Book Description
Never before has the incendiary mix of action, politics, and intrigue that has become Timothy Zahn’s trademark, been mmore evident that in this new Star Wars epic. On the heels of the stunning events chronicled in Star Wars: A New Hope, the newly minted heroes of the Rebellion–fledgling Jedi Luke Skywalker, smuggler turned reluctant freedom-fighter Han Solo, and Princess Leia Organa, a bold leader with a world to avenge–must face the harsh realities of the cataclysmic conflict into which they have so bravely plunged. From this point forward, legends will grow, treachery will abound, and lives will be irrevocably altered, in the long, hard fight to counter the fist of tyranny and restore hope to a galaxy too long in darkness.
The destruction of the Death Star by the Rebel Alliance was a decisive blow against the Empire, but Palpatine and his monstrous enforcer, Darth Vader, are no less of a threat. The brutal extermination of Alderaan not only demonstrated the magnitude of their murderous power, but served as a chilling testament to their resolve to crush the Rebel uprising. Standing against them, Skywalker, Solo, and the Princess remain uncertain opponents. Luke is gifted and brave, but unschooled in the power he possesses. Han has doubts about waging someone else’s war–and his contentiousness is one more burden for Leia to bear as she struggles to help keep the Rebellion alive. The three have been sent to mediate a dispute between Rebel Alliance factions in Shelsha Sector–agitating matters by forcing Han to deal not only with pirates, but with his more dreaded enemy, politics. At the same time, Mara Jade–all of eighteen and years away from her fateful meeting with Luke–is serving her evil master, Palpatine, well in her role as the Emperor’s Hand: tracking suspected treachery in the Empire to what may be high places–while trying to stay out of Darth Vader’s way.
But the Rebels will prove to be only one of the Empire’s concerns. For Imperial Stormtrooper Daric LaRone, his faith in the Empire shaken by the wanton destruction of Alderaan, will commit a sudden and violent act of defiance, and take four other enforcers with him, in a desperate bid to elude their masters’ wrath.
Each of these fateful actions, whether sanctioned, secret, or scandalous, will expose brutality and corruption, spur upheavals destined to shake the Empire to its core, and shape momentous events yet to come.
Customer Reviews:
Timothy Zahn fills the gap.......2007-08-31
Timothy Zahn is my absolute favorite author so when I saw this book about Mara Jade in the Empire era I jumped.
Plot:
There are three plots that intertwine towards the end. LaRone, a stormtrooper, accidentally kills an ISB agent. He and four other stormtroopers desert and run to the nearest planet where they begin an investigation into pirate activities.
Mara Jade was sent to investigate a Moff's possible embezzlement. This leads to a pirate consortium.
Han, Luke, and Leia are originally sent to investigate a possible way to win the war. With pirates threatening supply lines, Han and Luke (along with Chewie) are diverted to investigate and Leia is sent to accomplish the diplomatic mission by herself.
Good:
Timothy Zahn does amazing things with the characters. Han Solo in his books is Han Solo from the movie: cocky, independent, and self-absorbed. Luke Skywalker is the apprentice Jedi, experimenting with his talents, naive, and unsure of who he is. Leia Organa is absolutely perfect: the independent woman who is able to mediate between differing factions.
The stormtroopers reminded me of one of the best portrayers of them--or at least their clone compatriots, Karen Traviss. The stormtroopers are real men who face real consequences. It is refreshing to see plain men who only want to do what is right instead of officers who only want power and money (as you see in so many Bantam Star Wars novels).
And Mara Jade...it's nice to finally see her at work in a novel. I felt that, for the most part (see below), she was the perfect agent--naive about the Empire and not overly practiced in every agent technique, but knowledgeable enough to be convincing for this mission.
Lastly, although this is petty, it was fun to see Leia work as a waitress. This practical, pedestrian job is often overlooked or delegated to dispensible characters but it was so nice to see the Star Wars universe in a normal light (ie having the main characters eat, bathe, etc.).
The action is superb. I love the confrontation between Darth Vader and Mara, the battle of the AT-ST, and much, much more.
Bad:
I don't know what it is with Timothy Zahn, but recently, all his books seem to be mysteries (not bad) about one of the characters being duplicitous. Night Train to Rigel: the main character was working both sides. Outbound Flight: Doriana. The Green and the Gray had the boys that fought against them. This is a little boring after awhile.
And the plot was so convoluted that I had trouble following it. Who was Disra serving: the Empire, himself, pirates, or the governor? How did Mara conclude all the things she did about the pirates? What about Han and Luke? What did Caaldra want? And so on. All three (Mara, stormtroopers, Han/Luke) make some pretty hefty assumptions that turn out pretty conveniently right.
Also, although Zahn portrays Mara as a young woman fairly well, I still have trouble believing that an 18 year-old knows this much about espionage, spying, weapons, and the like. What was she, brainwashed as a child?
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Only dialogue is in the form of made up Star Wars references. Mara wears form fitting dresses and a man oggles her. Violence is typical Star Wars fare.
Overall:
A good book, but not the best that Timothy Zahn has ever delivered. I was rather disappointed, not only because it didn't have as much Mara as I thought, but also because the story was so hard to follow. I had to just forget who wanted what and who worked for who and just enjoy the action sequences and the characters. I hope that Timothy Zahn continues to write more about Mara's adventures, but not make his plots so confusing.
Constrained and Unexceptional - Zahn's worst Star Wars Novel.......2007-07-26
Timothy Zahn here writes an entirely predictable adventure tale with three branching paths: one about a stormtrooper squadron who deserts the Empire, another about Mara Jade doing odd jobs for the Emperor, and the third about Han, Luke, and Leia on a diplomatic mission. The tales converge in a fashion only possible in novels and wrap up with no bearing on the movies.
The problem with this novel is that it is entirely predictable. The stormtrooper squad deserts the Empire quickly in an unlikely fashion. I knew a few pages after this had happened that they would doubtlessly join Han, Luke, and Leia by novel's end in Zahn's attempt to provide some entertainment for the readers. I flipped ahead to the end of the book at that time and my prediction turned out to be right.
Mara Jade's branch is exceptionally boring for the majority of the novel, as she chases after nameless thugs just to get some pricey statues back to her Emperor. She's written as an unbelievably mature and confident 18-year-old, and actually tells the Emperor what she is going to do instead of being ordered around. Zahn also writes Lord Vader as being childish toward her, while at the same time inserting a silly scene where Vader Googles for Luke.
Han, Luke, and Leia's branch is unremarkable. The characters act toward each other much like they did in Episode IV. However, Luke takes a back seat and isn't very confident about himself.
Timothy Zahn writes this novel in a very constrained space, which forces him to create new characters and just as quickly kill them or shuffle them away. Obviously in love with his own character of Mara Jade, he portrays her as overly powerful. The stormtrooper deserters were a good idea, but Zahn doesn't do enough to distinguish them effectively as memorable individual characters. For such a task, Aaron Allston would've been better. Han, Luke, and Leia's story is unremarkable. This novel is passably written and will provide some brief entertainment for literature fans, but is an awful choice for newbies to the novels.
(Reviewer's note: I've read all of the Star Wars novels of the 1990s and most of the ones from 2000-2003 that weren't prequel novels. Seeing that this was not a prequel novel, the influx of which put me off reading Star Wars novels a few years ago, I picked it up, remembering Timothy Zahn's earlier excellent work in the Star Wars universe. I was disappointed.)
More Adventures in the Star Wars Universe.......2007-07-11
Acclaimed Science Fiction author Timothy Zahn has written an exciting new novel that is worthy of inclusion with other novels of the Star Wars series.
The main story centers around five imperial stormtroopers; Macross, Brightwather, LaRone, Quiller, and Grave. They were ordered by their superior officers to execute harmless civilians during an attack. Despite carrying out these orders, the troopers felt that the killings were not necessary. Back aboard ship, an argument breaks out between the stormtroopers and one of the officers. During the argument, the officer is shot. Now, the stormtroopers realize that the only way for them to survive is to flee. They have now become fugitives..
Meanwhile, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker, Chewbacca, and the rest of the Rebel Alliance is deciding on its next move. The Death Star has been destroyed, but the Empire, led by Emperor Palpatine and his enforcer Darth Vader, remain powerful adversaries. Skywalker is still untrained in many areas of the Force, Leia is still devastated by the destruction of her home planet of Alderran, and Han is unsure about fully joining the rebellion. Despite these drawbacks, the three allies have been sent to mediate a dispute between rebel factions in the Shelsha sector.
On the side of the Empire, a new tool of the Emperor is about to be revealed. Her name is Mara Jade; better known as the Emperor's Hand. She serves Palpatine by maintaining order and tracking suspected wrong-doers throughout the galaxy.
During the course of the story, all of these characters will interact with one another in a most exciting and thrilling manner.
This is a very good book. I've read several books in the Star Wars series, and I found this story to be both compelling and exciting. The story is something not normally expected, namely, Stormtroopers deserting and actually doing good deeds. But, Timothy Zahn's characterization of the Stormtroopers as actual caring people with feelings is refreshing. I especially enjoyed the character of Mara Jade. Her development throughout the book as a swash-buckling fighter who's loyal to her Emperor is definitely a high point of the book. She also has no fear of Darth Vader, either. It would have been interesting to see an actual movie character like her in the films.
I recommend this book very highly. Although I found the story to be slow and drag at some points, overall, the it is exciting and loaded with action. If you've seen the Star Wars movies or have read other books in the series, then be sure to read this one.
I give this one a solid 3.5.......2007-07-09
Of course you can't give half scores so I rated it a four. Anyway, there were things I really liked about this book and things I was luke warm to (no pun intended). I really liked the rogue stormtrooper aspect. While they were deserters, they're living by the spirit of what got them to join the Empire in the first place: to protect the empire AND it's CITIZENS. These were some of my favorite parts of the book; where they were involved doing good deeds shall we say.
The other part of the book I enjoyed alot was Mara Jade. From what I gather this is her 'first' mission in a star wars book, starwars timeline speaking of course. I know she's Luke's wife in continuity, and this isn't her first published appearance. I liked the character. Powerful, yet naive towards the true nature of Palpatine and the empire as a whole.
Now, one thing I'm not really sure that needed to be in the book were Luke, Leiah, Chewie and Han. I guess Zahn included them to root this book into place firmly after A New Hope. Just to me, the parts that they played in the book really didn't further the story much and they, quite frankly, seemed to be thrown in there. Don't get me wrong, I love these core characters. But it seemed like they were forced into the book. Their presence didn't take anything away from the story of course, but they didn't add much to the whole of the book either. Except maybe to further the subplot of luke getting used to his jedi abilities some more and of course, han and leiah's relationship.
Overall a good solid read with some fine action. I think it kind of skips around a bit too much for my liking, but it's not confusing. Any star wars fan should check this one out.
A Refreshing Idea.......2007-06-21
When reading any of the Star Wars (SW) novels, one must never compare it to the SW movies, because there is always new material in the novels. If you're expecting SW novels to have the exact feel and make of the movies, then it's best that you don't read the novels at all.
That said, Allegiance was a refreshing change. We finally get to see how the Emperor's Hand works. Well, other than the comic series that Zahn wrote with Darkhorse titled Mara Jade: By The Empeor's Hand. However, the comic was written post Battle of Endor, after Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine are dead. Allegiance is written just after the events of A New Hope, where the Emperor and Vader are very much alive. So it was interesting to see how he handled their characters here and he did it very well!
I do enjoy reading Zahn's novels because he makes his characters very human, and doesn't go over the top, unlike other authors who make their characters infallible and completely resistant to injury, jumping through obstacles and performing unbelieveable Jedi tricks. At the same time, Mara has a certain amount of compassion, which makes her character all the more human and likeable.
The Hand of Judgement was an interesting idea, yes, why indeed don't we have stormtroopers who continue to uphold what they believe it. In our world, that's called going rogue, in the SW world, it's deserters from the Empire. Whichever way you call it, it's treason, but isn't that what you call fighting for what you believe in?
I do wished, however, that Zahn wrote more battle scenes into his novels, as he's always able to describe and choreograph battles so vividly that you don't need to much imagination to enjoy it thoroughly - a trademark feature in all his SW novels.
Zahn's characters are smart and believeable and his style manages to capture the essence of the characters from the SW movies, what Han Solo says to Princess Leia, the snap-hiss of the lightsaber, these are the little things that triggers your memory of those loveable moments and makes for a well-written SW novel worth reading.
I highly recommend reading all of Timothy Zahn's SW novel, starting with the Thrawn Trilogy: Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising and The Last Command. I guarantee that you'll enjoy them immensely.
Average customer rating:
- A Trilogy of Han and Chewie's Adventures
- Good Early SW Book
- Han Solo and Chewbacca in their smuggling days of yore
- great read
- A fun and adventurous read
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Star Wars: The Han Solo Adventures (A Del Rey Book)
Brian Daley
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Star Wars: Splinter of the Mind's Eye
ASIN: 0345379802
Release Date: 1992-04-22 |
Book Description
Han Solo soars again--in this awesome trilogy of his extraordinary exploits. Ride with him as he rides to the rescue, narrowly escapes certain death, and foils evil in its ruthelss tracks!
Customer Reviews:
A Trilogy of Han and Chewie's Adventures.......2007-05-20
Han Solo at Stars' End is the first tale in The Han Solo Adventures. I found Stars' End to be an extremely enjoyable tale of adventure with Han, Chewie, and assorted other characters. The bad guys in this story are the Corporate Sector Authority, a semi-independent group that seems to be interested solely in profit. Any means of gathering profits are acceptable to them.
The CSA has constructed the Star Ends' prison complex on the desolate rock Mytus VII. Dissidents and other troublemakers are quietly being rounded up and held at Stars' End in stasis cells. In one of the frequent bouts of trouble that they run into, Chewie is captured by the CSA and taken to Stars' End. Han, of course, mounts a rescue effort with the help of Bollux, a labor droid, and Blue Max, a positronic processor hidden in Bollux's chest cavity. They are joined in this mission by two Trianii- Atuarre and Pakka. This team manages to get to Stars' End, destroy the prison, and rescue many of the prisoners.
The book is a real treat in many ways. The familiar byplay between Han and Chewie is wonderful, and Chewie's methods of expressing his emotions through honking and roaring are just great to imagine. This is a real Star Wars adventure with familiar characters doing adventurous things. Don't miss it.
Han Solo's Revenge is the second tale in The Han Solo Adventures. Unfortunately, I found this one to be a real step down from the previous story, Han Solo at Stars' End. The synopsis of the story sounds good. Han and Chewie are tricked into an attempt to transport a shipload of slaves. Since anything associated with slavery is anathema to our heroes, we know they will fight against the attempt. They do exactly that and manage to free the slaves. However, from there on, the tale goes downhill. Han and Chewie take off in the Falcon in an effort to collect the fee they were promised as part of the deal. Things get complicated. They run into Fiolla, an Assistant Auditor-General for the Corporate Sector Authority, and Spray, a licensed collections agent who is charged with the responsibility of claiming the Falcon as payment for Han's unpaid debts. These two characters stay with us until the end of the tale at which point Spray turns out to be someone completely different.
The tale just did not hold my attention. The most interesting character to turn up is a hired gun named Gallandro who has the reputation of being the fastest gun in the galaxy. He and Han are involved in a showdown in which Gallandro backs down, but you just know that he will turn up in future stories. The story travels to the planets Bonadan and Ammuud, and in the end Han and Chewie make a slick maneuver to escape with Fiolla and Spray (actually Odumin, the CSA territorial manager) held hostage and their ten-thousand credit fee safely tucked away. So all ends well, but it could have ended equally well in about thirty fewer pages.
Now it's on to the third tale in Han's adventures. I am more optimistic about Han Solo and the Lost Legacy.
Han Solo and the Lost Legacy is the third tale in The Han Solo Adventures and the best of the three. All of the stories give us an idea of how Han came to be the lovable rogue that we know from the films and how his relationship with Chewbacca developed over the years. The stories are packed with action and with a lot of humor. The first tale, Han Solo at Stars' End, was good. The second, Han Solo's Revenge, was vastly disappointing, so I was glad to read this third one and let Han's adventures from this book finish on a high note.
Our heroes in this book have fallen on hard times in the beginning and are reduced to accepting whatever types of jobs will get them by, including serving as the pit crew for an aerial entertainer. When a real job turns up, they leave the insufferable entertainer in a memorable scene in which Han shows an audience what a real pilot can do. They are then off on a mission to earn credits, but this one does not work out. However, they do run into an old friend - Badure along with his associates Hasti and Skynx. Badure previously was a respected piloting instructor on Carida but had fallen on hard times. Hasti has taken up with Badure in a quest they are on for a treasure and also to avenge the death of her sister. Skynx was a Ruurian who was an expert on pre-Republic times. All of this crew along with our old friends the droids Bollux and Blue Max head off on a quest to find a legendary treasure from a ship called the Queen of Ranroon. According to legend, the treasure is stored in the vaults of Xim the Despot, a legendary conqueror of many worlds in ancient times. These vaults are located on Dellalt.
As you might expect, Han and Chewie are greatly attracted by the thought of treasure. Also, as you might expect, they are not the only ones interested in the treasure. The operators of a mining company on Dellalt are also after the riches and provide most of the bad guys in the tale. The bad guys are helped out by Gallandro, the noted gunman from earlier stories. The tale moves along rapidly through a number of harrowing situations and has a somewhat unexpected ending. A number of things that made the story great fun to read are listed below.
* The interaction between Han and Chewie reaches a new level.
* A chase scene with Han and Chewie and assorted company riding in a groundcoach that is decked out as if it were in a parade. Chewie's driving skills and reactions to situations are priceless.
* The sauropteriods who help our intrepid team to cross a major lake
* A ride down a huge snowfield on a large gong with all of them hanging on for dear life as the bad guys come after them
* The cleverness of Bollux and Blue Max as they help their friends get out of several scrapes
* The war-robots of Xim - huge robots intended only to search and destroy when called upon. Great characters. I felt as if Transformers had come to Star Wars.
This is a story not to be missed.
Good Early SW Book.......2007-05-20
This book was released in 1979, soon after the first movie had come out.It is much better that it's contemporary "Adventures Of Lando Calarissian" because the author evidently learned a bit about Han Solo before writing it. Han Solo and Chewie have a string of adventures,and like in the Lando books they are in an obscure section of the SW Galaxy.Strangly, the Empire is almost totally missing from these tales. Star's End seemed to me to be a little bit weak but not bad, the other two stories were fun. They are full of action, some interesting characters, and an interesting glimpse into a lost Pre-Republic civilisation that will interest the serious fans. Skynx was a good character, and I liked that whole scene when Chewie sets out to impress the local ladies by telling them *he's* the Captian of the Falcon and Solo is his First Mate, much to Han's amusement.And the rediclous coach he rented to further the image was funny. Purists will find 75% fewer so- called "Anachronisms" in this book than in other early SW books.
Han Solo and Chewbacca in their smuggling days of yore.......2007-02-19
Like the Lando Calrissian Adventures, Brian Daley's Han Solo Adventures are among the few books written while the original film trilogy was still being produced. In fact, Daley wrote these before The Empire Strikes Back was released, so he had to be very careful not to step on Lucas' toes creatively. Therefore you will find little that is familiar from the films in these three novels. They are set before A New Hope and are essentially three stand-alone episodes of Han Solo's life. A.C. Crispin's excellent Han Solo Trilogy encompasses a much broader span of time; she works these adventures into her third volume, Rebel Dawn.
Han Solo at Stars' End is set in the Corporate Sector Authority region of space, an area that appears to be largely free of the influence of the Empire. Han is living the typical smuggler's life, moving from job to job and situation to situation as he and Chewbacca try to make a living. An early predicament in this book throws them a curve: they desperately need some upgrades to the Millennium Falcon and they need them fast to stay a step ahead of the Espos, the regional security goons. There is only one man to turn to: Doc, the preeminent outlaw-tech who runs an illicit starship chop-shop.
Unfortunately, Doc has been captured by the Authority and has disappeared. Han and Chewbacca agree to attempt to track Doc down and attempt a rescue in exchange for ship upgrades. To aid them in getting data on Doc's location, they are assigned Bollux and Blue Max, a pair of droids who, much like Vuffi Raa in the Lando Calrissian Adventures, will start out as annoyances but grow to become trusted partners. Blue Max discerns that Doc has been taken to Stars' End, a wretched, isolated facility on the very edge of the Corporate Sector. The rest of the book deals with the rescue mission.
Daley is a descriptive and engaging writer. Han Solo at Stars' End, though set apart from most other Star Wars EU novels, does occasionally introduce an element that has been carried through to many other stories, such as Z-95 Headhunters and vibro-blades. Bollux and Blue Max prove to be entertaining additions to the story and I'm glad Daley chose to bring them along in his other two books. The feline Trianii mother and son Atuarre and Pakka and the wicked VicePrex Hirken are the other memorable characters introduced. There are a fair number of supporting characters who flit in and out of the story quite briefly, which seems realistic for a smuggler's tale.
The climatic events of the story are almost too over-the-top for my tastes. I found the ultimate fate of Stars' End rather hard to believe, although I will grant it certainly paints a vivid picture when you're reading it. Han is a rather two-dimensional character in this tale. Everything you learned of him from seeing him in the cantina in A New Hope is what you're given in this story. I was surprised by how cold-blooded he is in dealing with a traitor mid-book, but that probably fits well with the pre-Rebellion old-style Han Solo.
Although it doesn't add much to the overall characters of Han Solo and Chewbacca, Han Solo at Stars' End is an entertaining stand-alone chapter in the saga.
The second book in the Han Solo Adventures, Han Solo's Revenge, is not a sequel to Han Solo at Stars' End but rather its own distinct story. The only important elements that carries over from the first book besides Han, Chewie, and the Falcon are Bollux and Blue Max. In a funny opening sequence, Han and Chewie are embarked on a venture as somewhat honest businessmen, but a cultural misunderstanding quickly tosses them back into their usual one-step-ahead-of-the-law lifestyle.
The dominant theme of this story is Han's hatred of slavery. This characteristic of Han's, given a full backstory in Crispin's Han Solo Trilogy, has often been cited as the reason he rescued Chewbacca, sacrificing his career in the Empire as a result. Han and Chewie have blindly accepted a mission without knowing any details; when they discover it involves the transportation of slaves, they turn the tables, free the captives, and set out for revenge on the jokers who set them up.
I found this story somewhat disjointed compared to the more tightly-focused first novel. It seemed to move from one loosely-connected vignette to another without cleanly weaving the strands into a larger tapestry. After spending most of the story introducing new characters, locales, and plotline, I expected a bigger finish, but the climax depends rather heavily on exposition telling us how clever the various plots had been. Han has been used as a tool the whole story, and his revenge mostly consists of helping the Authority to disrupt the slavers and getting some money out of the whole deal. I expected something a little more primal from a book with Revenge in the title.
I enjoyed reading Han Solo's Revenge but not as much as the first Daley book. Despite having a fairly well-written mystery plot at its core, I never connected much with the characters or the storyline.
Han Solo and the Lost Legacy concludes Brian Daley's Han Solo Adventures, although like the first two books, it is a standalone tale. Bollux and Blue Max continue to be a part of the Millennium Falcon's crew, and the feared gunslinger Gallandro returns from Han Solo's Revenge, but otherwise you don't have to have read the prior volumes to enjoy this one. Daley also continues to mix up the style of adventures; we've had a prisoner rescue story and a tale of revenge, and now we have a quest for a legendary lost treasure hoard accumulated by Xim the Despot millenia earlier.
The first few chapters of Han Solo and the Lost Legacy focus on assembling our new cast of characters. As per the other two novels, the story kicks off with a deal of Han and Chewie's going bad. From there they find themselves on the run and in dire need of funds. The new characters include Badure, an old smuggler acquaintance of Han's; Hasti, a younger woman Badure has partnered with; and Skynx, a Ruurian academic interested in pursuing the lost treasure for the sake of adventure and knowledge rather than monetary gain.
Once this group has assembled, they head off to Dellalt to try and unlock the secret of Xim's vaults. The notion of huge empty vaults Xim left behind being dotted all over the galaxy is evocative, and I found it easy to picture Han being swept up in this sort of quest (maybe due to Harrison Ford having played a certain notable archeologist...). There are many action sequences occurring one after another on Dellalt, but the story largely maintains its energy and focus.
I was amused by a sequence mid-book that took place on a lake involving giant dinosaur-like creatures towing rafts of humans across for money. My visuals for this scene kept blending with the Doomworld arc of the Star Wars Marvel comics, in which Luke and Co. encounter large dinosaurs on a world of water. Not totally the same, but the goofy factor in this sequence in the book rivaled that of many of the Marvel tales.
The Gallandro arc draws to a satisfying conclusion in this book. It's hard to instill a sense of danger in these prequel stories, where we know perfectly well Han and Chewie will be OK, but there is a moment in their final confrontation that comes closes. The book ends well and the last page really feels like you're heading back into the events of A. C. Crispin's Han Solo Trilogy (which she gets credit for, as her books were written many years later).
Like the Lando Calrissian Adventures before them, all three of the Han Solo Adventures stand somewhat detached from the Star Wars universe as established in the films. A few elements are brought into each, but the Empire seems very far away throughout. Happily, there's plenty of room for side stories in such a large galaxy. If you are looking for a story closely tied to the films' primary thematic elements, these two series don't fit the bill and may feel more like a diversion. However, if you're interested in expanding your Star Wars universe and taking a break from the epic struggles of Jedi vs. Sith, give one of them a try.
great read.......2006-06-26
if you have read the han solo trilogy and havent read this one yet, pick it up NOW!!! its all about his adventures in between the 2nd and 3rd book i think, lol been awhile since i read the other trilogy but its when he goes to the corperate sector and has more mods done to the falcon. pick it up now
A fun and adventurous read.......2006-02-04
The Han Solo Adventures are three novels in one: Han Solo at Stars' End, Han Solo's Revenge, and Han Solo and the Lost Legacy. The stories take place 2 years before A New Hope. Here we get to see a younger Han cavorting about the galaxy causing trouble, making friends and enemies, and just plain being a scoundrel. Here are the basic plots of the three novels and my overall opinion of the book as a whole.
In Han Solo at Stars' End, the Millennium Falcon is in need of major repairs so Han goes to see Doc, an outlaw technician. When he get there, he finds his daughter Jessa there but Doc is missing. Jessa agrees to repair the Falcon, but in return she wants Han to transport a man named Rekkon to another planet. Rekkon also has a loved one "missing" and is working with other people to find out why and where. Ironically, all these missing people are vocal opponents of the Corporate Sector Authority. Han gets tangled up with Rekkon's mission and Chewie ends up getting taken away during a fray with the CSA. Fortunately, Rekkon discovers Stars' End and figures that's where all the missing people are. Having a vested interest now, Han takes Rekkon and his team to where Stars' End is located. During the trip, Rekkon is killed and now Han is dealing with a traitor on the team. How Han and the rest of the team infiltrate Stars' End is quite humorous as well as how they escape. Let's just say the story ends with a bang.
In Han Solo's Revenge, Han takes a job smuggling some kind of cargo. When he arrives at the rendezvous point he discovers the cargo is slaves, which he is vehemently against. He ends up killing the slave leader Zlarb and his men, but he still feels like he deserves the 10,000 credits that was promised to him. So, he goes on a mission to find who was going to pay Zlarb so he can collect from him and flies to the planet Bonadan. There, Han ends up tangling with Fiolla, a CSA auditor, who is also trying to track down the same guy. Meanwhile, a collection agent is trying to confiscate the Falcon while it's docked and Han and Fiolla run into him as well. From there, it's all action, adventure, questioned loyalties, and double- and triple-crosses.
In Han Solo and the Lost Legacy, Han goes on a "treasure hunt" of sorts for a lost fortune from the fabled ship "The Queen of Ranroon" on the planet of Dellalt. In tow are Chewie, his friend Roa, Roa's companion Hasti, and Skynx, an archaeologist of sorts. The crew gets in all sorts of trouble, the Falcon gets stolen by a ragtag band of criminals, and they get captured by a group of primitive people out in the boondocks. In the end, they get their treasure, but it's not what it's cracked up to be.
All in all, all three stories were great fun to read. Don't expect a lot of character development like you would find in A.C. Crispin's Han Solo Trilogy. But, like Crispin, Brian Daley has the essence of Solo down to a tee. You'll find yourself laughing out loud at some of the things Han says and the predicaments he gets himself into. I also thoroughly enjoyed Bollux and Blue Max, Han's two droids. They are in all three stories and these two little guys get Han out of a jam time and time again. You'll like this duo better than C-3PO and R2-D2 all day long.
I definitely recommend reading this 3-in-1 book, especially if you like a lot of adventure. You won't recognize any of the characters save for Han and Chewie, but the writing makes up for that. It's worth the read. May the Force be with you.
Book Description
The exciting new Han Solo series continues! The Hutt Gambit tells us even more about that dashing rogue adventurer, Han Solo! In Book Two, Han is a fugitive from the Imperial Navy where he was once a promising recruit. Han is also running from dreaded bounty hunter Boba Fett. But with his new friend, a Wookie named Chewbacca, Han offers his smuggling services to crime lords Jiliac and Jabba the Hutt--and now the pair is caught in the middle between the Empire and their outlaw allies.
Customer Reviews:
Please, no more "kindler, gentler" Han Solo.......2007-09-06
Ann Crispin's "Han Solo Trilogy" fills out some interesting details of the Star Wars universe. However, it lacks the edge and grittiness of some of the better Star Wars novels (particularly those by Timothy Zahn). Although Han is supposed to be a "scoundrel," you'd never know it from these books; Crispin goes out of her way to portray him as a nice, sweet guy who might enjoy an afternoon feeding ducks in the park.
"The Hutt Gambit" feels almost like a young-adult novel; the dialogue is bright and cheerful and the characters never seem to be in any serious jeopardy. If you thought Greedo shooting first was an improvement, you'll probably enjoy this.
another fantastic chapter of Han Solo's back story!.......2007-06-23
Once again Crispin delivers a fast paced, fun and informative look at the early years of everyone's favorite Star Wars scoundrel, Han Solo.
This one picks up several years after The Paradise Snare. Lots has happened to Han between the first book and this one, and lots happens during this book as well!
Without getting into many spoilers (at lest nothing that's not on the back of the jacket of the book) we see how Han meets Jabba, Chewbacca, Lando, his first flight with a very special ship, how he becomes the reluctant hero YET AGAIN..all great stuff.
In addition, there's appearances from some 'old' faces, both from the original Trilogy of movies as well as the previous book.
Great action, characterization and nods to the Star Wars Universe are all over the place in this book.
Highly recommended to any star wars fan!
Midly Entertaining.......2007-03-23
This book, though midly entertaining, is not for the old school Star Wars fans that grew up on the original Trilogy. The Han Solo Trilogy lacks the stories of a scoundrel that I expected. This trilogy also has glaring contradictions and plot holes when taken with the movies and other Star Wars books. This book is for the younger Star Wars fan, the generation that believes Greedo shot first.
Han, Chewie, and the Hutts.......2007-03-16
In this second book of the Han Solo trilogy, Ms Crispin takes us on Han's journey from his days as a cadet at the Imperial Space Academy through a number of adventures working as a pilot for the Hutts and ending up fending off an attack by Imperial forces. At the Academy, Cadet Solo spends four years preparing for a career in the Imperial Navy and developing his skills as a pilot. He graduates and spends four years as an officer before his career is cut short when he rescues a Wookie slave from ill treatment at the hands of a superior officer. The result is a dishonorable discharge. However, the Wookie, who turns out to be our old friend Chewbacca, swears a life debt to Han and promises to follow him everywhere. Obviously the entire Star Wars experience is much richer because of this incident.
Han and Chewie then move on to Nar Shaddaa, the Smugglers' Moon, where they smuggle shipments of spice to designated locations and make various runs for the Hutts, including Jabba. It is also during this period that the High Priest on Ylesia realizes that Han Solo was in fact the individual who caused them so much trouble several years earlier. He contracts with the galaxy's best bounty hunter, who else but Boba Fett, to capture Solo and return him to Ylesia to be killed. Fett's efforts to capture Han are stymied by a new character, a charming rogue named Lando Calrissian. Such introductions are the most fascinating part of learning Han Solo's backstory. Han, Chewie, Lando, Boba, Jabba - they're all here.
The Empire begins to move against the Hutts' lawless territory by authorizing Moff Sarn Shild to blockade Nal Hutta and turn the Smugglers' moon into molten slag. Through a combination of bribes, devious machinations by the Empire, and heroic deeds by Han and his fellow smugglers, the Empire's forces are thwarted. At the end of the story, Han is trying to figure out how to make money and go on with the rest of his life. His plans include coming up with enough money to go to Bespin and participate in an extremely high-stakes sabacc game. I suspect there in the third book we will run in to Lando again and learn of the acquisition of the Millennium Falcon. All of this is simply great fun as we continue to understand the forces in Han Solo's life that got him to the character he was when we first met him in A New Hope. On to the third book of the trilogy.
A great continuation of the series.......2007-01-18
I have been re-reading this trilogy for the first time in ten years. Again, the books have held up great and are just as good as they were the first time I read them.
The Hutt Gambit expands the scope of the this trilogy and begins to introduce favorite characters from the original film trilogy. While the book skips over Han Solo's days in the Imperial Navy, it picks up with explaining how and why he was drummed out of the service and introduces Chewbacca and the start of his and Han's friendship. From there we learn about Han's first exploits in smuggling and his first shot at the Kessel Run, his first meeting with Jabba the Hutt, and how he develops into the famous smuggler that will appear in A New Hope.
Ann Crispin continues to write Han Solo in a way that feels genuine and faithful to Harrison Ford's performance. The story is bigger than that of The Paradise Snare, and the cast of characters includes old favorites, some additional characters from the Expanded Universe (like some of the smugglers on Nar Shaddaa) while introducing some original characters that I thought fit in nicely, even if they were only in the book briefly, like Xaverri.
For Star Wars fans it is a must read, and for everyone else it is definitely worth the time as a fun space opera book that is easy to read but still contains genuine emotion and heart.
Average customer rating:
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Han Solo's Rescue Mission (Star Wars)
John Whitman
Manufacturer: Mouse Works
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Action & Adventure
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 4-8
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Star Wars
| Media Series
| Series
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1570828237 |
Average customer rating:
- lots of action in this one !
- Classic indeed!
- Han Chewy and bollux adventures continue.
- Han Chewy and bollux adventures continue.
- Enjoyable Star Wars fiction
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Han Solos Revenge (Star Wars, Bk. 2: the Han Solo Adventure Series)
Brian Daley
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Daley, Brian
| ( D )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Star Wars
| Media Series
| Series
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 9-12
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0345912098 |
Book Description
RISKY BUSINESS
Lured by a profitable venture, freighter captain Han Solo took the job--no questions asked. It was after he and Chewbacca made planetfall and picked up their living cargo that they discovered they were committing a capital crime. And the punishment for slave trading was mandatory execution.
Thanks to quick thinking by Blue Max, the computer-partner to Han's 'droid Bollux, Solo and Chewbacca rapidly turned the tables on their notorious employers. But that left them out of work--and figuring someone still owed them ten thousand credits.
So Han decided to keep his scheduled meeting with the trader's shadowy leader. But the person he met didn't fit his idea of a slave trader.
With good reason. And the truth meant real trouble . . .
Customer Reviews:
lots of action in this one !.......2007-07-03
if anything, I'd say this book wasn't quite long enough..the ending seemed to get wrapped up rather hastily in the last several pages of the book...but there'se a couple twists and turns in there that make it worthit..
but there's plenty of action to be had in this book. Han playing the reluctant hero yet AGAIN, under the guise of just getting paid..but man, does he hate those slavers ;)
some great action sequences that any star wars fan should be sure to enjoy.
Classic indeed!.......2005-05-06
First released in the 1970s, Daley gave hungry "Star Wars" fans a much-needed fix between the release of Lucas' flicks, and with the notable exceptions of AC Crispin and Tim Zahn, has been the only writer to really do justice to the original trilogy. Daley gives us a look into Han and Chewbacca's early smuggling career and takes them from caper to caper and thrill to thrill in the Corporate Sector Authority (nice change from the Empire, by the way).
"Revenge" the second book in the trilogy, sends Han and Chewie battling slavers with his droid friends Bollux and Blue Max (who are waaayyyy more interesting and likeable than Threepio ever was!). Perhaps the best thing about these novels is that there's none of the whining that pervades so much of the later saga, and Han's wisecracking one-liners are priceless. Daley definitely had a feel for Our Hero, and gives readers a breathless adventure that's more than worthy of the Lucas originals. A pity these never made it to film. Highly recommend!
Han Chewy and bollux adventures continue........2003-07-23
This is the second story of the Brian Daley trilogy. This is a book I found at a second hand store in the mid-90's. I had already started reading the Expanded Universe books that began with the Zahn trilogy. Brian also did the radio dramas but sadly died before seeing the expanded universe explode into what it has become. He is the first EU novelists.
My favorite of the Daley trilogy is Han solo's Revenge. Second is HS at Stars End (which is also available is a Dark horse comic). Lost legacy is my least favorite of the three stories, but it is still a good read.
My wife found the entire trilogy in a garage at a garage sale in about 1995. In 1997 came the AC Crispen Han Solo trilogy. I was wary how two trilogies could span the same time frame. To my surprise and delight, crispen did a great job wrting around the Solo trip to the corporate sector, thus incorporating Daleys work into official EUdoom.
One vacation I read in order the first 2 AC Crispen novels of the Han solo trilogy. Then I read the daley trilogy and concluded with the last of the Crispen trilogy, Rebel Dawn.
Han Chewy and bollux adventures continue........2003-07-23
This is the second story of the Brian Daley trilogy. This is a book I found at a second hand store in the mid-90's. I had already started reading the Expanded Universe books that began with the Zahn trilogy. Brian also did the radio dramas but sadly died before seeing the expanded universe explode into what it has become. He is the first EU novelists.
My favorite of the Daley trilogy is Han solo's Revenge. Second is HS at Stars End (which is also available is a Dark horse comic). Lost legacy is my least favorite of the three stories, but it is still a good read.
My wife found the entire trilogy in a garage at a garage sale in about 1995. In 1997 came the AC Crispen Han Solo trilogy. I was wary how two trilogies could span the same time frame. To my surprise and delight, crispen did a great job wrting around the Solo trip to the corporate sector, thus incorporating Daleys work into official EUdoom.
One vacation I read in order the first 2 AC Crispen novels of the Han solo trilogy. Then I read the daley trilogy and concluded with the last of the Crispen trilogy, Rebel Dawn.
Enjoyable Star Wars fiction.......2003-06-02
This looks into how Han Solo operates and provides some explanation as to why he is how he is in the films. Set between the other two Daley HS books.
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