visitbespin's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
My standout favorites were "I, Droid", "Fishing in the Deluge", and "Big Inside". That last story in particular was beautiful — I initially read it in the manga made of this book, and reading Ken Liu's writing of it did not disappoint. Overall I really enjoyed Ken Liu's take on Luke and the Force.
velvetrevolv3r6's review against another edition
3.0
Only two stories stood out for me in this anthology and were bloody excellent. The rest were either dull as heck or solely re-tellings of events from the original trilogy.
cursedherondale's review against another edition
5.0
Note: Wrote a review over phone, I apologize for any typos 🤷🏻♀️
"Legends about our heroes don't matter as much as what we choose to make of our own lives when the legends move us."
I think I am more in love with Luke than I ever was before and there is a need in me to demand an explanation from Rian Johnson for ruining Luke in Episode VIII. I still can't wrap my head around the Luke who is a bitter faithless Jedi from being a compassionate and hopeful one.
This, right here. This is the Luke I want to immortalize in my head. The Luke who inspired different kind of species from systems away, who gave hope with just a mere story of him and his adventures. Often-naive and ever-trusting, full of light and brave, I mourn for this Luke's death in The Last Jedi. Not the literal one, mind you. The pre-TLJ-Luke was the one I was (and still) mourning over.
TLJ- wise, I kind of understood how Luke redeemed his character-arc by
Anyyyway, back to the book:
Chapters are divided into short stories about Luke told from different people from different System/Planet who are on a same ship towards Canto Bight. Each narrator was given a distinct voice by the author which I admired so much. It is a feat not most authors can pull off in a single book. Most often than not, authors who have multiple POVs in their book tend to confuse me in writing their characters in almost the same voice that blurs the line of distinction along the way. From an Academic narrator, Pub Cook, Imperial Navy, Droid, Flea, & A Young girl from a far off planet, Liu managed to write them in a distinguishable voice that if all of them would have one conversation I can easily point each one out. Yep, that's how good Liu is.
The stories were entertaining enough, some are quite exaggerated from being passed along from one storyteller to another that makes the whole story absurd. One chapter in fact was telling a story of our favorite heroes- Luke & Han with Chewie, Obi-Wan, Artoo & Threepio as con-men/droid called the Kenobi gang. It was really hilarious. Another chapter features a scene from The Return of the Jedi, but how the movie differs to this particular chapter is this: Luke, all along was not guided by the Force, but by a Mole-Flea who has high regards for herself and struck a deal with Leia while on captivity to help Luke in saving all of them. I couldn't count how many times I guffawed with these narrations, because like I said, the POVs are really good and you can tell how much these narrators believe in their story and I feel like I'm this one person who knows the real deal laughing off the lies the other person is spreading. So yeah, you get the gists of the absurdity part.
That's one thing in this book, the humor. The other part is the ever-present sense of Luke giving hope, whether it is to a slave droid, a young girl detached from the war on a distant system or an imperial navy soldier stuck on a desert planet. He arrives to meet these characters whose hearts are filled with doubt and will leave them with hope that they never believed could exist and that idea just leaves me in awe and brokenhearted at the same time because how? How exactly a person, much more, a Jedi as hopeful and forgiving as Luke could be the bitter one we got in TLJ? But that's gonna be another argument with my fellow Force Friends 😂.
Some stories didn't have much significance to the greater scheme of the Star Wars Universe (or Galaxy if you don't mind a pun 😏). However, there are two (six stories in total) which has enough significance particularly in TLJ, wherein Luke travelled across the Galaxy to find the ancient scripts/lesson of the Jedis. Which of course was featured in TLJ if you remember Yoda's surprise appearance 😉.
This was a very fun read and quite emotional too. I started off with low expectations so this really surprised me. In the first few chapters, I was thinking if any of this was for real like the Star Wars kind of canon (I was reading the absurd and exaggerated parts) and laughed so hard my workmates think I've lost my mind. But on the last bits? I was pretty damn emotional, because this Luke is just so pure and the hope he brings to the entire Galaxy from its edges to the center is very moving and I feel the great need to encase him in a cocoon to preserve the Luke that he is in this book. I know, mentioning the events of TLJ is getting old but you've never loved a character enough if you've never been let down by a canon work that ruined that character (I have tons!)
Aside from all these, we get cameos from our beloved characters whom I've mentioned already - Leia, Hand, Chewie, Obi-Wan, R2D2 and C3P0.
So you see, this is why I gave this book a five star and shelved it under my favorites. Luke Skywalker, Bright-Heart, and Jedi in these adventures will forever stay in my heart.
"Legends about our heroes don't matter as much as what we choose to make of our own lives when the legends move us."
I think I am more in love with Luke than I ever was before and there is a need in me to demand an explanation from Rian Johnson for ruining Luke in Episode VIII. I still can't wrap my head around the Luke who is a bitter faithless Jedi from being a compassionate and hopeful one.
This, right here. This is the Luke I want to immortalize in my head. The Luke who inspired different kind of species from systems away, who gave hope with just a mere story of him and his adventures. Often-naive and ever-trusting, full of light and brave, I mourn for this Luke's death in The Last Jedi. Not the literal one, mind you. The pre-TLJ-Luke was the one I was (and still) mourning over.
TLJ- wise, I kind of understood how Luke redeemed his character-arc by
Spoiler
sacrificing himself to give time for the Resistance to evacuate and fight for another day. His death was a reference to Obi-Wan-Kenobi's sacrifice in A New Hope (note that Obi-Wan became bitter as well on post-Anakin incident and initially refused to help Luke). But stiiiiill it's one thing for Anakin to turn because of his fears and another for Ben to turn because his Master-slash-Uncle betrayed his trust and it's such a not-Luke-Skywalker-thing to do!Anyyyway, back to the book:
Chapters are divided into short stories about Luke told from different people from different System/Planet who are on a same ship towards Canto Bight. Each narrator was given a distinct voice by the author which I admired so much. It is a feat not most authors can pull off in a single book. Most often than not, authors who have multiple POVs in their book tend to confuse me in writing their characters in almost the same voice that blurs the line of distinction along the way. From an Academic narrator, Pub Cook, Imperial Navy, Droid, Flea, & A Young girl from a far off planet, Liu managed to write them in a distinguishable voice that if all of them would have one conversation I can easily point each one out. Yep, that's how good Liu is.
The stories were entertaining enough, some are quite exaggerated from being passed along from one storyteller to another that makes the whole story absurd. One chapter in fact was telling a story of our favorite heroes- Luke & Han with Chewie, Obi-Wan, Artoo & Threepio as con-men/droid called the Kenobi gang. It was really hilarious. Another chapter features a scene from The Return of the Jedi,
Spoiler
wherein Leia, Han & Chewie were captives by Jabba-The-Hutt and as we all know, Luke came to save them using his wits,That's one thing in this book, the humor. The other part is the ever-present sense of Luke giving hope, whether it is to a slave droid, a young girl detached from the war on a distant system or an imperial navy soldier stuck on a desert planet. He arrives to meet these characters whose hearts are filled with doubt and will leave them with hope that they never believed could exist and that idea just leaves me in awe and brokenhearted at the same time because how? How exactly a person, much more, a Jedi as hopeful and forgiving as Luke could be the bitter one we got in TLJ? But that's gonna be another argument with my fellow Force Friends 😂.
Some stories didn't have much significance to the greater scheme of the Star Wars Universe (or Galaxy if you don't mind a pun 😏). However, there are two (six stories in total) which has enough significance particularly in TLJ, wherein Luke travelled across the Galaxy to find the ancient scripts/lesson of the Jedis. Which of course was featured in TLJ if you remember Yoda's surprise appearance 😉.
This was a very fun read and quite emotional too. I started off with low expectations so this really surprised me. In the first few chapters, I was thinking if any of this was for real like the Star Wars kind of canon (I was reading the absurd and exaggerated parts) and laughed so hard my workmates think I've lost my mind. But on the last bits? I was pretty damn emotional, because this Luke is just so pure and the hope he brings to the entire Galaxy from its edges to the center is very moving and I feel the great need to encase him in a cocoon to preserve the Luke that he is in this book. I know, mentioning the events of TLJ is getting old but you've never loved a character enough if you've never been let down by a canon work that ruined that character (I have tons!)
Aside from all these, we get cameos from our beloved characters whom I've mentioned already - Leia, Hand, Chewie, Obi-Wan, R2D2 and C3P0.
So you see, this is why I gave this book a five star and shelved it under my favorites. Luke Skywalker, Bright-Heart, and Jedi in these adventures will forever stay in my heart.
rhganci's review
3.0
My friends and I have noted that the governing trend of these short story collections is that they tend to be uneven. This one is part of that tradition as well, but the last story, which I was prepared to dislike, ended up being my favorite. They were all of an abstract nature, more thematic or even spiritual than action-driven, and aside from one low point (a droid story) they all were an interesting look at how people see Luke Skywalker—and that’s new for the canon.
toniherrero's review against another edition
3.0
Em considero fan però no freak d'Star Wars, és a dir, que vaig créixer amb la trilogia original i sempre he gaudit de les pel·lícules, de fet tenen reservat un petit lloc al meu cor, però més enllà dels episodis 4, 5 i 6 mai he prestat gaire atenció a altres projectes relacionats amb aquest univers cinematogràfic.
Si us sóc sincer em vaig penedir només comprar el llibre, ja que va ser una acció no premeditada. Precisament pel que comentava: no sóc consumidor de subproductes de la saga (menys encara les signades per Disney) més enllà de la trilogia original. Però el nom de Ken Liu és com la Força, t'empeny a prendre decisions arriscades, potser eixelebrades i tot, i els relats que havia llegit anteriorment de l'autor m'havien fet xalar (i molt).
Un cop acabat aquest llibre sobre Luke Skywalker us puc dir que he gaudit (d'alguns) dels relats de Liu. La majoria tenen una gran riquesa visual, i l'autor planteja tergiversacions més que originals de l'univers original de George Lucas (la banda de Benny O'Kenoby és un crossover magistral entre The A-Team i Star Wars!!!!); de fet no cal ser gaire expert en la saga per pillar moltes de les referències que es fan i això fa que qualsevol pugui gaudir del llibre. El que és el text que fa d'unió dels relats, en canvi, m'ha semblat inconnex i d'allò més insubstancial.
Un altre tema és que com a consumidor, un cop pagada una quantitat important de diners (ja se sap que Lucas i Disney no cobren pas poc), esperava una certa qualitat en el producte. Doncs bé, l'edició és més aviat justeta (un 5 pelat que en diríem els que tenim una edat) però l'evident falta d'una correcció de la traducció (pràctica molt habitual en segons quines multinacionals) és una llosa que enfonsa gairebé qualsevol bona reacció que hagi ocasionat el llibre. Un cop passada l'última pàgina em queda la sensació d'haver sigut estafat per un munt de gent (tret del pobre Liu) que, lluny d'estimar-se la saga d'Star Wars, només en volen treure un sucós benefici. Per sort sóc un simple fan, i no un freak acèrrim, cosa que fa que l'emprenyada no arribi més enllà. Això sí, com a editor em cauria la cara de vergonya si algun dia fes una cosa així.
Que la força us acompanyi!
Si us sóc sincer em vaig penedir només comprar el llibre, ja que va ser una acció no premeditada. Precisament pel que comentava: no sóc consumidor de subproductes de la saga (menys encara les signades per Disney) més enllà de la trilogia original. Però el nom de Ken Liu és com la Força, t'empeny a prendre decisions arriscades, potser eixelebrades i tot, i els relats que havia llegit anteriorment de l'autor m'havien fet xalar (i molt).
Un cop acabat aquest llibre sobre Luke Skywalker us puc dir que he gaudit (d'alguns) dels relats de Liu. La majoria tenen una gran riquesa visual, i l'autor planteja tergiversacions més que originals de l'univers original de George Lucas (la banda de Benny O'Kenoby és un crossover magistral entre The A-Team i Star Wars!!!!); de fet no cal ser gaire expert en la saga per pillar moltes de les referències que es fan i això fa que qualsevol pugui gaudir del llibre. El que és el text que fa d'unió dels relats, en canvi, m'ha semblat inconnex i d'allò més insubstancial.
Un altre tema és que com a consumidor, un cop pagada una quantitat important de diners (ja se sap que Lucas i Disney no cobren pas poc), esperava una certa qualitat en el producte. Doncs bé, l'edició és més aviat justeta (un 5 pelat que en diríem els que tenim una edat) però l'evident falta d'una correcció de la traducció (pràctica molt habitual en segons quines multinacionals) és una llosa que enfonsa gairebé qualsevol bona reacció que hagi ocasionat el llibre. Un cop passada l'última pàgina em queda la sensació d'haver sigut estafat per un munt de gent (tret del pobre Liu) que, lluny d'estimar-se la saga d'Star Wars, només en volen treure un sucós benefici. Per sort sóc un simple fan, i no un freak acèrrim, cosa que fa que l'emprenyada no arribi més enllà. Això sí, com a editor em cauria la cara de vergonya si algun dia fes una cosa així.
Que la força us acompanyi!
fictionfiend74's review against another edition
3.0
I'm glad I read this after seeing the movie, because the parallels stood out pretty clearly. Luke wasn't a terribly interesting character to me until The Last Jedi, but these legends, which may or may not be "true", were fun to read. I know I tend to read all the sequel trilogy stuff through a Kylo Ren lens, but there were several passages that seemed to be purposefully alluding to Ben/Kylo and sometimes his dynamic with Rey.
For example.... "In the dark tales told by my mother, the heroes needed to understand the villains to defeat them. Knowledge was the first step to control, to power, to order. I needed to know this man who had taken me prisoner, and who had also rescued me from a sandstorm and handed me the last of his food. I needed to know this man who terrified me, but who also intrigued me." Sounds like Rey and Kylo in TLJ, no? Also, "Sometimes the home you yearn for turns out to be a dark forest. Sometimes the people you trust the most turn out to be monsters. Sometimes the villains are really the heroes." Rey turns to Kylo after Luke refuses to help.
Then there's Luke's dynamic with Aya and the "Tide" (Force). Luke says they are Force equals who have to take turns covering each other even though, in Aya's mind, Luke is kind of "dark" because he tries to wield the Force, which her people think one shouldn't do (they are all about letting the Force do as it wills, rather than trying to "use" it.)
The disturbing part though, is the droid who has an evil override chip placed in it, causing him to lose all empathy so that he will start hurting other droids to get them to do their mining jobs. He tries to get rid of the impulses the chip causes, but eventually gives in: "I felt dead inside. The only way for me to survive, it seemed, was the let the darkness overwhelm me, to lose myself in it. It was impossible to live with a conscience, so I had to bury it, to suffocate it, to become what they wanted me to become." If that isn't years of Snoke working on Ben Solo's mind, then I don't know what it is. It's a great metaphor.
For example.... "In the dark tales told by my mother, the heroes needed to understand the villains to defeat them. Knowledge was the first step to control, to power, to order. I needed to know this man who had taken me prisoner, and who had also rescued me from a sandstorm and handed me the last of his food. I needed to know this man who terrified me, but who also intrigued me." Sounds like Rey and Kylo in TLJ, no? Also, "Sometimes the home you yearn for turns out to be a dark forest. Sometimes the people you trust the most turn out to be monsters. Sometimes the villains are really the heroes." Rey turns to Kylo after Luke refuses to help.
Then there's Luke's dynamic with Aya and the "Tide" (Force). Luke says they are Force equals who have to take turns covering each other even though, in Aya's mind, Luke is kind of "dark" because he tries to wield the Force, which her people think one shouldn't do (they are all about letting the Force do as it wills, rather than trying to "use" it.)
The disturbing part though, is the droid who has an evil override chip placed in it, causing him to lose all empathy so that he will start hurting other droids to get them to do their mining jobs. He tries to get rid of the impulses the chip causes, but eventually gives in: "I felt dead inside. The only way for me to survive, it seemed, was the let the darkness overwhelm me, to lose myself in it. It was impossible to live with a conscience, so I had to bury it, to suffocate it, to become what they wanted me to become." If that isn't years of Snoke working on Ben Solo's mind, then I don't know what it is. It's a great metaphor.
kavinay's review
4.0
I was pleasantly surprised. How do you tell stories when the new post RotJ canon is still in flux? Liu pulls a clever trick and couches all of Luke's tales in narratives that range from unreliable to over-awed. It makes for a fun and wide ranging group of short stories. Not a lot of lore, but enough bits of interest to tide you over until The Last Jedi.
wanderlustlover's review
3.0
I didn't entirely love all the short stories in this one, but I liked how much we learned about The Force and all the different names for it. I love that we start looking at the mythos of a hero are bigger than the hero itself, because of the good such mantles can take on. I love a lot of the little tropes. I did feel like the writing let me down in several places though.
Including plurk live readthrough below here:
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Star Wars book five billionth of the last two, now beginning of a third, week. But at least they are helping keep me sane in the way that some other things aren't quite right now while hiatus, new-school, and DC-prep are going on.
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
The Myth Buster
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Luke, Stop sass-goading normal people quietly.
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
This is totally going to be like the Smuggler’s Run set up. Also, amusing that this is two deep nested stories already.
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Luke “Baby Face” Clodplotter.
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
TELL ME SOMEONE WROTE THIS AU.
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
The Starship Graveyard
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
I love this kind of story. The one that tells you the inside stories of the other side. The deep gaslighting. The fear. The only stories.
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Sometimes the villains are the heroes.
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
”We are all Luke Skywalker.”
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Interlude 2
Mysterious Person #2!
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Fishing in the Deluge
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
“We all lift each other up.”
I really liked this one. I like the different way of working with/envisioning “The Tide” (/The Force).
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
I, Droid
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
THIS ONE MAKES IT OFFICIAL THAT PADME WAS AN ACCOMPLISHED POET FROM HER YOUTH.
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
“mandroid”
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
“There’s still good in her. I know it.”
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
A great man and a great Droid.
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
The Tale of Lugubrious Moat
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Luke Skywanker: It’s a fabulous little collection of interwoven Luke Stories told from other being’s points of view. I am loving it.
Luke Skywanker
cool, I'll have to find it
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Well. That. Was a thing.
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Oohhhhhh. I forgot to put the title of this one.
But oh oh oh
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
The Force = The Tides = The Mist
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
”We’re all Luke Skywalker. We all lift up each other.”
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Well, that whole book ended up super cuter than I expected. It’s good to know two of the pre-Canto books are story collections.
Including plurk live readthrough below here:
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Star Wars book five billionth of the last two, now beginning of a third, week. But at least they are helping keep me sane in the way that some other things aren't quite right now while hiatus, new-school, and DC-prep are going on.
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
The Myth Buster
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Luke, Stop sass-goading normal people quietly.
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
This is totally going to be like the Smuggler’s Run set up. Also, amusing that this is two deep nested stories already.
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Luke “Baby Face” Clodplotter.
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
TELL ME SOMEONE WROTE THIS AU.
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
The Starship Graveyard
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
I love this kind of story. The one that tells you the inside stories of the other side. The deep gaslighting. The fear. The only stories.
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Sometimes the villains are the heroes.
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
”We are all Luke Skywalker.”
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Interlude 2
Mysterious Person #2!
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Fishing in the Deluge
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
“We all lift each other up.”
I really liked this one. I like the different way of working with/envisioning “The Tide” (/The Force).
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
I, Droid
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
THIS ONE MAKES IT OFFICIAL THAT PADME WAS AN ACCOMPLISHED POET FROM HER YOUTH.
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
“mandroid”
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
“There’s still good in her. I know it.”
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
A great man and a great Droid.
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
The Tale of Lugubrious Moat
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Luke Skywanker: It’s a fabulous little collection of interwoven Luke Stories told from other being’s points of view. I am loving it.
Luke Skywanker
cool, I'll have to find it
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Well. That. Was a thing.
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Oohhhhhh. I forgot to put the title of this one.
But oh oh oh
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
The Force = The Tides = The Mist
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
”We’re all Luke Skywalker. We all lift up each other.”
ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Well, that whole book ended up super cuter than I expected. It’s good to know two of the pre-Canto books are story collections.
cmgriffin's review against another edition
4.0
I don't usually read mid-grade, but this one was totally worth it.
baronessekat's review
4.0
You can tell a lot about a culture by the legends they tell. And the Star Wars Universe is no exception.
Years after the events of the "original" trilogy, the young crew of a smuggling freighter pass the time on their way to a delivery by telling stories. This particular evening all the stories and legends have one theme - Luke Skywalker.
I loved how the author wove tales about Luke through various cultures of the Star Wars Universe. Yes there were wild exaggerations, but I expect that as legends grow, "facts" get exaggerated. After all, if Paul Bunyan was real, there is no way he was 18 feet tall. Did the real Odysseus meet the Sirens? Unlikely. And just like those tales, the legends of Luke Skywalker and the events of the Rebellion have morphed into legends and tales told for entertainment and wonder.
This book is exactly what it said it was. A collection of short stories tied together by a loose outside story. I enjoyed it very much and hope the author does other legend stories of familiar characters.
Years after the events of the "original" trilogy, the young crew of a smuggling freighter pass the time on their way to a delivery by telling stories. This particular evening all the stories and legends have one theme - Luke Skywalker.
I loved how the author wove tales about Luke through various cultures of the Star Wars Universe. Yes there were wild exaggerations, but I expect that as legends grow, "facts" get exaggerated. After all, if Paul Bunyan was real, there is no way he was 18 feet tall. Did the real Odysseus meet the Sirens? Unlikely. And just like those tales, the legends of Luke Skywalker and the events of the Rebellion have morphed into legends and tales told for entertainment and wonder.
This book is exactly what it said it was. A collection of short stories tied together by a loose outside story. I enjoyed it very much and hope the author does other legend stories of familiar characters.