stacielfisher's review
Absolutely loved Paradise Snare (1st book in this trilogy). Enjoyed this one but lost interest a few times. Overall loved how this author portrays Han,Lando, and Chewie. By the end of the book I was definitely excited to read the final book, Rebel Dawn.
rogue_leader's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
cassiflo24's review
adventurous
funny
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
justin_wong's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
annabrietta's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
a_chickletz's review
2.0
This book really had me spinning.
I wanted to re-write the story. The story itself was cool. The dialogue for Han Solo and everybody else was god-damn-awful. This is what you get when someone decides to heavily base their dialogue off of what you hear Han Solo say in the films... even to the point where it's lifted word-for-word. Another reviewer made a comment saying that the fault with this (and these) book(s) is that they never seem to 'develop' Han or Han never comes out naturally. He's horribly forced to the point where he seems too much like a bland copy of his film self.
All of Han Solo's girlfriends are one-dimensional nobodies that when they enter the scene and leave him you can't tell the difference who was who. EXCEPT BRIA. BRIA IS SO ANNOYING. The fact that Han fell for her is just crazy. She literally has nothing interesting about her and turns Han into a mopy bratty prince of smugglers.
All the characters were completely off from their film counterparts. Don't get me started on how Boba Fett was 'captured' by Lando and Han at one point. Like Boba Fett would mess up like that? Bull.
I gotta finish this series because I already invested my time into it. I'm not looking forward to the last book.
I wanted to re-write the story. The story itself was cool. The dialogue for Han Solo and everybody else was god-damn-awful. This is what you get when someone decides to heavily base their dialogue off of what you hear Han Solo say in the films... even to the point where it's lifted word-for-word. Another reviewer made a comment saying that the fault with this (and these) book(s) is that they never seem to 'develop' Han or Han never comes out naturally. He's horribly forced to the point where he seems too much like a bland copy of his film self.
All of Han Solo's girlfriends are one-dimensional nobodies that when they enter the scene and leave him you can't tell the difference who was who. EXCEPT BRIA. BRIA IS SO ANNOYING. The fact that Han fell for her is just crazy. She literally has nothing interesting about her and turns Han into a mopy bratty prince of smugglers.
All the characters were completely off from their film counterparts. Don't get me started on how Boba Fett was 'captured' by Lando and Han at one point. Like Boba Fett would mess up like that? Bull.
I gotta finish this series because I already invested my time into it. I'm not looking forward to the last book.
sboard's review
2.0
2.5 if I could.
This book is mostly pretty dull with routine smuggler stuff and internal Hutt politics. Some of the dialogue is rather poorly written, and the book was mainly saved by a decently-written space battle at the end that lasts about 40 pages or so. I'll continue to book 3 since I liked book 1, but I don't see myself re-reading this one.
This book is mostly pretty dull with routine smuggler stuff and internal Hutt politics. Some of the dialogue is rather poorly written, and the book was mainly saved by a decently-written space battle at the end that lasts about 40 pages or so. I'll continue to book 3 since I liked book 1, but I don't see myself re-reading this one.
nerdywerewolf's review
4.0
If you love Star Wars, this trilogy is essential. You see Han go from a starving orphan to the guy he becomes in the original Saga. You also learn how he met Chewie, Lando and Jabba (not to mention a wonderful cast of misfits that never made it to the screen). LOVE THIS!
blancwene's review
3.0
For 2020, I decided to reread (in publication order) all the Bantam-era Star Wars books that were released between 1991 and 1999; that shakes out to 38 adult novels and 5 anthologies of short stories & novellas.
This week’s focus: the second book in the Han Solo prequel trilogy, The Hutt Gambit by A.C. Crispin.
SOME HISTORY:
The Hutt Gambit skips Han’s five years in the Imperial Navy, and picks up after he’s been cashiered. It’s a bold move, but it was also dictated by Lucasfilm, according to an interview with Crispin: “Per Lucasfilm's request, I did not cover Han's time in the Imperial Academy, or his first meeting with Chewbacca when he saved Chewie and thus caused the Wookiee to swear a Life-Debt to Han.” The Hutt Gambit made it to number fifteen on the New York Times paperback bestseller list for the week of August 31, 1997.
MY RECOLLECTION OF THE BOOK:
I recall enjoying The Hutt Gambit because it fleshed out (however briefly) so many of the smugglers we’ve encountered in previous books. And I found that to still be the case on this read. For example, Xaverri had potential in [b:The Crystal Star|263012|The Crystal Star (Star Wars)|Vonda N. McIntyre|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327875096l/263012._SY75_.jpg|254951], but Crispin develops her further: both her illusionist act and her vendetta against the Empire.
A BRIEF SUMMARY:
Once one of the Academy's brightest stars, Han Solo has since been kicked out of the Imperial Navy. With his new friend Chewbacca at his side, Han sets out to make his fortune as a smuggler. But between bounty hunters sent by the Ylesian Hutts, his capricious crime lord bosses, and an imminent battle between the Empire and the smugglers of Nar Shaddaa, Han and Chewie find themselves in for the fight of their lives...
THE CHARACTERS:
After the rough opening of mopey, drunk Han in a bar, I felt like the rest of the novel was a lot closer to classic OT Han. He slowly learns the ins and outs of smuggling, he wants to buy a ship (preferably Lando’s ship), he has some casual romantic relationships, and he’s a lot better at strategizing than he was in [b:The Paradise Snare|617086|The Paradise Snare (Star Wars The Han Solo Trilogy, #1)|A.C. Crispin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328111695l/617086._SY75_.jpg|2112698]. We also get a better sense of Han’s magnetic personality than in the first book. Here, he befriends just about everyone he meets, so it makes sense that he has so many work acquaintances in the other Bantam books.
Chewbacca finally makes an appearance, but their friendship begins rather abruptly. Han doesn’t seem to really like him at first, and accepts his Life-Debt because he’s useful to have in a fight. I wasn’t a fan of Muuurgh from [b:The Paradise Snare|617086|The Paradise Snare (Star Wars The Han Solo Trilogy, #1)|A.C. Crispin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328111695l/617086._SY75_.jpg|2112698], but he had more of a defined arc than Chewie does here. The timeline also doesn’t mesh with the prequels, but that’s not Crispin’s fault (Lucasfilm was holding their cards close to their chest, since shooting for Episode I didn’t start until summer 1997). We learn that Chewie was a slave for 50 years, which hints at a much longer reign for the Emperor than Lucas eventually decided on.
Lando finally makes his appearance as a suave, not-yet-mustachioed gambler who has ambitious business plans. Crispin also provides us with how the Lando Calrissian Adventures fit into the timeline; Lando heads off for the events of [b:Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu|161549|Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu (Star Wars The Lando Calrissian Adventures, #1)|L. Neil Smith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1189777848l/161549._SY75_.jpg|177608] partway through the book and returns with Vuffi Raa, and then after the Battle of Nar Shaddaa, he heads back to Oseon for [b:Lando Calrissian and the Flamewind of Oseon|161548|Lando Calrissian and the Flamewind of Oseon (Star Wars The Lando Calrissian Adventures, #2)|L. Neil Smith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1189777943l/161548._SY75_.jpg|155913] and [b:Lando Calrissian and the Starcave of ThonBoka|775510|Lando Calrissian and the Starcave of ThonBoka (Star Wars The Lando Calrissian Adventures, #3)|L. Neil Smith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457320609l/775510._SY75_.jpg|761548].
We see so little of Bria that I wonder if she could have been left out of The Hutt Gambit and only made a reappearance in [b:Rebel Dawn|111019|Rebel Dawn (Star Wars The Han Solo Trilogy, #3)|A.C. Crispin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328111850l/111019._SY75_.jpg|2112719]? She wants to take down Ylesia, but her Rebel group only attempts a single raid. She spends the rest of the book spying on Imperials, and her presence is so slight that it feels unnecessary.
I also wasn’t crazy about Han’s two encounters with her in the book. Both seemed engineered to make him assume the worst of her (she’s still addicted to the Exultation! No, she’s a Moff’s mistress!), and I find it unlikely that he’d still have such strong feelings about her 5-7 years after she left.
I’m not sure how I feel about Crispin introducing Boba Fett at this stage in the narrative. Teroenza puts a 20,000 credit bounty on Han’s head; Jabba pays Fett 25,000 credits to leave Han alone. Han’s still a nobody at this point, and I would rather that he not encounter Fett until after his falling out with Jabba. In addition, Fett’s backstory doesn’t work with the prequels, but Daniel Keys Moran (who originated his backstory) had no way of knowing that Lucas would introduce Fett’s family in Attack of the Clones.
Teroenza is still obsessed with revenge. The Hutts, however, are a lot more intriguing. We have Aruk and Durga from the Besadii clan, and Jiliac and Jabba from the Desilijic clan. Aruk and Jiliac are the main schemers here, but they’re also from the older generation, so it’ll be interesting to see how the power dynamics will change in book 3. Jabba also generally seems to like Han, which was a different take!
ISSUES:
Crispin is really interested in the Hutt clans and their interplay. Your mileage may vary whether you also find them intriguing.
Crispin interweaves a lot of Han’s disparate smuggler friends from previous books into the narrative. Just off the top of my head, we encounter Mako Spince, Shug Ninx, and Salla Zend ([b:Star Wars: Dark Empire Trilogy|8287494|Star Wars Dark Empire Trilogy|Tom Veitch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403200157l/8287494._SX50_.jpg|14421180]); Roa ([b:Han Solo's Revenge|775507|Han Solo's Revenge (Star Wars The Han Solo Adventures, #2)|Brian Daley|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1262548971l/775507._SY75_.jpg|701564]); Rik Duel ([b:Star Wars (1977-1986) #70|28440721|Star Wars (1977-1986) #70|Jo Duffy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1451841325l/28440721._SY75_.jpg|48560537]); Ana Blue, Zeen Afit, Kid DXo'ln, and Wynni ([b:The New Rebellion|700095|The New Rebellion (Star Wars)|Kristine Kathryn Rusch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327008455l/700095._SY75_.jpg|686406]); and Xaverri ([b:The Crystal Star|263012|The Crystal Star (Star Wars)|Vonda N. McIntyre|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327875096l/263012._SY75_.jpg|254951]). They’re briefly sketched, but at the same time they feel more real sometimes than in the books that introduced them.
We also get Han’s introduction to Lando, but it doesn’t work for me. Lando’s a professional gambler, he’s been looking for Han to tutor him in piloting, and he just happens to be in the right place at the right time when Boba Fett tries to collect the bounty on Han. Their meeting is both far-fetched and way too coincidental. I’m not a fan of Solo: A Star Wars Story, but I prefer their first meeting in that film instead (playing sabacc, foreshadowing how Han will eventually get the Falcon).
Han’s relationships with Xaverri and Salla Zend are brief and briefly sketched. Which is fine and fitting for his character! I just can’t reconcile that with his genuine upset when Xaverri leaves him, though.
I disliked Crispin’s habit of telling instead of showing in [b:The Paradise Snare|617086|The Paradise Snare (Star Wars The Han Solo Trilogy, #1)|A.C. Crispin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328111695l/617086._SY75_.jpg|2112698], and there’s even more of that in The Hutt Gambit. One example: Han takes time off to travel with Xaverri as her assistant. But other than her first magic show, we never see any of it. We’re told that they visit a lot of places, and Han feels uncomfortable in his spangled bodysuit, but that’s not until she’s already left him. I would have loved to see how he worked in her show, or one of the scams that they ran against Imperials, instead of being presented with a list after the fact.
The Battle of Nar Shaddaa takes up almost half the book: Han finds out about the attack at the end of chapter 9, chapters 10-13 are loads of build-up, with chapter 14 being the Battle itself. We then have two short chapters and epilogue to wrap things up. I never say this (usually it's "this book was too long" or "this trilogy could have been a duology"), but I wish that The Hutt Gambit was longer! I would have loved a deeper dive into Han's smuggler career, especially when one battle takes up so much of the book.
IN CONCLUSION:
I felt like The Hutt Gambit was lighter and more fun than book 1, and I really enjoyed getting to meet all of Han’s smuggler buddies. I wish that some of the episodes had been a little more fleshed out, though, because Crispin has a bad habit of showing not telling.
Next up: the first book in the Hand of Thrawn duology, [b:Specter of the Past|77787|Specter of the Past (Star Wars The Hand of Thrawn Duology, #1)|Timothy Zahn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1326718522l/77787._SY75_.jpg|1134058] by Timothy Zahn.
My YouTube review: https://youtu.be/wGyWdXw_09c
TheForce.net interview with A.C. Crispin: http://www.theforce.net/jedicouncil/interview/crispin.asp
This week’s focus: the second book in the Han Solo prequel trilogy, The Hutt Gambit by A.C. Crispin.
SOME HISTORY:
The Hutt Gambit skips Han’s five years in the Imperial Navy, and picks up after he’s been cashiered. It’s a bold move, but it was also dictated by Lucasfilm, according to an interview with Crispin: “Per Lucasfilm's request, I did not cover Han's time in the Imperial Academy, or his first meeting with Chewbacca when he saved Chewie and thus caused the Wookiee to swear a Life-Debt to Han.” The Hutt Gambit made it to number fifteen on the New York Times paperback bestseller list for the week of August 31, 1997.
MY RECOLLECTION OF THE BOOK:
I recall enjoying The Hutt Gambit because it fleshed out (however briefly) so many of the smugglers we’ve encountered in previous books. And I found that to still be the case on this read. For example, Xaverri had potential in [b:The Crystal Star|263012|The Crystal Star (Star Wars)|Vonda N. McIntyre|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327875096l/263012._SY75_.jpg|254951], but Crispin develops her further: both her illusionist act and her vendetta against the Empire.
A BRIEF SUMMARY:
Once one of the Academy's brightest stars, Han Solo has since been kicked out of the Imperial Navy. With his new friend Chewbacca at his side, Han sets out to make his fortune as a smuggler. But between bounty hunters sent by the Ylesian Hutts, his capricious crime lord bosses, and an imminent battle between the Empire and the smugglers of Nar Shaddaa, Han and Chewie find themselves in for the fight of their lives...
THE CHARACTERS:
After the rough opening of mopey, drunk Han in a bar, I felt like the rest of the novel was a lot closer to classic OT Han. He slowly learns the ins and outs of smuggling, he wants to buy a ship (preferably Lando’s ship), he has some casual romantic relationships, and he’s a lot better at strategizing than he was in [b:The Paradise Snare|617086|The Paradise Snare (Star Wars The Han Solo Trilogy, #1)|A.C. Crispin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328111695l/617086._SY75_.jpg|2112698]. We also get a better sense of Han’s magnetic personality than in the first book. Here, he befriends just about everyone he meets, so it makes sense that he has so many work acquaintances in the other Bantam books.
Chewbacca finally makes an appearance, but their friendship begins rather abruptly. Han doesn’t seem to really like him at first, and accepts his Life-Debt because he’s useful to have in a fight. I wasn’t a fan of Muuurgh from [b:The Paradise Snare|617086|The Paradise Snare (Star Wars The Han Solo Trilogy, #1)|A.C. Crispin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328111695l/617086._SY75_.jpg|2112698], but he had more of a defined arc than Chewie does here. The timeline also doesn’t mesh with the prequels, but that’s not Crispin’s fault (Lucasfilm was holding their cards close to their chest, since shooting for Episode I didn’t start until summer 1997). We learn that Chewie was a slave for 50 years, which hints at a much longer reign for the Emperor than Lucas eventually decided on.
Lando finally makes his appearance as a suave, not-yet-mustachioed gambler who has ambitious business plans. Crispin also provides us with how the Lando Calrissian Adventures fit into the timeline; Lando heads off for the events of [b:Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu|161549|Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu (Star Wars The Lando Calrissian Adventures, #1)|L. Neil Smith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1189777848l/161549._SY75_.jpg|177608] partway through the book and returns with Vuffi Raa, and then after the Battle of Nar Shaddaa, he heads back to Oseon for [b:Lando Calrissian and the Flamewind of Oseon|161548|Lando Calrissian and the Flamewind of Oseon (Star Wars The Lando Calrissian Adventures, #2)|L. Neil Smith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1189777943l/161548._SY75_.jpg|155913] and [b:Lando Calrissian and the Starcave of ThonBoka|775510|Lando Calrissian and the Starcave of ThonBoka (Star Wars The Lando Calrissian Adventures, #3)|L. Neil Smith|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457320609l/775510._SY75_.jpg|761548].
We see so little of Bria that I wonder if she could have been left out of The Hutt Gambit and only made a reappearance in [b:Rebel Dawn|111019|Rebel Dawn (Star Wars The Han Solo Trilogy, #3)|A.C. Crispin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328111850l/111019._SY75_.jpg|2112719]? She wants to take down Ylesia, but her Rebel group only attempts a single raid. She spends the rest of the book spying on Imperials, and her presence is so slight that it feels unnecessary.
I also wasn’t crazy about Han’s two encounters with her in the book. Both seemed engineered to make him assume the worst of her (she’s still addicted to the Exultation! No, she’s a Moff’s mistress!), and I find it unlikely that he’d still have such strong feelings about her 5-7 years after she left.
I’m not sure how I feel about Crispin introducing Boba Fett at this stage in the narrative. Teroenza puts a 20,000 credit bounty on Han’s head; Jabba pays Fett 25,000 credits to leave Han alone. Han’s still a nobody at this point, and I would rather that he not encounter Fett until after his falling out with Jabba. In addition, Fett’s backstory doesn’t work with the prequels, but Daniel Keys Moran (who originated his backstory) had no way of knowing that Lucas would introduce Fett’s family in Attack of the Clones.
Teroenza is still obsessed with revenge. The Hutts, however, are a lot more intriguing. We have Aruk and Durga from the Besadii clan, and Jiliac and Jabba from the Desilijic clan. Aruk and Jiliac are the main schemers here, but they’re also from the older generation, so it’ll be interesting to see how the power dynamics will change in book 3. Jabba also generally seems to like Han, which was a different take!
ISSUES:
Crispin is really interested in the Hutt clans and their interplay. Your mileage may vary whether you also find them intriguing.
Crispin interweaves a lot of Han’s disparate smuggler friends from previous books into the narrative. Just off the top of my head, we encounter Mako Spince, Shug Ninx, and Salla Zend ([b:Star Wars: Dark Empire Trilogy|8287494|Star Wars Dark Empire Trilogy|Tom Veitch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1403200157l/8287494._SX50_.jpg|14421180]); Roa ([b:Han Solo's Revenge|775507|Han Solo's Revenge (Star Wars The Han Solo Adventures, #2)|Brian Daley|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1262548971l/775507._SY75_.jpg|701564]); Rik Duel ([b:Star Wars (1977-1986) #70|28440721|Star Wars (1977-1986) #70|Jo Duffy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1451841325l/28440721._SY75_.jpg|48560537]); Ana Blue, Zeen Afit, Kid DXo'ln, and Wynni ([b:The New Rebellion|700095|The New Rebellion (Star Wars)|Kristine Kathryn Rusch|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327008455l/700095._SY75_.jpg|686406]); and Xaverri ([b:The Crystal Star|263012|The Crystal Star (Star Wars)|Vonda N. McIntyre|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327875096l/263012._SY75_.jpg|254951]). They’re briefly sketched, but at the same time they feel more real sometimes than in the books that introduced them.
We also get Han’s introduction to Lando, but it doesn’t work for me. Lando’s a professional gambler, he’s been looking for Han to tutor him in piloting, and he just happens to be in the right place at the right time when Boba Fett tries to collect the bounty on Han. Their meeting is both far-fetched and way too coincidental. I’m not a fan of Solo: A Star Wars Story, but I prefer their first meeting in that film instead (playing sabacc, foreshadowing how Han will eventually get the Falcon).
Han’s relationships with Xaverri and Salla Zend are brief and briefly sketched. Which is fine and fitting for his character! I just can’t reconcile that with his genuine upset when Xaverri leaves him, though.
I disliked Crispin’s habit of telling instead of showing in [b:The Paradise Snare|617086|The Paradise Snare (Star Wars The Han Solo Trilogy, #1)|A.C. Crispin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328111695l/617086._SY75_.jpg|2112698], and there’s even more of that in The Hutt Gambit. One example: Han takes time off to travel with Xaverri as her assistant. But other than her first magic show, we never see any of it. We’re told that they visit a lot of places, and Han feels uncomfortable in his spangled bodysuit, but that’s not until she’s already left him. I would have loved to see how he worked in her show, or one of the scams that they ran against Imperials, instead of being presented with a list after the fact.
The Battle of Nar Shaddaa takes up almost half the book: Han finds out about the attack at the end of chapter 9, chapters 10-13 are loads of build-up, with chapter 14 being the Battle itself. We then have two short chapters and epilogue to wrap things up. I never say this (usually it's "this book was too long" or "this trilogy could have been a duology"), but I wish that The Hutt Gambit was longer! I would have loved a deeper dive into Han's smuggler career, especially when one battle takes up so much of the book.
IN CONCLUSION:
I felt like The Hutt Gambit was lighter and more fun than book 1, and I really enjoyed getting to meet all of Han’s smuggler buddies. I wish that some of the episodes had been a little more fleshed out, though, because Crispin has a bad habit of showing not telling.
Next up: the first book in the Hand of Thrawn duology, [b:Specter of the Past|77787|Specter of the Past (Star Wars The Hand of Thrawn Duology, #1)|Timothy Zahn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1326718522l/77787._SY75_.jpg|1134058] by Timothy Zahn.
My YouTube review: https://youtu.be/wGyWdXw_09c
TheForce.net interview with A.C. Crispin: http://www.theforce.net/jedicouncil/interview/crispin.asp