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A review by jenny_librarian
Phasma by Delilah S. Dawson
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.0
I think I know what the author was trying to do with this. Unfortunately, it didn’t work. To tell the story of a character third hand through an entire novel, that character needs to be so mythical, to have such a life of their own that the reader still feels them as if they were there.
The story I read didn’t make Phasma anything more than other run-of-the-mill Star Wars villain. The problem is that SW has such iconic characters that the story of a calculating woman who murdered anyone standing in the way of her survival and rise to power isn’t grand or surprising. If anything, reading this made me care about Phasma less. And it’s a damn shame, because she’s one of the few true female villains in Star Wars.
You know who I did like reading about, though? Cardinal. I already loved him from reading Black Spire, but seeing him unraveling was a treat. The last 100 pages of this book were better than the first 250. I wish the entire story could’ve been about him instead, and another story written about Phasma.
Delilah S Dawson can write and make me truly care about characters, but unfortunately this book wasn’t it for me. However, I strongly suggest people skip to Black Spire, because that one is so much more worth it!
The story I read didn’t make Phasma anything more than other run-of-the-mill Star Wars villain. The problem is that SW has such iconic characters that the story of a calculating woman who murdered anyone standing in the way of her survival and rise to power isn’t grand or surprising. If anything, reading this made me care about Phasma less. And it’s a damn shame, because she’s one of the few true female villains in Star Wars.
You know who I did like reading about, though? Cardinal. I already loved him from reading Black Spire, but seeing him unraveling was a treat. The last 100 pages of this book were better than the first 250. I wish the entire story could’ve been about him instead, and another story written about Phasma.
Delilah S Dawson can write and make me truly care about characters, but unfortunately this book wasn’t it for me. However, I strongly suggest people skip to Black Spire, because that one is so much more worth it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Genocide, Slavery, Torture, Police brutality, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Fatphobia, Transphobia, and Death of parent