Star Wars: Last Shot by Daniel Jose Older

On May 30, 2018August 13, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Star Wars, Tie-in Novel9 Comments

Publisher: Century

Australian Publication Date – 30 April 2018

World Publication Date – 17 April 2018

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Han and Lando return in Last Shot, the latest Star Wars novel, released just ahead of the characters’ upcoming prequel movie, Solo: A Star Wars Story.

The Phylanx Transmitter is one of the most secretive and dangerous weapons in the galaxy. Built by the psychotic Fyzen Gor, over the years it has been sought by some of the most nefarious people in the galaxy, from criminal gangs to bounty hunters and even the Empire. Two captains of the Millennium Falcon have gone up against Gor in an attempt to claim the Phylanx Transmitter. In the early days of his career, the dangerously charismatic Lando Calrissian and his pilot droid, L3-37, encountered a prototype of the transmitter and barely survived. Years later, a young Han Solo and the Wookiee Chewbacca raced through the criminal underworld to reach the transmitter before it disappeared into the stars.

Since then, the Empire has fallen and the New Republic has taken its place. Lando has become a successful business owner and the respected administrator of Cloud City, while Han has settled down with Princess Leia and is now trying to be a good father to young Ben Solo. While Lando and Han both believe they have put their former lives as thieves and smugglers behind them, the past has a way of catching up with everyone.

Having escaped custody, Gor is holding Cloud City hostage and demands that Han and Lando find and reclaim the Phylanx Transmitter. Forced to fly under the radar, the two scoundrels must find the transmitter and prevent Gor from using it to rain down untold destruction across the galaxy. In order to succeed, they recruit a brand new team, including a young hotshot pilot, a brilliant Ewok slicer, a woman who may be the love of Lando’s life, and, of course, the best and fluffiest co-pilot around, Chewbacca. However, even their new team may not be able to withstand Gor and his twisted droid creations.

Last Shot is the latest book from the acclaimed Daniel Jose Older, author of the young adult fantasy sensation Shadowshaper. This represents his first venture into Star Wars fiction.

Ever since the original Star Wars movies, vast amounts of books, comics, video games and a television series have been created, resulting in a massive extended universe. Since Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm in 2012, the vast majority of this extended universe has been expunged, with only the movies and a few products, such as The Clone Wars, now considered canon. Some elements of the original extended universe have resurfaced over the years, such as fan favourite character Grand Admiral Thrawn, who recently appeared as an antagonist in Rebels and was the subject of last year’s Thrawn by Timothy Zahn. Last Shot is the latest book in the smaller Star Wars canon extended universe which has been cultivated in the Disney years. This stand-alone book has been released as a companion piece to the upcoming movie, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and features four of the characters who are going to appear in it.

Last Shot contains a clever combination of four separate storylines set in different points in time throughout the franchise’s history. The main story is set a couple of years after the events of Return of the Jedi, and features the characters forced to return to their lives of crime. Two of the side storylines follow the main characters on a separate mission in their past, and these subplots are set on either side of the upcoming Solo movie. The final storyline is set over a period of years and follows the rise of Fyzen Gor. Older does a skilful job of switching between the various storylines to reveal certain clues and show the reader the hidden history the two main characters have with the protagonist.

This book will strongly appeal to fans of Star Wars, particularly those who like to dive deeper into the lore and storylines of the extended universe. However, even dedicated fans may feel a little overwhelmed by the constant references to other elements of canon and the inclusion of nearly every alien race in the galaxy. Even the addition of The Force Awakens fan favourite character Maz Kanata seems a bit forced and unnecessary. Despite this, casual fans will easily be able to follow the story and enjoy the funny and action-packed adventure within.

Last Shot sets itself apart from many of the other Star Wars stories by avoiding the Jedi-saturated and force-fixated storylines that define most of the movies and books. This book doesn’t even feature a single Jedi, but instead focuses on the criminal underworld of the galaxy as the main characters fight, cheat and steal their way to victory. This is a refreshing story which seems to mirror the crime-orientated plot of the upcoming Solo movie.

In addition to the crime-centric story and the multitude of action-packed scenes, the readers will really enjoy the substantial humour that Older has included within book. In particular, most readers will appreciate the number of self-deprecating jokes and references towards elements of the Star Wars universe. For example, one particularly enjoyable sequence involves a Gungan who is annoyed with how his species is perceived by the galaxy thanks to the actions of a certain individual. Despite there being a 40-year gap between the events of this book and those of The Phantom Menace, some shade is still thrown over the infamous Jar Jar Binks. Not only does the book come across as more humorous and less serious than other Star Wars stories, the book has also been written in a much more adult way, as there are a number of jokes and allusions that would never get included in the family friendly movies. As a result, Last Shot is an incredibly entertaining story that stands apart from previous works of Star Wars fiction.

Star Wars: Last Shot is an outrageously fun new novel that will greatly appeal to all fans of the Star Wars franchise. Filled with innumerable references and jokes about the wider Star Wars universe, readers will love to see Han Solo and Lando Calrissian being the very best scoundrels they can be. This is amazing and addictive new adventure in a galaxy, far, far away.

My Rating:

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Scales of Empire by Kylie Chan

On May 30, 2018August 15, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, LGBT+, Science Fiction1 Comment

Scales of Empire Cover

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Publication Date – 19 February 2018

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Can humanity survive the arrival of an alien dragon with an offer of love? Find out in this curious novel about first contact with aliens from bestselling Australian author Kylie Chan.

In the near future, Earth’s ecosystem is failing and humanity’s only hope for survival lies in escaping our solar system and finding viable new planets to colonise. Corporal Jian Choumali has been chosen to accompany one of the huge generation ships that is preparing to journey to a distant planet. However, the launch is interrupted by the arrival of a giant alien spaceship above Earth that will change humanity forever.

The ship is piloted by an alien known as a dragon, which bears a striking resemblance to the beasts of legend. Dragons are the ruling members of a vast technologically and culturally advanced empire made up of numerous alien races. The Dragon emissary, Shiumo, brings offers of peace, love and advanced technology to humanity as she introduces Earth to a wider universe.

Jian and her commander, Richard Alto, are chosen to be the first delegates to meet with Shiumo, and they soon become her guides to Earth. Shiumo becomes a sensation overnight, providing humanity with longer lives, faster-than-light travel and a solution to Earth’s failing ecosystem.

However, the more Jian gets to know Shiumo, the more it becomes apparent that the Dragons may not be as benevolent as they seem. What price will humanity really have to pay to join the Empire, and what role will the Dragons’ cat-like enemies play in the future of Earth?

Scales of Empire is the first book in the intriguing Dragon Empire trilogy, written by Australian author Kylie Chan. This is Chan’s first voyage into science fiction, having previously written the Chinese mythology inspired Xuan Wu series.

Scales of Empire has a number of cool features that make it an amusing and thought-provoking science fiction novel. Chan has constructed a first contact story that explores how humanity could potentially interact with an advanced alien race. Chan provides a series of fascinating postulations about what human products would prove desirable to an alien species, what humanity could use in our defence against potential alien threats, and what our place would be among a vast interstellar empire. The Dragons are the stars of this book, as Chan has imbued them with several distinctive abilities and personality quirks. There is also a fun origin story to explain the similarities between the alien Dragons and the Earth dragons of myth and legend. Having the other main alien race also resemble an Earth species, in this case cats, is a little over the top very unrealistic. However, the behaviour of this other species acts as a good foil to the apparently benevolent and socially advanced Dragons.

Science fiction aficionados will also appreciate Chan’s descriptions and theories about what would be required for humans to reach and colonise other inhabitable planets in the galaxy. Chan spends some of the early parts of the book highlighting her theories about how humans in the near future would achieve this. Her descriptions of large ships that would require ten generations of its crew to live in space before they even reached the planet is fascinating, as are her suggestions about the ideal initial crewmembers; not a lot of other writers would suggest that colonisation ships should have large crews mostly made up of bisexual women with good genetic diversity. In addition, there is also some intriguing discussion about the colonisation of other planets, and several chapters are dedicated to the training and initial colonisation of a planet, which many readers will find enticing.

While these science fiction aspects of the book are good reasons to try Scales of Empire, one of the most compelling and memorable aspect of this book is the constant examination of whether the Dragons are as benevolent as they seem, or if they have their own secret agenda. This becomes a central focus of the story as the human characters analyse all of the Dragons’ actions while coming up with countermoves and their own attempts at manipulation. There are many twists and turns, and at points it becomes hard to tell whether the Dragons or the humans come off as the worst species during these interactions. This results in a really compelling narrative which serves as a superb central focus for the book and will keep you hooked until the final reveal.

The new book from Kylie Chan is an intriguing start to a promising science fiction trilogy. Examining humanity’s potential first contact with an alien species, Chan asks the question: between an alien species with its own agenda and mistrustful and calculating humans, who is the greater evil? This is a brilliant bit of fiction that provides a distinctive and in-depth discussion and is definitely worth exploring.

My Rating:

to

Four stars

Barbary Station by R. E. Seams

On May 28, 2018August 22, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn LGBT+, Science Fiction, Young AdultLeave a comment

barbary-station-9781481476867_hr

Publisher: Saga Press

Publication Date – 31 October 2017

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Space pirates take on rogue artificial intelligences in this electrifying young adult science fiction debut from R. E. Stearns.

In the distant future, humanity is recovering from a devastating civil war between Earth and its colonies. Life is hard for all, especially for newly graduated engineers Adda Karpe and Iridian Nassir, who can only look forward to a lifetime of paying off their loans on a minimum wage. So when Adda’s brother, Pel, contacts her with an opportunity, Adda and Iridian decide on a future as pirates. Hijacking a massive colony ship, the girls make for Barbary Station, the base of operations for the infamous Captain Sloan, whose adventures and riches have been romanticised across the system.

Hoping to impress the pirates with their stolen ship, Adda and Iridian are shocked when, instead of bold adventurers living in luxurious conditions, they find a mismatched crew barely surviving in a hidden makeshift base welded to the hull of Barbary Station.

The station’s AI, AegiSKADA, has gone haywire and has taken to targeting all life forms on the station, bearing a particular grudge against the pirates. Armed drones hunt people through the interior of the station, and the station’s gun batteries shoot down any ship that gets too close. On top of that, a colony of refugees are hiding in the station, a team of crazed doctors are making life difficult for everyone and three mysterious ships swoop around the station, killing or saving as they see fit.

Now wanted criminals, Adda and Iridian have to destroy the AI to become members of the pirate crew. The last team that tried to shut down AegiSKADA died a fiery death, and the pirates have already taken bets on how long the newcomers will survive. Luckily, Adda is an expert on artificial intelligences and Iridian is a former solider with a big combat shield and superior survival skills.

However, AegiSKADA is the most is one of the most advanced AIs in the galaxy and is surrounded by lethal defences. AegiSKADA is learning and is determined to kill every invader on Barbary Station. And, as malevolent as the AI is, it is not the only danger facing Adda and Iridian.

Barbary Station is a great debut from R. E. Stearns, a thrilling new voice in science fiction. This young adult book takes an exhilarating look into a future of artificial intelligences while introducing some exciting characters and fast-paced action.

Stearns does a great job of exploring the concepts of artificial intelligences, as well as examining the theories and debates about whether they are truly alive. Among the highlights of the book are the multiple scenes in which Adda interfaces with the station’s systems, including some especially tense scenes in which she interfaces directly with AegiSKADA in order to determine what actions it is taking against the humans. Stearns masterfully handles the complex matter of AI sentience, creating a narrative which is engaging and thought provoking without oversimplifying the underlying concepts.

Narration for the novel is split between the two main characters, Adda and Iridian, allowing for a well-balanced breakup of the book’s various scenes. Iridian’s scenes are usually filled with action and exploration, while Adda’s scenes tend to involve the technical exposition and theoretical debate. The dual perspectives help enhance certain scenes while also adding a dash of realism and tension to those moments when Adda and Iridian are unaware of how the other is faring in their respective missions. Our heroes, with their varied experiences and character traits, are great foils for each other and can meet the challenges within Stearns’ universe. It is great to see a same-sex couple so well portrayed in a young adult novel.

Stearns has also populated the book with a range of other interesting characters. The majority of inhabitants within the station are a typical group of mismatched misfit pirates, led by the revered and enigmatic Captain Sloan, enduring and reflecting the chaotic nature of life within Barbary Station. Stearns does take the time to introduce a few key characters for the reader to get attached to, and uses them for full emotional effect. Perhaps the most interesting is Pel, a flakey, skittish character who manipulates his sister into a dangerous environment in order to save himself. He undergoes some great character development within the story. Readers will be intrigued as elements of his history and his motivations are revealed, especially regarding his unique connection to events within the space station.

Overall, Stearns has produced a charming and engrossing first book, bringing together several individually great science fiction elements and combining them into one kickass novel. Barbary Station is a fantastic choice for science fiction fans no matter their age.