The Princess and the Scoundrel

Not quite what I was expecting. Based on the cover I was expecting some smutty Han and Leia fanfiction - but there wasn't really much romance in this book. The book opens with the two of them getting married and then going on their honeymoon. In true Leia fashion, she treats their honeymoon like a diplomatic mission and hopes to show the galaxy that the New Republic is thriving and doing well. Really though - they know that the Empire isn't really defeated - just because Darth Vader is dead doesn't mean the Empire has stopped functioning. Their honeymoon ends up turning into an adventure - nothing ever is what it seems. Meh - a little slow and not nearly enough romance for me!

Aftermath

This was perfectly alright Star Wars fiction. It didn't rock my world and at least kept me nominally entertained. Aftermath picks up right after the original trilogy and deals with the messy situation that the New Republic (aka the rebel alliance) has inherited from the Empire. The hammer has fallen but that doesn't mean that the fighting has stopped or everything is back to normal. Remnants of the Empire are still hiding out in the outer rim and whole planets need assistance. There's orphans, foot shortages, mass destruction and chaos. Aftermath follows Wedge Antilles as he scouts around the outer rim planets looking for any presence of the Empire. Lo and behold he stumbles upon the hornets nest and he's going to need a lot of help to squash this before it gets any better. Action packed, filled with characters that were... ok. Not bad, but I'm going to take a break before I continue the trilogy. Only recommended for hardcore fans of Star Wars that have seen the original trilogy.

Razor's Edge

I was a MAJOR fan of the special effects and the narrator. They really helped pull the story together. Don't let the cover fool you either; Princess Leia is the star of this show with Han Solo following close behind, Luke Skywalker on the other-hand is a minor footnote in this tale of deceit, cunning, and badassery. When Princess Leia is forced to flee into pirate territory she has no idea how dire her situation has become. She may not be battling imperial ships, but she does have to contend with backstabbing Alderaaneans, untrustworthy pirates, and Han who is forever pushing on her nerves. Fast paced and full of near misses, action, and riveting chase scenes. This book is pure fun!

Lost Stars

I don't know why I was surprised this was so good, but it was a damn solid tie in to the star wars universe. And even though it's labelled young adult, I think it reads above that. This book about two nobody kids from an outer rim planet bonding together despite their differences to embrace their love of flying. They decide to join the empire together to bring honor to their families and to fly in the greatest fleet the galaxy has ever seen. As children they easily bought into the empire's lies but once they make it through the academy and start serving as officers they see first hand how destructive and manipulative it is. Eventually Thane can't take it anymore and deserts, swearing to never join the rebel alliance, because to him they are just as bad. But as the war churns on, he realizes what the rebels are trying to save. Ciena on the other hand, keeps ranking up in the empire. She's not happy with everything she sees going on but on her planet you never break an oath, so she continues to serve despite her better judgement. These two friends become star crossed lovers serving on opposite sides of the war. Through their eyes you see the construction of the death stars, hear of the heroics of Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, see the battle on Hoth, and so much more. It's a lot of fun viewing the original trilogy through two young set of eyes on opposites sides of the war. An AMAZING tie in.

Bloodline

I've been on a bit of a Star Wars kick, so basically that involves me reading all the semi new Star Wars books I stumble across at work. This makes the 3rd one in a month and it may be my favorite!Bloodline follows Princess Lei two decades after "Return of the Jedi." She is still heavily involved in politics and serving as senator. Even though the Empire is long gone there is still trouble in the Senate. The Populists and the Centrists are always at each others throats and nothing constructive ever seems to get accomplished. Leia is seriously considering retiring but when an opportunity to invest a potential new threat to the galaxy comes up she springs on the chance to have a little adventure. A young power thirst Populist decides to accompany her on her mission and the two of them have no idea what is in store for them or the galaxy. Lots of fun and has new characters as well as old (Han! C3PO! Chewie! Luke!). I loved this, it fit seamlessly into the Star Wars universe and takes place about a decade before "The Force Awakens." I loved it!

Phasma

I didn't have high expectations for this novel so I was really pleased that I enjoyed it. This addition to the Star Wars universe gives Phasma a much needed back story. It helps reveal her personality, deadly ambition, and character. It was awesome. She was basically a bloodthirsty warrior on a small mostly uninhabited planet. Having grown up in the worst of environments with little to no stability, she became the fiercest warrior in her clan, willing to do whatever it takes to help her come out on top. When a strange ship crashes on her planet she goes out of her way to find the survivors, and escort them to safety; defying clan laws, encroaching on warring clans territory, and jeopardizing her people. If she can help the First Order general then perhaps she can get off her God forsaken planet and actually do more than survive, probably thrive out in the galaxy. A fascinating read.

Canto Bight

This was a quick and fun read that takes place in the Star Wars Universe. Canto Bight is the Casino planet featured in The Last Jedi and it's basically a higher stakes version of Las Vegas. It's a prosperous city with a dark underbelly that will always thrive on greed and war. This book features four short stories by notable sci-fi authors that take place on the casino planet. None of them feature any major characters from the Star Wars series, but there are a few mentions of the impending war and the First Order. The stories feature thugs, gamblers, wine sommeliers, tourists, masseuses, and more. The stories are all vastly different and contain a great number of different species, plot lines, and adventure. They were all fun and entertaining and I would definitely read another compilation like this.

The Princess Diarist

My opinion may not be popular on this book but I'm going to say it anyways. I did not love this memoir. It was a little choppy, pretentious, and didn't even talk about the filming of Star Wars near as much as the description implied. We hear all about the affair with Harrison Ford but that's about it. The middle portion of the book is her diary she kept while 19 and it's very flowery, and waxes poetic about Mr. Ford. She doesn't even come across as likable as I wanted her to be. I'm sounding like a jerk now, talking ill of the dead, but this book just didn't do it for me. Maybe hardcore Star Wars nuts will love it, but me... meh. It doesn't make me want to check out her other books later. It's well written, I just don't care for her words.... because I'm a monster.