Queen's Shadow Book Review

By: Christian Corah

Descriptives

Page count: Hardcover, 345

Author: E. K. Johnston

Timeline: Follows The Phantom Menace, precedes Attack of the Clones

Main Characters: Padmé and her handmaidens

Brief Synopsis: Time as Queen of Naboo for Padmé has ended and she is looking to make a galaxy wide impact as the new Senator of Naboo. 

Gut Feeling

I had pretty high expectations for this book, and this may admittedly make this section a bit more biased than usual (but again, that’s why this section gets no points). I was expecting a book surrounding Padmé’s time as queen before The Phantom Menace, but the timeline is after her time as Queen and that was initially somewhat disappointing. But a big reason that I enjoy the Prequels so much is the politics. It's a fascinating perspective to see how the Empire was created. Seeing as it is fairly similar to Hitler’s rise to power, politics in the Prequel era are a big plus to me. So I overcame my disappointment and was again excited. My expectations were not for an action filled book, but for an intellectual one revolving around Padmé’s influence in the Galactic Senate. While this is mostly what I got, it ended up unfulfilling, anti-climatic, and lacked closure. This seems harsh likely because it was my emotional response to the book, but I still think that it is fair. I still enjoyed reading it, but it is definitely going to score on the lower side of books that I have reviewed.

Characters (8/10 pts)

Padmé herself was the strongest character, which makes sense, and it was interesting to see how she changed through the transition from Queen to Senator. It is something I didn’t think about much between Episodes I and II, but it was a character defining moment for her. This book highlighted that. I felt somewhat attached to Padmé, but I was expecting to be rooting for her even more than I was. I’ll get to the plot in a moment, but I believe since the book was so anticlimactic that I didn’t feel myself rooting for and being attached to Padmé as much as I should have.

As for other characters in the book, it also highlighted Padmé’s handmaidens. This is a special addition to the Star Wars universe because the handmaidens were primarily background characters in The Phantom Menace. This book gave the handmaidens considerable depth and uniqueness. However, I must admit that it was difficult to keep track of them. They all have similar names so it was easy to get confused about who’s backstory belonged to who. I do think that Queen’s Peril did a better job of developing the handmaidens. But overall, the characters were still good in Queen’s Shadow. I just think there was potential for them to be even better, but I’m still giving 8 points.

Writing Style (8.25/10 pts)

I’m starting to think that I won’t ever award low points for this section because every Star Wars book that I have read so far has been well written. They are almost always written by a New York Times Best-Selling Author, so the writing is very quality. E. K. Johnston is no exception. She is a detail oriented author and it at first felt like too much, but I settled in and began to enjoy her writing style. While it is dense, it wasn’t difficult to read. Since it was so detailed, it made scenes come to life if I made a conscious effort to keep my attention on the details. It felt well with the intellectual storytelling. The writing style was the greatest strength of Queen’s Shadow, and I am awarding 8.25 points.

Plot (5.75/10 pts)

I’ve learned to be patient with books during development of characters because it is often worthwhile for the final quarter or third of the book. Most of this book felt as if it was building up to a satisfying conclusion, but then the book ended and I felt unfulfilled. While there was a climax at the ending of the book, it felt undeveloped and I was expecting it to have required more pages and attention. I had the right understanding that the climax would not be action-based and would be more intellectual, so my expectations were not what made it feel anti-climatic. There were also exciting characters and concepts that were brought up quickly and just as quickly forgotten. I won’t go into detail on what these are, but I’m guessing you’ll pick them out if you read the book (one example is in the “Logic” section). So the plot felt lacking and was the biggest weakness of the book, that is why I’m only giving 5.75 points.

Intrigue (7.25/10 pts)

Even though the plot was lacking, the strong writing style kept me intrigued throughout most of the book. Also, the book is about Padmé, so I was intrigued before I even started reading. However, while reading, most of the intrigue was due to me expecting a climactic ending that didn’t ever happen. But this still caused the book to be easily readable and this kept me turning page after page. It just took me out of the book a little at the end. The small exciting moments that I’ve briefly discussed also added to the intrigue since it made me expect that there would be some highly developed and interesting content, but that again didn’t happen. So even though throughout most of the book I had fairly high levels of intrigue, I am only giving 7.25 points because the intrigue would quickly go back down.

What does it add? (6.5/10 pts)

Queen’s Shadow probably could have scored a lot higher in this section as there was a lot of potential to expand on certain ideas that would have really added to the universe. What it did best was provide more information on Padmé’s operation with her handmaids. They are truly a well oiled machine and all of Padmé’s handmaids are clearly highly skilled and very intelligent. There is so much thought that goes into everything that they do, especially Padmé’s outfits (aesthetically and practicality). So that was a plus, I have a much greater appreciation for them now. That and more information on how the Galactic Senate works was good information added to the Star Wars universe, but there still could have been more. 

Going along with the politics, I LOVE how Palpatine was playing both sides during the war and I am hungry for more information on Palpatine during the Prequel period. Palpatine had a few appearances in Queen’s Shadow and it really made me excited for the role he was going to play. However, the role remained limited and nothing really came from it (sorry if this is kinda an anti-spoiler).

So Queen’s Shadow did provide some new information to the Star Wars universe, but it was fairly limited and doesn’t significantly add to or change my outlook on anything substantial. That is why I’m only giving 6.5 points for this section.

Logic (+0.5 pts)

Man there was a GREAT opportunity to explain one of the major plot holes in the Prequels. The appointment of Jar Jar Binks to be the acting Senator of Naboo for Padmé. Since this move itself is pretty alarming and since Jar Jar essentially persuaded the Galactic Senate to give Palpatine emergency unchecked power, I wanted a good explanation for why it was done. This was ever so slightly mentioned in Queen’s Shadow and only barely explains it. It had the chance to further explain it, and it wasn’t done. 

There was also some minimal information that explained why Padmé fell so hard for Anakin in Episodes II and III. While this isn’t a major plot hole in the prequels, it still doesn’t make a ton of sense that someone as intelligent and poised as Padmé would basically throw her life away for Anakin. Queen’s Shadow could have explained this more by going into more depth, but there is some explanation for it. I could have given much more than an extra half a point for logic, but because these ideas were only glossed over Queen’s Shadow only gets one half additional point.

Final Thoughts

So my final grade for Queen’s Shadow is a 7.25/10, or a C minus. As I’ve stated multiple times, I felt unsatisfied when I finished the book, but I still enjoyed reading it. This is one of the lower scores that I have given a Star Wars book, but that shouldn’t completely deter you from reading it. But I still wouldn’t say Queen’s Shadow is a must read for Star Wars fans unless you are a Padmé fan. I enjoy her character a lot and my appreciation for her did slightly grow through the reading of this book. So if you like Padmé, you will likely also enjoy Queen’s Shadow. If you’re not a big fan of Padmé, there are better books to read.

I hope you enjoyed this review and if there is a book that you want me to read or review, please let me know at christiancorah@gmail.com. As for now I will only be doing Canon books (but in the future that might change).

Queen's Peril Book Review

By: Christian Corah

Descriptives

Page count: Hardcover, 352 pages

Author: E.K. Johnston

Intended Audience: Young Adult

Timeline: Follows Master & Apprentice and precedes The Phantom Menace

Main characters: Padmé Amidala, Sabé, and the other handmaidens

Brief synopsis: As the newly elected queen, Padmé Amidala faces political problems due to newly proposed taxing bills that come with a threat of impending war.

Gut Feeling

Personally, I was not a huge fan of Queen’s Shadow, the first book in this “series.” That being said, I was still very excited to read Queen’s Peril. Padmé is one of my favorite characters. I love content from before the movies, and the Prequels are my favorite trilogy, so I figured I would enjoy this book. However, this book was pretty different in the first and second halves. I really enjoyed the first and didn’t care as much for the second. I loved it when everything was original and new and didn’t like it as much when it paralleled with The Phantom Menace. The scenes that went along with Episode 1 jumped around quite a bit without much explanation. It relies on the reader knowing the events of the movie, which most of us do, but it makes it so that the book itself does not standalone, which I think is a negative. But, there were certainly things I liked about the book, I just felt that it had potential to be a lot better. Let’s get into the details.

Characters (9/10 pts)

Characters were by far the strongest point of this novel, it was certainly character driven. E.K. Jonhston really does great things for the female characters in Star Wars. Specifically, Padmé and her handmaidens. Queen’s Peril felt a lot like an origin story for both. In The Phantom Menace and Queen’s Shadow, we see Padmé already as an established queen and then transitioning into a senator. But in this book, we have to see her establish herself as Queen Amidala. By doing so, we see a new side of Padmé and it provides more depth to her character. We also get to see where Padmé attaints the strengths to her character: that was a nice touch. However, I was most impressed with the work Johnston did with the handmaidens. Each one was unique from one another, had their own back stories, and were all relatable in their own ways. While Johnston also did this in Queen’s Shadow, I felt that the development of the characters was done better in this book. A truly strong point for the novel. But the character development did not stop there. Several other characters also received development that are important to The Phantom Menace. Most notably, Captain Quarsh Panaka and Mariek Panaka also had significant development. These characters are important in the first movie, so it was good to learn more about them. Darth Maul was another who got some development, but it felt the most out of place in the story. By doing a sidebar to get a glimpse into Darth Maul, I think it had more potential to learn about him. But what Johnston included was still good. So characters were a strength and I am awarding 9 points.

Writing Style (8.5/10 pts)

As with all Star Wars books, Queen’s Peril was well written. E.K. Johnston is a New York Times Bestselling Author, so I didn’t expect anything less. The style of the book was written for a slightly younger audience, but it still came out as readable for the young adult and adult crowd. It was a little lacking in details (especially when compared with Queen’s Shadow), but not so much that the depth of the story was lacking. This made the book easy to read. Johnston’s flow was very good and the reading was effortless. Another strength to the novel, I’m giving 8.5 points for the writing.

Plot (6/10 pts)

Now that we have gotten past the strengths of the novel, it is time to get to the biggest weakness: the plot. As I mentioned before, this book was essentially split into two halves. The first half served as an origin story for Queen Amidala and the handmaidens and the second half coincided with The Phantom Menace. I enjoyed the first half, but didn’t care as much for the second. The development stage of the book was very good and I was excited for where the book was going. However, I was pretty disappointed to find that the book was building up to events that we already know the outcome for. Even though the perspective that we got was new, mostly from Padmé and the handmaidens, I would have preferred a completely new story. Also, the events within The Phantom Menace moved very quickly. I understand that there should not be as much detail as a novelization, but it skipped rapidly through the events where it was somewhat confusing. Also, it skipped past scenes that I would have liked to have seen from the perspective of either Padmé or the handmaidens. For these reasons, I am only giving 6 points for the plot.

Intrigue (7/10 pts)

This is a section where I have to control some of my personal bias. As I mentioned before, I absolutely love the Prequels and The Phantom Menace holds a special place in my heart. So, my intrigue for this novel was naturally higher than normal. But not everyone has those same feelings. This makes the events in the second half of the book to be not as exciting. It is difficult to create intrigue when the story has already been told before. It was from a different perspective, but we still know essentially what is going to happen. This considerably decreased the intrigue for the second half of the story. But the writing style did add to the intrigue, as I was able to read the book without any real effort. And Padmé is a fan favorite, so that alone should increase some of the intrigue. But it isn’t enough to fully save the score, I am giving 7 points for the intrigue.

What does it add? (6.25/10 pts)

There wasn’t anything especially significant that Queen’s Peril added to the Star Wars universe. While the purpose of the book wasn’t to supplement The Phantom Menace, it sure felt like it. For books like these, they usually don’t have the freedom to add cool new Star Wars lore. But there were still some things that it added. Queen’s Peril added to the character development of the handmaidens, which I deem important because it’s helping to change background characters in The Phantom Menace into meaningful and strong female characters. But this book alone isn’t responsible for that (as Queen’s Shadow also did this) and these characters don’t have a broad impact on the universe. Johnston also introduced Neurotransmitter Affection, a popular music group on Naboo. While this doesn’t have much impact on the universe, it was a cool addition. But just being cool isn’t enough for a strong score, I am giving 6.25 points.

Logic (+ .25 pts)

Like most of our favorite Star Wars movies, The Phantom Menace has its fair share of confusing and illogical moments. Queen’s Peril both gives more context to the movie and helps explain some of the movie’s weak points. But, there was a great opportunity to explain one of the more confusing points of the Prequels, Maul surviving the fall and being cut in half. It was explained briefly in The Clone Wars, but was not detailed. It would have felt a little out of place in this story, but the story did follow Maul a little bit which also felt a little out of place. So this would not have been completely out of place. But because Queen’s Peril did give more context to other scenes, I am awarding an extra quarter point.

Final Thoughts

So, my final score for Queen’s Peril is a 7.4/10, or a C. This makes it on the lower end of books that I have reviewed. It was disappointing to me for many of the same reasons of Queen’s Shadow. The plot showed a lot of promise and was disappointing in the end. But there were still strong points to the book. Padmé was awesome and the handmaidens were probably even better. This, and if you want more context behind The Phantom Menace, are the main reasons you should decide to read this book. If so, you should enjoy reading Queen’s Peril.

I hope you enjoyed this book review and if there is a book that you want me to read or review, please let me know at christiancorah@gmail.com. As for now, I will only be doing Canon books (but in the future that might change).

Most Wanted Book Review

By: Christian Corah

Descriptives

Page count: Hardcover, 348

Author: Rae Carson

Intended Audience: Young Adult

Timeline: 13 BBY (before the battle of Yavin)

Main characters: Qi’ra and Han Solo

Brief synopsis: Each hoping to become a new Head of the White Worms, Qi’ra and Han go on a daring mission that nearly gets both of them killed.

Gut Feeling

As soon as I finished this book, I just had to watch Solo. I love it when a book gives me that kind of energy and new perspective on a Star Wars film. Also, going into the book I really liked Qi’ra and this book only increased my love for her character. At the end, I was rooting for her with everything inside of me and that was pretty cool. But emotional reactions aside, the book was a really quick read. Perhaps too quick. The font size of the book seemed larger than normal and the writing style was a bit simple, so I tore through it. So it may have lacked some details that I wanted, but the quick read also made it enjoyable. I have recommended this book to others before and I will keep doing so, but it is mostly a fun read instead of having really strong Star Wars details. That being said, I’m glad I read it and I really hope we get more Qi’ra content soon (we already have a lot of Han content).

Characters (9/10 pts)

Characters were one of the stronger points for this book. We already know a lot about Han, but we did learn more about his upbringing in Corelia. It is good to see how one of the more iconic Star Wars characters grew up and how that defined him as a character. But like I said, we already knew a lot about Han so my focus will instead be directed towards Qi’ra. Since all we know about her is what we see from Solo, we don’t really understand her motivations for wanting to team up with Maul. But through the exciting story in Most Wanted, there are many character-defining moments for Qi’ra (and Han) that dive into her character’s motivations and desires. And as I mentioned earlier, I found myself rooting for Qi’ra heavily at the end because of my emotional attachment to her. This emotional attachment is because of her character’s depth and relatability (which Han’s character also possessed, but again this is more impressively done with Qi’ra). Characters were definitely the strongest point for Most Wanted, largely because of Qi’ra, but also because of Han.

Writing Style (7.5/10 pts)

I don’t want it to seem as if I’m suggesting this book was poorly written, it really wasn’t. It just seemed less than average when compared to other Star Wars books, which are all very well written. Rae Carson is still a bestselling author, she’s very good. Most Wanted was just written a bit too simple for the young-adult crowd in my opinion. However, since I could read it fast, it added a bit to the intrigue because I never felt the need to put it down. That’s the upside for the simple writing style, but I prefer something more detailed and complex. The writing is still good and doesn’t take away from the quality of the book, just compared to others it is slightly below average.

Plot (6.5/10 pts)

I don’t want to give away much, but the plot was pretty simple and didn’t explore as much of Qi’ra and Han’s lives as I wanted. The whole book essentially explores one mission they go on that, yes was exciting, but also greatly limited the scope of the book. I think to more complicated plots like that of Lords of the Sith, and it really shows me how simple this one was. Now, again, simple isn’t always bad because it made the mission much more fun and exciting than it would have been if fewer pages were devoted to it. Carson also made the most of the plot by including character development into it, which helped to create some depth for the story. But overall, it was a bit too simple for what I want in a Star Wars story.

Intrigue (9/10 pts)

As I touched on in the weaknesses of the writing style and plot, they come out as strengths when it comes to the intrigue. I tore through this book turning page after page because it was so easy to read and because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Before I knew it, I was 30,50,100 pages in and still going fast! From almost the very start of the book, I was hooked and it continued throughout the rest of it. Most Wanted is certainly a fun book to read, and it scores highly in this section.

What does it add? (6.25/10 pts)

This was kind of a hard section to score for me. What Most Wanted adds to Solo is pretty cool, giving background to not just Han and Qi’ra, but also the White Worms and Lady Proxima. It gave me a new perspective and appreciation when watching Solo. But beyond this one standalone film, it doesn’t really add anything to the rest of the Star Wars universe. The scope was fairly limited in that regard. Books written to just supplement a single movie or a couple of characters usually fall into this trap. That is why I’m only giving 6 points for this section. What it adds is good, but it does not add that much.

Logic (0 pts)

There is nothing from Most Wanted that either adds to or takes away from the logic in the Star Wars universe.

Final Thoughts

So my final grade for Most Wanted is a 7.65/10, or a C. I seemed fairly critical of the book in this review, but it shouldn’t take away from the fact that I really enjoyed reading it! This is probably because I am both a fan of Solo and Qi’ra. If you are too, you’ll enjoy this book! I have already recommended it to a few people on Twitter who have also shown interest in Qi’ra’s character. However, if you didn’t enjoy Solo, there really isn’t anything in Most Wanted that will cause you to want to read it. Unless you have an open mind, then Most Wanted may actually give you more of an appreciation for Solo. Either way, if you decide to pick up Most Wanted, you will have a fun read on your hands!

I hope you enjoyed this book review and if there is a book that you want me to read or review, please let me know at christiancorah@gmail.com. As for now, I will only be doing Canon books (but in the future that might change).

The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark Book Review

By: Christian Corah

Descriptives

Page count: Hardcover, 352

Author: Various Authors

Intended Audience: Ages 8-12

Timeline: Follows Attack of the Clones, precedes Revenge of the Sith Main characters: All main characters from The Clone Wars

Brief synopsis: The time of the Clone Wars is a period of great conflict, and this book shares some of the time’s greatest stories.

Gut Feeling

I did not do my research on this book before reading it, so I didn’t know it was sort of a novelization of The Clone Wars. It obviously doesn’t cover the entire series, but some of the best stories from the series are told. I will say that the most popular arcs are not included, like Mortis, the Yoda arc, and Mandalore, but that is ok. I recognized some of the stories as my personal favorites, and I gained more appreciation for others. It was definitely an emotional roller coaster. I have been trying to rewatch the series, but as most of you know, it is a grind to do so. There are a ton of episodes, and some of them can be filler. This book is a great alternative to rewatching the series because it gave me a different perspective on some of the best episodes and arcs. Even though this book’s intended audience is young, I really enjoyed the read. The only downside is that the writing was simple (as it should be because of the intended audience) and there weren’t any new plot points within the stories. However, I didn’t expect there to be, I’m just being nit picky. I enjoyed the book so let’s get into the details.

Characters (8/10 pts)

This book covers a wide array of characters. We get stories from the perspective of protagonists, antagonists, Force users, and non-Force users. Because of that, there are many chances for characters to develop. However, because there are no new scenes added, there aren’t moments where characters can develop, but it doesn’t mean that they can’t develop within the scenes we are already familiar with. The book gives us a glimpse into what characters are thinking throughout the story, which lets us learn more about them. This is the obvious advantage of novels over movies and TV shows, and this book definitely took advantage of it. Another tool used in this book was developing characters through the perspective of others. We can learn a lot about a character about how another thinks of them. For example, Darth Vader got great character development in Rebels by how Kanan and Ezra reacted to being around him. This is how a character’s reputation is established. This book certainly did that for several characters (Ahsoka is the main one I think of). So, overall, despite not being able to add new scenes to the stories, the authors of this book did a great job developing characters. I am giving 8 points for this section.

Writing Style (8.25/10 pts)

There are a multitude of authors that wrote this book, this means that there are a multitude of writing styles. A lot of times when there is a book written by multiple authors, it is preferable that it seems like it is written by one author. However, considering this book, I’m glad that it was obvious it was written by different authors. Each chapter had its own style and it made the writing feel fresh and new. The stories were told in the traditional third person, first person from the protagonist’s viewpoint, and also first person from a secondary character’s viewpoint. Because we are already familiar with the stories, switching up how the stories were told kept it interesting. It is also important to note that the book is written for children, so the style overall is much simpler than what most of us are accustomed to. But I would be remiss to take away points for that. Overall, the writing style was slightly better than what I expected so I am giving 8.25 points.

Plot (7/10 pts)

I’ve mentioned it before, but the book doesn’t really add anything new to the plot that we are already familiar with and was already set in stone from the TV show. In novelizations, I usually look at what the book added to the plot with extra scenes. This can pull the entire stories together and fill in missing gaps. This book does not do that, but it didn’t really need to as the stories within the TV shows are more fleshed out than the movies. But this still means that the book won’t score great in this section because it is just retelling stories. However, there are still a couple reasons why this book will gain some points back. First, it pulled from the best stories within the series. If it pulled some from some of less popular arcs, the plot would not have been as strong. Second, the stories were told from different angles. This gives a different perspective on the story that we are already familiar with. This gives us a more complete understanding of what is happening. These are what the book did well, but it doesn’t fully overcome not being able to add new scenes. I am giving 7 points.

Intrigue (9/10 pts)

There were a multitude of things that added to the book’s intrigue making it the strongest section. First, because the stories told were some of the best within the series, there weren’t many low points in the book. Each chapter, which each included a different story, had an exciting story! They all had a slight build up with an exciting and climatic ending. Second, because most of us will be familiar with the story, it makes the reading go by easier. For the most part, we know what to expect while reading so it is easier to comprehend. Third, because the writing style is simple, it is not difficult to read much of the book in one sitting. If you are an active reader, this is certainly one that you can read in a single day or just a few days. However, because nothing new is added, I understand why that could take away from the intrigue. That is the one downside and is keeping the book from scoring even higher. Despite that, I am still giving a strong score of 9 points.

What does it add? (6.25/10 pts)

This is where the book is going to get its first real weak score. While I really enjoyed the read, it doesn’t really add anything new to the Star Wars universe. It is retelling stories that already exist within the universe and doesn’t add any new scenes. However, that doesn’t mean that the book adds absolutely nothing. Through some of the characters’ thoughts, specifically Yoda, we do learn a little more about using the Force. However, it really isn’t that substantial. This leaves the score for this section to be only 6.25 points, but it shouldn’t deter you from reading it.

Logic (0 pts)

There is nothing in The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark that added to nor took away from the logic within the Star Wars universe. So, I am neither adding nor taking away extra points.

Final Thoughts

So, my final score for The Clone Wars: Stories of Light and Dark is a 7.7/10, or a C plus. This rating is slightly below average what I give Star Wars novels, but please don’t let that deter you from reading the book. If you love The Clone Wars, this is a great trip down memory lane! It is a much easier alternative than rewatching the entire series. Also, if you have not gotten a chance to watch the series, this also serves as a great introduction to the series. It highlights what makes the series so good. It is a quick and easy read and as long as you have even any interest in reading it, I think you’ll enjoy it! The only reason I can think of for you not wanting to read it is if you want something new to Star Wars. If so, there are other options available to youo. But I enjoyed this book, and it is likely that you will too.

I hope you enjoyed this book review and if there is a book that you want me to read or review, please let me know at christiancorah@gmail.com. As for now, I will only be doing Canon books (but in the future that might change).

Force Collector Book Review

By: Christian Corah

Descriptives

Page count: Hardcover 379

Author: Kevin Shinick

Timeline: 30 ABY (After the Battle of Yavin), or a few years before The Force Awakens

Main characters: Karr Nuq Sin, Maize Raynshi, and RZ-7

Brief synopsis: Karr, who gets Force visions of the past when touching certain objects, goes on an adventure, with his new friend Maize and his droid RZ-7, to learn more about the Force and the Jedi.

Gut Feeling

My expectation for this book was highest regarding what this book would add to the Star Wars universe. Considering it was titled Force Collector, I was expecting to learn significant information about the Force. While I did, there was more exceptional information that we learned outside of the Force too. This was the book’s greatest strength, but I’ll get to that later. I wasn’t too concerned with what the story would be, but it turned out to be pretty well told. But the first half of the novel was a bit unexciting and the additions to Star Wars were not as good as the latter half. The second half is when the book started to get good and the conclusion was the best. Overall, it was a fun read. I got out of it what I expected, learning more about Star Wars.

Characters (8.5/10 pts)

Shinick did a great job with developing three brand-new characters into Star Wars. As I’ve mentioned before, with Star Wars books some authors can have an advantage when their novel involves characters that are already beloved by fans. By developing new characters, Shinick had to create that emotional attachment. And I think he did a good job doing so. The chemistry between Karr and Maize kept reminding me of the chemistry between Carl and Ellie at the beginning of the movie Up (I hope you’ve seen Up, it is an incredible movie!), even though Carl and Ellie were younger. It was a story of two friends coming together over their sense of adventure! This was well done and made the characters relatable and made me feel young again (I’m only 23, but still. . .). Force Collector also introduced a new droid in RZ-7. I get a little worried when new droids are introduced, I just feel that it is forced sometimes. But I really liked RZ-7’s character, it had much depth considering it was only a droid. My only complaint for characters is that I think they could have had some more depth, but overall characters were a strength for Force Collector. So I am giving 8.5 points.

Writing Style (7.25/10 pts)

Instead of saying New York Times Best-Selling Author next to Shinick’s name, it says Emmy Award-Winning Author. I don’t necessarily know what conclusion should be made about that distinction, but I thought it was interesting! I’ve mentioned in previous reviews that no Star Wars books are poorly written. Elite authors are always chosen to write the novels, so it is pretty difficult for a Star Wars novel to score low in this section. Shinick’s writing style was fairly simple, and this made it an easy and quick read. However, it did feel a little elementary for a young adult novel. In many ways the writing style felt like that of Rae Carson in Most Wanted. Because Force Collector lacked some depth in the writing style, I am giving a slightly below average score of 7.25 points. But I wouldn’t consider the writing style a weakness for the book, so it shouldn’t deter you from reading it.

Plot (7/10 pts)

The book felt like it followed the traditional hero’s journey, much like how the Star Wars films are told. This felt familiar and welcoming as the book started. That being said, most of the first half of the book felt pretty expected, and that made it pretty unexciting. It wasn’t until the second half of the book where the plot started to get more exciting. I think the last half of the book was much better than the first half. The ending was mostly good, except for one detail that didn’t add up. I won’t say much about it because it is a rather significant spoiler, but it did leave me scratching my head. But it didn’t interfere with the plot as a whole. Even though the book ended well, the plot was not a strength for the book. It felt like the plot was just used to give new ways to look into other stories and characters in Star Wars. This is OK for the purposes of the book, but isn’t great for the story. I am giving 7 points.

Intrigue (7.5/10 pts)

The best component for building intrigue for Force Collector was the writing style. It was mentioned as a weakness due to its insufficient depth, but what the style does is make it a quick read. I could read many pages at once without feeling like I needed a break. While that added to the intrigue, the somewhat unexciting plot did hurt the intrigue slightly. I usually wasn’t on the edge of my seat anticipating what was going to happen next. Most of the exciting parts of the book included strong content in the present moment, but did not have implications on the rest of the story. So the plot didn’t really build in excitement due to that (but for the purposes of the story, I think this was appropriate). This will make more sense if you do read Force Collector. But even though the plot pulled away from the intrigue slightly, the writing style still made the intrigue OK. I am giving 7.5 points.

What does it add? (10/10 pts)

What it added to the Star Wars universe was by far the greatest strength for Force Collector, and it honestly could have been even better! Throughout most of the book, we end up visiting familiar places within Star Wars. With that, we learned a little bit more about little moments within Star Wars. In some cases, I wish that what we learned was a bit more significant. There were definitely opportunities to learn some cool information that were passed up on. That being said, we still did learn some interesting things. We also learned more about the Force through the unique Force power Karr has. There are even some implications for what “balance” in the Force means through a different perspective that was provided. It is great additional information that can help to make sense of the mystery of bringing balance to the Force. Finally, there is something that came out at the end of the book that answered a somewhat speculated question among Star Wars fans. I won’t spoil it, but this new content does make Force Collector a must read for die-hard Star Wars fans. This is why I am easily giving a full 10 points.

Logic (+0.5 pts)

Something confusing in the Star Wars universe is that many sentients seem to not know anything at all about the Jedi or the Force. This is even though they had a pretty significant role in the history of the Star Wars universe. It doesn’t make sense that they could all be forgotten after so little time has passed. While it is still a little perplexing, Shinick does his best to provide an explanation. It does a pretty job, and while I am not completely satisfied with it, it is probably the best explanation we have seen so far for it. So that is why I am giving an extra half point for logic.

Final Thoughts

So the final grade for Force Collector is an 8.15/10, or a B minus. While the first half of the book may have been rather unexciting, it is truly made up for in the second half. It is a quick and fun read that we can learn a lot from. As I stated, the greatest strength of the book is what it adds to the Star Wars universe. This is what makes it a must read for die-hard fans who want more about Star Wars lore. There are a lot of cool things in this book that add to Star Wars. There are some missed opportunities, but it is made up for. If you want a compelling story though, this won’t be the book for you. There are better options.

I hope you enjoyed this book review and if there is a book that you want me to read or review, please let me know at christiancorah@gmail.com. As for now, I will only be doing Canon books (but in the future that might change).

Dooku: Jedi Lost Book Review

By: Christian Corah

Descriptives

Page count: Hardcover, 460

Author: Cavan Scott

Timeline: Precedes The Phantom Menace

Main characters: Count Dooku and Asajj Ventress

Brief synopsis: In order to accomplish a mission involving Dooku’s sister, Ventress dives deep into research to find out more about Dooku’s childhood.

Gut Feeling

Since Dooku was just thrown into Attack of the Clones without much explanation, I’ve really been wanting more content on his infamous character. I knew that Dooku was a former Jedi and that Yoda was his master, but we didn’t have many details about it. This book definitely gives the content on Dooku that I was wanting. It starts at his childhood and paints a picture showing how Dooku went from a promising young Padawan to the villain that we best know him as. Because of that, the book was successful in my opinion. There was also some information about how Ventress fell to the dark side, but I wish it was given more detail. These background stories were the strength of the novel. It was background information that was much needed and I’m glad this book was created.

Characters (9/10 pts)

Characters were the strongest component for Dooku: Jedi Lost. Since Scott was dealing with existing characters in the Star Wars universe, I look for what additional content we can learn about them. I loved the Dooku that we saw in this book. Going from a padawan to Count, Scott significantly developed Dooku in a way that made a lot of sense. We obviously see a different side to Dooku than seen in the movies, and because of that, characters must get a strong score. But Dooku isn’t the only character that Scott gave more background information to. Both Ventress and Sifo Dias got fairly significant development in this book. While I do wish that we got more of Ventress, the content we got was very good. There were also strong new characters, one being Jedi Lene. She seemed different than any Jedi we had seen, and I thought she was very interesting. The only weakness I see for characters is that an emotional attachment to them was lacking. The character’s strength was more conceptual than emotional. So I am giving 9 points.

Writing Style (7.5/10 pts)

The writing style is quite different because it is written like a script. I was a little worried about this as I started reading, but I quickly adapted to the style. I didn’t feel that too many details were left out due to most of the content being dialogue. I still had a strong sense of what was going on at all times. So I am not deducting any points based on the book being told like a script. What I am going to take away points for is that some ideas seemed a bit undeveloped. I would sometimes have to re-read a section and I was surprised that so much happened in just a couple lines. It seemed uncharacteristic of the rest of the book. Because of that, I am giving 7.5 points for the writing.

Plot (8.5/10 pts)

While in the present, I enjoyed the content that I was reading, I had a hard time of predicting where the story was going. It seemed just like a cool story where we learned more about Dooku, but for most of the book, it didn’t feel like it was building towards something. Ventress’s storyline also seemed a bit awkward. It was a pretty insignificant part of the story, but it felt like it should have been more important. This will probably make more sense to you if you read the book. So despite having great content, the plot wasn’t developing very well for about the first three - quarters of the book. However, there were two main strengths that give points back to the plot. First, the book had a large scope. We got to see glimpses into Dooku’s entire Jedi career, from Padawan to him leaving the order. This was a great plus. Second, the book ended VERY well. While the plot was confusing for most of the book, it started to make sense in the end. Because of that, I am giving a good score of 8.5 points.

Intrigue (7/10 pts)

I think the intrigue could vary from reader to reader based on their interest in Dooku’s character. I have a lot of interest in Dooku as a child, so my intrigue was fairly high, even when the story wasn’t moving very quickly. However, even with this interest, at points, I felt bored because the story wasn’t really going anywhere. I feel that I should have been reading this book quicker, especially because of the writing style (the script style made it an easier read). I simply put the book down too many times while reading it. And because not everyone will have the same interest in Dooku as I do, I am going to give a slightly less than average score of 7 points.

What does it add? (9.5/10 pts)

Along with the characters, this section is the book’s greatest strength. As mentioned before, Dooku and Ventress needed an “origin” story, and this book supplied that. But that was what I expected from Dooku: Jedi Lost, so it won’t receive a great score based on that alone. However, Scott gave us more information that also added to Star Wars. There is more information on the Force, Sith lore, and what the Jedi were like before any of the Star Wars movies. I was very pleasantly surprised about this, so I am giving 9.5 points for what the book added.

Logic (+0.5 pts)

Dooku: Jedi Lost was able to explain something illogical in Revenge of the Sith. This is the moment when Palpatine slices through three Jedi, before fighting Windu, with way too much ease. At first glance, the scene doesn’t make sense. But in the book, we learn that the Jedi’s lightsaber skills were mostly ceremonial. They didn’t have a need to actually fight with them, so they weren’t trained to fight another lightsaber user. This explains why the Jedi looked rather helpless fighting Palpatine. This was a great explanation, so I am giving an extra half point back for logic.

Final Thoughts

So my final score for Dooku: Jedi Lost is a 8.4/10, or a solid B. The strength of the book definitely came from the book’s characters and what it added to Star Wars. The story itself is not as well developed, but it does not ruin the experience of reading the book. For Star Wars fans who want more content on Dooku, Ventress, and the time period before The Phantom Menace, this is a must-read.

I hope you enjoyed this book review and if there is a book that you want me to read or review, please let me know at christiancorah@gmail.com. As for now, I will only be doing Canon books (but in the future that might change).

Dark Disciple Book Review

By: Christian Corah

Descriptives

Page count: Hardcover 302, Paperback 359

Author: Christie Golden

Timeline: Follows The Clone Wars and precedes Revenge of the Sith

Main Characters: Quinlan Vos and Asajj Ventress

Brief Synopsis: An unusual mission, causing Jedi Master Quinlan Vos to team up with former Sith Asajj Ventress, forces Vos to decide which is more powerful, the seductive nature of the dark side or his new feeling of love.

Gut Feeling

When I first noticed this book and read a little bit about the plot, I checked many times to make sure it was canon. The whole idea of the book is just fascinating, and I was worried that the new Disney material wasn’t daring enough for a book like this. But it is! The overarching point of the book is Quinlan Vos essentially learns Dark Side powers to try and kill Count Dooku. Doing so, he teams up with Asajj Ventress. I love her character, so I was REALLY excited for this book. And it did not disappoint, like at all. The story was incredible from beginning to end. It exceeded my expectations when it came to it’s dark nature and the romance content was a welcomed surprise. My only complaint with this book is it seemed to wrap up quicker than I wanted. Beyond that, this is one of my favorite Star Wars books that I’ve read so far and it has also some of the best pure Star Wars content that I’ve experienced, in any form. I’m so glad this book was written as it was based on unproduced episodes of The Clone Wars, it’s a story that had to be told.

Characters (10/10 pts)

The biggest strength to characters in Dark Disciple comes with character development and something I call character-defining moments. I may have mentioned these before, but they are specific moments that define a character’s identity. This book had many of them, and they steered both Quinlan Vos and Asajj Ventress in directions that I wasn’t expecting. Even though their directions were unexpected, they still seemed to make sense with how Christie Golden made it happen. This character development also gave our two main characters significant depth and relatability. This is impressive to do because both characters were fairly different, but I still related to the actions of them both. This relatability caused me to form an emotional attachment. This is fairly crucial because once I get an emotional attachment to the book, I’m hooked! So from this, I am giving full points for characters.

Writing Style (8/10 pts)

I mentioned this in my previous review, but I guess it is worth mentioning again. I’m not expecting many variations in my points to this section for Star Wars books because almost all the authors are New York Times Bestselling Authors. Dark Disciple was well written. There was a decent amount of depth and it seemed on par in writing style with other Star Wars books. It was seemingly easy to read with good flow. Overall, the writing was still good, but not spectacular, so I am giving 8 points.

Plot (8.25/10 pts)

Oh man, I was expecting to give Dark Disciple a full 10 points for this section throughout almost the entire book. It was just so unique covering dark aspects of the Star Wars universe, an unexpected romance, and lots of action that I didn’t expect anything else other than a perfect score. However, the conclusion of a book is important to the plot. As I was reading through the final climactic scenes, I was a little surprised by how few pages that were remaining. While what actually happened during the conclusion was quality content, it just didn’t seem to be given enough attention by Golden. If the conclusion was given about double the pages, I think I would feel much more satisfied with the overall story. Instead, I am left with a weird feeling where I am wanting just a little bit more. For the superb quality of the entire book, it just felt so out of place for the conclusion to not be of the same quality. So even though almost the entire plot was incredible, with the conclusion, it will get the slightly imperfect score of 8.25 points.

Intrigue (10/10 pts)

This book definitely benefited from a unique storyline with some equally fascinating characters. Assaj Ventress and Quinlan Vos are unlike anything we’re used to from the movies. And having them interact with each other creates gold automatically. So even before the book began, my interest level was fairly high. But beyond the content, Golden’s writing style and development of the characters kept my interest at a high level throughout the entire book. I burned through it and didn’t want to put the book down at almost any point. It was a very exciting ride through and through, and that is why Dark Disciple is getting a perfect score for intrigue.

What does it add? (9/10 pts)

This was a pretty difficult section for me to rate. There was a lot going on and there are a couple of major points of interest for this section.

First, it just adds a new perspective to Star Wars as this isn’t really a story of a hero, it is a story of an anti-hero. While Thrawn, I believe, is also an anti-hero, this time the anti-hero is Force-sensitive which makes this addition to the universe interesting. This perspective showed what it truly means to fall to the dark side of the Force and what it does to a person. I think we know a lot more about the light side of the Force with what canon is available, so this book’s anti-hero approach gave much new information on the dark side. That information was something I was looking for when I started this book, and it did not disappoint.

Second, it kinda gives more of an idea of what balance in the force looks like. If you read one of my previous articles, I mention that we really don’t know what balance in the Force means. However, it should include elements of both the light and dark sides of the Force. This is something that Vos tried to achieve and we learn more about that pursuit of balance. It is difficult to attain, almost like chasing the end of a rainbow. It is still unclear what balance means, but Dark Disciple gives more information to this problem.

Finally, Asajj Ventress is a REALLY cool character. If you aren’t familiar with her, I would suggest that you check the episodes of The Clone Wars that she is featured in. After Count Dooku betrays Ventress, and she becomes a bounty hunter, her character arc lacked closure. This book provided some closure for one of the more interesting characters in the Star Wars universe.

So Dark Disciple did add some fairly interesting and needed content, that is why I am giving 9 points for this section.

Logic (+0.5 pts)

I’m not sure about you, but I know that I’ve always been a little curious as to why Anakin’s eyes turn yellow in The Revenge of the Sith. Maybe what was more perplexing is that sometimes they were yellow, and sometimes they were not. It’s not a huge plot point or anything, but it is content that I wanted to be explained. Dark Disciple does provide some context for why some dark side user’s eyes turn yellow and the significance of it. You may not think it is that interesting, but I do and that is why I’m awarding a half point for logic.

Final Thoughts

The final grade for Dark Disciple is a 9.15, which is similar to the score I gave Lost Stars. These two books are some of my highest rated ones yet, while Dark Disciple in my mind has better actual Star Wars content and Lost Stars may be the higher-quality book in general that almost anyone can enjoy. If you only have an interest in the Star Wars films, Dark Disciple may not be right for you, but if you do have an interest in the expanded universe, this book is a MUST read. It is essentially the Relyo (Rey and Kylo’s ‘ship name) story that fans were desperately wanting from Episode IV. If you are interested enough to want to read this book, I have no doubt that you will enjoy it.

I hope you enjoyed this book review and if there is a book that you want me to read or review, please let me know at christiancorah@gmail.com. As for now, I will only be doing Canon books (but in the future that might change).

Lords of the Sith Book Review

By: Christian Corah

Descriptives

Page count: Hardcover 320, Paperback 340

Author: Paul S. Kemp

Timeline: Follows Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel, precedes Tarkin 

Main Characters: Darth Vader, The Emperor, Cham Syndulla (shown below), Isval, Belkor Dray, and Moff Delian Mors

Brief synopsis: Freedom fighters Cham Syndulla and Isval attempt to cripple the Empire through one deadly mission that Darth Vader and The Emperor hope to survive.

Gut Feeling

I really enjoyed this book. When I started reading it, I wasn’t that excited for it. I basically chose it to read because I had just finished another book and it was the only one I owned that I hadn’t read yet. Once I got more books in the mail, I was a little frustrated that I had started Lords of the Sith. Admittedly, the book did start slow with the introduction of new characters. The book is not just about Darth Vader and The Emperor, which is what I was expecting. Since they were on the cover and the book was named after them, I felt annoyed that so much of the book was devoted to developing new characters. However, I came to change that opinion. While not the entire book is told from Vader’s and The Emperor’s perspectives, there is a lot to learn about them through the perspective of others. The reputation of Darth Vader grew throughout the book as the freedom fighters could not even comprehend Vader’s power. And the time that was devoted to just The Emperor and Darth Vader was done very well. There was much to learn about the relationship of a Sith Master to their Apprentice. There was manipulation, fear, and trust and mistrust at the same time. So my original bias against the book was reversed and I ended up grateful that I chose to read it.

Characters (9/10 pts)

Having characters like Vader and The Emperor can be an easy win for a Star Wars novel. The characters have already been fairly developed so they have existing strong reputations among fans. What I look for in these characters is what the author adds. We do learn some interesting content about them. I don’t want to give away too much, but Vader has some character defining moments in this book concerning his path to the dark side and we learn more about The Emperor as a Master. He is incredibly manipulative, and seeing it play out was fairly interesting. So for these two characters, the book was definitely a win. My only con is that I wish more of the book was told about them.

Since Vader and The Emperor were not the only main characters, the book was tasked with bringing characters like Cham, Isval, Belkor, and Mors to life. Although Cham does have some significant time in the animated series, readers won’t be too knowledgeable of the character. Kemp did a fantastic job with developing both Cham and Isval. I especially liked Isval who went through various moments in the book that made her standout as a unique character in the Star Wars Universe. Belkor and Mors were also developed well due to their limited time, but I didn’t feel committed to their characters. This isn’t necessarily a con, but just some nit-picking because Kemp did so good with the characters in this book. It is definitely a strength that stood out. 9 points for characters.

Writing Style (8/10 pts)

Kemp has a great talent for making action scenes come to life inside the reader’s mind. This made the climactic scenes that much more enjoyable. I was able to create a vivid image in my mind of what was going on. Also, through dialogue and reactions of others, he made the characters come to life as well. The characters were a strength in this novel, and it is largely because of Kemp’s writing style. For example, we learned a lot about Vader through the eyes of the other characters. Even when the emphasis was not directly on the Lords of the Sith, Kemp was able to keep in indirectly on them. This allowed for the development of multiple characters at once and kept the theme of the book true to its title.

Continuing on the strength of the characters, the book was told from all of the main character’s perspectives at differing points. Each of them gave unique outlooks on the events at hand and it made a more complete picture of what was going on. While I mostly consider this a strength, sometimes it was frustrating because I wanted to see what was going on with a certain character and it would sometimes be focused on an event or character that I wasn’t interested in. When done well, I thoroughly enjoyed it though. This writing style was unique and again highlighted a strength of the book, the characters. 8 points for the writing.

Plot (10/10 pts)

So this plot was awesome. It is partially because of how it was told (from so many perspectives), but the gradual build up of the book was incredibly satisfying as it climaxed near the end. Around halfway through the book, it is as if the climax began and it just kept building and building until at the end it all came together in beautiful fashion. It was a really awesome experience. It also accomplished in giving closure to each character/storyline. I wasn’t left wanting more, I was satisfied with what I got. Lords of the Sith is one of my favorite stories that I’ve read, and that is why I am giving it full points for the plot.

Intrigue (8.25/10 pts)

For the beginning part of the book, I did not feel the internal pull to keep turning pages. While characters were a strength to the book, the beginning felt slow since Kemp had to develop all of these characters and that took time. However, once the development set in and the story began to gradually climax, I couldn’t put the book down. Like I stated regarding the plot, the climax of the story seemed to start halfway through the book and it kept rising until at the end of the book everything came together. While it started slow, the intrigue peaked at the end and I couldn’t put the book down. I definifelt binged the last quarter of the book because I just had to find out what happens next. So intrigue started as a weakness and ended as a strength: 8.25 points.

What does it add? (8/10 pts)

In regards to what this book adds to the Star Wars Universe, I am most interested in The Emperor and Darth Vader. This is because of their prominent roles in the universe. I was wanting to learn more about their relationship as Master/Apprentice, and the book did not disappoint. It did examine how The Emperor trains/manipulates Vader and how Vader responds to it. Following the dark side is full of suffering, pain, and hatred and this book explains that more explicitly. It also peeks inside of Vader’s mind and provides some information on the conflict going on in his mind. We know he is conflicted from the movies, but we never fully knew what that meant. Now we have a better idea and it creates more understanding regarding Vader’s character. 

The events in the book also supposedly resulted in some of the spark that started the Rebellion. This is obviously significant, but how it acted as a spark is only inferred to in this book and not spelled out. It is interesting, but it doesn’t affect how I view anything in Star Wars.

I am giving this category 8 points because I enjoyed what it adds to the universe, but I don’t think it will make me view the movies/shows in a different light. We already knew Vader had conflict and that The Emperor is manipulative, we just know more about it now. It was done beautifully, but it more of explained what was unknown instead of adding something completely new.

Logic (-0.5 pts)

There were a couple of events in the book that didn’t quite make sense. Vader was able to use the force to throw buzz droids off of his ship, which wasn’t done by him in Revenge of the Sith. While it makes sense that he could do it, it just raises the question why neither he nor Obi-Wan did it in the movies. Vader also basically force ran everywhere in this book. If he was moving, he was force running. This makes me question why he didn’t run anywhere in the movies when in his armor, even though he clearly can and should. Instead he seemed fairly slow during the original trilogy.

These things made me scratch my head a little bit, but the book gains some points back by explaining something in the movies. When Darth Sidious quickly kills the three Jedi surrounding Mace Windu in Revenge of the Sith, it doesn’t look that believable. It appeared that the Jedi should have defended themselves better. I don’t want to give it away, but there is a short scene near the end of the book that explains how Sidious did this. So I am only deducting two points for logic because the book helped to explain something in the movies that was perplexing.

Final Thoughts

The final grade for Lords of the Sith is a 8.55/10, so a solid B. The book used the characters as a strength in multiple aspects, and it made the story-telling unique. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the master and apprentice relationship of Sith. The rest of the book involves a great story regarding a spark behind the Rebellion, but the interest is founded in Vader and The Emperor. 

I hope you enjoyed my first review and if there is a book that you want me to read or review, please let me know at christiancorah@gmail.com. As for now I will only be doing Canon books (but in the future that might change).

Bloodline Book Review

By: Christian Corah

Descriptives

Page count: paperback, 394

Author: Claudia Gray

Timeline: Follows Return of the Jedi and precedes The Force Awakens

Main characters: Leia Organa and Ransolm Casterfo

Brief synopsis: It is the age of the New Republic, but a silent threat is slowly growing in power that is strongly sympathetic to the old Empire.

Gut Feeling

Claudia Gray has yet to miss with one of her Star Wars books. Her writing and storytelling has been so good that I’m wanting to branch out and read her non Star Wars novels. Bloodline was another great book set within the Star Wars universe. It had a conceptual feel to it, much like Queen’s Shadow and Catalyst. With these types of books, the storytelling must be high quality because the action is oftentimes lacking and the writing is detailed. Gray was certainly up to the challenge. This was her most detailed Star Wars work yet, but it did not lose any readability due to the details. It is both a great stand alone book and a great introduction to the world of the Sequel Trilogy. Gray has yet to strike out with any of her books so far and I will be highly anticipating her future work.

Characters (9/10 pts)

Star Wars novels that focus on prominent characters within the universe have an upperhand on novels that do not. This is because the reader already has an understanding and emotional attachment to the character. Because Bloodline was focused on Leia, Gray did not have to develop her main character from scratch. So I look for what else I can learn about the character. Leia did have further development in Bloodline that helped to explain how she changed between episodes 6 and 7. It may not have been as significant development as we got in Leia, Princess of Alderaan, but it was still good. 

But I don’t think the strength for this section comes just from Leia. Gray also created several other characters that had significant depth to them. Senator Ransolm Casterfo had to be my favorite. His character is fairly unique and one that we haven’t exactly seen in Star Wars. He also has a pretty interesting relationship with Leia, just adding to the complexity of each character. Casterfo actually changes more as a character within his arch in this book than Leia does. Throughout his story, I developed an emotional attachment to him and was invested in what was happening to him. 

However, Casterfo wasn’t the only good new character that Bloodlines introduced. Characters such as Lady Carise Sindian, Greer Sonnel, Korr Sella, Joph Seastriker, and Rinnrivin Di were also solid with their own complexities, depth, and character arcs. I just won’t spend more time discussing the details of their characters, just know that they were strong. Gray did well with developing her characters and it earns her a score of 9 points. 

Writing Style (9/10 pts)

Well, another Claudia Gray novel means that we have another strong score for the writing quality. As I mentioned previously, the writing style in Bloodline felt a little different from Gray’s other novels. It was much more detailed. This caused the reading to not be quite as smooth as her other books, but this style was needed as the content in the book had a lot of depth to it. It was heavily focused on politics, so the writing had to have many details to completely describe the ideas. It felt less like a typical Claudia Gray novel, but there were still sections where I recognized her style. I credit this to Gray’s skill and adaptability as a writer. She was able to write with a slightly different style and still have a writing quality that was above average for Star Wars novels (this is saying a lot because all Star Wars novels are well written). So Bloodline is receiving a strong score of 9 points for its writing style. 

Plot (9.5/10 pts)

The two biggest problems I have with books for their plot is the pacing of the novel and how it ends. I had absolutely no problems with the pacing or closure regarding the plot of Bloodline. From very early on in the book, I had a good idea of where the plot was heading. This did not make the book predictable, but it was enough to keep me turning pages throughout. It also had enough peaks and valleys early on that successfully built up to a climactic and satisfying finish. Writing closure into a story, and for characters, is no easy task for an author. Gray was able to do so with multiple characters, and that is something that I definitely don’t take for granted. I hate it when I feel the story is incomplete after I finish the last page. I certainly did not have this feeling after finishing Bloodline. My only complaint with the plot is that some of the action scenes seemed to be a little bit forced. They just seemed a bit out of place within the overall story. But this won’t stop Bloodline from receiving another good score, this time of 9.5 points.  

Intrigue (8.5/10 pts)

For being very detailed and having a prominent focus on politics, Bloodline was still an intriguing read. There may be some personal bias here because I am very interested in galactic politics within Star Wars (ironically enough because I couldn’t care less about real-world politics), but I still believe the interest level should transfer to most readers. I think the strength in the intrigue largely comes from the high quality plot. Early on in the book, I knew where it was headed and wanted to find out what would happen. This caused me to be motivated to keep reading and not want to put it down. The only thing hurting the intrigue is the detailed nature and complexity of the book. This just caused me to need some breaks while reading the book because it was sometimes a lot to take in. But that doesn’t significantly hurt the intrigue of Bloodline, it gets another strong score of 8.5/10 points.

What does it add? (7/10 pts)

We’ve had four very strong scores for Bloodline so far, but we now get to the book’s only real weakness. Here is what it adds to Star Wars: an explanation of politics within the new republic era, an explanation to how the First Order came to power, and how the Resistance started to rise against it. While this new content was needed within this time period, it was the sole purpose of the book. So this content was expected and serves as the minimum for what I was expecting from Bloodline. That being said, this content was very good. It exceeded my expectations for its detail. I was very interested in it. That being said, I still wish Bloodline added more to Star Wars that was significant outside of this book’s timeline. It does tie into the Sequel Trilogy a bit, but for the most part it felt self-contained (this is because much has changed between the time period of Bloodline and that of the Sequel Trilogy). This is also a problem I have with books such as Most Wanted and Resistance Reborn. These books are written for the purpose of supplying background for a movie, but they don’t tell us much more than that. Leia, Princess of Alderaan, written for The Last Jedi, probably did the best job, of the books I’ve read so far, of supplying information to Star Wars outside of the book’s intended purpose. But because Bloodline did not add much outside of its purpose, it is getting a slightly below average score of 7 points. 

Logic (0 pts)

I looked very hard for the meme that went something like this: “Claudia Gray watching The Rise of Skywalker finding out that Leia had gone through training to be a Jedi.” Of course, this was followed by a humorous picture exaggerating the face Gray would have been making. Alas, I did not save the meme when I found it and my research proved to be unsuccessful. I was really hoping to show the meme directly below this section. My point is that Leia was supposedly training to be a Jedi around the same timeline as Bloodline and Gray obviously was unaware of that when she wrote the book. So one could argue that logically some of what happens in this book did not make sense because Leia should have Jedi powers, but I would be pretty insane to take points away from Bloodline because of that. It would be more practical to take points away from TROS. So I will neither add to nor take away points from Bloodline for its logic.

Final Thoughts

So my final score for Bloodline is a 8.6/10, or a strong B. This is in the higher area of books I have reviewed. However, it is the favorite book that I have read so far that wasn’t focused on action. Bloodline was more driven on being conceptual, and it did a very good job at that. I’m glad that Gray was trusted with Leia’s character because both books that she wrote focused on Leia were very good. For anyone wanting more Leia content or more information on the gap between the Original and Sequel Trilogies, then Bloodline is a definite must read.

I hope you enjoyed this book review and if there is a book that you want me to read or review, please let me know at christiancorah@gmail.com. As for now, I will only be doing Canon books (but in the future that might change).

Battlefront: Twilight Company Book Review

By: Christian Corah

Descriptives

Page count: Paperback, 463

Author: Alexander Freed

Timeline: Follows A New Hope, precedes Empire Strikes Back

Main character: Hazram Namir

Brief synopsis: Despite the destruction of the Death Star, Twilight Company remains caught up in a devastating war with the unyielding Imperial war-machine 

Gut Feeling

I was pretty excited when I started reading this book. Even though it was a book written for a video game, I’d heard that it was really good. Some even said that it was one of the best Star Wars books out there, which is saying a lot! Also, who doesn’t love a good war story? Being set in the Star Wars universe, I was expecting to thoroughly enjoy this book. But, now that I have finished it, I didn’t love the majority of the book. Early on, the war scenes were really cool. It felt as if I was reading through a playthrough of Rainbow Six Siege. Really cool! But as the book continued on, I felt that I had to force myself to keep reading. The book is rather long, and I think that the story could have been told in many less pages. However, the ending was well told. It was the highest quality section of the book, which is saying a lot, because I think ending a story is the hardest part to tell. But overall, I still think I was disappointed with Battlefront, Twilight Company. But that is also my biased opinion, let's get into the actual content of the book for the scored review.

Characters (9/10 pts)

Characters were, by far, the strongest component of the book. While Namir was the main character, the book followed perspectives of various different characters. The time devoted to these characters was not too much, where it would take away from Namir’s story, and it was enough to supplement the main story from a different point of view. I thought all of the character arcs, in addition to Namir’s, were well told and all added something significant to the story. Now, back to Namir, he was an especially interesting character. While I do wish that more of an emotional attachment was formed for him, that doesn’t mean that you won’t feel strongly attached to his character. Besides that, I found his character very interesting. It was something that I didn’t exactly suspect from the book’s main character, but I welcomed his character’s unique qualities. Alongside Namir, Governor Chalis and members of the Twilight Company were all developed well and had their own depth. Having so many strong characters in a book is difficult to do, but Battlefront: Twilight Company delivered. That is why they score so high, with 9 points, in this section. 

 Writing Style (7.75/10 pts)

No Star Wars book is poorly written. Del Rey does an excellent job at only selecting established authors to write their stories. While Battlefront: Twilight Company was well written, I do think it is slightly below average when compared to other Star Wars novels. Freed uses much detail throughout the entire book, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but I think the impact of the details could have been told with fewer words. It seemed to take me out of the story multiple times. He also fits a lot of details into each sentence: too much in my opinion. This makes the sentence structure more complex than it should be. I believe that simpler is better when conveying ideas. Finally, and this may be a stylistic choice, when presenting a list of three or more items, Freed did not use commas to separate the items. Instead, he used “or” or “and” between every single item. Grammatically, this is incorrect, but it could have been a choice he made to fit the theme of the novel (something similar was done with Cormac McCarthy’s The Road). I don’t think the choice paid off, but I’m not taking away points for that because you may feel differently. The writing style didn’t hurt the quality of the book at all, but it didn’t significantly add to it either. For the reasons presented previously, I am giving 7.75 points for the writing style.

Plot (7.5/10 pts)

It’s really difficult for me to rate a novel when the ending of the book seems so differing in quality from the rest. For most of the book, I was expecting to rate the plot very low. However, the ending of the book was very good. It was exciting, brought all of the characters together, and successfully applied closure to the story. It was also done at a pace that I thought was neither too slow nor too fast, it was just right. So even though, for the most part, I did not love the plot, it did leave a good taste in my mouth at the end. However, I can’t deny that I felt this plot was pretty slow paced. I think there were events and details in the book that could have been cut out to no expense to the overall story. This would have quickened the pace and made the read more exciting. It was also somewhat difficult to know where the book was headed. At some points I thought I knew, but I was never certain. I don’t want to know exactly what is going to happen, but I want to know the direction when reading a book. However, alongside the ending, the best part of the plot was the differing perspectives that the story was told from. While there were storylines separate from Namir’s, they did not significantly add to the length of the book, which was a plus. The time was spent well. So there is obviously a lot to discuss considering this book’s plot. There’s a lot of negatives and positives. Overall, I am settling with a score that is slightly below average: 7.5 points.

Intrigue (6.5/10 pts)

Intrigue is where the weaknesses of the plot hit the hardest. While seeing the story from multiple characters’ perspectives is good for the plot, it hurts the intrigue. This is because I have to learn the backgrounds of multiple different characters, which does take some time for Freed to do. Eventually I welcomed these new characters, but, at first, I just wanted to get back to Namir’s story. Also, because the plot moved so slow, I felt that I could read a couple chapters and still not know much more about the story. Adding this to the overall direction of the plot being somewhat unclear, it took me much longer to read this book than I expected. However, when the book was good, it was very good. It’s peaks in intrigue resulted in Freed’s highest quality writing and caused me to not want to put the book down. But these moments did not occur enough in this novel. Considering it was a story about war, I expected it to have much more intrigue. That is why I am only giving 6.5 points for the intrigue. 

What does it add? (6/10 pts)

Battlefront: Twilight Company didn’t add much to the Star Wars universe. There were only two things that I can think of. First, we have new perspectives on good and evil in the war. It is not as black and white as we think it is. We like to think the Rebels can do no bad and the Empire can do no good, but that isn’t always true. However, Lost Stars by Claudia Gray did this much better. Regardless, this book still added to the conversation that not everyone involved in the Imperial war-machine was evil. Second, we got a look into what the war was actually like. Seeing that this was essentially the sole purpose of the novel, I do not give major points for this addition. So I am only awarding 6 points for what this book added.

Logic (0 pts)

There was nothing in Battlefront: Twilight Company that either adds to or takes away from the logic within the Star Wars universe. Because of that, I am neither adding nor taking away extra points.

Final Thoughts

So my final grade for Battlefront: Twilight Company is a 7.35/10 or moderate to low C. This falls in the lower echelon of the novels that I have reviewed. I felt disappointed by the majority of it, but it did have some high quality parts in it. If you have a large interest for war novels, you will probably like this book more than I did. But if you are just a Star Wars fan looking for good stories within the universe, I don’t think this one is a must read.

I hope you enjoyed this book review and if there is a book that you want me to read or review, please let me know at christiancorah@gmail.com. As for now, I will only be doing Canon books (but in the future that might change).

Free Fall Book Review

By: Christian Corah

Descriptives

Page count: Hardcover, 384

Author: Alex Segura

Intended Audience: Young Adult

Timeline: Follows Return of the Jedi, precedes The Force Awakens

Main characters: Poe Dameron and Zorii Bliss

Brief synopsis: Having a dream of a life more than being stuck on Yavin 4, Poe joins the Spice Runners of Kijimi and gets more than be bargained for. 

Gut Feeling

Personally, I thought that Poe was one of the less exciting main characters in the sequel trilogy. I didn’t dislike him, but his arc was all over the place and it was hard to keep track of. Free Fall certainly helps fill in some of the holes in his character arc, specifically for new plot points added to his character in The Rise of Skywalker. However, I think that the book should have given Poe’s character more depth. I would have liked to see more than just his life with the Spice Runners of Kijimi. With a larger scope, we would have learned more about Poe. However, his character wasn’t the main reason why I was interested in reading this book. I was really excited to learn more about Zorii Bliss. She didn’t have a ton of time in The Rise of Skywalker, but I loved what we got of her. She truly has the potential to be one of the better strong, female characters in Star Wars. She did get more depth in Free Fall, but like with Poe, I wish we got more. This will be a common theme moving forward in this review. However, it doesn’t mean that I didn’t enjoy the read. It was an overall exciting story that was easy to read. So without further ado, let’s get into the details.

Characters (7/10 pts)

Because this book’s purpose was to essentially provide a background for Poe’s character, I expected it to be full of character development. Mostly for Poe, but also for other characters like Zorii. What Freed added for these characters was good. We get to learn a little bit about Poe’s life before he left home and learn the most about him as a spice runner. I do wish we got more details about him than with this period in his life and as I said before, a broader scope of his life would have allowed us to get a better overall understanding of his character. However, there was a significant character-defining moment for Poe that helps out the score for this section. It was essentially at the climax of the book and you’ll understand what I’m talking about if you read it. I still wish we got more details on Poe, but this moment was powerful and I’m glad it was included. 

I also think it is important to talk about Zorii. We do learn more about her, but a lot of it is through Poe’s perspective. She is a second main character to Poe and I wish more of the book was devoted to giving her character depth. Like with Poe, the content with her was quality, I just wish there was more to it. There was potential to make her a strong character in Star Wars, and I don’t think that happened. I still love Zorii, I could just have more reasons to love her. For all of these reasons, I am giving 7 points for the characters.

Writing Style (7.5/10 pts)

For being a young adult (YA) novel, I thought that the writing style was a bit too simple. It felt more like a novel intended for teenagers. Not necessarily in the content (the content fit what I expect for a YA novel), but just how it read. It seemed there could have been many details added to the writing that would have helped the story come to life more. Also, at points, the flow of the writing seemed a little bit awkward. However, I do want to note that this never really took away from the overall quality of the book. All Star Wars novels are well written so I am just being nitpicky here. This is just how I can differentiate between different books. So even though this book is overall well written, it felt slightly less than average for Star Wars novels. I am giving 7.5 points.

Plot (6.5/10 pts)

I was pretty disappointed with the plot. It jumped around a lot and was sometimes hard to connect what just happened to what was now happening. It really lacked scenes in between the peaks to give the plot time to breathe (pretty similar to The Rise of Skywalker). These scenes would have also set up the peaks better giving them more meaning. Without them, the peaks weren’t high enough. So for about 75% of the book, the plot was pretty weak. But the ending of the book, which is very important, was excellent. Like I said in the character section, it was crucial for Poe’s character. It also brought multiple character arcs together which made it the most exciting part of the book, as it should be. While I did enjoy it, I think it could have been a lot better if there were more details in the plot prior to the climax. The plot was one of the weaker parts of Free Fall, so I am only giving 6.5 points.

Intrigue (7.5/10 pts)

As I stated before, Poe was not one of my favorite characters in the sequel trilogy so I have to try and control my bias for this section. Naturally, I had less intrigue than normal, but I understand that if you decide to read this book you probably like Poe more than I do. However, there were still reasons why the intrigue for Free Fall was less than average. While there were many exciting moments, because they lacked scenes that gave them meaning, it makes it more difficult to get invested in the story. Also, it was difficult to know what the book was leading towards (it doesn’t help that we know that Poe leaves the Spice runners) so I wasn’t as motivated to find out what was going to happen. Even though I did enjoy the ending, the intrigue only started to peak near the end of the novel. What is working for the intrigue is the easy to read writing style. I could read much of it at a time with hardly any effort. This helps the score a little bit, but I am still only giving 7.5 points for the intrigue. 

What does it add? (6.5/10 pts)

This is the weakest part of the novel. There is nothing really that Free Fall adds to the Star Wars universe that is significant to more than the characters of Poe and Zorii. This makes the book mostly self-contained. This makes sense because the purpose of the book is mostly for these characters, but it just means that it won’t score well here. It isn’t a deal-breaker for the book, it is just the truth. The only thing that I can really think of that adds to Star Wars is more information on the Spice Runners of Kijimi. They seem to be a significant part of the universe in the New Republic era. Also, their leader at the time was VERY cool. However, it still doesn’t really change much about how I view Star Wars holistically. I am only giving 6.5 points for this section.

Logic (+0.5 pts)

The Rise of Skywalker introduced us to lightspeed skipping and although it is a cool concept, it is difficult to wrap one’s mind around. Lightspeed travel itself is difficult, but there are plausible explanations like computers having to path out strict hyperspace lanes to travel by. Lightspeed skipping kind of throws that to the curb. But, through Free Fall, we do get an explanation for how this method works. For that reason, I am giving an extra half point.

Final Thoughts

My overall score for Free Fall is a 7.1/10, or a C minus. This is below average for books that I have reviewed thus far. As you can tell from the scores, there is no real strength to this novel and that is probably its biggest weakness. There’s nothing really that I can point to and say “this is what makes this book great,” outside of the defining moment for Poe’s character. I’d only really read this novel if you love the characters of Poe or Zorii. If you do, I don’t see any real reasons why you would dislike the book. But if you’re just looking for your next great Star Wars book to read, there are better options available. 

I hope you enjoyed this book review and if there is a book that you want me to read or review, please let me know at christiancorah@gmail.com. As for now, I will only be doing Canon books (but in the future that might change).

Shadow Fall Book Review

By: Christian Corah

Descriptives

Page count: Hardcover, 393

Author: Alexander Freed

Timeline: Follows Alphabet Squadron, precedes the Aftermath trilogy

Main characters: Yrica Quell, Chass na Chadic, Wyl Lark, Kairos, Nath Tensent, Caern Adan, Soran Keize, and Hera Syndulla

Brief synopsis: While still attempting to take down the dangerous Shadow Wing, Alphabet Squadron faces some intense adversity.

Gut Feeling

Just as Alphabet Squadron felt like the first book in a series of three, Shadow Fall feels like the second book in a series of three. This is certainly a good thing. In a lot of ways, it felt like a similar book to Alphabet Squadron but just a little bit better. A significant portion of Alphabet Squadron was devoted to giving depth to the book’s main characters so that means that Shadow Fall could focus more on the action. It was still primarily a character-led novel, but instead of just learning more about the characters, they were developing due to what was happening in the plot. While it did still start a little bit slow, it picked up and got very good near the end. Something that was a nice touch that was lacking in Alphabet Squadron was an addition to Star Wars lore that I’ll discuss further in this review. Overall, I enjoyed this book more than the first in the series and it sets up the final book to be even better. Let’s get into the details. 

Characters (10/10 pts)

As a book that is led by the characters, this section should be strong, and it certainly is. While Yrica Quell is the “main”, main character of the novel, the other main characters have as much, if not more, character development than main characters in other novels. Alphabet Squadron did the grunt work in applying depth and initial development to these characters and Shadow Fall ran with it. All of the development in this book was unique and interesting. These characters really all have unique character arcs. For books with this many characters, there usually are weaker characters or arcs. I don’t see that being the case for Shadow Fall. While my personal favorite arc was Yrica Quell’s, I enjoyed reading all of the character arcs. And I can definitely see why another reader may favor another character’s arc. I have everything good and nothing bad to say about the characters in this book, so it easily gets full points.

Writing Style (8.5/10 pts)

I say it every time I write this section, but no Star Wars novel is poorly written so I haven’t given a poor score to this section yet. As it should be, the writing style was the same as it was in Alphabet Squadron. In the Freed novels that I have read, I’ve noticed that his style is certainly more detailed. Similar to the plot as well, he goes an inch wide and a mile deep really getting everything purposeful he can out of each section. This can sometimes cause the book to read rather slow, but when you actually pay attention to the details, they are appreciated. And Freed adds these details in a way that doesn’t take much away from the flow of the book, which is impressive. For these reasons, I am giving 8.5 points.

Plot (7.5/10 pts)

Seeing as the book is led by the strength of the characters, the plot does take a little bit of a hit: this is similar to what I said about Alphabet Squadron. Much of the book’s plot is just used to further develop and gives us different perspectives on the main characters. It did serve the purpose very well, but when I take a step back and just look at what actually happened during the whole book, it wasn’t that much. It isn’t necessarily a terrible thing for the book, it just means that the plot wasn’t what was driving the book. It is a stylistic choice. I can say two strong points for the plot, though. First, there was more action in this one than Alphabet Squadron. It slowly built up the whole book to an exciting, climactic finish that was even more exciting than the first book. The plot made a lot of sense and there were no glaring weaknesses to it outside of not that much happening. Second, seeing the plot told from so many perspectives gives us a more complete understanding of what is going on. I am still only giving 7.5 points for this section, but that shouldn’t deter you from reading the book.

Intrigue (7.25/10 pts)

Up to this point in the review, it has looked nearly identical to my review of Alphabet Squadron. However, this is where the books start to deviate and Shadow Fall starts to score higher. Since Alphabet Squadron did most of the work developing the characters, we enter reading this book with a different perspective. We are naturally more invested in the characters and more excited to learn about them. This is just the nature of it being the second book in a series. And instead of just learning about the depth of the characters, we are experiencing them change and adapt which is inherently more exciting. This obviously helps with the intrigue. But still, the majority of the book was a slow build to the climatic finish. While it did pay off in the end (I didn’t want to put the book down during the last couple of chapters), my intrigue was less than average for most of the book. I am giving 7.25 points for the intrigue.

What does it add? (8/10 pts)

This section was the biggest weakness of Alphabet Squadron and I expected Shadow Fall to be similar. I just didn’t see a book series about a New Republic squadron to add Star Wars lore. I was pleasantly surprised with what Shadow Fall ended up adding. There are two things that stand out the most to me. The first is through The Children of the Empty Sun: a religious group that follows the way of the Force. We’ve known that some beings follow the Force religiously even if they are not Force-sensitive, but I haven’t been exposed to it in so much detail before (it may be detailed elsewhere, I just haven’t read it before). The second addition is through exposure to a Sith temple. Alphabet Squadron did bring us to a Jedi temple, but I thought that what Freed did in this book was more interesting. I was actually fascinated by the concept. I’d love to say more, but I’ll spare the details to avoid spoilers. You will just have to read the book to find out. I’m giving 8 points for this section.

Logic (0 pts)

There is nothing in Shadow Fall that added to nor took away from the logic within the Star Wars universe. So, I am neither adding nor taking away extra points. 

Final Thoughts

So, my final score for Shadow Fall is an 8.25/10, or a solid B minus. This is higher than the score I gave Alphabet Squadron and is about average concerning Star Wars novels that I’ve reviewed. As it was important to keep in mind that Alphabet Squadron was the first book in the series, it is also important to remember that Shadow Fall is the second in the series. I fully suspect that the final book in the series will score the highest of the three and make this series one of the better ones in Star Wars. If you enjoyed Alphabet Squadron, you’ll absolutely love Shadow Fall. And if you like character-led novels, I’d suggest getting started on the Alphabet Squadron series. 

I hope you enjoyed this book review and if there is a book that you want me to read or review, please let me know at christiancorah@gmail.com. As for now, I will only be doing Canon books (but in the future that might change).

Leia: Princess of Alderaan Book Review

By: Christian Corah

Descriptives

Page count: Hardcover 409

Author: Claudia Gray

Timeline: Precedes A New Hope

Main characters: Leia Organa, Amilyn Holdo, and Kier Domadi

Brief synopsis: While challenging herself to be validated as the future Queen of Alderaan, a Rebellion that her parents are helping orchestrate takes Leia by surprise.

Gut Feeling

I have some odd mixed feelings over this book. It took me longer to read than expected because around halfway through it was unclear the direction that the book was headed. Because of this, I wasn’t as motivated to keep picking it up to read. But then holy cow, about the last quarter of the book was incredible. The ending was simply masterful. So for a decent amount of the book I was a bit indifferent towards it, and at the end I was SO psyched! Pretty odd mix of feelings. What I will say is it reminded me of Queen’s Shadow (a book about Padme) quite a bit. Both of them involved female leads getting heavily involved in politics that relied heavily on conceptual content over action. While Queen’s Shadow did not do this great in my opinion, Leia: Princess of Alderaan accomplished it well. The ending had my psyched to watch both A New Hope and The Last Jedi, and whenever I have reactions like that I know I enjoyed the book! It may not be my favorite book by Claudia Gray, but it is still a high quality Star Wars novel.

Characters (9/10 pts)

Unsurprisingly, the main character in this novel was Leia so that is where my focus will be for this section. Gray did a great job developing Leia and made her a lot more relatable than I was expecting. In A New Hope, I never thought of Leia as a super relatable character because she didn’t seem to struggle much. In Leia: Princess of Alderaan, in many ways Leia seemed like an average 16-year old. She faced many similar challenges that the rest of us have faced at that age and this gave her character some additional depth and an emotional attachment. In some ways, we find ourselves living vicariously through her. So overall, Leia’s character development in this book was awesome and I found myself both attached to and rooting for her at the end of the book. As this appears to be a common theme with good books I’ve reviewed, this is a good sign for Leia: Princess of Alderaan!

While Leia was the focus, Amilyn Holdo (Admiral Holdo) was also a major character in this novel. As Holdo has a major role in The Last Jedi, I believe her introduction was an important one. Now, I am really not a big fan of Holdo’s character in The Last Jedi as she is a pretty horrible leader and her actions are pretty chaotic. She has been one of my most hated characters in Star Wars. That being said, I really liked the Holdo that I was introduced to by Claudia Gray. She came off as a bit of an oddball, but her character was likeable, relatable, and genuine. If I had read this book before watching The Last Jedi, I would have been less upset about the actions of Holdo and more upset at the writers of the movie for doing this character wrong. So by reading this book I don’t have a new perspective on what Holdo does in the movie, but I do have a larger appreciation for Holdo’s character holistically. Because of Gray’s strong character development and depth, I am giving 9 points for characters.

Writing Style (9/10 pts)

I know I’m not alone in saying that Claudia Gray is my favorite Star Wars author. Her writing style adds much depth while being fairly easy to read. Her way of developing characters makes them very relatable as she touches on unconscious thoughts and emotions that cause the reader to become more in touch with the character. However, this book didn’t feel quite as well written as her others that I’ve read: Master and Apprentice & Lost Stars. But it was still an above average written Star Wars book. Because of that, I am giving 9 points for the book’s writing style.

Plot (7.75/10 pts)

As I stated in my gut reaction, for a decent part of the book it was hard to say what exactly the story was moving towards. This took away from some of my motivation to read the book because I wasn’t dying to know what was going to happen next. But as I’ve mentioned before, how a book ends has a lot to do with the overall quality of the book. And this book’s ending was pretty incredible! I tore through the last pages of the book as I couldn’t put it down, and I was not disappointed! I won’t give anything away, but the ending was everything that I felt it should have been. It provided excellent closure for the story and was a good interlude into A New Hope. Although, I can’t ignore that for most of the book the plot seemed unclear, so I am rewarding a slightly lower, but still good, score of 7.75 points.

Intrigue (8/10 pts)

I don’t want to get too repetitive in this section, but many of it is pretty similar to what was said for the plot. For most of the book, my intrigue wasn’t as high as I expected. At the end though, my intrigue was through the roof! So there was quite a bit of disparity regarding the intrigue throughout the book. What adds to the section is the writing style, it significantly adds to the intrigue. Because it reads so easily, I could read and not put it down when I wanted to. But even though the writing style was so good, I was not as intrigued by most of the book as I expected. That is why I’m giving 8 points for intrigue. 

What does it add? (8/10 pts)

In terms of the story, this book added a much-needed background for one of Star Wars’ most iconic female characters. When Leia and Luke got separated from birth, we learned a great deal about Luke’s upbringing, but we don’t see what Leia had to deal with growing up. Through Leia: Princess of Alderaan, we get this background to her story that I was needing. It gives her character more relatability than we see in the Original Trilogy making her character much stronger. It also gives much more meaning behind the destruction of Alderaan as we learn more about the significance of that loss to not just Leia, but also to the galaxy. So along with containing some clues about The Last Jedi (as this was much of the book’s purpose), it added background information on A New Hope as well.

Along with adding to the story, Leia: Princess of Alderaan also gave an interesting perspective on using the Force. Although the moment was brief, it gave the reader a glimpse of what it is like for a being to tap into and use the Force. This was a pretty cool little addition that I geeked out over. Although the moment was brief, what it added was still significant. 

Overall, what this book added was fairly expected for this novel. It provided background on the movies that I expected and also had the little addition that added to the Star Wars universe as a whole. Because of that, I am giving it an average score of 8 points. 

Logic (0 pts)

There’s nothing in Leia: Princess of Alderaan that significantly adds to or takes away from the logic in the Star Wars universe. But it had an opportunity I think to help explain why Holdo made such interesting leadership decisions in The Last Jedi. Gray likes to take things that seem confusing to Star Wars fans in movies and helps give reason behind them in her books. She did this notably in Lost Stars. I think if this book was written after The Last Jedi that Gray would have done something similar with Holdo, but because it was written before the release of the movie she did not. So I am neither giving nor taking away points for the logic.

Final Thoughts

So my final score for Leia: Princess of Alderaan is a 8.35/10, or a B. This is less than I expected for a book by Claudia Gray, but as the plot seemed a bit confusing throughout much of the book, I think the rating is fair. But the end of the book is what made it so good and will be a big reason why I will be recommending this book to others. All fans of Leia MUST read this book as it adds to her character in a way that the movies were unable to do. Also, because it was written by Gray, you know you are going to get a high quality read. Leia: Princess of Alderaan may not have been Gray’s best Star Wars work, but it is still one of the higher quality Star Wars novels out there.

I hope you enjoyed this book review and if there is a book that you want me to read or review, please let me know at christiancorah@gmail.com. As for now, I will only be doing Canon books (but in the future that might change). 

Master and Apprentice Book Review

By: Christian Corah

Descriptives

Page count: Hardcover, 330

Author: Claudia Gray

Timeline: Precedes The Phantom Menace

Main characters: Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan

Brief synopsis: An unexpectedly dangerous mission tests the bond of Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan’s relationship.

Gut Feeling

Master and Apprentice was actually the first Star Wars novel of the new Canon that I read. I enjoyed this book so much that it got me hooked on this medium of Star Wars story-telling. Some of my favorite stories and characters have thus come from novels, and I owe a lot of that to Master and Apprentice. Almost a year later and I’m enjoying reading them so much that I’ve written over 20 book reviews! Pretty crazy, and I owe a lot of that to this book. But outside of that impact of the book on my life, I obviously enjoyed it very much. Problems with the Prequels aside, I really believe that the universe created by them is the best of the three trilogies. It is simply the broadest and most complex of the three. So, that, and the fact that the novel focused on two of my favorite Jedi made my interest in this book to be high before I even picked it up. That being said, I have been disappointed with books even with high expectations, so Claudia Gray still had to write a good book. And well, she definitely did. It had content beyond what I was expecting, and I was pleasantly surprised at what I learned while reading it. My biased reaction is that this might be the highest quality Star Wars novel out there, but that is before doing my actual rating of the book. We’ll see how the points turn out!

Characters (9/10 pts)

Because Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are such well-known characters, Gray had an easier job because the reader should already have a positive emotional attachment to them. From that, what I will be looking for is additional character development for them that both makes sense and is somewhat unexpected (sounds hard, but that’s why I just review books and don’t write them). But Gray’s focus on the book was not developing them as individuals. Her focus was given away in the title that Master and Apprentice is about relationships, specifically between the master and apprentice. It’s in these relationships that we do learn more about Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, but we get to learn more about other master and apprentice relationships too that give us a better holistic review of what this unique relationship looks like. So I may not have had as much of an emotional attachment to the characters as I expected, but learning about the inter- relationship qualities is a wonderful touch. This is where the strength lied for the characters and that was somewhat unexpected, but a unique look from Gray that I appreciated.

Writing Style (10/10 pts)

Welp, another Claudia Gray book means another good score for “writing style.” No surprises here, but I’ll still try to not sound too repetitive. I’ve mentioned before that Claudia Gray is my favorite Star Wars author, and here lies no exception. Master and Apprentice is up with Lost Stars as the best purely written Star Wars books available. As I might give a slight edge to Lost Stars, it is not by much. Gray is fantastic at touching on our unconscious thoughts and using them to make the book come to life and for us to form attachments with characters. She hit another home run with Master and Apprentice, so I have no choice but to give a perfect score of 10 points.

Plot (9.5/10 pts)

From the start of the book, it was pretty clear where the direction of the book was headed. The scenes near the beginning seemed exciting enough to build intrigue and keep the plot moving, but not too exciting to take away from the climactic ending of the book. There were also surprises that kept things interesting and flashback chapters that helped develop the plot from an interesting perspective. Master and Apprentice kept me on my toes throughout almost the entire book and also had me spinning creative theories in my mind regarding how it would end. Every time I thought I had the book figured out, something else would happen entirely that somehow made sense even though I had never thought of it. My only tiny complaint is with some details of the ending, but the book still had an exciting climactic ending that provided closure for the story. So I am being nit-picky with my minimal complaint, that is why I am giving 9.5 points for the plot.

Intrigue (10/10 pts)

Before starting this book, I had been wanting to get back into reading. I had started with a couple of books, including Lord of the Rings and The Hunger Games, but I wasn’t as interested in completing them. Even though they were exciting books, for some reason they lacked the needed intrigue to finish them. This certainly cannot be said for Master and Apprentice; my intrigue was at a peak throughout almost the entire book. The characters pulled me in, the plot kept me interested, and the writing style made it easy to read. It is somewhat of a perfect storm that made the intrigue for me so high, even from the beginning, so I couldn’t put it down. This is why I am giving a perfect score of 10 points for the intrigue.

What does it add? (10/10 pts)

What everyone, who has read Master and Apprentice, is expecting to be in this section must include the additional information on prophecy. The most significant inclusion was making the actual prophecy of The Chosen One Canon. It was referred to in the Prequels, but in this book, we actually see it written out. That alone would give a perfect score for this book. But, there were also additional prophecies mentioned that were most interesting. I think it has the potential to create even more theory regarding the Star Wars universe, especially because these prophecies are mentioned before any of the movies occur. I won’t go into any details on theory to avoid spoilers, but prophecies are fascinating and the addition of them in Master and Apprentice is a definite strength for what it adds to the Star Wars universe. 

While I mentioned it in length for the “characters” section, the additional information about the relationship between the master and apprentice was pretty interesting. Some of what we learned from that can be used to glean more information about other master and apprentice relationships (like Obi-Wan and Anakin). While it was a strength for “characters”, it is a strength for this section, too.

We also learned a little bit more about how the Force works with animals. It was pretty interesting to see how the Force’s connection between Jedi and beast really bonds the two together. How the Force bonds the universe is often mentioned, but not always explained well in my opinion. Master and Apprentice helps explain this phenomenon and it was something unexpected that I enjoyed. 

So these three reasons together are why I am giving this section a perfect score of 10 points.

Logic (-0.5 pts)

Man, I really wasn’t expecting to take away points from Master and Apprentice, but I feel like I must after re-watching the movies. Something is said in The Phantom Menace about Qui-Gon joining The Council that doesn’t add up with the events that occurred in Master and Apprentice. I won’t say any more to avoid spoilers, but it is unavoidable that I must take away a half point. 

Final Thoughts

So my final grade for Master and Apprentice is a 9.6/10, or a strong A (I’ll give A-pluses for anything over 9.7). This agrees well with my assessment that it is the highest quality Star Wars book that I’ve read so far. I don’t give out many A’s, and this one is a strong A which is significant. It was exciting beginning to end and included content so surprising it made my jaw drop multiple times. There simply is no weakness to the novel. As long as you don’t have some unnatural hatred for anything that takes place in the Prequel universe, Master and Apprentice is certainly a must-read for any Star Wars fan.

I hope you enjoyed this book review and if there is a book that you want me to read or review, please let me know at christiancorah@gmail.com. As for now, I will only be doing Canon books (but in the future that might change). 

Battlefront II: Inferno Squad Book Review

By: Christian Corah

Descriptives

Page count: Hardcover, 336

Author: Christie Golden

Timeline: Follows A New Hope

Main characters: Iden Versio, Gideon Hask, Seyn Marana, and Del Meeko.

Brief synopsis: After the destruction of the first Death Star, the Empire is reeling, but the formation of Inferno Squad offers a new avenue for revenge against the Rebels.

Gut Feeling

I am very surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Books written to provide context to a video game don’t have too much promise. There hasn’t been much hype behind this book from what I’ve seen, but I decided to read it because I loved Dark Disciple, which was also by Christie Golden. Golden is now two for two in my book. She has many Star Wars Legends books and I hope that she continues to write more in the Canon universe. As for the book itself, it was a compelling story and gave some much needed background to the story in Battlefront II. I was not a huge fan of Iden’s arc in the video game, but because of this book, her character arc is much more complete. I plan on replaying the story and expect that I will enjoy it more the second time. Inferno Squad was an excellent story, much better that I expected, so let’s dive into the details.

Characters (9/10 pts)

Characters were a very strong point for Inferno Squad. While these characters were introduced in Battlefront II, the story mode was lacking in some of it’s details. So the characters did not have a considerable amount of depth. I was also never invested in the characters in the video game. So Golden had to give these characters their depth and make them likeable. The book follows four characters who make up Inferno Squad: Iden Versio, Gideon Hask, Seyn Marana, and Del Meeko. In the development of the characters, Golden started out simple. While it felt slow at first, it was successful at having me become aware of who the main characters were and how they were unique from each other. While Iden was the main character, I liked the other three characters as well. It wasn’t as if one character outshone the others or that I was uninterested in one of their arcs. Each character had strong depth and relatability. And, as expected, Iden Versio was the most developed, and my favorite, character in the book. I was not a huge fan of her redemption arc (spoilers) in Battlefront II, but now that the arc is more complete, I am looking forward to returning to the story mode and enjoying it more. Characters were certainly a strength in Inferno Squad, so I am giving 9 points.  

Writing Style (8.5/10 pts)

Another Star Wars novel and yet another New York Times Bestselling Author. So the writing of Inferno Squad was great. The writing of the novel seemed to evolve as the plot evolved. It started out simple as Golden started to develop the story and once it was done, the writing started to become more complex to match the complexity of the plot. It was easy to read and not lacking in necessary details. Not really any downsides for the writing style, so I am giving 8.5 points.

Plot (9/10 pts)

As I stated for the characters and the writing style, the story started out simple in its developmental stages and became much more complex when the real story began. Early on, I was a little disappointed thinking that the entire book would have a simple plot. But this part of the book was necessary and paid off well with the exciting climax. Most of the content follows a single mission of Inferno Squad and it proved to be compelling, intense, and Golden didn’t pull punches with what happened. There were multiple times that I was in shock over what was happening, definitely in a good way. The conclusion to the book did feel a little abrupt at first, but I do think it did a fine job at wrapping up the story. The plot was strong with not any glaring weaknesses, I am giving 9 points.

Intrigue (9/10 pts)

I didn’t expect my intrigue to be very high for this book. But, boy, was I wrong. Inferno Squad had a lot of things working for its intrigue. With the writing style, it was easy to read. So when the story was the most exciting, I could read page after page with ease. The characters were also relatable and I found myself rooting for them. Because I wanted to find out what was going to happen to each individual character, it motivated me to keep reading. And the plot was also high stakes and intense. In those times, I couldn’t put the book down. I had to find out what was going to happen next. Finally, as I mentioned before, Golden didn’t pull punches. There was some shocking content that really compelled me as the reader. So my intrigue was high for most of the novel, mostly after the developmental stage of the story, resulting in a score of 9 points.

What does it add? (6/10 pts)

Like most books written to supplement other Star Wars media, Inferno Squad will not score very high in this section. It was written to give background to Battlefront II, not to make Canon some cool new Star Wars lore. But that doesn’t mean that Inferno Squad added nothing to Star Wars. One of the most prominent themes within Star Wars is the battle between good and evil. In the Original Trilogy, the Rebels are clearly good and the Empire is clearly evil. But, such as it is in life, good and evil is never so clearly divided. Inferno Squad blurs these lines a bit (in a similar way that Lost Stars by Claudia Gray did). Inferno Squad is an imperial squad and because the reader ends up relating to those characters, they feel less evil. And since this squad deals with Saw Gererra’s partisan group, we see the more radical side of the Rebellion. It was a great representation of why the Rebel Alliance did not associate with this terrorist-like group. This added to the conversation of the fight between good and evil in Star Wars, but it did not create it. So I am only giving 6 points.

Logic (0 pts)

There is nothing in Inferno Squad that added to nor took away from the logic within the Star Wars universe. So, I am neither adding nor taking away extra points. 

Final Thoughts

So, my final score for Inferno Squad is a 8.3/10, or a moderate B. This is a relatively good score, being pulled down slightly for not adding much, beside a good story, to the Star Wars universe. The story itself was excellent and enjoyable from the start to finish. If you are wanting more background on Inferno Squad or if you are just wanting a good Star Wars story, this is a book you should check out! But if you are wanting a story that adds lore to Star Wars, there are other books that will do it better. If you do decide to read Inferno Squad, I’m confident you’ll enjoy it!

I hope you enjoyed this book review and if there is a book that you want me to read or review, please let me know at christiancorah@gmail.com. As for now, I will only be doing Canon books (but in the future that might change).

Lost Stars Book Review

By: Christian Corah

Descriptives

Page count: 551

Author: Claudia Gray

Timeline: 11 BBY - 5 ABY (before and after the Battle for Yavin)

Main Characters: Ciena Ree and Thane Kyrell

Brief Synopsis: Ciena and Thane have formed an unlikely bond growing up on the mountain planet of Jelucan, but joining the Empire proves to considerably change their lives.

Gut Feeling

After I finished reading Master and Apprentice, I looked up what other books Claudia Gray had written. I loved her writing so much that I just HAD to read more of her work. When I first saw Lost Stars, I was actually pretty underwhelmed. It didn’t appear to follow any main characters and the timeline was kinda confusing, so I looked past it. Not to mention it is kinda long. However, the book's reputation soon caught up with me. I’ve only heard great things about it, fans LOVE this book. So my excitement for the book started to grow and I became fairly excited about it too. I ended up having high expectations for it, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. From the beginning to the end of the book I did not want to put it down. 551 pages did not seem like enough, it left me wanting more and I will be one of the many irate fans if we don’t get a sequel (there are rumors that a sequel is already in the works!). It is one of my favorite books I’ve ever read, Star Wars or not.

Characters (10/10 pts)

Since Lost Stars was not written about characters that have already been developed, Gray had a more difficult task on hand than she did with Master and Apprentice (this book is about Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan). However, it did not take long for me to become attached to Ciena and Thane. I was worried about liking the characters, but it was only Chapter 1 when that worry was put aside. Throughout the entire book, my attachment to them only grew. As the book was coming to an end, I felt myself rooting for the characters from deep within myself. I actually felt distraught worrying about what was happening to them. Gray gives her characters so much depth and Ciena and Thane were both relatable due to it. These characters were incredible and I hope we get more of them, that is why I’m giving Lost Stars a full 10 points for this category.

Writing Style (10/10 pts)

Gray’s writing is really, really good. What she describes and creates is fairly complex, but she does it in an easily readable way. It had depth, but it doesn’t always feel like it, which is a good thing. She also uses the character’s thoughts to bring the characters and story to life. It is a little hard to describe, but their thought processes are clear, and they make sense almost as if I was thinking the same things along with the characters. They are also often subtle, leaving the reader to connect the final dots. This only made me feel more connected to the characters and is something unique that Gray does so well. Beyond that, Gray’s writing style doesn’t seem to have any weaknesses. It was at its best in this novel. Lost Stars gets another full 10 points.

Plot (8.5/10 pts)

The plot follows Ciena and Thane from just before the Original Trilogy to just after. It gives a vastly different perspective on many large events from the OT and uses those same events to advance the book’s own plot. While it followed the same timeline and shared events, it still remained unique from the OT. We got additional insight into those events and viewing them from a different perspective gives them more depth and meaning. How Ciena and Thane’s characters evolved throughout the plot was believable, complex, and compelling. My only complaint about the plot is it felt rushed at some points. While the book was 551 pages, I felt that some sections could have used more depth. Overall though the plot was great and it will still get 8.5 points.

Intrigue (10/10 pts)

Just like how my attachment to the characters began early in the book, so did my intrigue. I was attached to the characters and there weren’t any parts of the book that I wasn’t intrigued about. The exciting finish of the book had me so compelled that I HAD to finish the book. I hadn’t felt this type of commitment to a story in other books like I did to Lost Stars. Even though it was quite long, it did not feel that way. I would often look down and get surprised at how many pages I’d read. This tells me that I was truly engrossed in the story and even flipping pages were forgotten, multiple times. Lost Stars definitely deserves another perfect 10 points in this category.

What does it add? (7.5/10 pts)

After reading Lost Stars, I have a new perspective on both The Empire and The Rebellion. In the OT, The Empire is clearly evil and The Rebellion is clearly good. But Lost Stars makes the binary of good and evil more of a gray area (get it? Cause Claudia Gray wrote the book?). This is closer to what real life is like and it made the whole Star Wars universe more relatable and realistic. It also gives some insight into the Battle of Jakku, which is actually my first insight on it. I know there is material on the battle, I just haven’t read it yet. But there is still more understanding of the battle and it even gives some background to the Star Destroyer that crashed into Jakku. This may not have been needed, but I’m still glad to know it and will think of it when watching Episode 7. So Lost Stars does add some interesting content to Star Wars, but there was nothing in the book that stood out to me as changing how I look at the universe. This is the only weakness I see in the book. This is why I am giving this section only 7.5 points.

Logic (+0.5 pts)

Lost Stars gives some insight into the perplexing battle strategies of The Empire. For example, why they seem to hold back at times even when it seems they should be winning large battles in mere minutes due to their superior firepower. I always took this as The Rebellion being that good, but now I have a better understanding of it. I don’t want to say any more on the topic to keep this spoiler-free, but I am giving Lost Stars an extra half point for the logic.

Final Thoughts

A 9.3/10 makes this book one of the highest rated books I’ve reviewed! And that is saying a decent amount as I’ve rated over 20 books. Any rating over 9 is significant coming from me. Star Wars aside, it was a fantastic book. I recommend it to my friends who don’t even like Star Wars. I don’t think you need to be a fan to enjoy this story: it is that good. So if you love good books and want an exciting Star Wars story (with a considerable amount of romance I should add), Lost Stars is a must-read. I’m confident you will like it as much as I did and I’ll be waiting desperately with many other fans for the potential sequel.

I hope you enjoyed this book review and if there is a book that you want me to read or review, please let me know at christiancorah@gmail.com. As for now, I will only be doing Canon books (but in the future that might change).

Alphabet Squadron Book Review

By: Christian Corah

Descriptives

Page count: 408, hardcover

Author: Alexander Freed

Timeline: Follows Return of the Jedi and precedes the Aftermath trilogy

Main characters: Yrica Quell, Chass na Chadic, Wyl Lark, Kairos, Nath Tenset, Caern Adan, Devon Lhent, and Hera Syndulla

Brief synopsis: Alphabet Squadron is made up of unlikely members, including outlaws and imperial defectors, but they are united over one thing: taking down Shadow Wing.

Gut Feeling

Alphabet Squadron is a book that I’ve put off reading for a while. I have realized that something I am really looking for in my Star Wars novels is additions to Star Wars lore. This is something that I was not expecting from Alphabet Squadron, so it kinda fell under my radar. But, I have still heard really good things about the book and knew that there was a ton of anticipation for Shadow Fall, so I figured the story itself had to be great. As you can see from the main character list, there are many characters that are featured in this novel. The only one that we are familiar with is Hera Syndulla (and she really isn’t featured), so this caused most of the first half of the book to move kind of slow. I was not sure if I was going to like it or not, but the last quarter of the book was very good. This is when it all came together and the development of sections of the book paid off well. Something that I was keeping in mind while reading this book was that it is the first of a trilogy. And it certainly felt like it. On its own, it was a good book. But as the first book of a trilogy, this book was excellent. I am reading Shadow Fall now and expect it to be even better. But we’re talking about Alphabet Squadron, so let’s get into the details.

Characters (10/10 pts)

Alphabet Squadron was certainly a character led novel. Alphabet Squadron itself is made up of six new members of the Star Wars universe (only five are shown below because Caern Adan works in intelligence for the squad instead of flying with them). What Freed did so well is give each of these characters their own unique backstories. No two characters were alike and although Yrica Quell did have the most attention from the novel, all characters had main- character-like depth. This did cause the first half of the book to move slowly (which I’ll discuss later) as these characters were developed, but because this is the first book of a trilogy, that makes sense: where if this were a standalone book, it would be too much time devoted to development of the characters. But because there are so many well developed characters, there is a lot that the reader can relate to. They can either relate really well to one of the characters, or a little to all of them. Something else the book did was have a somewhat separate storyline for Devon Lhent (I’m going to avoid spoilers on his character) who didn’t have a major impact on the story in Alphabet Squadron, but set him up to have an impact in Shadow Fall. This means that this next book won’t have to have hardly any development stage and should get right into action. I am easily giving 10 points for this section.

Writing Style (8.5/10 pts)

I’ve said this a million times and I’ll say it again, there is no poorly written Star Wars novel. They have always done a great job at selecting excellent authors to write the books. Freed’s style definitely leans towards being more detailed than normal. This carries beyond just the writing style to the plot itself, Freed loves going an inch wide and a mile deep. However, this didn’t make the book especially hard to read. It did lose some readability to the details, but not as much as I’d expect. It still flowed very well and the details that he added were important to the book so it paid off well. I am giving a slightly above average score of 8.5 for the writing style.

Plot (7.25/10 pts)

Although it is true that the book served its purpose as the first in a trilogy, it will still get hurt on some of the sections as I grade all novels as essentially being standalone. This will certainly be true for the book’s plot. The plot was definitely used by Freed as a device to develop the characters in the book. It wasn’t really about what was happening in the book, it was more so about what was happening to the characters and learning more about them. Like I said, this book was character led. After reading the book and just looking at what actually happened during the story, it wasn’t that much. And again I’ll say that it makes sense because it is setting up the rest of the trilogy, but it is true that the plot was not super exciting in Alphabet Squadron. What I can say that is good about the plot is from very early on the reader knows where the book is headed. We understand the objective. It also finished very strong, as all novels should. All characters reached closure for this part of the story and had intrigue for what was going to happen next in Shadow Fall. But despite this, because the plot was mostly used to develop characters, I am giving 7.25 points for the plot.

Intrigue (6.75/10 pts)

Like with the plot, this intrigue section will also get hurt due to Alphabet Squadron being the first book of a trilogy. While in the present most of what I was learning about the characters was interesting, that type of writing does not do much for the intrigue. Intrigue is built when something exciting is happening and the reader is compelled to find out what is going to happen next. Because most of the book was developing characters, I wasn’t on the edge of my seat waiting to learn about other characters. While the book did an excellent job at developing characters, it just isn’t super exciting. But the book still did it’s job and the next two books won’t need to spend much time in a development stage and should be excellent as a result of that. Once Alphabet Squadron got to the climactic finish, it was excellent. While I am giving a slightly below average score of 6.75 points for the intrigue, it is understandable being the first in a trilogy. It should not deter you from reading the book.

What does it add? (6/10 pts)

As I stated in my “gut reaction”, I mostly read books to learn more about Star Wars lore. I love what books can add to the Star Wars universe. This is a reason why I hadn’t read Alphabet Squadron for so long. And my assumption turned out to be right, it did not really add anything substantial to the Star Wars universe. While the book itself did provide a great story, it was lacking here. All I could think of that it added was blurring the lines between good and evil in Star Wars. It is not as clear cut as the Original Trilogy made it. But, Alphabet Squadron is not the first book to have done this and did not do it the best (Lost Stars by Cluadia Gray did it the best in my opinion). So, I am only giving 6 points for this section.

Logic (+0.5 pts)

While Alphabet Squadron didn’t add anything new to the Star Wars universe, it did help to explain one of Star Wars’ most prevalent plot holes (I say plot hole, but it is more of something that isn’t explained well). I am talking about the fact that the Jedi went from being protectors of the galaxy to a myth very quickly. This novel does help to provide an explanation for that. So, I am giving an extra half point.

Final Thoughts

So my final score for Alphabet Squadron is a 7.8 out of 10, or a C plus. This score is slightly below average for Star Wars novels that I have reviewed, but I hope that it does not deter you from reading it. If you are wanting a series of books that is high stakes and character led, I encourage you to start off by reading this book. It served its purpose perfectly as the first in the trilogy. I am reading Shadow Fall now and expect it to be better than the first. So if you like great stories in Star Wars, check this series out. But, if you just read Star Wars novels to learn more about Star Wars, this might not be the series for you.

I hope you enjoyed this book review and if there is a book that you want me to read or review, please let me know at christiancorah@gmail.com. As for now, I will only be doing Canon books (but in the future that might change).

Attack Of The Clones Book Review

By: Christian Corah

Descriptives

Page count: Paperback, 368

Author: R. A. Salvatore

Timeline: Follows The Phantom Menace, precedes Revenge of the Sith

Main characters: Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé, Jango Fett, and more.

Brief synopsis: Now a late teenager, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Padmé try to discover the mystery behind the assassination attempts on the senator’s life while the Republic’s fragility promises an impending war.

Gut Feeling

This book was surprisingly good. I do enjoy all of the Star Wars movies, but even though the Prequel Trilogy is my personal favorite, I certainly understand the flaws within the Attack of the Clones movie. There are a lot of points where I can’t help but cringe. But most of this, in my opinion, is due to the acting. This is obviously eliminated in book form. Salvatore did a great job with the writing of the characters, so I felt that they became much stronger in writing. This is the first novelization that I can say may change some people’s opinions on the movie. Specifically, Padmé and Anakin’s relationship was a strength in this novel. It was simply much more believable and less forced. This, and many other points of the story, were given more depth. The book’s length allowed the story to be explored with more detail. I could go on and on regarding my gut reaction, but let’s get into some details.

Characters (9.5/10 pts)

One of the biggest problems of the movie is Padmé and Anakin’s relationship. It does not come off as genuine, feels rushed, and there was no on screen chemistry between the two characters. But in the novel, this became a strength. We understand a lot about Anakin and why he would essentially throw his life away for Padmé, but we don’t really understand her motivations. She is a former queen and current senator of the Republic, so it doesn’t make sense for her to do something so illogical. But through the book, her motivations are clearer. It is a classic forbidden love story that comes across much better in written form. This is one of the biggest strengths I see in the book, especially because it erases a weakness from the movie’s story.

Along with Padmé and Anakin, there were SO many other characters that got additional character development. Specifically, I want to highlight the work done on Boba and Jango Fett. These characters are essentially the characters that look cool but have no depth in Star Wars. But Salvatore shed a lot of light on these characters individually and on their relationship with each other. There is much more understanding to their actions and I even found myself rooting for them at points in the book, which never happened during the movie. Instead of cheering over Jango’s death, I felt some hurt. This made the overall story more compelling and complex, a strong addition.

Finally, I must point out the development done to Shmi Skywalker. We never learned much about her, but we get a lot of content focused on her in the book. The first few chapters revolve around her life on Tatooine after Anakin leaves, and I absolutely loved it. We understand the impact of what it did to her to have her son leave and we see how she changes when she gets freed and married. I could add more details about what this book did well considering the characters, but these were certainly the strongest points. I wrote about it a lot, so I’m confident to say this section is the strongest point of the book. I am giving 9.5 points for characters.

Writing Style (9.5/10 pts)

I feel so repetitive when I write these sections. But we have another Star Wars novel and another well-written gem. Because the book was written a while ago, I am unfamiliar with Salvatore’s work. But he did a great job. For novelizations of movies, I think a detailed writing style is important, because otherwise the author is just retelling events of the movie without giving it more depth. Salvatore’s style was detailed with a strong balance of dialogue. It felt easy to read, even though the material was fairly dense at points. It simply had quality prose. Because of that, I am giving 9.5 points.

Plot (8.75/10 pts)

Because the main points of the story’s plot is already set in stone, I mostly look to see what is added to the story. As I mentioned previously, we get more background on Shmi Skywalker’s life after Anakin left and before the Tusken Raiders got her. This gave more impact to a major scene in the story, when she died in Anakin’s arms (spoiler alert). While I enjoyed this content, I realize that everyone may not. It is rather lengthy and for some it will appear to move too slow. But if you’re reading the novelization, you’ll probably be wanting material like this as I did. Salvatore also made the low points of the movie into strong points of the novel, specifically the Anakin and Padmé scenes. So instead of low valleys in the movie, they become interesting plot points of the book. My only downside to the plot is that the book ended fairly abruptly. It did end like that in the movie, but this is where I would have liked some additional depth. Especially for wrapping up the first battle of the war and bridging some of the gap to Anakin and Padmé’s wedding. But overall, the plot was a strength due to the added content. I am giving 8.75 points.

Intrigue (8/10 pts)

The writing style was easy to read and the story was exciting, so my intrigue was mostly high throughout the book. If I let my personal bias decide the score, it would probably be a little higher, but I realize that for most people the intrigue will not be as high. If there is less interest in the added scenes, I think the reader will perceive them as dull and it will be difficult for them to get through it. Especially as the book begins, it takes awhile for the actual story to get going. But, again, if you like added content you shouldn’t have a problem with that. As for the rest of the book, the scenes we are familiar with are very easy to read because we know what to expect. Novelizations of the movies get a natural boost in this section. For these reasons, I am giving 8 points for the intrigue.

What does it add? (8/10 pts)

I was pleasantly surprised with what this book added to Star Wars. Most novelizations and books written to supplement movies only have content that applies to the movie. While most of the book did just apply to the movie, there was some pretty cool content regarding fighting styles of those who use lightsabers. Specifically regarding the preferred fighting style of the Jedi and why Count Dooku’s fighting style differed and was superior. It isn’t often we see information like this directly from a novel, so I greatly embraced it. It may also explain why some Jedi seem helpless in duels. So I am giving 8 points for what the book added.

Logic (0 pts)

There is nothing in the novel that added to nor took away from the logic within the Star Wars universe. So I am neither adding nor taking away additional points.

Final Thoughts

So, my final score for the novelization of Attack of the Clones is a 8.75/10, or a high B. This is a surprisingly high score for a novelization of a movie. It is also a rare case where your opinion may change regarding the story by reading the book. It turned cringey moments of the movie into strong points when written. There were also many strong, additional scenes. Salvatore did everything I was hoping for and more. I was very pleasantly surprised overall. Even if, like most Star Wars fans, you didn’t enjoy the movie, I want to encourage you to try out the book. You may be pleasantly surprised as I was!

Ahsoka Book Review

By Christian Corah

Descriptives

Page count: Hardcover, 356

Author: E. K. Johnston

Timeline: Follows Revenge of the Sith, precedes A New Hope

Main character(s): Ahsoka

Brief synopsis: Ahsoka’s life has drastically changed and she is working to stay safe from the Empire while attempting to find her identity.

Gut Feeling

I really enjoyed reading this book. I love Ahsoka, like many fans do, so I am not surprised that this book was so good. E.K. Johnston would have really had to mess it up to make a book about Ahsoka unappealing to me. But she did not mess it up, she delivered a very good book that would have still been quality if it were about a different character. It was a pretty quick read though, I finished it within a week of starting it (which is quick for me). The audio book is also fairly short, only being six hours. But even though it was quick, there was a lot packed into it. Johnston was economical with each page used. It seemed like every section had something important happening in it. There was no wasted space and no meaningless sections. Because of that, there were not many lulls throughout the book. Ahsoka was a hit, so let’s get into the details of the book.

Characters (10/10 pts)

Because this book was centered around a beloved character in the Star Wars universe, Johnston’s job was a little easier because most of us already love Ahsoka. She is also a character that already has much depth to her. So because of that, I look for what the book adds to the character. Ahsoka is obviously in a drastically different part of her life than we are used to. She is no longer a Jedi and on the run from the Empire. It is really interesting seeing how her character must adapt and change to the world that is changing around her. There is much development in her character in Ashoka and her character arc fits well within her Clone Wars and Rebels versions. Ahsoka’s character alone would receive a high score for this section, but it would not quite be perfect.

There were also other characters important to the story that were developed well, but what puts this book over the edge is the perspective from other major characters in the Star Wars universe. I won’t mention who they are to avoid spoilers, but we do get short sections from other characters that had character development all over them. It was an excellent use of space in the book and did not take away from the main storyline; these sections supplemented it. So for these reasons, I am giving a perfect score for characters.

Writing Style (8/10 pts)

E. K. Johnston’s writing styles in Queen’s Shadow and Ahsoka were vastly different, but had similar quality. They were both excellently written books- no Star Wars novel is poorly written- but Ahsoka had less depth to it and relied more on dialogue. This caused it to read a little easier, as it was intended for a slightly younger audience. In some cases, I’ve taken away a point for the writing style being simpler, but Johnston did it very well in Ahsoka so I will be giving 8 points for the writing style. This would be above average for the common book, but it is on par with other Star Wars  books.

Plot (7/10 pts)

The biggest strength for the plot is that I don’t have much bad to say about it. It started out a little slow as the setting was developed, it slowly built up as the reader became more familiar with the story, and it climaxed near the end with a satisfying conclusion. There were peaks and valleys throughout the book that worked well with each other. The peaks weren’t too climatic and there was time to breathe between each big event. I never really had a great idea of where the plot was headed, but I knew enough to want to keep reading. It wasn’t a complete mystery. But, the plot also wasn’t extraordinary. It was a little on the simple side and even though I enjoyed it, I can understand that it could come across as boring in parts. So despite it not having any real significant flaws, I am only giving 7 points.

Intrigue (9/10 pts)

There were a few things that were adding to the intrigue. The book is about Ahsoka, so obviously this caused me to be interested early on in the book. The writing style was easy to read, so I could read much at a time without feeling like I needed a break. And finally, when the plot was exciting, it was very good and motivated me to keep reading. This caused me to not want to put the book down and read it fairly quickly. And even in the more boring sections, I knew there was something exciting probably coming up. Even if the reader does not love Ahsoka, I think the intrigue will still be rather high for them because the quality of the book was so good. That is why I am giving 9 points for the intrigue.

What does it add? (10/10 pts)

A prominent reason why I decided to read this book (other than loving Ahsoka’s character) was to learn more about kyber crystals. I knew there was some really cool information about them in this book. It is likely you know what I am referring to, but, in case you don’t, I won’t mention it specifically. You’ll just have to read it for yourself! There was also more about the kyber crystals than what I knew was in the book, so that was a pleasant surprise. Ahsoka easily scores 10 points for this section.

Logic (0 pts)

Ahsoka neither adds to nor takes away from logic within the Star Wars universe. So, I am neither adding nor taking away extra points.

Final Thoughts

My final score for Ahsoka is an 8.8/10, or a B+. This ranks Ahsoka pretty high up there with my favorite Star Wars novels. The score is actually a little higher than what I expected based on my gut reaction, so it is entirely possible you’ll enjoy it even more than I did. If you like Ahsoka’s character, it’s a no-brainer to check this book out. If you’re just wanting another cool Star Wars story that adds to the universe, you should like it too. However, I will say that if you’re only really concerned with the story, there may be other books to read if you’re not interested in Ahsoka’s character. But if you do have a reason to pick the book up, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it!

I hope you enjoyed this book review and if there is a book that you want me to read or review, please let me know at christiancorah@gmail.com. As for now, I will only be doing Canon books (but in the future that might change).