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Star Wars: The Han Solo Trilogy #3
Rebel Dawn
Here is the explosive conclusion of the blockbuster trilogy that chronicles the never-before-told story of the young Han Solo. Set before the Star Wars(r) movie adventures, these books chronicle the coming-of-age of the galaxy's most famous con man, smuggler, and thief.The Millennium Falcon is "the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy." So when Han Solo wins it in a game of sabacc, he and Chewbacca become kings of the smugglers--uncatchable, unstoppable. But with the Empire clamping down, Han knows his luck can't last. Still, when an old girlfriend who is now the leader of an insurgent Rebel group offers him a shot at an incredible fortune, Han can't resist. The plan seems a sure thing. The resistance will be light and the take enormous. Han and his friends will divide it equally with the Rebels. Too bad for Han that the planet of Ylesia is far from a pushover, that the Rebels have an agenda of their own, and that smuggler friends can often turn into enemies...quicker than lightspeed.Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the Star Wars expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular Star Wars books of the last thirty years!
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 1998
195 people are currently reading
3690 people want to read
About the author
A.C. Crispin
70 books314 followersAnn Carol Crispin (1950-2013) was an American science fiction writer, the author of over twenty published novels. She wrote professionally since 1983. She wrote several Star Trek and Star Wars novels, and created her own original science fiction series called Starbridge.
Crispin also served as Eastern Regional Director, and then Vice President, of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. With Victoria Strauss, she founded Writer Beware, a "watchdog" group that is part of SFWA that warns aspiring writers about the dangers of scam agents, editors, and publishers. Writer Beware was founded in 1998, and has assisted law enforcement and civil authorities in tracking and shutting down writing scams.
Crispin, who also wrote a prequel providing the back story for the popular Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, died on September 6th, 2013 at the Hospice of Charles County in Waldorf, aged 63.
She was married to science fiction author Michael Capobianco.
Crispin also served as Eastern Regional Director, and then Vice President, of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. With Victoria Strauss, she founded Writer Beware, a "watchdog" group that is part of SFWA that warns aspiring writers about the dangers of scam agents, editors, and publishers. Writer Beware was founded in 1998, and has assisted law enforcement and civil authorities in tracking and shutting down writing scams.
Crispin, who also wrote a prequel providing the back story for the popular Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, died on September 6th, 2013 at the Hospice of Charles County in Waldorf, aged 63.
She was married to science fiction author Michael Capobianco.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 273 reviews
March 24, 2024
A C Crispin sticks the landing here with Rebel Dawn. Book 1 "The Paradise Snare" was a phenomenal beginning and was so entertaining. Book 2 "The Hutt Gambit" was entertaining, but it didn't have near the same feel or quality of the first book, and also felt like a filler book. This book, however, rights the course of the trilogy and gives exactly the story hinted at in the first two books.
I referenced in previous reviews that Han felt a lot like Indiana Jones in book 1 and James Bond in book 2. I spent the whole book trying to think of who Han felt like and to be honest, he felt like...Han Solo! This is the book where he feels most accurate to his screen character (which makes sense, as this is the closest he is to the movies).
I also loved all of the EU references. This book definitely has some great ties to Shadows of the Empire and Brian Daley's Han Solo trilogy.
I saw some complaints about the Bria-Lando storyline in the middle of the book, but I found that storyline just so engaging and really was interested in the dynamic they would have, especially with Boba Fett around.
Speaking of which, I was incredibly intrigued by Boba Fett here, as he is portrayed as such an honorable character.
The action near the end of the book was fantastic! Really enjoyed the resolution of the Ylesia storyline.
Overall, loved this book! Just a hair behind The Paradise Snare for me, but amazing nonetheless.
I referenced in previous reviews that Han felt a lot like Indiana Jones in book 1 and James Bond in book 2. I spent the whole book trying to think of who Han felt like and to be honest, he felt like...Han Solo! This is the book where he feels most accurate to his screen character (which makes sense, as this is the closest he is to the movies).
I also loved all of the EU references. This book definitely has some great ties to Shadows of the Empire and Brian Daley's Han Solo trilogy.
I saw some complaints about the Bria-Lando storyline in the middle of the book, but I found that storyline just so engaging and really was interested in the dynamic they would have, especially with Boba Fett around.
Speaking of which, I was incredibly intrigued by Boba Fett here, as he is portrayed as such an honorable character.
The action near the end of the book was fantastic! Really enjoyed the resolution of the Ylesia storyline.
Overall, loved this book! Just a hair behind The Paradise Snare for me, but amazing nonetheless.
March 18, 2025
Good ending. I don't think it was as good as the last book, but it was still solid. I was never crazy about Bria and Hans relationship, not nearly as good as Leia's, but it's nice to see what made Han so off put by helping the Rebels yet again later on. I was surprised there was so much Rebellion stuff in this.
It definitely felt too fast though compared to the other ones, but I get it had to wrap up and get Han on Tatooine with Jabba being mad.
It definitely felt too fast though compared to the other ones, but I get it had to wrap up and get Han on Tatooine with Jabba being mad.
January 25, 2012
Rebel Dawn would deserve ★★★★★ stars for the clever and entertaining way A.C. Crispin works us to the moment when Han meets Luke & Obi-Wan, if only ...
Rebel Dawn would deserve ★★★★ stars had it not claimed to be a Han Solo book. The interesting part of the story, what actually drives the tale along, is the fascinating battle between Jabba's Desilijic clan and Durga's Besadii clan. For the bulk of this book, Jabba and Durga appear to be protagonist and antagonist. This book would have been really good, if only ...
Rebel Dawn would deserve ★★★ stars as a romance. The love story of Bria Tharen (rich girl turned religious junky turned Rebel leader) and Han Solo is okay, probably more than okay if you're into grocery store romances, especially if one ignores what it does to Han's growth as a character in Episodes IV & V. There's tension, there's betrayal, there's stupidity (and not on the side of Han, which is refreshing), and there's some love too. This would have been an interesting tale, if only ...
Rebel Dawn really wouldn't deserve ★★ stars under any circumstances (well ... I suppose if I had just finished a nice bottle of red wine after a yummy meal I could muster that extra star). Aaaah, if only ...
If only A.C. Crispin had left Brian Daley's Han Solo Adventures alone. But she didn't. For a bizarre ninety-nine pages, over a quarter of this book, Han Solo is nowhere to be seen because he is off in the Corporate Sector and Tion Hegemony having genuine Han Solo (and Indiana Jones) adventures.
For three chapters, Crispin turns her final Han Solo novel into a Lando Calrissian-Bria Theran-Boba Fett-Jabba the Hutt-fest, and the only glimpse we get of Han is a crappy, italicized encapsulation of Daley's novels (okay, we do get a glimpse of Han in those ninety-nine pages). That's not what I signed up for, and it pissed me off.
And it wasn't necessary. There must have been a way to work it so that her timeline would not interfere with the timeline of the Han Solo Adventures. Surely she could have written her adventures so Daley's fit between her books. The big problem, though, is that Daley's books are BETTER. They are more fun. They are better representations of the Han Solo that I love rather than the Han Solo of Lucas' "fixes." And they are actually about Han Solo rather than all the people he will meet in the movies.
But Crispin forces the juxtaposition between her books and Daley's. Her interjections of Daley's plots pushed me to interrupt my reading of her books and read his instead. And every time I finished one of his books, I hated this final Crispin book more and more. ★ star is all this is worth now. No matter how good some parts of this novel were, Crispin damaged my enjoyment too deeply by begging me to compare her to Daley. Bad call, Crispin. I'd like to think it wasn't yours, that you were forced into it by Uncle George. It wouldn't surprise me, but it wouldn't make a difference to my rating either.
Rebel Dawn would deserve ★★★★ stars had it not claimed to be a Han Solo book. The interesting part of the story, what actually drives the tale along, is the fascinating battle between Jabba's Desilijic clan and Durga's Besadii clan. For the bulk of this book, Jabba and Durga appear to be protagonist and antagonist. This book would have been really good, if only ...
Rebel Dawn would deserve ★★★ stars as a romance. The love story of Bria Tharen (rich girl turned religious junky turned Rebel leader) and Han Solo is okay, probably more than okay if you're into grocery store romances, especially if one ignores what it does to Han's growth as a character in Episodes IV & V. There's tension, there's betrayal, there's stupidity (and not on the side of Han, which is refreshing), and there's some love too. This would have been an interesting tale, if only ...
Rebel Dawn really wouldn't deserve ★★ stars under any circumstances (well ... I suppose if I had just finished a nice bottle of red wine after a yummy meal I could muster that extra star). Aaaah, if only ...
If only A.C. Crispin had left Brian Daley's Han Solo Adventures alone. But she didn't. For a bizarre ninety-nine pages, over a quarter of this book, Han Solo is nowhere to be seen because he is off in the Corporate Sector and Tion Hegemony having genuine Han Solo (and Indiana Jones) adventures.
For three chapters, Crispin turns her final Han Solo novel into a Lando Calrissian-Bria Theran-Boba Fett-Jabba the Hutt-fest, and the only glimpse we get of Han is a crappy, italicized encapsulation of Daley's novels (okay, we do get a glimpse of Han in those ninety-nine pages). That's not what I signed up for, and it pissed me off.
And it wasn't necessary. There must have been a way to work it so that her timeline would not interfere with the timeline of the Han Solo Adventures. Surely she could have written her adventures so Daley's fit between her books. The big problem, though, is that Daley's books are BETTER. They are more fun. They are better representations of the Han Solo that I love rather than the Han Solo of Lucas' "fixes." And they are actually about Han Solo rather than all the people he will meet in the movies.
But Crispin forces the juxtaposition between her books and Daley's. Her interjections of Daley's plots pushed me to interrupt my reading of her books and read his instead. And every time I finished one of his books, I hated this final Crispin book more and more. ★ star is all this is worth now. No matter how good some parts of this novel were, Crispin damaged my enjoyment too deeply by begging me to compare her to Daley. Bad call, Crispin. I'd like to think it wasn't yours, that you were forced into it by Uncle George. It wouldn't surprise me, but it wouldn't make a difference to my rating either.
June 24, 2021
I never liked the character of Bria Tharen, and I was never sure why. I figured it was just because I was used to Leia being the great love of Han’s life but this trilogy paints that role as being filled by Bria instead, and at a time in Han’s life when he feels like he doesn’t want to be tied down to any of his romantic interests, so it struck me as inconsistent too. But now, upon re-reading Rebel Dawn as an older and hopefully wiser adult, I think I know what bothers me so much about her. She’s an ‘ends justify the means’ kinda gal. Meaning she compromises her ethical integrity with the excuse that it helps the Rebel Alliance. And yeah, it does help the Rebel Alliance, but that doesn’t excuse her actions, especially not when there were alternative options open to her. You can’t create a better society out of bad deeds; you’ve got to build it up by being the change you want to see, otherwise it just won’t work out, it’s just built on a foundation of resentment and grievances. What Bria should have done was be honest And that’s why Bria is not a good leader or representative for the Alliance, much better suited to being a soldier than a commander.
Anyway, Bria aside, in this final book of the Han Solo trilogy, Crispin covers the final couple of years leading up to Han’s fateful meeting with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker in a Tatooine cantina. Han is surprisingly absent for a fair bit of the book, mostly because Crispin had to incorporate his adventures in the Corporate Sector, written in Brian Daley’s 1979 Han Solo Adventures trilogy, into the chronology of events here. She does this as best she can under the circumstances, I thought, referencing events from Daley’s books and even L. Neil Smith’s Lando Calrissian Adventures, setting up why Han goes to the Corporate Sector in the first place, and writing a few interludes that add to the original texts. To make up for Han’s relative absence, we get the development of the rival clan plot between the Hutt families of Desilijic and Besadii, and Bria’s activities for the growing Rebel Alliance, and even some action with Lando and Boba Fett. I still marvel at how Crispin manages to make the Hutts, specifically Jabba, at the very least, interesting and somewhat understandable. Of course, any semblance of relatability is wiped away with chilling alacrity towards the end of the tale. Han’s luck runs out, and he learns very rapidly that there is no such thing as fondness or friendship between Hutts and those of lesser species, particularly if you’ve damaged their business interests. Furthermore, Crispin is also constrained in this book by having to set up the events of A New Hope, and get Han to the place he has to be when he enters that story. It’s a difficult ask, working around so many constraints, but Crispin gets the job done plausibly. No, it’s not as exciting as the events of the original trilogy of films, but she injects sufficient tension to keep things interesting, without overshadowing the bigger stories to come, all the while successfully juggling the many connections to other pre-existing works.
And yet, I can’t help but feel unsatisfied. Han winning the Millennium Falcon felt a lot shorter than I remembered. For some reason I recalled a long, drawn-out tournament with lots of detail of the games of sabacc Han plays, dripping with edge of the seat tension... but upon re-reading I found that part of the story passed in a flash and left me craving more. I didn’t enjoy Han’s romance with Bria, partly because Bria’s not the best person and partly because I just don’t get why Bria is presented as some great love of Han’s when they broke up ten years earlier and with every other woman he’s purely casual. I dislike her Mary Sue tendencies too – meets Han when they’re both teenagers, is basically the love of his life before Leia, is incredibly beautiful and a competent soldier for the Rebels and has a tragic past... it’s too much. Best thing I can say about her character is that Han’s absence leaves me feeling disgruntled, and he does seem strangely melancholy through much of this book, and as others have said I miss the daring, roguish Han and his adventures in Daley’s trilogy, which seem a lot more like the Han we know. I do think Crispin does well to tie this book in to the other material she has to fit it around – A New Hope, Daley’s books, Crystal Star – and explain things like Han and Lando being on the outs, and the weird use of parsec when Han talks about the Kessel Run, and there are genuinely gripping parts in the story, like Lando’s encounter with Boba Fett, and the backstory actually given to the Hutts. But when it comes right down to it, this conclusion to Crispin’s Han Solo trilogy could’ve been better. It feels like the weakest of the three books.
Talk about the Clone Wars: Boba Fett is still referred to as Journeyman Jaster Mereel. Chewbacca is said to have been gone from Kashyyyk for 50 years before he returns there in this book. It’s not clear if he’s supposed to have been a slave of the Empire for that entire time, but even if not, it clearly contradicts the Episode III film. I tend to think the film is wrong because all the lore about the Empire previously suggested it was in place at the very least 30 years before A New Hope, and Chewbacca’s cameo in the film felt like forced fan service.
6 out of 10
July 5, 2017
With Rebel Dawn, Crispin gives us a Han Solo with which we're familiar. It makes sense (this is the closest we get to the events in Star Wars, so he ought to be by now), but in the previous books, we only see hints of him. Still, Crispin is showing us Han's development, so seeing hints in the previous books is to be expected.
Rebel Dawn also takes us back to the plot that started this trilogy: Bria; and the drug trade on Ylesia. More to the point, we finally get closure on the relationship between Han and Bria that began in The Paradise Snare, while we see what becomes of that drug trade some ten years later. We get to see characters who have featured in the other two books, and we also get to connect this story with some of the events that are mentioned in Star Wars. Specifically, we see how Han wins the Millennium Falcon from Lando, and we see the events that led to Han dumping the spice that put him on Jabba's bad side.
The thing is, Crispin moves so quickly through those events that if you blink, you might miss them. These are seminal moments in the world of Star Wars, and I would have liked to have seen more time devoted to them. Instead, we get a lot of backstory for other characters, enough so that Han doesn't feature for a good third of the story, save for a few interludes to keep us posted on what's going on with him. Near the end of the book, we do get a definitive answer about the apparent misuse of the word "parsec" regarding the Kessel Run, which is nice. If anyone tries to raise that argument with you again, just point them to this book for clarification.
I noticed in this book that Crispin tells a lot, which hurts her characterization. The characters were still drawn well, but some scenes felt emotionless, when they should have been key moments where the reader should have felt something for the characters. Instead, we get a sense of their feelings, even when we should be feeling grief or anger over what's happening.
The trilogy is strong, but I can't help but feel like it could have been so much more. Crispin spins a good tale, and I powered through the last half of this book in one day, but it lacked the OOMPH that would have made this a great series. Still, it ranks among the better books in the Expanded Universe, and I'd recommend it for folks wanting to delve outside the movies to see what else the EU has to offer.
Rebel Dawn also takes us back to the plot that started this trilogy: Bria; and the drug trade on Ylesia. More to the point, we finally get closure on the relationship between Han and Bria that began in The Paradise Snare, while we see what becomes of that drug trade some ten years later. We get to see characters who have featured in the other two books, and we also get to connect this story with some of the events that are mentioned in Star Wars. Specifically, we see how Han wins the Millennium Falcon from Lando, and we see the events that led to Han dumping the spice that put him on Jabba's bad side.
The thing is, Crispin moves so quickly through those events that if you blink, you might miss them. These are seminal moments in the world of Star Wars, and I would have liked to have seen more time devoted to them. Instead, we get a lot of backstory for other characters, enough so that Han doesn't feature for a good third of the story, save for a few interludes to keep us posted on what's going on with him. Near the end of the book, we do get a definitive answer about the apparent misuse of the word "parsec" regarding the Kessel Run, which is nice. If anyone tries to raise that argument with you again, just point them to this book for clarification.
I noticed in this book that Crispin tells a lot, which hurts her characterization. The characters were still drawn well, but some scenes felt emotionless, when they should have been key moments where the reader should have felt something for the characters. Instead, we get a sense of their feelings, even when we should be feeling grief or anger over what's happening.
The trilogy is strong, but I can't help but feel like it could have been so much more. Crispin spins a good tale, and I powered through the last half of this book in one day, but it lacked the OOMPH that would have made this a great series. Still, it ranks among the better books in the Expanded Universe, and I'd recommend it for folks wanting to delve outside the movies to see what else the EU has to offer.
August 14, 2016
5 stars
RIP Bria. Hope to see more Han and Chewie adventures.
Hope to also be able to read more Star Wars books!!!!
RIP Bria. Hope to see more Han and Chewie adventures.
Hope to also be able to read more Star Wars books!!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2021
I own this book.
Okay so, please don't let the fact I gave this book three stars put you off reading it. I really enjoyed this book but it lacked the action the other books gave me for me to rate it higher. Why do we love Star Wars? Complicated relationships and guns that go pew pew, am I right? I think I'm right. This book certainly covered on the complicated relationships front. We finally get a Bria and Han reunion which is lovely but we also get to see a whole host of other complicated relationships. We see Chewie get married, we see him become a father. We see how Salla and Han ended. We get to see Han's relationship with the Hutts. This is a very dramatic and nicely paced book but it does lack genuine action in the sense of fighting. We get some good battles at the end of the book, losing Jarik too. It also leads into A New Hope which I also liked.
Okay so, please don't let the fact I gave this book three stars put you off reading it. I really enjoyed this book but it lacked the action the other books gave me for me to rate it higher. Why do we love Star Wars? Complicated relationships and guns that go pew pew, am I right? I think I'm right. This book certainly covered on the complicated relationships front. We finally get a Bria and Han reunion which is lovely but we also get to see a whole host of other complicated relationships. We see Chewie get married, we see him become a father. We see how Salla and Han ended. We get to see Han's relationship with the Hutts. This is a very dramatic and nicely paced book but it does lack genuine action in the sense of fighting. We get some good battles at the end of the book, losing Jarik too. It also leads into A New Hope which I also liked.
November 4, 2022
Cleanliness:
Profanity
Mild Obscenities & Substitutions - 7 Incidents: d*mnation, d*mm*t, h*ll, h*lls, regnuff's patootie, h*llworld, h*llhole
Anatomical Terms - 4 Incidents: butt, butts
Scatological Terms - 3 Incidents: bl**dy (as in lots of blood)
Violence - 2 Incidents: "The reverberations of the blaster bolts, the screams, the crumpling figures, the meaty sizzle-reek of burning flesh..." "The Rodian, who had a taste for bloodshed, smacked his prehensile lips as the Priests came apart, monofilament slicing them more cleanly then any blade. Tarrz got halfway through the opening before his upper torso peeled back, revealing the dark maroon interior, internal organs laid out side by side, blood pooling and spilling as he fell to complete the gash. In a trice, they were all dead, big pools of wine-red blood slowly spreading around the quartered corpses."
Sexual Content
Lust - 7 Incidents: "Carefully inserted padding in her elegant business outfit made her look voluptuous and muscled instead of slender and wiry." "Every so often, a couple of slaves would emerge from the Exultation-induced haze enough to feel lust for each other. It was rare, but human children had actually been born."A woman poses as a concubine but actually does not share the man's bed. It is prestigious to have a concubine, so he uses her "to disguise his sexual peccadilloes", especially as his "sexual preferences did not run to human females." "You spent half the afternoon watching that new slave-girl cavort all over your throne room, while your new band of jizz-wailers played for you!" "A stunning red gown that was snug in all the right places." Regarding slave-girls: "Watching them cavort around scantily clothed?" "Han found it hard not to look at her long, shapely legs."
Making Out/Sex - 3 Incidents: There is hand holding, kissing, comments eluding to "more" and sleep-overs; but none-to-minimal detail is provided. Mentions dancing girls and boys, and that slaves are sent to the pleasure houses. This is mentioned often but never described. A couple flirt, dance, and then plan to meet in the girl's room for a "private" drink.
Homosexuality - 1 Incident: "Jabba, you are talking about a human. And a human male at that. Have your tastes changed? I thought you had a penchant for those tiresome scantily clad dancers you fancy. It is hard for me to picture Solo in a dancing costume, cavorting with that great hairy brute of a Wookiee before your throne." "Jabba chuckled at the image. 'Ho-ho, Aunt! No, my fondness for Solo comes only from the fact that he makes us money."
Sexual Miscellaneous - 2 Incidents: The word "sex" is used to mean gender. "Seen her clutch her baby to her breast."
Conversation Topics - 5 Incidents: Mentions drinking, getting drunk, drugs, and a hookah a few times throughout the book. There is gambling and a big win game played. Two minor characters commit suicide. Slaves work at a spice mining camp where some of the spices have hallucinogens and are used and sold as drugs. There is an odd religious sect where members take part in a daily ceremony (which they are addicted to) that gives them a rush/makes them high.The "rush" comes from an alien slug emitting a rumbling sound from sex glands that resonates with people's subconscious.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
Profanity
Mild Obscenities & Substitutions - 7 Incidents: d*mnation, d*mm*t, h*ll, h*lls, regnuff's patootie, h*llworld, h*llhole
Anatomical Terms - 4 Incidents: butt, butts
Scatological Terms - 3 Incidents: bl**dy (as in lots of blood)
Violence - 2 Incidents: "The reverberations of the blaster bolts, the screams, the crumpling figures, the meaty sizzle-reek of burning flesh..." "The Rodian, who had a taste for bloodshed, smacked his prehensile lips as the Priests came apart, monofilament slicing them more cleanly then any blade. Tarrz got halfway through the opening before his upper torso peeled back, revealing the dark maroon interior, internal organs laid out side by side, blood pooling and spilling as he fell to complete the gash. In a trice, they were all dead, big pools of wine-red blood slowly spreading around the quartered corpses."
Sexual Content
Lust - 7 Incidents: "Carefully inserted padding in her elegant business outfit made her look voluptuous and muscled instead of slender and wiry." "Every so often, a couple of slaves would emerge from the Exultation-induced haze enough to feel lust for each other. It was rare, but human children had actually been born."A woman poses as a concubine but actually does not share the man's bed. It is prestigious to have a concubine, so he uses her "to disguise his sexual peccadilloes", especially as his "sexual preferences did not run to human females." "You spent half the afternoon watching that new slave-girl cavort all over your throne room, while your new band of jizz-wailers played for you!" "A stunning red gown that was snug in all the right places." Regarding slave-girls: "Watching them cavort around scantily clothed?" "Han found it hard not to look at her long, shapely legs."
Making Out/Sex - 3 Incidents: There is hand holding, kissing, comments eluding to "more" and sleep-overs; but none-to-minimal detail is provided. Mentions dancing girls and boys, and that slaves are sent to the pleasure houses. This is mentioned often but never described. A couple flirt, dance, and then plan to meet in the girl's room for a "private" drink.
Homosexuality - 1 Incident: "Jabba, you are talking about a human. And a human male at that. Have your tastes changed? I thought you had a penchant for those tiresome scantily clad dancers you fancy. It is hard for me to picture Solo in a dancing costume, cavorting with that great hairy brute of a Wookiee before your throne." "Jabba chuckled at the image. 'Ho-ho, Aunt! No, my fondness for Solo comes only from the fact that he makes us money."
Sexual Miscellaneous - 2 Incidents: The word "sex" is used to mean gender. "Seen her clutch her baby to her breast."
Conversation Topics - 5 Incidents: Mentions drinking, getting drunk, drugs, and a hookah a few times throughout the book. There is gambling and a big win game played. Two minor characters commit suicide. Slaves work at a spice mining camp where some of the spices have hallucinogens and are used and sold as drugs. There is an odd religious sect where members take part in a daily ceremony (which they are addicted to) that gives them a rush/makes them high.The "rush" comes from an alien slug emitting a rumbling sound from sex glands that resonates with people's subconscious.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
October 13, 2017
Man, I know I shouldn't be giving five stars to a silly Star Wars book, but I loved it that much. AC does a great job tying up all the loose ends, and brings the story right up to meeting Kenobi and Luke in the cantina, so it all fits. Also worth noting-AC did her research. She does tie in the the HAN SOLO ADVENTURES written by Brian Daley years before, so the timeline is continuous. Best things about this book:
1. Boba Fett plays a larger role, and you get a bit of insight into his character.
2. Not all endings are happy, there is betrayal and backstabbing right up to the end, plus some of the main characters will get knocked off. It fits into explaining Solo's personality perfectly.
3. Muuurgh, the huge warrior cat (from the first book in this series) returns, yay! He was a real kick-ass character, great to see him back!
3. Also explained-the bad blood between Han and Lando, and how Jabba wound up putting a price on Han's head. Heck, you even get an explanation for how Han made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs (and yes, the explanation does factor in that a parsec is a measure of distance, NOT time). Hint-think black holes. Good thinking, I can now forgive her for the projection goof involving light in the last book.
4. You get another big battle at the end, with laser fights everywhere.
This book flat out ROCKS, and is a must read for any Star Wars fan. Geez, what a dork I've become!
1. Boba Fett plays a larger role, and you get a bit of insight into his character.
2. Not all endings are happy, there is betrayal and backstabbing right up to the end, plus some of the main characters will get knocked off. It fits into explaining Solo's personality perfectly.
3. Muuurgh, the huge warrior cat (from the first book in this series) returns, yay! He was a real kick-ass character, great to see him back!
3. Also explained-the bad blood between Han and Lando, and how Jabba wound up putting a price on Han's head. Heck, you even get an explanation for how Han made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs (and yes, the explanation does factor in that a parsec is a measure of distance, NOT time). Hint-think black holes. Good thinking, I can now forgive her for the projection goof involving light in the last book.
4. You get another big battle at the end, with laser fights everywhere.
This book flat out ROCKS, and is a must read for any Star Wars fan. Geez, what a dork I've become!
September 9, 2023
Another great book and a solid ending to the Han Solo trilogy. This is probably my least favorite of the three if I’m being honest, but that’s not saying much—I loved this whole trilogy.
All the good stuff present in the first two entries is present here. Han and Chewie are wonderful, of course, as are all of the characters. Others return from the past books, including some characters who haven’t been seen since the first: Jabba, Lando, Boba Fett, Bria Theron, Teroenza, Muuurgh, and more. They’re all handled excellently, and I particularly enjoyed Bria here and the way her arc has progressed over the trilogy. I also really enjoyed how the book sets up the events of the Original Trilogy, with the Rebel Alliance having been formed shortly before the events of the book. In addition, Han’s introduction in A New Hope picks up exactly where this book leaves off, which is also a nice tie-in. As a positive for the trilogy as a whole, I do love how it covers such a wide range of Han’s life, starting with him first going off on his own and ending right where he was originally introduced. You really see why Han was in the situation he was in during that original film. Finally, both in the case of this book and the trilogy as a whole, this was just a blast to read. It’s been a joy to read this trilogy over the last few weeks.
As for negatives, there is a reason I say this is my least favorite of the trilogy. Firstly, similar to the preceding book, this has a pretty big action scene towards the end that felt underwhelming to me. The setup was good and the aftermath was excellent, but the scene itself did very little for me. I also wasn’t as interested in the interactions between the Hutts this time around. Not bad by any means, but it lacked the interest that they had in book two.
Overall this was a really enjoyable read, despite a couple of gripes. This really is an excellent trilogy and one that I definitely get the hype for now. If you’ve not read it before, I highly recommend doing so.
Rating: 8.5/10
All the good stuff present in the first two entries is present here. Han and Chewie are wonderful, of course, as are all of the characters. Others return from the past books, including some characters who haven’t been seen since the first: Jabba, Lando, Boba Fett, Bria Theron, Teroenza, Muuurgh, and more. They’re all handled excellently, and I particularly enjoyed Bria here and the way her arc has progressed over the trilogy. I also really enjoyed how the book sets up the events of the Original Trilogy, with the Rebel Alliance having been formed shortly before the events of the book. In addition, Han’s introduction in A New Hope picks up exactly where this book leaves off, which is also a nice tie-in. As a positive for the trilogy as a whole, I do love how it covers such a wide range of Han’s life, starting with him first going off on his own and ending right where he was originally introduced. You really see why Han was in the situation he was in during that original film. Finally, both in the case of this book and the trilogy as a whole, this was just a blast to read. It’s been a joy to read this trilogy over the last few weeks.
As for negatives, there is a reason I say this is my least favorite of the trilogy. Firstly, similar to the preceding book, this has a pretty big action scene towards the end that felt underwhelming to me. The setup was good and the aftermath was excellent, but the scene itself did very little for me. I also wasn’t as interested in the interactions between the Hutts this time around. Not bad by any means, but it lacked the interest that they had in book two.
Overall this was a really enjoyable read, despite a couple of gripes. This really is an excellent trilogy and one that I definitely get the hype for now. If you’ve not read it before, I highly recommend doing so.
Rating: 8.5/10
January 3, 2020
I loved this book. I love how we get to see Bria and Han's story and what's going on there. I love how we get to see Han and Chewbacca win the Millenium Falcon from Lando. I love how Han continues to work for the Hutts. I love how we see what's going on between the Hutts. I loved the plot and I love all the little things the author threw in. I definitely love reading about Han's story before everything happened. 5/5 stars.
June 2, 2015
Well I knew Bria and Han wouldn't last but it was still sad to see them separated that way. At least we know he finds another lovely lady. The author did a great job tying into IV and overall this was a great series. I am sorry to see it end though...
October 11, 2025
(4.0 - 4.5 rounded up)
“Rebel Dawn” brings AC Crispin’s Han Solo Trilogy to an end on a satisfactory note! This book shows the Star Wars Legends versions of him acquiring the Millennium Falcon and doing the Kessel Run in 12 Parsecs as well as bringing to a close the plotlines introduced by Crispin, most prominently the Han and Bria Tharen relationship. The book does a lot and maybe stumbles at points but its overall a satisfactory entry to a collectively great trilogy of books.
In terms of stumbles I’d say Crispin’s decision to respect Brian Daley’s “The Han Solo Adventures” and take Han out of Rebel Dawn’s narrative so he can go off to the events of Daley’s stories to be one of the most polarizing decisions of the trilogy. It's a bold choice to say the least, but frankly I think it would have made more sense to put Han’s winning of the Falcon at the end of the last book and then have Daley stories take place in between Crispin’s books. Likewise it does feel like at points that Han’s story meanders a bit in the first two acts before the final act. Between all this it does feel like the final chapters of Rebel Dawn (covering the Kessel Run and the incident that put Han in Jabba’s bad graces) are a bit rushed.
Nonetheless the rest of the book makes up for these weaknesses. Han’s pretty much his classic self here finally, feeling in line with both his character at the start of “A New Hope” and as he was shown in Daley’s adventures. He has a great dynamic with Chewie and Lando as well as the various original characters (Muuurgh returns and he got along splendidly with Chewie!). Bria gets the lion’s share of the non-Han focus and I would say she is the most important character of the trilogy after him considering her importance to both him as a character and to the Rebellion (we get yet another Death Star plan heist to cap off her career). I wouldn’t say she’s a favorite but I do appreciate the growth that Crispin wrote for her although at this point there’s little chance she’ll appear in the Disney Canon as her role has been split between Qi’ra, Jyn Erso and the various “Andor” ladies. The other storylines besides hers were interesting, the Hutt and Ylesian conflict in particular which felt appropriately reminiscent of “Dune” and “A Song of Ice and Fire”.
In general there’s some pretty neat set pieces throughout the book. While not as cool as last book’s Battle of Nar Shadda, the Battle of Ylesia was a fun showcase of Han’s leadership ability once again and the Rebellion’s capabilities. Crispin does have a satisfying resolution to the battle which brings an end to Han’s relationship with Bria and explains why he was hesitant about committing to the Rebellion at first. Another good set piece was during the sections Han was gone and we got to see Bria and Lando interact before being interacting with Boba Fett (who Crispin frankly makes the case that he’d be a better nemesis for Lando than for Han). Finally we got an actually thrilling (and graphic) Hutt vs Hutt fight to the death which I would love to see other Star Wars projects try to replicate.
In the end I will say “Rebel Dawn” is too much like “Return of the Jedi”, being a flawed entry in a trilogy that comes right after a fantastic one, but like ROTJ still has a lot going for it. I still think its too early for me to say whether I prefer “Solo: A Star Wars Story” or AC Crispin’s trilogy as the story of Han Solo’s pre Rebel Alliance life. But Crispin’s trilogy was pretty fantastic despite some flaws and taken with Brian Daley’s stories helped make me appreciate Han Solo in ways I previously hadn’t before. It's definitely a must-read trilogy for any fan of Star Wars literature.
“Rebel Dawn” brings AC Crispin’s Han Solo Trilogy to an end on a satisfactory note! This book shows the Star Wars Legends versions of him acquiring the Millennium Falcon and doing the Kessel Run in 12 Parsecs as well as bringing to a close the plotlines introduced by Crispin, most prominently the Han and Bria Tharen relationship. The book does a lot and maybe stumbles at points but its overall a satisfactory entry to a collectively great trilogy of books.
In terms of stumbles I’d say Crispin’s decision to respect Brian Daley’s “The Han Solo Adventures” and take Han out of Rebel Dawn’s narrative so he can go off to the events of Daley’s stories to be one of the most polarizing decisions of the trilogy. It's a bold choice to say the least, but frankly I think it would have made more sense to put Han’s winning of the Falcon at the end of the last book and then have Daley stories take place in between Crispin’s books. Likewise it does feel like at points that Han’s story meanders a bit in the first two acts before the final act. Between all this it does feel like the final chapters of Rebel Dawn (covering the Kessel Run and the incident that put Han in Jabba’s bad graces) are a bit rushed.
Nonetheless the rest of the book makes up for these weaknesses. Han’s pretty much his classic self here finally, feeling in line with both his character at the start of “A New Hope” and as he was shown in Daley’s adventures. He has a great dynamic with Chewie and Lando as well as the various original characters (Muuurgh returns and he got along splendidly with Chewie!). Bria gets the lion’s share of the non-Han focus and I would say she is the most important character of the trilogy after him considering her importance to both him as a character and to the Rebellion (we get yet another Death Star plan heist to cap off her career). I wouldn’t say she’s a favorite but I do appreciate the growth that Crispin wrote for her although at this point there’s little chance she’ll appear in the Disney Canon as her role has been split between Qi’ra, Jyn Erso and the various “Andor” ladies. The other storylines besides hers were interesting, the Hutt and Ylesian conflict in particular which felt appropriately reminiscent of “Dune” and “A Song of Ice and Fire”.
In general there’s some pretty neat set pieces throughout the book. While not as cool as last book’s Battle of Nar Shadda, the Battle of Ylesia was a fun showcase of Han’s leadership ability once again and the Rebellion’s capabilities. Crispin does have a satisfying resolution to the battle which brings an end to Han’s relationship with Bria and explains why he was hesitant about committing to the Rebellion at first. Another good set piece was during the sections Han was gone and we got to see Bria and Lando interact before being interacting with Boba Fett (who Crispin frankly makes the case that he’d be a better nemesis for Lando than for Han). Finally we got an actually thrilling (and graphic) Hutt vs Hutt fight to the death which I would love to see other Star Wars projects try to replicate.
In the end I will say “Rebel Dawn” is too much like “Return of the Jedi”, being a flawed entry in a trilogy that comes right after a fantastic one, but like ROTJ still has a lot going for it. I still think its too early for me to say whether I prefer “Solo: A Star Wars Story” or AC Crispin’s trilogy as the story of Han Solo’s pre Rebel Alliance life. But Crispin’s trilogy was pretty fantastic despite some flaws and taken with Brian Daley’s stories helped make me appreciate Han Solo in ways I previously hadn’t before. It's definitely a must-read trilogy for any fan of Star Wars literature.
January 13, 2024
Han Solo has just won the Millennium Falcon off Lando Calrissian in a high-stakes sabacc tournament and now the whole galaxy seems to be his for the making. He's all about good times and good money. But though his past casts a long shadow, the Empire casts a much greater one. Throwing his lot in with rebels will either make Han a lot of cash - or cost him everything.
The way this book leads into A New Hope is downright masterful. Except this means the trilogy is over, even though the saga continues beyond it. I've really enjoyed going on his ride with Han and co again - it reads quite a bit differently when you're an adult!
Crispin made an odd decision by having Han disappear for a while - in order to make sure his already published adventures (from a previous trilogy) were still feasible in the timeline. I'm not sure I agree with how this was handled. As a kid without any knowledge of the Daley novels, I was baffled - nowadays I can contrive a number of ways to fix it. Still, Crispin manages to make Han's presence felt in the other character's lives and it feels seamless when he reappears.
I just want to mention one of my favourite moments. Boba Fett's encounter with Han towards the end - it says SO MUCH about Fett as a character. Jaster Mereel he ain't, but even canonical changes don't erode the impact of this scene.
The Han Solo Trilogy is at times uneven, never more so than it is in Rebel Dawn. And yet, I will always love it - and it's the reason there is no room in my heart for Solo: A Star Wars Story.
The way this book leads into A New Hope is downright masterful. Except this means the trilogy is over, even though the saga continues beyond it. I've really enjoyed going on his ride with Han and co again - it reads quite a bit differently when you're an adult!
Crispin made an odd decision by having Han disappear for a while - in order to make sure his already published adventures (from a previous trilogy) were still feasible in the timeline. I'm not sure I agree with how this was handled. As a kid without any knowledge of the Daley novels, I was baffled - nowadays I can contrive a number of ways to fix it. Still, Crispin manages to make Han's presence felt in the other character's lives and it feels seamless when he reappears.
I just want to mention one of my favourite moments. Boba Fett's encounter with Han towards the end - it says SO MUCH about Fett as a character. Jaster Mereel he ain't, but even canonical changes don't erode the impact of this scene.
The Han Solo Trilogy is at times uneven, never more so than it is in Rebel Dawn. And yet, I will always love it - and it's the reason there is no room in my heart for Solo: A Star Wars Story.
March 12, 2025
So I’m giving this 4 stars because she earned it through her commitment to this series. Reading the acknowledgments is worth it on this one!
Great ending to the trilogy of books, takes you right up to the cantina scene in ANH. Super cool Rogue One-ish content. Clearly they took ideas from this book. Pleasantly surprised by how this series turned out for me. I hated the first book, struggled through it. Glad I read this series as a long time EU fan!!
Great ending to the trilogy of books, takes you right up to the cantina scene in ANH. Super cool Rogue One-ish content. Clearly they took ideas from this book. Pleasantly surprised by how this series turned out for me. I hated the first book, struggled through it. Glad I read this series as a long time EU fan!!
May 15, 2018
A mixed ending to the trilogy. It brings us right up to the beginnings of the first film; explains how Han got his chin scar and the Millennium Falcon; as well as putting a lot more meat on the Lando and Chewbacca relationships. But, at times Han feels like a background character - towards the end the novel becomes much more about Bria's revenge than Han's story and only really falls back to him to tie up that loose end of their relationship before Leia arrives on the scene. Hopefully it was just my edition - but at one point before the assault on Ylesia I'm sure they started getting the ships names wrong...
January 10, 2019
As a collective whole, Crispin’s “Han Solo” trilogy is easy to read, if not, at least mostly enjoyable. Her love of the titular character is clearly evident and, being written back in the late 90’s with only the special edition films and a small amount of other fictional content like Brian Daley’s Han Solo Adventures, it’s hard to deny that Crispin was, at the very least, modestly successful in writing a decent trilogy.
Unfortunately, Rebel Dawn isn’t exactly as great or as perfect as it could be. It’s marginally better than The Hutt Gambit in both story and scope, and the fact that Crispin does her damndest to tie up the lose ends of the previous 2 books and bring it up to the cantina events of A New Hope, are big helps for it, yet it falls victim to continuity errors and flaws.
Perhaps the biggest is Han himself...when he’s actually in the book, that is. For about 1/3 of this novel, he’s absent, hanging out in the corporate sector, remodeling the Millennium Falcon and bedding as many women as he can. While he’s gone, readers are thrown into 2 side plots of the return of Bria from The Paradise Snare and a pseudo Cold War between the competing Hutt factions. Both of these events are good, but for a book where the moan character is a part of the freaking title, he’s not present nearly enough to justify his name being on the novel.
And even when Han is present, he’s a hopeless romantic playboy, jumping between no less than 3 separate women, doing a “hit it and quit it” across the galaxy. We all know Han has an eye for ladies, but Crispin makes him out to be horny teenager always out for the next sexual conquest. It leads to some ridiculously contrived and badly scripted moments, straight out of either 50 Shades of Grey or a YA title like Twilight.
Han is also an emotional wreck. He’s excitable and eager to go one moment, then depressed and angry a second later. He’s cocky for a sentence, only to be self-loathing and hateful from the very next period. There’s not a lot of consistency and the Han that fans grew to love in the films isn’t present very often.
Lastly, I was confused as to the “point” of Rebel Dawn. There’s Han, yes, thought there’s also Bria’s redemption and her relation to the Rebel alliance (and, along those same lines how everything and everyone somehow relates to everything else), the Hutt standoff, Cheney’s personal life, the rise of the imperial empire. Each of the side plots deserve their own full length novel but instead Crispin tries to jam all of these into a measly 389 pages and no single side story can be thoroughly enjoyed. Plus her writing formula of “tell, don’t show” makes Rebel Dawn fly by at a break neck pace and it’s damn near impossible to be invested in any single moment. I’m all for quick storytelling and writing and avoiding long, drawn out, overly described details (*cough Star by Star cough*) but Crispin needed to grab the reins and slow things down a bit.
I guess, in all reality, Rebel Dawn falls victim to that dreaded “law of diminishing returns”. Too much of one thing and it starts to suffer. Maybe I was expecting more since the entirety of the “Han Solo” trilogy is widely regarded as one of the better set of books in the EU, but frankly, aside from The Paradise Snare, I found the whole set of books to be underwhelming and just too “safe”.
I will say though, that for a quick, mostly enjoyable, easy-to-read, set of books, the “Han Solo” trilogy is far from horrible. Crispin does succeed in telling a complete story and it does a decent job of working its way right up to the introduction of Han in A New Hope, though it’s not a deep dive into Star Wars lore. A classic? By all means! An utterly fantastic trip into everyone’s favorite scoundrel? Eh, not so much.
Unfortunately, Rebel Dawn isn’t exactly as great or as perfect as it could be. It’s marginally better than The Hutt Gambit in both story and scope, and the fact that Crispin does her damndest to tie up the lose ends of the previous 2 books and bring it up to the cantina events of A New Hope, are big helps for it, yet it falls victim to continuity errors and flaws.
Perhaps the biggest is Han himself...when he’s actually in the book, that is. For about 1/3 of this novel, he’s absent, hanging out in the corporate sector, remodeling the Millennium Falcon and bedding as many women as he can. While he’s gone, readers are thrown into 2 side plots of the return of Bria from The Paradise Snare and a pseudo Cold War between the competing Hutt factions. Both of these events are good, but for a book where the moan character is a part of the freaking title, he’s not present nearly enough to justify his name being on the novel.
And even when Han is present, he’s a hopeless romantic playboy, jumping between no less than 3 separate women, doing a “hit it and quit it” across the galaxy. We all know Han has an eye for ladies, but Crispin makes him out to be horny teenager always out for the next sexual conquest. It leads to some ridiculously contrived and badly scripted moments, straight out of either 50 Shades of Grey or a YA title like Twilight.
Han is also an emotional wreck. He’s excitable and eager to go one moment, then depressed and angry a second later. He’s cocky for a sentence, only to be self-loathing and hateful from the very next period. There’s not a lot of consistency and the Han that fans grew to love in the films isn’t present very often.
Lastly, I was confused as to the “point” of Rebel Dawn. There’s Han, yes, thought there’s also Bria’s redemption and her relation to the Rebel alliance (and, along those same lines how everything and everyone somehow relates to everything else), the Hutt standoff, Cheney’s personal life, the rise of the imperial empire. Each of the side plots deserve their own full length novel but instead Crispin tries to jam all of these into a measly 389 pages and no single side story can be thoroughly enjoyed. Plus her writing formula of “tell, don’t show” makes Rebel Dawn fly by at a break neck pace and it’s damn near impossible to be invested in any single moment. I’m all for quick storytelling and writing and avoiding long, drawn out, overly described details (*cough Star by Star cough*) but Crispin needed to grab the reins and slow things down a bit.
I guess, in all reality, Rebel Dawn falls victim to that dreaded “law of diminishing returns”. Too much of one thing and it starts to suffer. Maybe I was expecting more since the entirety of the “Han Solo” trilogy is widely regarded as one of the better set of books in the EU, but frankly, aside from The Paradise Snare, I found the whole set of books to be underwhelming and just too “safe”.
I will say though, that for a quick, mostly enjoyable, easy-to-read, set of books, the “Han Solo” trilogy is far from horrible. Crispin does succeed in telling a complete story and it does a decent job of working its way right up to the introduction of Han in A New Hope, though it’s not a deep dive into Star Wars lore. A classic? By all means! An utterly fantastic trip into everyone’s favorite scoundrel? Eh, not so much.
February 23, 2017
It's just as good as the previous volume in this trilogy...which is me damning with faint praise. It's an enjoyable series of adventures & travelogues, but once again there is much that is glossed over, or communicated in the tell-don't-show style of the previous books. In fact, the plot of the late 1970s Brian Daley-authored Han Solo trilogy is summarized in interludes lasting a few pages each -- which is either audacious or outrageous, depending on your mood. In the end, you can't help but feel that, no matter what heights it might reach, A.C. Crispin's trilogy is one long excuse to move Han & Chewie quickly into position for their introduction in "A New Hope". However, I will give kudos to the best part of the novel: a battle to the death between two Hutts. It has to be read to be believed...
October 12, 2021
This trilogy has given some great backstory for Han and Chewbacca and how they were tangled into working with Jabba the Hutt. I honestly believe that some of the events in this story could’ve been used in the Solo movie and it would’ve given us more emotional ties to the character we all came to love from the original trilogy. Highly recommend this trilogy to any fan!
May 22, 2012
Now in posssession of his own ship, the beloved Millenium Falcon, you'd thnk Han and Chewie would have no problems, right?
Well, the Empire is pressing down so hard on its subject worlds, even a smuggler of Han's caliber have trouble making a goodlving.
Then a Rebel group offers Han a "can't miss' scenario. There is an incredible fortune at stake. Han gets half for his efforts and the Rebels use the other half to finance their revolt--buying weapons, ships; paying the odd bribe or two to corrupt Imperials.....
But Han and Chewie and their friends soon find that 'can't miss" plans rarely go through.
Again, a typical Star Wars adventure--battles, intirgue, humor, interesting alien and human cultures and a good portrayal of Han, Chewbacca and our other friends.
The epilogue show Han walking into a bar in the Mos Eisley spaceport. Chewie has found more work. An old man--carrying an ancient light saber yet--and a boy are needing a charter---themselvers, two droids, and no questions asked.......
As with all three books of this trilogy recommened for an Sf adventure fan; especially Star Wars fans.
Well, the Empire is pressing down so hard on its subject worlds, even a smuggler of Han's caliber have trouble making a goodlving.
Then a Rebel group offers Han a "can't miss' scenario. There is an incredible fortune at stake. Han gets half for his efforts and the Rebels use the other half to finance their revolt--buying weapons, ships; paying the odd bribe or two to corrupt Imperials.....
But Han and Chewie and their friends soon find that 'can't miss" plans rarely go through.
Again, a typical Star Wars adventure--battles, intirgue, humor, interesting alien and human cultures and a good portrayal of Han, Chewbacca and our other friends.
The epilogue show Han walking into a bar in the Mos Eisley spaceport. Chewie has found more work. An old man--carrying an ancient light saber yet--and a boy are needing a charter---themselvers, two droids, and no questions asked.......
As with all three books of this trilogy recommened for an Sf adventure fan; especially Star Wars fans.
January 7, 2018
I give the trilogy as a whole a solid three stars. I think there could have been points were certain characters were developed better, but I wouldn't say I'm disappointed in the stories. The third book was decent, but one thing I let bother me was how obvious it was that book three was written after 'Shadows of the Empire'. Suddenly characters from that story are ever present in this one. By and large, the stories work as an origin for Solo. I still think adding in the love story was pointless. Especially when you consider that Solo is already established prior to these stories. Had Bria been such a huge part of his life, and so important, you'd think her name would have come up. That was something I would think the author would consider. I insist the love interest wasn't necessary, because Leia is just around the corner as the Solo trilogy ends at the obvious point on Tattooine. So, yes, a few complaints. My problem is I expect every Star Wars book to feel like it was written by Timothy Zaun.
June 2, 2008
I'm so glad I finally finished this trilogy. From winning the Millenium Falcon to meeting Obi-Wan and Luke in the Mos Eisley Cantina, this is a very interesting read that develops Han Solo's background and character. While some purists might not like to know the details behind some details of Solo's past, I found it rather enlightening and adds another dimension to his character in the Original Trilogy that doesn't conflict with that story. A couple of those points include the conflict between Han and Lando in Empire Strikes Back, Han's frying of Greedo, and some details into Boba Fett's character that are rather intriguing. As I mentioned before, it was nice to be able to pick up a star wars novel that didn't require me to have read 25+ books before it to understand the characters.
January 23, 2019
One of the things I rate books like this on (books taking place in an established universe) is how much the author adds as much as exploits something already there. This book is where the series dips into the negatives, as most of it is just making all of Solo's life a series of coincidences. It takes everything there is about Solo from the movies, and sets up connections to those things in the book first. It stops adding new characters or plots or ideas. It's a competently written action story with some bittersweetness thrown in with love interests with very different goals in life, but it would work a lot better if all the names were changed.
March 3, 2015
Estos libros no son excepcionales, pero es bien satisfactorio saber lo que pasa durante las elipsis de las películas. La experiencia del audio libro fue sobresaliente, e inevitablemente continuaré con
Star Wars: The Corellian Trilogy.
De este libro me gustó bastante como desarrollan el paralelismo entre la vida de Han y los juegos de azar. Han nunca está en control de nada y siempre las noticias buenas se intercalan con las malas. Pobre y dichoso Han. Por suerte tiene a Chewie con él.
Star Wars: The Corellian Trilogy.
De este libro me gustó bastante como desarrollan el paralelismo entre la vida de Han y los juegos de azar. Han nunca está en control de nada y siempre las noticias buenas se intercalan con las malas. Pobre y dichoso Han. Por suerte tiene a Chewie con él.
July 9, 2019
I have no idea why it took me so long to finish this book.
The Han Solo Trilogy is a must read for Han Solo Fans. Whether you're a big Star Wars fan, or just like Han Solo definitely read these books.
I was never a fan of the Hutt drama, but it was necessary and central for the story. The Spice factories and the slaves, are where everything begins in book 1 and finish up in book 3.
I honestly never like Bria, she always ended up breaking Han's heart. In this book she reunites with Han, and gets him and the other smugglers to help with a rescue mission on Ylesia. The aftermath will take us right up to the Mos Eisley spaceport and a charter flight for "An old guy and kid in farmers outfit" ...
Other future characters are prominent in this series; Jabba, Lando, and Boba Fett. We also get to see how The Kessel run was done in under 12 parsecs.
Excellent series, as a Han Solo fan I enjoyed everyone of the 3 novels.
The Han Solo Trilogy is a must read for Han Solo Fans. Whether you're a big Star Wars fan, or just like Han Solo definitely read these books.
I was never a fan of the Hutt drama, but it was necessary and central for the story. The Spice factories and the slaves, are where everything begins in book 1 and finish up in book 3.
I honestly never like Bria, she always ended up breaking Han's heart. In this book she reunites with Han, and gets him and the other smugglers to help with a rescue mission on Ylesia. The aftermath will take us right up to the Mos Eisley spaceport and a charter flight for "An old guy and kid in farmers outfit" ...
Other future characters are prominent in this series; Jabba, Lando, and Boba Fett. We also get to see how The Kessel run was done in under 12 parsecs.
Excellent series, as a Han Solo fan I enjoyed everyone of the 3 novels.
July 28, 2019
Just couldn't get into it, so I skimmed most of it and finished it in a day. Good points, more direction than The Hutt Gambit, smooth set up for Star Wars, decent story as far as I could tell, just not my cup of tea.
I recommend it for Star Wars fans, fans of Han Solo, sci-fi/fantasy fans. Not my cup of tea but still among the better Star Wars novels/trilogies. Do not read this out of order, this is the third in a trilogy and you should read it in order. Technically I suppose you could read it as a stand alone but it would be a much richer book if you knew the back story.
I recommend it for Star Wars fans, fans of Han Solo, sci-fi/fantasy fans. Not my cup of tea but still among the better Star Wars novels/trilogies. Do not read this out of order, this is the third in a trilogy and you should read it in order. Technically I suppose you could read it as a stand alone but it would be a much richer book if you knew the back story.
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April 14, 2023Overall really enjoyed this trilogy. Felt like being with old friends. Han, Chewie, Lando, Boba Fett, Jabba. It was fun to see little snippets of the early stages of Rebel Alliance. There were some
cringe phrases and words I noticed in this book that I may have missed in the first two. “I’d rather be dead than crippled” and a few uses of the word “retarded” as an insult. Did not enjoy those parts.
cringe phrases and words I noticed in this book that I may have missed in the first two. “I’d rather be dead than crippled” and a few uses of the word “retarded” as an insult. Did not enjoy those parts.
April 9, 2019
A nice lead up to the introduction of Han Solo in A New Hope. My favorite parts were the windows we got into Hutt life and politics. They were so unapologetically sinister that it made a joy to read. This final entry raps up the Han Solo trilogy nicely. A very different view into the world of Star Wars that existed before the Prequel movies came to define much of the world and lore at presant.
September 11, 2021
Great book. In my opinion on of the best legends series of books together:
December 14, 2022
Best book in the trilogy and a real jerker of emotions. I wasn't a huge fan of the stories from the previos 2 books but what Crispin nailed in each of them.was the characters and their interractions.
I never thought i could imagine Han next to anyone but Leia, and she will always be the one for him in my opinion. Having said that Bria and him have such a sad relationship which expertly depicts what trauma can do to a relationship.
The moments when she would cheer him on, without him knowing, rooting for him and wishing him the best... yet still not doing anything about it even though she loved him, were so bittersweet. Then, when they do get together i felt my skin tingle and mt cheeks burn as thet embraced and kissed. Even i believed her as Han did.
Which is exactly why i completely understood how Han felt when she betrayed him. Which is exactly why her death was so utterly devestating. I do believe she loved him through the whole of the trilogy, up to her dying breath. She was ready to do anything for him, but be with him. All because she was fighting for a greater cause that had saved her from slavery and trauma.
Of course this resonates ever harder with Han and Leia's relationship. Where she was able to be with Han and still be true to herself. Which i think is what love is about in the end.
Being true to yourself while also allowing those you love most to get as close as emotionally possible. Even pass that.
A brilliant and a huge recommandation to all.
I never thought i could imagine Han next to anyone but Leia, and she will always be the one for him in my opinion. Having said that Bria and him have such a sad relationship which expertly depicts what trauma can do to a relationship.
The moments when she would cheer him on, without him knowing, rooting for him and wishing him the best... yet still not doing anything about it even though she loved him, were so bittersweet. Then, when they do get together i felt my skin tingle and mt cheeks burn as thet embraced and kissed. Even i believed her as Han did.
Which is exactly why i completely understood how Han felt when she betrayed him. Which is exactly why her death was so utterly devestating. I do believe she loved him through the whole of the trilogy, up to her dying breath. She was ready to do anything for him, but be with him. All because she was fighting for a greater cause that had saved her from slavery and trauma.
Of course this resonates ever harder with Han and Leia's relationship. Where she was able to be with Han and still be true to herself. Which i think is what love is about in the end.
Being true to yourself while also allowing those you love most to get as close as emotionally possible. Even pass that.
A brilliant and a huge recommandation to all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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