Book Review: Star Wars: Honor Among Thieves by James S.A. Corey

Honor Among Thieves by James S.A. Corey

Genre: Science Fiction, Media Tie-In

Series: Book 2 of Empire and Rebellion  

Publisher: LucasBooks, Del Rey (March 4, 2014)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Mogsy's Rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've been a reader for as long as I remember, but science fiction is still a relatively new genre for me. In fact, I don't think I started until I well into my high school years, and back then, I remember cutting my teeth on novelizations of the Star Wars prequel movies. There you go, my not-so-secret confession!

Obviously, I've branched out a lot more since those days, but I still retained my love for Star Wars books. To date, I've read a bunch by many different authors, and some of them have been better than others. Media tie-in novels have always been my guilty pleasure, especially when it comes to my beloved Star Wars, but admittedly the bar has never really been set that high. That's why whenever I do come across one that I genuinely like, I can't help but do a little happy dance.

And I'm definitely dancing now. Actually, I'd been excited about Honor Among Thieves for a long time, ever since I first learned that Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck will be working on a new stand alone Star Wars book under their nom de plume of James S.A. Corey. I adore their work on the Expanse series, and to hear that they would be writing a story about my favorite scoundrel was like a dream come true. Come on, James S.A. Corey and Han Solo? You just can't go wrong with a winning combination like that.

So you can see why I am so thrilled to say this book lived up to all my expectations. You can tell right away that the authors are fans of Star Wars and the characters themselves, because the first thing I noticed was how "right" Han sounded and felt in his dialogue and actions. He even felt true to the character in his internal narrative, all the way down to his growing affection for his new friends in the Rebel Alliance. This book takes place after the destruction of the Death Star but before the events of The Empire Strikes Back, so we get a real good look at how those experiences have affected and changed him.

The best part is, this is a Han Solo book through and through, and no doubt about it. Expect lots of his signature seat-of-the-pants approach to solving problems, the usual daring flyboy maneuvers, and of course a healthy dose of roguish humor. The plot is relatively simple, beginning when Han and Chewy are tasked on an assignment to extract a high-level rebel spy deep in Empire territory. Meet Agent Scarlet Hark, whose moxie might just give Han a run for his money. But as it turns out, Scarlet has uncovered delicate information about a new technology, one that can turn the tide of the war if only the rebels can secure it before the Empire gets their dirty hands on it.

I would say it's fairly predictable how things turn out, but then I think that is to be expected. We all know the war goes on in The Empire Strikes Back, et cetera, et cetera, so to an extent you can guess how everything in the story ends. Still, none of that manages to take away from the fun. Another thing I liked about this book is how deftly the plot involved all the main characters. One of my biggest problems with a lot of Star Wars books is how desperately some authors try to squeeze in all the prominent players, sometimes resorting to giving them obligatory sub plots that feel shoehorned in. Not an issue with this one, I can happily say. Despite Han Solo taking the center stage in this, Luke and Leia both also have their parts to play, and they actually are integral to the story.

Sure I may have my biases, being a big fan of James S.A. Corey and having a massive soft spot for Han Solo, but this is probably now favorite Star Wars novel, beating out Darth Plagueis, which is the former holder of that distinction and also another really great story. Star Wars books have certainly come a long way, and I look forward to seeing this trend continue.

 A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Del Rey Books!

Audiobook Review: Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik

Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik

Genre: Historical Fantasy

Series: Temeraire #2

Publisher: Del Rey

Publication Date: April 2006

Narrator: Simon Vance

Author Info: www.temeraire.org

Wendy's Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

The way Novik winds dragons into history is already fascinating, but now we get to see them within an entirely new environment and culture.

Two important things I must establish before getting on with the actual review:

1. This is absolutely one of the best Simon Vance performances I have ever listened to. His Temeraire is not what I imagined when I read the first book myself, but it forever will be now. Vance expertly captured every nuance of the young dragon with Chinese roots.

2. This is what Temeraire looks like in my head. Deal with it.

As I discovered in reading the previous book in the Temeraire series, His Majesty's Dragon, this is not necessarily an action/adventure fantasy. Yes, there are skirmishes that Temeraire and the other dragons participate in and there are several other moments of action, but at the heart of this story is a beautiful friendship between man and beast - only, this beast is a massive, highly intelligent dragon.

Throne of Jade picks up right where the previous left off, with the Chinese demanding the return of their Celestial Dragon. Laurence risks the stockade with his adamant refusal to simply relinquish the dragon he has come to adore, much less lie to Temeraire as his superiors and the Chinese emissaries suggest. And Temeraire feels much the same way. But circumstances eventually force the pair into a seven month voyage from England to China in hopes of pleading their case before the Emperor himself.

The beauty of this series is in watching Temeraire grow and learn and watching Laurence grow and learn with him. If there was any doubt before, Laurence's friendship with the dragon has clearly moved well beyond that of master and pet to a very deep bond that is thoroughly tested as Temeraire learns more and more about his homeland of China. Not the least of which is the vast difference in the treatment of dragons. The way Novik winds dragons into history is already fascinating, but now we get to see them within an entirely new environment and culture.

The ending was a bit of a disappointment, but I am curious to see what Temeraire and Laurence will do with what they learn in China.

Story

Narration

Book Review: Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction  

Series: Book 1 of Red Rising

Publisher: Del Rey

Date of Publication: January 28, 2014

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Mogsy's Rating: 5 of 5 stars - "Not your typical novel featuring a dystopian society and a young protagonist; this book is in a league of its own, an intensely addicting read filled with emotion, beauty and darkness"

Whoa, where do I start? My head is still reeling with all the things I have to say about Red Rising. Now let's just hope I can consolidate them all into a coherent review without having it devolve into unrestrained, mindless gushing. In any case, I expect this book will be wildly popular -- though only time will tell, of course. Nonetheless, 2014 appears to be off to a great start with debuts like this one from Pierce Brown.

Meet Darrow, a miner on Mars. His people, the Reds, occupy the lowest rungs of society. And like all Reds, Darrow is resigned to a life of hard labor, of digging under the planet's surface for the rest of his days. He thought it was for a noble cause, that his hard work will provide future generations a safe place to call home. Except, as it turns out, it was all a lie. Mars had been habitable for generations, and the decadent Golds have been maintaining this charade all along to uphold their hierarchical system of castes and slaves.

Let me just get it out of the way now and say that comparisons to The Hunger Games will be inevitable. You have a dystopian society featuring a main protagonist who rises from the poorest, most downtrodden and oppressed section of it, hoping to destroy the system from within. But before that can happen, he has to go through a transformation to help him fit in with his enemies. You have a competition in which the hero must come out on top at all costs. The war games involved are observed by many, in this case the Proctors of the Institute as well as thousands of Aureates and important Golds who follow the results eagerly, hoping to find their future apprentices amongst the competitors.

But now that that's taken care of, I can also tell you all the ways it was different. First and foremost, the world of Red Rising is hands down in a league of its own. The descriptions of the society and its people and its cultures all overwhelmed me. I credit much of this to Pierce Brown's writing, which is just gorgeous. How does he do it? How does he paint the picture of a life as a Red with so much suffering, hardship, and horrors and yet still manages to fill it with so much beauty? The first chapters were simply astounding, introducing you to Darrow, who comes across as much older than his sixteen years thanks to the experiences he's had as Helldiver, the most dangerous position on a drilling team. His people value song and dance, because even in the darkness there is a kind of hope in expression through music. It's all so lovely, just absolutely surprising and heart-breaking.

Oops, I'm treading dangerously into gushing-territory now, aren't I? Thing is, so much of my thoughts for what I read is tied up in emotion, and no question about it, this one gave me all the feels. There's a keen bite to the story, which will rub your emotions raw if you're not expecting it. Even knowing beforehand that some terrible event is going to set Darrow off on his mission for justice, I was not prepared for the number Red Rising did on my poor, battered emotions. I'm not typically one to give in to tears while reading, but when I saw that we weren't even fifty pages in yet and I felt like bawling my eyes out, I knew at that very moment I was holding a truly remarkable book in my hands.

It only gets better. That darkness and poignancy lasts for the whole book, even when the focus shifts to the games at the Institute. Saying that all hell breaks loose at this point would be a gross understatement -- but in a good way. Oh, in the best way. I expect this is where most people will draw parallels to The Hunger Games, but interestingly enough, my own mind went straight to Age of Empires. No doubt it's the gamer side of me coming through, for I could not read about the characters gathering resources, dividing their forces up for different tasks, commanding armies and conquering other Houses' bases and their Fog of War maps without reminiscing about some of my favorite real-time strategy games with fondness.

Seeing as how the game at the Institute makes up the bulk of this novel, this book would have been anywhere near as addicting or intense for me if not for the descriptions of the tactics and strategies involved. And yet, it is still a very human story; Pierce Brown takes the reader straight down to the trenches where we experience everything from terror and triumph as the competitors fight tooth and nail to try and conquer each other. One could hardly miss the symbolism behind it, a decadent pantheon watching on with amusement as the puny mortals below go at each other like depraved animals.

Ultimately, comparisons will probably abound no matter what. But none of them will change the fact that Red Rising is a very special book, filled with beautiful and terrible things in equal measure. It definitely has what it takes to shine on its own, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

 

5 of 5 stars

A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.