As a book worm and Star Wars fan, I did my best to prepare for the newest installment in the Star Wars saga by picking up several novels in the Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens series that give insight into the happenings of our favorite characters. This is the first of a few non-spoiler book reviews that I’m writing in-between viewings of Star Wars: The Force Awakens so I hope you come back and ultimately pick up these books to read yourself. They aren’t that long either and definitely fills in a few blanks since we last saw our favorite characters. Let’s begin with the best smuggling duo in the galaxy with Greg Rucka’s junior novel that brings back Han Solo, Chewbacca, and the Millenniun Falcon and the antics they have on a mission for the Rebellion.
This novel reads very well, due to the exquisite story-telling of Rucka known for his comic book stories that span several publishers including DC Comics, Marvel, Dark Horse, and Image Comics. It’s almost like the stories unfolds in your imagination watching Harrison Ford and Peter Mayhew reprise their roles as these iconic characters. But thanks to Rucka’s masterful description, we get a lot more than just what we see on screen. He finds a way to insert us into the action of the plot and feel the emotion the characters feel. This novel reads very quickly, I admit. I think in total, I took it down in a few days, and of course, was screaming for more of one of the coolest duos in fiction.
Smuggler’s Run, in summary, is set between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back, where we see Han and Chewie on a secret mission for the Rebellion. They encounter not only bounty hunters, but also, a very motivated Imperial Officer that in my opinion is reminiscent of Imperial characters like Grand Moff Tarkin. The novel moves fast which in part is because of how the plot unfolds, and Rucka does a great job keeping the reader engaged throughout the story. Though only 192 pages, it reads like a potential tv episode and who wouldn’t want to see Han and Chewie together again on screen?
This novel is chronologically the first of the bunch and teases other great stories in the Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens series. Like I said, I am reviewing a handful of the novels, so right after reading this, I immediately grabbed another one and another. What I loved about this novel was the true-to-form feeling and choices that Rucka made to embody these 2 characters as they carried out their mission, down to the swagger of Han Solo. And in my opinion, you can’t go wrong with that!
Check back for more non-spoiler reviews!
nerd(col)lab 
Leave a comment