Tag: Star Wars

REVIEW: Star Wars: A Queen's Hope by E. K. Johnston

REVIEW: Star Wars: A Queen’s Hope by E. K. Johnston

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Disney Lucasfilm Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

The Clone War is heating up. And that means even though Anakin and Padmé are married now, they each have a job to do. Yes, it means secrets – from their closest friends and at times from each other. But they can keep their love and their duty separate.

Padmé’s handmaidens have duty as well. Sabé is on Tatooine hoping to make headway on her mission when Padmé calls her into service. Sabé will pretend to be the Senator while Padmé goes off on a crucial mission for the war. A lot has changed since they last used this trick – can they really pull it off again?

Review

I have so enjoyed the characters in this series. It’s been great to get more about Padmé, but it’s the handmaidens that I have found fascinating. And I love how the author has let them evolve over time, especially as Padmé’s role has changed.

There are a few fantastic “interludes” through the book that focus on a female character in the larger story. Each passage begins with the character unnamed, and we only get her name at the end. They are all cleverly written and left me wanting more.

While I enjoyed those things, I felt like there wasn’t one driving storyline here. Instead, this seems to be filling in around Star Wars events we know from the movies and shows. We know about Geonosis, we know about Palpatine’s secret agenda, we know about clone troops, and we know about the wedding. So the author takes those things – and some others – and then lets us experience them from other perspectives, like those of the handmaidens.

For a plot-driven reader, this can be less than satisfying. Any danger situation is over fairly quickly, and the stakes are low because we know the main characters exist past this book. But character-driven readers will find a LOT here to enjoy. How does Padmé’s secret relationship change how she relates to her friends and her job? When people find out about her marriage, what changes?

Series fans should definitely pick this up. Newcomers should probably start with the earlier books to get to know the handmaidens in order to enjoy this one to its fullest.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½ = Good +

REVIEW: Star Wars The High Republic Sampler

REVIEW: Star Wars The High Republic Sampler

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this sampler from Netgalley and Disney Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Star Wars The High Republic: A Test of Courage by Justina Ireland – Summary and Impressions

The sampler included 3 chapters from this middle grade novel starring new Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh. Vernestra is on her first mission for the Jedi Council. It’s glorified babysitting – protecting a senator’s daughter – but she’s determined to do a good job. But Avon Starros is full of mischief and trouble, especially when it comes to her inventions.

The first three chapters in this sample introduce Vernestra, Avon, her protocol droid J-6, and Honesty, the son of a Dalnan ambassador. I thought the characters were interesting. Avon was probably my favorite of these few. She’s spunky, bright, and bored – a combination perfect for an adventure. When the action of the story kicks off, she will be a character to watch. While the sampler didn’t get into any of that action, I was intrigued enough by the introduction that I would read the whole book to see what happens and how these new characters interact and develop through the story.

 

Star Wars The High Republic: Into the Dark by Claudia Gray – Summary and Impressions

The sampler included 3 chapters from this YA novel starring Jedi Padawan Reath Silas. Reath’s master has taken a new assignment in the middle of nowhere. Reath is not a fan. He’s always fallen on the more sedate side of the Jedi Temple. He’d rather do hours of research in the Archives than get into a light saber battle. He’d rather not be leaving the Temple at all. Master Jora will be in charge of the Starlight Beacon. Reath is traveling to the Beacon with an eclectic group of Jedi, each dealing with personal questions and dilemmas.

Sadly, this had a dry beginning that didn’t really grab my attention. If I had the full book, I would have pushed farther to see if things started clicking when the action amped up. I was also startled toward the end of the first chapter, after Reath had been the POV character for several pages, to have the POV suddenly shift to each of the other characters he is traveling with. That changing POV will be important to understanding the secrets each is keeping, but in the reading it felt abrupt and disorienting. Usually books will insert some sort of page break or change chapters when changing POV characters, but that was not the case in my electronic sampler. This may be clearer in the full, published version of the novel.

I’m not sure that I would go out of my way to read the full novel. The teaser just didn’t grab my attention.  I am intrigued by the connections between Reath and the main Jedi character in the middle grade novel, Vernestra, though. They are contemporaries at least, which is interesting. If I enjoy Vernestra’s story enough, that could draw me into reading this one.

REVIEW: Star Wars The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark

REVIEW: Star Wars The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Disney LucasFilm Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

These are 11 short stories from the Star Wars Universe that take place during the Clone Wars. The stories are told from the perspective of one character. Every story is adapted from one or more episodes of the Clone Wars TV series – 3 from season 1, 1 from season 3, 5 from season 4, and 2 from season 5.

Review

When I started the first story, “Sharing the Same Face,” I was struck immediately by how familiar everything seemed. Sure enough, after some research on Wookiepedia, I turned on the first episode of the series, “Ambush,” and followed along. Yes, there were extra bits of Yoda’s musings on clones and individuality, and their engineering to follow orders. But essentially the story was one I had watched in the show.

I read through six of the eleven stories this way – looking for an episode with a similar descriptions and watching along while reading – before realizing that every short story was based on the show. (Readers can look up the title of each short story on Wookiepedia, and it will list the episode(s) involved.) That’s when I stopped reading.

Somewhere along the way I missed that these were adaptations rather than original stories. And I was disappointed.

Taken alone, the adaptations are good. There’s a reason Star Wars is such a huge property. These are great characters and stories. And I liked the tidbits of personal content or thought processes that were included. But for the stories I read, the new, original material was only a small bit of the whole story.

Readers who are Star Wars fans who like novelizations of the movies might enjoy these retellings. There are plenty of very positive reviews for this book. I don’t know if readers who aren’t somewhat versed in the Clone Wars show will be able to follow all of the stories here because some reference characters, places, and events that aren’t in the main 9 films. But readers who already love the show may enjoy this look at those stories. There is an audience for this book.

That audience is not me, though. I wanted new stories with my favorite characters. Or new stories that endeared other characters I didn’t already love to me. I wanted to see the Star Wars Universe expanded. It’s why I read Star Wars and Star Trek novels. If I had bought this and then discovered it was only adaptations of episodes I have already seen (some multiple times), I would have felt betrayed.

For readers who understand what this is, and who are eager to read it, I think this could be a 3 or 3.5 star book – or more. I personally didn’t find a lot of new insights in this. So for me it was a 2 star read, which means “finished (or not), but didn’t like, not a good fit”

Rating: ♥♥

REVIEW: Star Wars Poe Dameron: Free Fall by Alex Segura

REVIEW: Star Wars Poe Dameron: Free Fall by Alex Segura

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Disney Lucasfilm Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

At 16, Poe Dameron wants nothing more than to be a pilot, find some adventure, and leave Yavin 4.  And after another huge fight with his dad and crashing his mom’s A-wing, the only thing he really had left of hers, he is feeling the need to escape his life, and fast.

So when he dances with a girl at a bar, and she says her friends need a pilot, he’s intrigued. When she says they are “smugglers,” he hesitates, but decides the gig meets his three wants perfectly. But by the time he finds out they are infamous spice runners, he’s in too far to get out.

Review

This book is designed to fill in some backstory tied to the last Star Wars movie, The Rise of Skywalker. Poe Dameron has a hidden history as a spice runner that comes as a shock to his Resistance friends. This book tells that secret story.

I liked the set up. A teen longing to start his “real” life is a perfect protagonist for a YA novel. The author does a great job early on with Poe’s mixed feelings about his new “friends” and the choices they make in the course of their work. He sticks with them in part because he feels trapped by the choices he’s already made. But he also stays because of a girl. Just when he thinks he understands her, and what the Spice Runners of Kijimi are up to, the stakes are raised.

The potential romance here is pretty light. The book also includes typical Star Wars levels of violence. And because the spice runners are villains/scoundrels of a sort, there’s plenty of questionable ethics and choices for Poe to wrestle with. He’s also wrestling with his legacy as a child of two Resistance fighters, especially considering what he does with his new crew.

There’s a ton of potential here, but it never really clicked for me. I didn’t connect with any of the characters in a strong way. This might be a function of the fact that they are “bad guys” in the larger Star Wars universe. It felt like Poe’s relationship with his dad had a bit of a Prodigal Son vibe to it. I enjoyed that part of the book, but it was only a small part of the story. I stuck with the book because I did want to see what finally pushes Poe toward the Resistance. And now I know. Yet I don’t feel like that knowledge really changes my understanding of the characters from the movie, which would have been a nice layer to the storytelling.

Big Star Wars fans and Poe Dameron fans might enjoy this, especially if you have been wondering for the last 8 months what the backstory is. If you are looking for a rich, character-focused story from the Star Wars universe, your mileage may vary with this one. You can read some of my other reviews of Star Wars books here.

Rating: ♥♥♥

REVIEW: Queen's Peril by E. K. Johnston

REVIEW: Queen’s Peril by E. K. Johnston

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Disney Lucasfilm Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When Padmé Naberrie became queen of Naboo, she surrendered her name and her former identity – for the length of her service – for the good of her office. She was Queen Amidala to everyone, even her family. But behind the closed doors of her quarters, with only her handmaidens around, she could be Padmé again, at least a little.

The handmaiden group Queen Amidala and Captain Panaka developed was new for the monarchy. Actually, Panaka had proposed just a double, a body guard. The queen had the vision for a larger group. And together the girls developed a system that would both protect the queen and use all of their individual skills to help her excel in her new role.

And the girls will need their protection systems well-honed and the kinks all worked out if they are going to survive the threat to Naboo and to Queen Amidala’s throne that is on the way.

Review

This was great! While I liked Queen’s Shadow (♥♥♥♥), which is a companion novel with these characters that takes place later in the timeline, I thought this was better.

This is an origin story. It begins with Padmé waiting for the results of the election. It showcases the recruitment of each of her handmaidens and the development of their security team. This was my favorite part of the novel.

By the midway point, events on Naboo have caught up to the story of The Phantom Menace. Since I’ve seen the movie, I appreciated how the author left the movie moments out of most of the story. She made enough references to tie the two together, but this fills in some great context and behind the scenes information. Since I have seen the movie, I don’t know how this storytelling choice will play out for those who have NOT seen the movie. (Would someone pick up this book without having seen the movies? I don’t know.)

As soon as I finished this, I had to watch The Phantom Menace for a refresher. I don’t think there is anything in the book that changed the movie in a significant way, but I did enjoy having some “insider information” about what was going on. This also makes me want to go back and re-read Queen’s Shadow now that I know more about the various handmaidens. (This might sound weird, but I also appreciated how the author wove menstruation into the story considering most of it focused on teenage girls. There’s been discussion in YA circles about how you rarely see periods acknowledged even though half the population have them, unless the book is specifically about menstruation in the first place – like Go With the Flow (♥♥♥♥) or Revenge of the Red Club.)

This is not as quiet of a story as Queen’s Shadow. The tie-ins with The Phantom Menace brought more action to the story – battles, holding camps on Naboo with executions and torture (off page), etc. Readers who are looking for Jedi and light saber battles won’t find as much to enjoy here as they might in a different line of Star Wars novels. But those looking for a richer character-based story and more on Padmé and her bodyguards should definitely check this out. (Violence: executions, torture – off page. LGBTQ+: F/F relationships)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

 

REVIEW: Randoms by David Liss

REVIEW: Randoms by David Liss

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Zeke Reynolds is one of four Earth kids chosen to spend a year in space learning about the Confederation of United Planets. If the kids perform well, Earth will be invited to join the Confederation. The three other kids were chosen because of their skills – academic, martial arts, chess/strategy. Zeke was chosen by chance. He’s the “random.”

Historically, teams have chosen to ostracize the Random and try to win without him or her. Zeke tries not to care – he wants Earth to join the Confederation so his mom will get a cure for her ALS. He hangs out with the other Randoms and hopes to help his team as well as his new friends as he can.

But Zeke keeps running into obstacles. The Earth chaperone keeps trying to throw him under the bus and get him kicked out of the competition – or worse. Zeke saves a ship under attack and somehow becomes the villain in the story. One of the other delegates is out to get Zeke. And plenty of folks are keeping secrets. Zeke is going to have to prove himself in a lot of ways if he wants to save his mom.

Review

This is an excellent science fiction story with tons of awesome sci-fi references and lots of laughs. I read this on the recommendation of my teen, and he nailed this recommendation. This book was right up my alley!

The characters in the story are great. Zeke is funny, smart and sarcastic. His pop culture references – especially for Star Trek and Star Wars – are endearing (at least to this Star Trek/Star Wars fan!). The other characters – human and alien – are well defined with interesting quirks, alliances and agendas.

The story is compelling. I cared about Zeke’s success first because of his mom and then because I liked him. I wanted him to overcome the obstacles placed in his path. As the “mystery” developed, I kept flipping pages to see how Zeke and his friends were going to survive, much less if they would succeed in earning membership in the Confederation.

The story ended with something of a cliffhanger. Several loose ends were left dangling. I will obviously have to sneak the sequel, Rebels, from my teen so I can find out what happens next. Book 3, Renegades, releases this fall.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Star Wars ABC-3PO by Calliope Glass and Caitlin Kennedy

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

A Star Wars Alphabet book. Includes references from Episodes I through VII and Star Wars Rebels. Each letter has an illustration as well as a poem. A is for Ackbar and B is for Boba Fett! The general format looks like a board book, but the pages are paper. It’s more of a picture book in a smaller size.

Review

Isn’t that cover darling?! This book is SO fun! The poems include lots of fun movie references. It can take a few tries to get the rhythm right on some of them (The poems don’t all use the same formula or rhyme scheme) but they are worth the extra effort because they are so fun. I imagine that a parent reading this at bedtime a few hundred times will know the poems by heart in no time.

The illustrations by Katie Cook are fantastic! They are really what drew me to the book in the first place. They made the book special for me. I would get her work on prints or t-shirts, I like it so much.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Fun for Star Wars fans of any age! Book two is Obi-123 which comes out today. You can see a picture below.

REVIEW: Star Wars: Ahsoka by E. K. Johnston

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Ahsoka Tano was the padawan to Anakin Skywalker. but she walked away from the Jedi when she was betrayed by another Jedi. She escaped Order 66 and the aftermath, but she can’t avoid the Empire forever. Ahsoka knows she will have better luck if she doesn’t use her powers and if she can found an out of the way place to hide. Unfortunately, the Empire decides her “out of the way” moon is just what they need. Can Ahsoka protect her new friends AND hide who she really is?

Star Wars: Ahsoka

Review

Ahsoka is an excellent character from the animated series, Star Wars The Clone Wars. In fact, this book made me want to go back and watch the whole series again. The writers have brought her back for the new series, Star Wars Rebels. This book fills in some of the gap between the two TV series.

I liked reading about Ahsoka’s growth as she ventured out on her own. She has no master to guide her. No clone troops to lead. No Yoda to advise her. So Ahsoka has to develop her own code, her own system for deciding where to help and where to lay low. It’s great to watch that unfold.

Familiar names from movies and more from the TV shows make this fun for Star Wars fans. The context of both help fill in the back story, but the story at face value works on its own. Readers with no Star Wars context might need to check an online source to help them with any questions they  might have.

Rating:  ♥♥♥♥