Reviews

An adequate prequel to the prequel. Luceno introduces Galen Erso (father to Jyn, Rogue One's heroine), an idealistic, pacifist scientist manipulated into developing the power source for the Death Star. What's perhaps more interesting than the plot machinations is the narrative of how the Empire uses ideals of security and unity to become an oppressive military regime.

lxdesigner's review against another edition

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3.0

This was my first Star Wars novel, which is crazy since i’m a huge fan. I picked it because i love the movie Rogue One, and wanted the full story, plus this novel is canon and i strive to learn the SW canon in full.
That being said, this draaaaags. the story mostly deals with the politics and military strategy of the Empire, which seems like it would be right in my wheel
house, but honestly the middle third was so slow. the last third at least kept my interest to finish it.
One thing i will say, is that the novel really fleshes out Krenick’s character and adds a new layer when rewatching Rogue One.

dylanhenning's review

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adventurous dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I don’t give a lot of books 5 stars but I feel like this one deserves it.

Catalyst is not your typical Star Wars story. There isn’t any Jedi, there isn’t any major action set pieces either.

This book is entirely about politics and how the Empire uses and manipulates people (in this story the Erso family) to get what they want.

I was already a big fan of the Rogue One film so to get this prequel gave me exactly what I wanted. It gave me more of Galen and Lyra who don’t get very much time in the film. I got to know them as individuals, as a couple, and as parents. It added more weight to where they are when we see them in the opening moments of Rogue One.

Orson Krennic is one of my favorite Star Wars villains and this book gave me exactly what I wanted with his schemes and manipulations motivated by his own aspirations of power and fame in the Empire.

There are also some great moments here with Tarkin who is always a delicious villain.

iggnaseous's review against another edition

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4.0

A story that follows an energy researcher, his family, and the machinations of his former classmate to lure him into working for the empire’s secret weapons program doesn’t sound like a good premise for a Star Wars story. And yet, Luceno has managed to weave a compelling narrative from that as a starting point. The novel centers on the dance between Erso, a morally conflicted pacifist and brilliant scientist, and Krennic, equally brilliant in terms of strategy and deception. Both are well drawn and intriguing characters. Mostly the novel adds to the emotional weight of the events of Star Wars Rogue One--in one sense it's the “origin story” of Jyn Erso and deepens the apologetic for her father’s involvement in constructing the Death Star--though it is quite exciting and entertaining on its own. Recommeneded to hard core fans and/or those interested in more details about the events in Rogue One.

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