Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View

Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View #1

by Elizabeth Schaefer

Experience Star Wars: A New Hope from a whole new point of view.

On May 25, 1977, the world was introduced to Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, C-3PO, R2-D2, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader, and a galaxy full of possibilities. In honor of the 40th anniversary, more than 40 contributors lend their vision to this retelling of Star Wars. Each of the 40 short stories reimagines a moment from the original film, but through the eyes of a supporting character. From a Certain Point of View features contributions by best-selling authors, trendsetting artists, and treasured voices from the literary history of Star Wars:

• Gary Whitta bridges the gap from Rogue One to A New Hope through the eyes of Captain Antilles.
• Aunt Beru finds her voice in an intimate character study by Meg Cabot.
• Nnedi Okorofor brings dignity and depth to a most unlikely character: the monster in the trash compactor.
• Pablo Hidalgo provides a chilling glimpse inside the mind of Grand Moff Tarkin.
• Pierce Brown chronicles Biggs Darklighter's final flight during the Rebellion's harrowing attack on the Death Star.
• Wil Wheaton spins a poignant tale of the rebels left behind on Yavin.

Plus 34 more hilarious, heartbreaking, and astonishing tales from Ben Acker, Renée Ahdieh, Tom Angleberger, Ben Blacker, Jeffrey Brown, Rae Carson, Adam Christopher, Zoraida Córdova, Delilah S. Dawson, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Paul Dini, Ian Doescher, Ashley Eckstein, Matt Fraction, Alexander Freed, Jason Fry, Kieron Gillen, Christie Golden, Claudia Gray, E. K. Johnston, Paul S. Kemp, Mur Lafferty, Ken Liu, Griffin McElroy, John Jackson Miller, Daniel José Older, Mallory Ortberg, Beth Revis, Madeleine Roux, Greg Rucka, Gary D. Schmidt, Cavan Scott, Charles Soule, Sabaa Tahir, Elizabeth Wein, Glen Weldon, Chuck Wendig

Narrated by a full cast, including:

• Jonathan Davis
• Ashley Eckstein
• Janina Gavankar
• Jon Hamm
• Neil Patrick Harris
• January LaVoy
• Saskia Maarleveld
• Carol Monda
• Daniel José Older
• Marc Thompson

All participating authors have generously forgone any compensation for their stories. Instead, their proceeds will be donated to First Book - a leading nonprofit that provides new books, learning materials, and other essentials to educators and organizations serving children in need. To further celebrate the launch of this book and both companies' longstanding relationships with First Book, Penguin Random House has donated $100,000 to First Book, and Disney/Lucasfilm has donated 100,000 children's books - valued at $1 million - to support First Book and their mission of providing equal access to quality education. Over the past 16 years, Disney and Penguin Random House combined have donated more than 88 million books to First Book.

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction, Fantasy, Audiobook, Anthologies

Audible Audio

First published October 3, 2017

Reviews

[Alejandro · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Force is strong in this anthology!

This anthology is a celebration for the 40 years of “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope”, featuring 40 short stories written by 40 different famous authors (or pair of authors) using usually secondary characters (at least secondary in this particular film) where some of those are given names for the first time, but also there are some main characters, and each character tells their point of view of certain scene on the said movie. This anthology is part of the new canon of Star Wars.

The general rating of the book is an average sum of each individual rating given to each short story contained in the anthology.

RAYMUS
Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )
By Gary Whitta
Whatever Rogue One beamed us from Scarif, they really want it back.
Raymus Antilles, captain of the Tantive IV, accounts the journey of the ship escaping from the Battle of Scarif, until reaching Tattoine, with hope in the hearts of all members of the crew.
THE BUCKET
Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )
By Christie Golden
This is the tale of TK-4601, the Imperial Stormtrooper that stunned certain Alderaanian princess, where he started to question if he was on the right side of the conflict.
THE SITH OF DATAWORK
Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )
By Ken Liu
Hilarious tale of Arvira, Imperial Logistic Datawork Officer, onboard of the Imperial Star Destroyer Devastator, showing his uncanny mastery on the employ of reports and requisitions, to help to save the neck of Bolvan, gunnery captain who let pass certain escape pod without life signs.
STORIES IN THE SAND
Rating: *** ( 3 stars )
By Griffin McElroy
The amusing tale of Jot, the Jawa who captured R2-D2, and once inside of the Jawa Sandcrawler, Jot begins to watch holo-records of prequel aventures of the astromech droid.
REIRIN
Rating: ** ( 2 stars )
By Sabaa Tahir
This is the tale of Reirin, a female Tusken Raider, with desires to be more, to reach other places, out of Tattoine, and maybe the Jawa Sandcrawler can have what she needs to get her goal.
THE RED ONE
Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )
By Rae Carson
Heroism is about sacrifices, and here, you’ll know the tale of R5-D4, the “red” astromech droid that Owen Lars picked first.
RITES
Rating: *** ( 3 stars )
By John Jackson Miller
This is the unusual tale of A’Yark, an old Tuken Raider, along with the young Tusken twins, A’Kova and A’Vor, while travelling with a Tusken pack that crosses paths with certain young idealist farmer and a mysterious crazy old wizard.
MASTER AND APPRENTICE
Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )
This the tale of the best surprising guest star. I say no more. I don’t want to spoil the excitement of this reading.
BERU WHITESUN LARS
Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )
By Meg Cabot
Heart-breaking tale from the great beyond of Aunt Beru letting us to know how much she sacrifices to take care of baby Luke and how much she loved him when she raised him to become a young man of good.
THE LUCKLESS RODIAN
Rating: *** ( 3 stars )
By Renée Ahdieh
This the unlucky tale of Greedo and his last bounty mission.
NOT FOR NOTHING
Rating: **** ( 4 stars )
This is the rocky road of the Music Band at the Mos Eisley’s cantina (actually Chalmun’s Cantina) to reach that said place and being able to play their so much varied catalog.
WE DON’T SERVE THEIR KIND HERE
Rating: **** ( 4 stars )
By Chuck Wendig
This is the curious tale of Wuher, the day-time bartender at Chalmun’s Cantina (owned by a Wookie!) and how he had seen before lightsabers in action.
THE KLOO HORN CANTINA CAPER
Rating: ** ( 2 stars )
By Kelly Sue DeConnick & Matt Fraction
An unnecesary long short story about the plan to steal certain item from Chalmun’s Cantina.
ADDED MUSCLE
Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )
By Paul Dini
Cool and funny access to the thoughts of Boba Fett while he was guarding Jabba, the Hutt, at the Mos Eisley Spaceport where the mob boss was talking with certain scoundrelly smuggler.
YOU OWE ME A RIDE
Rating: **** ( 4 stars )
This is the sassy tale of the Tonnika Sisters, Brea & Senni, that while living (against their will) at Jabba’s Palace, they plot the daring plan to steal certain YT-1300 Light Freighter.
THE SECRETS OF LONG SNOOT
Rating: ** ( 2 stars )
By Delilah S. Dawson
Once he was Garindan ezz Zavon, but now he is just Long Snoot, Imperial informer who spies around the dangerous Mos Eisley.
BORN IN THE STORM
Rating: **** ( 4 stars )
This is the hilarious and sometimes odd tale of TD-7556, a stormtrooper in the unlucky Foot Patrol 7 and its mission to find a couple of droids.
LAINA
Rating: ***
By Wil Wheaton
This is the tale of Ryland, a Rebel Soldier, in charge of scanning the skies in of the observation towers at Yavin 4, meanwhile he is thinking about Laina, his daughter.
FULLY OPERATIONAL
Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )
By Beth Revis
This is the tale of General Tagge, in command of the Imperial Army, while he is attending certain Joint Chiefs meeting, onboard of the Death Star, where he realizes which can be the real key weapon of the Empire, and not that technological terror.
AN INCIDENT REPORT
Rating: **** ( 4 stars )
By Mallory Ortberg
Full access to the official report by Admiral Motti, after suffering an uncalled choking attack by certain Imperial agent, out of the military chain-of-command but counting with the favor of the Emperor.
CHANGE OF HEART
Rating: **** ( 4 stars )
By Elizabeth Wein
This is the tale of a stormtrooper, present during the interrogation of a Rebel spy, with Imperial Senate diplomatic background, and later guarding the Rebel spy while a whole world was being destroyed.
ECLIPSE
Rating: **** ( 4 stars )
By Madeleine Roux
This is the sad tale of Bail and Breha Organa and their final moments at Alderaan until a deathly eclipse appeared there.
VERGE OF GREATNESS
Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )
By Pablo Hidalgo
This is the outstanding tales of two Imperial officers, one was a politician at best, the other was an engineer at best, and how curiously, they hate each other, but if they’d realize how much they need each other for mutual survival, they could become an unstoppable force of destruction and the doom of the Rebellion, but they never value with cold objectivity each other.
FAR TOO REMOTE
Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )
By Jeffrey Brown
This isn’t a story but actually a hilarious cartoon about the Imperial check-up at Dantooine for any Rebel base.
THE TRIGGER
Rating: *****
By Kieron Gillen
The wonderful tale of the second best surprising guest star in this anthology, while checking the remains of a former Rebel Base at Dantooine in the precise moment that a Imperial Star Destroyer appeared in orbit to check up that base too.
OF MSE-6 AND MEN
Rating: * ( 1 star )
By Glen Weldon
Another unnecesary long short story about MSE-6-G735Y, a “mouse” droid onboard of the Death Star and its dealing with some Imperial officers there.
BUMP
Rating: *** ( 3 stars )
By Ben Acker & Ben Blacker
Some characters are famous for their triumphs, but others can get famous for a memorable failure.
END OF WATCH
Rating: **** ( 4 stars )
By Adam Christopher
This is the curious tale of the last minutes before the end of the current watch of Cmdr. Pamel Poul, a female Imperial officer, in command of a control center, coordinating certain hangar where there is a captured YT-1300 Light Freighter, but also coordinating certain detention cells.
THE BAPTIST
Rating: * ( 1 star )
By Nnedi Okorafor
The unnecesary tale of certain monster in certain garbage disposal.
TIME OF DEATH
Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )
By Cavan Scott
The astonishing tale of an old man at the moment when finally become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.
THERE IS ANOTHER
Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )
By Gary D. Schmidt
An old teacher had to hide in a swampy world (where actually not all year is that swampy, it also has its fair share of good weather time too), where he has had to survive without any weapon, wishing for the right moment to teach again what he knows well to his selected student, who he considers the right student, however the Force works in mysterious ways.
PALPATINE
Rating: **** ( 4 stars )
By Ian Doescher
An impressive poem about the Emperor and his insidious plans for the galaxy.
SPARKS
Rating: **** ( 4 stars )
By Paul S. Kemp
The heroic tale of Dex, Gold Two, during the Battle of Yavin 4.
DUTY ROSTER
Rating: **** ( 4 stars )
By Jason Fry
This is the curious tale of Col, bettern known as “Fake Wedge”, and his role during the Battle of Yavin 4.
DESERT SON
Rating: *** ( 3 stars )
By Pierce Brown
This is tale of Biggs Darklighter, and his fateful journey from the hot sands of Tattoine until the cold space during the Battle of Yavin 4.
GROUNDED
Rating: **** ( 4 stars )
By Greg Rucka
Sometimes it’s easier to engage up there against the enemy, while it’s harder to remain in surface, hoping for the best, even harder when you know too well all those risking their lives up there. This is the tale of Chief Nera Kase, in charge of all the fightercraft and piloting personnel at the Rebel Base in Yavin 4.
CONTINGENCY PLAN
Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )
By Alexander Freed
A leader’s work never rest and has to be able to foresee any possible outcome when a crucial moment in the cause is finally there, since the cause can’t die, the leader needs to keep it alive even if that means to leave the front and put distance, however a new hope can surprise even to the most prepared leader.
The Angle
Rating: **** ( 4 stars )
By Charles Soule
A scoundrel founds out that a fellow scoundrel is risking his life for the cause of the Rebellion, but he can’t understandy why since he considers that that kind of action isn’t in the nature of his fellow scoundrel.
BY WHATEVER SUN
Rating: *** ( 3 stars )
By E.K. Johnston & Ashley Eckstein
The Medal Ceremony is witnessed through the eyes of an unexpected guest star from the new expanded canon, pondering about if that’s the right time for medals or not.
WHILLS
Rating: ***** ( 5 stars )
By Tom Angleberger
A brilliantly hilarious tale of two historians, journalists of the Whills, in a non-disclosed time, arguing about how to begin to chronicle that phenomenon known as Star Wars.

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

I love this so damn much!! I can’t believe I didn’t know about them. Well, I might have and forgot!! They are amazing on Audio as most Star Wars books!! I own ALL the copies 🤣😂



Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Wee Lassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic, I would read it over and over again if I could...which seeing as I bought the audiobook, I guess I can. A must-read for anyone even a little interested in the star wars francise, just brilliant :)

[Lady*M · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Possibly the most entertaining book in the new canon. While not every story is a ten, there are really no bad stories and which ones you will like will depend on (I have to) your point of view. Variety of styles and authors writing these stories - which range from tragic to outright hilarious - keep the things interesting.

The book also answers some questions fans have had for 40 years, but, in the real Star Wars fashion, also makes you ask new ones, like what would have happened if Yoda went on to train Leia instead of Luke because seriously dedicated Princess with a sense of duty and responsibility seemed like a better candidate than immature farm boy craving adventure.

For a fan who grew up on Star Wars, the anthology is a sharp reminder why galaxy far, far away is so special, it is a place where even a mouse droid, dianoga or a character appearing in a single shot in the original movie has a story to tell and a story worth telling.

Highly recommended.

[Melindam · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,55 stars for this curious & entertaining anthology, however, if you are not a STAR WARS fan then THIS IS NOT THE BOOK YOU ARE LOOKING FOR!

From the blurb:

"In honor of the fortieth anniversary of Star Wars: A New Hope, this collection features Star Wars stories by bestselling authors, trendsetting artists, and treasured voices from Star Wars literary history. More than forty authors have lent their unique vision to forty "scenes," each retelling a different moment from the original Star Wars film, but with a twist: Every scene is told from the point of view of a background character."

PLUS and it is a BIG PLUS

"All participating authors have generously forgone any compensation for their stories. Instead, their proceeds will be donated to First Book—a leading nonprofit that provides new books, learning materials, and other essentials to educators and organizations serving children in need."

So we are offered retellings of STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE as certain events are being told from the POV of minor/background characters. We start after the battle of Scariff with Leia Organa on board of the spaceship Tantive IV trying to give the slip to Darth Vader & it all ends with the ceremony where Luke, Han and Chewbacca get the medals.

The quality of the writing is uneven considering the number of authors (40) and there were some contradictions, but apart from a few rather needless contributions (way too many stories on Tatooine, especially in Mos Eisley) I enjoyed the stories. Some are humorous, others are intriguing and some very sad and moving.

Here's to hoping anthologies will be published for Star Wars, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back & Star Wars, Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.

[BMR, LCSW · Rating 2 out of 5]

WILDLY uneven in the quality of the stories. Check it out from your library to read it before buying it. It did not even remotely match the anticipation of greatness (notice I did NOT say delusions of grandeur) I had when I first heard this anthology was being compiled.

Of the 40 tales, an infant's handful are really good or fracking great. Several were just insulting. Most were just okay. It takes more than inside jokes and catchphrases to make a good or great SW story regardless of the length.

Recommended only for the hardcore SW fans, and that recommendation is only for those who love it so much they'd read anything even remotely SW related.

[Christy Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore short stories and I have always loved Star Wars! Give me a collection of short stories set in a galaxy far, far away and I’m quite happy.

From a Certain Point of View derives it’s title from a line in Empire (“what I told you was true…from a certain point of view”). However, the collection of stories is from a different point of view of the off-to-the-side characters - some of them recognizable, others are new creations - in A New Hope. The order of the stories follows the events of the movie; although, I think there are too many in the cantina setting.

There are some really stellar stories that standout out among the rest for their strong writing style, their heart, and the skillful weaving of a new story within an old and beloved one. In particular, I enjoyed the excellent stories about Captain Antilles aboard the Tantive IV, R5 on Tatooine, Breha Organa on Alderaan, Grand Moff Tarkin on the Death Star, Obi-Wan’s last moments and his memories of his life, and Biggs Darklighter’s last flight with Luke. These are stories marked with sadness, love, friendship, or hubris - whatever the pervading emotion, they have it tenfold. They pack a punch and made me pause before moving on to the next story. They are the ones that stay with me long after I’ve finished the whole collection. While these were my favorites, there are quite a few good ones that are entertaining: a little Jawa named Jot dreams aboard a sandcrawler, a few stories about Stormtrooper life (“The Bucket” is a standout), a couple of pieces on Motti and Tagge, and action scenes from Yavin-4 pilots and ground crew.

Not every single story is great, but I still enjoyed the viewpoints that these 40 different authors found interesting to tell. If you are a huge Star Wars fan, then I would recommend reading this collection.

[Evan Morgan]

We're getting a story with Qui-Gon, y'all. Written by Claudia Gray, nonetheless. If you didn't want to get the book before, you should now.

[Neil Hepworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this is a solid collection of stories. It’s just too bad that the duds are kinda clumped together so sometimes you might be tempted to stop reading on account of too many stupid stories in a row. But don’t give up--the last quarter of the anthology has a some really strong stories. By the end, I decided the book was a sold 4 star affair, but I will tell you, there were times, when I was certain I wouldn’t be giving it anything higher than a 2 star review.

I think my biggest complaint is that none of the stories got the time they deserved. In an effort to fit 40 stories in here, almost none of the authors were given the breathing room to really make something out of their idea. Next time, Star Wars, do a proper anthology with normal length stories, please. There are some ideas in this book that are astounding and deserve more attention.

One of the goals of this anthology (I assume) was to allow authors to experiment a bit, and to allow some new authors a crack at the Star Wars universe. Obviously, a lot of how people react to this book is going to depend upon people’s wants and expectations--perhaps more so than a novel. And I totally expect there will be people who strongly disagree with a rating or two (or twenty) of mine. But that’s why it’s MY review and not yours! :)

Since there are 40 stories, rather than listing each story, plus a rating, plus a comment or two, I’ve just grouped them into the following categories that roughly correlate to a five star rating system. Finally, the number in front of each story is the order in which the story appears in the book.

Okay, lot's to review--let's get crackin'!!

Five Stars: The Force is strong with this one.
Translation: The best of the best of the best.

8. “Master and Apprentice”
Thoughts: I always thought that Qui-Gon learning how to manifest as a Force ghost and communicating with Obi-wan was kinda stupid. But it’s excellent stories like this one that are changing my mind.

22. “Eclipse”
Thoughts: Wow. The destruction of Alderaan. That was by far the best story I’ve read yet. Well written. A new perspective (but one that dove-tailed nicely on Claudia Gray’s Leia: Princess of Alderaan). Emotional. Characters that sound like and act like adults. Whew. Good stuff.

30. “Time of Death”
Thoughts: I will say this for the editors: they gave all of the important stories to the best writers. Obi-wan has become one of my favorite characters over the years, and this new perspective on his death is death is very touching.

31. “There is Another”
Thoughts: The difference between the bad the stories and the excellent stories in this collection is enormous. Yoda, however, is still very small. I loved this story.

34. “Duty Roster”
Thoughts: There are some stories in this book that I would love to see put to film, big screen or small. This is one of them.

35. “Desert Son”
Thoughts: I always thought Pierce Brown was a bit over-rated (sorry, Pierce). But if he keeps writing like this, I will happily change my tune.

36. “Grounded”
Thoughts: Holy crap, they saved the best for last. These final stories are just so damn fine.

Four Stars: Impressive. Most Impressive.
Translation: An excellent story that is either very well written or that adds something significant to the Star Wars canon. A must read.

6. “The Red One”
Thoughts: I think a lot of readers will say that I’m over-rating this story. Which might be true. But when I read the first few lines, I thought for sure I was going to give this on a Tribbles rating. But dammit, if the author didn’t just write the idea so well, that...droid feels...right here in my chest. Meh idea, but superbly written.

7. “Rites”
Thoughts: I admit I love this story specifically because I love John Jackson Miller’s Kenobi, and I was very sad to learn that it was not considered canon. However, this short story, which is canon, references very clearly most all of the events in Kenobi...which is about as close to being canon as you can get without “officially” being canon...right? I hope so.

13. “The Kloo Horn Cantina Caper”
Thoughts: Most of the experimental styles in this anthology are pretty bad: here, is a fantastic exception. A bit noir, a bit caper, a bit personality, a bit smug, but a lot of fun, and never overdone.

16. “The Secrets of Long Snoot”
Thoughts: Finally a story with a voice that sounds like it was written by an adult. Tragically, such voice in writing is rare in the Star Wars universe.

23. “Verge of Greatness”
Thoughts: Now THIS is how you get inside someone’s head for a scene that we’ve all already seen in the movie. Also, again, the characters sound like adult (it’s amazing how much that single fact elevates writing…), and the characters have voices that match, well, the characters. Nicely done Mr. Hidalgo.

37. “Contingency Plan”
Thoughts: I know that Star Wars in many ways is supposed to be fun. But Star Wars works best when it’s story and it’s characters are taken seriously. Wonderful story.

Three Stars: Not bad for a little furball.
Translation: A pretty solid story. You should read it.

1. “Raymus”
Thoughts: We look a bit into the head of Captain Antilles, brave leader of of the Tantive IV and soon to be throat-choked by Darth Vader. Interesting story. Not badly written. Doesn’t add much of anything though.

2. “The Bucket”
Thoughts: A nice story about a stormtrooper with a tiny touch of a conscience. And here’s my odd gripe. I know that Disney et al. are trying to humanize the Empire. But you can’t make every stormtrooper and Imperial officer have a guilty conscience. Time to pull back a bit and make some Imperials that passionately believe in what they’re doing.

12. “We Don’t Serve Their Kind Here”
Thoughts: The barkeep’s past was just intriguing enough to make some connections to the Clone Wars without ever becoming melodramatic. Also...is this the third story wherein HAN. SHOT. FIRST...and Han was the ONLY one to shoot? What are you playing at here, Disney? I like it.

18 .“Laina”
Thoughts: A standard, if touching, recording from a dad to a little girl explaining all about the Rebellion should he not live long enough to tell her himself.

25. “The Trigger”
Thoughts: The stormtrooper with a conscience done right. And Dr. Aphra to boot. Not too shabby.

28. “End of Watch”
Thoughts: Ever wonder what was going on at the other end of the line during Han Solo’s “boring conversation anyway”? Now you know.

32. “Palpatine”
Thoughts: I’m an English teacher. I’m a total sucker for Ian Doescher’s Star Wars: Verily, a New Hope. And I liked this one too.

33. “Sparks”
Thoughts: You know how you choke up just a bit at the end of Star Wars as each X-wing and Y-wing get’s shot down? This brief, but very nice story, will do the same thing all over again.

38. “The Angle”
Thoughts: Just what the rating says: not bad for a little look into the life and times of Lando Calrissian.

39. “By Whatever Sun”
Thoughts: I’m curious to know just how much Ashley Eckstein contributed to the story. Either way, she and E.K. Johnston make a good team. Nicely done.

Two Stars: It could be worse.
Translation: A very meh, story, but it least it hasn’t sunk so low at to be grabbed by a dianoga and dragged away to the very bottom of the trash compactor. Only read it if the subject matter really interests you.

9. “Beru Whitesun Lars”
Thoughts: Sorry, but the voice doesn’t even remotely match what I think an elderly(ish) woman would sound like.

10. “The Luckless Rodian”
Thoughts: Too short a story. Greedo is kinda a wuss. HOWEVER...Han. Shot. First. BOOM! Does this make it canon? They’re trying, folks.

11. “Not for Nothing”
Thoughts: It’s about this point that I started to think, “I don’t want every character to have a back story,” because now it’s just starting to feel forced. Just let the band play, man.

17. “Born in the Storm”
Thoughts: ...but not by much. Have I mentioned yet that I want come competent Imperials? And that I want them to sound like adults? Yeah, there’s none of that here.

19. “Fully Operational”
Thoughts: Well written, but this is merely an extended scene of the Imperial chiefs of staff meeting with Vader and Tarkin in A New Hope. Nothing new is added.

21.“Change of Heart”
Thoughts: There’s nothing really wrong with this one except, as I’ve already said, someone needed to coordinate these stories better. Way too many of them are way too similar. For my thoughts on this story, see my thoughts from “The Bucket” because they’re basically the same story.

24. “Far too Remote”
Thoughts: I’m not really a good judge of artwork, so…a single-panel cartoon. Cute. And I’m glad it only took up one piece of paper.

29. “The Baptist”
Thoughts: I really struggle with these weird POV stories. I don’t need one about a Jawa, I don’t need one about a mouse droid, and I don’t need one about the dianoga.

40. “Whills”
Thoughts: The last story of the anthology is a joke. No, seriously, it is--it’s even mildly amusing. Which is fine, but I’d rather they started with it than put it at the very end. It feels really out of place at the end. Please don’t treat Star Wars like a joke, hm.

One Star: Tribbles.
Translation: A story of fluffy crap that feels woefully out of place in this Star Wars book, just like a tribble. No. Stop. Don’t read it. It’s really bad.

3. “The Sith of Datawork”
Thoughts: You know what doesn’t make Star Wars interesting? Even if the concept might be very plausible? Paper work. ‘Nough said.

4. “Stories in the Sand”
Thoughts: I don’t really wanna say why I found it stupid because it’s the whole premise of the story. So. It was just total fluff.

5. “Reirin”
Thoughts: So a Tusken has to steal something from a sandcrawler. Alright. Then what happens? The answer: NOTHING. I literally don’t understand what I’m supposed to get from this story.

14. “Added Muscle”
Thoughts: Aaaaand...this is why I have my “Tribbles” rating. A story off all fluff and no substance. And the Fett dialogue was badly written.

15. “You Owe Me a Ride”
Thoughts: I dunno--maybe the Tribbles rating is a bit harsh, but after reading this dud, I’m forced to echo what a fellow reviewer said: apparently none of the authors coordinated their stories because after this story, I’m pretty sure every damn patron in the cantina is now in someway connected to Han Solo. It’s irritating. The galaxy is huge. It’s okay to have people at a bar, even one in Mos Eisley, who don’t know each other! Also, this is another story where literally nothing of consequence happens. Bad writing.

20. “An Incident Report”
Thoughts: Another whiney Imperial statement. And, really, we’re going accuse Vader of evangelizing? Really?!?! My eyes have never rolled so hard.

26. “Of MSE-6 and Men”
Thoughts: I just...I...what? How is this story a thing?!?! Was it supposed to be funny? Charming? Whitty? Romantic? Because in the end it was a whole lotta nothin’.

27. “Bump”
Thoughts: I’m being forced to read other reviews in order to come up with new ways to explain things. So yes, I read this somewhere else, but so many of these stories, including this one, just feel like bad fanfic.


Well, that’s it folks. Feel free to tell me in the comments where I’m right (obviously), and where I’m all wrong.

[Lata · Rating 5 out of 5]

2023-06: 4.5 stars
In a collection I enjoyed the first time, a reread solidified which of the many shorts within were my favourites (i.e., 5 stars-worthy). They were:
-The Sith of Datawork by Ken Liu
-Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray
-Not for Nothing by Mur Lafferty
-Born in the Storm by Daniel José Older
-Laina by Wil Wheaton
-Eclipse by Madeleine Roux
-The Trigger by Kieron Gillon
-Of MSE-6 and Men by Glen Weldon
-The Baptist by Nnedi Okorafor
-Grounded by Greg Rucka
-By Whatever Sun by by E. K. Johnston and Ashley Eckstein
-Whills by Tom Angleberger

2017-10: 4 stars
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, the bit players were busy, too, and had their own, interesting moments and lives. Like the garbage chute monster, who gets her due, and we find out just how fascinating and wonderful she was. And the mouse droid Chewie scared, who would have thought it facilitated a relationship on the Death Star? And what about the storm troopers who decided these weren't the droids they were looking for? The brilliant and overworked and deeply caring crew chief on Yavin dealing with too much stress and grief? And reading about the destruction of Alderaan from the planet itself was particularly poignant as I had just recently read about Leia's adolescence and her relationship with Breha and Bail in Claudia Gray's book "Leia, Princess of Alderaan".

These are some of the short stories in this collection which I really enjoyed. I liked the different perspectives and the chosen characters, and how each author added to and filled in bits of story that I'd wondered about. And in some cases added some humour or depth in surprising places. (My favourite pilot Wedge gets some time, too, in one of the stories.) definitely a good addition to the Star Wars ongoing story.

[Shadowdenizen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fair warning- rant ahead.

I have a complex relationship with Star Wars. While I mostly enjoy the saga overall (comics, books and movies) I often find alot of the installments of the saga to be cash-grabs or "events" more than actual labors of love. (Not to say that there hasn't been some stellar, creative people whose work I admire associated with the franchise over the years, and even currently!.)

And I'm feeling that now more than ever before with Disneys carefully calculated manipulation of the fanbase and the general moviegoing populace. Putting aside their Empire-like treatment of the industry and their disregard for their constituent cinemas, they just can't let it be forgotten that we're gonna get a new Star Wars film every year until the sun goes nova, and it's gonna fill in EVERY CRACK of the universe until nothing is left to the imagination anymore. "Hey, do you want to know the backstory of Salacious Crumb? You do? Well good, cuz we'll get there eventually!"

All that said, I had mixed feelings on this book. While I'm not a fan of going backwards in the saga (I think they should be going forward, not rehashing old material), I found myself oddly liking this book, both in premise and execution, coupled with some compelling authors.. While it does go backwards, it also gives us a new perspective on some important moments in the saga from lesser characters in the saga (a tactic often employed sucessfully by genre TV shows).

Taking this book on it's own merits, it's a solid 3.5.

[Jim C · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating is 2.5 stars.

This is a collection of short stories from people who witnessed events that happened in A New Hope.

I was intrigued by the concept of this novel as I like the idea of seeing well known events through new eyes. Unfortunately that did not last long as there is a reason that these characters do not have their stories being told. They are not exciting. Most of the short stories did nothing for me. There were a few terrific stories but they were too few in number. Also, I felt like some stories were trying too hard. Not every character has to be vital or connected to the force and a couple of stories tried to retcon situations.

I am not the biggest fan of short stories and this continued that tradition. The high point of this collection is that none of the authors are making money from this book as all proceeds are going to charity. For this reason alone I applaud this collection.

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an neato idea.
This is the retelling of A New Hope using fan fiction of minor character's POVs.
This includes (but is not limited to) Stormtroopers, the garbage monster, mechanics, Jawas, the band at the Cantina and paper pushers on the Death Star.
Each story in the collection is written by a different author.
Most of the stories were well written and highly entertaining.

There are a couple duds in there (Meg Cabot & Ian Doescher I'm looking at you).
My favourite stories...
The Sith of Datawork by: Ken Liu
The Luckless Rodian by: Renée Ahdieh
Added Muscle by: Paul Dini
You owe me a ride by: Zoraida Cordova
The Trigger by: Kieron Gillen
Desert Son by: Pierce Brown
The Angle by: Charles Soule
Whills by: Tom Angleberger

[Jay Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My video review: https://youtu.be/7GpfnIaXnjs

2.5 star-ish

From a Certain Point of View is an interesting anthology. The stories act as a behind the scenes look at events in A New Hope from the perspective of 40 side characters. Some of these characters are completely unexpected. Take for instance, characters like: R5-D2 (the red droid sold with R2-D2 by Jawas), a female Tusken raider, MSE-6-G735Y (a mouse droid), or heck, even the trash compactor monster (btw her name is Omi). Of course there is also some more familiar faces, the story about force-ghost Qui-Gon Jinn (by Claudia Grey) being a favorite of mine.
While these all might sound interesting and fun, I still had many issues with this anthology. There is a clear issue of quality with MANY of these stories. There's a few gems, but the majority of them feel amateur and I would even say boring.
Thankfully the thing that kept me interested was that the stories would occasionally slip in some answers to long-unanswered questions that the fans of had relating to A New Hope. This, and the fact that all the profits go to charity are the only reasons I would recommend it. Otherwise, I feel like it just missed the mark on what could have been quite promising.
I listened to the audio book version, which has a great cast of actors such as Neil Patrick Harris, Marc Thompson, January LaVoy, and Ashley Eckstein to name a few.

[Unabridged Bibliophile · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could give a half star for effort I would. This thing should have not even been written. The concept is there and it’s great. The execution however, is not. So many cringe inducing moments and eye rolls. I’m a huge fan of the older EU books and that honestly might be my problem. There is a reason why Lucas Films had strict rules and guidelines to writing a book based in the Star Wars world as well as using a lot of the same authors over and over. They got it. They got that you can’t describe Ponda Baba as “walrus-like” because there aren’t any walruses in that universe. Or, how it’s ridiculous for Boba Fett to think “Mama Fett didn’t raise no fool.” Not only for the fact that he’s a clone and had no mother, but that a general phrase from our universe and time would not be used there. It takes you out of the story and leaves you feeling that a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, is actually a lot closer than you might think.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 1 out of 5]

If it's not broke...don't fix it!

Since getting into Star Wars literature in 2005, I have come across three different novelizations of A New Hope, as well as two graphic novel adaptations. I've also read and seen other books that retell either the same story, such as a book/CD read-along for younger kids, or parts of it, such as some of the writings of Ryder Windham.

All this for a movie that's been around for over forty years, and one that pretty much everybody who wants to see it has already seen umpteen times.

Unfortunately, Disney has decided to reinvent the wheel again by releasing a collection of writings that tell the events of A New Hope from various perspectives.

Tell me, House of Mouse, is this really necessary? I don't think so; you just want to make big bucks!

Worse yet, some of the "stories" aren't really stories at all; one is a single-panel comic strip, whereas another is a Shakespearean poem. The last contribution in the book may be good for a laugh, but is nothing more than a joke.

I miss the days of the original Expanded Universe, with heroes such as Mara Jade, Corran Horn, and Jaina Solo. Disney butchered it when they relegated those characters to "legends" status, especially after the mess that was The Last Jedi...and that's someone who grew up on live-action Mouse House productions talking.

Here's hoping the galaxy far, far away will get a reboot one day; it seriously needs it.

[Sud666 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, a collection of 40 short stories, was an excellent read. It hearkens back to a time when Star Wars was an amazing series of movies. "From a Certain Point of View" covers the iconic movie Star Wars or Episode IV:A New Hope. Each story has to do with the movie. It could be said the order of the stories roughly follows the timeline of the movie itself. The stories are different in that they focus on the side characters, some of whom you like don't know exist. From the views of Stroomtroops to aliens from the movie, to some stories revolving around main characters.

The stories bring a new perspective to the movie. Any fan of the film will realize who these characters are and when they appear in the film. The vast majority of the stories are quite entertaining. Written by a variety of authors, including some names I recognize from comics like: Greg Rucka, Matt Fraction, Kieron Gillen and Charles Soule.

So why not 5 stars? While the stories are generally excellent-the one about Palpatine was terrible and there is a run of stories back to back that describes the final battle against the Death Star and after awhile it seems like you are reading the same story over and over..because you are.
and
But minor quibbles aside this was an entertaining and fun book. True to the ethos and myth that made Star Wars great, before the SJWs turned it into something akin to prostate cancer. So read, enjoy and reminisce about the wonder that is Episode IV.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly saw this book coming out and thought, 'okay, but why do we need ANOTHER retelling of ANH? haven't we had enough of them?' Turns out we were absolutely, 100% missing this one. It's by far the most interesting and refreshing retelling of the much-loved, oft-repeated Star Wars story we all know and love. These 39 stories (I hesitate to call Jeffery Brown's one-page, one-panel comic a story) were all incredibly well-done, crafted by authors who were clearly excited to be part of such a project, and who were lucky enough to write these stories for love--for love of the craft, for love of the content, for love of the characters...for love of the story, the story we all have heard so many times... A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away....

There were only two of the stories that seemed completely irrelevant to the retelling in any way--Sabaa Tahir's "Reirin" and Zorida Cordova's "You Owe Me a Ride"--and even then, the latter of those served to flesh out the character of the galaxy we've delved into so many times over the 40 years it's been around. Some--like Rae Carson's "The Red One" and Pierce Brown's "Desert Son" gave us insight into characters we already knew and loved. Wonder no more what was going on in Biggs Darklighter's head when he heard Luke's voice so far from the twin suns of their home, or whether or not the little red R5 unit with the bad motivator was actually pivotal to the continuing survival of the Rebellion. Other stories introduced us to new players--DeConnick and Fraction's "The Kloo Horn Cantina Caper" gave that fuzzy alien with the proboscus a name (the Muftak), and "Grounded" by Greg Rucka reminded us that the ground crew of the Rebellion suffered just as much as the pilots who left them behind for the sky. And still others provided insight into just how much exactly was really going on in that Cantina in Mos Eisley (so many), where Lando was while his ship was preforming heroics under Han's guiding hand (Soule's "the Angle"), and just how heartwrenching it was for Obi-wan to get to talk to Qui-Gon and Yoda again (Claudia Grey's "Master and Apprentice").

I was particularly delighted when members of the extended universe canon popped up without warning--Doctor Aphra appeared in all her chaotic neutral glory ("The Trigger" by Kieron Gillen); John Jackson Miller's Sand Person chieftan A'Yark from the "Kenobi" book was a grounding presence in the desert ("Rites")--and any mention of Rogue One or the Battle of Scarif (and there were a lot) left me more emotional than it should have. I cried several times while reading various stories (I'm going to keep coming back to Claudia Grey's rendition of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan here--seriously, I died, it was beautiful), and I laughed at more. Even the ones that I was not particularly fond of were exceptionally well-written and drew me in for the time I was reading them.

There was really nothing about this book that I didn't like. It was the freshest take on a beloved, if worn-out, story that I've ever seen, and was a truly engaging and energetic read from cover to cover. I would dearly love to see someone who hasn't seen A New Hope enough times to have it memorized try to read this book...I'm so very curious as to how they would follow the story, what they would make of the characters, who and what they would find important or lovable or annoying. How they would react to the garbage monster getting her--yes, her--own chapter, or how much the destruction of Alderaan would affect them. I was bawling my eyes out, but I'd be so interested in seeing the reactions of someone a little less steeped in Star Wars lore than myself.

Ultimately, it was fantastic in every way. It truly was the most beautiful tribute to forty years of Star Wars, forty years of a princess with steel in her backbone, a sun-drenched farmboy, a scoundrel with the brightest heart of gold, and the galaxy they saved. I couldn't imagine a better tribute, nor would I want one. Simply put, it was perfect.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Debated between 4 and 5 stars, because some of the stories in this are, sadly, not all that great. But the ones that are good are great and all combined together make this a perfect love letter to the film that started it all. Sometimes I was left a little sad because I wanted shorts to be longer, to see more through the characters POV, whereas others felt just long enough, an important moment from the movie from a new perspective.

As well as some stories not being that good, my other main criticism is that there are too many focused around the Cantina. Obviously because of the array of background characters, there was always going to be a lot. But it just felt like I read the Greedo/Han Solo scene about 5 or 6 times from different characters, which seemed excessive because it's always the same scene. I did like the choice of some of them. Greedo, the bartender, a band member. But it did get a little repetitive.

Some people will look at parts of this book and brush them off as pointless fan service, but I'd tell those cynics where to go because the best parts in this book were clearly written for Star Wars fans. I don't want to give too much away, but the Qui-Gon, Yoda and Boba Fett stories are among the best. I also found the latter half of the book much better than the first.

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really cool project with some fantastic stories! This anthology follows the plot of the first Star Wars film, as told through the perspective of side characters, minor characters, creatures etc. Ranging from funny to tragic, adventurous to philosophical each story is written by a different author but they come together to form a cohesive whole. Really enjoyed it.

[Anissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, this was a fun read! Forty short stories, each from the POV of side characters in Star Wars: A New Hope. This is just my sort of read because I love SW and have always been eager for the wider GFFA experience. The galaxy is bigger than the Skywalkers and others also have thoughts, dreams, problems, lives, deaths and a point of view. I didn't love all of these but such is to be expected in a compendium of short stories but there was plenty here that I did love. Some of my favourites follow:

The Sith of Datawork by Ken Liu- Behold Avira, the beurocratic paper pusher of the Death Star. Hilarious.
Stories in The Sand by Griffin McElroy- Jot the Jawa has dreams off of Tantooine, people!
The Red One by Claudia Gray- R5-D4 crosses paths with R2-D2 and does its bit before heading off to find its best life.
Master and Apprentice by Meg Cabot- Qui-Gon Jin & Obi-Wan Kenobi chat. There is never enough of this to be had so I loved it!
Beru Whitesun by Meg Cabot- Proof Beru was always worth knowing. Loved this!
Not for Nothing by Mur Lafferty- A first-person account of the band Mofal Node.
Born in the Storm by Daniel Jose Older- Stormtrooper with lots of personality recounts his day of crossing paths with various detritus on Mos Eisley and Obi-Wan.
Laina by Wil Wheaton- A holo from a father to a daughter on the day he's sent her to safety on Alderaan.
An Incident Report by Mallory Ortberg- A complaint about Lord Vader's behaviour during a meeting of the Joint Chiefs. I howled with laughter!
Eclipse by Madeline Roux- Oh, Alderaan.
The Baptist by Nnedi Okorafor- Omi (formerly known as the Trash Compactor Monster) is kidnapped and held in the Death Star trash dungeon but the Force flows through her and she recognizes it in Luke. I want to know who she'll be the next time around! Loved this so much!
Time of Death by Cavan Scott- Ben Kenobi has just died & he's adjusting to his new found state.
There is Another by Gary D. Schmidt- Yoda & Obi-Wan discuss passings, padawans and an old pot.
Contingency Plan by Alexander Freed - I've always wanted more Mon Mothma. I got it and still want more. Fantastic.

I'll definitely be reading the next in the series when it publishes later this year. Can't wait. Recommended.

[Trang Tran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review on my blog here!



In celebrating the 40 years of Star Wars, Penguin Random House has reunited different authors and asked them to write stories from the perspective of the side characters. The story starts out right after Rogue One Movie and the story is about Star Wars: A New Hope (duh). It was fun for me because it’s a fresh take on the movie since we have different people’s perspective who come from different planets. I’ve learnt a lot about the world of Star Wars in those pages!!!

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Star Wars! I love short stories! Together this anthology was a win-win for me.

Forty authors celebrated forty years of Star Wars by contributing a story of a minor or supporting character from the ending of Rogue One to the finale of A New Hope. I listened to these stories on audio but also had a copy of the book to refer to when I wanted to double-check a detail or if I didn’t like the way a story was voiced. There are a few spoilers, but I did my best not to give it all away! 😉

Raymus by Gary Witta 4/5

Captain Raymus Antilles holds onto hope to the very end that his ship carrying Princess Leia away from the Battle of Scarif will escape from the Imperial Fleet.

The Bucket by Christie Golden 4/5

Stormtrooper TK-4601 begins to have feelings of dissent with the Empire after he meets Leia. Not an immediate deserter, but the seeds are sown…

The Sith of Datawork by Ken Liu 5/5

A fun tongue-in-cheek story that will be appreciated by the many of us who feel that paperwork is endless at their jobs and in their homes. Arvira, Imperial Logistic Datawork Officer, knows her forms and helps Bolvan, the gunnery captain who let a certain escape pod go unchecked to Tatooine, cover up his mistake with layers of reports.

Stories in the Sand by Griffin McElroy 4/5

An amusing tale of little Jot, a Jawa who doesn’t erase R2-D2’s memory like he typically does with other droids for resale. By watching other droid’s chips he sees there is more to the universe than the gritty Sandcrawler he works on.

Reirin by Sabaa Tahir 3/5

We meet Reirin, a female Tusken Raider, who is willing to leave the safety of her clan for the mysterious charms of a green crystal she finds.

The Red One by Rae Carson 4/5

A surprisingly poignant story about R5-D4, the red droid that Uncle Own picked first from the Jawas. His malfunction was truly a sacrifice made for the Rebellion. It was fun to start getting outsiders’ views of Luke as we first meet him in A New Hope.

Rites by John Jackson Miller 3.5/5

Three young Tuskens want to make names for themselves in their warrior society. They meet Obi-Wan, whom they consider a wizard, and Luke whom they call Sandy Hair.

Master and Apprentice by Claudia Grey 5/5

Obi-Wan receives a visitor and because of their conversation realizes he needs “to think of death as only the beginning of wisdom”. While I was surprised at this entry, as he formally was not part of A New Hope, the visitor’s wisdom would have always remained with Ben.

Beru Whitesun Lars by Meg Cabot 5/5

LOVED this story! Author Meg Cabot gave Aunt Beru a beautiful backstory and a voice in how she loved raising Luke. I was tearing up as I listened to this story, for Beru was more than an aunt, she was a MOTHER to him and should have been recognized more for being the loving woman who shaped Luke into the man he became.

The Luckless Rodian by Renee Ahdieh 4/5

Greedo…and his last hours before his fateful encounter with Han Solo.

Not for Nothing by Mur Lafferty 4/5

A supposed excerpt from one of the Bith band member’s memoirs about why they were playing at the cantina, after a forced extended stay at Jabba the Hutt’s “palace”. The music must go on…

We Don’t Serve Their Kind Here by Chuck Wendig 3.5/5

A character study of Wuher, one of the bartenders at the cantina. My biggest takeaway from this story is learning that Ackmena, the barmaid from the Star Wars Holiday Special, is now canon!

The Kloo Horn Cantina Caper by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Matt Fraction 1/5

When are we going to leave Tatooine??!! Why was the worst story also the longest story? I did not care one whit about the crime planned to take place at Chalmun’s Cantina.

Added Muscle by Paul Dini 5/5

Luckily the next story balances the previous story by being short and fresh. We learn Boba Fett’s recollections of what happened between Han and Jabba in Docking Bay 94.

You Owe Me a Ride by Zoraida Cordova 4/5

Twins Brea and Senni Tonnika live on the edge of society, unwillingly trapped at Jabba’s palace. The sisters begin to scheme how they can leave the sandy planet forever.

The Secrets of Long Snoot by Delilah S. Dawson 2/5

Are we STILL stuck on Tatooine??!! Not every bounty hunter is successful and suave, and Long Snoot skulks along the fringes hoping to pick up easy information he can then pass along to the Imperial Troopers hoping for enough credits to reunite with his family.

Born in the Storm by Daniel Jose Older 4.5/5

Stormtrooper TD-7556 relates his recent mission on Tatooine in an incident report form. Turns out he was one of the soldiers who sent Obi-Wan, Luke and the droids on their way- “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for”. This stormtrooper is no mindless drone, he is funny and sarcastic and the story was a fun read.

Laina by Wil Wheaton 5/5

OMG the feels! A widowed Rebel soldier wishes to send his beloved daughter Laina to safety and makes a video for the toddler. He recounts to her information about her mother and the reason why he is fighting against the Empire. Already a poignant tale of a family being separated, it takes an even more heartrending turn at the end. (I have re-imaged the last bit in my mind to make a happier ending)

Fully Operational by Beth Revis 3.5/5

General Tagge uncomfortably witnesses Lord Vader’s reaction and chokehold of Admiral Motti. Previously believing the Empire’s greatest weapon was the Death Star, he now realizes it is Vader himself.

An Incident Report by Mallory Ortberg 3.5/5

Admiral Motti gets his rebuttal and blusters about his importance to cover up his shame of being humiliated in front of other staff. He refuses to see Vader’s power and relies entirely on the Death Star’s technology.

Change of Heart by Elizabeth Wein 3.5/5

The indomitable Leia unknowingly influences another Imperial soldier to rethink his alliance after he witnesses her strength when Alderaan is destroyed. Having two stories like this was overkill. I have huge Leia love, but to have two soldiers completely change their ways just by observing her was too much.

Eclipse by Madeleine Roux 4.5/5

A heartbreaking look at the last hours of Breha and Bail Organa. Despite them realizing their planet’s impending doom, they cling together in love and with hope in their hearts that their daughter is safe. On a side note- I had a hard time imagining Leia growing up there. Things at the palace were so ornate and orchestrated, instead, I thought of Padme.

Verge of Greatness by Pablo Hidalgo 4/5

Evil Empire leaders are taught not to trust anyone else and to only look out for themselves- but if Tarkin and Krennic had been able to work effectively as a team, perhaps then they could have been more powerful than Vader. I appreciated the shoutout to Galen and Jyn Erso at the end.

Far Too Remote by Jeffrey Brown 4/5

Surprising and funny one-panel cartoon from the author/artist who writes children’s books Vader’s Little Princess and Vader and Son. See the book for dialogue! 😉

The Trigger by Kieron Gillen 3/5

Aphra is a dubious archaeologist who skirts the law on Dantooine. Captured by stormtroopers she talks her way out of trouble. She was an unfamiliar character to me, but her fleshed-out backstory hinted that she plays more of a role in Star Wars canon, so I wasn’t surprised to realize she can be found in many Star Wars graphic novels.

Of MSE-6 and Men by Glen Weldon 1/5

Why again are the worst stories the longest stories? Told from the perspective of a mouse droid found on the Death Star.

Bump by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker 3/5

One of the stormtroopers from the Tatooine unit that let the droids by, due to Obi-Wan’s mind tricks, is called up to report once that data has been reviewed. He knows he’s in for it, but remains true to the Empire until the end.

End of Watch by Adam Christopher 4/5

Commander Pamel Poul is at the end of her shift on the Death Star and just wants to be off duty. But there seems to be a small problem in one of the detention blocks, and an odd message from an alleged soldier there doesn’t seem to follow protocol…

The Baptist by Nnedi Okorafor 5/5

When a creature is taken from its home planet and taken to the Death Star, I wondered where in the world the story was going. Then I realized it was the garbage disposal monster and I was intrigued. I found this story strangely appealing!

Time of Death by Cavan Scott 3/5

This story had me torn. While in one way I liked having more time with Obi-Wan, his afterlife is a delicate subject matter to tackle. There was one little remembrance that I enjoyed- a missing piece of his lost years at Tatooine when he interacts with a young Luke and his Uncle Owen.

There Is Another by Gary D. Schmidt 3.5/5

This pushed canon a bit too far. While I have always wondered why Leia never trained to use the Force, this story has a certain green somebody quite opposed to training Luke, claiming that Leia would be more suitable. Maybe so, to a degree, but he missed Palpatine being a Sith Lord, so maybe just maybe he could be wrong about Luke (and he was.)

Palpatine by Ian Doescher 4.5/5

An interesting soliloquy from Palpatine’s perspective that I first listened to and then read to get the full power of his thoughts as it was written in poem form.

Sparks by Paul S. Kemp 4.5/5

Told from the perspective of Dex, a Rebel fighter pilot, during the battle of Yavin 4. This was an action-packed story that had an expected sad ending for Gold Two.

Duty Roster by Jason Fry 4/5

Not every Rebel pilot gets to fly when there are not enough ships and Col, aka Fake Wedge (to his chagrin), is not chosen. He is furious at not being picked when newbie Luke Skywalker is selected, but as most of the pilots die, he survives for future missions.

Desert Son by Pierce Brown 4/5

Oh, Biggs Darklighter, we barely knew you…and you seemed so appealing! If only you and Luke had been able to reunite but your heroics helped ensure Luke’s victory.

Grounded by Greg Rucka 4.5/5

Chief Nera Kase, an integral part of the Rebels for her mechanical knowledge, watches as the pilots and ships she cares for head into battle. Not everybody can be the flashy hero, but her behind-the-scenes work is as heroic as any pilot or leader’s contribution. I always root for the solid characters, who often don’t get their due because they are quiet and unassuming.

Contingency Plan by Alexander Freed 4/5

All good leaders should have contingency plans, for even the best-laid plans can go sideways in a moment. Mon Mothma is no exception, and the Rebel victory gives her renewed vigor for the cause.

The Angle by Charles Soule 4.5/5

With the new Solo movie coming out, I couldn’t help but think of our favorite caped scoundrel as being a mix of Donald Glover and Billie Dee Williams. The audio version had this guy voiced perfectly, as he wonders why in the world his fellow rogue Han would risk his life.

By Whatever Sun by E.K. Johnston and Ashley Eckstein 3.5/5

Captain Miara Larte and her crew witnesses the medal ceremony for Luke, Han and Chewbacca. While perhaps it can be argued it was a premature celebration, she feels that the joyful occasion is needed in a time of sorrow. This character was another one I was unfamiliar with, as she is from the Ahsoka book that I have not read yet.

Whills by Tom Angleberger 5/5

Awesome ending! I adored the two Whills scholars debating how to chronicle the Star Wars saga. They debate both where to start the story (Episode IV!) and the wording that we have grown to love.

This book is a must-read for all Star Wars fans! It strengthened and filled in gaps in the narrative and this new canon was a treat from beginning to end.

This review can also be found on my blog: https://graphicnovelty2.com/2018/03/0...

[Para (wanderer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Terrible things will always happen. They happened on Kiffex and they happen on Naboo and they happen on Tatooine. There will always be a war, and there will always be someone who wants us locked up. But the only thing we can do is survive, Sen. Survive until they won’t let us.”

When I heard the words "Jawa POV," I instantly knew that From a Certain Point of View is something I simply must read. It's no secret by now that I'm madly in love with Star Wars. And my obsession with slice of life and perspectives of more ordinary people is well established. A crossover of the two? A match made in heaven, despite my dislike of short stories and anthologies.

From a Certain Point of View is a little unusual for an anthology in that it has a plot - it's a retelling of A New Hope from the POV of minor characters and all the stories are in chronological order. Some comedic and a lot of them sad. Each doubles as a chapter. Some sections drag a little - the cantina section (did we really need to see Han shoot Greedo five times?) and the one near the end from the POV of Resistance pilots for example - and others felt a little pointless, but the overall effect was wonderful.

I also enjoyed how it ties together A New Hope and some of the newer material. There are clear references to Rogue One (of course) and characters from other movies are often mentioned, if not appearing outright.

Since it's an anthology of 40 short stories and various other odds and ends, the quality is, of course, inconsistent. Some are great, some not really, most are in between. But I'm glad to say that out of all 40, I only disliked four (Beru Whitesun Lars, Added Muscle, and Whills, all because of the writing style, and Palpatine, because it was in verse) and would choose no less than eleven to highlight as particularly great. Over a quarter. With the other 65% falling somewhere between "lovely concept, but not quite toplist material" or "readable but kind of meh."

My highlights include:

- Stories in the Sand by Griffin McElroy: Jawas! I decided to bump the book way up the TBR because someone let slip there was a Jawa POV (I love the adorable little shits) and man, it did not disappoint. It's about a little scavenger with a special love for stories and I couldn't help but like him.
- Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray: Can't say much about this one except that it's well-written and took me entirely by surprise. I look forward to Claudia Gray's tie-in books.
- The Red One by Rae Carson: POV of the red droid Luke and his uncle did not choose. Holy shit this one is sad. Good, but sad.
- The Secrets of Long Snoot by Delilah S. Dawson: This one gives us the perspective of the Kubaz spy, aka the alien with the long snoot. Shows some of the discrimination and prejudice the non-humans face.
- Born in the Storm by by Daniel José Older: This one is about one of the Stormtroopers who got mind-tricked filling in a form to report the incident. A lot of grumbling about sand (implying how it's coarse and irritating and gets everywhere of course) and how much he hates his job ensues. Hilarious, amazing, I need more.
- The Trigger by Kieron Gillen: I really need to read the Aphra comics because I found the POV of her as someone who likes neither the Resistance nor the Empire very interesting.
- Of MSE-6 and Men by Glen Weldon: First of all, the title cracked me up. A fucking mouse droid story! Of course this would be my thing. It also features a (gay) affair between a stormtrooper and an officer, but the ending...well, it put a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Even so, it made it into the highlights list simply because mouse droid.
- Bump by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker: Another stormtrooper who only wants to shower and end his shift, but of course, the rebels invading the Death Star ruin his plans. Funny. Great balance between humanizing him and reminding us he's a bad guy and I'd love if it was longer.
- End of Watch by Adam Christopher: Imperial bureaucrat on the Death Star just leaving her shift aka yet another person with a bullshit job. If it wasn't already clear by now, I love that. Couldn't be more up my alley if it tried.
- The Baptist by Nnedi Okorafor: The infamous trash monster story, the one you usually hear about when someone recs this anthology. Very unique.
- The Angle by Charles Soule: Lando, watching the aftermath and musing about the cynics and idealists. Another neutral party POV.

He was having one of those patriotic sway type moments, when the whole Galactic Empire seemed to sparkle in his eyes and whatever ridiculous mission was ahead appeared infinitely manageable—all part of the grand design. And that’s all well and good, but there was sand in my butt crack and the day wasn’t getting any cooler, so quite frankly I wished he’d hurry up and get to the point.

Essentially, the more minor the character and the more bullshit their job, the more I liked it. I wish I could get a full novel of some of those, especially the antics of bored stormtroopers who are sick of dealing with sand up their asscrack or bureaucrats going on about their daily life.

The only bigger issue I have is that while a few stories include or mention queer characters, none of those survive. A lot of it is due to the nature of this anthology and the fact that a huge percentage of the stories in general focus on characters who die because that's how it is (anyone on Alderaan or the Death Star is doomed and we know it). But I still wish we got at least one queer character who managed to get away somehow. It would not have been too much of a stretch, especially not compared to some other things. So I'm torn between feeling desperately glad that repersentation might be happening at least in books, and angry and sick of yet another book that ended in Bury Your Gays.

Enjoyment: 4/5
Execution: 4/5

Recommended to: any and all Star Wars fans, especially those wondering how more ordinary characters get by - even if you don't like anthologies, read this
Not recommended to: obviously, people who haven't watched A New Hope, those tired of queer characters not surviving

More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.

[Valerie Book Valkyrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 S✶T✶A✶R✶S (Image above shows audiobook, I read the hard cover book. Panda does a stellar review of the audiobook here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)
I saw the original Star Wars movie in May of 1977 on a Very Large screen from a first row balcony seat, with a cute classmate; it was my first "real date!" Very Exciting. My date has gone by the wayside but Star Wars is to be with me Forever. Have seen the original 3 cinematic productions too many times to count, and some of the later prequels. Have never read Star Wars books, they all seemed "kinda cheezy."

These short stories are just wonderful! "Anti-cheezy" in fact. The authors do a great job of preserving the feeling, spirit, tone, and color of the original STAR WARS of 1977 👽👾🤖😊😎.
While reading this I just had to dig out and watch my STAR WARS DVD!

Several of the short stories take place in Chalmun's Cantina, the rowdy intergalactic Tatooine spaceport bar (featuring the eclectic Bith band Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes), from the POV of assorted species of clientele, Barbacks, band members, and Storm Troopers.....this is such great fun! 😁 Plus, I love the band's signature tune!

Am suspecting the majority of The Empire's Storm Troopers were conscripted. Anecdotes from their POV are devoid of pride, fidelity, or aggression, but rather are tragic and heart wrenching.

The stories are sequenced somewhat chronologically, each loosely based on the preceding story, despite the fact that all the stories are written by different authors and from different POVs; a feature that morphs the book from being merely a compendium of short stories (an enjoyable anthology for sure!) into a comprehensive Novel of its own which, for me, increases the enjoyability factor😊.

Highly recommend for Trekkies, whatever skin your in.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun ode to one of my favorite movies.

Seriously, who came up with this idea? It's great. For the fortieth anniversary of Star Wars (now ponderously titled Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope), forty authors who are Star Wars- or nerd-adjacent take side or peripheral characters from the original film and write short stories from their perspectives. These stories are all told in chronological order, from the death of the captain of the Tantive IV all the way to the awards ceremony at the end of the film where we get POV from one of Leia's fellow Alderaan survivors. The affect is this strange little collage-like alterna-version of the film. You can't help but replay the real version in your head as you read about the supposed scenes that took place while you weren't looking.

Highlights for me included stories from Mallory Ortberg, Glen Weldon, and Claudia Gray, but I knew going in that would probably happen, since those authors GET ME. But I was surprised by how much I enjoyed others, namely those from Alexander Freed and Elizabeth Wein, though in hindsight neither of them should have surprised me. I ugly cried at Elizabeth Wein's Code Name Verity, and Alexander Freed is an extremely talented author straight up who for some reason has so far limited his talents solely for Star Wars purposes. Both of them are magic. Other stories were up and down in terms of enjoyment, though I only disliked one of them out of forty, and that was Nnedi Okorafor's "The Baptist", which is from the POV of the dianoga, aka the trash monster. I think I just have to accept that her writing is not for me. We are like magnets pushing at each other. In my opinion, that story took a pulpy character and tried to SERIOUS IT UP. It just made me roll my eyes.

Certain events get more play than others. I was really ready for them to leave Tatooine and the Mos Eisley cantina by the time, what, the fifth story? took place there. Too many concentrated there for sure. Other areas that could have used a little more spread: the destruction of Alderaan and the final battle at Yavin IV. Also, I kept worrying the whole time that the stories would contradict each other in continuity (still not convinced that some of them didn't). My favorite stories were definitely the ones that had bite and cleverness to them, rather than the ones that were trying to be profound. The longest story in the book by far was Kelly Sue DeConnick and Matt Fraction's Cantina caper. Luckily, it was also really well done and one of the more entertaining stories in the collection.

All in all, well worth your time if you're a Star Wars diehard, and maybe even if you're not. I hope they do this again for the 40th anniversaries of Empire and Jedi.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review to come??? But here's a quick run-down of my favorite stories in the collection:

-"The Sith of Datawork" by Ken Liu: So good, so hilarious....I love watching characters run the world in ways besides the usual action-hero shoot-em-up, fly-around-em ways.
-"Reirin" by Sabaa Tahir: SAND PERSON PROTAG AND I LOVE HER SO MUCH.
-"Born in the Storm" by Daniel Jose Older: Stormtrooper protag with SO MUCH SASS.
-"Beru Whitesun Lars" by Meg Cabot: LOVED this short monologue from our dear space-aunt.
-"Change of Heart" by Elizabeth Wein: This was probably my favorite Imperial POV story in the collection because it made me believe in their belief in the Empire. Plus this is some good Leia content.
-"The Baptist" by Nnedi Okorafor: I thought there was no way someone could make me care about the dianoga. I WAS WRONG.
-"Duty Roster" by Jason Fry: X-Wing pilot story. I want ten seasons and a movie.
-"By Whatever Sun" by EK Johnston and Ashley Eckstein: This was satisfying for fandom reasons.

[Scott Foley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of short stories will satisfy every Star Wars fan alive. The premise is genius. It takes small, seemingly unimportant moments from A New Hope and zeroes in on them. It provides names and backstories, tragedies and victories, motivations and inclinations. It satisfyingly adds to a universe already well developed.

One of these stories in particular proved among my favorites. Do you remember the guy standing lookout in the crow’s nest of a pole? You saw him as the X-Wings took off to intercept the Death Star? His story is written by Will Wheaton, entitled “Laina,” and it is absolutely heartbreaking. There is another called “Time of Death” which features Obi-Wan Kenobi’s final moments and thoughts as he faced certain death at the hands of his former apprentice. Speaking of such, Claudia Gray wrote “Master and Apprentice” which explores Qui-Gon Jinn’s spirit visiting Obi-Wan on Tatooine. Still another is called “There Is Another,” and it’s about Yoda living on Dagobah and wishing he could train one last Jedi–someone he believes has great potential.

Of course, as you can see, not all stories are directly related to a moment in A New Hope. Such as with the Yoda story, some of the stories check in on characters technically not introduced in the original 1977 classic. Boba Fett, for example, offers a first-person account during a bounty hunt. We have a story starring Lando trying to swindle someone. We have another with Doctor Aphra, a relatively new character, in the lead. Yet another stars the Emperor himself.

However, these are all pretty big names in the Star Wars mythology. Most of the short stories actually utilize characters that are essentially unknown. Remember the red R2 unit that Luke and Uncle Owen almost bought? He’s got a story. Do you recall the Tusken Raiders who knocked out Luke? Yep, they have a story, too. That bartender who told Luke to get the droids out of his tavern? You guessed it. Even one of those little mouse droids in the Death Star has a story.

Are all forty of these short stories great? Not in my opinion, no. However, those that didn’t speak to me personally may very well be your favorite. I will say this, though, the vast majority of them were exceptional. The writers’ ability to take seemingly irrelevant characters and develop them into engaging, charismatic figures proved uncanny.

I highly recommend this book for any Star Wars fan.

[Trike · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you really love Star Wars, then this is the book for you. For everyone else, eh....

Most of these stories are fine, I suppose, but honestly almost none of them need to exist. They’re well written for the most part, yet they bring almost nothing new to the overall Star Wars universe. Mostly we get scenes from the first two movies as told from the point of view of secondary characters. In that regard this collection basically ranges from decent fan fiction to Writing Prompts 101. “Take a background character and make them the protagonist!” “Write about the life of a background character!” “Show why background characters should remain background characters!” And etc.

[Sophie_The_Jedi_Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I technically started reading this back in December 2017, but I just recently completed the audiobook. And wow, I really wish I had gotten to this sooner... this was amazing. Some stories were weaker than others, but I loved many of them. I'm definitely going to post a full review soon in more detail, because I have a lot of feelings. This was an excellent 40th-anniversary book!

And a 40th-anniversary book is coming for ESB!! Oh, I'm excited.

Full RTC!