Der Pilot

Star Wars: The Han Solo Trilogy #1

by A.C. Crispin

Nur knapp kommt Han Solo bei seinem Fluchtversuch vom Raumschiff des niederträchtigen Garris Shrike mit dem Leben davon. Er heuert auf dem Planeten Ylesia als Pilot an.
Bald wird ihm jedoch klar, dass die obskuren Priester, die den Planeten kontrollieren, mit aller Macht versuchen, ihre Herrschaft auszudehnen. Keiner der zahlreichen religiösen Pilger, die zu Wallfahrten kommen, hat Ylesia je wieder in Freiheit verlassen.
Zusammen mit der Pilgerin Bria versucht Han, den Priestern zu entrinnen. Aber sein Bewacher, das katzenähnliche Wesen Muuurgh, belauscht ihre Fluchtpläne.

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Space Opera, Science Fiction Fantasy, Adventure

397 pages, Taschenbuch

First published May 1, 1997

About the author

Ann Carol Crispin (1950-2013) was an American science fiction writer, the author of over twenty published novels. She wrote professionally since 1983. She wrote several Star Trek and Star Wars novels, and created her own original science fiction series called Starbridge.

Crispin also served as Eastern Regional Director, and then Vice President, of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. With Victoria Strauss, she founded Writer Beware, a "watchdog" group that is part of SFWA that warns aspiring writers about the dangers of scam agents, editors, and publishers. Writer Beware was founded in 1998, and has assisted law enforcement and civil authorities in tracking and shutting down writing scams.

Crispin, who also wrote a prequel providing the back story for the popular Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, died on September 6th, 2013 at the Hospice of Charles County in Waldorf, aged 63.

She was married to science fiction author Michael Capobianco.

Reviews

[Dexcell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book, I've always heard that the Crispin novels are better then the Solo movie, which I also enjoyed. But I can see why, Hans story was actually pretty tragic and brutal in this one. I knew his relationship with Bria couldn't work, but it was still tough when she left him.

It shows a really sad side to the universe, there's so few options for people that are force users, rich, or part of the government. The amount of slavery in SW was always implied or briefly shown, but it's just sad to see. It's crazy to think not a single character goes on a slavery crusade at any point in legends or canon. Ah well.

[Jonathan Koan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a terrific and entertaining book! I’ve been told for a while that I needed to read this book, and I had thought about it, but had been burned by the Brian Daley trilogy, which I thought was incredibly mediocre.

This book is anything but mediocre!

The book has longer chapters, and is in itself a fairly quick read. Each chapter propelled me to the next, and I just had to find out what happened. I finished it in one sitting (literally).

Han Solo is absolutely on point in this trilogy. It takes a very specific writer to get him correct. I think AC Crispin joins the ranks of Lawrence and Jon Kasdan (Solo) and DJ Older (Last Shot). Han felt so relatable and understandable. His dream for a better future really works well for an American reader, who can relate to the American dream. And his ability to come up with things on the fly, while also having everything mess up is perfectly in character.

The supporting cast in this book is great! Muuurgh was hilarious and fun and a perfect foil for Han. Bria was a terrific love interest.

The discussion of religion really works for Han’s character, and Han’s perceptiveness and eagerness to save Bria from Ylesia was great!

There are a ton of EU/Legends references in the book. Won’t say what they are specifically, but fans of the Corellian Trilogy and the Young Jedi Knights books will recognize some familiar faces.

Overall, I loved this book! Engaging and entertaining and a terrific read, especially if you want something short and sweet. 9.3 out of 10!

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars is all I could muster, but I did have fun with this book. It was a great way to rest my brain after finishing Solzhenitsyn's Cancer Ward.

★★: This was the finest episode of Corellia 90210 EVER! I had no idea until rereading this that Young Han Solo was actually played (at least in the mind of A.C. Crispin) by a Young Luke Perry. Bad boy Han hanging out with the richies from Corellia (some family, and some family of the girl he loves), and he's so handsome and dashing and such a great surfer (oops ... pilot).

+★: Han himself was pretty damn groovy. You can tell that Crispin really has an affinity for his character (or else a love for Harrison Ford), and she delivers a pretty satisfying childhood full of Oliver Twist-y incidents (can you say F8-GN? Clever name for a droid, eh?), abuse at the hands of a bounty hunting bully, and believable dreams of becoming an Imperial Officer. There are some disappointments though ...

-★: ...and those come with the language Han uses. Yeah, yeah, Han says "Sweetheart" plenty in the Trilogy, but does he have to say "Honey" and "Sweetheart" so bloody much? I'd say know. And if I had to read about how "scruffy looking" he was one more time I would have thrown the book across the room (then dutifully picked it up and continued).

-★★: Did Han really need a giant black tiger man as his sidekick/bodyguard? Muuurgh was cool enough, but he was so blatantly a replacement for Chewbacca, and so cheesily a part of another "utopian" society being oppressed by the Empire, that I was more than a little pissed. I was a lot pissed actually, and with Han already spending time with his foster mother, Dewlanna (a fierce old Wookie woman who dies for his freedom), I thought there was more than enough Chewie related idiocy for one book.

+★: But Coruscant was super fucking cool. I kept waiting for a Replicant to leap out from behind a building and break Deckerd's fingers.


+★★★: And I really loved the spice processing planet of Ylesia. The fact that most of the book was set there, with its weak-ass Hutt overlord, Zavval, its Exultation inducing Rhino Priests, the T'landa Til, its Glitterstim factory, its uber-fungus and mud pits, and "High Priest" Teroenza's museum of galactic artifacts -- giving Crispin a chance to weave in some Indiana Jones -- it was a fun place to spend my fantasy hours for a couple of days. I am not entirely convinced the T'landa Til were as "evil" as Crispin wanted them to be -- even for slavers -- but they were still a good set of antagonists for Han.

-★: There was no need for the Princess Leia cameo. Enough of the fangirl crap already. :P

So ... lots of fun, and I'm very glad I gave this a second read. Candy for the brain is good.

★★+★-★-★★+★+★★★-★ = 3 ★s

[Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller]

Temporary DNF at 40% until I have time and motivation to get back to it. I was liking it, but I was liking the five other books I was reading at the time more...

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I own this book.

Okay, I'm gonna say something controversial here; I don't like Han Solo all that much. I think his character is rash, pompous and I preferred him before Solo came out. Solo tried to make him kind, and I don't think Han Solo is an openly kind character, he's selfish because he has to be and he's kind to those he loves, not because he's actually deep down a kind person. Anyway, this book sets up Han's life before we see him in A New Hope. He's a kid who has grown up in essential slavery, being forced into begging, stealing and his general rogue behaviour. The book starts with him trying to leave the grips of his master, taking his Wookie friend, Dewlanna with him. But when Dewlanna is killed, it seals the deal more. He needs out. He wants to pursue a career in the Imperial Navy as a pilot, but this is no easy feat. Bouncing from job to job, Han tries in whatever way possible to make it to Coruscant to sign up as an officer, falling in love along the way with the seemingly distant Bria.

I preferred this story more than I liked the one they gave him in Solo. This one was filled with grit, there's no easy way to do anything. Han gets hurt, he gets angry, he gets heartbroken and while I can see similarities from where they've taken inspiration from this book and incorporated it into Solo, it definitely reads better.

[Ashley Bogner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Han Solo is my favorite Star Wars character. I love his witty comebacks and his fantastic character arc. And yet he's the character in the series we don't know anything about. His backstory never comes up, and I've always wanted to know more about him. How did he become friends with Chewbacca? How did he meet Lando? When did he become captain of the Millennium Falcon ? What's up with the "Kessel Run in twelve parsecs"? When I found out that there was a book series about Han Solo's backstory, I immediately put the first book on hold at the library.

Sadly, I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would.

Pros:

-It's about Han Solo.
-I never knew that Han joined the Imperial Navy. Now I understand why he knows so much about Imperial procedure in the movies! I always wondered about that.
-Most Star Wars books take place either during the Republic time period or the post - ROTJ time period. I thought it was cool that this one takes place between trilogies.

Cons:

-When I think of Star Wars , the word "fun" is the first thing that comes to mind. The Paradise Snare was not fun. It was actually pretty depressing.
-Looking back on the plot, I personally think most of this book was unnecessary to the story. Other than the first two chapters explaining Han's childhood and the end when he joins the Empire , I thought most of it felt like a subplot.
-I don't fully understand his romance with Bria. Other than the fact that they both think the other is attractive, I never was clear on why they liked each other.
-One of my other issues was in the area of content. A little more language and violence than in most Star Wars novels. Sexual content (while never graphic) was the biggest disappointment: several references to women being sold into prostitution, Han thinks about his long list of ex-girlfriends and it is implied that he never entered a romantic relationship with any intention of a long-term commitment, he sometimes thinks about how he "would like to spend the night" with a girl, etc. I was also highly disappointed that Han and Bria end up sleeping together. Everything is "off camera", but this bothered me.

Overall, I had high hopes for this series. While I am curious about the rest of Han Solo's story, I don't think I'll continue. The depressing tone and lack of morals presented made The Paradise Snare a "just okay" read for me. It lacked the innocent, light-hearted fun of the movies.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember being a really snobby dork about these books- I thought I was going to hate them 'cause they were all trying to weave into the movies rather than going off on their own story. But surprisingly, these were great! Han's motivations are explained for his first appearance in A New Hope, we get his tragic first love, and find out why he gets to wear the Corellian Bloodstripes! Super necessary information!

[Iset · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s funny what you remember and what you forget about old reads. I built up a Star Wars Expanded Universe book collection during my adolescence that I read and re-read countless times, repeatedly going on marathon re-reads every time I acquired five new additions or so, to see how things would look in a deeper context. It’s fair to say I was highly involved with this fictional world, and pretty much during any spare time I breathed and consumed Star Wars. But at some point – right about the time I went off to university – I didn’t have that kind of free time any more. The old marathon re-reads fell by the wayside, and I even grew lax about adding new releases to my collection. Somehow, over a decade has passed since I last read any of my Expanded Universe books. And I never reviewed them because I joined GoodReads in my 20s, but I always intended to. Recently I decided now is the time. I’ve been going through what were, for me, some new reads, latter-day releases, but now I’m entering the classic Bantam era where these books are very old friends indeed, and returning to The Paradise Snare has been a fascinating experience.

I remembered the broad strokes – Ylesia, the scam operation, Muuurgh, and Bria – but I’m surprised at how much I’d forgotten. I had no memory of the side trips to Alderaan or Togoria, and for some reason I’d thought that Bria left because she caved to her addiction. Probably because I liked Han and Leia and way back when had a sort of grudging perspective on Bria. In some ways it was a delight to re-read after this long because of the parts I’d forgotten made it almost as if I was reading it again for the first time! I know many readers would love to experience beloved books again for the first time, so this was a bit of a treat.

Other things struck me about the book too, some of which I’m not sure I noticed when I was younger. Most notably, how young Han and Bria come off – he’s 19 here, and she’s 18, with the book set 10 years before A New Hope. I think I had no reason to notice this before, and it’s only now, with a few adult years behind me, that it sticks out when a character will say or do something that seems so preciously naïve to me. They seem vulnerable, somehow. And Crispin obviously pitched this perfectly to show these teenagers struggling with navigating their first time in a scary, adult world; but of course, when I was younger than Han is supposed to be when I reading it, I never appreciated it before.

I love the effort that Crispin put into describing alien worlds. Sometimes in Star Wars it can get a little lazy, with different planets just being the ‘ice planet’ or the ‘desert planet’. Crispin doesn’t do that. As well as her descriptions being pretty detailed, she draws from hard sci fi to really make them feel alien; the colour of the sky, differences in gravity, suns that are larger or smaller and different in class, the rotational period of the planet being different. These are all concerns as soon as we leave Earth, but as I said, sometimes in Star Wars you get the impression that, apart from having one exotic, planet-spanning biome (which is kind of crazy in and of itself), the planets are just assumed to have 1g and the same length of day. Crispin just taking a tiny bit of extra time to do this makes her worlds stand out as more memorable than other worlds that have appeared in Star Wars.

She carries this over to other aspects of the story as well. Space feels vast, and dangerous. We’re explicitly told that space travel takes several days – instead of the mere hours that, again, some other Expanded Universe novels imply. I loved the logic of the automated starship, and Han’s struggle with the increased g-forces and lack of air on board, turning even his first venture out into the galaxy, what should on paper be a simple A to B, into a tense fight to survive. Crispin has a way of turning seemingly straightforward situations into story twists with serious obstacles. She has a good handle on the author’s maxim here of throwing her characters out of the frying pan and into the fire, never letting Han get away with anything too easily, even though she has his manner of strolling in to a situation as if he can have it all his own way down pat. This especially rings true when things are going well and Han seems like he’s in some good circumstances. The story is in danger, at those points, of becoming dull and tedious because of the lack of challenge, but Crispin taps into Han’s nose for opportunity and habit of scoping things out to quickly inject twists and drama back in to these slow moments. As a whole, the story ends up being a thrilling adventure tale of the dark, criminal underside of the Imperial era, full of heists, cons, and sudden reversals.

If I had any complaints it’s that Bria comes across like a bit too much of a wet rag for Han to be so taken with her.

Now, when I started re-reading this book, it occurred to me that now would be the perfect time to finally watch the new film about Han’s younger years, and compare them both and tell you all just how good Crispin’s vision was and how it didn’t deserve to be written off by edict from on high. Then I realised how stupid that would be. Some of you would always suspect I went in from the beginning with an axe to grind by deliberately setting out to compare the two, and therefore dismiss my opinion as invalid. So I still haven’t seen the film – even though I have a suspicion that it wouldn’t be my thing – and I just want to recommend Crispin’s trilogy of books on its own merits. I’m not going to call it the most fantastic entry into the Expanded Universe, but she creates a honest-to-goodness rollicking fun adventure, is consistently competent at her craft, and never falters in throwing down the gauntlet of challenges and obstacles for our protagonists to create an exciting story that draws you in. I had a good time reading this.

Talk of the Clone Wars: Garris Shrike’s vessel is described as ‘ancient’ and a ‘relic’ of the Clone Wars, a Liberator-class ship, ‘slow by modern standards’. I know tech can change fast, but, an ‘ancient relic’ merely nine years after the end of the Clone Wars? The book is set 10 years before the Battle of Yavin – and, thus, according to George Lucas’ prequels, just 9 years after the Clone Wars ended. Han is 19 years old here, and his love interest, Bria Tharen, is 18. Bria describes herself as having ‘grown up in the aftermath of the Clone Wars’. She was 9 years old when the Clone Wars ended, which I suppose you could argue makes her statement still tally, but I really think ‘grown up in the aftermath’ implies something that happened when you were a baby or just a few years before you were born. Inspector Hal Horn of CorSec gets an easter egg mention too, and in other media his son Corran, who is the same age as Luke and Leia, states that his father was about 10 years old when the Clone Wars ended. That isn’t mentioned here, but if Hal were only 20 here it’d be most unusual for him to hold an Inspector position. The feeling I’m getting from these descriptors is that the Clone Wars envisioned by Crispin occurred about ten years earlier than Lucas actually set them – about the same time as Lucas slotted in The Phantom Menace instead. This tallies with the descriptions of Shrike’s outmoded vessel, Han and Bria growing up in the aftermath of the Clone Wars, and Hal Horn being a CorSec Inspector at this point.

7 out of 10

[Wayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Star Wars fiction is a guilty pleasure for me, so consider this a guilty five star! Aside from the original trilogy novelizations, I loved A Splinter of the Mind's Eye, and the old Brian Daley Han Solo trilogy. I recall reading the Thrawn Trilogy in the 1990's, which was what happened after Return of the Jedi, and being captured by what was then an unspoiled dream of what the franchise could become. Since then, I haven't read much at all in the genre, and like most of us, endured a less than thrilling prequel trilogy of movies. However, with the acquisition of the franchise by Disney (yeah, we'll save that issue for another day), I am nevertheless excited by new Star Wars, and continuations of the original story, no less! Specifically, I have heard juicy rumor of Han Solo specific movie(s) that are inspired by Ann Crispin's prequel trilogy of the coming of age of everyone's favorite smuggler. So I freakin' picked up the first book and frankly, enjoyed the hell out of it. It was like old times! While the older, stodgier, and well read me wanted to pull back on the rating because there was a fairly simple story, (well grounded and fleshed out in the SW universe), it was not the deepest and soul changing of reads. However, my younger, idealistic and unrepentant Star Wars loving self beat the crap out of my jaded old self and left him unconscious while I relived that childhood fascination and joy through this book. I can't wait till the Millennium Falcon shows up! On to book two...

[Jim C · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is part of the Legends expanded universe. It is the first book of a trilogy. It tells the story of Han Solo's early life and how he leaves his home world in search of his place in the galaxy.

This book was an enjoyable book. I think for the most part the author stayed true to form for Han's character and his development. I did wish that Han was a little more scoundrel than he was portrayed. In this book it felt like Han was a little too quick to do the right thing instead of looking out for himself. Maybe something will happen in the following books that Han develops this trait. I really enjoyed his comrade in this story and you can see how Han and Chewie's relationship will come to be whenever they meet up.

When the characters visit different worlds the reader gets a clear picture as the author did a terrific job painting a picture. She also does a wonderful job with her action scenes. What really stood out for me was the path that the author has Han on and I am looking forward to how this plays out in the second book.

This isn't the best book in this universe but it isn't the worst either. It is a nice book that provides background information to everyone's favorite scruffy looking nerf herder that has nice nods to the movies and the expanded universe.

[Graham Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025 is the year I finally have become a bigger fan of Han Solo. I previously just acknowledged him as just another part of the ensemble of a franchise I love but otherwise paid little mind to him. Thanks to the likes of books like “Most Wanted” and Brian Daley’s “The Han Solo Adventures”, I’m coming around to liking Han (even if I still prefer a lot of other Star Wars characters). It made me eager to dip into A.C. Crispin’s “Han Solo Trilogy” which was Han’s origin story before Disney bought Star Wars and “Solo A Star Wars Story” offered a different take on Han’s younger days.

“Paradise Snare” opens the trilogy with Han in his late teens escaping from the gang that owned him throughout childhood and becoming a pilot for what is revealed to be a scam religion/drug cartel/slaving operation. Along the way we get brief glimpses of Han’s “Oliver Twist” style childhood and see teen Han bond with Muuurgh and Bria, proto versions of Chewbacca and Leia. Muuurgh felt distinct enough from Chewie that he didn’t feel like a carbon copy. There’s another Chewie stand-in as well, Dewlanna the grandmotherly Wookiee who I really appreciated being a maternal figure for Han (in their brief time together I got very attached to the two’s relationship and saddened when they tragically parted which I took as a sign of Crispin’s writing skills if I felt that way in only a few pages). Bria meanwhile was very distinct from Leia (namely not being as defiant nor as sassy) and fulfilled the role of damsel in distress. Her relationship with Han was always doomed so I didn’t get too attached to her. Truthfully, while not the worst Star Wars character I found Bria to be the weakest part of the book even if I could appreciate what Crispin was trying to do with Bria’s storyline with her struggles with addiction and depression.

As for Han himself I do think she got a young Han down pretty well. He definitely screwed up at points but was still pretty cocky and a great pilot so we could see him becoming the Millennium Falcon’s owner/captain easily enough as a result. Due to the losses he accruals over the book, it is also easy to see him become the jaded cynic he is at the start of “A New Hope”.

In general Crispin does a good job with her character work and a solid job with the story. Crispin definitely leans into the works of Charles Dickens for the story, particularly Oliver Twist what with one of Han’s crime supervisors being a droid with a name that sounds like “Fagin” and the reveal orphan Han has long lost and rich relatives (I’m sure I’ll learn more in the “Corellia Trilogy” that I plan to read in 2026) . The bulk of the book that is related to the cult/cartel honestly made me think of the pulpy sci fi stories that partly inspired Star Wars like “A Princess of Mars”. The closing sections on Coruscant bring to mind neo-noir and cyberpunk stories and make young Han feel akin to Harrison Ford’s Rick Deckard (and this part has an even more obvious reference to Ford’s Indiana Jones). While in some ways it makes Paradise Snare feel like a few stories smushed together with several different climaxes at different points, it's still a very solid romp that brings Han closer to the original trilogy’s depiction of him.

Comparisons with the movie Solo are inevitable and there’s definitely some overlap in Paradise Snare’s and the movie’s depiction of Han’s teenage years (i.e., Han being part of a street gang with Dickensian aspects, a tragic first love with a “not Leia”, etc.). The movie plays up the Star Wars’ Western influences and even connections to Lucasfilm’s “American Graffiti (which featured Ford in a prominent role) whereas as I said this book plays up the franchise’s pulp sci fi influences. Truthfully I think its too soon to say whether I prefer Crispin’s books to the movie although there are some areas one is better than the other (I prefer Qi'ra to Bria and don’t care for book Han being eager to join the Empire but I think Crispin does a better job building Han up to be the character he’ll be one day).

Going into “The Paradise Snare” and this trilogy with high hopes, Crispin does a very good job making the book a good opening for the trilogy. I’m definitely looking forward to “The Hutt Gambit”.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Good: One of George Lucas' best-loved characters, Han Solo is one of the Rebel Alliance's heroes in the original trilogy...but, not much is known about his pre-A New Hope past. A. C. Crispin draws back the curtain and shows us Han as a teenager and young adult; he discovers his family history...and falls in love. Fans of the title character will definitely enjoy this one.

The Bad: Nothing to complain about; it just wasn't spectacular.

Content Concerns:

• Sex: Kissing; talk of a man and woman being in each other's arms, but only within the context of marriage. 4/5
• Nudity: None. 5/5
• Language: Two or three cases of implied profanity; five or six uses of the term "shut up". 3/5
• Violence: Some sci-fi action violence, in the spirit of the films. 3/5
• Drugs: References to drinking and "smoking [of] prescription drugs". 3/5
• Frightening/Intense Scenes: Much like in the films, Han finds himself in a perilous situation or two, but emerges victorious; a scene or two of emotional intensity. 3/5

Conclusion: With the plethora of Star Wars Expanded Universe books in print, it's tough to know where to start. While I would normally suggest beginning with Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy, this book is perfectly understandable to those who have only seen the original trilogy; when this literary trilogy originally came out, The Phantom Menace hadn't even arrived in theaters yet. Fans of these books know what to expect, and that's what they get here.

Score: 4/5

[Patrick Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This creates an origin for Han that has since been dismissed by Disney as "Legends" with their acquisition of Lucasfilm. Though this shouldn't stop any fan of Star Wars, or especially Han Solo, from reading this book for it was outstanding. I hadn't read this book since it was first published in 1997 and reread it because bookstore chain Barnes & Noble published it and the other two books in this trilogy by A.C. Crispin in hardcover.

Without spoiling any major plot points, young Han escapes a difficult life at the expense of a (surprising) friend and assumes an alias that lands him on a planet of religious devotees where things are not what they seem. He finds a friend and a love and eventually makes the decision to escape his devious partners with his new friends.

I was very impressed with whom Solo is friends with at the beginning of the novel, which unquestionable shows how he will make a more famous friend. I was wowed with the world he ends up and the way things are run on that planet--I can't recall reading anything like this in any past or present Star Wars book or comic. My hat is off to author Crispin for creating such a devious situation on this world. Muuurgh was the most engaging new character of the novel. I loved his dialogue and his character arc. Again, he paves the way for a future iconic friend. The love interest was also engaging and I really like where their relationship goes. The conclusion of the novel was a surprise given where Han ends up and what happens the night before.

I remembered liking this book when it initially came out, but I really enjoyed it this go around. Absolutely recommended reading for Star Wars fans.

[J. Wootton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Star Wars as a kid. I'm pretty sure I read every Star Wars novel published prior to the release of The-Prequels-Which-Shall-Not-Be-Named in 1999, and I still own a few of the best. I'm going to review the first book of each of 4 sets that I think are worth your time to read.

[In general, if you're wondering where to start with Star Wars novels, a good rule of thumb is that if it was originally published by Bantam Spectra, it's probably worth the risk. Once Del Rey re-acquired rights to the franchise in 1999 everything went downhill.]


A.C. Crispin's Han Solo Trilogy (not to be confused with the comparatively terrible Han Solo Adventures by Brian Daley) earns my recommendation. Crispin nails the feel of Han's character and voice, gives him credible backstories that fit the original cannon, and spins some great adventures with plenty of wit and emotion.

If you're looking for more of the stuck-up half-witted scruffy-looking nerf herder smuggling one step ahead of the law as only a lovable scoundrel can, Crispin's books are your ticket.

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Nice to know more about Han Solo. Wonder if we will see Bria again. The plot was very interesting. Hope Han does well at the Imperial Academy.

Can't wait to read the Hurt Gambit!!!! Also can't wait to read more Star Wars books!!!

[Megres. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Le premesse erano buone, ed Han Solo è un personaggio che permette moooolta libertà di scrittura. Sinceramente ero interessata a scoprire qualche particolare in più sul suo passato e cosa mi ritrovo? Le prime 100 pagine vanno bene ma appena entra in scena la ragazza subito si capisce dove si andrà a finire IN UN CAVOLO DI ROMANZETTO DA DUE SOLDI.
Sia chiaro, io non sono completamente contraria alla storia d'amore sempre e comunque. Una storia d'amore ben scritta e che ha un senso con la trama va benissimo! Il problema è quando un personaggio esiste solo ed unicamente per essere l'interesse amoroso del protagonista SDENG ecco che entra in scena Bria!
E' moralmente superiore a tutti ( è finita in quel pianeta di schifo solo perché poverina stava cercando l'ascensione o cose così, insomma wow madre teresa di calcutta dei poveri ) e per sfiga tu guarda è finita incastrata in un covo di hutt mafiosi ( ma tu guarda, e dire che tutti pensavamo che gli hutt fossero onesti e buoni no?). Han ci tiene a precisare sempre che questa specie di condizionamento mentale funziona solo sui deboli, difatti su di lui non funziona nemmeno la prima volta e Bria allora? Bria era mentalmente debole? no, ovviamente! Han precisa che no, ovviamente lei è assolutamente fortissima quindi chiaramente qualcosa è andato storto ma non è colpa sua ( ok, se lo dici tu Han, sarà perché ti piace?). Bria ovviamente non è nata la notte di natale in una stalla, la sua famiglia è una delle più ricche famiglie nobili corelliane e la sua famiglia trama per togliersi Han dai piedi in tutti i modi possibili.
Ora, il libro aveva anche delle premesse interessanti, queste promesse però sono andate in fumo per colpa di una storia d'amore che, non solo è gestita e scritta veramente male, ma occupa troppo spazio in un libro che no ( giuro, ho controllato ) non è un harmony!

[WhatShouldIRead · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out as a 4 star read for me. Creative origins of Han Solo (even though he was almost too gee-whiz for me) and the adventure he went onto from there, some of the unsavory characters in his network, the exciting situations he found himself in and how he managed to get out of them. Unfortunately once he met Bria the book was bumped down a star. Towards the end it read more like a romantic science fiction story than anything relating to Star Wars. She got on my last nerve and her exit was just unbelievable.

I'm looking forward to the next and I hope Han stays on his road to being the rebel we all know and love, not the love struck pilot he ended up being here.

[Wolf (Alpha) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I love seeing Han as a teenager and seeing what he was up to. I like Muuurgh but Chewie is definitely better. I like that Han spent time with his foster mom and I hate that she had to die for his freedom. I loved the relationship between him and Bria and it sucks that they had to leave each other. I definitely love reading about Han’s story before the rebellion and before he met Luke and Leia. 5/5 stars.

[Drew White · Rating 4 out of 5]

May the 4th be with you.

[Adam Kiewel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't say enough good things about the brilliance of the writing. I wish ac crispen had written more star wars books

[Caleb Likes Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite a good one! I was slightly nervous going in because this is a pretty early EU book, and my experience with a lot of those has been… well, less than stellar. But I’m happy to say this was much more of a hit than a miss.

There are a few things I love in this book. First, it helps a lot that it gets Han Solo really right. This book, and trilogy, are all about him and his story so making sure that Han feels like Han is a big part of that, and I think he was handled excellently. I also really enjoyed the other characters. The two primary characters besides Han are Muuurgh, an alien “bodyguard” who Han eventually becomes good friends with, and Bria, a fellow Corellian that Han befriends and eventually falls in love with. The other characters were great as well, but these main three were the standouts. The plot here is good as well. It basically serves as a big part of Han’s backstory—some of his experiences as a young man, getting involved in smuggling and other activities, why he’s kind of pessimistic and hard in A New Hope, and how he wound up at the Imperial Academy. There were some interesting themes here as well, such as briefly dealing with topics such as addiction and religion/religious trauma. Finally, there’s some excellent worldbuilding here, such as discussing the planets of Corellia and Ylesia as well as expanding on some species and other elements.

As for negatives, I only have a couple. First, as I stated, Han and Bria eventually develop a romance. I think they’re generally okay but I felt that this happened way too quickly. Now, it’s certainly possible that this could happen due to their situation and younger age, but it just felt too fast to me. Secondly, the structure felt a bit odd. Most of the big conflicts and events are resolved by the 2/3-3/4 mark, and the latter part of the book is mostly winding down the arcs for the side characters, as well as discussing what Han did after the big events. It’s enjoyable to read but feels like a very extended falling action after the climax.

Overall this was a really enjoyable read. It was fun, action packed, and had great characters and a good story. Definitely recommend checking this one out.

Rating: 9/10

[Nagic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book. Next to Indiana Jones and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Han Solo was one of my childhood heroes, and I expected a lot from this book and it delivered so much! It feels like the original trilogy in all the best ways. If you’re a fan of Han Solo, then I definitely recommend this book! I’m very excited to read the other two novels in the trilogy!

[Paul Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

by A. C. Crispin, published in 1997.

This is my first attempt at reading a Star Wars novel and, I’ll admit it, I read it because it features Han Solo. Now Han is probably the most endearing character to grace the Star Wars franchise (at least I think so) and hence I was compelled to give this novel - first of three actually - a go.

I’ll get the tedious writer’s annoyances out of the way first. Liberal use of the word “wryly” and “dryly” and other ly words kept kicking me out of the story and need not have been used, ever. As well, the pacing was choppy (maybe editing?) through the book and so the story didn’t flow well. And lastly, I know the author needed to keep Han’s voice the same as the movies, but really, is every male or female character either a “pal” or a “sweetheart”?

But the writing annoyances aside, I really did enjoy this novel and am already into the second. And the writing is much, much better so far.

In The Paradise Snare we get the back story and early history of Han Solo. His formative years reminded me so much of Oliver Twist that it seemed to be a direct lift fo Dicken’s story. Please sir, can I have more nerf soup? Hey, whatever works.

But to be fair again, I did enjoy myself and this was quick read. It is fun to re-visit the Star Wars universe with Han as your guide. This novel is an exploration of how Han gets to be who he is in the first Movie (yes, episode IV) and why he acts the way he does.

A few other main characters share Han’s life in novel one. One is a love interest named Bria, one a comrade (like Chewie actually) Muuurgh, who is a giant cat-like alien. And then there is Shrike, his master (and not a nice guy at all) when he was stuck as a lackey on the pirate ship Trader’s Luck.

Everything falls into the place and the story of Han Solo unfolds. Crispin does a good job of moulding young Han and we see him getting in and out of scrapes as we would expect. I found the love story a bit much, but understand it as back story as to why Han treats Leia the way he does in the movie.

We also get hints about the Hutts, and Jabba name among others is also brought up. General good fun with some fast paced action sequences. A pretty good read if you are into Star Wars and Han Solo. We don’t see the Millennium Falcon or Chewbacca in this one, but all you need to do is start the second book to find them.

As a straight up Science Fiction - it doesn’t quite pass the test. To poorly written, choppy pacing and the supporting characters are too obviously form-fitted into their roles.

As a Star Wars novel I would give this a 3 out of 5. There was enough here to redeem it as a fun read and having started the second in the series I already know it gets a whole lot better.

[Mary JL · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are a fan of the Star Wars books, particularly if you are a fan of Han Solo, this is the beginning of an enjoyable trilogy.

Covering the ten years before the original Star Wars movie began--Chapter IV-A New Hope--Han escapes from the only 'home' he has ever known--the illegal ship Trader's Luck.

His ultimate dream: to enter the Imperial Space Academy. So, to get piloting experience, he takes a job piloting for the planet Ylesia. He soon starts picking up pratical expereince.

But he also finds that the "religious pilogrims" are in fact virtual slaves. The religious "exaltation" they feel is a trick artificially created by the overseers.

Han sees nothing wrong with smuggling--but he does not deal in slaves; and when he becomes acquainted with a young woman from his own planet, Corellia, he determines to rescue her.

Quick reading with lots of adventures--battles; crash landings; intrigue and lots of alien and human cultures. It is true to the "feel" of the original Star Wars. Of course, readers of general SF 'space opera' will enjoy it as well.

Book I ends with Cadet Han Solo marching off into a bright future at the Imperial Space Academy......(You think so?lol)



Edited 9/25/14 to fix typos

[Fern · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was.... okay I guess. For light reading to pass the time. Honestly I've seen better writing in fan fiction than this.

Nitpick #1: Was it really necessary to refer to Han as 'the Corellian' or 'the young Corellian' every other sentence. I get it, Han is from Corellia. If I didn't get it from watching the Original Trilogy, I would have gotten it the first 3 times Crispin mentioned it in the first few pages alone.

Nitpick #2: Maybe I'm biased to Han and Leia, but Han and Bria's romance seems shallow and uninteresting. I couldn't tell what it was that attracted them to each other, other than 'good looks'.

Nitpick #3: The shoehorning of all the Han movie references like him being 'scruffy', or him repeating entire sentences that he said in the movies... it just felt so artificial and unnatural.

But at the end of the day, I am Han Solo trash and will still consume any media with him in it, so eff it, 2.5 stars, round up to 3.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the very first Star Wars novel I ever read and it introduced me to a world into which I would dive wholeheartedly for the next several years. Han Solo would become my favorite character in the universe and I would dream of nothing else.

Looking back, I can't say exactly what struck my fantasy most about this book, but it was enough to send me searching desperately for the next in the series. Whatever it was, it captivated my attention so thoroughly that even now I can't help but read the books with fondness as I recall the way they made me thrill to the core way back in 6th grade.

[Kurt Roy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall this was a decent read but lacked something special. I absolutely hated the love story, and could’ve been written by a six year old. I did like the actual story, however. I wish I could’ve been a little more technical as it reads like a book for younger kids.

Nothing special. Took me forever to read. I have the trilogy and I’m gonna take a break from this author for a bit. 3/10

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

A necessary start to the life of Han Solo. Not great literature, but provides a foundational piece of SW universe history.

[Leia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Take a shot for every time Han says “honey”, or “sweetheart”. You’ll die.

[Cris Morales · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew it was going to be a 5-star at the first wookie growl, but this was incredible!