Vaughan Book Reviews

As I own all of the Bantam-era Star Wars books that I bought and read in my childhood, I decided to re-read them all in chronological order and review them, based on my impressions of them.

To supplement this, I have also purchased two of the Del Rey-era stand-alone novels that are part of the relevant time period I am covering, plus the novelisations of the new films.

I will be reading novels only, with the exception of the Dark Empire comic series, of which I have the audio play and written transcripts to refer to. I will be reading all Bantam books, plus those five Del Rey books mentioned, from The Phantom Menace through to Vision of the Future.

If you do not want to read about my opinion, then go away. :P

I will be using the following scale for my review summaries, ranging from Embarrassing up to Awesome. As a point of example, I am expecting something like The Crystal Star or Darksabre to be Embarrassing, while Revenge of the Sith will be Awesome.

Here is the complete list of review summary terms, from best to worst:

• AWESOME — Oh my god! I want this book's offspring! I recommend everyone ready this book immediately, as I shall re-read it now!
• EXCELLENT — Wow! This was pretty damned good. This is one I'll definitely be re-reading at some point.
• VERY GOOD — A solid read that I would recommend to others.
• GOOD — A good book, above average.
• OKAY — An average read, but not excessively poor.
• POOR — Nothing spectacular, kind of boring.
• VERY POOR — This book was crap. I will make a point of never reading it again.
• PATHETIC — This book was so bad that I will go out of my way to urge others not to read it. I don't hate it as much as I just find it extremely low quality.
• EMBARRASSING — Words . . . cannot describe how bad I feel . . . this makes me feel embarrassed to be a Star Wars fan . . . I will be setting this book on fire and pretending it never existed!

Here are the list of stories already reviewed:

1. The Phantom Menace (Episode I of the Star Wars film saga) — OKAY
2. Attack of the Clones (Episode II of the Star Wars film saga) — GOOD
3. Revenge of the Sith (Episode III of the Star Wars film saga) — AWESOME
4. Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader — OKAY
5. The Paradise Snare (Book I of the Han Solo Trilogy) — VERY GOOD
6. The Hutt Gambit (Book II of the Han Solo Trilogy) — EXCELLENT
7. The Final Exit (Part III of Tales of the Empire) — OKAY
8. Han Solo's Revenge — EXCELLENT
9. Rebel Dawn (Book III of the Han Solo Trilogy) — EXCELLENT
10. Interlude at Darkknell (Part I of Tales of the New Republic) — OKAY
11. Tinian on Trial (Part II of Tales of the Empire) — GOOD
12. We Don't Do Weddings: The Band's Tale (Part I of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina) — GOOD
13. Drawing the Maps of Peace: The Moisture Farmer's Tale (Part XV of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina) — GOOD
14. A New Hope (Episode IV of the Star Wars film saga) — VERY GOOD
15. Empire Blues: The Devaronian's Tale (Part VIII of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina) — EXCELLENT
16. Soup's On: The Pipe Smoker's Tale (Part XII of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina) — OKAY
17. A Hunter's Fate: Greedo's Tale (Part II of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina) — OKAY
18. Trade Wins: The Ranat's Tale (Part X of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina) — OKAY
19. Nightlily: The Lovers' Tale (Part VII of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina) — OKAY
20. Swap Meet: The Jawa's Tale (Part IX of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina) — GOOD
21. At the Crossroads: The Spacer's Tale (Part XIII of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina) — VERY GOOD
22. When the Desert Wind Turns: The Stormtrooper's Tale (Part XI of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina) — OKAY
23. The Sand Tender: The Hammerhead's Tale (Part V of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina) — VERY GOOD
24. Hammertong: The Tale of the "Tonnika Sisters" (Part III of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina) — GOOD
25. Be Still My Heart: The Bartender's Tale (Part VI of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina) — POOR

And the list of stories waiting to be reviewed:

1. Play It Again, Figrin D'an: The Tale of Muftak and Kabe (Part IV of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina)
2. A Certain Point of View (Part VI of Tales from the Empire)
3. Doctor Death: The Tale of Dr. Evazan and Ponda Baba (Part XIV of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina)
4. Do No Harm (Part IX of Tales from the Empire)
5. Uhl Eharl Khoehng (Part VI of Tales from the New Republic)
6. The Last Hand (Part X of Tales from the New Republic)
7. No Disintegrations, Please (Part VII of Tales from the New Republic)
8. Side Trip (Part X of Tales from the Empire)
9. The Empire Strikes Back (Episode V of the Star Wars film saga)
10. The Prize Pelt: The Tale of Bossk (Part III of Tales of the Bounty Hunters)
11. Of Possible Futures: The Tale of Zuckuss and 4-LOM (Part IV of Tales of the Bounty Hunters)
12. Slaying Dragons (Part VIII of Tales from the Empire)
13. Shadows of the Empire
14. The Longest Fall (Part V of Tales from the New Republic)
15. That's Entertainment: The Tale of Salacious Crumb (Part III of Tales from Jabba's Palace)
16. Return of the Jedi (Episode VI of the Star Wars film saga)
17. A Bad Feeling: The Tale of EV-9D9 (Part XIII of Tales from Jabba's Palace)
18. A Time to Mourn, a Time to Dance: Oola's Tale (Part IV of Tales from Jabba's Palace)
19. Let Us Prey: The Whiphid's Tale (Part V of Tales from Jabba's Palace)
20. A Boy and His Monster: The Rancor Keeper's Tale (Part I of Tales from Jabba's Palace)
21. Taster's Choice: The Tale of Jabba's Chef (Part II of Tales from Jabba's Palace)
22. And Then There Were Some: The Gamorrean Guard's Tale (Part VII of Tales from Jabba's Palace)
23. Old Friends: Ephant Mon's Tale (Part VIII of Tales from Jabba's Palace)
24. Out of the Closet: The Assassin's Tale (Part XVI of Tales from Jabba's Palace)
25. Sleight of Hand: The Tale of Mara Jade (Part VI of Tales from Jabba's Palace)
26. Shaara and the Sarlacc: The Skiff Guard's Tale (Part XVII of Tales from Jabba's Palace)
27. The Great God Quay: The Tale of Barada and the Weequays (Part XII Tales from Jabba's Palace)
28. And the Band Played On: The Band's Tale (Part X of Tales from Jabba's Palace)
29. Goatgrass: The Tale of Ree-Yees (Part IX of Tales from Jabba's Palace)
30. Of the Day's Annoyances: Bib Fortuna's Tale (Part XI of Tales from Jabba's Palace)
31. One Last Night in the Mos Eisley Cantina: The Tale of the Wolfman and the Lamproid (Part XVI of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina)
32. Therefore I Am: The Tale of IG-88 (Part I of Tales of the Bounty Hunters)
33. The Truce at Bakura
34. Skin Deep: The Fat Danceer's Tale (Part XIX of Tales from Jabba's Palace)
35. Tongue-tied: Bubo's Tale (Part XV of Tales from Jabba's Palace)
36. Payback: The Tale of Dengar (Part II of Tales of the Bounty Hunters)
37. The Mandalorian Armour (Book I of The Bounty Hunter Wars)
38. Slave Ship (Book II of The Bounty Hunter Wars)
39. Hard Merchandise (Book III of The Bounty Hunter Wars)
40. Day of the Sepulchral Night (Part XVIII of Tales from the New Republic)
41. Gathering Shadows (Part III of Tales from the New Republic)
42. A Free Quarren in the Palace: Tessek's Tale (Part XIV of Tales from Jabba's Palace)
43. Epilogue: Whatever Became Of . . . ? (Part XX of Tales from Jabba's Palace)
44. A Barve Like That: The Tale of Boba Fett (Part XVIII of Tales from Jabba's Palace)
45. Missed Chance (Part IV of Tales from the Empire)
46. Rogue Squadron (Book I of the X-wing series)
47. Wedge's Gamble (Book II of the X-wing series)
48. The Krytos Trap (Book III of the X-wing series)
49. The Bacta War (Book IV of the X-wing series)
50. Conflict of Interest (Part VI of Tales from the New Republic)
51. Wraith Squadron (Book V of the X-wing series)
52. Iron Fist (Book VI of the X-wing series)
53. Solo Command (Book VII of the X-wing series)
54. The Courtship of Princess Leia
55. Hutt and Seek (Part IV of Tales from the New Republic)
56. Tatooine Ghost
57. First Contact (Part I of Tales from the Empire)
58. Heir to the Empire (Book I of the Thrawn Trilogy)
59. Dark Force Rising (Book II of the Thrawn Trilogy)
60. The Last Command (Book III of the Thrawn Trilogy)
61. Blaze of Glory (Part VII of Tales from the Empire)
62. Isard's Revenge (Book VIII of the X-wing series)
63. Retreat from Coruscant (Part V of Tales from the Empire)
64. Dark Empire (Book I of the Dark Empire series)
65. Dark Empire II (Book II of the Dark Empire series)
66. Empire's End (Book III of the Dark Empire series)
67. Jedi Search (Book I of the Jedi Academy Trilogy)
68. Dark Apprentice (Book II of the Jedi Academy Trilogy)
69. Champions of the Force (Book III of the Jedi Academy Trilogy)
70. I, Jedi
71. Children of the Jedi
72. Simple Tricks (Part XI of Tales from the New Republic)
73. Darksabre
74. Planet of Twilight
75. Starfighters of Adumar (Book IX of the X-wing series)
76. The Crystal Star
77. Before the Storm (Book I of The Black Fleet Crisis)
78. Shield of Lies (Book II of The Black Fleet Crisis)
79. Tyrant's Test (Book III of The Black Fleet Crisis)
80. The New Rebellion
81. Jade Solitaire (Part II of Tales from the New Republic)
82. Ambush at Corellia (Book I of the Corellian Trilogy)
83. Assault at Selonia (Book II of the Corellian Trilogy)
84. Showdown at Centrepoint (Book III of Corellian Trilogy)
85. The Last One Standing: The Tale of Boba Fett (Part V of Tales of the Bounty Hunters)
86. Spectre of the Past (Book I of The Hand of Thrawn Duology)
87. Vision of the Future (Book II of The Hand of Thrawn Duology)

Without further ado . . .

The Phantom Menace

Episode I of the Star Wars film saga.

OKAY (An average read, but not excessively poor.)

Felt more like a narration of the film than a book. The beginning was more descriptive, but towards the end it was merely outlining what was happening on the cinema screen. That said, it was an enjoyable read, and did explain some parts of the story better than the film.

Attack of the Clones

Episode II of the Star Wars film saga.

GOOD (A good book, above average.)

Better than The Phantom Menace. Possibly because I had never read this before, then again I could not remember much of the Episode I novelisation when I re-read it. . . Suffered from the same symptoms as The Phantom Menace towards the end, as it degenerated from book to mere narration of events happening on-screen. One point, though: the book made me actually care about Jango and Boba Fett, as it gave them more depth than 'villain' and 'evil son'. Almost made me sad that Windu chopped his head off.

Revenge of the Sith

Episode III of the Star Wars film saga.

AWESOME (Oh my god! I want this book's offspring! I recommend everyone ready this book immediately, as I shall re-read it now!)

This was so much better than the previous two, as it actually felt like a BOOK, not a mere adapted screenplay. Reminded me of the Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy in places, structurally -- but not focused on humour, even though there was some decent humour throughout. This book took so long to get through because I made sure I stopped regularly to savour it, as I had not bough the next book, The Rise of Dark Vader, yet. I cannot stress how truly excellent this book is. It also ties in so many Expanded Universe elements, such as Carrack-class light cruisers, Garm Bel Iblis, and even a mention that the Sith could only be defeated by 'the new Jedi Order'. When I finish reading the entire collection, I intend to return to re-read this one, as it is by far the best novelisation of the three that I have read so far. The only part where it really falls down, is the last few chapters -- which fly past in a blur, with the last scenes of the film being condensed into single paragraphs each, which left my feeling ripped off and wanting. This seems to be a flaw present in all of the prequel novelisations.

Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader

OKAY — An average read, but not excessively poor.

I must confess that initially I was going to skip over Dark Lord, and not purchase this book. However I am glad that I did in fact read it. While it felt decidedly amateurish and juvenile compared to the awesomeness that was Revenge of the Sith, it still drew me into the story by the end. It was a quick and easy read, with short chapters that encouraged reading onward. Vader and Sidious's characters were handled . . . fairly ineptly, as far as I'm concerned, however despite that I still eagerly looked forward to scenes with Vader in it. I did like how it helped blend in the new trilogy material with the original trilogy, including the razing of Kashyyyk and the introduction of various characters, as well as the transition from the Seperatist/Republic conflict to Imperial tyranny. Chewbacca went from a cameo role in Revenge of the Sith to a minor character of importance in this one. I'm not sure how I feel about that; it wasn't too poorly done, and I did enjoy Wookiees running amok. However, the emotional content of the book felt a bit light, as the Jedi Knight we were introduced to in the beginning chapters was decapitated with deriving nothing more than a raised eyebrow from me. The previous book had me dreading the bad things that were to come, whereas this book didn't get me as emotionally invested in the characters. However, I was drawn into finding out how it ended. Again, I must stress that the Vader/Sidious dialogue didn't feel very authentic, but despite what I perceive to be its flaws, this was a fairly quick and enjoyable read. One thing this book did for me, was give me an interest in reading about the 'dark times' of the Imperial rule, whereas I was never particularly drawn to this era before. So, bravo to it, and I look forward to the live action series between Episodes III and IV . . . I just hope it's good and doesn't suck.

The Paradise Snare

Book I of the Han Solo Trilogy

VERY GOOD — A solid read that I would recommend to others.

I'm not sure where to begin. This isn't the best book I've read, but it was pretty damned good. Of all the characters to spend the Imperial Era with, there could be worse than the Corellian Han Solo. I must admit the pacing was much quicker than I seem to remember, which is kind of a blessing more than anything else — as much as the flashbacks to Solo's youth are good fleshing out of backstory, they are really too depressing to want to spend too much time in. I definitely appreciated the context of the state of the galaxy under the Empire from Solo's point of view, after having seen the rise of the Empire in Revenge of the Sith and Dark Lord. And little cameos like Senator Organa and his daughter when Solo visited Alderaan. Of course the bodyguard Muuurgh is just a stand-in until the introduction of Chewbacca at a later date, but the pronoun-deficient feline is likeable enough to get by with. Knowing how the book ended, I decided to pause at the cadence point that was the end of Solo's time on Togoria, when everything's at a temporary happy ending. That all gets turned on its head, of course, by the end, and the ending is a bit of a downer. All in all, I feel it describes Solo's growth as a person fairly well, a kind of joining the dots between the flashbacks of his childhood to eventually the character sitting in Chalmun's Cantina on Tatooine. Strangely enough, Ylesia seemed like a nice place to be at first, with the torrential rains, even if it was a bit too humid and muddy. Oh, and fungal. I especially liked the brief look into the affairs of Hutts, as I find their politicking interesting to read about. It seems as though the author made a concerted effort to reference other in-universe creatures in lieu of their Earthly counterparts. And while the fight scenes weren't as exciting as, say, Revenge of the Sith, there is something about the cocky young Corellian that makes fights enjoyable. One thing that makes me confused though, is the 'no weapons on Coruscant' rule. When the hell did that come about? I don't recall reading about that in any other material . . . perhaps some other sources reference it that I simply can't member. Oh, and CorSec Investigator Hal Horn freezing "Jenos Idanian's" account was a nice touch. Actually made you annoyed at Horn for doing that, easily overlooking the fact that Solo was selling stolen items. Even if they were stolen from bigger criminals in the first place. Ah, on that note: "they belong in a museum" — if that's not another reference to Indiana Jones, I don't know what is. During the earlier to middle parts of the books I couldn't help but envision Solo as River Phoenix in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. All in all, a nice read, and I can't wait to read more about the dealings of Hutts. Oh, and the author expresses the raw emotion in Solo's first romantic relationship extremely well, I feel. If anyone's had their emotions torn up, they can empathise with Solo towards the end of the book. It didn't really affect me this time around, but that's probably because I knew what was coming. I also liked it when Solo flipped out and started channelling the pent-up anger from his abused childhood. The release was always sent towards a worthy target, and was very satisfying to see.

The Hutt Gambit

Book II of the Han Solo Trilogy

EXCELLENT — Wow! This was pretty damned good. This is one I'll definitely be re-reading at some point.

This book is probably only VERY GOOD grade, however I like the context that much that of the entire collection of books this is one I would probably come back to read on its own, maybe. Apart from the start, which starts on a bit of a downer, compared to the success — if tragic — ending of the first book, the rest of it is really quite pleasant. The drama is not terribly emotionally wrenching or draining, and Solo finally fits into a community with friends and loved ones — such as his various girlfriends, and the ever-present Chewbacca — and enjoys life as a smuggler on Nar Shadda. The Hutt intrigue I was asking for was satisfied, but I was surprised that I would ever find myself feeling sympathetic for a Hutt! Durga and Aruk's interactions were surprisingly touching, especially towards the end . . . a number of the 'villainous' characters actually seemed sympathetic, to a degree . . . or at the very least they seemed to have motives, hopes and dreams, making them a bit more three-dimensional. A slight criticism is that relationships and characters tend to be introduced almost as afterthoughts just before action sequences, perhaps to raise the emotional stakes involved, but it didn't really work for me this time around. That said, the pace kept up very quickly, much faster than I remembered, and I didn't find myself getting bored with the story, wishing it to move on as I did with The Paradise Snare in less-happy places. There were numerous attempts at foreshadowing, that maybe wouldn't have seen so glaringly obvious if someone were reading through in chronological order for the first time . . . such as the prophesising crone, mention of an Imperial outpost to be set up in the Maw, Boba Fett flying over the Pit of Carkoon, etc. All in all, it was a nice read. Not the most exciting book, but not particularly boring, either. The Battle of Nar Shadda was engaging and detailed, and actually made battling with freighters seem somewhat interesting. In a way, I kind of want to rest here for a bit, because I know things go downhill by the end of Rebel Dawn, and like the happy ending that this book provides for most of the characters.

The Final Exit

Part III of Tales of the Empire

OKAY — An average read, but not excessively poor.

Overall, this was a nice little short story. The combination of moral discussion and story action seemed kind of . . . awkwardly done, and less impressed people might call the finished product 'amateurish'. However, it has a kind of charm that rises about what I perceive to be its writing flaws. For example, the settlement on Trulalis sounds like a nice little non-technological rural centre, a location more akin to the real world rather than the Galaxy Far, Far Away. One of the things I liked the most — apart from the ending — was the Kierra's consciousness, which would make flying a ship much more interesting. I want my own AI-integrated ship! The Dark Jedi was kind of addled and inconsistent, but I believe that was the intent. A Jedi turned Emperor-servant, that had partaken in unspeakable atrocities in His Imperial Majesty's name . . . and had been driven partly mad by it. The smuggler was kind of forgettable — I can't even recall his name — but I did like the sections involving the Old Corellian language. Now, if you're excuse me, I'm going to look up more information on Brandl, and the feisty ship Kierra . . .

Han Solo's Revenge

EXCELLENT — Wow! This was pretty damned good. This is one I'll definitely be re-reading at some point.

First up, I read this book after getting half-way through Rebel Dawn, as that was the appropriate place to swap books over, with Solo out of the main story, with only brief interludes summarising his adventures in the Corporate Sector. That said . . . at first I found it hard to get into this story, as I kept wanting to read more about the Hutt intrigue, and other plot points in the Han Solo Trilogy . . . however, it didn't take too long before the story sucked me into it. There is something about the writing style of this book that just made Solo sound much more like his character in the films — moreso than the Han Solo Trilogy books. The fact that it was written in International English, rather than American, was a refreshing change — not having to read through what my mind automatically perceives to be 'spelling mistakes' makes for a much more fluid read. The story is short, happily so, as it's more of a quick sojourn, rather than an epic tale that spans a galaxy. The adventures are quite enjoyable, and I really liked that the book explored quite a bit of different scene types. Probably the only thing missing were dogfights, as the space battles were with the Millennium Falcon, the hotted up freighter it is. Still, it's just not the same as darting starfighters weaving about shooting each other . . . That said, there are fistfights, vibroblade fighters, and swashbuckling galore. As well as a bit of political intrigue — basically this book just felt like it flowed really well. In fact, this brings me to another point: the book felt original. Meaning that it didn't feel used, or tired. It didn't feel like the author was hired to write "yet another Star Wars book". It just felt like a book. A short one at that; but enjoyable, and seemed more of an inspired tale rather than some marketing manager's cynical attempt at fishing for cash. One thing this book did, that was unintentional on the author's part, time-wise — it made me appreciate the level of dedication and research the author of the Han Solo Trilogy did when writing the books. It really feels like this book is related to the other trilogy, that the character is the same. Solo's hatred of slavery, and his mentioning of flying swoop races as a child — also his crazy knack for flying through tight spaces instead of around them — all come together to make it feel as though this is one consistent character. Very well done. However I think this book succeeds at invoking the Solo spirit more than the Han Solo Trilogy, not that the latter fails at all. Just this one is better for characterisation. That said, I'm now bound to return to where I left off in Rebel Dawn.

Rebel Dawn

Book III of the Han Solo Trilogy

EXCELLENT — Wow! This was pretty damned good. This is one I'll definitely be re-reading at some point.

The impression I got throughout the first half of this book was that it was even better than The Hutt Gambit, which surprised me, as I vaguely remembered it ended unhappily. Halfway through the book I took a detour via Han Solo's Revenge, as that was the appropriate place in the story to do so. My impression now, at the end of the trilogy . . . is that it was pretty damned good. The quality seemed to increase from book to book, and I definitely feel that this one was similar to The Hutt Gambit, but in a good way — it took that standard and built upon it. One scene that sticks out in my mind is the Hutt vs. Hutt death-match, which was pretty damned cool. And a bit off-putting, when Durga kept pounding at the corpse afterwards . . . Oh, and the second time I've felt sorry for a Hutt — Kibbick being murdered by Teroenza. Nasty stuff. And Kibbick was an idiot, which probably only adds to one's sympathy. The Hutt interplay of politics, and the inclusion of Black Sun, all reached its foregone conclusion, fairly satisfactorily. Solo's reaction when Tharen contacted him on Nar Shadda surprised me — I thought he'd be overjoyed instead of ragingly mad — but I sill appreciated his revenge. Although personally I would have liked to see him dish it out a bit more. Especially after she screwed him over and basically ruined his life. Exploitation of loved ones; all in a day's work for a good rebel operative . . . The only place I felt the book really fell down . . . or perhaps, 'wore thin' is more accurate, was towards the end. And I don't mean Revenge of the Sith-class ruination of an ending, which was the whole final act, but the last chapter or two felt a bit rushed, and sort of contrived. As if there were plot points that needed tying up, and the deadline was approaching. But like I said, nothing on the scale of the Revenge of the Sith novelisation ending. Currently I cannot recall much of the beginning of the book, but what most sticks in my mind is the Battle of Ylesia, and Tharen's betrayal of the smuggler and privateer forces that fought — and died — alongside them. In fact, I was surprised Solo didn't spit Jarik's death for nothing in Tharen's face, just to knock her off her moral high ground pedestal. As much as I liked her before she was a backstaber, it was very appropriate that she be slaughtered in battle against overwhelming Imperial odds. It was still saddening, though, no matter how appropriate. Well, I really can't remember much more at this point in time . . . but here I am, almost into the films of the Classic Era. Onward!

Interlude at Darkknell

Part I of Tales of the New Republic

OKAY — An average read, but not excessively poor.

I am sure that most people would give this a higher ranking — as I expected myself to, considering the authors — but for some reason this story failed to engage me on any strong level. Which is a shame. Garm Bel Iblis, Isard and Isard, Hal Horn . . . what's there not to like? Maybe I'm just weary of labyrinthine plots, but the story didn't really excite me much at all. It was all well done, of course, I just didn't really find it that interesting. The thief character was one I wanted to escape the most, along with Horn. Maybe I'm just hard to please. Bel Iblis's emotional turmoil didn't feel particularly poignant or tumultuous . . . I knew there was emotion involved because the story said so, but I didn't particularly feel it from the character. It was good to see Iceheart get shown up and made a laughingstock. And her chilly betrayal of her father was disturbing but satisfying too, knowing where these plot points would all end up. Maybe this one was just too long a short story for me? :P

Tinian on Trial

Part II of Tales of the Empire

GOOD — A good book, above average.

Truth be told, this story might only be OKAY level, however its charm appealed to me. The crux of the story is a theme that will be running through almost all stories encountered at the moment: mean old Impies doin' nasty stuff. Now while we've seen the rise of the Empire being fairly nasty in Revenge of the Sith, continued with the Empire's subjugation of Kashyyyk in Dark Lord. The many Imperial massacres and crimes against civilisation enacted by the Empire mentioned in passing now and again, fairly regularly, in the Han Solo Trilogy are continued on more personal levels in this story. A loyal technological contractor to the Empire develops a kick-ass anti-blaster defence screen, and proves the success of the product in front of a crotchety old villainous Moff. The Moff, impressed, attempts to seize the project through force, and executes the company's owners, the grandparents of the main character in question. The rest of the story deals with her escape from the world, and their denial of the technology to the corrupt Imperial forces. It's a tad banal, I suppose, compared to the galaxy-spanning conflict around, but it is cutely presented, showing the evil of the Empire as it ruins a little girl's life and world. One wearingly thing . . . is that I just know that I'm going to be reading a hell of a lot more of these types of stories, so maybe that's something making it less endearing. But in case I've sounded like I disliked the story, it was quite okay and I did enjoy it. I just can't wait to get to the stories where the Rebels start knocking back the evil and corrupt Empire.

We Don't Do Weddings: The Band's Tale

Part I of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina

GOOD — A good book, above average.

Having finished reading this story, I'm surprised at how quickly it went by. Apart from my issues with having Earthean musical terms being thrown around by a group of Bith, it was a quick and amusing read. I liked the wry humour of the main character / narrator. He seemed like a smart-ass, in a good way. This tale probably seemed a lot shorter than I expected, because I'm getting the Devonarian's tale confused with it, as it deals with the behind-the-scenes backstory for this tale. I have a feeling this might be VERY GOOD quality, but it just went by too fast for me to be sure.

Drawing the Maps of Peace: The Moisture Farmer's Tale

Part XV of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina

GOOD — A good book, above average.

I'll start off my noting that I liked this one. It was a nice little example of colonial thinking on the edge of civilisation encroaching on the native peoples, who strike back, and the conflict that ensues, every side of the conflict feeling as though they're the victim. Basically it's another 'mean old Impies doing bad stuff' tale, and it works well, having the Empire screw over the negotiations for compromise and peace between the three main peoples of the desert on Tatooine — the moisture farmers, the Jawas, and the Sand People. I like the efforts of the moisture farmer in his diplomatic relations with the native inhabitants, but it's one of those stories that rips you off at the last minute, because the ultimate aim is thwarted somehow. I guess it's a change from the good guys always winning, but it is a bit of a let-down. Memory-wise, I didn't remember the Alderaan girl getting married to the main character's neighbour . . . I thought she was romantically involved with the main character (probably because they both shared the same viewpoint, and the other farmers considered them both outsiders with their damned newfangled ideas). The battling with the Sand People, first at the moisture farm, and then further afield, at the main character's vaporator, where he negotiates the release of their hostage, strongly reminds me of the Sand People scenes in Attack of the Clones. Especially the bound female hostage. It Reminds me of Shmi's capture a hell of a lot, which is interesting, since this story came first. The Lars's not arriving at the wedding was a nice touch, but something confuses me . . . the main character resolves to himself that he's going to join the Rebellion . . . but his talk seems to be specifically focused on Tatooine, not further afield. What hope could he possibly have of repelling the Imperial forces stationed on the planet, unless he was willing to actually join the Alliance and take part in that on-the-run lifestyle, hitting at the Empire wherever and whenever possible. It seemed a tad short-sighted to me. But it's probably the author's intention, or maybe I'm just not understanding what his resolve was meaning, exactly. Oh, and one final point. And this is a problem I have will the whole Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina anthology . . . the Imperial presence. Going just by the films, it seems clear to me that there is not normally an Imperial presence on the planet. It's an out of the way backwater that the Empire doesn't care about. The troops stationed there are landed there in the film specifically to hunt down the Death Star plans. They're not part of a pre-existing Imperial governing structure. At least as far as seems obvious to me. However, because a bunch of stories deal with a more permanent and settled Imperial presence on Tatooine, it's canon. But I still don't think it's what was meant to be. Oh well. Onward to A New Hope now! Enough of the 'mean old Impies' stories, and onto the Rebels kicking their asses!

A New Hope

Episode IV of the Star Wars film saga

VERY GOOD — A solid read that I would recommend to others.

Despite being the first piece of Star Wars literature produced — hell, this predates even the first film to be released! — there are surprisingly few inconsistencies between the film version and the book. For the most part, the dialogue was almost spot-on, with only a few alterations. I don't even think the novelisations of Episodes I to III were any more synchronised with their films. One of the main differences, however, are the names of characters. Watch the film, read the book, there are a number of differences between the names of certain characters. Still and all, this is a good book. I would recommend it to anyone who's seen the film oodles of times, and might be looking for a few more insights. I vaguely remember reading this novel years ago, but I was surprised by the thoughts and internalised reactions of certain characters to certain circumstances — mostly because I didn't pick up the emotional nuances, or in some cases because the actors didn't nuance at all. Darth Vader was surprisingly cool. I don't generally like angry characters, but his barely-restrained, seething, quiet rage was fairly entertaining. The prologue, which explains the collapse of the Old Republic, was interesting, and seems to represent the earlier design concepts of the story where the Emperor wasn't a lightsabre-wielding, lightning-hurling Sith bandit. Looking back, there's one things that sticks out in my mind: how short the story is. While novelisations don't tend to necessarily be the longest of books, I just know it's going to feel strange that an in-between novel such as Shadows of the Empire seems longer, more extensive, and with more plot points being explored. I guess that's just the difference in medium, though, as films need to be more streamlined than novels, in order to keep the audience from becoming completely confused. One criticism I do have, is a technique which very quickly became clichéd: he was as short as the other was tall; it was as cold as the other was hot; as accurate as the other was inaccurate. While it works sparingly, it really felt like the same comparison of metaphors formula was being dragged out again and again. That said, the story felt good, like it fit. I was really expecting this first piece of EU in existence to feel more out of place, as the tone for the films hadn't been established yet, and because I expected there to be more changes from the film scripts that the novelisation was based on, and the finished film. The mention — and then showing — of the Sand People felt very familiar (in a good way), after having just finished Drawing the Maps of Peace. Strangely enough, as one of the three main characters, it didn't feel like there was much Solo in the story. And for once, I found myself sympathising with his unwillingness to volunteer for what would almost certainly be a suicidal march into the detention centre of the Imperial battlestation. How perspectives change with age — I'd always identified with the optimistic, heroic Skywalker as a kid, now I can identify with Solo's pragmatism more readily. I might have more to say, but instead I'll just go watch the movie version now. And after that, it's onto a slew of Tatooine-based stories in the same timeframe, with most of the Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina stories in rapid succession, one after the other. Fun, fun.

Empire Blues: The Devaronian's Tale

Part VIII of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina

EXCELLENT — Wow! This was pretty damned good. This is one I'll definitely be re-reading at some point.

To be honest, this story was probably only VERY GOOD or GOOD, but I enjoyed it muchly. There was something about the writing style, the attitude of the narrator, that I liked. Especially some of the random, not entirely relevant to the story but enjoyable anyway, comments that came out of nowhere. The massacre of rebels on Devaron was interesting, having read it mentioned in passing in the Han Solo Trilogy. Not really much else to say about this one. I liked the character's attitude, what he thought about others, and I liked his happy ending — owning all of the Modal Nodes's gamble-able instruments, and seven free drinks a day at the cantina as long as the band stuck around. How he played them all from the start was interesting, too. Well, not much more to say about this — I like the character and the way he thinks. Especially the comments about Nightlilly, who was looking 'bored and horny'.

Soup's On: The Pipe Smoker's Tale

Part XII of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina

OKAY — An average read, but not excessively poor.

This one didn't excite me as much as I was hoping. I seem to remember enjoying it more. Apparently not. Semi-biographical, it's basically this brain-sucking assassin explaining his life and lifestyle to a non-existent listener in his mind. His take on things is interesting, and I like that he is a refined individual. But at no point did it really excite me. The only time was when the hum of a lightsabre could be heard, as a Jedi disarms (har har) someone. The basic vampire myth is turned into something different and kind of interesting. Just wasn't interesting enough for me to give it a higher rating.

A Hunter's Fate: Greedo's Tale

Part II of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina

OKAY — An average read, but not excessively poor.

I read this before going On Leave, and didn't get around to writing a review for it, so my memory is bound to be extremely poor. That said, this suceeded in painting Greedo in a sympathetic light. Not that he's any brave hero or anything, but it makes the Rodian more sympathetic. From an idyllic lifestyle on a forest planet (unknownedly through exile) living with family, to the grimy ultra-urbanised setting of Nar Shadda, it seems to show all the way through that he's less mature and savvy about the galaxy than he thinks, especially when he's thinking he's so much more superior and smart than certain other characters. Some nice crossovers with characters and settings on Nar Shadda, especially the Han Solo Trilogy — not sure which came first, but it was a nice tie-in anyway. Hmm . . . can't really remember much else, except that I have a problem with Solo being on Tatooine only about a day or so before Greedo gets roasted. I know the Han Solo Trilogy showed this, also, but it just didn't jive with me . . . maybe because the A New Hope novelisation contradicts that by stating he was around for a week or so before the events of the film. And while it's not exactly on par with the film in terms of canon, the novelisation existed first, so I'm not sure why later materials contracted it. Anyway, an okay tale. Can't really remember much more than that.

Trade Wins: The Ranat's Tale

Part X of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina

OKAY — An average read, but not excessively poor.

This tale was much, much shorter than I seem to remember. In fact, the Ranat is different to what I remember, too. Knowing the fate of the Jawa that the Ranat steals the power pack from, it made one wonder if the transaction were willfully callous and almost intended to lead to the Jawa's fate. However, the story pretty much spells out that there was no malicious ill-will from the Ranat. Although the Jawa's desire for battle talisman should have been a major hint that the Jawa intended to use the weapon the Ranat rendered useless, but oh well. Truly, this one sped by too fast for me to judge adequately, however I guess it was okay.

Nightlily: The Lovers' Tale

Part VII of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina

OKAY — An average read, but not excessively poor.

Not as exciting as I remembered; maybe because I knew the ending. Essentially the Gotan was a condescending, prejudiced jerk who deserved what happened to him. Even if what happened to him was kind of harsh. The quality seemed fine until the cantina scenes, in which it really felt fake (maybe it's the 'watching the same scene happen for the umpteenth time, but from a slightly different point of view' that's getting to me — if so, then I'm in for a bad run, as there are many more stories in this anthology to get through yet). By this stage, I'm kind of bored of the peripheral tales, and craving a decent-length novel covering a major story. Then again, up until a few stories ago, I was sick of those types, and looking for something more like this. Just a fussy bastard, I guess. :P Anyway, more Tatooine goodness to grind through yet.

Swap Meet: The Jawa's Tale

Part IX of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina

GOOD — A good book, above average.

This was a nice little tale about the little guy struggling to triumph against the world against him. A story of a non-conformist in a conformist society. A revolutionary; someone with the strength and courage to take on life and make a statement for all . . . at least that's how it seems. But since the Ranat stole the power pack, the poor little bastard gets roasted without managing to even get off a shot. But that's another story. As I said, a nice little moral tale, with an okay cameo from a certain Jedi Knight. The Jawa's insect-like society of hierachy was well explained, and the use of body odours as kinds of 'non-verbal' body language was an interesting touch, too. It's just a shame that the high note the character's tale ends on in the story is continued in another . . . and turns sour incredibly quickly. But if you didn't know how it ended, it would be a fitting, triumphant ending.

At the Crossroads: The Spacer's Tale

Part XIII of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina

VERY GOOD — A solid read that I would recommend to others.

I'm not sure if this was an excellent story of not, but I really enjoyed it, so that's what matters. Finally, a story that involved some action! Dodging TIEs wasn't what did it for me, though, it was running through the streets of Mos Eisley with a horde of religious zealots in hot pursuit, with stormtroopers and local police chasing after that. That whole chase scene did it for me, with shots being fired and dodged and all that. I would actually like to see more of BoShek, but I'm pretty sure this is the only story he will appear in (other than a brief cameo in the Han Solo Trilogy), and as background scenery in A New Hope. The use of the Force seemed a bit out of place — it just didn't feel like the same sort of phenomenon that's described elsewhere. But it wasn't too bad. What struck me as even weirder, was that someone in the Imperial Age could go around preeching about the Force and not be arrested on the spot (there were stormtroopers and police looking for something else — him — but surely they'd home in on any Jedi-related rhetoric . . . although I guess that assumes the masses actually know much about the mystical beliefs of a decades-extinct order . . .). Still, this was a fun story. One final interesting point to note: BoShek states (in his mind, and to Chewbacca) that he beat the Falcon's time on the Kessel Run. Must have been before the Han Solo Trilogy's retcon of that.

When the Desert Wind Turns: The Stormtrooper's Tale

Part XI of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina

OKAY — An average read, but not excessively poor.

Two things in this that stick in my mind as inconsistencies — the fact that it treats AT-ATs as much, much larger than they actually are ("covering in seconds what people on foot would take an hour" — I call bullshit on that), and that Maximilliam Veers is an asshole that would rather bury evidence that shows a tactical weakness in a project of his, rather than actually fixing it. The first one seems to be a factual error, while the second one just seems like a major characterisation flaw. This is the same guy who personally leads the Imperial ground forces in the Battle of Hoth, and who Hal Horn will (sometime before that battle, but not quite yet in the timeline) consider to be an unusual Imperial, insofar as he leads from the front. Wookieepedia seems to have some reconciliation of the 'bastard Veers', to do with the Colonel being in a precarious position where his job and rank were at risk should this flaw be found out . . . but still, that seems like crap to me. Not all Imperial officers were bastards, and Veers has a few attested sources where he's not a complete dickhead. Not that he's necessarily a nice guy, but that this story really seems to have him falsely characterised. Oh, kind of focused on those negative points a bit . . . er, the rest of the story is an okay 'realising the evil of the Empire' tale. Hrm. Another issue that I consider to be a factual error (but might be me who is wrong here): the stormtroopers scouring Tattoine for the droids with the Death Star plans — shouldn't they have been from the Devastator? The one thing this tale leaves me wanting to know . . . is how Felth succeeds (or fails) as his new role as wannabe-rebel. Guess no one thought to do any follow up stories.

The Sand Tender: The Hammerhead's Tale

Part V of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina

VERY GOOD — A solid read that I would recommend to others.

This was probably only GOOD standard, but there was something genuinely uplifting and hope-filled about this that made me bump it up a notch. Not a great deal happened, but the Ithorian mindset was explored nicely, and the planet Ithor was introduced well without even being set there. I know in advance that this story will have some kind of sentimental payoff, as I seem to recall that the main character (and two clones of the antagonist) make another apperance later in the timeline. I look forward to seeing Nadon Momaw again. Beyond that I can't think of much else . . . it was just a nice tale that had a certain uplifting feeling to the end that I can't describe properly.

Hammertong: The Tale of the "Tonnika Sisters"

Part III of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina

GOOD — A good book, above average.

Can't think of much to say for this one, really. Other than to point out that I think the two stormtroopers in the cantina on Tatooine recognising the "Tonnika Sisters" and coming back to arrest them later is errata. The Davin Felth tale seems to completely ignore the plot points, so we'll just say they were another two stormtroopers that arrived to abscond them. Or that it's a stuff up on the various authors' parts and get on with our lives. :P It was probably only an average read, but there was some kind of 'nice' quality to it that bumped it up a notch. The character Shada wasn't anything special, but I do look forward to revisiting her on a few more occasions throughout the EU timeline. Oh, one final thing. Death Star Mark II? Before the first Death Star was destroyed? The hell? Why would they go and throw that hydrospanner into the convoluted mess of Death Star continuity?! :P

Be Still My Heart: The Bartender's Tale

Part VI of Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina

POOR — Nothing spectacular, kind of boring.

The bartender's point of view regarding xenochemistry and brewing were interesting, but beyond that this time kind of bored me. The best thing was that it was short. I didn't hate it as such, I just didn't really care for it. Wuher's change of heart didn't seem particularly . . . well, in-character. Actually, even Greedo seemed a bit out of character. He was a bit of an unstart jerk, but . . . well, it just didn't really seem like the Rodian in this tale was Greedo. Unless I just have a completely different take on the bartender's character, then I think other stories have him characterised more aptly than this, his feature tale. But this could just be up to interpretation.