What do you think?
Rate this book
Star Wars Disney Canon Novel
Doctor Aphra
Dr. Aphra teams up with Darth Vader himself in the original script to the audiobook production—an expanded adaptation of the critically acclaimed Marvel comics series.Dr. Chelli Lona Aphra, rogue archaeologist, is in trouble again. A pioneer in the field of criminal xenoarchaeology, Aphra recognizes no law, has no fear, and possesses no impulse control. To her, the true worth of the galactic relics she discovers is found not in a museum but in an arsenal. This viewpoint has led to a lot of misunderstandings. After her latest plan goes horribly wrong, Aphra’s roguish ways are on the verge of catching up to her. That’s when suddenly Darth Vader, terror of the galaxy, swoops in with his lightsaber and . . . saves her life? Don’t get her wrong—it’s not like she’s ungrateful. Sure, her new boss is a lord of the Sith. And okay, she may have just become a pawn in a deadly game being played by him and his boss, who happens to be the Galactic Emperor. And yes, the life expectancy of anyone who disappoints Vader can be measured in seconds. But she’s back doing what she does best. She’s got a ship to fly, a heist to pull, and two unorthodox but effective metal Triple-Zero, a protocol droid specializing in etiquette, customs, translation, and torture; and BT-1, an astromech loaded with enough firepower to take down a battlecruiser. Together, they might just find a way to get the job done and avoid the deadly performance review that waits at its conclusion. Just kidding. She’s doomed.
307 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 21, 2020
81 people are currently reading
2030 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Kuhn
68 books669 followersSarah Kuhn is the author of Heroine Complex—the first in a series starring Asian American superheroines—for DAW Books. She also wrote The Ruby Equation for the comics anthology Fresh Romance and the romantic comedy novella One Con Glory, which earned praise from io9 and USA Today and is in development as a feature film. Her articles and essays on such topics as geek girl culture, comic book continuity, and Sailor Moon cosplay have appeared in Uncanny Magazine, Apex Magazine, AngryAsianMan.com, IGN.com, Back Stage, The Hollywood Reporter, StarTrek.com, Creative Screenwriting, and the Hugo-nominated anthology Chicks Dig Comics. In 2011, she was selected as a finalist for the CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) New Writers Award.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 422 reviews
February 4, 2025
Made me laugh harder than any other star wars book has done yet.
September 19, 2024
2.5 Stars
From what I know, Doctor Aphra was introduced in the Star Wars comics, and this novelization of her adventures is only available as an audiobook atm.
She’s a rogue archaeologist looking for the next big technological artifact, not only to bring her fame, but also the biggest possible payout. Somehow, Aphra finds herself at the unfortunate mercy of Darth Vader as he makes her an offer she can't refuse.
Never to be pessimistic or to not make the most of a situation, Aphra is always looking out for numero uno no matter what, and that’s why she typically comes out on top. Mesh that with classic Star Wars action and adventure, this takes place before The Empire Strikes Back where our beloved trio does make an appearance!
Overall, I would say that fans will enjoy this segue with no problem. It doesn’t hurt that this audiobook contains a full cast and plenty of nostalgic sound effects and musical score that really elevates the experience. However, this fan of Star Wars found Aphra way too self-serving to truly root for her wins and thus when she succeeds, I wasn’t as inclined to celebrate like I normally do.
Star Wars Universe
Resistance Reborn - 5 Stars!
Crimson Climb - 4 Stars
Most Wanted - 4 Stars
Scoundrels - 4 Stars
A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy - 3.5 Stars
The Princess and the Scoundrel - 3.5 Stars
The Rise of Skywalker - 3.5 Stars
Doctor Aphra - 2.5 Stars
From what I know, Doctor Aphra was introduced in the Star Wars comics, and this novelization of her adventures is only available as an audiobook atm.
She’s a rogue archaeologist looking for the next big technological artifact, not only to bring her fame, but also the biggest possible payout. Somehow, Aphra finds herself at the unfortunate mercy of Darth Vader as he makes her an offer she can't refuse.
Never to be pessimistic or to not make the most of a situation, Aphra is always looking out for numero uno no matter what, and that’s why she typically comes out on top. Mesh that with classic Star Wars action and adventure, this takes place before The Empire Strikes Back where our beloved trio does make an appearance!
Overall, I would say that fans will enjoy this segue with no problem. It doesn’t hurt that this audiobook contains a full cast and plenty of nostalgic sound effects and musical score that really elevates the experience. However, this fan of Star Wars found Aphra way too self-serving to truly root for her wins and thus when she succeeds, I wasn’t as inclined to celebrate like I normally do.
Star Wars Universe
Resistance Reborn - 5 Stars!
Crimson Climb - 4 Stars
Most Wanted - 4 Stars
Scoundrels - 4 Stars
A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy - 3.5 Stars
The Princess and the Scoundrel - 3.5 Stars
The Rise of Skywalker - 3.5 Stars
Doctor Aphra - 2.5 Stars
November 28, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. I have not had a chance to read any of the Doctor Aphra comics yet, but now I definitely will. I have only seen her in a couple of short stories and was wondering whose side she was on. This book answered most of my questions about her.
This book contains Aphra's origin and her biggest mission to date. The book contains a number of guest appearances. I am also glad I learned what the comment about a certain persons left hook was about.
Without giving too much away, who is Aphra, she is brilliant to the point of reckless, a thrill seeker who might have a death wish, and she always has her own angle. She reminds me a bot like Star Wars version of Deadpool. The narration and recordings are a great 4th wall break and are full of chaotic energy.
This book is a great summary of Aphra's early adventures and origin. All this just makes me want to know about the full details of these adventures as well as what she could do next if you can survive the most powerful and dangerous people on the Star Wars galaxy.
This book contains Aphra's origin and her biggest mission to date. The book contains a number of guest appearances. I am also glad I learned what the comment about a certain persons left hook was about.
Without giving too much away, who is Aphra, she is brilliant to the point of reckless, a thrill seeker who might have a death wish, and she always has her own angle. She reminds me a bot like Star Wars version of Deadpool. The narration and recordings are a great 4th wall break and are full of chaotic energy.
This book is a great summary of Aphra's early adventures and origin. All this just makes me want to know about the full details of these adventures as well as what she could do next if you can survive the most powerful and dangerous people on the Star Wars galaxy.
November 17, 2020
dnf at 25%
With how much hype this character receives and how many people gush over her, I was under the impression she was this incredible, well written character. After Dooku: Jedi Lost, I was excited for this audio drama. I thought listening to this would be a great way to introduce myself to the character.
Instead I was blown away by how infuriatingly annoying Aphra is.
She kept getting on my nerves more often than not, and honestly? I truly do not understand the hype for her. In fact I was holding out hope that Vader would force choke the life out of her after saying his patience was wearing thin in scene five. Scene. Five. And that was only around the 15% mark of the audio drama!
Once I reached 25% in this, I decided to watch an in-depth spoiler filled review because I wanted to know if it was worth finishing or not. Evidently, as this is now on my dnf shelf, it was in my opinion that this is not worth wasting any more time on.
I’ll still give the comics a try in the hopes Aphra isn’t as annoying in them as she is here.
With how much hype this character receives and how many people gush over her, I was under the impression she was this incredible, well written character. After Dooku: Jedi Lost, I was excited for this audio drama. I thought listening to this would be a great way to introduce myself to the character.
Instead I was blown away by how infuriatingly annoying Aphra is.
She kept getting on my nerves more often than not, and honestly? I truly do not understand the hype for her. In fact I was holding out hope that Vader would force choke the life out of her after saying his patience was wearing thin in scene five. Scene. Five. And that was only around the 15% mark of the audio drama!
Once I reached 25% in this, I decided to watch an in-depth spoiler filled review because I wanted to know if it was worth finishing or not. Evidently, as this is now on my dnf shelf, it was in my opinion that this is not worth wasting any more time on.
I’ll still give the comics a try in the hopes Aphra isn’t as annoying in them as she is here.
July 17, 2020
This story is the perfect introduction to the character of Aphra for those not familiar with her while also adding plenty of fresh and new aspects to the original story from the Vader comics. This is also incredibly successful as an audiodrama and kept me engaged just about the entire time even though I usually struggle with audio stories.
Full review to come on Tosche Station.
Full review to come on Tosche Station.
November 10, 2022
Aphra forever.
May 27, 2021
Well that was certainly a delight!
This is a review of the full-cast audiodrama, not the published script, but from a story and character perspective author Sarah Kuhn really nails it.
Finicky readers who have already read the initial run of Doctor Aphra comics might complain that this is a retelling of that story, but it's the manner of the retelling (in Aphra's own inimitable dialogue) that makes it so delightful.
I love the fly on the wall insights into Vader's touring of sights such as Geonosis or the ruins of the Lars homestead on Tatooine, and of course any story that include messing with the Bounty Hunters is going to be entertaining. I also felt Kuhn used the characters of Bee-Tee and Triple Zero with restraint, which is important since their dialogue is generally pretty full-on.
Highly recommended in any format!
This is a review of the full-cast audiodrama, not the published script, but from a story and character perspective author Sarah Kuhn really nails it.
Finicky readers who have already read the initial run of Doctor Aphra comics might complain that this is a retelling of that story, but it's the manner of the retelling (in Aphra's own inimitable dialogue) that makes it so delightful.
I love the fly on the wall insights into Vader's touring of sights such as Geonosis or the ruins of the Lars homestead on Tatooine, and of course any story that include messing with the Bounty Hunters is going to be entertaining. I also felt Kuhn used the characters of Bee-Tee and Triple Zero with restraint, which is important since their dialogue is generally pretty full-on.
Highly recommended in any format!
October 6, 2020
This is an audio drama. It has different actors for each role, sound effects, and most importantly the iconic music songs of John Williams. This tells the story of Doctor Aphra who gets recruited by Darth Vader. In this universe, she is basically Indiana Jones without the moral ethics. This is actually a retelling of the story in the comics of the Darth Vader run with some story from the main comic run of Star Wars.
This was so much fun. It is told from the perspective of Doctor Aphra as she retells her story into a recording. I wasn't crazy about this as I wish it was more a real time story. It wasn't enough to deter me from the story. I have read the original story and I wasn't sold on her as a character (I have read more books with her and she has won me over). If I read this first I would have immediately been a fan. The production was just amazing. I got chills when Vader was in a scene and all you heard was his breathing because he wasn't the one talking. The "pew-pew" of the lasers to the iconic music was just enthralling and I was totally immersed in this universe. Plus, you get the murder droids which made me laugh out loud. Like I said, I have read the comics that this story was based on and I did think they did stream line the main story somewhat. I couldn't give it the five stars because of this. That being said, they did manage to add some new information into the story so that was a pleasant surprise.
I listened to this at work and I didn't even realize I was there. It was so captivating that I am pretty sure my production at work did suffer. Oh well. We all know that Disney has suffered a little with the movies and to me most of the books. They have a sure winner with these audio dramas and I really hope they do more of these.
This was so much fun. It is told from the perspective of Doctor Aphra as she retells her story into a recording. I wasn't crazy about this as I wish it was more a real time story. It wasn't enough to deter me from the story. I have read the original story and I wasn't sold on her as a character (I have read more books with her and she has won me over). If I read this first I would have immediately been a fan. The production was just amazing. I got chills when Vader was in a scene and all you heard was his breathing because he wasn't the one talking. The "pew-pew" of the lasers to the iconic music was just enthralling and I was totally immersed in this universe. Plus, you get the murder droids which made me laugh out loud. Like I said, I have read the comics that this story was based on and I did think they did stream line the main story somewhat. I couldn't give it the five stars because of this. That being said, they did manage to add some new information into the story so that was a pleasant surprise.
I listened to this at work and I didn't even realize I was there. It was so captivating that I am pretty sure my production at work did suffer. Oh well. We all know that Disney has suffered a little with the movies and to me most of the books. They have a sure winner with these audio dramas and I really hope they do more of these.
January 11, 2025
Doctor Aphra is a character who came out of the Marvel Star Wars comic books, the first of the new Darth Vader series by noted writer Kieron Gillen specifically, and this audio drama is an adaptation of those first arcs in which she works for Lord Vader and occasionally bumps into the likes of Luke, Han, and Leia...
It's interesting to revisit these stories from her point of view. She is a fun character, a sort of evil Indiana Jones type, galivanting rogue archeologist not quite bad enough to prevent fans to root for her. The part where she says "weapons don't belong in a museum, they belong in an armory" is genuinely funny! She's also queer, and there's more of that in the original material, which is interesting enough. It is a shame she isn't "live action-worthy" as of yet, though she did get her own comic series eventually.
(Also, her droid companions Triple-Zero and Bee Tee are essentially homicidal versions of Threepio and Artoo. And that's hilarious.)
As far as Star Wars audio dramas available on Audible--not merely audiobooks because these have a full cast with special effects etc.--this is much better than the High Republic era one Tempest Runner. But not quite as good as the prequel era drama Dooku: Jedi Lost, which fleshed out more original backstory to a more intriguing character. Doctor Aphra as a retelling of better comics doesn't quite justify itself, even with the format of her narrating a recording summing up all her adventures. It's just not as good and I'd rather recommend reading the comics.
Of the performances, the Darth Vader parts are pretty well done. With the altered voice and all. Then when Luke, Han, and Leia show up it's not as well done, but that's a tall order to get those celebrity voice impersonations right. I think I did spot a continuity mistake: Boba Fett has been retconned to have a New Zealand accent now hasn't he? How very nerdy of me to notice.
For fans of audiobooks and Star Wars spinoffs, this was worth listening to in a completist kinda way. Yet I'd certainly recommend Gillen's Darth Vader series more, or the Vader Down crossover, which are quality stories even for readers who aren't superfans.
Honestly, I'm still waiting to find a Star Wars audio drama that utilizes the medium well. Guess the space opera works best on the screen, followed by comics, then distantly followed by novels. This isn't the medium that really works.
It's interesting to revisit these stories from her point of view. She is a fun character, a sort of evil Indiana Jones type, galivanting rogue archeologist not quite bad enough to prevent fans to root for her. The part where she says "weapons don't belong in a museum, they belong in an armory" is genuinely funny! She's also queer, and there's more of that in the original material, which is interesting enough. It is a shame she isn't "live action-worthy" as of yet, though she did get her own comic series eventually.
(Also, her droid companions Triple-Zero and Bee Tee are essentially homicidal versions of Threepio and Artoo. And that's hilarious.)
As far as Star Wars audio dramas available on Audible--not merely audiobooks because these have a full cast with special effects etc.--this is much better than the High Republic era one Tempest Runner. But not quite as good as the prequel era drama Dooku: Jedi Lost, which fleshed out more original backstory to a more intriguing character. Doctor Aphra as a retelling of better comics doesn't quite justify itself, even with the format of her narrating a recording summing up all her adventures. It's just not as good and I'd rather recommend reading the comics.
Of the performances, the Darth Vader parts are pretty well done. With the altered voice and all. Then when Luke, Han, and Leia show up it's not as well done, but that's a tall order to get those celebrity voice impersonations right. I think I did spot a continuity mistake: Boba Fett has been retconned to have a New Zealand accent now hasn't he? How very nerdy of me to notice.
For fans of audiobooks and Star Wars spinoffs, this was worth listening to in a completist kinda way. Yet I'd certainly recommend Gillen's Darth Vader series more, or the Vader Down crossover, which are quality stories even for readers who aren't superfans.
Honestly, I'm still waiting to find a Star Wars audio drama that utilizes the medium well. Guess the space opera works best on the screen, followed by comics, then distantly followed by novels. This isn't the medium that really works.
June 7, 2021
This is the script for an audio production of Doctor Aphra’s first story. That story was part of a Darth Vader graphic novel, but here the focus shifts to Aphra’s perspective. Reading this reminded me of how fun that first story was, and how dependent it was on Vader, not Aphra. I find Aphra on her own to be obnoxious and pointless, but her scenes with Vader are frequently hilarious, especially in the way they reference other moments of Star Wars movies. This exchange, for example:
But Vader’s appearances are too rare. Most of the book is Aphra, babbling on and on and on. This script has not quite arrived at “audio drama” status yet, as most of it is Aphra saying what’s happening and what she thinks about it. Not particularly dramatic. As a big fan of the original Star Wars radio dramas, I do hope for more dramatized productions that are at that level. The Expanded Universe audio productions (Dark Forces and Dark Empire) and the recent productions in the new canon haven’t achieved the greatness of the originals.
APHRA:I also chuckled at the idea of Vader on Tatooine, gazing into the binary sunset, his cape billowing out behind him.
Ever been to Geonosis, Lord Vader?
A long, weighted beat of Vader’s breathing.
DARTH VADER:
Cease your probing. (48)
But Vader’s appearances are too rare. Most of the book is Aphra, babbling on and on and on. This script has not quite arrived at “audio drama” status yet, as most of it is Aphra saying what’s happening and what she thinks about it. Not particularly dramatic. As a big fan of the original Star Wars radio dramas, I do hope for more dramatized productions that are at that level. The Expanded Universe audio productions (Dark Forces and Dark Empire) and the recent productions in the new canon haven’t achieved the greatness of the originals.
July 31, 2020
"Ooh, all this murder talk! You really know how to charm a girl! A girl who happens to be a blood-filled sac of flesh."
Doctor Aphra is a character from my beloved Star Wars universe that I didn't previously know a lot about. My introduction to her was in the brilliant anthology, From a Certain Point of View. The short story, The Trigger, was written by her creator, Kieron Gillen. It serves as a prequel to her run in the comics, which I have yet to read. In the anthology, she is captured by Imperial soldiers on Dantooine on the day that the Empire blows up Alderaan. She is basically written as the lesbian archaeological opposite to Indiana Jones. I found myself falling instantly in love with her character! After this original audio drama, I will be shocked if she doesn't soon get her own television series or feature film!
Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra is a rogue archaeologist, first appearing in Star Wars: Darth Vader in 2015. The following year, she received her own comic series. Aphra is the first Star Wars character that isn't from any of the movies to lead her own comic series. Talk about badass!
Written by Sarah Kuhn, the audio drama is an expanded adaptation of Aphra's origin story in in the Darth Vader comics. Taking place between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, the story of course centers around the morally dubious hero that is Doctor Aphra. It's told in such a fun way, through audio log recordings, which gave it a Borderlands vibe. Aphra frequently rewinds, deletes and re-records sections of these logs, giving us a rare look into her character from a different viewpoint. When she is perhaps most vulnerable.
Aphra specializes in droid and weapons technologies and ends up recruited by Darth Vader, who senses greatness in her. She makes a deal with the Dark Lord of the Sith and misadventures abound!
"Focus, Aphra!"
As I've mentioned previously, I have a difficult time listening to audiobooks. It's incredibly tough for me to focus on being read to, while trying to lose myself in the story without having the words in front of me, let alone during ::gestures to everything:: However, Dooku: Jedi Lost gave me hope that I could at least learn to enjoy audio dramatizations with a full voice cast of franchises I love. But Doctor Aphra? Completely shattered my expectations! It fully kept my attention and never once did I find myself disinterested. That says a lot!
The cast was fucking stellar! Sean Kenin had me giggle-snorting more than a few times with his characterization of Triple-Zero, Aphra's torture droid companion. Marc Thompson yet again knocked it out of the park with his performance. In Dooku, he played Yoda and here in Doctor Aphra he is the complex Darth Vader. But it is Emily Woo Zeller who steals the show, understandably, as Aphra herself. I loved her portrayal so bloody much! Aphra is charismactic and funny, yet deeply flawed and chaotic. She is a memorable unreliable narrator in the best way! Sarah Kuhn captured this exciting character in such a beautifully authentic way in this script. It has all of the comfort of the Star Wars universe - it's jam-packed with dynamic action scenes; entertaining interactions between characters; murderous droid sidekicks; brutally gut-punchy moments; a darkness that lingers beneath the surface; and a more than worthy protagonist that carries the weight of the story.
Doctor Aphra is a massively impressive audio dramatization. This is some of the most fun I've had with a Star Wars book EVER!
For a character that doesn't have a ton of backstory in the galaxy far, far away this could have been quite the risk. But what are the odds of a life worth living without some risk?
NEVER TELL ME THE ODDS!
May the Force be with you!
Doctor Aphra is a character from my beloved Star Wars universe that I didn't previously know a lot about. My introduction to her was in the brilliant anthology, From a Certain Point of View. The short story, The Trigger, was written by her creator, Kieron Gillen. It serves as a prequel to her run in the comics, which I have yet to read. In the anthology, she is captured by Imperial soldiers on Dantooine on the day that the Empire blows up Alderaan. She is basically written as the lesbian archaeological opposite to Indiana Jones. I found myself falling instantly in love with her character! After this original audio drama, I will be shocked if she doesn't soon get her own television series or feature film!
Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra is a rogue archaeologist, first appearing in Star Wars: Darth Vader in 2015. The following year, she received her own comic series. Aphra is the first Star Wars character that isn't from any of the movies to lead her own comic series. Talk about badass!
Written by Sarah Kuhn, the audio drama is an expanded adaptation of Aphra's origin story in in the Darth Vader comics. Taking place between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, the story of course centers around the morally dubious hero that is Doctor Aphra. It's told in such a fun way, through audio log recordings, which gave it a Borderlands vibe. Aphra frequently rewinds, deletes and re-records sections of these logs, giving us a rare look into her character from a different viewpoint. When she is perhaps most vulnerable.
Aphra specializes in droid and weapons technologies and ends up recruited by Darth Vader, who senses greatness in her. She makes a deal with the Dark Lord of the Sith and misadventures abound!
"Focus, Aphra!"
As I've mentioned previously, I have a difficult time listening to audiobooks. It's incredibly tough for me to focus on being read to, while trying to lose myself in the story without having the words in front of me, let alone during ::gestures to everything:: However, Dooku: Jedi Lost gave me hope that I could at least learn to enjoy audio dramatizations with a full voice cast of franchises I love. But Doctor Aphra? Completely shattered my expectations! It fully kept my attention and never once did I find myself disinterested. That says a lot!
The cast was fucking stellar! Sean Kenin had me giggle-snorting more than a few times with his characterization of Triple-Zero, Aphra's torture droid companion. Marc Thompson yet again knocked it out of the park with his performance. In Dooku, he played Yoda and here in Doctor Aphra he is the complex Darth Vader. But it is Emily Woo Zeller who steals the show, understandably, as Aphra herself. I loved her portrayal so bloody much! Aphra is charismactic and funny, yet deeply flawed and chaotic. She is a memorable unreliable narrator in the best way! Sarah Kuhn captured this exciting character in such a beautifully authentic way in this script. It has all of the comfort of the Star Wars universe - it's jam-packed with dynamic action scenes; entertaining interactions between characters; murderous droid sidekicks; brutally gut-punchy moments; a darkness that lingers beneath the surface; and a more than worthy protagonist that carries the weight of the story.
Doctor Aphra is a massively impressive audio dramatization. This is some of the most fun I've had with a Star Wars book EVER!
For a character that doesn't have a ton of backstory in the galaxy far, far away this could have been quite the risk. But what are the odds of a life worth living without some risk?
NEVER TELL ME THE ODDS!
May the Force be with you!
January 30, 2021
Great performance with the different voice actors but I had to knock the overall rating because of how they portray the relationship between Aphra and Vader. Maybe the comic did a better job but the audiobook makes it hard to believe that Vader would tolerate her quips or mannerisms.
May 26, 2022
4.5 stars. This book (or rather audiobook) was a hoot!
Sarah Kuhn gives us her take on Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra, rogue, no, actually criminal, xenoarchaeologist Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra (post-1st Death Star and pre-Hoth). And she's glorious! Even when all she does is make one poor or actually bad decision after another, all resulting in more almost-fatal adventure and credits for herself, Aphra is fantastic!
Absolutely brilliant, dangerously cavalier about others and their feelings, incapable or unwilling to empathize, Chelli goes from one exploit to another, finding her way past numerous hazards, her trusty two reprogrammed (and psychotic) droids Triple-Zero (loves torture) and BT-1 (loves to make things go bang!) by her side and frequently saving her from disaster.
Aphra is one of those awful people whom we love to watch get in and out of trouble, cheering when she gets away mostly scot-free.
Sarah Kuhn's Aphra is a treat; her hilarious monologues are sparkling, including Aphra's frequent rerecordings over troublesome (i.e., hinting at caring for something or someone) thoughts, and Emily Woo Zeller's voice work is absolutely wonderful, bringing this morally ambiguous (and sometimes just plain unethical) character to fantastic life.
Sarah Kuhn gives us her take on Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra, rogue, no, actually criminal, xenoarchaeologist Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra (post-1st Death Star and pre-Hoth). And she's glorious! Even when all she does is make one poor or actually bad decision after another, all resulting in more almost-fatal adventure and credits for herself, Aphra is fantastic!
Absolutely brilliant, dangerously cavalier about others and their feelings, incapable or unwilling to empathize, Chelli goes from one exploit to another, finding her way past numerous hazards, her trusty two reprogrammed (and psychotic) droids Triple-Zero (loves torture) and BT-1 (loves to make things go bang!) by her side and frequently saving her from disaster.
Aphra is one of those awful people whom we love to watch get in and out of trouble, cheering when she gets away mostly scot-free.
Sarah Kuhn's Aphra is a treat; her hilarious monologues are sparkling, including Aphra's frequent rerecordings over troublesome (i.e., hinting at caring for something or someone) thoughts, and Emily Woo Zeller's voice work is absolutely wonderful, bringing this morally ambiguous (and sometimes just plain unethical) character to fantastic life.
July 21, 2020
This is the perfect example of how a character should be introduced. She tells her story, comments on her own behaviour, grows and reflects. Meanwhile, we also get the usual high quality sound effects we can expect from Star Wars material (Vader's breathing was pretty creepy, not gonna lie) and witty dialogue.
The cast does a tremendous job bringing these characters to life and making us feel their chemistry.
I didn't know Aphra before, but now I feel like I've got a friend out in the galaxy who constantly sends me messages telling me about her latest crazy adventure and I'm so glad to know her.
My full review is up on Jedi-Bibliothek, if you speak German you can read it here: https://jedi-bibliothek.de/2020/07/re...
I cannot wait to read more Aphra stories now and I sincerely hope we get more audio plays!
The cast does a tremendous job bringing these characters to life and making us feel their chemistry.
I didn't know Aphra before, but now I feel like I've got a friend out in the galaxy who constantly sends me messages telling me about her latest crazy adventure and I'm so glad to know her.
My full review is up on Jedi-Bibliothek, if you speak German you can read it here: https://jedi-bibliothek.de/2020/07/re...
I cannot wait to read more Aphra stories now and I sincerely hope we get more audio plays!
October 7, 2020
Star Wars! Awesome right?!!? Yes, everything Star Wars gets a +1 because we are all in love with the epic story. I don't know about you but I have struggled with most of the SW Universe books. I feel like the stories are a little light on content. All the hard work in world building has already been done so it feels like plug and play. Aphra is a light hearted character in a dark SW world definitely shadowed by Darth Vader. It was rompy and fun and entertaining, so for this I say thank you. If you need a deep heavily character and plot developed story, "this is not the book you are looking for....."
February 20, 2021
Two days ago, I stumbled upon a new credit on my audible account. With nothing new in the High Republic left on audible to check out, I remembered that there was another Star Wars audiodrama that I still haven't gotten around to listening too- Sara Kuhn's audio-drama adaption of Dr. Aphra's early appearances from Star Wars comics.
I've always been a fan of Doctor Aphra, especially when she was able to start going on her own solo adventures not tied to Darth Vader. However, I wasn't expecting too much from this audiodrama because it was telling a story (or more accurately, stories) that I had already read before. Additionally, the stories that it was retelling happened to be the ones where I liked Aphra the least. I still enjoyed Aphra in her early outings but I always found her at her best once she didn't have to stay in the confines of stories lead by Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.
However, I ended up being impressed by this on almost every level. No, not just impressed. FLOORED. So lets get into it.
THE STORY: "Doctor Aphra" is a retelling of the Kieron Gillen's Darth Vader comic series that ran from 2015-2016, and integrating material from the Vader Down crossover and Star Wars, Vol. 3: Rebel Jail. In all of these, Aphra featured as a prominent side character- but here, it is all of it is from Aphra's point of view told through a series of recordings done by Aphra herself.
If you haven't read any of these comics from the early days of the new Canon, here's the gyst: Dr. Chelli Lona Aphra is an archaeologist with very questionable morals. Think Indiana Jones, but the opposite gender and moral code. She is found by Darth Vader, who recruits her for the unique skill set that she has.
I don't want to go any further than this when it comes to plot details because those who have already read the comics that this adapts will know the rest, and I don't want to spoil anything else for those that haven't.
THE BAD: There's only one problem I have with this production, and fortunately, it's not that big.
Katherine Taber was miscast as Princess Leia. I've loved Taber in her various other Star Wars outings including Mission Vao in Knights of the Old Republic, Vette in The Old Republic (aka SWTOR), Numa in Rebels, and Padme in The Clone Wars. Speaking of Padme, Taber does her voice for Padme in a scene where Aphra finds a recorded message from her, and that would have been perfect as a cameo. But then she also does the voice for Leia, and it's very distracting. I actually think Taber performs the character well when it comes to Leia's inflections and demeanor, but every time she was saying a line I kept getting distracted, often seeing Clone Wars Padme instead of Leia Organa. Fortunately, Leia is not in enough scenes for it to sink the production in a serious way (as opposed to Euan Morton's miscasting as Dooku in the previous Star Wars Audiodrama, Dooku: Jedi Lost).
I will also say there will be a couple of caveats for certain groups of listeners. First and foremost will be the fact that this is an adaptation of existing stories in the canon- there's definitely some added scenes, but this is still at its core a story that's already been told. So the people that already read the comic storylines that this is adapting will already know everything that's going to happen, and it will likely take out a good portion of the tension.
The other caveat is that I don't think this audiodrama will win over anyone that doesn't like the character of Aphra or only enjoys her in small doses. Not only are all of Aphra's trademark quirks and mannerisms on display, they are cranked up exponentially. So if you already didn't like the inherently weird and zany adventures of Dr. Aphra in either her solo comics or the Kieron Gillen Darth Vader series, you'll probably hate this. That said...
THE GOOD: As a fan of Dr. Aphra and all the craziness associated with her story, this was fantastic.
Sarah Kuhn nails Dr. Aphra's character and does a beautiful job connecting all of Dr. Aphra's early appearances together into a character study with a surprisingly focused plot. In her early appearances in the comics, Dr. Aphra was always, in the end, a side character. She was always interesting and fun to have around, but she never really got the chance to become a fully fleshed out character until she became the protagonist in her own comics. Here though, Kuhn's take on those early appearances don't just feel like a retelling that happens to be from Aphra's point of view, this truly felt like Aphra's story and she is given a surprisingly effective character arc. In the comics it doesn't really feel like she changes that much as a character, but in this audiodrama I felt like she was a different person by the end of the story- and more importantly, it serves as a great transitional bit of character growth to the Aphra that we begin to see in the solo comics. Despite the familiarity of the events, I felt like I was listening to a completely fresh take on them. Kuhn makes the brilliant decision of (re)telling this story with the same tone that Star Wars: Doctor Aphra goes for, making it feel right in line with Aphra's other joyously crazy solo adventures (I haven't read Alyssa Wong's 2020 reboot yet, but after this audio drama I am highly inclined to do so).
The amount of insight we get into Aphra's character was amazing. Aphra being in the wrong place at the wrong time and barely getting out alive has always been a recurring theme in her solo comics, but here we actually get a character-based reason why that always seems to happen. We also get Aphra's other core motivations greatly fleshed out; Kuhn brings in a couple of flashback scenes from Aphra's first solo comic run (and mixes in some new flashback scenes as well, to excellent effect), and we get expanded reasons as to why Aphra is not only a rogue archaelogist, but also a rogue and and archaeologist. I don't know if that makes sense, but it's the best way I can describe how beautifully nuanced her character is in this story.
And quickly, I wanted to mention the scene with Boba Fett. I kind of loved how this poked fun at Boba Fett's reputation both in-universe and among the fans. This came out before the second season of the Mandalorian, which made Boba Fett cool again. Before this, it was assumed he died in the sarlacc pit in canon, so some fans, including myself, didn't take him all that seriously as this cool and badass character. Kuhn finds a brilliant way to naturally pay homage to this sentiment, and I just got a huge kick out of it.
The voice cast is phenomenal. Yes, I complained about Katherine Taber's miscasting, but she still did a good job given the circumstances. Once I mentally trained myself to see leia in those scenes instead of TCW padme, it did feel like Leia.
Let's start with the star of the show, and easily the best part, Emily Woo Zeller as Aphra. She was nothing short of brilliant. Kuhn's writing gave Zeller so much to work with, and she takes full advantage of it- I was loving every second Aphra was either talking, narrating, or both. There was once scene in particular that choked me up big time- I almost cried. But I also consistently laughed at Aphra's wit and cheered when she narrowly escaped death on every occasion that I had already known was going to happen.
The audio drama greatly fleshes out Aphra's connection with Sana Starros, and features a lot of extra content with her and Aphra together. Nicole Lewis was amazing in the role of Sana Starros, and I absolutely loved how she and Zeller played off each other. The chemistry between both Lewis/Zeller and Starros/Aphra leaps out of the recording booth, and after this I like Sana far more than I did before.
I always expect Marc Thompson to be great in audio productions in Star Wars, but his Darth Vader still exceeded those expectations two-fold. After Light of the Jedi, I thought I heard every possible voice Marc Thompson could do. And I've gotten to a point where I can tell when it's Thompson's voice because he definitely does some of the other side characters too. But he gets completely lost in this role and sounded exactly like James Earl Jones. This was easily the most important voice for this production to get right after Aphra, but Thompson pulled it off- and I didn't even realize it was him until the credits rolled around.
The others who round out the cast included Jonathan Davis as Boba Fett (among other voices- I could definitely tell because one side character sounded like his Rael Aveross voice from Master and Apprentice), Carol Monda as Maz Kanata, Sean Patrick Hopkins as Luke Skywalker, and Sean Kenin as Triple-0. All of these people did great. Kenin actually got me to laugh at the Triple-0 jokes that I thought I had grown tired of long ag0, so that's just a damn impressive feat.
I wanted to quickly mention Euan Morton separately- because in my eyes, his performance as The Emperor here was a redemption. I liked him as the male sith inquisitor in SWTOR, but I complained about how off his Dooku voice felt in Dooku: Jedi Lost. Here, his Palpatine voice is perfect. It sounds pretty similar to Ian McDiarmid and is almost as good as Sam Witwer's now-iconic impression.
Last but not least, I can't forget the use of the classic John Williams music and the iconic star wars sound effects you should come to expect from a Star Wars audiobook. I have to say, I was kind of impressed by some of the refreshing spins in the way this audio drama uses the music. Those who have listened to enough audiobooks and audio dramas in the Star Wars universe expect top notch immersion, but I actually found it really funny how this production has a few moments of self awareness that plays on the listener's expectations in the best and most Aphra-like of ways.
THE CONCLUSION: Final rating is 4.5 stars, rounded up. I absolutely loved this audio drama.
This isn't just a retelling of Aphra's early comic appearances from her point of view- this feels like the true origin story for Dr. Chelli Lona Aphra that both the character and her fans deserve. Because at the end of the day, Aphra didn't really get a proper origin story until this point- she was a fun and unique side character that happened to become popular enough to get her own standalone comic series. Now, Aphra's story as a whole in the canon feels more complete. This audio drama provides so much insight into who Dr. Aphra is, and it does so in a story that truly feels like hers. Kuhn adapts Aphra's first appearances in a way that lines up with those established early comics in terms of continuity (some of the dialogue is different, though Aphra portrays herself as not a 100% reliable narrator in this, so it still works), but things are now far more tonally in line with her solo comic adventures. This, in turn, creates something that feels like a Dr. Aphra outing and unites all of the content that she has into one cohesive whole, without taking away anything from the dark and foreboding tone of Kieron Gillen's Darth Vader comics or the Jason Aaron Star Wars series that was trying to evoke the feel of the Original Trilogy.
If you are a fan of Dr. Aphra, this audio drama is an absolute must. But for those who haven't read any of the comics featuring Aphra and are curious to discover who she is, I highly recommend this as a definitive introduction. You can still read Kieron Gillen's Darth Vader series for Darth Vader, and Jason Aaron's Star Wars for Luke/Han/Leai/Chewie/R2/3PO. Additionally, those comics do give you additional context on the events of this audio drama. However, you no longer have to read those comics specifically to get into Dr. Aphra. Because now, THIS is the place to go. Aphra has succeeded in her final steps of cementing herself as a fully fledged Star Wars character that can stand completely on her own. Between Sarah Kuhn's amazing writing and Emily Woo Zeller's transcendent performance, it turned out far better than I could have ever imagined.
I've always been a fan of Doctor Aphra, especially when she was able to start going on her own solo adventures not tied to Darth Vader. However, I wasn't expecting too much from this audiodrama because it was telling a story (or more accurately, stories) that I had already read before. Additionally, the stories that it was retelling happened to be the ones where I liked Aphra the least. I still enjoyed Aphra in her early outings but I always found her at her best once she didn't have to stay in the confines of stories lead by Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader.
However, I ended up being impressed by this on almost every level. No, not just impressed. FLOORED. So lets get into it.
THE STORY: "Doctor Aphra" is a retelling of the Kieron Gillen's Darth Vader comic series that ran from 2015-2016, and integrating material from the Vader Down crossover and Star Wars, Vol. 3: Rebel Jail. In all of these, Aphra featured as a prominent side character- but here, it is all of it is from Aphra's point of view told through a series of recordings done by Aphra herself.
If you haven't read any of these comics from the early days of the new Canon, here's the gyst: Dr. Chelli Lona Aphra is an archaeologist with very questionable morals. Think Indiana Jones, but the opposite gender and moral code. She is found by Darth Vader, who recruits her for the unique skill set that she has.
I don't want to go any further than this when it comes to plot details because those who have already read the comics that this adapts will know the rest, and I don't want to spoil anything else for those that haven't.
THE BAD: There's only one problem I have with this production, and fortunately, it's not that big.
Katherine Taber was miscast as Princess Leia. I've loved Taber in her various other Star Wars outings including Mission Vao in Knights of the Old Republic, Vette in The Old Republic (aka SWTOR), Numa in Rebels, and Padme in The Clone Wars. Speaking of Padme, Taber does her voice for Padme in a scene where Aphra finds a recorded message from her, and that would have been perfect as a cameo. But then she also does the voice for Leia, and it's very distracting. I actually think Taber performs the character well when it comes to Leia's inflections and demeanor, but every time she was saying a line I kept getting distracted, often seeing Clone Wars Padme instead of Leia Organa. Fortunately, Leia is not in enough scenes for it to sink the production in a serious way (as opposed to Euan Morton's miscasting as Dooku in the previous Star Wars Audiodrama, Dooku: Jedi Lost).
I will also say there will be a couple of caveats for certain groups of listeners. First and foremost will be the fact that this is an adaptation of existing stories in the canon- there's definitely some added scenes, but this is still at its core a story that's already been told. So the people that already read the comic storylines that this is adapting will already know everything that's going to happen, and it will likely take out a good portion of the tension.
The other caveat is that I don't think this audiodrama will win over anyone that doesn't like the character of Aphra or only enjoys her in small doses. Not only are all of Aphra's trademark quirks and mannerisms on display, they are cranked up exponentially. So if you already didn't like the inherently weird and zany adventures of Dr. Aphra in either her solo comics or the Kieron Gillen Darth Vader series, you'll probably hate this. That said...
THE GOOD: As a fan of Dr. Aphra and all the craziness associated with her story, this was fantastic.
Sarah Kuhn nails Dr. Aphra's character and does a beautiful job connecting all of Dr. Aphra's early appearances together into a character study with a surprisingly focused plot. In her early appearances in the comics, Dr. Aphra was always, in the end, a side character. She was always interesting and fun to have around, but she never really got the chance to become a fully fleshed out character until she became the protagonist in her own comics. Here though, Kuhn's take on those early appearances don't just feel like a retelling that happens to be from Aphra's point of view, this truly felt like Aphra's story and she is given a surprisingly effective character arc. In the comics it doesn't really feel like she changes that much as a character, but in this audiodrama I felt like she was a different person by the end of the story- and more importantly, it serves as a great transitional bit of character growth to the Aphra that we begin to see in the solo comics. Despite the familiarity of the events, I felt like I was listening to a completely fresh take on them. Kuhn makes the brilliant decision of (re)telling this story with the same tone that Star Wars: Doctor Aphra goes for, making it feel right in line with Aphra's other joyously crazy solo adventures (I haven't read Alyssa Wong's 2020 reboot yet, but after this audio drama I am highly inclined to do so).
The amount of insight we get into Aphra's character was amazing. Aphra being in the wrong place at the wrong time and barely getting out alive has always been a recurring theme in her solo comics, but here we actually get a character-based reason why that always seems to happen. We also get Aphra's other core motivations greatly fleshed out; Kuhn brings in a couple of flashback scenes from Aphra's first solo comic run (and mixes in some new flashback scenes as well, to excellent effect), and we get expanded reasons as to why Aphra is not only a rogue archaelogist, but also a rogue and and archaeologist. I don't know if that makes sense, but it's the best way I can describe how beautifully nuanced her character is in this story.
And quickly, I wanted to mention the scene with Boba Fett. I kind of loved how this poked fun at Boba Fett's reputation both in-universe and among the fans. This came out before the second season of the Mandalorian, which made Boba Fett cool again. Before this, it was assumed he died in the sarlacc pit in canon, so some fans, including myself, didn't take him all that seriously as this cool and badass character. Kuhn finds a brilliant way to naturally pay homage to this sentiment, and I just got a huge kick out of it.
The voice cast is phenomenal. Yes, I complained about Katherine Taber's miscasting, but she still did a good job given the circumstances. Once I mentally trained myself to see leia in those scenes instead of TCW padme, it did feel like Leia.
Let's start with the star of the show, and easily the best part, Emily Woo Zeller as Aphra. She was nothing short of brilliant. Kuhn's writing gave Zeller so much to work with, and she takes full advantage of it- I was loving every second Aphra was either talking, narrating, or both. There was once scene in particular that choked me up big time- I almost cried. But I also consistently laughed at Aphra's wit and cheered when she narrowly escaped death on every occasion that I had already known was going to happen.
The audio drama greatly fleshes out Aphra's connection with Sana Starros, and features a lot of extra content with her and Aphra together. Nicole Lewis was amazing in the role of Sana Starros, and I absolutely loved how she and Zeller played off each other. The chemistry between both Lewis/Zeller and Starros/Aphra leaps out of the recording booth, and after this I like Sana far more than I did before.
I always expect Marc Thompson to be great in audio productions in Star Wars, but his Darth Vader still exceeded those expectations two-fold. After Light of the Jedi, I thought I heard every possible voice Marc Thompson could do. And I've gotten to a point where I can tell when it's Thompson's voice because he definitely does some of the other side characters too. But he gets completely lost in this role and sounded exactly like James Earl Jones. This was easily the most important voice for this production to get right after Aphra, but Thompson pulled it off- and I didn't even realize it was him until the credits rolled around.
The others who round out the cast included Jonathan Davis as Boba Fett (among other voices- I could definitely tell because one side character sounded like his Rael Aveross voice from Master and Apprentice), Carol Monda as Maz Kanata, Sean Patrick Hopkins as Luke Skywalker, and Sean Kenin as Triple-0. All of these people did great. Kenin actually got me to laugh at the Triple-0 jokes that I thought I had grown tired of long ag0, so that's just a damn impressive feat.
I wanted to quickly mention Euan Morton separately- because in my eyes, his performance as The Emperor here was a redemption. I liked him as the male sith inquisitor in SWTOR, but I complained about how off his Dooku voice felt in Dooku: Jedi Lost. Here, his Palpatine voice is perfect. It sounds pretty similar to Ian McDiarmid and is almost as good as Sam Witwer's now-iconic impression.
Last but not least, I can't forget the use of the classic John Williams music and the iconic star wars sound effects you should come to expect from a Star Wars audiobook. I have to say, I was kind of impressed by some of the refreshing spins in the way this audio drama uses the music. Those who have listened to enough audiobooks and audio dramas in the Star Wars universe expect top notch immersion, but I actually found it really funny how this production has a few moments of self awareness that plays on the listener's expectations in the best and most Aphra-like of ways.
THE CONCLUSION: Final rating is 4.5 stars, rounded up. I absolutely loved this audio drama.
This isn't just a retelling of Aphra's early comic appearances from her point of view- this feels like the true origin story for Dr. Chelli Lona Aphra that both the character and her fans deserve. Because at the end of the day, Aphra didn't really get a proper origin story until this point- she was a fun and unique side character that happened to become popular enough to get her own standalone comic series. Now, Aphra's story as a whole in the canon feels more complete. This audio drama provides so much insight into who Dr. Aphra is, and it does so in a story that truly feels like hers. Kuhn adapts Aphra's first appearances in a way that lines up with those established early comics in terms of continuity (some of the dialogue is different, though Aphra portrays herself as not a 100% reliable narrator in this, so it still works), but things are now far more tonally in line with her solo comic adventures. This, in turn, creates something that feels like a Dr. Aphra outing and unites all of the content that she has into one cohesive whole, without taking away anything from the dark and foreboding tone of Kieron Gillen's Darth Vader comics or the Jason Aaron Star Wars series that was trying to evoke the feel of the Original Trilogy.
If you are a fan of Dr. Aphra, this audio drama is an absolute must. But for those who haven't read any of the comics featuring Aphra and are curious to discover who she is, I highly recommend this as a definitive introduction. You can still read Kieron Gillen's Darth Vader series for Darth Vader, and Jason Aaron's Star Wars for Luke/Han/Leai/Chewie/R2/3PO. Additionally, those comics do give you additional context on the events of this audio drama. However, you no longer have to read those comics specifically to get into Dr. Aphra. Because now, THIS is the place to go. Aphra has succeeded in her final steps of cementing herself as a fully fledged Star Wars character that can stand completely on her own. Between Sarah Kuhn's amazing writing and Emily Woo Zeller's transcendent performance, it turned out far better than I could have ever imagined.
November 18, 2020
Audiobook only and with a full cast. Doctor Aphra is telling her story and it is so much fun to hear her POV. I love Darth Vader's breathing, the drones and the Imperial March. Nice change of pace and nicely done.
September 30, 2021
oh my god this was SO MUCH FUN . way way crazier than i expected
July 20, 2020
Emily Woo Zeller is the perfect narrator for Aphra. Loved her interaction with various droids, Vader, and Palps (prob my fav moment). Plus hangs with the OT trio and yeah...this was great.
April 11, 2021
This was an unexpected Star Wars release and read (and I wish that Del Rey and Star Wars had hyped up this book on Doctor Aphra as they had with the Count Dooku book from last year. "Star Wars: Doctor Aphra" is another audio book title that got a script release in hardcover, and followed the adventures of the character that had been first introduced in the Star Wars serial comics. The story, which is shorter in page length then the length described here in the app (about a half less on the page count) the Doctor Aphra adventure brings back fan favorites of Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Padme Amidala, C-3P0 and R2-D2, along with Maz Katana and a few other minor characters that continue to expand the Star Wars universe, showing that there are still more stories out there to tell.
This book is an #OwnVoices novel, with Doctor Aphra, a character that is coded to be Asian, being scripted by an Asian - American author, and I really appreciated the character more for this reason. While injecting diversity in both sexuality and ethnicity has drawn rather intense scrutiny in the Star Wars universe, Doctor Aphra is able to do it in a way that does not take away from the unique story or from the overall character. From the relationship Doctor Aphra has with her parents who are from Naboo (the planet of the former Queen Padme Amidala), and her relationship with her ex lover Sana Starros (coded to be South Asian in origin) also shows a good nuance at the lovers to enemies dynamic that is currently ongoing.
One of the double edged swords for this book is the first person narration that the book brings into the Star Wars fold. This is the second book (following the Heir to the Jedi by Kevin Hearne with the Luke POV), and from the early stages it is clear that Doctor Aphra is an unreliable narrator, from her interactions with both our "antagonists" in her story, her interactions with Lord Vader and Emperor Palpatine, and even her interactions with other Bounty Hunters such as Bosk and Boba Fett.
Some negatives for the book was the length of the story. Less then 300 pages, the story felt like a novella that had a small plot, but seemed more like loose vignettes that were strewn together to create a rather weak narrative pattern. Another issue that came up that bothered me was the lack of time markers to show how time had progressed from one scene to another. There would be moments where even the dialogue would not give clues as to when time had progressed in the story, and you just had to assume that it had changed as the story went on. Finally, the relationship between Doctor Aphra and Darth Vader felt very siloed - in the sense that the Darth Vader that Doctor Aphra was dealing with was a Darth Vader that was post Death Star - a Darth Vader that was more cautious, starting to work against the Emperor indirectly, and also was able to tolerate a character such as Doctor Aphra.
Some Star Wars fans will not like this book, because of the diversity in the story, the format, the length, and because of the character and her relationship with our original heroes and Darth Vader. However, if you are looking for diverse reads in Star Wars, a fun story that takes a different spin on classic Star Wars characters and that magic from some of the more simple and memorable adventures, then "Star Wars" Doctor Aphra: is a must read.
This book is an #OwnVoices novel, with Doctor Aphra, a character that is coded to be Asian, being scripted by an Asian - American author, and I really appreciated the character more for this reason. While injecting diversity in both sexuality and ethnicity has drawn rather intense scrutiny in the Star Wars universe, Doctor Aphra is able to do it in a way that does not take away from the unique story or from the overall character. From the relationship Doctor Aphra has with her parents who are from Naboo (the planet of the former Queen Padme Amidala), and her relationship with her ex lover Sana Starros (coded to be South Asian in origin) also shows a good nuance at the lovers to enemies dynamic that is currently ongoing.
One of the double edged swords for this book is the first person narration that the book brings into the Star Wars fold. This is the second book (following the Heir to the Jedi by Kevin Hearne with the Luke POV), and from the early stages it is clear that Doctor Aphra is an unreliable narrator, from her interactions with both our "antagonists" in her story, her interactions with Lord Vader and Emperor Palpatine, and even her interactions with other Bounty Hunters such as Bosk and Boba Fett.
Some negatives for the book was the length of the story. Less then 300 pages, the story felt like a novella that had a small plot, but seemed more like loose vignettes that were strewn together to create a rather weak narrative pattern. Another issue that came up that bothered me was the lack of time markers to show how time had progressed from one scene to another. There would be moments where even the dialogue would not give clues as to when time had progressed in the story, and you just had to assume that it had changed as the story went on. Finally, the relationship between Doctor Aphra and Darth Vader felt very siloed - in the sense that the Darth Vader that Doctor Aphra was dealing with was a Darth Vader that was post Death Star - a Darth Vader that was more cautious, starting to work against the Emperor indirectly, and also was able to tolerate a character such as Doctor Aphra.
Some Star Wars fans will not like this book, because of the diversity in the story, the format, the length, and because of the character and her relationship with our original heroes and Darth Vader. However, if you are looking for diverse reads in Star Wars, a fun story that takes a different spin on classic Star Wars characters and that magic from some of the more simple and memorable adventures, then "Star Wars" Doctor Aphra: is a must read.
July 25, 2020
This was fun! Aphra is an absolute disaster, and I enjoy her very much.
Couple things, though:
1. I have so much beef with some of the casting choices. Aphra and Sana were GREAT! But a lot of the og characters? Not so much. Luke was...passable, but Han and Leia sounded NOTHING LIKE Han and Leia. Especially Han.
I know that finding the perfect voice matches for them would have been hard, but they didn't even try. I had to be told by Aphra/the narrative who they were before I knew for sure who was speaking; if you can't figure out who a well-established character is through their voice, that's a problem.
Like Darth Vader wasn't 100%, you know, Darth Vader, but he was SO SO CLOSE, and I am fine with close. The bar is p low, Disney. Do better.
EDIT: Ok, so Shane was very nice and told me why they would have picked who they did, and it makes more sense now (check out the comments). They still sound really jarring to me, but I'll get over it. Eventually lol.
2. The language got wayyy too flowery at times, but I am chalking that up to Aphra being a Giant Ham who wants to tell a cool story.
3. They recycled music from the movies, which is fine. (although Shadows of the Empire got its own brand new score. ANYWAY) This worked well in places, but what I did not vibe with was reusing Anakin/Padme music for Aphra/Sana bits. GIVE THEM THEIR OWN LOVE THEME, YOU COWARDS
4. Aphra went out of her way to dunk on Padme too much, and I am Not Into That
What I liked, though was the use of sound effects, and the fact that I am 99% sure that Mark Hamill voices Bossk (and maybe a couple other sketchy individuals). Haven't been able to confirm this, but I would bet money on it. It's what he deserves.
All in all, this was a good time, and made me want to check out older Star Wars audio dramas. (And maybe future ones, if they're about characters I care about)
Couple things, though:
1. I have so much beef with some of the casting choices. Aphra and Sana were GREAT! But a lot of the og characters? Not so much. Luke was...passable, but Han and Leia sounded NOTHING LIKE Han and Leia. Especially Han.
I know that finding the perfect voice matches for them would have been hard, but they didn't even try. I had to be told by Aphra/the narrative who they were before I knew for sure who was speaking; if you can't figure out who a well-established character is through their voice, that's a problem.
Like Darth Vader wasn't 100%, you know, Darth Vader, but he was SO SO CLOSE, and I am fine with close. The bar is p low, Disney. Do better.
EDIT: Ok, so Shane was very nice and told me why they would have picked who they did, and it makes more sense now (check out the comments). They still sound really jarring to me, but I'll get over it. Eventually lol.
2. The language got wayyy too flowery at times, but I am chalking that up to Aphra being a Giant Ham who wants to tell a cool story.
3. They recycled music from the movies, which is fine. (although Shadows of the Empire got its own brand new score. ANYWAY) This worked well in places, but what I did not vibe with was reusing Anakin/Padme music for Aphra/Sana bits. GIVE THEM THEIR OWN LOVE THEME, YOU COWARDS
4. Aphra went out of her way to dunk on Padme too much, and I am Not Into That
What I liked, though was the use of sound effects, and the fact that I am 99% sure that Mark Hamill voices Bossk (and maybe a couple other sketchy individuals). Haven't been able to confirm this, but I would bet money on it. It's what he deserves.
All in all, this was a good time, and made me want to check out older Star Wars audio dramas. (And maybe future ones, if they're about characters I care about)
April 1, 2021
Sarah Kuhn’s Doctor Aphra Script is a Witty Fast-Paced Adventure (READ MORE: https://yourmoneygeek.com/review-sara...)
Whether she’s traipsing across the pages of a comic book or being brought to life by the voice of Emily Woo Zeller, Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra always makes for a wildly entertaining adventure. Sarah Kuhn has brought her to life in a wickedly fun story filled with action, humor, intrigue, and a smidgeon of romance.
Last summer, Lucasfilm Publishing and Random House Audio, partnered to produce Star Wars: Doctor Aphra – An Audiobook Original, an audio drama that brought to life Dr. Aphra’s appearances from Marvel’s Star Wars: Darth Vader comics alongside new material. Now, the glorious script has been printed into a hardcover book entitled Star Wars: Doctor Aphra by Del Rey Publishing.
If you have already listened to the audio drama, you may think that you don’t need to pick up this book, but I assure you — you do. You really do. Sarah Kuhn is a phenomenal author and she creates an unforgettable experience as she takes us on an adventure through a galaxy far, far away with Dr. Aphra.
While it is word-for-word what Star Wars fans enjoyed last summer, Kuhn has added stage directions that add a little oomph to an already energetic and fast-paced story. I would highly recommend reading along while listening to the audio drama for a little extra fun. One of my favorite, very minor, aspects of the script was Doctor Aphra’s commentary in the dramatis personae. I love a character that does not take anyone or anything too seriously.
Doctor Aphra is, by far, one of the best characters that has been introduced to the Star Wars universe over the last decade. She is charismatic, high-energy, flawed, and she never takes herself too seriously. If you haven’t checked out the Doctor Aphra comics or you find yourself seriously behind in her misadventures, pairing the Doctor Aphra audiobook with Sarah Kuhn’s script is the perfect introduction for newcomers to her story.
I hope that we will see more of Sarah Kuhn’s writing in the galaxy of Star Wars publishing. She brings so much heart and wit to everything she writes and Star Wars: Doctor Aphra is such an exhilarating page-turner.
Whether she’s traipsing across the pages of a comic book or being brought to life by the voice of Emily Woo Zeller, Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra always makes for a wildly entertaining adventure. Sarah Kuhn has brought her to life in a wickedly fun story filled with action, humor, intrigue, and a smidgeon of romance.
Last summer, Lucasfilm Publishing and Random House Audio, partnered to produce Star Wars: Doctor Aphra – An Audiobook Original, an audio drama that brought to life Dr. Aphra’s appearances from Marvel’s Star Wars: Darth Vader comics alongside new material. Now, the glorious script has been printed into a hardcover book entitled Star Wars: Doctor Aphra by Del Rey Publishing.
If you have already listened to the audio drama, you may think that you don’t need to pick up this book, but I assure you — you do. You really do. Sarah Kuhn is a phenomenal author and she creates an unforgettable experience as she takes us on an adventure through a galaxy far, far away with Dr. Aphra.
While it is word-for-word what Star Wars fans enjoyed last summer, Kuhn has added stage directions that add a little oomph to an already energetic and fast-paced story. I would highly recommend reading along while listening to the audio drama for a little extra fun. One of my favorite, very minor, aspects of the script was Doctor Aphra’s commentary in the dramatis personae. I love a character that does not take anyone or anything too seriously.
Doctor Aphra is, by far, one of the best characters that has been introduced to the Star Wars universe over the last decade. She is charismatic, high-energy, flawed, and she never takes herself too seriously. If you haven’t checked out the Doctor Aphra comics or you find yourself seriously behind in her misadventures, pairing the Doctor Aphra audiobook with Sarah Kuhn’s script is the perfect introduction for newcomers to her story.
I hope that we will see more of Sarah Kuhn’s writing in the galaxy of Star Wars publishing. She brings so much heart and wit to everything she writes and Star Wars: Doctor Aphra is such an exhilarating page-turner.
July 23, 2020
I'm a big fan of audio dramas. The original Star Wars Radio Dramas are total masterpieces. The Expanded Universe radio dramas are not the same quality, but have their scrappy charm. The most recent addition,
Dooku: Jedi Lost
, is a bit of a story hodge podge, uses monologue to short-cut sound design in many places, but has some delightful moments that flex the potential of the medium.
Unfortunately, Doctor Aphra missed the boat. The budget they spent on scripting should have gone toward sound design. The is much closer to a novel with some extra sound and a full cast than it is to the idea audio drama motif.
I've heard a lot of good things about the Doctor Aphra comics, and appreciate the attempt to port it over into a different medium. I would have rather they do it as a novelization and drop the drama idea, than hear everything through Aphra's voice in the pretense of an audio letter.
Well... I guess it worked with Pirate's Price , but everything works with the infamous Hondo Ohnaka.
There were also some serious acting gaffs from nearly the whole cast. Emily Woo Zeller went a little overboard on the zany emotion in places. Jonathan Davis always came through as Jonathan Davis, no matter what character he was playing. Catherine Taber somehow missed that her character was supposed to be Leia. I don't know who she was playing. Marc Thompson did a fine Vader, but I don't think the lines were very Vader-y.
All in all, it was alright. I wish they had invested more in it and made a sparely scripted, well-produced audio drama rather than a wall-o-words monologue with some full-cast moments.
Unfortunately, Doctor Aphra missed the boat. The budget they spent on scripting should have gone toward sound design. The is much closer to a novel with some extra sound and a full cast than it is to the idea audio drama motif.
I've heard a lot of good things about the Doctor Aphra comics, and appreciate the attempt to port it over into a different medium. I would have rather they do it as a novelization and drop the drama idea, than hear everything through Aphra's voice in the pretense of an audio letter.
Well... I guess it worked with Pirate's Price , but everything works with the infamous Hondo Ohnaka.
There were also some serious acting gaffs from nearly the whole cast. Emily Woo Zeller went a little overboard on the zany emotion in places. Jonathan Davis always came through as Jonathan Davis, no matter what character he was playing. Catherine Taber somehow missed that her character was supposed to be Leia. I don't know who she was playing. Marc Thompson did a fine Vader, but I don't think the lines were very Vader-y.
All in all, it was alright. I wish they had invested more in it and made a sparely scripted, well-produced audio drama rather than a wall-o-words monologue with some full-cast moments.
August 21, 2020
I was really positively surprised about this one! For me, audio dramas present an interesting challenge. I love podcasts and I love audiobooks, but there's something somewhat awkward about one character narrating the story that I've experienced in audio dramas. That being said, Doctor Aphra does a great job of navigating this.
Doctor Aphra tells the story of Aphra's introduction into the Vader comic line from her point of view. Aphra's voice (performed by Emily Zoo Weller) is clear, crisp, and fully formed. Aphra is shady, she is unreliable, and she is fun. Emily Zoo Weller captures all of these ideas beautifully, and brings a beautiful voice to the character. Sean Kenin as Triple Zero, a favorite character of mine, is also a true highlight.
What makes this audio drama successful is the way that author Sarah Kuhn navigated the narration. In the story, Aphra is recording her story in a journal of sorts, a letter. She later weaves this into the plot beautifully. Additionally, the relationship between Aphra and Sana is very well done. It feels authentic for these characters and paints them both as complex people.
While I would still love to get a full cast team audio drama in the future, I have been totally convinced in the medium by this audio drama. Sarah Kuhn's worthy adaptation of the comic well-paced, witty, and full of heart. It is easily enjoyable by old and new fans alike.
Doctor Aphra tells the story of Aphra's introduction into the Vader comic line from her point of view. Aphra's voice (performed by Emily Zoo Weller) is clear, crisp, and fully formed. Aphra is shady, she is unreliable, and she is fun. Emily Zoo Weller captures all of these ideas beautifully, and brings a beautiful voice to the character. Sean Kenin as Triple Zero, a favorite character of mine, is also a true highlight.
What makes this audio drama successful is the way that author Sarah Kuhn navigated the narration. In the story, Aphra is recording her story in a journal of sorts, a letter. She later weaves this into the plot beautifully. Additionally, the relationship between Aphra and Sana is very well done. It feels authentic for these characters and paints them both as complex people.
While I would still love to get a full cast team audio drama in the future, I have been totally convinced in the medium by this audio drama. Sarah Kuhn's worthy adaptation of the comic well-paced, witty, and full of heart. It is easily enjoyable by old and new fans alike.
August 12, 2022
This is the story as Aphra's telling it, and she is nothing if not over the top
I LOVED THIS BOOK. The gayest Star Wars book of my dreams!!
Top 5 of the year!
The copy I read was the script from the audiobook and IT. WAS. BRILLIANT.
Aphra has got to be one of the best Star Wars characters to exist. She is funny, sarcastic, smart but also sad, lonely, and looking for validation (which was WAAAY too relatable for me). Aphra has no allegiance except for herself and her droids, and maybe a fellow grouchy archeologist.
So when she finds herself working alongside Darth Vader, Aphra isn't phased by their evil deeds, instead desperately wanting approval from the worst man in the galaxy. Throughout the story she will learn the difference between strong and weak, and meet some of our favorite Star Wars characters.
This book was also SO GAY. SO gay and casual and it made me smile. The relationship is both loving and caring as well as murderous and evil.
I just loved this book so freaking much.
TW: Abandonment, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Violence, Death of parent, Death, Grief, Murder, Torture, and War
I LOVED THIS BOOK. The gayest Star Wars book of my dreams!!
Top 5 of the year!
The copy I read was the script from the audiobook and IT. WAS. BRILLIANT.
Aphra has got to be one of the best Star Wars characters to exist. She is funny, sarcastic, smart but also sad, lonely, and looking for validation (which was WAAAY too relatable for me). Aphra has no allegiance except for herself and her droids, and maybe a fellow grouchy archeologist.
So when she finds herself working alongside Darth Vader, Aphra isn't phased by their evil deeds, instead desperately wanting approval from the worst man in the galaxy. Throughout the story she will learn the difference between strong and weak, and meet some of our favorite Star Wars characters.
This book was also SO GAY. SO gay and casual and it made me smile. The relationship is both loving and caring as well as murderous and evil.
I just loved this book so freaking much.
TW: Abandonment, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Violence, Death of parent, Death, Grief, Murder, Torture, and War
September 21, 2022
one of the most charismatic characters in the star wars universe. i hope we get to see her in live action soon!
September 29, 2021
Being a smartass all the time and I mean during all interactions and the lying to everyone is basically the plot. The classic characters are all one dimensional spewing 1 liners. This is not the way to do a proper audio drama. This character has never been interesting enough to warrant this much attention.
July 25, 2020
I am a little torn. I didn’t really enjoy this but I am not sure exactly why. Was it the story was not that interesting? Was it the main character was obnoxious? Was it the cop out ending? Probably a little of all.
June 8, 2025
Well that was fun. I excited to pick up the graphic novels now!
November 2, 2020
Doctor Aphra is an Audible Original (I believe), and the first audiobook adventure for a Star Wars character that I am mildly obsessed with. It is basically her origin story all over again, so fans from the comics will find a lot of the details and storyline to be familiar.
Dr. Chelli Lona Aphra calls herself an archaeologist, but that isn't an accurate depiction of who she is, or what she does. She may be one of the best at digging up information about rare artifacts, but keeping those artifacts safe is a completely different story.
You see, Doctor Aphra has a tendency of getting these grand schemes in her head, and more often than not, that results in her getting in completely over her head in the process. Take the situation where she ended up working for Vader. An event that would naturally for an early end to her life.
One of the highlights from this audiobook telling of Doctor Aphra's story is that it is fully narrated. Emily Woo Zeller, Jonathan Davis, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Sean Kenin, Nicole Lewis, Carol Monda, Euan Morton, Catherine Taber, Marc Thompson all play a role in this adventure, and it really does bring the story to life. At least, it did for me.
“Oh, right. There are no auxiliary systems, and I don't have a crew. Time to get creative.”
Doctor Aphra's story is so full of chaos and determination, much like her comic series. I know I'm slightly biased in saying this, because all I've wanted for years is a novel about this character, but I am so happy that she finally got an audiobook story all to herself.
Even if it was essentially a retelling of what happened to her early on in the comics, with a few twists, turns, and flares for fun. It was still a blast and a half (pun intended), and would be a great way to bring new fans into the fold.
“Ohh, all this murder talk! You really know how to charm a girl! A girl who happens to be a blood-filled sac of flesh.”
I absolutely adore all of the sass and spunk that was infused into this audiobook. Seriously, it was hilarious. It had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion. And don't even get me started on how entertaining Tripe-Zero is.
Frankly, I think my biggest complaint about Doctor Aphra is that it was too short. Seriously. It was a little over seven hours long, and while it did do a good job of covering her adventures with and against Vader, I would have happily taken more. Say, the rest of her adventures that are in comic book form. Or even something new! I certainly wouldn't have complained about that. Not one bit.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Dr. Chelli Lona Aphra calls herself an archaeologist, but that isn't an accurate depiction of who she is, or what she does. She may be one of the best at digging up information about rare artifacts, but keeping those artifacts safe is a completely different story.
You see, Doctor Aphra has a tendency of getting these grand schemes in her head, and more often than not, that results in her getting in completely over her head in the process. Take the situation where she ended up working for Vader. An event that would naturally for an early end to her life.
One of the highlights from this audiobook telling of Doctor Aphra's story is that it is fully narrated. Emily Woo Zeller, Jonathan Davis, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Sean Kenin, Nicole Lewis, Carol Monda, Euan Morton, Catherine Taber, Marc Thompson all play a role in this adventure, and it really does bring the story to life. At least, it did for me.
“Oh, right. There are no auxiliary systems, and I don't have a crew. Time to get creative.”
Doctor Aphra's story is so full of chaos and determination, much like her comic series. I know I'm slightly biased in saying this, because all I've wanted for years is a novel about this character, but I am so happy that she finally got an audiobook story all to herself.
Even if it was essentially a retelling of what happened to her early on in the comics, with a few twists, turns, and flares for fun. It was still a blast and a half (pun intended), and would be a great way to bring new fans into the fold.
“Ohh, all this murder talk! You really know how to charm a girl! A girl who happens to be a blood-filled sac of flesh.”
I absolutely adore all of the sass and spunk that was infused into this audiobook. Seriously, it was hilarious. It had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion. And don't even get me started on how entertaining Tripe-Zero is.
Frankly, I think my biggest complaint about Doctor Aphra is that it was too short. Seriously. It was a little over seven hours long, and while it did do a good job of covering her adventures with and against Vader, I would have happily taken more. Say, the rest of her adventures that are in comic book form. Or even something new! I certainly wouldn't have complained about that. Not one bit.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Displaying 1 - 30 of 422 reviews