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whovian223's review against another edition
3.0
I don't really understand the hate for this novel. Sure, it's a bit more adult in tone than we're used to for a Star Wars book, and yeah, the other characters aren't *that* great.
But I did find the emotional dilemmas that both Han and Lando were going through to be quite interesting and I think the nature of those dilemmas made the adult tone more understandable. These are serious adult issues they're contemplating. Han trying to balance his roguish nature with being a dad and a husband. Lando wondering about settling down.
Sure, it may not be what you want from a Star Wars novel, but I don't think that makes it inherently bad.
I also found the book very funny. Love the Ewok and the bits about Gungan prejudice. Taka was even fun most of the time.
The reason for the 3 star rating is because the side character work wasn't the greatest overall. Even while the other characters were fun, they didn't really get that much development (Taka being a bit of an exception, but even they didn't get that much).
I really enjoyed the novel, though.
But I did find the emotional dilemmas that both Han and Lando were going through to be quite interesting and I think the nature of those dilemmas made the adult tone more understandable. These are serious adult issues they're contemplating. Han trying to balance his roguish nature with being a dad and a husband. Lando wondering about settling down.
Sure, it may not be what you want from a Star Wars novel, but I don't think that makes it inherently bad.
I also found the book very funny. Love the Ewok and the bits about Gungan prejudice. Taka was even fun most of the time.
The reason for the 3 star rating is because the side character work wasn't the greatest overall. Even while the other characters were fun, they didn't really get that much development (Taka being a bit of an exception, but even they didn't get that much).
I really enjoyed the novel, though.
kogami87's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
dmcke013's review against another edition
2.0
Released roughly around the time of the worst-box-office performing Star Wars movie (a backlash to 'The Last Jedi', maybe?) of 'Solo: A Star Wars movie', this novel attempts to tie together three separate time periods: we have post 'Return of the Jedi'/pre 'The Force Awakens' family man Han who struggles to be a father to young Ben Solo alongside missing-from-the-movies (so far) Lando, a post Solo Hand and Chewie, and a pre-Solo Lando and L3 all chasing after the same McGuffin.
And, for me, it just doesn't hang together all that well.
Perhaps the biggest problem I had with it, however - and it's an irrational one, I know - is in the almost complete absence of the Millennium Falcon in the 'modern day' portions: if you're going to have it prominently on the cover, and have both Han and Lando working together, at least get their most famous starship in on the action!
Well, that, and the Ewok slicer prodigy. (I still associate Ewok's with Return of the Jedi and in how they are portrayed - i.e. as technologically primitive! - in the old Expanded Universe).
And, for me, it just doesn't hang together all that well.
Perhaps the biggest problem I had with it, however - and it's an irrational one, I know - is in the almost complete absence of the Millennium Falcon in the 'modern day' portions: if you're going to have it prominently on the cover, and have both Han and Lando working together, at least get their most famous starship in on the action!
Well, that, and the Ewok slicer prodigy. (I still associate Ewok's with Return of the Jedi and in how they are portrayed - i.e. as technologically primitive! - in the old Expanded Universe).
marafov's review against another edition
2.75
It had its moments, but four separate timelines was way too many and the dialogue was often distractingly modern.
matthew_pawlyszyn's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
telltalepage's review against another edition
5.0
I went into this for Han being a dad to little Ben and came out with so much more!
This was exciting, funny, fast paced, and made me squirm from unease more than once (hallelujah finally a Star Wars villain who is creepy as all hell and not involved with the Force). I'm new to the Star Wars world in books, but so far, this is definitely my favorite.
This follows Han Solo and Lando Calrissian after the events of Return of the Jedi. Han has a baby, Lando is CEO of a droid company....and then everything comes crashing down when droids start killing people. The story skips from present day, to two (three including the antagonists short chapters) different flashbacks; one for Han and one for Lando. It's up to our favorite human rebellion heroes to save the world from the notorious Pau'an, Fyzer Gor, and his plans for total galaxy domination via droids.
All of the threads of the story tie together so well even if you're not sure where it will end when you first start reading all of the different stories. As much as I'm not entirely on board with Han thinking he's a bad dad, Older did a great job showing the conflict within the scoundrel that felt realistic enough. Lando was also a great addition for a point of view character, as we got to learn even more about him and how his thoughts and emotions worked. It was adorable to see baby Ben (adorable and heart breaking at the same time) and seeing familiar faces like Leia and Chewie were also great at making the book fun and exciting.
The antagonist, Fyrze Gor, was....well he was sofucking creepy! I had no idea what to expect out of the antag of this book and then he was introduced and I could feel my skin crawling with the....wrongness of what he was doing. It made for such a compelling character, and I'd gladly read up more on the cult he created, just to give myself nightmares.
The writing with witty and fun and not bogged down with a lot of military tactics which made reading the Thrawn books a little sluggish for me. Turns out, I do 100% love Star Wars books as long as they're not entirely military jargon. That being said, there were some very modern phrases used within this, mostly by Lando, that totally yanked me out of the story. Most of the time, it was dialogue made from memes that I had seen on tumblr posts like years ago....written in this book. I'm not accusing anyone of anything but it was a startling and it pulled me out of the story more than a few times while reading.
Even with that, though, I still give this a 5 star rating!
This was exciting, funny, fast paced, and made me squirm from unease more than once (hallelujah finally a Star Wars villain who is creepy as all hell and not involved with the Force). I'm new to the Star Wars world in books, but so far, this is definitely my favorite.
This follows Han Solo and Lando Calrissian after the events of Return of the Jedi. Han has a baby, Lando is CEO of a droid company....and then everything comes crashing down when droids start killing people. The story skips from present day, to two (three including the antagonists short chapters) different flashbacks; one for Han and one for Lando. It's up to our favorite human rebellion heroes to save the world from the notorious Pau'an, Fyzer Gor, and his plans for total galaxy domination via droids.
All of the threads of the story tie together so well even if you're not sure where it will end when you first start reading all of the different stories. As much as I'm not entirely on board with Han thinking he's a bad dad, Older did a great job showing the conflict within the scoundrel that felt realistic enough. Lando was also a great addition for a point of view character, as we got to learn even more about him and how his thoughts and emotions worked. It was adorable to see baby Ben (adorable and heart breaking at the same time) and seeing familiar faces like Leia and Chewie were also great at making the book fun and exciting.
The antagonist, Fyrze Gor, was....well he was so
The writing with witty and fun and not bogged down with a lot of military tactics which made reading the Thrawn books a little sluggish for me. Turns out, I do 100% love Star Wars books as long as they're not entirely military jargon. That being said, there were some very modern phrases used within this, mostly by Lando, that totally yanked me out of the story. Most of the time, it was dialogue made from memes that I had seen on tumblr posts like years ago....written in this book. I'm not accusing anyone of anything but it was a startling and it pulled me out of the story more than a few times while reading.
Even with that, though, I still give this a 5 star rating!
timgrubbs's review against another edition
4.0
A mess of a story that is still oddly charming…
Last Shot (Star Wars): A Han and Lando Novel by Daniel José Older is a book that tries to expand the star wars MYTHOS (and fails) but manages to add some interesting characterization…
The story involves old adventures by Han and Lando (superstar, not together) that come to a head in the present with neither quite sure what trouble they are in.
Set years after Endor (and many years before Shadow of the Sith), Landonis re-establishing himself as a businessman while Han is a family man, only for both to be pulled into something neither wanted to deal with in their golden years.
Lando is trying to figure out his love life (one of my favorite elements of the book), and Han would rather be with his family hut he really has to handle this trouble.
This does more to shape their friendship that that terrible Solo movie that this is meant to tie in with. I actually thought this might try to fill in gaps in the new current canon…but it just leaves me with more questions. I’ll just have to live with that…
Extra points for creative use of an Ewok…
Last Shot (Star Wars): A Han and Lando Novel by Daniel José Older is a book that tries to expand the star wars MYTHOS (and fails) but manages to add some interesting characterization…
The story involves old adventures by Han and Lando (superstar, not together) that come to a head in the present with neither quite sure what trouble they are in.
Set years after Endor (and many years before Shadow of the Sith), Landonis re-establishing himself as a businessman while Han is a family man, only for both to be pulled into something neither wanted to deal with in their golden years.
Lando is trying to figure out his love life (one of my favorite elements of the book), and Han would rather be with his family hut he really has to handle this trouble.
This does more to shape their friendship that that terrible Solo movie that this is meant to tie in with. I actually thought this might try to fill in gaps in the new current canon…but it just leaves me with more questions. I’ll just have to live with that…
Extra points for creative use of an Ewok…
robertmorvay's review against another edition
2.0
Missed potential in book format. The past plot is unbelievably dull and unmemorable, and the present day plot is meandering to the nth degree. Just lame.
missblobbette's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
fast-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