Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Star Wars Novelizations #3.5

by Alexander Freed

The Sunday Times Bestseller

Go beyond the film with a novelization featuring new scenes and expanded material.

As the shadows of the Empire loom ever larger across the galaxy, so do deeply troubling rumors. The Rebellion has learned of a sinister Imperial plot to bring entire worlds to their knees. Deep in Empire-dominated space, a machine of unimaginable destructive power is nearing completion. A weapon too terrifying to contemplate . . . and a threat that may be too great to overcome.

If the worlds at the Empire’s mercy stand any chance, it lies with an unlikely band of allies: a resourceful young woman seeking vengeance; a rebel commander on a mission of assassination; a defector from the Empire’s military; a blind holy man and his crack-shot companion; and a deadly Imperial droid turned against its former masters. In their hands rests the new hope that could turn the tide toward a crucial Rebellion victory—if only they can capture the plans to the Empire’s new weapon.

But even as they race toward their dangerous goal, the spectre of their ultimate enemy—a monstrous world unto itself—darkens the skies. Waiting to herald the Empire’s brutal reign with a burst of annihilation worthy of its dreaded name: Death Star.

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

319 pages, Hardcover

First published December 16, 2016

About the author

Alexander M. Freed is the author of Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Lost Suns, as well as many short stories, comic books, and videogames. Born near Philadelphia, he endeavors to bring the city’s dour charm with him to his current home of Austin, Texas.

His first novel, Star Wars: Battlefront: Twilight Company was included on BuzzFeed’s “Best Science Fiction Books Of 2015” list.

Reviews

[Sean Barrs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A year ago I wrote an absolutely scathing review of the Star Wars the Force Awakens novelisation. I hated the thing; it was poor, and it felt like a tepid plot summary. It captured nothing of the movie. I was determined never to read a Star War novelisation again by the same author.

So I was delighted to see that Alexander Freed was writing this one. I’ve already read Star Wars Battlefront: Twilight Company and although the book wasn’t without its faults, it clearly showed much promise. Freed demonstrated his skill as a Star Wars writer; however, it is here that his true talent comes through. Not only as he captured the surface action of the film but he has also added much depth to it, which is something any decent novelisation should do. It should expand on what we already have rather than just regurgitate it.

Indeed, in the film Jyn Erso is stoic. She is what the world, what her experience, has made her. I found Felicity Jones’ performance somewhat flat- not bad acting- but without life. Jyn is a person who has almost given up. She is without all hope till the very end of the film. The point is Freed did wonders of getting into her head, and explaining why she is like this: it is her way of surviving in a world of brutal opportunists. Her persona and interactions with the world make much more sense in this regard; we see more of who she actually is.



The speed of the film is also captured here, the intensity of the action. Rogue One’s mission felt desperately important in the Star Wars timeline; it felt like the fate of the rebellion was on the shoulders of these few radicals, as it so desperately need to be. Not only that but the Krennic scenes were handled deftly. He really is an egotist. Against men like Tarkin and Vader, he was just a poser. Despite serving the Empire he was never truly loyal to it. The death star was his own vanity project; he wanted it for himself, which is why he could never have been the man to take charge of it. Tarkin existed for the Empire; there was no man beyond the uniform, a level of conformity Krennic never achieved.

He trembled in the presence of Vader, again, something Tarkin would never do. He was a lesser officer, and a lesser man. But in terms of suitable villain for this story, he’s perfect. They couldn’t overly emphasise on Vader, so he’s a good stop gap. I don’t want to give a huge spoiler away, though I’m sure if you’re reading my review you’ve likely seen the film, but that ending! It’s the sort of ending that so many stories need but never actually get. It was brave. It was brutal. It was honest. And I loved it. Freed captured the heart of it here.



Rogue one, both film and movie, were excellent. They were so much better than I imagined them to be. However, the main story arc is where it is at. I can’t wait for episode eight!

[Alejandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid story, great characters!


BEYOND A MERE NOVELIZATION

…why follow Jyn?

Because she shines.

Usually when you read a novelization, the reading experience while entertained, since it’s a novelization from a movie script, you get basically the same thing that you get while watching the film, BUT…

…here, isn’t the case!

You hardly will believe that it wasn’t in the contrary, you'll believe that this book may be the original novel from where they did the movie script!

The author, Alexander Freed, di dan awesome job developing a richful narrative where you got deeper into the thoughts and motivations of the characters, and also you get extended scenes from the ones that you watch in the film.

So, if you loved the film (like me!), you’ll have a wonderful reading experience with this exceptional book. Definitely, the Force is strong in this one!


DEATH STARS & STARDUSTS

Rebellions are built on hope.

During 20 years, the Galactic Empire has ruled over the galaxy, and the Rebel Alliance hasn’t make any relevant damage to the reigning structure. Even worse, as in any war, the Rebels have done unspeakable things seeking out a way to win the war, so the hope is dying and the white hats got dirty.

Imperial flags reign across the galaxy.

And things will get only worse, since obtained Rebel intelligence reports indicate that the Emperor constructed a massive mobile combat station with the fearsome power to destroy entire planets!

...They call it the Death Star. There's no better name.

The Rebel Alliance need to confirm such incredible scenario and if so, to know about if there is any chance of stopping it, but to find the right people to such impossible task…

…they’ll need to gather the right kind of rogues.


ROGUES’ GALLERY

This is our chance to make a real difference.

Hope may be found in the most strange places and the unexpected people.

An unlikely pack of rogues will be the only hope for the Rebel Alliance and the dream of freedom again in the galaxy…

Save the Rebellion! Save the dream!

Jyn Erso: A young criminal, convicted for thievery and forgery, used to trust only in herself since all parent figure in her life has abandoned her or disappointed her.

Cassian Andor: A Rebel Captain, whose moral north got displaced, after too many black ops missions, doing very bad things in the name of a good cause.

Bodhi Rook: An Imperial desertor, seeking a path of redemption, after too many years just following orders without questioning them.

Chirrut Îmwe: A blind man, who used to be a Guardian of the Whills, the sentinels of the Jedi Temple with Kyber Crystals, but now, with no more Jedi, reduced to be a market beggar.

Baze Malbus: Chirrut’s best friend and reluctant bodyguard.

K-2SO: A reprogrammed Imperial droid, to be used by the Rebel Alliance in infiltration missions. Cynical and sarcastic.

I'm not used to people sticking around when things go bad.

They are from different background, they don’t trust each other, but they are the best hope for the Rebel Alliance (even if it doesn’t want to) to engage into the most dangerous missions of all…

…to try to steal the schematics of the Death Star!

What’s your call sign?

Yes, we have it… -- …it’s, ah… -- …call sign Rogue. Rogue One.

In a galaxy, far far away, engulfed into the darkness of the Sith and the Galactic Empire, the light of hope is fading out…

…but the Force works in mysterious ways.

I'm one with the Force, the Force is with me.

Since the beginning of the franchise, in the very opening crawl of A New Hope, we knew about this daring mission...

...now, finally we can learn the whole story that involved it!

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got the movie for my birthday and loved it so much. I found out there was a novelization and immediately bought it as my own birthday present. I'm so glad I did, it was so freaking good. It was like watching the movie for the third time. This book also came with beautiful pictures around the middle of the book. I'm not sure if that was the BN Special Edition stuff or what, I just know I loved it. ❤



I love the character of Jyn, she ends up being bad to the bone and so strong. When she was little the jerk, Krennic came to their farm and killed Jyn's mother and took her father to build the Death Star.

Jyn was hidden and eventually found and raised until she was 16 by Saw Gerrera.



Anyway, jump ahead some and Jyn is out getting into trouble, well, depends on what you think is trouble. She gets caught and put in a prison but gets saved by some rebel forces. This is where Cassian comes in and I loved him too. But K-2SO is my favorite! He's the droid =)

They inform Jyn that she is going to get them in to see Saw because they think he has some information from her father.

When they get to Jedha they end up fighting some storm troopers and it turns out Jyn is a damn good fighter! =)

K-2 puts in his two cents as well. =)



They also met up with a couple of new friends that end up going with them. Chirrut, the blind man and his buddy Baze. Chirrut may be blind but he can hold his own. =)



Actually, he takes out half of the storm troopers himself. Hell yes!

Then they get to Saw and everyone else is put in a cell while he talks to Jyn. He shows her a hologram thing of her father and he tells her he put a fails safe in the Death Star for her to destroy. He says some other stuff and it's really sad for Jyn. I teared up, cause that's what I do.

Then the crew pick up the pilot, Bodhi, who brought the info to Saw. They all have to make a hasty retreat because the jerks blasted them from The Death Star.

Some stuff happens and Jyn's father dies and she only gets to talk to him for a few minutes. I cried again.

Then the crew try to get the Rebellion to listen to Jyn and help them get the plans for destroying The Death Star which is in the Citadel Tower on Scarif. Well, they don't believe her since she didn't have the little thing from her father to show them. I think they were just wimping out.

So, Jyn, the crew and a rag tag band of rebels decide they will just do it on their own. Talk about some balls people.



The group are supposed to cause distractions while, Jyn, Cassian and K-2SO sneak in and try and get the information disc thing.



All I can say is it is seriously sad, but they did what they set out to do.

SUPPLEMENTAL DATA: SUNSET PRAYER

[Document #JP0103 ("Sunset Prayer of the Guardians of the Whills:), recovered from the outskirts of NiJedha: provenance uncertain.]

In darkness, cold.
In light, cold.
The old sun brings no heat.
But there is heat in breath and life.
In life, there is the Force.
In the Force, there is life.
And the Force is eternal

But, there is always Hope . . .



. . . and Lord Vadar!



MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List

[Melindam · Rating 4 out of 5]

“What do you know? We don't all have the luxury of deciding when and where we want to care about something. Suddenly the Rebellion is real for you? Now that you've got a stake in it, and - and - now that you don't have another life to go back to? Some of us live this Rebellion. I've been in this fight since I was six years old. You're not the only one who lost everything. Some of us just decided to do something about it.”

*SNIFF, SIGH, HOLDING BACK SOME TEARS HEROICALLY*

I am usually wary of film novelisations. Really good ones are few and far between, but in this instance I am glad I decided to forgo my well-established prejudice and I admit that I loved the book almost as much as the film.

Author Alexander Freed really managed to pull it off, drew me in and move me to shed some tears. He made full use of the fact that there are places books can go where films just cannot: namely the heads & hearts of the characters whether major and minor, humanoid or robot. And AF just made this work for me. He evoked all the right feelings at the right places in the right moments without breathtaking visuals & dramatic music.

He perfectly translated the characters from the film and managed to convey the fact that the members of the Team Rouge One are all damaged one way or another and they are differently motivated, but motivated they are all the same. They are a motley crew, unlikely to succeed against giant odds and YET THEY DO. They sacrifice themselves as they go along, but they do not stop. Nevertheless, they do not act like martyrs, but people who have faith, determination and a job to do, to give others a chance. The saddest thing of course is that they die not knowing whether they have succeeded.

Also the main antagonist, Orson Krennic's character was superbly drawn with his white hotly burning ambition and self-adoration. His hunger for more power and his juggling for position against Tarkin added more sides and shades to the story.

Recommended to fans of the movie.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Relax, Captain,” Chirrut answered. “We’ve been in worse cages than this one.”

“Yeah? Well, this is a first for me.”

“There is more than one sort of prison, Captain,” Chirrut said. “I sense that you carry yours wherever you go.”

Baze laughed again, but there was no boisterousness this time—just a coarse, hollow sound. Cassian frowned and turned back to the lock and the cavern.

It was some minutes later that he realized no one had told Chirrut he was a captain.

I was hard-pressed to choose a flagship quote for my review, because I highlighted literally 97 of them(!), but I went for this one because it illustrates some of the Rogue One team dynamic and a subtle detail that I missed while watching.

First off, don't read this novelisation until you've seen the film! But listen to me: I loved the movie, and this actually improves upon its source material. It clarifies some character motivations & intentions, fleshes them out a bit more, makes you care about them even more. Freed infuses each of the characters with more personality: Jyn's driving need to find something to believe in, her complicated abandonment issues about both her fathers; Saw Gerrera's own noble, half-mad convictions; Cassian's guilt complexes; Baze's bitter fury; Chirrut's wry humour; even Bodhi's gambling problems. Alan Dean Foster's The Force Awakens' novelisation was garbage, but Freed's prose is lovely; Cassian's opening scene is almost noir-like in his interrogation of an informant on a dark and seedy station.

Freed also has a great grasp on character voice, which seeps into the narration. You can hear in Galen Erso's thoughts that the man is robotic and analytical; K-2SO is clipped and cynical as he calculates his way to conclusions; Orson Krennic has a slimy, unctuous arrogance to his narration. There are some POV chapters from aliens, too, which remind you that even their thought processes differ from humans on a species level.

The sheer desperation and diversity of the Rebel Alliance is on full display, all of their leaders struggling with finding the right approach to an unstoppable war machine. I loved seeing more from characters like Mon Mothma and General Draven.

And in seeing the narrative focus on the Empire's race to develop the Death Star, as well, I was reminded of WWII's nuclear arms-race, like a chilling commentary on our own use of inconceivable might and atrocity. In the words of Galen Erso himself: “My colleagues, many of them, have fooled themselves into thinking they are creating something so terrible and powerful it will never be used. But they’re wrong. No weapon has ever been left on the shelf.”

When the Death Star is unleashed for the first time... it has so much more emotional effect than it did in the film. In the movie, it's a fantastic visual, a thrilling chase scene to escape. Whereas in the novelisation, I found myself getting teary on the subway for throwaway bystanders; it drove in the impact so that you feel it, you see the lives snuffed out. It's a series of horrors, but the one that actually got me worst was the Imperial stormtroopers left behind by their own callous empire, because fuuuuck:

JN-093 finally thought to look at the shadow in the sky. She stared at the structure, indefinably large and eclipsing the sun. She knew a weapon when she saw one, no matter how incomprehensible.

“They did it,” she murmured. “The rebels finally did it.”

Two sputtered weak laughter. “I don’t think that’s the rebels,” he said.

When the storm front hit them, JN-093’s armor protected her just long enough to make her death painful. In her last flicker of brain activity, she felt she’d failed her squad.

MY FEELINGS

And like the Pacific Rim novelisation, chapters here are abridged with epistolary interludes that do a tremendous job of worldbuilding the Alliance and Empire: communiques back and forth, reports on planets and people, showing the inner workings of these organisations. Possibly my very favourite section of the entire book were the slew of memos back and forth between Galen, Krennic, and an exasperated Death Star QA technician. You actually get to see how Galen masterfully exploits reverse psychology, tight project deadlines and therefore cutting corners, and pressure from Imperial higher-ups to lay his trap & sabotage the project, all while sounding like he's arguing for the exact opposite, and all with Orson Krennic's full approval. It's fantastic.

The ending is a series of successive punches to the heart, and I finished the book crying in bed. I'm happily going to read everything else Freed has written now tbh (I'm excited for Battlefront - Twilight Company especially, because WAR FEELS).

The best novelisations contribute to their films rather than just being a shallow money-grab tie-in, and I'm happy to say that this is a stellar example of the former. I liked the PacRim novelisation well enough, and thought it handled some scenes better than the film while other scenes played better on-screen -- but I'd say that this one universally enriches Rogue One. And I'll say it again: I already really liked Rogue One.

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never seen the movie, and I avoided all conversations about it, so I had no idea what this book was about. Imagine my surprise! What a poignant point of view to have taken- the courageous rebel alliance. I'm biting my tongue in this review. I have one word for you- GOODBYE


Summer Fantasy Fest read # 4

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kada uzmete ovu knjigu dobijate tačno ono što ste i očekivali: prepričan film. Ni manje ni više što je po meni velika propuštena prilika da se ova priča proširi i da se gomila rupa fino popuni.

Sa druge strane knjiga je kompetentno napisana i odlično je prenešena atmosfera filma.

Sve u svemu dobra adaptacija ali manje više nepotrebna.

PS: Još jedna stvar koja mi nje legla je nekako nedostatak humora kojeg ima dosta u filmu a ovde se slabo nalazi. Moguće da je problem pošto je dosta humora bilo neverbalno pa pisac nije mogao da fino prenese a da nas ne zatrpa sa previše teksta.

[Khurram · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review on Amazon

https://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R3IUG...

A very good adaption of a very good movie. Yes I am a huge Star Wars fan will buy just about everything with the Star Wars Name on it. So getting this was a not brainer I loved the continuity that is still there in the Disney era of Star Wars and I love the nod and respect for the source material (the original movies).

Alexander Freed did the right thing concentrating on the emotions of the characters Jyn and Brood in particular. For me this was the right way to go with the book as in the movie despite it be being 2 hours plus there was not enough time to get background on all the new characters. The book explains some of the differences between the Jedi and Guardians philosophies about the force. I like the extracts for the memos and even the elegy of certain characters. I thing this was added in the right place of the book was well.

A very enjoyable book that does what it is supposed to it fills in the blanks that were left out of the movie. The main strength of this book from a soldier's story style point of view as a reader I got all the emotions of around the sacrifices the characters had to make and willing to dies for a course, or to finish a job, but the only downside the great action scenes are a bit glossed over in the book, e.g. Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen) intro fight is written in single paragraph. Apart from that the book is great

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've read any reviews of this book, what I'm about to say is probably something you've heard before: This is one of the best film novelizations I've ever read, if not the best. Oy, that sounds really hyperbolic, and to be fair, it's really not a high bar to clear. People aren't going around screaming for the next great novelization. They just aren't. Also, the novelization for The Force Awakens was quite terrible, so psychologically speaking, pretty much if this one had been halfway decent I was going to enjoy it a lot, just as a contrast in opposite experiences.

But I also think those are just a couple of small factors that increased my enjoyment of this book. Mostly it's just really effing good. If you liked the movie and don't normally read novelizations, I would still urge you to think about checking this one out. Decent novelizations retell the plot of a movie in a coherent, enjoyable way, not detracting from the meaning or themes of the original work. Good novelizations add something to the process. Great ones go just a step further. For me this book is unquestionably a "great novelization*". Alexander Freed's writing adds nuance to an already nuanced story. It adds excitement and depth. It goes where the movie, by its nature, can't. (Just as books can't offer us sweeping visuals and beautiful soundtracks, or convey that ineffable quality a great actor has to pull you in to a story without realizing why.) He enhances the character moments by going deep into their heads, and the way he structures the narrative (books can't really do jump-cuts and such) enforces the tragic yet hopeful nature of the ending. Like, I cried while reading this, and I didn't even do that while watching the film.

*Whether or not a "great novelization" can also be a "great book" is an argument for another day.

I will give you an example. It's small and probably won't work as well for you if you haven't read the preceding pages this sequence of lines are meant to cap off, but it's probably the best way for me to show you what I'm talking about when I talk about the style of this book. Major spoilers ahoy for the end of Rogue One, so don't read any further if you haven't seen it yet.

So that scene in the movie when K-2SO sacrifices himself for Cassian and Jyn is one that got to me in the film, largely on the strength of the visuals and music, as well as Alan Tudyk's voice work, three things which are obviously absent in a book. But Freed somehow manages to replicate the feeling the movie invokes in that moment by structuring that scene in K-2's head as a series of simulations on the possibly outcomes. He runs through them in his head for several paragraphs, at which point violence breaks out, and we see that he's doing all he can to remain functioning for as long as possible, even going so far as to go against his instincts (to abandon their mission and save his friend Cassian instead). Freed manages to convey K-2's robotic nature, but also his "humanity." And then he ends the scene, after K-2 has made his choice, knowing that he is about to die, and his friend will most likely die soon as well. The scene ends with the following two sentences:

"With one second left until total shutdown, K-2SO chose to mentally simulate an impossible scenario in which Cassian Andor escaped alive.

The simulation pleased him."

It's just so small and perfect a moment, and it's a moment only a book could have given you. Freed plays the whole story like that, actually adapting the material and creating the feelings that the film evoked through filmic devices by using literary ones instead. It's also pretty apparent he was working off a script, not the final cut, because there are scenes missing from the movie that are included here, or that are extended (like Jyn being confronted by a TIE fighter while trying to send the signal out, a scene which was in the trailer but not the movie).

Freed has previously written one book in the new Star Wars canon (Battlefront: Twilight Company), and I wasn't planning on reading it before, but if it's anything like his work here, I'm thinking I need to check it out after all.

[4.5 stars]

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What’s your call sign?”
“It’s, ah—call sign Rogue. Rogue One”

One of the best movie novelizations there is.

I remember when I saw this movie in theaters. I fell in love with it—the characters, the story—right then and there. Even my mom, who thought The Force Awakens was so-so, was blown away by Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. When I discovered the novelization, I knew it was one I needed to add to my ever growing collection. Once I got my hands on a copy, I took my time with it slowly.

Not because it was bad, no. But because it’s so incredibly good.

I wanted to take my time with it, and take my time I did. It’s funny how, when you want to take your time reading an incredible book, sometimes you blow through it quick and fast instead. I think the reason why I was able to take my time with this, however, was because I knew how the ending played out. I knew the fate of each character within this story. And I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to them, again, so soon.

It’s funny. When I first watched the film, Cassian was my favorite with his droid companion not far behind. When I read the book, that didn’t change, but K-2SO stepped up onto the platform which only housed Cassian. Then it was Jyn Erso and Bodhi Rook, followed by Chirrut Îmwe and Baze Malbus. They’re all such amazing and unique characters.

I adored the added bits and pieces in this novelization, one example being the reaction of the Hammerhead Lightmaker’s Captain when Raddus tells him of his plan to destroy the orbital station.

As always, the audiobook is spot on when it comes to production. Jonathan Davis once again does an extraordinary job with the delivery of lines. The sound effects and music are, as always, spot on and add to the immersion. So not only is Rogue One: A Star Wars Story one of my favorite films and novelizations, but it’s also one of my favorite audiobooks to listen to.

Now that I’ve read this again, for the third time, I believe it’s safe to say this is by far my favorite Star Wars novelization to date.

It gets a perfect score of 10 out of 10.

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (audiobook) by Alexander Freed read by Jonathan Davis.

I read in other reviews that this story followed the movie very closely. I guess it’s been too long since I’ve seen the movie. Parts of the story I was looking for I missed and much of the story I didn’t really remember. I guess I need to see the movie again.

[Paz · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars.
[Spoilers for the Movie]

In a kinder universe, she would have walked away from Scarif. I cannot imagine who she would have become, but I think she would have been extraordinary.
I am grateful I knew her, no matter how short the time.

Damn, this book. This story. I was lucky enough to have read Catalyst before seeing Rogue One for the first time, and even when I didn't love that book, I was not expecting how much I'd take away from that story. I loved Jyn, I cared so much about Galen and Lyra. I despised Krennic so much. I was so emotionally compromised already. So yeah, Rogue One kind of broke me. And this book, this novelization, did the same. It was not perfect, but I love this story and these characters so much. It was hard to say goodbye again, but I was happy to see more of this cast. To have, with every one of them, a better, more emotional, send-off.

Not everything was perfect, but the faults of this book doesn't matter when you have already seen the movie and know how amazing those elements work visually and emotionally on screen. Vader's last and epic scene is, for example, quite disappointing in here, or there are some characters that shine in the movie that have little presence in the story like Chirrut or K-2SO.
Still, even with those minor complaints, I have to say I truly loved this novelization.

It provides not only more depth to the characters, specially Jin, Bodhi and Cassian, but there are also extra scenes, dialogue and these ''Suplemental Data'' logs between chapters that help provide more info about the state of the Alliance and the galaxy.

There are some characters, like Mon Mothma and General Raddus, who play a bigger role in this book and seeing their scenes just give the reader an excelent insight into the state of the Rebellion.
And just as I loved seeing the Rebel Alliance struggle, I really enjoyed seeing the power struggle inside the Empire. As someone who truly hates Krennic, I have to admit that reading about him, his ambitions, his troubles and particularly his relationship with Tarkin was amazing. Krennic here seemed to fit so naturally with the character I first met in Catalyst. It was so rewarding as a fan reading the little connections to Lyra and Galen pre-Rogue One inside Krennic's mind.

Also, as someone who loved the Erso family so much in Catalyst, I am so grateful for this moment:
''You know who I am,'' she said, and though her body felt brittle her voice was steady. ''I'm Jyn Erso. Daughter of Galen and Lyra.''
She couldn't remember ever saying that before, let alone with pride.

Like I said, I loved this book. It took the cast of characters that I loved in the movie and gave them more depth, more ambition, more life.
It was well-written, loyal to the movie, but with great new scenes and dialogue, it felt like a true sequel to Catalyst (much more than the movie did) and, surprise surprise, just like with the movie, I ended up crying.

As a fan of the movie, the book and the story, I'd recommed this novelization to every Star Wars fan.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

HONESTLY this book was not only a great Star Wars book (probably one of the best I have read?), but also something I would recommend as a book-book. Let's be real here, the EU has set the bar pretty low over the years, so what I look for in a SW novel is not always what I'm looking for in my other reading choices, but this nailed both.

The prose is wonderful. Freed has a knack for not only getting into a character's skin, but making you feel like you're right there with them. Action scenes are kinetic, but have the weight of the character experiencing them as well - were not blowing shit up here to look cool, we're doing it For The Rebellion. You're given a sense and awareness of the personal toll the Empire has taken on each character, and the different ways in which it did so.

Leading on from that, this is a very character-driven book. Plot wasn't the strongest point of the movie and the book doesn't really expand on it at all, but if you walked away from Rogue One thinking 'MAN I LOVED ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE' this is the book for you. We just get a lot more of each character - a little bit of backstory, and a lot bit of impetus and drive and relationships with other characters. Everything we see in the movie is expanded upon without contradicting - I never got the sense of 'wait what, where did that come from' that is so common with book versions of movies.

That said, the movie had its problems and those are reflected in the book as well. There's a dearth of lady characters (two (or three, counting Lyra), vs a million dudes), and Bor Gullet makes no sense (if you haven't seen the movie, just. Trust me, it makes no sense). I did get the sense that Freed was trying to do his best with a motive for Lyra's plotline, but it was one of those tropes that really can't be saved.

The one thing that r e a l l y bugged me was the narrative's insistence on referring to two characters as brothers, when they have been pretty clearly coded as queer and together, not only in the movie but in the book itself. It's a bit jarring to read, athough not surprising considering...hollywood. The chances of ever getting that relationship confirmed were always going to be slim, but I do wish that Freed had just left it ambiguous per the movie, rather than sliding in a few NO HOMO brothers quotes.

What we do get is a more explicit intensity of emotion between the two leads. I suppose you could still skate around calling it a romance if you wanted to, but I'd prefer to called it URT (unresolved romantic tension). Even more clearly than the movie, you're given the impression that if only there had been more time, something could come of it. I'm always in favour of anything with the vaguest hint of romance tbh, so this sat well with me and was something that i thorough enjoyed (as evidence by my Ao3 account lmao)

FINALLY, I really enjoyed the extra datapad notes, journals, emails, histories that were inserted between each chapter. It gave you a sense of the galactic nature of what turned out to be an extremely personal story. There were a lot of POVs in this book, but Freed handled them with grace, and I never felt as though I didn't recognise a character either from the movie, or their thread in the book. Having the greater context of the Star Wars universe in the little excerpts was a great way of conveying the many and varied POVs and information that are easier to do with a movie in a few shots.

Overall, most of the flaws I found in the book were issues I had with the movie, and the book expanded/improved upon basically everything I loved about said movie. If you've never read a Star Wars book, this one is great to start with - it's relatively stand alone, and if you're familiar with even half of the movies you'll be able to follow along easily. And if you loved the movie, you'll almost definitely love the book. Highly recommended on all fronts.

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

In the instant before he'd risen from the bunker, he'd questioned his own wisdom: How might he separate the will of the Force from his will, his ego, demanding action where action was unneeded? But there was no doubt in his heart now. The Force expressed itself through simplicity, and all it asked of him was to walk.

I am one with the Force and the Force is with me.

Well fuck. Just when I think I am finally emotionally stable enough to delve in before watching the movie again, this. THIS. I devoured this like the masochist I am!

Rogue One is the best Star Wars novelization, bar none. Scratch that. This is the best novelization of any movie EVER (I know, I know. That ET novelization was BOSS, but this is even better. I promise you!) I cannot imagine the task of writing the next big Stars Wars installment being an easy one, but Alexander Freed did a brilliant job! It flows well after Catalyst, but yet still feels unique in its own right.

With novelizations, most readers will have already seen the film that it is based off of. The visual aspect is already there, generally for the better. Releasing Catalyst just before the movie & then having the novelization alongside the movie was a genius move, in my opinion. This is quality storytelling!

The writing is absolutely incredible. Freed made sure to handle these characters with so much respect. He gave the main characters individual POV moments & I think that really fleshed out the story in such a genuine way. It made me love them that much more! We see inside Jyn's character even more profoundly - the sense of rejection she faces, her experience within the Rebel Alliance, her complicated relationship with Saw. It's just.. it's more than the movie could explore. She really is such a badass!

One of the only issues I had with the movie was that there wasn't enough Bodhi Rook. Well my friends, our beloved pilot gets plenty of backstory here. And yet.. I want MORE! I wouldn't say no to a standalone Bodhi prequel novel, just saying! While we are at it, why not more information on the still somewhat mysterious Cassian Andor?!

Another thing I liked is the supplementary information that is included. These interludes seem to be more common within the new canon novels & I think it works well here. I really wish the movie had included more of the Mon Mothma scenes, for instance!

There is something I love about the juxtaposition of deliciously tender writing, paired with gritty action - much like Mark Lawrence's writing. Alexander Freed seems to have found that balance within this Star Wars story. This was so beautifully written, it was almost poetic.

If you loved Rogue One, I think you will benefit from reading this. It captures exactly what the movie did, but adds to it. I loved it so goddamn much!

[Kate Willis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warning: Mixed feelings ahead. ;)

I’m not a Star Wars superfan, but I really enjoyed watching this movie with my sisters and a bestie. It was one part epic, one part hilarious, and one part heartbreaking. Like a good story should be. :D The novelization was even better!

The author stayed completely true to the storyline while adding more character depth and explaining the fascinating political situation. (But giving more description of the Jedha bit and giving stormtrooper POV? Not okay. *whimpers* I named snakes and splinters after the evil leaders.) I loved getting more backstory on Jyn when I finally understood Saw Gerrera, and I learned to grow worried whenever Cassian “wore his spy face”. In the movie, the rebel leader Mon Mothma just seemed like a weird, floaty speech maker. This brought out her fascinating history and compassion.

The two characters who surprised me most, however, were Bodhi Rook and Galen Erso. I loved seeing the pilot find courage and purpose, and his conversation with K-2SO about being defectors was really special. Galen Erso, though, might be my favorite. So complicated, downtrodden, and brave. (And brilliant! Oh, brilliant man! How in the world were you clever enough to set up your sabotage?!!)

So, why three stars for a five star story? I was personally uncomfortable with a few things. There was zero profanity in the movie, so the several instances in this book was a bit of a nasty surprise. It was mostly when Jyn was particularly disgusted and we got to see her internal thoughts. The other thing was pretty major for me and a big reason I haven’t watched a lot of Star Wars--the Force. In some ways it was less than if there had been a jedi character, but in others in was frighteningly not treated as fiction. I was easily able to skip the supplemental data section explaining it, but Chirrut’s constant “praying” got to me more. It sounded almost like a corruption of something Jesus said, and I tried to skip it because I didn’t want it stuck in my thoughts. It was also really sad that Baze’s character arc was him “returning to faith in the Force”. Not cool and super sad. All of these things concentrated together kinda ruined the climax for me.

That was a TON of mixed feelings. ;) Time for some quotes courtesy of K-2SO. :D

Best quotes: “I thought I told you to stay with the ship,” he growled. “You did,” K-2SO replied. “But I thought it was boring, and you were in trouble. There are a lot of explosions for two people blending in.”

The droid looked down at her. “Jyn,” he said. “I’ll be there for you. Cassian said I had to.”

Altogether, I did enjoy this story, but I do have one question--why the kyber crystal necklace?

Let the fan theories begin. ;)

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. All the problems I have with this story centre around idiot decisions the screenwriters made.

Problems: 1) Transforming Jyn's mother, Lyra, from an intelligent, woman in "Rogue One: Catalyst" into a brainless, stupid and disposable lamp in this story . This should not have surprised me, but I keep hoping screenwriters will treat women in general and mothers specifically, with respect. Lyra gets shoved off-story almost immediately, and Jyn doesn't think about her again.
2) Jyn spends the whole story wrestling with her relationship with Galen. There's a lot internal dialogue/angst about him in Jyn's head. Problem is, she barely had a relationship with him when the story opens and she's separated from him for many years. Why is so much time wasted in the story on this? Surely Jyn has more facets than just "daddy!"

What I liked: Getting to know the other team members' feelings and backgrounds, especially Chirrut, Baize and K2S0. And when Jyn wasn't angst'ing over Galen, it was good to learn a bit of her backstory and what made her so stoic.

[Kimber · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful read when you're sick at home! This is my new favorite Star Wars story (excepting Empire Strikes Back). This just has it all: characters, even small characters are living and breathing, intergalactic space travel and diverse settings, sights/sounds/sensory feels, the Jedi, the mystical teachings of the Force, some background on Mon Mothma, the over arching theme of being of service to the Rebellion: this was Jyn Erso's destiny and we feel what she has to go through to accomplish her destiny. Not just science fiction but an adventurous story, a battle between good and evil, sacrificing yourself for others. I wish more Star Wars novels were written so well!

[Rahmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect. One of the most beautiful things I've ever read :')

[Lance Shadow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been wanting to read the novelization of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story forever. Not only do I always enjoy reading novelizations for the theatrically released star wars movies to see what was added, but response to Alexander Freed’s take on the first Star Wars spinoff film has been largely positive. Also, as soon as I got out of the movie, I felt like it was the perfect movie for a novelization.
Just for a warning, this review contains SPOILERS for both the movie and the novelization. So I’d give the novelization a read before you read this, because its absolutely incredible.

THE MOVIE: Normally I would give a quick synopsis of the story, but because this is an adaption of another story, I take this time to talk about the source material: the 2016 movie directed by Gareth Edwards.
I'm not that big fan of the film. Yes, that Darth Vader scene was awesome. Yes, the third act was spectacular. But most of the rest left much to be desired. And in terms of the new movies, I found The Last Jedi and even The Force Awakens to be far better.
I'll start with the good real quick. I like the story alot. It's a compelling prequel on how the rebels got the death star plans. Through that we get to see lots of different points of view in the galaxy, particularly the idea that not everybody in the rebellion was what you would call a good person.
Some people connected with the characters and really loved them, others found them completely flat and bland. I'm somewhere in between. On the one hand, the movie's portrayal of Jyn was a bit weak. To this day, I'm left completely unconvinced that Jyn would so quickly be willing to lead the team to scariff after the rebels killed her father. Yes, K2SO and Chirrut Imwe were fun, but they didn't leave much of an impact beyond that. I didn't get very emotional for any of the main cast when they were killed off.
On the other hand, Cassian Andor is seriously underrated. He was by far the best written character and Diego Luna gave the best performance in the film.
Now for the problems: yes, I think the bor gullet scene is stupid too. Yes, the cameos from R2 and 3PO as well as Pondo Baba and Dr. Evazaan were forced. But lets get to my other problems. First, Forrest Whitaker's performance was pretty goofy. He's a great actor (as proven by Denis Villeneuve's "Arrival") and he can be fantastic in the role (Rebels proved that), but with this movie, something didn't translate well, and when he was trying to be intimidating, I just sort of cringed.
But the biggest problem? Director Krennic. Ben Mendelson did the best he could with the role, but the character himself was without a doubt the lamest villain from any Star Wars movie. At least Ziro the Hutt nearly doomed the republic's war effort in the god awful clone wars movie. Heck, even General Grievous killed a jedi master in a deleted scene. Krennic was just there to be pushed around by Tarkin (who shouldn't have been in the movie), and Vader. He wasn't even able to kill Cassian Andor!


While the movie is in the middle for my Star Wars film ranking (those have been done to death so I’m NOT going to do it here), Rogue One’s novelization is right up there with Revenge of the Sith as not just one of the best Star Wars movie novelizations, but one of the greatest Star Wars books I have ever read. It takes the story, that was already pretty good, and makes it quite powerful. It takes the action scenes which were already pretty fun but makes them truly intense. And most importantly, it takes the characters, which was one of the movie’s weaker elements, and makes them interesting, memorable, and relatable.
Alexander Freed does an amazing job with the material from the movie and turns it into truly something special with this book. There’s a multitude of extra lines of dialogue and extra moments and flashbacks, and they were integrated into the story perfectly.
While Jyn Erso was a flat character with rather awkward development in the film, she is a wonderful protagonist in this book. Whenever Freed has the chance, he will take moments to dive into Jyn Erso’s past and it really helped me understand her motivations. I also enjoyed the metaphor with the cave to explore her psyche. The movie was lacking a connection between the little girl Jyn we see at the opening of the movie and the adult Jyn we see for most of the film, but the cave in her mind really helps connect the two Jyns as well as provide an interesting way to show how she feels in all the situations she sees herself put into.
I also like how Freed handles Director Krennic, in that he pretty much just portrayed Krennic as another cog in the imperial system. And I think it works better this way because Freed didn’t have to try to make him a big bad threat and instead just fleshing him out to make him a more interesting character. It also worked well as part of the payoff for reading James Luceno’s Catalyst. Speaking of payoffs from Catalyst, Galen Erso is also pretty well done and so is the opening sequence of the book. I also like the added bits with Krennic and Galen leaving Lah’mu that shows Krennic trying to give Galen his condolences, because he knows he can’t get Galen to do the work he needs him to do by treating him terribly.
Bodhi Rook is another highlight of this novel. While he got his uplifting moments during the battle of Scariff before he was killed off, he’s such an endearing character in this novelization. I like the way that the book went into his past to show why he ended up defecting in the first place, and I like how Freed eschewed the cliché of “one big tragedy or atrocity” and instead it was just eventually off instinct. The book also does a good job making you feel for Bodhi as he risks everything to help the rebels only to be treated horribly by Saw’s rebels.
Speaking of Saw’s people, they were yet another well done aspect of the book. Not only was the relationship between Jyn and Saw Gererra fleshed out in the novel, that Bor Gullet scene was actually GOOD in this book. Not only did the scene work well in creeping me out and making me cringe in the RIGHT way (in the movie I just found the scene to be dumb), but Freed also throws in Bodhi’s inner thoughts during the ordeal to help flesh out his character, and then does a far better job than the movie in clearing up Bodhi’s transition from being a raving insane person to being a normal function person.
Chirrut and Baze are also fleshed out well, especially with Baze where the book provides insights into his past and goes inside his head to really elevate him from just being the guy with a big gun.
The efforts gone to characterize K-2SO, were fantastic, to the point where I was truly shaken after he died. His death scene is one of the most memorable and powerful moments I have found in a Star Wars novel.
The film had an exciting third act with the battle of Scarif, but the novelization elevates it from being a fun battle with lots of visual splendor to something that was truly intense with characters you deeply care about. Every death scene has a sense of poignancy to it that was often absent for me in the film. The action sequences themselves are also more intense as Freed keeps the focus tightly on the characters. In the movie, it sometimes felt like I was just waiting for the third act to happen because that was the good part of the movie. In the book, however, it was well deserved buildup from a first two thirds I was already invested in.

There’s also just many moments that were added in or fleshed out to in a magnificent way.
I love how the Death Star’s destruction of Jedha City was done here. It always confused me why they kept saying they destroyed Jedha in the movie even though they just took out the city and the planet was mostly intact otherwise. It also deemphasizes the moment in A New Hope when Alderaan is destroyed. But the book continually emphasized that it was just Jedha city and hence it made more sense. I also loved those couple POV scenes where it showed various citizens right before they died in the wake of the Death Star’s first test, particularly when Freed describes the final moments of that tiny girl that Jyn rescued in the city during the shootout between the stormtroopers and Saw’s rebels.
I also really loved how Freed wrote the scene with Jyn beating the crap out of those troopers with those truncheons. In the film that scene was a bit silly but in the book Freed makes sense of it by describing how Jyn strikes them, as well as an extra bit where a trooper hits her with the butt of a rifle. This increases the sense of pain in the scene as well.
That’s another thing I really liked about this book- there’s an increased sense of PAIN, especially when regarding Jyn Erso’s character. It makes Jyn a more relatable protagonist, and hence a more interesting one.
I also found the scene where the Rogue One team got together before going to Scarif had a nice touch, where Freed added a sense of melancholy and improvisation to it- the scene made the team truly feel like it earned the name “Rogue One” as it has this interesting feeling of the group haphazardly coming together, so it’s all the more uplifting to actually see them succeed in stealing the death star plans. Finally, I really loved the extra moments and scenes on Scarif particularly with Bodhi and Tonc that gave the soldiers and extra sense of camaraderie, making me feel even more for them when they eventually went down.
Even that scene with the hammerhead ship is made ten times more effective. Freed took a scene that, while creative, was largely there for fanservice for those that watched Star Wars Rebels and played Knights of the Old Republic, and used it to create a pretty effective scene that wonderfully fleshed out the character of Admiral Raddus.
One last thing, and it’s how the Vader massacre scene was handled. It got me giddy and excited when I last watched the movie but I really like how Freed wrote the scene from Vader’s POV, making it more interesting as well as making better sense of how he was ultimately unable to retrieve the data tape from fleeing rebels.

If I had to nitpick this book, I can give you a couple things. The first would be concerning Pau, the lizard man that went with the rebels on Scarif, as well as Bistan the space monkey. They didn’t get a spotlight and it was a touch disappointing because they were cool. I would have also liked to see the whole thing where you see C-3PO and R2-D2 on Scarif cleared up because it still feels far fetched with how they made it onto the Tantive IV afterwards.
Also, the cave metaphor with Jyn Erso could have been tied into the final moments with Jyn a little better.
But that’s it. I can’t really find anything else wrong with this book.

THE CONCLUSION: What an amazing book this turned out to be. Not only is it one of the best of the novelizations, it is also one of the best novels in the new canon. I desperately want to pick up Rebel Rising as well as the Guardians of the Whills book that came out. I liked the story that the movie told, but I LOVED the version that the book told.

THE RANKING: With a total of 9 novelizations for Star Wars films, here they are from worst to best!

9. The Force Awakens, by Alan Dean Foster
It adds a couple of interesting bits of information with Snoke and Starkiller base, but other than that it actually takes away from what made the movie great, resulting in an awful reading experience.

8. The Empire Strikes Back, by Donald F. Glut
Literally the script of the movie written in novel form. The very definition of surface level and a complete waste of time if you want to read the book for more insight on the film.

7. A New Hope, by George Lucas (Alan Dean Foster ghost wrote it though)
Another novelization that is largely the screenplay of the movie with some added words so it can be read as a novel. However, a couple extra scenes in the beginning with Luke on Tatooine elevates this one a touch above the Empire Strikes Back novelization.

6. Return of the Jedi, by James Kahn
The first half is a chore to get through as it is is pretty dull and Chewie and R2 are given painfully choppy dialogue. The second half is great as a read on it's own though if again, you didn't necessarily come to get more insight on the film. You do get some hints of a novelization though with a really funny added scene between Darth Vader and an imperial officer, and one or two extra sentences of detail with the fight between Luke and the Rancor and the battle of Endor that makes more sense out of the Ewoks beating the empire.

5. The Phantom Menace, by Terry Brooks
This one is neck and neck with Return of the Jedi. The characters of Qui-Gon Jinn and Anakin Skywalker were done a million times better, but Jar Jar comes off as even more annoying and Obi Wan is straight up unlikeable. I like how Anakin truly feels like a 9-year-old boy in this book and the book makes better sense with Qui-Gonn, especially why he would drag Jar Jar along. The extra scenes with Anakin are also pretty well done.

4. Attack of the Clones, by R.A Salvatore
The story is still a mess with little going on and the action could have been done better, but the work that was put into the characters is truly fantastic. Anakin and Padme's love story was particularly well handled, where I was suprised that they had (gasp!) chemistry even with just about every lame line from the movie being kept in.

3. The Clone Wars, by Karen Traviss
A truly awful movie that was turned into a really intense and really powerful war novel. Despite how well Traviss handled the story, the characters, and especially the action, her constant bashing of the Republic and the Jedi got incredibly irritating and prevented the book from being a true masterpiece.

2. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, by Alexander Freed
Alexander Freed's handling of the Rogue One material was incredibly impressive. The characters were wonderfully fleshed out and the story was made twice as impactful. The Battle of Scarif was also amazingly done. In short, it made the problematic elements of the film fantastic and the stuff that was already good in the movie even better. This is not the last time I'll be reading it.

1. Revenge of the Sith, by Matthew Stover
This masterpiece still remains on top for me. The book is absolutely brilliant, from the way it tightly weaves all the elements of the movie together to the way it powerfully handles the character of Anakin Skywalker. It also does a phenomenal job with all the background players from Obi Wan to Padme, from Palpatine to Mace Windu and Yoda. I have picked up and read this book more times than I can count and I'll look forward to the many more times I'll pick it up again.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Welp, so this was not what I had hoped for.

Listen, it’s been what, 5 ½ years since “Star Wars: Rogue One” came out, and I still think about Cassian and Jyn like, 3 times a week though I think more about Cassian than Jyn, sorry, girl, I love you. And because RO is one of the best Star Wars films (this is not up for discussion) that does nearly EVERYTHING right even though it doesn’t feature a single person wielding a light stick, and because I absolutely LOVE, CHERISH, CELEBRATE “Andor” (best live action SW series; also not up for debate), I just had to finally give this novelisation a go.

The thing about me is that not only do I think “Rogue One” is one of the best Star Wars films, but Stover's “Revenge of the Sith” is the best Star Wars novelisation out there. Stover’s story is the BLUEPRINT I will measure every other Star Wars novelisation against. And this, well, this one didn’t hold up to it. In my point of view, a novelisation should always be able to add more to what we were given on screen. It should expand on characters and their motives, locations, and side characters the film didn’t grant enough screen time, and overall build on the film’s original content and expand it.

Unfortunately, that is what I strongly felt this book didn’t do. Sure, it walked us through the whole plot, and we were given a lot of extra insight into Bodhi (my sweet pilot baby), whose imperial-pilot-turned-traitor-turned-rebel arc the film didn’t or couldn’t give justice to. There was also an extra layer added by including chapters from Mon Mothma’s POV (I literally love her SO MUCH since “Andor”) which, alright, don’t need a raison d’être in my eyes because the character is awesome, however, where they really necessary? But everything sort of collapsed like a house of cards because of Freed’s writing. Not that it was bad, but it felt lifeless and void of emotion. In my eyes, he concentrated too much on the mechanics of the plot and the characters, causing the story’s emotional heft to get lost along the way.

“But that ending? What could be more emotional than that?”

Of course I thought the book’s ending was highly emotional, just as it is in the film. But you’d have to be a particularly bad writer to be given *this* ending and not be able to elicit emotion from your readers. The emotion-causing tragicness embedded in the character’s fates naturally lends itself to tears and sniffling whether you’d want it or not. But I don’t want to feel something simply because the plot is telling me to. I want the writing to make me feel something as well.

The book was mediocre and not as good as the film. All that extra space the novelisation has in comparison to the film felt unused. Nothing in here added anything of substance to what the film already gave us. Especially with the magnificent, incredible writing, acting, and directing that Rogue One’s prequel “Andor” gave us, novelisations like this need to do better to keep fans of the source material interested.

Anyway, stream “Andor”.

[No one · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here goes my completely biased review of the Rogue One novelization.

I always review my books based on entertainment more than literary quality or stylistic beauty, and this one is no different.

I'm gonna start saying that I watched the movie before reading the book, but that doesn't mean it is the only way of doing it. This book can be read before the movie and I don't think it will in any way diminish your enjoyment of it. However, I absolutely think it must be read with some prior knowledge of the franchise (duh!).

I don't think I am saying anything new if I tell you that the story (watch out, possible spoilers!) tells how the Alliance got the plans of the Death Star and why on earth there was such a blatant flaw in its design. Because this is not new I won't focus on the plot.

I'd rather talk about the characters. I will not try to hide that I'm Rebel Captain (Jyn x Cassian) trash. I'm a semi professional shipper so this was not a surprise. And this book is just so perfect in that aspect!

I've got to know more about Jyn and Cassian, how their minds work, who they were before we first saw them in the film… When I first saw the movie, some of Jyn’s decisions didn't really make sense (not many, but a couple), and reading about her thoughts and how she went from one state of mind to the other made me understand her better. On the other hand, Cassian looked like an anti-hero for me, he fought for the right reasons but not always did the right thing. In the book he resembles more the idea I have of a redeemable villain, he has done atrocious things but wants to find peace and works to get it. Together they fit perfectly. She wants a sense of belonging and he provides it, he wants a worthy cause and she gives him one.

There are other characters whose points of view give more depth to the story and the events that happen. We have Bodhi, an imperial pilot who wants to do the right thing for once but doesn't feel brave enough to do it (of all the secondary characters this one was my favorite); Krennel, the bad guy who ended up being more complex than I expected; Baze and Chirrut…

I wouldn't say that this book is essential to understanding the movie or the franchise, but if you really loved the movie and could use more insight into the events or the characters this book won't disappoint you.

[Jessica Halleck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This. This right here.

This is what it feels like to read Star Wars.

There are space battles, yes. Alien worlds. Martial arts mystics. But the shining jewel in this book's crown is Freed's character work. The characters are the heart and soul of this story--Jyn Erso, ultimately, most of all--but on the shoulders of the ensemble cast, cycling with well-honed timing from POV to POV, we get to know them, their motivations and struggles, and as they grow and arc on their doomed paths the reader's investment in them is signed, sealed, delivered. Sold.

We know they all die. Chances are, if you're reading this book you even already know the plot from the movie. But the depth Alexander Freed is able to impart on even the supporting cast of characters--Mon Mothma, Admiral Raddus!--adds layers to a story that I already felt was well developed before I began reading.

I wasn't wrong: Rogue One the movie was excellent. But I can honestly say that this was the first time a novelization added to my enjoyment of a movie that I already love.

It's not perfect, but like the film, the book's quality builds exponentially after the first act and explodes to full-bore fantastic for the third. It's refreshingly mature, doesn't overly pander to fan service or toy sales (though I wouldn't mind adding a Jyn Funko to my book shelf, or Cassian, or K-2SO, or precious cinnamon roll too good for this world Bodhi, or the OG Admiral Raddus, or...), and treats its audience as intelligent adults with the maturity to understand the political and moral weight of both sides in a galaxy where a weapon like the Death Star is possible. It savors the grey areas of its characters, the smudgy muddy middle of good and bad.

(Even the interludes, comprised almost entirely of razor-sharp memos fired off between characters behind the scenes, are great. One series in particular between Galen Erso, Krennic, and an over-this-shit Death Star project manager is delicious.

And holy hell--has Vader, long regarded as the king of kings in villaindom, ever been so horrifying? In cameo nonetheless!)

Layers. Layers that have been much-needed in the new Star Wars canon are here executed with impressive deftness.

Disney, I don't care what you have to do, keep Alexander Freed close and tap him often for more Star Wars stories.

If this is where the new canon is headed--in film, in books--I am with you, heart and soul.

[Claire Banschbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the movie and loved getting a more in depth look at all the characters. Except for Jyn. I don't know, somehow the book made her a little irritating to me. But I loved Bodhi! And Cassian, of course, and the occasional glimpse into the mechanical workings of my second favorite droid, K2. And Krennic is oddly wonderful as a villain.

The ending was still sad and depressing. Made even more so by the last missive from Mon Mothma.

I will say I really liked the added correspondences and data files put in. I thought it added another layer to the whole story.

Definitely read if you're a Star Wars fan! It's actually my first Star Wars book to read. I figured it was a good place to start. :)

[Hannah Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

haha
okay
so I finished this at the dentist before I had to go in for a cavity (curse you sugar) and yo the dentist thought I was tearing up from the shot
but it was mostly Cassian and Jyn in the beach
yep.
it deserves all the stars

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably one of my favourite Star Wars stories!

[Sophie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so great, like it really added some extra emotion to the movie, which was already emotional. Lots of wonderful character insight and moments. My favorite probably was the relationship between Jyn and Cassian.

[Amy H. Sturgis · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoyed Rogue One and want a richer understanding of its plot and characters, 1) read Catalyst by James Luceno, and then 2) read Rogue One by Alexander Freed.

This novelization rates about a 3.5 for me.

Here are a few of my favorite descriptions and lines that show what Freed's novelization adds to the reader's understanding of the story.

SPOILERS!

From Chapter 10:
For all of K-2's social dysfunction (or perhaps his disinterest in organic socialization -- who could fathom the mind of a droid?), he knew Cassian better than anyone. He'd seen Cassian commit acts even Draven wasn't aware of.

On Jenoport, he'd found Cassian staring at his blaster with tears on his face. K-2 had volunteered for a memory wipe in case Cassian's "continued dignity and service demanded it."

From Chapter 12:
Bodhi was talking too fast now, but if anyone could understand him it would be a machine. "Cassian reprogrammed you, right? Maybe? You're loyal to him, I get that. Galen Erso reprogrammed me."

From Chapter 20:
He was dying, of course.

He felt Baze's heavy, familiar tread pound the ground, smelled his brother's sweat as he leaned close. He wanted to say, Baze! My eyes -- I can't see! but Baze Malbus had always needed comfort more than humor.

"Chirrut," Baze murmured. "Don't go. Don't go. I'm here..."

He wondered for a moment how Baze had crossed the battlefield to reach him. But of course the Force had reunited them before the end.

From Chapter 22:
The last time Cassian had hurt so bad, K-2SO had carried him to a safe house and along the way enumerated his every injury, thoroughly assessed the likelihoods of infection and permanent nerve damage. It had been the droid's way of showing he cared -- or at least the droid's way of showing he was invested in his master's fate.

[Shadowdenizen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I might be in the minority, but I did't care for the movie, and I liked the book only marginally better. (Best not to even get me started....)

Where I found Rey, Finn and Poe immediately charming and likable, I found Jyn to be rather inscrutable and ultimately one-dimensional. (But, to it's credit, the book does serve to humanize her a bit.)

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novelization of the first of Disney’s Star Wars anthology films Rogue One hit the shelves a few weeks after the film’s premiere in theaters to avoid spoilers, written by Alexander Freed based on the script by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy.

Freed followed the events in the script faithfully, but the narrative was improved with insights into the thoughts of the primary characters of the novel. Freed interlaced the narrative with one-time characters to add actions and descriptions to various parts of the narrative, especially the destruction of Jedha. Jyn, Cassian, Bodhi, and Kennic were the most well-rounded characters throughout the narrative with Freed making them the dominate point-of-views through more appear during the Battle of Scarif giving the event the big time feel it deserved. The added “Supplemental Data” interlaced throughout the book gives additional background information without being the dreaded “info dumps” that interrupt the narrative flow of the story.

Rogue One is the first novelization that I’ve read that is of equal quality to the film its adapted from.

[Scott Rhee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is NOT a review of the film “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”, Gareth Edwards’s masterfully directed entry in the “Star Wars” filmography. Suffice it to say, about the film: I loved it, thought it was the best in the series. It was somewhat darker, more violent, less campy than the original “Star Wars” but still in keeping with the true vibe of the original series. It also helped explain some giant unexplained plot holes in “Episode IV: A New Hope”, especially in regard to how the Rebel Alliance was able to blow up a planet-destroying weapon the size of a moon by dropping a bomb through a 3-inch wide air vent. That shit’s been bothering die-hard fans for almost 40 years. So, yay! (Sorry if I’m giving spoilers away for “A New Hope” but if you haven’t seen it by now, I’m guessing it’s by choice and you probably aren’t reading this review anyway...)

Okay, so that was a review of the film, albeit a very brief one. the bulk of this review, however, will be about the book “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” by Alexander Freed.

Technically, Freed’s book is a novelization of the screenplay by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy. It is, essentially, the movie in written form, minus all the stage directions, camera shots, dialogue, etc. that one would find in a screenplay.

Freed has done something pretty damn interesting, though. He has written a novel based on a film. To call this a novelization would be inaccurate. And unjust. This is a novel, and a damn good one.

I have stated before, in previous reviews, that, while I enjoy reading the occasional novelization, the vast majority of them don’t provide anything too new or different than the movie from which they are adapted. Their sole purpose, oftentimes, is to simply get one psyched about watching the movie again. There is nothing wrong with that. A good novelization reminds fans of how much they enjoyed the movie.

Freed goes one step further and does something that is rare but not completely unheard of in novelizations.

Something that movies don’t do so well that books do really well is provide an interior world, a world of the character’s thoughts and feelings and dreams. Books can also provide immediate context: background stories, experiences, significant references that can flesh out a character in ways that two-dimensional visuals can’t. Movies are almost always told from a third-person limited perspective, while books have the luxury of being able to capture an omniscient perspective.

Freed does that.

His novel takes the familiar main characters from the movie---Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, Orson Krennic---and fleshes them out into fuller and more rounded characters. He also does this with the supporting roles---Bodhi Rook, Baze Malbus, Chirrut Imwe, Saw Gerrera, and Mon Mothma.

This is especially helpful to those of us who have not seen the TV shows Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. (Both shows apparently help to explain Saw Gerrera’s backstory.) It’s also helpful for those who have not read the numerous Star Wars novels. (In the “old canon” series, Mon Mothma becomes the president of the New Republic, which eventually replaces the Empire.)

Reading James Luceno’s prequel novel “Catalyst” is also useful, as it explains the deeper relationship between Krennic and Jyn’s father, Galen Erso.

Freed deftly ties in all the references and explanations he can without bogging the story down with exposition. More importantly, though, he provides far more addendum to the story than, I’m sure, was even hinted at in the screenplay. It’s all for the better.

There are, of course, additional “deleted” scenes that were probably in the screenplay and perhaps even filmed but cut from the theatrical version. Some, however, I would hazard a guess were manufactured by Freed’s own imagination.

I have been sadly disappointed with the several novels that I have read within the “new canon” since J.J. Abram’s “Episode VII: The Force Awakens”. The only two bright spots for me, thus far, have been the novels “Star Wars Battlefront: Twilight Company” and this one, both of them---surprise!---written by Freed.

If Freed were signed on to write every single subsequent Star Wars novel from here on, I would be plenty happy.