Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel

Star Wars Disney Canon Novel

by James Luceno

Lauded Star Wars author James Luceno returns to pen an intense tale of ambition and betrayal that sets the stage for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

War is tearing the galaxy apart. For years the Republic and the Separatists have battled across the stars, each building more and more deadly technology in an attempt to win the war. As a member of Chancellor Palpatine’s top secret Death Star project, Orson Krennic is determined to develop a superweapon before their enemies can. And an old friend of Krennic’s, the brilliant scientist Galen Erso, could be the key.

Galen’s energy-focused research has captured the attention of both Krennic and his foes, making the scientist a crucial pawn in the galactic conflict. But after Krennic rescues Galen, his wife, Lyra, and their young daughter, Jyn, from Separatist kidnappers, the Erso family is deeply in Krennic’s debt. Krennic then offers Galen an extraordinary opportunity: to continue his scientific studies with every resource put utterly at his disposal. While Galen and Lyra believe that his energy research will be used purely in altruistic ways, Krennic has other plans that will finally make the Death Star a reality. Trapped in their benefactor’s tightening grasp, the Ersos must untangle Krennic’s web of deception to save themselves and the galaxy itself.

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Fiction, Audiobook, Fantasy, Space Opera, Novels

335 pages, Hardcover

First published November 15, 2016

About the author

James Luceno is a New York Times bestselling author, best known for his novels and reference books connected with the Star Wars franchise and the Star Wars Expanded Universe, and novelisations of the Robotech animated television series. He lives in Annapolis, Maryland with his wife and youngest child.

He has co-written many books with Brian Daley as Jack McKinney.

Reviews

[Alejandro · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pointless prelude to “Rogue One”.


ONE ROLL CALL OF ROGUES

Without a quick victory, the galaxy could die a slow death.

This canon novel is the prelude to the events in the Rogue One incoming film.

The story is set in the last days of the Clone Wars.

Here, you meet for the first time some of the characters:

Galen Erso: A brilliant civilian scientist and the leading one in the investigation about appliance of crystals into energy sources. He is pacifist and doesn’t support any side the Clone Wars.

Lyra Erso: Wife of Galen Erso, and while she isn’t a Force-user, she is a moderate Force-sensitive.

Jyn Erso: She is daughter of Galen and Lyra. She (literally) borns in the middle of this book and therefore she is merely a baby during the novel.

Orson Krennic: Republic Military Engineer Officer. He wants to persuade Galen to help him to develop a weapon for the Death Star project. And also he desires to be in total command of the mentioned project.

Has Obitt: Space smuggler. He plays along any side who pays him, but he is aware that the Republic is becoming something different, something darker, and he doesn’t like that.

Saw Gerrera: Space smuggler and friend of Obitt. (He was introduced first during the Clone Wars CGI Animated TV Series).

Wilhuff Tarkin: Still with a rank of Commander, in the Republic Navy. He is starting to make his moves since he recognized that anybody in command of the Death Star project will become a key member in the inner circle of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. (He was introduced in the original Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope film).


THE USUAL SUSPICIONS

Without the weapon itself, our project is nothing more than a very costly artificial planetoid.

The Clone Wars is still on, and without a definitive weapon may never would end.

A secret group, without the knowledge of the Jedi Order, are developing a crucial project based on a Geonosian design, however there is a significant missing element…

…a weapon.

Such enormous mobile space platform should count with a deathly weapon worthy of this ambitious project, and the weapon must be something able to end wars with a single shot.

That’s why Orson Krennic puts his eyes on Galen Erso, since he may be the only man in the galaxy with the right brilliance to develop the needed weapon for the secret project, but there is a problem…

…Galen Erso is a pacifist…

…but, if you know some about history…

…ironically, pacifists are some of the best weapon makers.

The book is well written, however I didn’t find any necessity of making it, since the events that you find in here, all are quite expected to exist at some point before the Rogue One incoming movie, and quite obvious to happen.

[Sean Barrs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m going to see the new Star Wars film tomorrow (Yay!) so I’ve been storming through this to get myself ready for it. Has anyone seen it yet? Is it any good?

Here, though, James Luceno has done wonders at situating the film in relation to the Star Wars timeline. This book tells the lives of the characters from it, depicting the events leading up from the Clone Wars up until the events of the film- just before A New Hope. So it’s very much a prequel that allows us to see where these characters have come from, and what they’ve been through. And it isn’t pretty.

Galen Erso is a fantastic scientist; he is also an advocate of peace and conducts deep research into the potential power of energy, especially that harboured from the Kyber crystal- the very same thing that powers a lightsabre. His research is driven entirely from an altruistic standpoint; he wants to do some good with his work and genuinely benefit all species. He is a good man, a driven man who could change everything. But with all energy in the galaxy also comes risks; it can be either used for the light side of the force or the dark. It’s a case of who gets to it first.

Let the grooming process begin



The Empire wants him, badly. He is the only person capable of arming the Death Star. His ethics get in the way of his usefulness to the Empire; he could never be actively swayed into producing such a weapon. So the best solution is to lie to him, let him think he is doing his “good work” when in reality his research is being exploited by those that pretend to be his friends. It’s all about power, and Erso has the potential to create the most powerful thing in the Galaxy. He is an asset, one that needs to be wielded for Palpatine to realise his dream. Without him the Death Star will never function.

Much of the novel is about Orson Krennic trying to manipulate him. He twists him around his finger and allows him to believe want he wants. He believes Erso is his ticket into command, one Tarkin also sets his sights on. The rivalry between Krennic and Tarkin gave the novel a bit of tension, but other than this it was a little flat. It’s all very science driven without much action or excitement. This is less about the “Wars” element of Star Wars and more about technological advancement, so it became dry in places. For the right reader, this added depth may be interesting but I do expect a few things in a Star Wars novel, a few laser battles for one!

So this is only recommended for super fans, not those wanting a slice of Star Wars action; it’s a good set up for the film, but not a very thrilling read so approach it with caution.

[megs_bookrack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Catalyst: A Rogue One Story, while admittedly not my favorite, was still a good story. I can appreciate all the fine details it adds to the larger picture.

It's probably my fault for picking this up directly after, Dark Disciple, which I absolutely loved!!!



This is a prequel novel to the Rogue One film.

Basically it follows Orson Krennic, part of Chancellor Palpatine's Death Star Project, along with brilliant scientist, Galen Erso and his family.



This had a lot more technical details and political maneuverings than character work and drama, but as I said, it was still good.

I'm glad I read it as it provides a solid backdrop for the events of Rogue One, an immediate prequel to A New Hope; probably only necessary, or interesting, to hardcore fans.

[Khurram · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, I think, suffers from the curse of the prequel. I think James Luceno was given the brief of writing this book without giving anything away from the upcoming movie. Which is a difficult enough proposition. However, I think this book would have benefited from a good injection of action. There are so many battles in this book, but it almost reads like it is the battle of a man's soul. This part of the book is done quite well. As part of a safeguarding team, we are shown different models of the grooming process of how the predator will take their time luring, enticing and finally alienation their victim from their friends and family, till the person is so dependent on them or so far in that there is no way out.

I don't think that I will be breaking any spoilers by saying that I think Jyn is going to be the main character in Rogue One. This is the story of her parents. This story starts towards the end of the Clone Wars and finishes a couple of years into the Empire. The two main characters in this book are Galen and Krennic. Darth Vader and the Emperor are mentioned but are not in the book.

Krennic is an up-and-comer in the Imperial military and political ranks. He sees the opportunity to quicken his progress by bringing his former colleague/friend Galen in to solve the energy problem for the Imperials' biggest construction so far. The trouble is Galen is as brilliant as Galen is he and his wife oppose the war and are determined to stay neutral helping neither side but continuing their research for a private company instead. Krennic sees his opportunity when Galen and his family are in a bit of trouble as the world they are on is captured by the Separatists. The other big name in this book is Moff Tarkin, whom Krennic sees as a rival, and whom Tarkin might have possibly underestimated. There are possible side characters that will make an appearance in the movie, but this is the background to Jyn's family connection to Deathstar, as well as a possible hint at a connection to something else as well.

This is an ok Star Wars story, apart from the fact that it was a prequel to the movie, there was not really anything in the book that grabbed me as a must-read. I am looking forward to the movie but I am guessing that this will take place at least a decade after this book There might be flashbacks but I can't see much insight from this that will not be in the movie. It was a little disappointing for me, but an ok story, more political and mental manoeuvring (grooming), than actual fighting.

[Sr3yas · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to make a Death star : The Beginning

A prequel novel to the prequel movie to the original star wars trilogy... Wait, what?

“Science doesn’t take sides"

The science behind everyone's favorite weapon of mass destruction was originally conceived for an energy project by a brilliant scientist, Galen Erso. This is the story of deception and recruitment of him and his family by emperor's finest, Lieutenant Commander Orson Krennic.

This is a well written as well as a character driven story which acts as a prologue (not chapter) for the movie, Rogue one.

Does reading this book enrich the (Epic) movie experience?

To an extent, yes!

The book explores some plot points which are trivial yet relevant in grand scale. The mysterious Kyber crystals, an exclusive character profile of Rogue one's daunting villain, Orson Krennic and his tense relationship between Wilhuff Tarkin as well as his investment and later obsession with Death star project and Galen Erso are portrayed effectively in this story. The story also introduces the friendship between Saw Garrera and Erso Family.

Reading this book is not necessary to enjoy the movie. But if you do read, it will make the experience more interesting!

[Mogsy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2016/12/01/...

It’s no secret I’m very excited for Rogue One this winter. While the movie can’t come soon enough, in the meantime I thought I would whet my appetite with the prequel novel that’s meant to portray events that take place in the preceding years. In case you’re wondering whether you need to read Rogue One: Catalyst before seeing the movie though, the answer is: Only if you want to. Like most Star Wars novels in the expanded universe, I would not consider it required reading, and might even recommend against making this your first Star Wars novel if you’ve not read any before. But if on the other hand you’re the kind of “big picture” reader who appreciates a good background story, then this book will likely put some of the movie’s events into context and enrich your experience when you watch it.

Opening soon after the end of Episode II: Attack of the Clones and into the early years of the Clone Wars, Catalyst tells story of Galen Erso and Orson Krennic, both of whom will be featured in the upcoming film. A long and complicated history exists between the two men, and James Luceno seeks to explore this relationship by putting strong emphasis on the characters. First, there’s Galen, an energy scientist working on harnessing power from crystals. He and his wife Lyra are soon expecting the birth of their daughter (Jyn Erso, the lead of Rogue One) when Separatists take over the planet they are settled on, imprisoning Galen because of his refusal to work for them. However, the family is soon rescued by Orson Krennic, an old friend of Galen who appears to have made quite a name for himself in Palpatine’s new government. Krennic is now on a team working on a top secret weapons project codenamed “Celestial Power”, which of course is the Death Star.

Years pass, and with the fall of the Republic, work on the project Celestial Power has become more crucial than ever to the burgeoning Empire. Hoping to recruit Galen to the program and win favor from the Emperor, Krennic is not above manipulating the scientist by offering him a brand new research facility and the promise of kyber crystals. Dedicated only to his work, Galen is uninterested in taking sides in the war (which incidentally was how he ended up being imprisoned years before), but long has he wanted to use kybers for his research. Because the crystals had been under the purview of the Jedi, obtaining them had been an impossible feat, but now that the Jedi Order has been destroyed, they no longer pose an obstacle. Wary of Krennic and the Empire, Lyra fears that Galen might be heading down a path he’ll regret. Her husband is too blinded by his obsession with research to see what his old “friend” is trying to do, and it is tearing their family apart.

Primarily centered on the construction of the Death Star, Catalyst is heavily focused on the logistics and science behind putting together the huge space station. We’re also given more information than we’ve ever had before about the mysterious Force-attuned kyber crystals that Jedi use to build their lightsabers. If you’re interested in details like that, great! If not, then all of this will probably feel a bit dry. The info dumping was especially noticeable in the first half of the book, which unfortunately is when strong pacing is needed the most. The story takes a while to get started, and even as we move through the various developments in the novel, the tone of it remains relatively understated. This is in contrast to some of the more adventurous, action-oriented novels in the new Star Wars canon which might serve as a better jumping on point for newcomers to the books. Catalyst with its themes of intrigue, machinations and plotting might feel a little too slow and underwhelming in comparison.

That said, they couldn’t have tapped a more perfect author to write this novel. I’ve always felt that Luceno excels when it comes to the more low-key Star Wars stories due to his attention to detail and thoughtful approach to writing about darker, more subtle themes. From reading Darth Plagueis and Tarkin, I know that he is also fantastic with his characterizations, and of course he is once again at the top of his game with Catalyst. For this story to work, the reader had to be convinced of the unique and complex dynamic between Galen and Krennic. In spite of the other side plots involving Lyra, Jyn and Dressellian smuggler Captain Has Obitt, the book’s main conflict always came back to the relationship between the two men. To make sense of it all, we first had to understand what made each of them tick, and Luceno did an excellent job in that regard.

In the end, I thought Catalyst was good but not great. If you’re just starting to check out Star Wars fiction, there are probably better books in the new canon to read first, and unless you have a pressing need to learn all you can about the construction of the Death Star, you could probably put this one on the lower priority pile. That said, it’s still worth reading if you plan on seeing the Rogue One movie, if nothing else to gain a better understanding of the characters and story.

Audiobook Comments: I do love my Star Wars books in audio. No other kind of production gives me that epic experience complete with music and sound effects, and other than maybe Marc Thompson, I can’t think of another Star Wars audiobook narrator who is as fun and amazing to listen to as Jonathan Davis. If you’ve ever heard him do his Darth Vader voice, you’d understand. Too bad he doesn’t get the chance to do so in Catalyst, but he nevertheless delivers a fantastic performance, giving every character a unique voice. I never turn down the chance to listen to a Star Wars book, and this was another great one.

[TS Chan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Update: I really liked the movie. It's thematically appropriate and makes A New Hope and the Battle of Yavin so much more meaningful and poignant.

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Good enough to warrant a ‘like’ from a Star Wars fan, Catalyst is a background story to Rogue One which mainly focussed on the characters of Galen Erso and Orson Krennic. One being a victim of his prodigious mind and the other of his prodigious ambition (this dude actually thought he can take on Tarkin and Darth Vader).

As a stand-alone, the plot is rather dry but I can appreciate how reading this will enhance the experience of watching the movie. Characters which I’ve grown to really like are Lyra Erso and Has Obitt (with a name like that, I’m glad this book was not written in the present tense as it’s already mind-bending enough in past tense). And Jyn is adorable!

Other geek-worthy tidbits in this book include gleaning into the aspects of kyber crystals, and the construction of the Death Star.

[Bria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lyra Erso is the hero we all deserve and someone should just stab Krennic.

Full review on Tosche Station: http://tosche-station.net/review-cata...

[fatherofdragons113 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Catalyst was an interesting read in terms of information. I enjoyed learning about the origins of the Death Star. I liked learning about the Ersos, especially Lyra, she was a bad bitch with Padme vibes, and I liked how this book really seems to lead you right into Rogue One.

However, this was a very slow book. Paragraphs on descriptions (not bad in of itself, it paints a really vivid picture) but in combination with long-ass paragraphs dedicated to scientific mumbo jumbo that I do not understand or care to read about. It's just not my flavor. At one point I was at a 2-star rating for this book because it was just SO. SLOW. but there were things I genuinely liked about it, which is why I ended up giving it three stars.

The author is a good writer. You can tell he is intelligent and knows a lot about the subject matter he's writing about in terms of the science behind the fiction. I particularly love how he writes dialogue. It was really engaging and intellectual.

This book has me excited to watch Rogue One. I feel like I'm going to appreciate it ten times more now, especially considering I never had the Star Wars knowledge I have now.

3/5 very slow plot, but very well written with some interesting information to expand on the Star Wars Universe!

[Jessica Halleck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Imagine, if you will, a movie comprised mostly of scenes that start in some present moment, a Now, and skip from Now moment to Now moment, relying on either dialogue between characters in the Now to explain the events that led up to the Now--moments that the film hopped right over and sound like they might have been exciting to experience in real time--or some disembodied third person POV narrator to summarize while the Now action sits on pause. Then resumes. Then ends and hops a day, a week, even years to the next Now.

Now imagine that this is all done in a very dry, mechanical way. That the imagery is flat, sanitized, occasionally makes a half-hearted flop in the direction of emotion, but ultimately comes across with all the wooden charm a certain late-90's/early 2000's CGI sci-fi prequel trilogy is infamous for.

Also imagine the film barely bothers with characterization. People walk on screen with haircuts and costumes but otherwise you, the viewer, are generally expected to already know them and their reputation from other installments in the series. Your investment is assumed.

Imagine similar handling of events in the film that are assumed to be well-known canon plot points: battles, wars, political turnovers, etc. Interesting things covered in other series-related media that a viewer is just assumed to be up on.

Just imagine a really dry, shallow, clunky viewing experience that at its best has brief, fluttering flashes of a pulse, and at its worst is irritating.

You would not like that movie.

The warmest feelings you could probably conjure for it would still fall along the lines of "tepid".

If this book was a movie, its flaws would be laughably obvious. As a book, however, it allows some of the reader's imagination to pick up the slack and therefore, I assume, has earned a slightly warmer perception than it deserves.

This book is middling. Is lukewarm. Is all the more irritating for the occasional flashes of new, semi-interesting information about the Death Star's development. The writing is bland to an almost perfunctory degree. There is no art to it, no warmth or heart despite stiff attempts at going through the motions of feeling.

Like the Star Wars prequels, its execution is what kills any promise the premise or plot might have.

I loved Rogue One.

I did not love Catalyst.

[Lata · Rating 3 out of 5]

2025: 3.5 stars

It’s great coming back to this book, which, when I first read it, could not get totally immersed in this story as there was too much Star Wars history I was unaware of.

Now equipped with Clone Wars, Rebels, and Andor S1 and S2, this book hits differently. We follow the Ersos through several years living under the Empire, as Galen, though a brilliant researcher, is socially awkward, and doesn't read people particularly well, unlike his clever partner Lyra, who has commonsense and cleverness.

Because Galen is totally taken in by Orson Krennic (unlike Lyra, thank goodness!), this sets up the galaxy for much heartbreak and horror. We also get to see

-Krennic's machinations to secure resources for project Celestial Power (i.e., the Death Star), such as seizing control of planets for necessary minerals, no matter the ethics and ensuing destruction (I was immediately reminded of what happens with Ghorman as we see massive droids strip mining a couple of planets early into the Empire).

-Tarkin's decision to bide his time, letting Krennic do all the work on the project before Tarken assumes control

-The growth of the Empire with its pervasive surveillance, unjust and discriminatory laws, unchecked policing and security, planet destruction, enslavement and displacement of trillions.

This time around I enjoyed this book much more, but was struck by two things, even more so than the first time:

-Galen's obsession with his crystals research, and eagerness to convince himself of every one of Krennic's lies, just so he could keep working on something he loved. His greed has horrible consequences for many.

-The great portrayal of Lyra, who again impressed me with her strength, kindness, toughness, and care for her daughter but not at the expense of her brains, professional self, or her own convictions and desires, which is all fridged for story convenience in the first few minutes of Rogue One, an otherwise compelling narrative, and one of the best Star Wars movies.

2016: 3 stars

In preparation for the movie, I decided to check this book out. This book is primarily about the construction of the Death Star and the engineering behind a key system in this battle station. There is a lot of information in this book on kyber crystals, which the Jedi used to power their lightsabres. Galen Erso is researching these crystals in an effort to develop an energy source for the galaxy. Galen is a brilliant guy, whose math and engineering ideas are way above the heads of even his peers. His pregnant wife, Lyra, is on this team and transcribes his ideas and thoughts into coherent form for others on his research team. (More on her soon.)

When the story opens, the two are on a planet testing some of Galen's ideas on a massive kyber crystal. The Clone war is still in progress, and Galen and Lyra are captured by Separatist-friendly planetary authorities, and the two are are imprisoned. An old engineering colleague of Galen's, Orson Krennic, eventually extricates them from prison and brings them back to Coruscant.

Krennic has been tasked with managing the engineering of the major weapon on Palpatine's new massive battlestation. Krennic has got the whole evil plotting thing down pat; he's willing to lie, to cheat, to murder, anything, to make his way up Palpatine's military food chain. Krennic recognizes that Galen's research can be applied for use in the battlestation, and proceeds to woo Galen.

Meanwhile, Lyra has given birth and is spending all her time taking care of their daughter, Jyn. (Yup her.) Lyra is an interesting woman, and is smart and caring. Lyra had her own career previously, and travelled to many planets, exploring, and, incidentally, has a soft spot for the Jedi and their use of kyber crystals.

While the focus of the story is on the efforts behind a specific aspect of the Death Star, I found much of the time I spent with Galen to be kind of tedious. He wasn't terribly interesting, and I just never felt sufficiently sympathetic towards him. I cared about Lyra and Jyn, and felt increasingly worried about them as the story progressed. Krennic is a bad guy, and nothing he did really surprised me.

I've never read anything else by James Luceno, but I didn't find this to be a particularly quick read, where you are devouring words and desperate to find out what happens next. Not sure if that's because we already know that the Empire figured how to destroy planets with the Death Star, or because the guy with the big brain we're supposed to be caring about is kind of dull. I wanted to hang out with Lyra, who has a much more practical bent, and puts pieces of information together to protect her family.

[Lady*M · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+ stars

Review written for Star Wars News Net.

Review contains spoilers.

Catalyst has already been labeled by others as “essential reading” for those planning to see Rogue One in theaters next month. That being said, the first thing you need to know about James Luceno’s Catalyst (as with all of the Star Wars novels) is that you won’t need to have read the book to enjoy Rogue One, nor would reading the book or this review spoil the film for you. It is my estimate that the novel would greatly enrich your understanding of the characters and their circumstances, thus enhancing your enjoyment, but Luceno himself said it the best when he called Catalyst a “companion piece” to the film.

Starting one year after the beginning of the Clone Wars and spanning to a few years into the rule of the Galactic Empire, Catalyst is a character driven book centered on the relationship between Galen Erso and Orson Krennic.

At the beginning of the novel, we find the Erso family – Galen and his pregnant wife Lyra – on the independent world of Vallt where Galen conducts his research into sustainable energy powered by crystals. Galen has kyber crystals in mind, but since they are under the purview of the Jedi, he has to settle for synthetic ones. When the Separatists take over the planet, Galen is imprisoned because he doesn’t want to provide his research for them – in fact, Galen doesn’t want his work used by any army. He and his wife are pacifists and so he is forced to languish in prison. During this time, his daughter – Jyn – is born.

The Ersos are saved by Orson Krennic, Galen’s old friend from the Futures Program, basically what could pass for college in the real world. Krennic became a part of Special Weapons Group, formed by Palpatine after the First Battle of Geonosis. We thus learn that the Death Star was initially a secret weapon of the Republic, known only to a few and built under the pretext that Separatists are presumably doing the same.

What follows are years of Krennic’s careful machinations and manipulations to maneuver Galen into providing a superlaser for the Death Star. It was occasionally very difficult to read how enamored Galen is with his research and the kyber crystals that Krennic eventually provides for him, while knowing what Krennic is doing behind the scenes to make the project successful. In a way, Krennic is a perfect reflection of the Empire – he would do anything and destroy anyone to achieve his goals.

It was interesting to compare and contrast him to Tarkin with whom he has an intense and very entertaining rivalry. Tarkin was always ambitious as well, but he is a believer in the Empire, and his ambitions never come before its goals. Krennic comes across as someone who would sell his own mother to advance in the ranks and expect her to like it too. He has a single weak moment when Galen offers him a partnership that would combine Erso’s genius and Krennic’s organizational skills to change the galaxy for the better. However, this barely entertained notion is quickly crushed by Orson’s loftier ambitions and self-interest.

They say that behind every great man there is a great woman and what a woman Lyra is! A former surveyor and cartographer, she ended up as a guide for various scientific teams where she met Galen. Physically active and independent, an adventurer of sorts, she is a perfect counterpart to Galen. When he is lost in complex corridors of his genius mind very few can understand, Lyra grounds him and connects him to the real world and – the Force. While she cannot use the Force, she feels it and feels connected to the world around her. She is spiritual and shares her husband’s pacifistic beliefs. She knows Galen well and knows when to give him space and when to bring him back to the ground.

Whether it be from her connection to the Force or women’s intuition, Lyra has an uneasy relationship with Krennic from the start. While she is grateful to him at first, she never fully trusts him and is the first to start doubting his motivations. Krennic, on the other hand, fears that Lyra could hamper his plans for Galen and hates her influence on the scientist. Reading about Galen and Lyra made me (if it’s even possible) even more excited for Rogue One and curious to see what their daughter inherited from these two exceptional people.

No Star Wars story is truly authentic without a great smuggler and Luceno gave us one in the Dressellian captain, Has Obitt. Initially recruited by Krennic to fly a ship that would rescue the Ersos, he is Krennic’s pawn in achieving his goals throughout the years that follow. Eventually though, every pawn gets tired of being used, and Obitt gives in to his own conscience after a mission for Krennic that reunites him with Lyra.

He decides to make a stand against the Empire connecting in the process with a familiar face – Saw Gerrera. It gave me enormous satisfaction when the two of them managed to outmaneuver Krennic – and Tarkin himself – and save the Ersos. The fact that Obitt managed to survive two great Imperial strategists is an incredible success on its own. We now know that Jyn’s connection to Gerrera goes way back into her childhood and some details provided in the book suggest that he might have been her guardian after Krennic eventually finds them. The planet we’ve seen in the flashback scenes in the Rogue One trailers is also given a name in the book – Lah’mu.

Jyn is a small child throughout the book so she doesn’t get a point of view until the very end of the book, but the lesson she learned is very telling:

Jyn watched them and listened. She didn’t know what the Empire was or who the Empire was, but Mama and Papa and Saw didn’t like it. In some way the Empire had made them leave behind all her toys and Mama’s and Papa’s clothes and other things. And Mac-Vee, too, who would have nothing to do without them there. But she felt warm and safe in Papa’s arms, and Saw was a new friend.

Luceno continues what many authors of the new canon novels have already done, painting a picture of the Empire strangling the galaxy by using and destroying its resources to gain full control. During the span of this book, we witness complete environmental destruction of several planets and deaths of tens of thousands of people. The magnitude of the Death Star project suggests that what we see here is just a tip of the iceberg. To add balance to the narrative, we also see the first independent seeds of what will eventually become the Rebellion, starting with individuals and spreading to isolated systems that want to preserve their independence.

He also shows how people can get seduced into believing that they are doing the right thing and how they rationalize their actions and those of others to appease their minds, mainly through the character of Galen who believes he is working to secure a peaceful and better future for his family. His fascination with kyber crystals blinds him to everything else and you occasionally want to scream at him to wake up from his reverie.

Out of the two books Luceno has contributed to the new canon, I still prefer Tarkin which stands firmly at the top of my list, but I am impressed with Catalyst nonetheless. At the end of it, I felt I knew these characters and I wanted to see them again and see how they changed in the meantime. Luckily, we don’t have to wait too long for that – as Rogue One is less than a month away! What I can wholeheartedly suggest is that you invest your time in this book. I am fairly certain you will enjoy it and become even more invested in Erso family and the forthcoming movie.

After reading some of our readers' suggestions, our book review team has decided to experiment with a rating system. We landed on a 1 to 5 scale, and so Catalyst earns from me:

4 out of 5 Kyber Crystals (and a chip)

[Gavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This turned out to be an OK prequel to the Rogue One movie. It set the scene for the movie and provided a bit of background for characters like Orson Krennic and Jyn's parents. It also did a great job of telling the story of how the Death Star came to fruition and what life was like for people in the days of the war between the Republic and Separatist forces and then into the early days of the Empire.

Luceno has a talent for writing background histories and intrigue. The problem with his writing is that it is all a little distant and that makes it hard to emotionally engage with the characters.

I do feel like this did have the feel of a Star Wars tale but that it was definitely not a typical action based Star Wars story. The focus in this one was all intrigue and just a general history telling. I think I warmed more to the story as it progressed. As a Star Wars newbie (to the books) I feel like I may have missed a bunch of the references to other stuff happening in the Star Wars universe Luceno alluded to while reading this one.

The other flaw of this books, which I feel like it a general flaw of the Star Wars books, is that the authors are limited in what they can do with the characters and the story. I felt like Luceno would have delivered a more complex tale if he was not limited by where these characters had to be by the end of the story. His Orson Krennic is a way better character than the somewhat generic villain we get in the movie and I also felt like with more freedom he could have done a good job with making a more complex tale of the Jedi Order and their magic crystals!

All in all I felt like this was an OK read and will probably read James Luceno's Tarkin for more background on that character.

Rating: 3.5 stars.

Audio Note: Jonathan Davies gave a fantastic performance of the audio. His chosen voices were all good.

[Chad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Focuses on Galen Erso and his family while filling in the gaps between the Clone Wars and Rogue One. We also see how Orson Krennic manipulates everyone over the course of several years to get the Death Star built. This is not an action oriented book at all but still worth a read for fans of the EU.

[Holly (The GrimDragon) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm encouraged to learn that your brain remains in working order.

Okay. OKAY. As if I wasn't excited enough already for Rogue One, then you have to throw in a novel that just so happens to be the prequel to said soon-to-be-badass-new canon-anthology Star Wars movie? Released prior to the movie coming out? YOU MEAN WE GET ACTUAL SOLID BACKSTORY BEFORE SEEING THE EVENTS UNFOLD ON THE BIG SCREEN?! TAKE ALL MY MONEY! This is not necessary to read ahead of time, but it certainly helps to set the stage for some quality storytelling to flesh out these characters we will see come to life in Rogue One!

Krennic, Galen, Jyn.. I pictured them so vividly, mainly because of who will be playing them. But I liked that. There was something cool about having the characters burned into my brain (from having watched the trailers & promotional material no less than 159367496.5 times) already without any prior knowledge heading into the book. Before a word had been read. Much different than if you start a book series & then it gets made into a television show, but you aren't finished the series, so you avoid the television show because OMFG! WHAT IF THESE CHARACTERS LOOK NOTHING LIKE I HAD IMAGINED?! Well folks, no need to worry about that here! Orson Krennic is pretty much THE character for me in this & I am psyched as hell to see Ben Mendelsohn in this role. Krennic is going to be one of the craziest villains in the Star Wars universe. I CAN SENSE IT IN THE FORCE!

If you couldn't tell from the cover, this story mainly focuses on the construction of the Death Star. THAT'S NO MOON! It gives us a bigger picture of what went on logistically for this space station to become what it was & why it took so long to build. If you are just beginning your new canon Star Wars fiction journey & are not all that fussed about the Death Star (WHAT?!) then I wouldn't put this at the top of your priority list. It is, however, a quality Star Wars novel & one that introduces us to at least two solid characters that I personally cannot wait to see more of.

Please excuse me while I continue to flail for the next 10 days! BRING ON ROGUE ONE!

4 solid Death Stars!

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls · Rating 3 out of 5]

Serving as a prologue to the movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, this book expands on the characters of Galen Erso, his wife Lyra Erso, and Galen's friend/colleague/boss/adversary Orson Krennic. The book feels as though it was written in a hurry and not thoroughly re-written. The 330 page length actually feels too long, and much of the story feels like filler with unforgivably dull stretches lurking around every corner. Still, as a Star Wars fan, I did enjoy the parts of the book that enhanced the movie storyline, and at least the ending was entertaining. Now will someone please get to work on the Jyn Erso/Saw Gerrero book? That's the story I want to read.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is probably half me, half the book. Not in the mood for this right now, also it wasn’t great. There’s nothing objectionable about it. I just did not care. Not the outcome I was hoping for, especially since I’ve liked all the rest of the books so far in the new Star Wars canon. I suppose this was going to happen eventually, statistically speaking. Ah, well. No harm done. Moving on with my life.

I don’t recommend this book for anyone who isn’t more than a casual Star Wars fan. Casuals, move along.

All right, the rest of you, listen up. This book is interesting in parts and if you’ve seen the film (loved it, loved the novelization as well). Don’t read this first. You will either like it better because it provides some backstory on how the events of the film tie in to the events of the prequels and the Clone Wars, as well as backstory on Galen and Lyra Erso, as and their frenemy, Orson Krennic, or you will like it worse because Rogue One was infinitely better. Luceno’s style, which I’ve never gelled with anyway in any of his previous Star Wars books, really didn’t work here for me. The book takes place over years and spans many events in the lives of the Ersos, as well as transitioning from the Republic to the Empire, and that made it way harder to get immersed in the story. He also focuses more on the logistical details than he does on characters and emotions. The only word I can use to describe it is “dry.”

I do think there was some interesting material to be mined here, but this book didn’t manage to do it.

In short, for die-hards only.

[2.5 stars]

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in anticipation of Rogue One. The movie was awesome, this book was... fine. Naturally, you don't need this book to provide context for Rogue One. But I do think it helps to show the relationship between Krennic and Galen and Krennic and Tarkin. Also, Lyra is a highlight.

[Paz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
Meaningless prequel to Rogue One? No, not at all.
Listen, I'm here reviewing this book after watching Rogue One for the first time (don't worry, no spoilers for the movie) and I gotta say, I so underestimated the value of this book. After finishing it, it was barely a 3 stars read for me. I didn't think it provided much to the backstory, because well... we knew the plot of the movie, right? Consequently, we knew exactly what this book was about. (Please tell me you're one of the people who knows Rogue One is not the continuation of VII. PLEASE)

This is the movie inspired by the opening crawl of Star Wars.
''It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire.
During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire's ultimate weapon, the DEATH STAR, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet.''

So, what we knew at first was this: Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen) is the one person in charge of building the Death Star and he's the father of Jyn (Felicity Jones), one of the rebels, if not the main character of the movie, trying to steal the plans of the weapon his father created.
That was the general idea of the movie, right? So when I was reading the book, well, it didn't seem that interesting, that game-changing, because it was just that. It was the story of the Ersos, of Galen and his wife Lyra and their little baby Jyn. I thought that it was great knowing this family, but at the end of the day, it was a book about Galen working to weaponize this battle station and well, we knew that, or not that but close enough. It was what we expected, nothing more, so what was new in this book? Granted, there are some things like the information of the Kyber Crystals, but I knew about the Kyber so, again, what was new? That was my biggest fault of the book. As a prequel, I knew what was going to happen and how it would finish and I didn't appreciate the journey. (Funny, how it's the same scenario with the movie, you know how it ends, but the journey, Oh, the journey).

Now, I don't wanna review the movie here, of course, but after watching it I realized how much I undervalued this book. How important was the emotional bond I formed with these characters, because, believe me, I did end up rooting for Galen, Jyn and especially Lyra. Their journey through the movie, was deeply emotional to me, much so that I was angry with some of their fates (Good angry though). I also, can't say enough, of how much I hated Krennic and how important was to know him before, to know his own struggles and his rivalry with... some other imperial officers. (Don't wanna spoil).
Even the kyber crystals, if this is a prequel to the movie, it does its job perfectly, because the crystals are very important in Rogue One and I forgot how the regular movie goers or the casual Star Wars fan may not know about them. I also had a different appreciation for Saw, as someone who hasn't watched Clone Wars, or at least not enough. (Those damn Jar Jar episodes in season 1, man)

Listen, I was watching the Fatman on Batman review yesterday of Rogue One, and Marc was going on like ''I just don't understand the motivation of Krennic and how important was the Death Star to him'' and Kevin Smith was trying to answer that, meanwhile I was yelling to the screen: ''CAUSE CATALYST, MARC. KRENNICK HAS BEEN 20 YEARS WORKING IN THE DEATH STAR, SUFFERING AND SCHEMING. MAKING IT THE WORK AND SOLE PURPOSE OF HIS LIFE!''.

I truly believe a movie should stand on its own. But I just simply can't separate book from movie now. As someone who thought the book was only okay, I had such a great understanding of the world, the characters, the plot, and, because I believe that if you took the time to read Catalyst was because you were going to see Rogue One, wasn't that the point of the prequel? To maximize your enjoyment and understanding of Rogue One, of the overall world or should I say Galaxy?

Okay, that was enough of the book and movie thing. Let me talk only about Catalyst now.
This book works perfectly as a bridge between The Clone Wars and the Rogue One movie, that comes immediately before A New Hope. We see the fall of the republic and the rise of the Empire. We follow Galen Erso and his pregnant wife Lyra. Galen is a brilliant scientist and he's researching his biggest work yet. Because the Kyber Crystals are ''sacred'', or at least artifacts of the Jedi, he's trying to construct synthetic crystals and replicate the immense power the Kybers hold. His only goal is to provide sustainable energy for the whole galaxy. He's not working for The Republic nor The Separatists, but with a work and mind like his, he's the target of some big parties, like, for example, his former friend and colleague from the Republic’s Futures Program, Orson Krennic.

Because of Krennic's achievements in the Republic Core of Engineers, and the number of construction projects he's supervised, he's now part of a top-secret project and well... when he learns the magnitude of this project, the only man he can think of, worthy of this task, to help him weaponize it and in doing so, gaining more power inside the Empire and getting closer to the Emperor himself, is his friend Galen Erso.

The biggest players in this book are Galen, with his groundbreaking work, Krennic and his strategic mind, Lyra and his ''rebel'' heart, and Captain Has Obitt, a dressellian smuggler, who gets to know and work with Krennic, the Ersos and even Saw Gerrera.

One of my complaints beginning this book, was the not-at-all subtle way of Luceno having Lyra Erso being the badass female that everyone loves because she's just perfect, delightful and fantastic. It was very heavy, at the beginning, reading how much we should love her and it made me go the other way. If Luceno wanted to make Lyra a great character, he should let the actions and her words speak to that, but not making everyone love Lyra just because.
Thing is, he did just that. He didn't need to do the over-use of ''anywhere she goes people love her'' thing at the beginning. Lyra, as a mother, as a wife and as a woman, was amazing enough. She was the star and heart of this book. She was a key player in how we perceive Galen, she's there to humanize him, and in knowing how far Krennic will go and how manipulative he is.
At the end of this book, Lyra was my favorite character.

Also, let's talk about the final chapter of this book. This was the only chapter where we see things through Jyn's eyes. She may be 4 or 5 years old at the end of this book and it was such a great decision having her being the PoV character. It was a great, if not emotional, way to end this book and leading the way to what was going to be Jyn's story in Rogue One.

One of the things I didn't really like in this book, it's the way the characters seemed to go back to the classic Star Wars tropes. They are pretty much black & white and I missed the inner struggles and complexity that, for example, Claudia Gray has been writing in this new canon. Her characters are, for lack of a better word, gray (also, yay, pun!) and it makes a much more interesting reading. She did it great in Bloodline, she did it perfectly in Lost Stars.

Overall, this book is there to build some characters that will be key players, not only in Rogue One, but in the Star Wars mythos. It is a slow paced book, there's a lot of exposition, but we get to see the changes and actions inside the Empire. I can't say enough of how much this book improved my viewing experience of Rogue One. And I honestly don't know if ''improved'' is the right word, but I can't simply separate the book from the movie now and how important was to get to know the Ersos. Yeah, if you can, please read this before watching the movie.

[Chuck · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author makes a fatal mistake at the beginning: he assumes we know his characters already and are invested in their struggle, as if they've been the heroes of books, comics or movies all along. That's something that can go a long way in the author's favor with established, franchised characters. But not when you are tasked with introducing new faces and stories to the series and giving them meaning. This book is supposed to lay the groundwork for the upcoming movie Rogue One but man, this almost sinks the movie hype for me.

Characters speak and act as if they already have our sympathies and are no strangers to the excitement of Star Wars. OK fine maybe. But then we are bombarded with DUMP loads of lazy exposition, flatly telling us everything about a character's past, his motivations, hopes and fears. They are awkwardly inserted segments that beat over the head ideas that could be more deftly worked into the story otherwise. The action is sudden and confusing. Who is attacking who? Don't worry about it, you'll never know. He writes characters like a geology textbook writes about life. Paradoxically, the author also has an infuriating habit of keeping descriptions vague and unfocused. Almost as if he is REFUSING to allow concrete places or images to form in our minds. What's it look like on planet Vallt? There's snow. What's a taqwa? Something you ride? What are these aliens like? Large bugs. Pick places or planets from any other EU or Disney work and you will find more to remember. Anywhere. Hell, the bathroom on the engineering deck of the Starship Enterprise is a more convincing location to me than anything in this book, that's how poor the immersion is--and they definitely have better reading material than this in the stalls.

So who is Galen Erso anyway? He's smart because he studies magic Jedi crystals and is apparently the only one capable of unlocking their potential now – and here is where, even more disappointingly, the story moves: the quiet manipulation of this guy to keep studying these magic crystals so that the Big Badguy (Krennic) can develop the Death Star's super laser. Back and forth we go from fretting and worrying with his wife, playing with their baby daughter and negotiating the seemingly good graces of Krennic. Towards the climax it becomes apparent that Lyra Erso, the wife, is somehow nemesis number 1 for Krennic in a totally laughable, domestic drama way that somehow has GALACTIC IMPORTANCE. This is because she adores and respects the Force and Jedi history because... plot. You'd think Krennic was secretly gay and trying to woo Galen Erso away from his wife the way he carries on – and frankly that would have been a more interesting angle.

Then we get treated to Tarkin blasting some poor fool planets to waste as a distraction and my God you would think that would be exciting but no.

The story finds itself about midway through and gets more readable with less info-dumping exposition but I had long since ceased caring about the protagonists. They exist. At least Orson Krennic has some sense of purpose, one-dimensional as it is. Past all the horrible, clunky prose and flat lifeless people and places I get the sense (dare I say, hope?) that nothing from this book will be remotely important to the movie.

[Marcos GM · Rating 3 out of 5]

[ESP/ENG]

Resultaba casi conmovedor ver el despertar de la esperanza, por cauteloso y frágil que fuese.

Como es obvio por el título, esta novela es de una galaxia muy muy lejana, los no fans de Star wars podéis dejarlo aquí. Y es que esto es la precuela de la precuela y a la vez secuela de alguna de las pelis 😂, véase precuela a Rogue One y secuela (o intercuela como han dado en llamar también a estas cosas) de las Guerras clon y el Episodio III

La historia que tenemos aquí es la de la familia Erso, que son Galen (papá), Lyra (mamá) y Jyn (hija), y sus muchas tribulaciones. Galen es un prodigio del campo energético, Lyra una gran exploradora y Jyn una niña muy movida. Empieza todo durante el periodo de Las guerras Clon, una cruenta guerra entre la República (y los Jedi) y los separatistas, en la que ambos bandos intentan desarrollar nuevas armas para conseguir la victoria. Galen tiene parte que ver en esto ya que sus ideas pueden dar la victoria a la República, aunque él es un pacifista y no quiere participar de ninguna manera. Aquí entra Orson Krennic, un cargo medio que busca ascender. A mediados de la novela se llega al periodo del Imperio galáctico, y estos ahora buscan tener paz en la galaxia haciendo uso del miedo, por lo que inician la construcción de La Estrella de la muerte. Esos serán los elementos más importantes.



Habiendo visto Rogue One me interesaba saber más de esos personajes, ya que allí la mayoría solo están esbozados, y aquí cumple. Aunque gran parte de lo que cuenta es bastante redundante, muchos de los pasajes en las instalaciones de investigación se hacen pesados. Cuando están por la galaxia funciona mejor, sobre todo viendo las tropelías que comete el Imperio, y como puede empezar una rebelión. Y ver el antagonismo Krennic-Tarkin tiene su punto también.

Es una obra menor dentro del canon, algo amplía pero puedes pasar perfectamente sin leerla. Al menos da importancia a los cristales Kyber, que siempre quedan en segundo o tercer plano. Ahora me voy a meter con la relectura de El discípulo oscuro, que sucede en Las guerras Clon también, y allí hay bien de Jedi dando mand0blazos y usando la Fuerza.

-Polvo de estrellas- dijo Galen-. Eso es lo que tiene en los ojos.


💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫


It was almost heartening to witness the dawn of hope, as cautious and fragile as it was.

As the title suggests, this novel is from a galaxy far, far away, so non-Star Wars fans can stop here. This is the prequel to the prequel and also a sequel to one of the movies 😂, namely prequel to Rogue One and sequel (or interquel as they have also called these things) to the Clone Wars and Episode III

The story we have here is that of the Erso family, which are Galen (dad), Lyra (mom) and Jyn (daughter), and their many tribulations. Galen is a prodigy of the energy field, Lyra a great explorer and Jyn a very active girl. It all begins during the period of the Clone Wars, a bloody war between the Republic (and the Jedi) and the separatists, in which both sides try to develop new weapons to achieve victory. Galen has a part to do with this, as his ideas can give victory to the Republic, although he is a pacifist and does not want to participate in any way. This is where Orson Krennic comes in, a mid-level official who seeks to rise. In the middle of the novel, the period of the Galactic Empire is reached, and they now seek to have peace in the galaxy by using fear, so they begin the construction of the Death Star. These will be the most important elements.



Having seen Rogue One, I was interested in knowing more about these characters, since most of them are only outlined there, and here you can understand them better. Although much of what it tells is quite redundant, many of the passages in the research facilities become tedious. When they are in the galaxy it works better, especially seeing the atrocities committed by the Empire, and how a rebellion can begin. And seeing the Krennic-Tarkin antagonism has its point as well.

It is a minor work within the canon, it expands a bit but you can easily pass without reading it. At least it gives importance to the Kyber crystals, which are always sidelined. Now I'm going to start rereading The Dark Disciple, which also takes place in The Clone Wars, and there are plenty of Jedi fighting with lightsabers and using the Force.

“Stardust,” Galen said. “That’s what’s in her eyes.”

[Maria Dimitrova · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buddy read with Michael *Windrunner*

I though a lot about how many stars to give this book. I'm honestly unsure whether I liked it. Most of the times I was extremely bored. The book is basically pointless. Sure it gives some dept to the Ersos and Krennic but I personally would have preferred if the story was told in another format. A collection of short stories would have been best. Because there was so much filler. Even a hard core fan like me would find most of the book redundant. It basically makes you hate Krennic even more than just seeing him in the film, shows that Lyra is more than an extra, that Galen is a brilliant scientist and that the rivalry between Tarkin and Krennic had it's roots in the past. The thing is you could deduce all of that from the film. So as I said the book was pointless. Another disappointing entry for the new Star Wars canon.

[Shane Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listen don't read this book. Every Star Wars book has fantastic sound effects. Do the audiobook with headphones to get the most out of them. Catalyst is a great prelude to the movie, opening Dec 16, 2016. I can't wait.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I much prefer the original Expanded Universe, thank you.

[Neil R. Coulter · Rating 5 out of 5]

(There are some spoilers in this review. The short version: This is a really excellent Star Wars novel, which is a rare thing.)

I've read all of the new Star Wars canon novels, and most of the graphic novels. For the most part, they are disappointing. The two bright spots are James Luceno and Alexander Freed, the only authors who seem completely comfortable writing in the Star Wars universe, and who are also capable of writing fiction that is not embarrassing for a grown-up to read. So I've been looking forward to this year's Rogue One tie-in novels--the movie novelization by Freed, and the prequel novel, Catalyst, by Luceno.

Catalyst did not disappoint.

The biggest surprise? Catalyst features that rarest of all things in Star Wars: an intact nuclear family, with father, mother, and child. An intelligent, caring family, but basically just a normal family. That is so refreshing! That kind of thing has hardly ever been shown in any Star Wars story, and Luceno writes it well. Thank you, James Luceno!

My main worry about Catalyst was that it would be merely a tease for the upcoming movie, but not much a story on its own (as was true of some of the "Journey to the Force Awakens" writing leading up to that movie). However, not only is Catalyst more than just a shallow movie tie-in, it is actually a substantial addition to Star Wars lore. Luceno has a great ability to take elements from my least favorite era of Star Wars (prequels/Clone Wars) and make it look fascinating and intriguing. In Catalyst, he takes us back to the end of the Clone Wars, and even right to the coda of Revenge of the Sith, and it feels natural and perfect. We see the period between Episodes 3 and 4, learning more about the residual conflict after the official conclusion of the Clone Wars, and of the Empire's increasing reach into all parts of the galaxy in pursuit of resources and unquestioning allegiance.

Also fascinating in this novel is the exploration of what the galaxy generally knew about the Jedi. Luceno raises questions of whether it's ever right for people--even the "good guys"--to keep secrets. Were the Jedi right to withhold knowledge from everyone else, or to limit the boundaries of their own research when they might have been able to help more people? Luceno, through his protagonist Galen Erso, asks, "Was there such a thing as a noble lie?"

In Catalyst, Luceno raises issues of environmentalism and "creation care," confronting his characters with the difficult questions of who controls the natural resources, and what anyone has the right to do with those resources. That sounds like what I often don't like about Star Wars novels: obvious "preaching" about current topics in our world, which take me out of the fictional world. Somehow, Luceno manages to bring in these current topics in a way that feels just fine. In fact, I loved this aspect of the novel. I also loved how he restores the concept of the Jedi being tuned into the Force as an energy that unites all living things. Gone are the midichlorian counts and other nonsense; Luceno brings us right back to Jedi training as Yoda presents it in Episode 5, while also hinting at the directions that J.J. Abrams was taking the Force in the new trilogy--that it's a power that everyone, not just Jedi, might access.

There are two problems with this book, but they're minor enough that I can overlook them. The first is that there's a point at which it seems Galen understands he's helping the Empire build a weapon that will subdue an entire planet. That turn doesn't make sense to me, because it's so contrary to his character up to that point; and blaming the effect of the kyber crystals seems like a cheap explanation. But near the end of the book, Galen seems to not realize that his research is being weaponized. There's some ambiguity that obscures the final third of the novel.

The other problem is the idea that the Empire begins construction on the Death Star before anyone knows how to build the turbolaser weapon. That seems ludicrous to me. How are they building the dish sections before they know what they're building?

But as I said, the book is so good otherwise that I'll forgive those flaws. Luceno is a natural at writing Star Wars, even with this movie tie-in that I assume he wrote under severe deadlines and with Lucasfilm being especially involved in the details. He is easily the best Star Wars writer of the current group, and I hope he gets many more assignments. Catalyst is so substantial and so satisfying that it's hard to imagine Rogue One will make sense without having read it.

Bonus points for mentioning meiloorun fruit, from one of my favorite episodes of Rebels.

[Scott Rhee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Without giving a rather lengthy explanation, I have not seen “Rogue One” yet. I have every intention to see it in theaters, but I simply haven’t had the opportunity: I'll just leave it at that. So shut up about it already. Yes, I have heard it is the best of the “Star Wars” films. Yes, I am aware of the surprise cameos, which, by the way, cease to be surprises when you tell me about them. You do realize that’s why they call them “spoilers”?

In the meantime, I was excited to read James Luceno’s contribution to the new canon, a novel that explained some of the events leading up to “Rogue One”.

The novel, “Catalyst”, starts out during the Clone Wars, shortly after the Battle of Geonosis, and ends years after the infamous Order 66, also known as the “Purge”, which resulted in the galaxy-wide extermination of all Jedi Knights. For those unfamiliar with the history of the Star Wars universe, in the timeline of the films, the book starts sometime after “Episode 2: Attack of the Clones” and ends after “Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith”.

While I have enjoyed some of Luceno’s earlier contributions to the Star Wars Expanded Universe (SWEU), I was somewhat disappointed by “Catalyst”.

It’s not a bad novel. It’s actually very well-written, as expected from the competent Luceno. Unfortunately, it’s simply not a very exciting novel, certainly not up to par for the author of one of the better novels in the New Jedi Order series, “The Unifying Force”.

Half of “Catalyst” deals mostly with political jockeying. There are scenes aplenty in which Imperial officers try to outwit each other or commit outright treachery in order to gain credit and/or a higher rung in the Imperial hierarchy. It’s basically “Celebrity Apprentice: Coruscant”, with Emperor Palpatine standing in for Donald Trump. (Not an inappropriate analogy, actually. Instead of saying "You're fired", the Emperor just shoots you dead with an energy bolt from his hands and says something like, "Your lack of competence disturbs me…")

The other half deals with the mental and spiritual struggles of Lyra and Galen Erso, a married couple, both scientists, who are recruited by the Empire, unwittingly, to do scientific research that will lead eventually to the creation of the Death Star.

Their daughter, Jyn, grows up to be the hero of “Rogue One”, but in this novel, she is merely a young child whose role is relegated to the background.

Galen is, in many ways, a stand-in for Robert Oppenheimer, the scientist who helped to create the atomic bomb. Galen is, at first, excited to be recognized and to work for the Republic, as he feels that his work will do much good for the war effort against the Separatists.

Unfortunately, as the years go on, and as Lyra and Galen begin to see how the Republic becomes the Empire and how evil and twisted Emperor Palpatine is becoming, they no longer feel that their research is being used for the greater good. For Lyra, it becomes apparent quickly, as she travels to worlds once protected as galactic legacies (think “protected lands” and “designated national parks”) being plundered for mining and drilling for the sole purpose of building weapons, Star destroyers, and Tie fighters.

Galen is not so easily swayed. He’s mesmerized by the science, especially involving the power of crystals once used only by the Jedis for their lightsabers. It becomes a personal mission for him to unlock the power of these crystals. His realization, however, that these crystals can be used just as easily for destructive purposes as it can for sustainable energy comes too late.

Die-hard Star Wars fans will enjoy this book, especially its several cameos and links to other films and the Star Wars Rebels TV show, some of which non-fans will probably not appreciate as much.

Unfortunately, the novel plods along at a rather slow pace with not much in the way of action. Some interesting ideas and relevant social commentary aren’t enough to carry it, so the book, sadly, falls short of being spectacular. It’s decent, but it leaves one wanting much more.

[Holden Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great prequel novel to Rogue One the movie. James Luceno is a master at writing in the star wars universe.

My rating of 4/5 stars is solely for two reasons. The writing and characters. The story itself is all but assumed and known by everyone. We all know what happens. The death star was built and though this book points out some small details and the leading up to it, I felt that it was unecessary. Some of these new Canon novels just feel entirely filler. I understand there are small stories that need to be told but honestly they are nothing compared to the old EU where each story was jam packed with adventure.

I don't know. I do love the new canon. Lots of the books are great, but the problem is that Disney is focusing on the new trilogy and doesn't want to reveal anything there until the movies are done, so lots of what we will get WILL be filler/etc until then.

Oh man I hope Thrawn is an amazing book.

Anyways, the characters and relationships were top notch. This made me feel so much for Galen, Lyra, Jyn, even dislike Orson Krennic so much more when I saw Rogue One. It does it's job well, but outside of leading up to rogue one, I don't know if it had much point.

[Eva-Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sci-fi is my jam. <3

[Ryan Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't by any means bad, but it wasn't quite what I thought it could have been. Don't get me wrong, I am stupid excited to see "Rogue One" (so crazy that I was one of those people who was Fandango at 12:01am on Monday morning waiting for the site to un-crash so I could buy tickets to the first viewing in a few weeks). However, I thought this book would be a little more than, what seemed to me to be, a purely background story leading up to the film.

The writing is something that kept me going. I am sure there are those out there that thought the writing was a little heavy at times with Star Wars fantasy technology jargon, but the truth is is that a lot of the curiosity around the Death Star is how it came to be, and how it's power was created. This book had to go into depth about how it's destructive powers came to be, on on that, I give this book 5 stars. James Luceno does a terrific job showing the progression of Galen Erso's research and how it eventually lead to the Empire harnessing it has a huge power int eh galaxy. The only problem was, that's mostly what this book was about. It's true that there was some good character development, and the relationship between Orson Krennic and Galen was very interesting and will continue to be interesting in the film. However, I felt like it wasn't enough to really get me excited about reading this book. I would have liked to see more Characters from the movies show up (though the stuff with Tarkin was great, which is not a surprise since Luceno wrote an entire book about the Grand Moff) but in the end, the back and forth between Krennic and Erso just wasn't interesting enough to carry the whole story.

When I read a Star Wars novel, I want to feel like I get more nuggets about characters and the universe as a whole, and although I liked getting more background of the years just after the Clone Wars, it left me wanting a little more. The upside is, at the very least, this book has me that much more excited for the movie, which I suppose it one big reason to put it out in the first place. One other admission is that I enjoy the mythology surrounding the Sith and Jedi and the force as a whole, and, outside of the short parts of the book that discussed the kyber crystals, this book had little of that. I knew it wouldn't going into it, but I guess I didn't realize how much it would affect me liking it or not. So I admit that this is on me and not on the book that I was looking for something that I should have assumed would never be there. For a fan like me, it'll be really, really interesting to see if a film, so devoid of that mythology that we are used to in Star Wars films, will impact my enjoyment of it.

In the end, I enjoyed reading more about the back story leading up to "Rogue One", it did leave a little something to be desired for me, but it's hard for me to walk away from a book like this (that has anything to do with the Star Wars universe) and not be at least somewhat glad I heard.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audio and I say this every time when I listen to a Star Wars audiobook (and I'll say it again).....I love the sound effects. This is kind of fun, even though most of sounds were of a ship powering up and down. This book is a prelude to Rogue One (the movie). I think there was a huge leap in what could/would be accomplished in 6 or so years. I liked the first half of this. I liked the way Lira was depicted in this book and not the stupid woman she was portrayed to be in the movie. I would have liked to have seen this woman on the silver screen (even if it was only for the first few minutes.)

The last half dragged a big for me. I did audio page math on this one a lot. But then it would pick up until it, again, lagged. So 3 stars.