, et cetera, so to an extent you can guess how everything in the story ends. Still, none of that manages to take away from the fun. Another thing I liked about this book is how deftly the plot involved all the main characters. One of my biggest problems with a lot of Star Wars books is how desperately some authors try to squeeze in all the prominent players, sometimes resorting to giving them obligatory sub plots that feel shoehorned in. Not an issue with this one, I can happily say. Despite Han Solo taking the center stage in this, Luke and Leia both also have their parts to play, and they actually are integral to the story.
Sure I may have my biases, being a big fan of James S.A. Corey and having a massive soft spot for Han Solo, but this is probably now favorite Star Wars novel, beating out Darth Plagueis, which is the former holder of that distinction and also another really great story. Star Wars books have certainly come a long way, and I look forward to seeing this trend continue.
March 20, 2014
3.5 stars.
I received a free eARC copy of this book from NetGalley.
When I saw that James S.A. Corey was doing a Star Wars novel, I was excited. I'd read Leviathan Wakes and liked it a bunch. So how would that translate to the Star Wars universe?
Very well, as it turned out. Abraham and Franck (the duo behind the Corey pseudonym) do well with crafting characters in a complex, yet easy to grasp setting. This is told from Han Solo's viewpoint, and they were able to give us a nice look inside his head to see what makes him tick. And yet, they stayed very true to the character as seen in the original trilogy. They also perfectly describe the movements, actions, dialogue, and mannerisms of the other characters we'd seen in the movies.
The world building was here too. Of course, the Star Wars universe is very much in place already, but they added rich detail to scenes that would have flown by on the screen. What I like about this is that there is plenty of room for them to explore while staying true to Lucas's original vision.
The negative points were minor. Aside from Scarlet Hark, I didn't care much for the new characters added to this story. I did like her, and would love to get more on her at some point. Also on the negative, some of the descriptions of scenery got just a tad long. While they added richness to the work, they did sway from the expected pace of a Star Wars story. That's very minor though, and one might argue that it's an improvement.
Back to the positive though, I think that my favorite aspect of this story is the way it fits into the original movie sequence. It takes place between Episodes IV and V, and fits perfectly there. It helps us to understand why Han Solo stuck around after the Battle of Yavin, and it helps to show the early development of his relationship with Princess Leia. We also get to see how Han and Chewbacca were developing a solid friendship with Luke Skywalker as well. It made great sense, filling in that gap of years between "I'm saving your ass for the money" and "I care enough about you to go out in subzero temperatures and slice open a Tauntaun to keep you warm".
All in all, an enjoyable experience. I hope to see future installments in the Star Wars universe from Corey.
I received a free eARC copy of this book from NetGalley.
When I saw that James S.A. Corey was doing a Star Wars novel, I was excited. I'd read Leviathan Wakes and liked it a bunch. So how would that translate to the Star Wars universe?
Very well, as it turned out. Abraham and Franck (the duo behind the Corey pseudonym) do well with crafting characters in a complex, yet easy to grasp setting. This is told from Han Solo's viewpoint, and they were able to give us a nice look inside his head to see what makes him tick. And yet, they stayed very true to the character as seen in the original trilogy. They also perfectly describe the movements, actions, dialogue, and mannerisms of the other characters we'd seen in the movies.
The world building was here too. Of course, the Star Wars universe is very much in place already, but they added rich detail to scenes that would have flown by on the screen. What I like about this is that there is plenty of room for them to explore while staying true to Lucas's original vision.
The negative points were minor. Aside from Scarlet Hark, I didn't care much for the new characters added to this story. I did like her, and would love to get more on her at some point. Also on the negative, some of the descriptions of scenery got just a tad long. While they added richness to the work, they did sway from the expected pace of a Star Wars story. That's very minor though, and one might argue that it's an improvement.
Back to the positive though, I think that my favorite aspect of this story is the way it fits into the original movie sequence. It takes place between Episodes IV and V, and fits perfectly there. It helps us to understand why Han Solo stuck around after the Battle of Yavin, and it helps to show the early development of his relationship with Princess Leia. We also get to see how Han and Chewbacca were developing a solid friendship with Luke Skywalker as well. It made great sense, filling in that gap of years between "I'm saving your ass for the money" and "I care enough about you to go out in subzero temperatures and slice open a Tauntaun to keep you warm".
All in all, an enjoyable experience. I hope to see future installments in the Star Wars universe from Corey.
July 17, 2015
I honestly shouldn’t be surprised that I liked this book as much as I did. James S.A. Corey’s Expanse series has crawled its way into my favorites slowly but surely, book by book. Corey has learned how to write exciting science fiction with engaging characters. Their* dialogue is differentiated and entertaining (and character illuminating), and their prose has the perfect balance of authorial voice and mimicry for the tone of the Star Wars universe and its characters. Their Han Solo is spot-on. They’re just good writers, dammit.
*James S.A. Corey is the penname of writing duo Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck.
Honor Among Thieves is the second in a loose trilogy of Star Wars expanded universe novels written by big-name sci-fi authors. Designed to focus around Han, it follows him on a mission to retrieve a Rebel spy from deep cover. Scarlet Hark has been embedded in the Empire for two years and they had thought her dead or lost, but she calls for a pick-up in the heart of the Empire, so of course only a really talented and/or crazy pilot will do for the job. Luke and Leia are also present to a smaller extent in the novel, particularly Leia, but this is really Han’s book. His experiences with the Rebellion have begun to change him without him realizing it, and he has several encounters with old “friends” that suddenly put his new outlook into focus for him.
This book really worked for me. I thought it had a nice balance of crime and heist-based shenanigans (in many ways, this book succeeds where Zahn’s Scoundrels didn’t) with character moments and a nice character-arc for Han. I liked seeing the way he thought about and interacted with Luke and Leia, and how he was contrasted with his old comrade, Baesen, who he sees as a kind of warning for his own future. I also like what they did with Luke and Leia, giving Leia some really intense moments as a leader, and showing Luke as the still-green farmboy adjusting to life as a hero of the Rebellion.
If you’ve been away from the EU for a while, this might be a good book to get back into it, and if you’ve never tried Star Wars books before, this would be a good entry point. Just keep in mind with the sale of Star Wars to Disney, this book and most of the existing EU is no longer canon.
*James S.A. Corey is the penname of writing duo Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck.
Honor Among Thieves is the second in a loose trilogy of Star Wars expanded universe novels written by big-name sci-fi authors. Designed to focus around Han, it follows him on a mission to retrieve a Rebel spy from deep cover. Scarlet Hark has been embedded in the Empire for two years and they had thought her dead or lost, but she calls for a pick-up in the heart of the Empire, so of course only a really talented and/or crazy pilot will do for the job. Luke and Leia are also present to a smaller extent in the novel, particularly Leia, but this is really Han’s book. His experiences with the Rebellion have begun to change him without him realizing it, and he has several encounters with old “friends” that suddenly put his new outlook into focus for him.
This book really worked for me. I thought it had a nice balance of crime and heist-based shenanigans (in many ways, this book succeeds where Zahn’s Scoundrels didn’t) with character moments and a nice character-arc for Han. I liked seeing the way he thought about and interacted with Luke and Leia, and how he was contrasted with his old comrade, Baesen, who he sees as a kind of warning for his own future. I also like what they did with Luke and Leia, giving Leia some really intense moments as a leader, and showing Luke as the still-green farmboy adjusting to life as a hero of the Rebellion.
If you’ve been away from the EU for a while, this might be a good book to get back into it, and if you’ve never tried Star Wars books before, this would be a good entry point. Just keep in mind with the sale of Star Wars to Disney, this book and most of the existing EU is no longer canon.
March 28, 2014
I have read my fair share of Star Wars books because I LOVE SW, but there are many SW authors and books that I have not read. If you are new to SW fiction, or have read only a few novels of the Expanded Universe, my advice would be to skip this book and check out some of the others first. There is such a wide spectrum of writers, styles, types of plots, and characters that there is probably something for everyone. This one just wasn't for me.
My husband gave me this ebook as a birthday gift so I was determined to read through it, and I am a Han Solo fan, so a story from his POV intrigued me. I wanted to like this story. However, I felt at times the character in the book seemed a little too immature or perhaps self-conscious, and it just didn't ring true to the Han of the movies (or of many of the other novels). Some of his dialogue is awkward and wordy.
Another problem is that it's just difficult to care much about a rather complex technical plot involving a superweapon that we already know won't amount to anything in the galactic rebellion -- because we've seen THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. This book is set slightly before Episode V. I can't blame the writers for being limited by the established storyline of the movies, but on the other hand they could have explored a different sort of threat to the Rebel Alliance (e.g., corruption within).
A major annoyance for me was a silly minor character who, for who knows what reason, had to refer to itself repeatedly in the third person. It made me groan. There are less cloying ways to characterize arrogance.
My husband gave me this ebook as a birthday gift so I was determined to read through it, and I am a Han Solo fan, so a story from his POV intrigued me. I wanted to like this story. However, I felt at times the character in the book seemed a little too immature or perhaps self-conscious, and it just didn't ring true to the Han of the movies (or of many of the other novels). Some of his dialogue is awkward and wordy.
Another problem is that it's just difficult to care much about a rather complex technical plot involving a superweapon that we already know won't amount to anything in the galactic rebellion -- because we've seen THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. This book is set slightly before Episode V. I can't blame the writers for being limited by the established storyline of the movies, but on the other hand they could have explored a different sort of threat to the Rebel Alliance (e.g., corruption within).
A major annoyance for me was a silly minor character who, for who knows what reason, had to refer to itself repeatedly in the third person. It made me groan. There are less cloying ways to characterize arrogance.
June 5, 2020
I was excited to read "Honor Among Thieves" after seeing that it was penned by James S.A. Corey (yes, that James S.A. Corey, the pseudonym for the writing team of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck whose eight-book The Expanse series is one of the best sci-fi book series currently going), but the only thing it managed to do successfully was disappoint.
Don't get me wrong: it's not a bad Star Wars novel. It's just not that exceptional or memorable. It's certainly not as good as I would have expected from Corey.
The story is run-of-the-mill: Han Solo is assigned a mission to find and retrieve a Rebel secret agent named Scarlet Hark. She's on the trail of an Imperial archaeologist who has uncovered an ancient alien super weapon that could change the tide of the war. Han now has to get Hark and get the weapon before the Empire does. It's just another simple mission for Solo, which of course means that anything and everything that could go wrong, does.
It would have been nice to see the same depth of characterization that Corey employs for his wonderful cast of characters in "The Expanse" within the Star Wars Expanded Universe. Alas, not so much in this. Solo is his usual roguish self-centered-devil-may-care-but-secretly-wants-do-the-right-thing self.
Still, it slakes the thirst for a Star Wars adventure, if you are so inclined.
Don't get me wrong: it's not a bad Star Wars novel. It's just not that exceptional or memorable. It's certainly not as good as I would have expected from Corey.
The story is run-of-the-mill: Han Solo is assigned a mission to find and retrieve a Rebel secret agent named Scarlet Hark. She's on the trail of an Imperial archaeologist who has uncovered an ancient alien super weapon that could change the tide of the war. Han now has to get Hark and get the weapon before the Empire does. It's just another simple mission for Solo, which of course means that anything and everything that could go wrong, does.
It would have been nice to see the same depth of characterization that Corey employs for his wonderful cast of characters in "The Expanse" within the Star Wars Expanded Universe. Alas, not so much in this. Solo is his usual roguish self-centered-devil-may-care-but-secretly-wants-do-the-right-thing self.
Still, it slakes the thirst for a Star Wars adventure, if you are so inclined.
July 9, 2025
This book has some really good elements, and some really weak elements. When balanced out, the book just becomes "alright, its fine".
What really works well in this book is Han and Scarlet's dynamic. Anytime they were together and talking they were delightful. I think the author(s) really nailed Han's voice and the way he talks with women. Han's conversations with Chewie were also entertaining to read.
Unfortunately, the plot of the book is pretty weak, particularly in the first half of the book. It just feels like standard mission storytelling until about halfway through, when the "negotiations" happen and the story changes quite a bit. The plot does get better, but never as good as it could have been. As a result, I kept feeling the book's story itself was just alright.
Overall, the book is very mixed. I had a generally good experience, but there are a lot of better Star Wars books. So I'll give this one a 6.5 out of 10.
What really works well in this book is Han and Scarlet's dynamic. Anytime they were together and talking they were delightful. I think the author(s) really nailed Han's voice and the way he talks with women. Han's conversations with Chewie were also entertaining to read.
Unfortunately, the plot of the book is pretty weak, particularly in the first half of the book. It just feels like standard mission storytelling until about halfway through, when the "negotiations" happen and the story changes quite a bit. The plot does get better, but never as good as it could have been. As a result, I kept feeling the book's story itself was just alright.
Overall, the book is very mixed. I had a generally good experience, but there are a lot of better Star Wars books. So I'll give this one a 6.5 out of 10.
October 22, 2015
I'd never really been a Star Wars fan. Obviously, as a child, I went to see the three original movies with my dad. I mean, everybody went to first three movies. But unlike other people, they didn't really stay with me into my adult life. I didn't bother to see the second three movies. I'd never read any of the novels nor did I have any real desire to. Instead, I'd always rather enjoyed the quote from Harrison Ford: "George, you can type this shit, but you can't say it!" So when I saw this book on NetGalley it seemed an unlikely choice. That was until I saw the name James S.A. Corey emblazoned across the cover and I was immediately hooked. While it wasn't the first NetGalley title I was offered, it was damn well going to be the first one I read.
James S.A. Corey is the pen-name of double-act Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham – you may have previously read of him in the 'franckly' excellent Expanse series – and I was eager to find out how they'd handle a novel in such a huge existing franchise. Set about a year after the events of the first film, the rebels are trying to find a new planet to act as a base of operations while they repair their fleet and lick their wounds. Luke is sent to scout some of the planets, which is a good thing as it keeps him pretty much out of the whole novel except for some other-end-of-the-radio conversations and a group hug at the end of the book. This is a very good thing, Luke is easily my least favourite Star Wars character. Leia is heading off to a conference – it seems weird to think that rebel forces go to conferences, wouldn't the Empire get to hear about that kind of thing? And Han and Chewbacca are asked to head into Empire controlled space to rescue a rebel spy, Scarlet Hark. This is where the meat of the novel is. The friendship and rapport between Han and Chewie, the sarcastic dialogue is wittily handled. And much as the brash Han ended up getting bossed around by Leia, he now finds himself in the same situation with Scarlet – she fancies him too though, he's sure of that...
It's a fairly traditional science fiction adventure story, told in the Star Wars universe. The characters all seem very true to the originals. Although you could argue that Leia is a lot more likeable in this than she ever was in the films – I don't think anybody could really rescue Luke's character though. It's deftly told, excellently paced, with lots of twists and turns, double-crosses and triple-crosses. Lots of references to the wider history with mentions of key events, planets, Jabba and a very funny reference to always remembering to tip your barman after any 'incident'. Even as a non-Star Wars fan I recognised and enjoyed the ones I found. I assume there were others that I missed.
There's really not much to like about the novel. It's flaws are more the restrictions placed upon it than anything that Corey fails to do. Any novel set in such an already widely written history (past and future) is limited in what it can do, where it can go, or what it can introduce. Characters can't diverge too far from the expected behaviours, but more frustratingly, nothing can happen that might change that long sticky-taped together history. From the moment the novel starts to really kick in, you already know that it's going to have be, somehow, nullified by the end of the novel. You can't introduce a new technology or society into a universe when none of the later novels have referenced it. Which is a shame, because Corey's idea was a pretty cool one. In fact, it may just have converted me: I've already added a few older Star Wars novels to my to-read list...
James S.A. Corey is the pen-name of double-act Ty Franck and Daniel Abraham – you may have previously read of him in the 'franckly' excellent Expanse series – and I was eager to find out how they'd handle a novel in such a huge existing franchise. Set about a year after the events of the first film, the rebels are trying to find a new planet to act as a base of operations while they repair their fleet and lick their wounds. Luke is sent to scout some of the planets, which is a good thing as it keeps him pretty much out of the whole novel except for some other-end-of-the-radio conversations and a group hug at the end of the book. This is a very good thing, Luke is easily my least favourite Star Wars character. Leia is heading off to a conference – it seems weird to think that rebel forces go to conferences, wouldn't the Empire get to hear about that kind of thing? And Han and Chewbacca are asked to head into Empire controlled space to rescue a rebel spy, Scarlet Hark. This is where the meat of the novel is. The friendship and rapport between Han and Chewie, the sarcastic dialogue is wittily handled. And much as the brash Han ended up getting bossed around by Leia, he now finds himself in the same situation with Scarlet – she fancies him too though, he's sure of that...
It's a fairly traditional science fiction adventure story, told in the Star Wars universe. The characters all seem very true to the originals. Although you could argue that Leia is a lot more likeable in this than she ever was in the films – I don't think anybody could really rescue Luke's character though. It's deftly told, excellently paced, with lots of twists and turns, double-crosses and triple-crosses. Lots of references to the wider history with mentions of key events, planets, Jabba and a very funny reference to always remembering to tip your barman after any 'incident'. Even as a non-Star Wars fan I recognised and enjoyed the ones I found. I assume there were others that I missed.
There's really not much to like about the novel. It's flaws are more the restrictions placed upon it than anything that Corey fails to do. Any novel set in such an already widely written history (past and future) is limited in what it can do, where it can go, or what it can introduce. Characters can't diverge too far from the expected behaviours, but more frustratingly, nothing can happen that might change that long sticky-taped together history. From the moment the novel starts to really kick in, you already know that it's going to have be, somehow, nullified by the end of the novel. You can't introduce a new technology or society into a universe when none of the later novels have referenced it. Which is a shame, because Corey's idea was a pretty cool one. In fact, it may just have converted me: I've already added a few older Star Wars novels to my to-read list...
February 17, 2014
Fantasy Review Barn
Oh boy, Star Wars goodness. Can I start by saying what a pleasure it is to actually look Honor Among Thieves forward to new Star Wars books again? Martha Wells really got me excited again, and of course having James S. A. Corey (writing duo Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) attached to the follow up upped the excitement even more. No more seeing a new release and reading it only so I can keep up with the damn story, now I see a new release and say ‘oh boy oh boy.’ Just like it used to be.
Like Wells’ novel this is a quick hit, one mission, sprint focusing on a tighter cast and a few simple objectives. Early on we see the rebels looking for a new base of operations (with a running joke of anywhere but Hoth). Han, a bit bored with sharking the other pilots and still unsure if he is a rebel or mercenary in this battle, jumps at the chance to retrieve a rebel spy from Empire occupied system. Simple plan; get in, pick up the attractive spy, get out. But of course that isn’t what happens. Jabba’s bounty has kept Han in high demand, the spy has one last critical mission, and the Empire has another nasty new weapon in the works.
Delicate balance going on here, keeping the spirit of Star Wars and the EU novels while trying to avoid its previous traps. Start with the Empire’s new weapon. Old fans know that the Expanded Universe eventually fell into a ‘super weapon of the week’ rut; each trying to out Death Star the Death Star. Yet Corey manages to build a smarter weapon; it could still change the course of the war but doesn’t rely on smashing up increasingly larger targets.
Now take Han. Han is a rogue, a ladies man, and a smart ass. Always has been. While he is tied to Leia in most of the EU (for obvious reasons) there are always hints of a womanizing past. Always hints of a man sure of himself and who gets his way. So let me tell you, so awesome to see him meet his match. Leia is as she should be, just as component and in control as Han; they take turns in the movies holding the high ground in the little battle of wills and it is no different here (though some authors forgot to treat Leia right, no one gets a more inconsistent treatment in the EU). But new character Scarlet Hark (yes, I kept reading that as Hawk too, what are you going to do?) is my new character crush. She constantly has Han on his toes. She outwits him, turns his ‘manly’ comments around on their head (like when he called her ‘sister’ dismissively, oh my god, her reaction is the funniest part of the book), and saves his butt more than he saves hers. She keeps him from doing spectacular stupid things. And poor Han, confident in his ways, thinks he has the beginning of a love triangle going on and never really gets how badly he is being played by both sides. It was a thing of beauty.
The book is also one of the first to show just how the rebellion functioned, some actually thought has gone into this- maybe for the first time by an author in the EU. Though it doesn’t make the core of the story it is nice to see some thought go into questions like who is funding this rebellion, how strong are the alliances holding it together, how the fleet can avoid the Empire for so long, and just who makes up the rebellions members. We see fragile alliances, people like Han bought in short term (sometimes staying and sometimes not), and other various members of every corner of society.
The book has the same problems any Star Wars book has. Being firmly set between the movies it is not a question of if the rebel alliance will succeed in the book; only how and which of the new characters will live through it. The BIG THREE characters (Luke, Leia, and Han) are all there doing vital work for the mission, a bit more forgivable since in this stage of the story they are working from the same base. It also has some problems that are less common but should be expected; there are so many books out there the EU is starting to see some inconsistencies. The one that glared at me was a mention of a Noghri that Han saw. This was a species that five years after Return of the Jedi was completely unknown to EVERYONE, a grand secret of the Emperor. Yet here is one not just showing up but being recognized years earlier. Maybe this is nitpicky, especially considering that the whole EU is going to be blown up anyway, but there has got to be one internal editor that has read what comes before, right?
Though technically part of the series Martha Wells started, and with back references to the EU that comes later, this is a book that needs only knowledge of the movies to follow. If you’re a fan of Han Solo, or Princess Leia, or just space adventures in general, get on it. You see who wrote it, you know it’s going to be good.
4 Stars
Oh boy, Star Wars goodness. Can I start by saying what a pleasure it is to actually look Honor Among Thieves forward to new Star Wars books again? Martha Wells really got me excited again, and of course having James S. A. Corey (writing duo Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck) attached to the follow up upped the excitement even more. No more seeing a new release and reading it only so I can keep up with the damn story, now I see a new release and say ‘oh boy oh boy.’ Just like it used to be.
Like Wells’ novel this is a quick hit, one mission, sprint focusing on a tighter cast and a few simple objectives. Early on we see the rebels looking for a new base of operations (with a running joke of anywhere but Hoth). Han, a bit bored with sharking the other pilots and still unsure if he is a rebel or mercenary in this battle, jumps at the chance to retrieve a rebel spy from Empire occupied system. Simple plan; get in, pick up the attractive spy, get out. But of course that isn’t what happens. Jabba’s bounty has kept Han in high demand, the spy has one last critical mission, and the Empire has another nasty new weapon in the works.
Delicate balance going on here, keeping the spirit of Star Wars and the EU novels while trying to avoid its previous traps. Start with the Empire’s new weapon. Old fans know that the Expanded Universe eventually fell into a ‘super weapon of the week’ rut; each trying to out Death Star the Death Star. Yet Corey manages to build a smarter weapon; it could still change the course of the war but doesn’t rely on smashing up increasingly larger targets.
Now take Han. Han is a rogue, a ladies man, and a smart ass. Always has been. While he is tied to Leia in most of the EU (for obvious reasons) there are always hints of a womanizing past. Always hints of a man sure of himself and who gets his way. So let me tell you, so awesome to see him meet his match. Leia is as she should be, just as component and in control as Han; they take turns in the movies holding the high ground in the little battle of wills and it is no different here (though some authors forgot to treat Leia right, no one gets a more inconsistent treatment in the EU). But new character Scarlet Hark (yes, I kept reading that as Hawk too, what are you going to do?) is my new character crush. She constantly has Han on his toes. She outwits him, turns his ‘manly’ comments around on their head (like when he called her ‘sister’ dismissively, oh my god, her reaction is the funniest part of the book), and saves his butt more than he saves hers. She keeps him from doing spectacular stupid things. And poor Han, confident in his ways, thinks he has the beginning of a love triangle going on and never really gets how badly he is being played by both sides. It was a thing of beauty.
The book is also one of the first to show just how the rebellion functioned, some actually thought has gone into this- maybe for the first time by an author in the EU. Though it doesn’t make the core of the story it is nice to see some thought go into questions like who is funding this rebellion, how strong are the alliances holding it together, how the fleet can avoid the Empire for so long, and just who makes up the rebellions members. We see fragile alliances, people like Han bought in short term (sometimes staying and sometimes not), and other various members of every corner of society.
The book has the same problems any Star Wars book has. Being firmly set between the movies it is not a question of if the rebel alliance will succeed in the book; only how and which of the new characters will live through it. The BIG THREE characters (Luke, Leia, and Han) are all there doing vital work for the mission, a bit more forgivable since in this stage of the story they are working from the same base. It also has some problems that are less common but should be expected; there are so many books out there the EU is starting to see some inconsistencies. The one that glared at me was a mention of a Noghri that Han saw. This was a species that five years after Return of the Jedi was completely unknown to EVERYONE, a grand secret of the Emperor. Yet here is one not just showing up but being recognized years earlier. Maybe this is nitpicky, especially considering that the whole EU is going to be blown up anyway, but there has got to be one internal editor that has read what comes before, right?
Though technically part of the series Martha Wells started, and with back references to the EU that comes later, this is a book that needs only knowledge of the movies to follow. If you’re a fan of Han Solo, or Princess Leia, or just space adventures in general, get on it. You see who wrote it, you know it’s going to be good.
4 Stars
December 12, 2014
I can't explain how much I was highly anticipating this book. I'm a die hard Han fan and when I heard there was going to be a Solo-specific book, I was thrilled. Even more so, despite my love of Timothy Zahn, the other recent Solo themed SW book Star Wars: Scoundrels failed me (Ocean's 11 capper that didn't even really focus in Han at all). After reading the first Leia-focused Empire and Rebellion Razor's Edge, I was even more excited. That book was very well written by Martha Wells so I had high hopes for the series. Unfortunately, this book did not meet expectations.
One of the hardest things for me to overcome were the poor characterizations. They did not feel authentic, especially Han...the supposed main guy. After reading 40+ SW books with these main characters, fans get a feel for what the characters would/wouldn't say. Han was too sheepish and humble, more like a young Luke. He freely admitted fear, confusion, and let others take the lead consistently. He downplayed his participation in battle instead of boasting. His swagger and cockiness were very much absent. Didn't seem like the guy who was brazenly running through a Death Star shooting stormtroopers a few months earlier or who basically told a rebel to F off, ignored warnings, and commandeered a tauntaun to rush into a frozen tundra to save his friend a few months later.
Secondly, Leia and Han's banter and overall relationship was flat. A few barbs/wisecracks here and there but they felt forced and misplaced, as did the typical Star Wars-esque lines/references (Leia "knowing" that swinging across a chasm would work, Han's "It's not my fault" line, etc). When a male character tries to give Leia a boost, Han tells him "hands off", Leia responds that she was fine and that's it. No sideways looks, no smartass comments, nothing. He dives on top of her as cover in another scene...nothing. The spark we see in ANH and Empire (and even Razor's Edge) was not there. Also, the potential for jealously was ripe, especially with a strong female character in Scarlet and that wasn't really exploited at all (until literally the very last page).
Thirdly, as I got towards the end and the group entered an ancient booby trapped temple, I finally, and to my dismay and sadness, realized the parallels to Indiana Jones and specifically Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (the movie I usually deny existence of). Baasen (aka the triple backstabbing Mac from the movie) comes complete with his British? accent ("aye love") and nickname for Han ("boyo"...hmmmm, similar to Mac's annoying "Jonesy"). We even had a fear of snakes (Chewie surprisingly, not Han).
Lastly, I had a very difficult time getting immersed in the "world." The authors used way too much Earthly (for lack of a better word) references. Someone looked like a walrus. They took an elevator (not turbolift). They used a bathroom (not refresher). They rode in a rickshaw. Even the name Scarlet Hark (makes me imagine a sweet southern girl from Georgia). It pulled me completely out of the world. Yes there are aliens and space travel and blasters and all but it still felt like a relatively normal environment, not another galaxy far far away.
To wrap it up, I would probably not recommend this book unless you've already exhausted the EU novels and are just grabbing at any new SW publication you can get your hands on that involved the Big 3 (in this case the Big 1.5 since Luke makes an appearance on probably a dozen pages max and Leia's in from about 1/2 way on). Was it as bad as The Courtship of Princess Leia or The Crystal Star, no, thank God. However, in my humble opinion, it left a LOT to be desired. Hoping future EU or whatever Disney is going to do will be better.
One of the hardest things for me to overcome were the poor characterizations. They did not feel authentic, especially Han...the supposed main guy. After reading 40+ SW books with these main characters, fans get a feel for what the characters would/wouldn't say. Han was too sheepish and humble, more like a young Luke. He freely admitted fear, confusion, and let others take the lead consistently. He downplayed his participation in battle instead of boasting. His swagger and cockiness were very much absent. Didn't seem like the guy who was brazenly running through a Death Star shooting stormtroopers a few months earlier or who basically told a rebel to F off, ignored warnings, and commandeered a tauntaun to rush into a frozen tundra to save his friend a few months later.
Secondly, Leia and Han's banter and overall relationship was flat. A few barbs/wisecracks here and there but they felt forced and misplaced, as did the typical Star Wars-esque lines/references (Leia "knowing" that swinging across a chasm would work, Han's "It's not my fault" line, etc). When a male character tries to give Leia a boost, Han tells him "hands off", Leia responds that she was fine and that's it. No sideways looks, no smartass comments, nothing. He dives on top of her as cover in another scene...nothing. The spark we see in ANH and Empire (and even Razor's Edge) was not there. Also, the potential for jealously was ripe, especially with a strong female character in Scarlet and that wasn't really exploited at all (until literally the very last page).
Thirdly, as I got towards the end and the group entered an ancient booby trapped temple, I finally, and to my dismay and sadness, realized the parallels to Indiana Jones and specifically Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (the movie I usually deny existence of). Baasen (aka the triple backstabbing Mac from the movie) comes complete with his British? accent ("aye love") and nickname for Han ("boyo"...hmmmm, similar to Mac's annoying "Jonesy"). We even had a fear of snakes (Chewie surprisingly, not Han).
Lastly, I had a very difficult time getting immersed in the "world." The authors used way too much Earthly (for lack of a better word) references. Someone looked like a walrus. They took an elevator (not turbolift). They used a bathroom (not refresher). They rode in a rickshaw. Even the name Scarlet Hark (makes me imagine a sweet southern girl from Georgia). It pulled me completely out of the world. Yes there are aliens and space travel and blasters and all but it still felt like a relatively normal environment, not another galaxy far far away.
To wrap it up, I would probably not recommend this book unless you've already exhausted the EU novels and are just grabbing at any new SW publication you can get your hands on that involved the Big 3 (in this case the Big 1.5 since Luke makes an appearance on probably a dozen pages max and Leia's in from about 1/2 way on). Was it as bad as The Courtship of Princess Leia or The Crystal Star, no, thank God. However, in my humble opinion, it left a LOT to be desired. Hoping future EU or whatever Disney is going to do will be better.
January 24, 2014
ARC provided by NetGalley:
This was actually the first Star Wars novel I ever read, only watched the movies. The only reason I tried it, is the fact that James S.A. Corey wrote it and I love their work, especially that of Daniel Abraham.
Though writing in a big genre like Star Wars and the ensuing tight framework certainly limits the creative freedoms they normalcy have, so I scaled down my expectations.
And the story turned out just like I expected. Nothing too bad, but nothing to get too excited about either. Just a solid action story, with the spotlight on the well known main characters. Even though we get to see a few new characters, their time is very limited and thus no real character development possible. It would be great to see more of Scarlet Hark in future books and give her the chance to grow more in her role.
The story itself was quite interesting, but it lacked suspense. Mainly because this book takes place right after Episode IV and since they can't change the continuity of the series, a lot of the plot is very predictable.
In conclusion just the book I expected. Fans of the series will definitely enjoy this and it also works for someone who only watched the movies(like me). A fun little action book(only 230p), which certainly whet my appetite to rewatch the movies again.
This was actually the first Star Wars novel I ever read, only watched the movies. The only reason I tried it, is the fact that James S.A. Corey wrote it and I love their work, especially that of Daniel Abraham.
Though writing in a big genre like Star Wars and the ensuing tight framework certainly limits the creative freedoms they normalcy have, so I scaled down my expectations.
And the story turned out just like I expected. Nothing too bad, but nothing to get too excited about either. Just a solid action story, with the spotlight on the well known main characters. Even though we get to see a few new characters, their time is very limited and thus no real character development possible. It would be great to see more of Scarlet Hark in future books and give her the chance to grow more in her role.
The story itself was quite interesting, but it lacked suspense. Mainly because this book takes place right after Episode IV and since they can't change the continuity of the series, a lot of the plot is very predictable.
In conclusion just the book I expected. Fans of the series will definitely enjoy this and it also works for someone who only watched the movies(like me). A fun little action book(only 230p), which certainly whet my appetite to rewatch the movies again.
September 16, 2014
A book that takes place in between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back. In this one Leia asks Han if he can go into Imperial territory and extract Scarlet Hawk who is a rebel spy. She has information of a new superweapon that the Empire is trying to attain.
This is a fun quick adventure set in this universe. All of the main characters are present but it is mostly a Han Solo adventure. The author did an excellent job with the portrayals of the character and I loved the interactions between the characters that we have grown to love. Scarlet Hawk was a nice addition and fits in at this point of the timeline. There were enough action scenes to keep the pace going and I did get that Star Wars feeling as I was reading this. The only thing missing was the John Williams' soundtrack. The author did a great job tying it in with A New Hope and foreshadowed nicely with the rest of the original trilogy. I enjoy when an author does this successfully and it is not overbearing.
The only problem with this book is the reader knows the outcome. We all know that the Empire will not succeed and that Han, Chewie, Luke, and Leia will suffer no casualties. That being said, I would suggest this novel if you want to revisit your friends from a galaxy far, far away and you are looking for a new adventure.
This is a fun quick adventure set in this universe. All of the main characters are present but it is mostly a Han Solo adventure. The author did an excellent job with the portrayals of the character and I loved the interactions between the characters that we have grown to love. Scarlet Hawk was a nice addition and fits in at this point of the timeline. There were enough action scenes to keep the pace going and I did get that Star Wars feeling as I was reading this. The only thing missing was the John Williams' soundtrack. The author did a great job tying it in with A New Hope and foreshadowed nicely with the rest of the original trilogy. I enjoy when an author does this successfully and it is not overbearing.
The only problem with this book is the reader knows the outcome. We all know that the Empire will not succeed and that Han, Chewie, Luke, and Leia will suffer no casualties. That being said, I would suggest this novel if you want to revisit your friends from a galaxy far, far away and you are looking for a new adventure.
January 1, 2014
"Honor Among Thieves" is the second in DelRey's "Empire & Rebellion" Star Wars novels set in the Original Trilogy era, this time focusing on Han Solo. This is also the first Star Wars novel from S.A. Corey. Here are my thoughts:
THE PLOT
The story is apparently set sometime after Choices of One but before Razor's Edge. The Rebels are still looking for a planet to house their new base. Meanwhile, Princess Leia asks Han and Chewbacca to take the Millennium Falcon to the planet Cioran in order to retrieve a Rebel spy, Scarlet Hark (the woman on the cover). Of course, along the way, Han encounters a bounty hunter on Jabba's payroll. To my knowledge, we haven't actually seen Han being used for extraction missions, but it actually makes perfect sense for the character given that as a smuggler he's learned how to sneak in and out of places easily.
*** SPOILER WARNING ***
At some point early in the story, Han learns that the Empire is on the brink of discovering an ancient superweapon that could decisively defeat the Rebels. The story shifts from extracting the spy to tracking down the superweapon. Unfortunately, this becomes problematic for a few reasons. First, anybody who has watched The Empire Strikes back knows almost exactly how the book will end (I predicted almost everything correctly). Aside from the fates of a few of the new characters introduced in this book, there is zero chance that this superweapon actually plays any role in galactic events. That just drives the level of suspense to zero.
Second, this superweapon seems out of place in Star Wars. DelRey seems to have told writers for the "Empire & Rebellion" series to avoid referencing any Star Wars continuity outside of the films. While I understand that the goal is to make the books accessible to new readers, in this case I think the lack of continuity hurts the verisimilitudeness of the story. There are ancient races in Star Wars that have built superweapons (the Celestials, Rakata), but instead "Honor Among Thieves" invents a new ancient race and provides almost no information about them or the weapon. In short, the world-building needed to support this part of the story is nonexistent.
The book is also somewhat odd because the villain plays at best a marginal role. The danger comes from the Empire writ large rather than a specific individual or group within the Empire. There is one Imperial lackey named, but after being mentioned briefly near the beginning of the book one could easily be forgiven for forgetting about him. Unfortunately, this does reduce the potential for dramatic conflict. There really isn't a Boba Fett - or even a Gallandro - against whom Han can match wits or skills. In some ways this works because the book is about Han Solo and how he treats his friends and allies, but I do think there was a missed opportunity.
*** END OF SPOILERS ***
HAN SOLO
As I said above, this is a book for people who want to see more of Han Solo. While there have been many books about Han, there have been subtle differences in how he's been portrayed. In "A New Hope" and the Brian Daley Han Solo Trilogy, Han is much cockier and lighthearted. By contrast, in A.C. Crispin's Han Solo Trilogy and "Empire Strikes Back," we get a much more introspective and emotionally vulnerable Han.
Han Solo in "Honor Among Thieves" falls closer to the latter end of this spectrum. This Han seems less sure of himself, sometimes off his game. While externally he's still cocky, we also get to see his inner thoughts and doubts. In many ways, I like the way S.A. Corey used the point of view to allow us to peek into Han's mind. We see some nice introspective moments and moments when Han has to make tough calls about the ends justifying the means. Han also expresses some clearly libertarian ideals (although nothing like L. Neil Smith's "Lando Calrissian Adventures"). In short, Han comes across as a more real character. I think it's potentially more interesting, but fans who fell in love with the idealized version of Han Solo might be disappointed.
That said, as much as I enjoyed seeing more of Han, I don't think I learned more about Han. Han's character development doesn't really advance in this book. It doesn't really connect the dots from "A New Hope" Han to "Empire Strikes Back" Han. S.A. Corey do a good job emphasizing what we know about Han, such as his loyalty to his friends, but I don't come away from this book feeling like I understand him better. Compare this to Timothy Zahn's "Choices of One," in which Han played a more peripheral role but clearly advances from being unsure of his place in the Rebellion to taking the initiative in a heated battle.
There was one interesting personality quirk we learn about Han in "Honor Among Thieves," namely his respect for wildlife. But, as much as I like that characterization of him, it also contradicts Han's attitude in the scene in "Empire Strikes Back" when he shoots a Mynock coldheartedly.
OTHER CHARACTERS
The other characters in "Honor Among Theives" are fairly well rounded. S.A. Corey can create believable characters who defy tropes and yet are somewhat memorable.
Rebel spy Scarlet Hark is not just a clone of Leia but has a unique brand of sass. She's less angry and more patronizing. I like the dynamic between her and Han. Unlike Leia, who tends to respond to Han's jabs with anger, Scarlet responds by one-upping him. I'd actually like to see Han and Scarlet on another adventure together, although of course the events of "Empire Strikes Back" preclude any romance.
There is a bounty hunter, an older Mirialan named Baasen Ray who had worked with Han in the past. Baasen walks a fine line between ruthlessness and regret at what he's become, and readers can almost believe him when he calls Han "my friend." I like that Baasen has a distinct voice and walks the fine line of morality. It was nice to have a character in the book whose actions weren't predictable. More importantly, Baasen serves a greater role as a representation of what Han himself theoretically could have become had he not met Luke Skywalker in "A New Hope." Other authors have tried to create similar not-quite-Han characters (e.g., Timothy Zahn's Talon Karrde), but they're never quite convincing (did anybody really believe Han would have become a smooth-talking information broker like Karrde?). By contrast, it's very easy to imagine an infinities universe in which Han, down on his luck and out of credits, stoops to the depths of Baasen Ray.
Finally, there's the eccentric hacker, Hunter Maas, who is of a sort of bizarreness not frequently found in Star Wars. The departure from stereotype was amusing and feels fresh.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, "Honor Among Thieves" has its moments and some fun characters, but is hampered by a very weak story. I don't know if I'll remember Scarlet Hark in five years, but I'd certainly like to see more of these characters. That said, given that there are so many other books about Han Solo published, it's difficult to avoid making comparisons. "Honor Among Thieves" lacks the sheer fun and excitement of Brian Daley's books or the rich character development of A.C. Crispin's Han Solo Trilogy. This certainly isn't the best book about Han, but should satiate your fix (until Episode VII at least).
THE PLOT
The story is apparently set sometime after Choices of One but before Razor's Edge. The Rebels are still looking for a planet to house their new base. Meanwhile, Princess Leia asks Han and Chewbacca to take the Millennium Falcon to the planet Cioran in order to retrieve a Rebel spy, Scarlet Hark (the woman on the cover). Of course, along the way, Han encounters a bounty hunter on Jabba's payroll. To my knowledge, we haven't actually seen Han being used for extraction missions, but it actually makes perfect sense for the character given that as a smuggler he's learned how to sneak in and out of places easily.
*** SPOILER WARNING ***
At some point early in the story, Han learns that the Empire is on the brink of discovering an ancient superweapon that could decisively defeat the Rebels. The story shifts from extracting the spy to tracking down the superweapon. Unfortunately, this becomes problematic for a few reasons. First, anybody who has watched The Empire Strikes back knows almost exactly how the book will end (I predicted almost everything correctly). Aside from the fates of a few of the new characters introduced in this book, there is zero chance that this superweapon actually plays any role in galactic events. That just drives the level of suspense to zero.
Second, this superweapon seems out of place in Star Wars. DelRey seems to have told writers for the "Empire & Rebellion" series to avoid referencing any Star Wars continuity outside of the films. While I understand that the goal is to make the books accessible to new readers, in this case I think the lack of continuity hurts the verisimilitudeness of the story. There are ancient races in Star Wars that have built superweapons (the Celestials, Rakata), but instead "Honor Among Thieves" invents a new ancient race and provides almost no information about them or the weapon. In short, the world-building needed to support this part of the story is nonexistent.
The book is also somewhat odd because the villain plays at best a marginal role. The danger comes from the Empire writ large rather than a specific individual or group within the Empire. There is one Imperial lackey named, but after being mentioned briefly near the beginning of the book one could easily be forgiven for forgetting about him. Unfortunately, this does reduce the potential for dramatic conflict. There really isn't a Boba Fett - or even a Gallandro - against whom Han can match wits or skills. In some ways this works because the book is about Han Solo and how he treats his friends and allies, but I do think there was a missed opportunity.
*** END OF SPOILERS ***
HAN SOLO
As I said above, this is a book for people who want to see more of Han Solo. While there have been many books about Han, there have been subtle differences in how he's been portrayed. In "A New Hope" and the Brian Daley Han Solo Trilogy, Han is much cockier and lighthearted. By contrast, in A.C. Crispin's Han Solo Trilogy and "Empire Strikes Back," we get a much more introspective and emotionally vulnerable Han.
Han Solo in "Honor Among Thieves" falls closer to the latter end of this spectrum. This Han seems less sure of himself, sometimes off his game. While externally he's still cocky, we also get to see his inner thoughts and doubts. In many ways, I like the way S.A. Corey used the point of view to allow us to peek into Han's mind. We see some nice introspective moments and moments when Han has to make tough calls about the ends justifying the means. Han also expresses some clearly libertarian ideals (although nothing like L. Neil Smith's "Lando Calrissian Adventures"). In short, Han comes across as a more real character. I think it's potentially more interesting, but fans who fell in love with the idealized version of Han Solo might be disappointed.
That said, as much as I enjoyed seeing more of Han, I don't think I learned more about Han. Han's character development doesn't really advance in this book. It doesn't really connect the dots from "A New Hope" Han to "Empire Strikes Back" Han. S.A. Corey do a good job emphasizing what we know about Han, such as his loyalty to his friends, but I don't come away from this book feeling like I understand him better. Compare this to Timothy Zahn's "Choices of One," in which Han played a more peripheral role but clearly advances from being unsure of his place in the Rebellion to taking the initiative in a heated battle.
There was one interesting personality quirk we learn about Han in "Honor Among Thieves," namely his respect for wildlife. But, as much as I like that characterization of him, it also contradicts Han's attitude in the scene in "Empire Strikes Back" when he shoots a Mynock coldheartedly.
OTHER CHARACTERS
The other characters in "Honor Among Theives" are fairly well rounded. S.A. Corey can create believable characters who defy tropes and yet are somewhat memorable.
Rebel spy Scarlet Hark is not just a clone of Leia but has a unique brand of sass. She's less angry and more patronizing. I like the dynamic between her and Han. Unlike Leia, who tends to respond to Han's jabs with anger, Scarlet responds by one-upping him. I'd actually like to see Han and Scarlet on another adventure together, although of course the events of "Empire Strikes Back" preclude any romance.
There is a bounty hunter, an older Mirialan named Baasen Ray who had worked with Han in the past. Baasen walks a fine line between ruthlessness and regret at what he's become, and readers can almost believe him when he calls Han "my friend." I like that Baasen has a distinct voice and walks the fine line of morality. It was nice to have a character in the book whose actions weren't predictable. More importantly, Baasen serves a greater role as a representation of what Han himself theoretically could have become had he not met Luke Skywalker in "A New Hope." Other authors have tried to create similar not-quite-Han characters (e.g., Timothy Zahn's Talon Karrde), but they're never quite convincing (did anybody really believe Han would have become a smooth-talking information broker like Karrde?). By contrast, it's very easy to imagine an infinities universe in which Han, down on his luck and out of credits, stoops to the depths of Baasen Ray.
Finally, there's the eccentric hacker, Hunter Maas, who is of a sort of bizarreness not frequently found in Star Wars. The departure from stereotype was amusing and feels fresh.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, "Honor Among Thieves" has its moments and some fun characters, but is hampered by a very weak story. I don't know if I'll remember Scarlet Hark in five years, but I'd certainly like to see more of these characters. That said, given that there are so many other books about Han Solo published, it's difficult to avoid making comparisons. "Honor Among Thieves" lacks the sheer fun and excitement of Brian Daley's books or the rich character development of A.C. Crispin's Han Solo Trilogy. This certainly isn't the best book about Han, but should satiate your fix (until Episode VII at least).
January 3, 2024
Audiobook (10 hours) narrated by Marc Thompson.
Marc Thompson does a good job narrating Honor Among Thieves. The narration and audio quality is high and without distortion and can be listened from from 1x to 2x speed.
Note: This version (not sure if there is more than one available) of the audiobook is heavily scored. Most of the narration has background music, or ambience like battle noises, flying noises, chatter, or other scene appropriate sounds. The scoring is done very well, and does not overtake the narration. There are times when the battle noises are louder, but at these times there is little to no narration, and the volume does not go over the volume that you set, it simply moves into the main audio sound from background, when appropriate. I found no issue with the scoring at an increased speed, up to 2x, and felt that it enhanced the story quite a bit.
If you are someone who has trouble listening to a narration with a scoring, or fear that the addition of a score may be difficult for you I suggest sampling the novel first. It may be possible, with headphones, to adjust the background sounds if these are difficult for you. I mention this as most of the book has some sort of music or sound behind the narration.
I quite enjoyed, Honor Among Thieves. This story very heavily features Han Solo. If you are a Solo fan, you will likely enjoy this novel. James S.A. Corey does a great job of recreating the smuggler persona, with the great back and forth between him and Chewey.
The novel features as great deal of battle and some great flight encounters, that one would expect with any great smuggler encounter.
As in book#1 of this duology, this novel expects that you know the main characters; Han Solo, Chewey, Luke and Leia. There is no introduction or explanation of the characters, as this is written with the Star Wars fan in mind.
Recommended for Star Wars fans, particularly fans of Han Solo.
Marc Thompson does a good job narrating Honor Among Thieves. The narration and audio quality is high and without distortion and can be listened from from 1x to 2x speed.
Note: This version (not sure if there is more than one available) of the audiobook is heavily scored. Most of the narration has background music, or ambience like battle noises, flying noises, chatter, or other scene appropriate sounds. The scoring is done very well, and does not overtake the narration. There are times when the battle noises are louder, but at these times there is little to no narration, and the volume does not go over the volume that you set, it simply moves into the main audio sound from background, when appropriate. I found no issue with the scoring at an increased speed, up to 2x, and felt that it enhanced the story quite a bit.
If you are someone who has trouble listening to a narration with a scoring, or fear that the addition of a score may be difficult for you I suggest sampling the novel first. It may be possible, with headphones, to adjust the background sounds if these are difficult for you. I mention this as most of the book has some sort of music or sound behind the narration.
I quite enjoyed, Honor Among Thieves. This story very heavily features Han Solo. If you are a Solo fan, you will likely enjoy this novel. James S.A. Corey does a great job of recreating the smuggler persona, with the great back and forth between him and Chewey.
The novel features as great deal of battle and some great flight encounters, that one would expect with any great smuggler encounter.
As in book#1 of this duology, this novel expects that you know the main characters; Han Solo, Chewey, Luke and Leia. There is no introduction or explanation of the characters, as this is written with the Star Wars fan in mind.
Recommended for Star Wars fans, particularly fans of Han Solo.
January 28, 2024
This book is by the same author as the Expanse series so I had some high expectations going in. Unfortunatly it's in pretty much the same young adult vein as all other Star Wars books I've read. The story reads more like a script for a game, with one small 'mission' leading to the next up until a big ending.
On audible, this was a dramatic interpretation with lots of incidental music and sound effects. The narrator, Mark Thompson, does a great job with all the different voices. Unfortunately, I found his voice TOO dramatic all the time so the story had no real ups and downs.
On audible, this was a dramatic interpretation with lots of incidental music and sound effects. The narrator, Mark Thompson, does a great job with all the different voices. Unfortunately, I found his voice TOO dramatic all the time so the story had no real ups and downs.
November 9, 2017
Written by James S. A. Corey (the pen name for the guys that are writing The Expanse series of novels), Star Wars: Honor Among Thieves is a Legends novel that as far as I can tell has zero (or at least entirely minimal) contradiction to the current Disney canon. That, plus the fact that it is a great, quick read, should be recommendation enough to all fans of Star Wars novels, new and old alike.
This is a short novel (less than 250 pages), but for me it really hit the spot. Written entirely from Han Solo's POV, it covers an escapade set somewhere early in the three years between the Battle of Yavin and the Battle of Hoth.
One thing I will say is that it really feels like Star Wars - Han behaves exactly as Han should; Chewbacca is loyal, strong, and always showing his prowess with starship repair; Luke (who doesn't feature significantly) is still a bit of the wide-eyed neophyte farmboy from Tatooine; and Leia feels exactly right as the skilled diplomat and negotiator who would be totally single-minded about her quest to free the galaxy from the Empire's yoke except for the (barely even acknowledged to herself) feelings she has for Han.
One of the new characters could be considered a little too OP (or maybe a just a little too full of herself), but she doesn't dominate, and makes for quite a fun equal participant in Han's banter.
The antagonists are entertaining - although the bounty hunter makes far more of an impression than the Imperial.
A superweapon (boo, hiss) makes an appearance, but it is dealt with fairly, and there is a good reason presented for why it has never been used before, and why it is never used again.
One odd plot element was that one of the principal characters loses a hand quite early on in the narrative, and whilst it is referred to later, it is treated surprisingly lightly by the character. I thought that strained credibility a little - but it is only a minor criticism.
Another valid criticism would be that the most spectacular space combat (8 X-wings against a star destroyer) takes place off the page - the outcome is mentioned, but the reader is not told precisely how it happened, or how it was achieved. Given that both Wedge and Luke were in the X-wing squadron, I would have very much liked to have found out exactly what had happened (but given that the novel is entirely from Han's POV, and at that time Han was down on a planet, that seems like a fair structural choice for the authors to have made). There is plenty of action with Han at the helm of the Millennium Falcon, however, so I don't feel short-changed!
This book could easily have been twice the length, with sections from Luke's and Leia's POVs, and it would have perhaps felt more like a proper saga story (think Heir to the Empire or similar), but felt good to have a nice, tightly focused story about Han and his relationship with the Rebellion that doesn't get bogged down with Force mumbo-jumbo!
This is a short novel (less than 250 pages), but for me it really hit the spot. Written entirely from Han Solo's POV, it covers an escapade set somewhere early in the three years between the Battle of Yavin and the Battle of Hoth.
One thing I will say is that it really feels like Star Wars - Han behaves exactly as Han should; Chewbacca is loyal, strong, and always showing his prowess with starship repair; Luke (who doesn't feature significantly) is still a bit of the wide-eyed neophyte farmboy from Tatooine; and Leia feels exactly right as the skilled diplomat and negotiator who would be totally single-minded about her quest to free the galaxy from the Empire's yoke except for the (barely even acknowledged to herself) feelings she has for Han.
One of the new characters could be considered a little too OP (or maybe a just a little too full of herself), but she doesn't dominate, and makes for quite a fun equal participant in Han's banter.
The antagonists are entertaining - although the bounty hunter makes far more of an impression than the Imperial.
A superweapon (boo, hiss) makes an appearance, but it is dealt with fairly, and there is a good reason presented for why it has never been used before, and why it is never used again.
One odd plot element was that one of the principal characters loses a hand quite early on in the narrative, and whilst it is referred to later, it is treated surprisingly lightly by the character. I thought that strained credibility a little - but it is only a minor criticism.
Another valid criticism would be that the most spectacular space combat (8 X-wings against a star destroyer) takes place off the page - the outcome is mentioned, but the reader is not told precisely how it happened, or how it was achieved. Given that both Wedge and Luke were in the X-wing squadron, I would have very much liked to have found out exactly what had happened (but given that the novel is entirely from Han's POV, and at that time Han was down on a planet, that seems like a fair structural choice for the authors to have made). There is plenty of action with Han at the helm of the Millennium Falcon, however, so I don't feel short-changed!
This book could easily have been twice the length, with sections from Luke's and Leia's POVs, and it would have perhaps felt more like a proper saga story (think Heir to the Empire or similar), but felt good to have a nice, tightly focused story about Han and his relationship with the Rebellion that doesn't get bogged down with Force mumbo-jumbo!
June 12, 2015
Having never read a Star Wars novel, I wasn't sure exactly what I was getting into. Were the lot of them just poorly thought out pulp slogs churned out to cash in on the franchise's fame? I doubted it after seeing James S.A. Corey's name on it cover of this one, as Corey is the writing team behind the Leviathan Wakes series. While I didn't like the first book in that series enough to keep going with it, having read it made it clear that a) they could write well and b) they loved science fiction. I actually think the constraints of writing in the Star Wars universe helped them in this case, as it kept them from flying off the creative rails.
As far as this novel specifically, it was exactly what I hoped it would be -- a great Han Solo story. Corey captured the voices of familiar characters like Luke, Leia, and especially Han, but the focus remained on Han, Chewbacca, and the Millennium Falcon. Also introduced were Scarlet Hark and Baasen Ray, roguish characters fitting with the novel's title. The plot, which I won't spoil here, felt right at home in the Star Wars cinematic universe. There were a few lampshades I enjoyed, such as a throw away line about how Han likes to shoot first, and a scene in a temple reminiscent of Indiana Jones, but the novel took itself seriously, and never slid into farce.
While sometimes I feel it doesn't matter, in this case I feel compelled to mention that I listened to the audio book of this novel. Both the narrator, Marc Thompson, and the production quality were amazing. I am sure some people will be turned off by the sound effects -- beeping droids, blaster fire, wookie grunts, music from the cinematic score -- but I thought it added immeasurably to the experience. It was basically an audio play with Thompson voicing every character, and he did an amazing job with the voices, capably switching between all the different characters, male and female, and his Han Solo impersonation, second only to Harrison Ford himself, is alone worth the cost of the audio book.
As far as this novel specifically, it was exactly what I hoped it would be -- a great Han Solo story. Corey captured the voices of familiar characters like Luke, Leia, and especially Han, but the focus remained on Han, Chewbacca, and the Millennium Falcon. Also introduced were Scarlet Hark and Baasen Ray, roguish characters fitting with the novel's title. The plot, which I won't spoil here, felt right at home in the Star Wars cinematic universe. There were a few lampshades I enjoyed, such as a throw away line about how Han likes to shoot first, and a scene in a temple reminiscent of Indiana Jones, but the novel took itself seriously, and never slid into farce.
While sometimes I feel it doesn't matter, in this case I feel compelled to mention that I listened to the audio book of this novel. Both the narrator, Marc Thompson, and the production quality were amazing. I am sure some people will be turned off by the sound effects -- beeping droids, blaster fire, wookie grunts, music from the cinematic score -- but I thought it added immeasurably to the experience. It was basically an audio play with Thompson voicing every character, and he did an amazing job with the voices, capably switching between all the different characters, male and female, and his Han Solo impersonation, second only to Harrison Ford himself, is alone worth the cost of the audio book.
September 24, 2016
Thrown to the curb by the Great Star Wars Purge of the Extended Universe 2014, still a great read brought to you by the guys who gave us the Expanse Series. Loads of fun and the narration of the audio was fantastic. You get Han and Chewy off to do the Rebel Alliance bidding depite Hans desire to do anything but. Set between New Hope and Empire Strikes Back, a good quest plot with lots of danger.
December 20, 2023
It's a perfectly serviceable star wars book, but much of the tension is deflated by having the main characters racing the empire to see who will control an immensely powerful weapon...in between a new hope and empire strikes back. We know the empire doesn't get it, we know the rebels don't get it, ipso facto it gets destroyed because we have to reset all the pieces in time for Empire. Some authors manage to excel in the liminal spaces between movies (James Luceno). Others are just kind of there, as Corey is here. But given the mass amount of absolute dreck that got published in the Legends canon...sometimes just being there is a win of itself.
Read it, don't regret reading it, but will probably forget about it by next week and never refer back to it again.
Read it, don't regret reading it, but will probably forget about it by next week and never refer back to it again.
November 6, 2023
4.5 stars. Audiobook version is very entertaining. Some genuinely funny moments with Han Solo make this book worth revisiting. Some parts didn’t land for me. Fun but not deep.
June 5, 2019
This book is delightful; it's made me really happy. It's old-school Star Wars and everything I love about the Galaxy Far, Far Away. Some of it's even better than the original. The writing is really good. The plot is fun, the interaction of characters is well-done and the dialogue is fabulous. The characterization of Han Solo is excellent. I'm biased, but it has always irritated me when he's depicted as basically a lucky idiot. Here, we see his intelligence and complexity. Sure, he tends to cover the more thoughtful part of his personality with brashness and sarcasm, but there's more to him than wisecracks. Leia and Chewbacca are also depicted well. I very much like the new, original character, spy Scarlet Hark. She's brilliant, crafty and amusingly snarky.
January 28, 2015
audio book read by Marc Thompson
Honor Among Thieves is a great Star Wars book. This is the second book of the Empire and Rebellion trilogy but fear not, there is no overarching plot to worry about and the only thing relating the two books so far is just that they take place between Episodes 4 and 5. The plot is pretty decent but whatever it may lack is completely made up for in the characterization and interaction of the characters I didn't realize I was missing in other Star Wars novels. The charisma feels a lot more like the character interaction from the original trilogy than any other time period in the books. The main short coming of the novel is that nothing major can happen in this book because it is essentially a side adventure that takes place between Episodes 4 and 5 of the original trilogy. I would recommend this book to any Star Wars fan whether or not they've read any Star Wars novels before.
As you can tell by the cover, this story mainly follows Han Solo as he goes on a mission to extract the Rebel Alliance agent Scarlet Hark from deep cover in the Empire. He struggles along the way with how far he is willing to go for the Rebel Alliance and whether he thinks they could become as controlling as the Empire they are trying to usurp. Scarlet Hark kind of takes the place of Leia as this strong, attractive female that Han can verbally parry with as they go along in their adventure. Luke and Leia are present too but in more of a limited capacity for much of the story.
Speaking of verbal parrying, James S.A. Corey does a great job with the character interaction in this story. One of the reason why I haven't really liked the prequel trilogy is that the characters felt stiff toward each other...even those that were supposedly falling in love. As I said earlier, this novel follows much more closely in the vein of the original trilogy where the characters banter with each other and feel like they have much deeper relationships or a history that this novel builds on. Other Star Wars books are great (particularly the ones by Timothy Zahn), but they rarely have this kind of warm interaction between the characters. There is some genuine humor and even some silliness in this book aside from the common slight comic relief normally present in Star Wars books. I would say that this part of the novel was so good that I'm actually going to go read some James S.A. Corey novels just because I enjoyed the writing style so much in this book.
As for the audio side of things, Marc Thompson does a great job with the voices as usual. The impersonations of well known characters are well done and new voices are quite entertaining. I particularly enjoyed his Hunter Maas voice because it was perfect for the swagger of that character. The novel also gave some great moments for Marc Thompson to use some great surfer dude and valley girl voices that were pretty great for the characters. His voices for Scarlet Hark and Leia were so similar though that they were hard to tell apart, especially when in the same conversation. As for Chewbacca, I think other books use canned sounds (pretty sure) but some of his parts in this book are more....unique...and all of his parts are done specifically for this book. This can be good at times but I kind of found it distracting because it didn't sound like the Chewbacca I'm used to. The sound effects and music were just about as good as you'd expect from your typical Star Wars novel.
Honor Among Thieves is a great Star Wars book. This is the second book of the Empire and Rebellion trilogy but fear not, there is no overarching plot to worry about and the only thing relating the two books so far is just that they take place between Episodes 4 and 5. The plot is pretty decent but whatever it may lack is completely made up for in the characterization and interaction of the characters I didn't realize I was missing in other Star Wars novels. The charisma feels a lot more like the character interaction from the original trilogy than any other time period in the books. The main short coming of the novel is that nothing major can happen in this book because it is essentially a side adventure that takes place between Episodes 4 and 5 of the original trilogy. I would recommend this book to any Star Wars fan whether or not they've read any Star Wars novels before.
As you can tell by the cover, this story mainly follows Han Solo as he goes on a mission to extract the Rebel Alliance agent Scarlet Hark from deep cover in the Empire. He struggles along the way with how far he is willing to go for the Rebel Alliance and whether he thinks they could become as controlling as the Empire they are trying to usurp. Scarlet Hark kind of takes the place of Leia as this strong, attractive female that Han can verbally parry with as they go along in their adventure. Luke and Leia are present too but in more of a limited capacity for much of the story.
Speaking of verbal parrying, James S.A. Corey does a great job with the character interaction in this story. One of the reason why I haven't really liked the prequel trilogy is that the characters felt stiff toward each other...even those that were supposedly falling in love. As I said earlier, this novel follows much more closely in the vein of the original trilogy where the characters banter with each other and feel like they have much deeper relationships or a history that this novel builds on. Other Star Wars books are great (particularly the ones by Timothy Zahn), but they rarely have this kind of warm interaction between the characters. There is some genuine humor and even some silliness in this book aside from the common slight comic relief normally present in Star Wars books. I would say that this part of the novel was so good that I'm actually going to go read some James S.A. Corey novels just because I enjoyed the writing style so much in this book.
As for the audio side of things, Marc Thompson does a great job with the voices as usual. The impersonations of well known characters are well done and new voices are quite entertaining. I particularly enjoyed his Hunter Maas voice because it was perfect for the swagger of that character. The novel also gave some great moments for Marc Thompson to use some great surfer dude and valley girl voices that were pretty great for the characters. His voices for Scarlet Hark and Leia were so similar though that they were hard to tell apart, especially when in the same conversation. As for Chewbacca, I think other books use canned sounds (pretty sure) but some of his parts in this book are more....unique...and all of his parts are done specifically for this book. This can be good at times but I kind of found it distracting because it didn't sound like the Chewbacca I'm used to. The sound effects and music were just about as good as you'd expect from your typical Star Wars novel.
August 13, 2015
The only way to do these Star Wars books is on audio because of the sound effects. Usually I find sound effects annoying, but not in Star Wars books. Although, I have to say, Chewbacca impersonations in this one was more than a little lacking. It was so bad. I've only read a handful of Star Wars books and they all had Chewy down pat, so why not with this one?
Other than the poor Chewbacca imitation, I liked this. I like Han. He made me laugh. I also enjoyed the story. It had a nice pace. There was a considerable amount of action happening. It was a little slow to start, but once it did, it was in constant motion.
This was an entertaining read for my morning. It was the perfect book at the right time.
Other than the poor Chewbacca imitation, I liked this. I like Han. He made me laugh. I also enjoyed the story. It had a nice pace. There was a considerable amount of action happening. It was a little slow to start, but once it did, it was in constant motion.
This was an entertaining read for my morning. It was the perfect book at the right time.
August 23, 2025
I went into this one with low expectations. and while it wasn't mind-blowing or anything I enjoyed it well enough. The story wasn't anything special, and the themes while interesting wasn't anything unique. The thing it had going for it most was Hans' comedic moments which kept the book rolling for me.
Never before have I read completely backwards. But that just shows how weird this "trilogy" is. I read Heir to the Jedi, the almost book 3 of this trilogy years ago when I was first catching up with Star Wars canon and didn't love it.
I read this one "book 2" next because technically it comes before book 1 chronologically. and while it wasn't anything special it was better than Heir by a country mile.
I've heard better things about Razors edge but I guess we will see when I start that this afternoon.
This is no A.C. Crispin Han book, but i enjoyed it more than Zahns attempt at a Han book. Atleast I cared about it a little bit more than Scoundrels.
Never before have I read completely backwards. But that just shows how weird this "trilogy" is. I read Heir to the Jedi, the almost book 3 of this trilogy years ago when I was first catching up with Star Wars canon and didn't love it.
I read this one "book 2" next because technically it comes before book 1 chronologically. and while it wasn't anything special it was better than Heir by a country mile.
I've heard better things about Razors edge but I guess we will see when I start that this afternoon.
This is no A.C. Crispin Han book, but i enjoyed it more than Zahns attempt at a Han book. Atleast I cared about it a little bit more than Scoundrels.
February 3, 2014
An entry into the Star Wars universe that exceeds its ‘commercial product’ requirements – this is, on its own merits, a solid novel that provides both non-stop action and food for thought.
It also does a great job of providing an episode that fits perfectly and believably into the Star Wars timeline – and even a nod to the fact that the events described here aren’t mentioned during subsequent episodes. (So many wild events; so many crazy stories.)
This wild story: Han Solo is sent on a mission to pick up a Rebel Alliance spy. However, her cover’s been compromised, and Han soon realizes that bounty hunters sent by Jabba the Hutt are on his tail. The spy’s time-sensitive information and her forceful personality mean that Han’s soon roped into a job that seems to be getting more complex – and more dangerous – by the minute. Space battles, personal drama, and on-planet adventures – it’s got it all.
The characterization is on point. The main character here is Han Solo (which means, of course, that Chewie’s there), Leia’s present for a good chunk of the action, and Luke features prominently as well. Real fans will be delighted to know that this is a Han who’s not afraid to shoot first. However, he’s not a man without a conscience, either. He doesn’t shoot without a reason. The book does a fantastic job of staying true to Han’s established character while letting the reader feel like they’ve actually gotten to know him better – maybe even see a hint of his hidden vulnerability and his motivations.
Oddly, I felt that the weakest character was the most important one who’s original to this book – the spy Scarlet Hark. Don’t get me wrong – she’s cool and badass. But she’s just a bit TOO perfect (competent, gorgeous, etc) and we don’t really get to know her as a person, or see any chinks in her flat façade.
However, what I liked most about the book is how Han’s background as a smuggler and his place on the fringes of society gives him (and the authors) a chance to actually critique the political ideals of the whole dichotomy of the Star Wars universe. There’s a lot here about how ‘rebel’ forces, if successful, often end up becoming no different than the powers-that-be, and about how it’s important to maintain enough freedom in any society for there to be ‘room’ on the fringes for the fringe elements. Han here is a smart, cynical guy, and I loved his questioning attitude.
Just a note: this is marketed as "Star Wars: Empire and Rebellion, #2." I've also read the previous novel (by Martha Wells) - they're both fully stand-alone novels - you don't need to read one before the other.
A copy of this book was provided to me through NetGalley. Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey Spectra.
It also does a great job of providing an episode that fits perfectly and believably into the Star Wars timeline – and even a nod to the fact that the events described here aren’t mentioned during subsequent episodes. (So many wild events; so many crazy stories.)
This wild story: Han Solo is sent on a mission to pick up a Rebel Alliance spy. However, her cover’s been compromised, and Han soon realizes that bounty hunters sent by Jabba the Hutt are on his tail. The spy’s time-sensitive information and her forceful personality mean that Han’s soon roped into a job that seems to be getting more complex – and more dangerous – by the minute. Space battles, personal drama, and on-planet adventures – it’s got it all.
The characterization is on point. The main character here is Han Solo (which means, of course, that Chewie’s there), Leia’s present for a good chunk of the action, and Luke features prominently as well. Real fans will be delighted to know that this is a Han who’s not afraid to shoot first. However, he’s not a man without a conscience, either. He doesn’t shoot without a reason. The book does a fantastic job of staying true to Han’s established character while letting the reader feel like they’ve actually gotten to know him better – maybe even see a hint of his hidden vulnerability and his motivations.
Oddly, I felt that the weakest character was the most important one who’s original to this book – the spy Scarlet Hark. Don’t get me wrong – she’s cool and badass. But she’s just a bit TOO perfect (competent, gorgeous, etc) and we don’t really get to know her as a person, or see any chinks in her flat façade.
However, what I liked most about the book is how Han’s background as a smuggler and his place on the fringes of society gives him (and the authors) a chance to actually critique the political ideals of the whole dichotomy of the Star Wars universe. There’s a lot here about how ‘rebel’ forces, if successful, often end up becoming no different than the powers-that-be, and about how it’s important to maintain enough freedom in any society for there to be ‘room’ on the fringes for the fringe elements. Han here is a smart, cynical guy, and I loved his questioning attitude.
Just a note: this is marketed as "Star Wars: Empire and Rebellion, #2." I've also read the previous novel (by Martha Wells) - they're both fully stand-alone novels - you don't need to read one before the other.
A copy of this book was provided to me through NetGalley. Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey Spectra.
July 14, 2022
Second read comments: This book still f*cking slaps.
(Yes, the plot is complicated, and you have to suspend your sense of disbelief many times and forget specialized bits of lore in order to buy it, and Scarlet is a perfect male fantasy, *and still* I loved it.)
***
This was a gripping, entertaining Han and Chewie adventure, and one that provided excellent insight into our favourite smuggler's mind. I loved getting to see the narrative peeling off his self-admitted layers, contemplating his involvement with the rebellion, his new relationships, and the man he could have been had circumstances not put him on the path of an old Jedi and an idealistic farmboy. I liked Scarlet Hark - intelligent, badass, take-no-shit female character? Yes please! It was hilarious to see Han kidding himself about Scarlet and Leia falling head over heels for him while at the same time not trying to initiate something himself with either of them. It was also great that Scarlet and Leia at no point fought over this or showed jealousy, and instead genuinely liked and appreciated each other and made an excellent team. Thank goodness for that! As a Han/Leia shipper, the UST and the moments of a deeper understanding between them made me squeal.
(Yes, the plot is complicated, and you have to suspend your sense of disbelief many times and forget specialized bits of lore in order to buy it, and Scarlet is a perfect male fantasy, *and still* I loved it.)
***
This was a gripping, entertaining Han and Chewie adventure, and one that provided excellent insight into our favourite smuggler's mind. I loved getting to see the narrative peeling off his self-admitted layers, contemplating his involvement with the rebellion, his new relationships, and the man he could have been had circumstances not put him on the path of an old Jedi and an idealistic farmboy. I liked Scarlet Hark - intelligent, badass, take-no-shit female character? Yes please! It was hilarious to see Han kidding himself about Scarlet and Leia falling head over heels for him while at the same time not trying to initiate something himself with either of them. It was also great that Scarlet and Leia at no point fought over this or showed jealousy, and instead genuinely liked and appreciated each other and made an excellent team. Thank goodness for that! As a Han/Leia shipper, the UST and the moments of a deeper understanding between them made me squeal.
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