Solo: A Star Wars Story (Book Review)

  Solo: A Star Wars Story is soon to be on home release but its companion novelization is here at last with deeper insights into characters and their motivations.

  The biggest complaint to be levied about the Solo novel is its pacing. The novel moves at the pace of a sandcrawler at first. Once Han and Chewie link up with Beckett and his crew the story grows legs and moves quickly until the end. Val and Rio are given more time to shine including a scene reminiscing an adventure the three had to save Beckett while Val prepared to blow the train tracks. Mur Lafferty also gives us a few extra scenes including Chewie trashing the Falcon’s bathroom. The novel also gives credence to one of the more questionable elements of the film: Maul seemingly needlessly activating his lightsaber. They clarify that Qi’ra hadn't seen Maul’s face and was unaware of his connection to the Force, and shows that this is a (pun semi-intended) show of force on his part.

  Overall Lafferty’s retelling of Solo is entertaining once it picks up but a very slow first third can't go without mentioning. I give the novelization of Solo: A Star Wars Story an 7.5/10.

Article by: Jarod "Dark Jedi" Baughman-Stubbs