STAR WARS: Tales from a Galaxy Far, Far Away ALIENS by Landry Q. Walker - Paul's REVIEW

Title: Star Wars Journey to the Force Awakens: Tales From a Galaxy Far, Far Away Aliens
Author: Landry Q. Walker
Recent Release Date: November 30, 2015




I am LOVING the new Star Wars canon. I've been devouring as much as I can before the release of The Force Awakens. These 4 short stories, all written by Landry Q. Walker, as well as more stories will be compiled into a printed collection next year. These 4 stories are available now in digital form. Each story follows a character that will be featured, most likely in the background, of the upcoming film. Each story is written in a different style. Below I'll review each story, but overall I extremely enjoyed these stories. I HIGHLY recommend them all!

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Title: The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku

Author: Landry Q. Walker

Synopsis: Every pirate in the sector is after the lost treasure of Count Dooku! Will Captain Ithano and his crew beat his rivals to the prize?

Review: This was my favorite of these 4 short stories. Ever since I first saw the Crimson Corsair in the Vanity Fair spread, I thought he looked cool. I wanted to know more about him. This story follows him and his crew in a race across a desert planet against other pirates searching for a lost treasure. Captain Sidon Ithano, as he is also known, is an awesome character. There's a toy coming out of him and his first mate that I think will be one of the few The Force Awakens figures I actually buy. 

This story has it all. Like a lot of the new canon, it takes inspiration from all the Star Wars films and tv shows. It even starts with a Hondo quote! Fans of The Clone Wars tv series MUST read this! 

I found myself using wookiepedia to get accurate ideas of what the characters looked like. The Ortolan pirate known as One-Eye is such a cool image. 

The chapters are very small, which made it very easy to read. This story is full of adventure as well as comedy. I love when Star Wars stories make allusions to classic lines and such in creative ways. I never had a bad feeling about this book while I was reading it.

I give this short story a 5/5. I want more! I am so much more intrigued by the character of the Crimson Corsair. I want to follow his crew on many more adventures. I really hope Walker gets to continue writing their stories.

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Title: High Noon on Jakku

Author: Landry Q. Walker

Synopsis: A renegade droid causes problems for Constable Zuvio on Jakku.

Review: I have not yet seen The Force Awakens, but from promotional material it seems like Constable Zuvio is the character most featured in the film out of these four stories. In this story he is the good guy, keeping the law in order. I'm interested to see what his role will be in the film. 

This short story is a great introduction to Jakku. It sets up how the planet works and the minimal law enforcement that is present. 

The design of Constable Zuvio is really cool and I've seen the action figure, but I didn't realize him and his cousins are members of an already existing Star Wars specis. They are Kyuzo, which is the same species as Embo the bounty hunter from The Clone Wars. 

This is a crime story with a bit of heist. I really enjoyed the way it played out. I give it a 5/5.

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Title: The Face of Evil

Author: Landry Q. Walker

Synopsis: A notorious thief learns to be careful what she wishes for on Takodana.

Review: With this story, we get our first look inside the castle of Maz Kanata on Takodana. There is an Edgar Allan Poe feel. It is a dark and stormy night. There's something in the basement. There's also a Frankenstein-like feel to the science. 

When I first saw the fluffy yellow creatures featured in this story, I thought they were ridiculous even for Star Wars. But, I like their characterization. I want to explore Maz Kanata's castle more. 

I give this short story a 5/5. It is a fun and creepy read. 

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Title: All Creatures Great and Small

Author: Landry Q. Walker

Synopsis: A storyteller uses his captivating skills to calm frightened villagers on Jakku.

Review: This was the first creature we were introduced to in the Force for Change promotional video. And again, at Comic-Con. In this story we get to meet this unusual storyteller.

I like how uncertainty and believing in the implausible is at the heart of this story. Although it does get kind of outrageous. I'd be interested to learn more about how he is aware of such details. 

The story told within this short story is a tale of the unsung heroes of Yavin who aided in the destruction of the Death Star. 

This story was fun and interesting. It's a story that makes you wonder about stories. I give it a 5/5.

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--PAUL

Lost Stars (Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens) by Claudia Gray - Paul's REVIEW

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Title: Lost Stars (Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
Author: Claudia Gray
Recent Release Date: September 4th 2015

Synopsis: Star Wars meets Romeo and Juliet in this epic YA novel that follows two best friends who find themselves on opposite sides of the war between the Empire and the Rebellion.

This thrilling YA novel gives readers a macro view of some of the most important events in the Star Wars universe: from the purge of the Jedi in Episode III, to the beginnings of the rebellion in Star Wars Rebels, and through the fall of the Empire in Episodes IV-IV. Readers will experience these major moments through the eyes of two best friends who grow up in these troubling times, and find themselves on opposite sides of the war.

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Review: Star-crossed lovers begin the story from two separate groups on the same planet and end up on two separate sides of a galactic war. Their journey takes them through the events of the original Star Wars trilogy. I absolutely loved the way the Empire, the Rebellion, and just the overall political and social scene of the Star Wars universe was portrayed. The grayness is so much more evident. 

The impact of the large scale events that occur during the original trilogy is shown in depth. The Empire destroyed a planet. The Rebellion demolished a space station full of people. The characters in this book react to these events in realistic ways. 

There were so many great characters introduced in this novel that I am so happy are now canon. I want to see them pop up everywhere! Lohgarra, a white female wookie captain of a transport vessel, was one of my favorite introductions. The Corona Squadron needs to have its own comic book. There were so many characters that are only briefly featured that I want to know more about, which is such a Star Wars thing. The countess intrigues me so much. 

Another wonderful thing about this book is that it surpasses Return of the Jedi and portrays a world post-Death Star II Destruction. The Battle of Jakku takes place in this book. And it is splendid. The ending gave me all the feels. 

I have been fully enjoying the new Star Wars canon books, but this book was AMAZING! I think it even surpassed Dark Disciple, which was my previous favorite. This book is practically tailor-made for me. It's YA. It's Star Wars. It is written beautifully. There is diversity. The main story is part of a bigger picture. The characters have great depth and growth throughout the novel. The only thing that could have catered more to me specifically is if there had been a gay protagonist. 

Many people in the Star Wars community didn't expect much from a YA book, but I already read primarily YA so I was most looking forward to this one. It exceeded all my expectations. And from what I've heard from Star Wars fans who don't regularly read YA, it has exceeded theirs as well. 


At the heart of this novel, there is a wonderful story of a relationship. Yes, there are points where it is romantic, but overall it is a wonderful friendship. A long-term connection between two people. And that's what a romantic relationship really is and should be anyway. This book takes place over a large span of time, which allows for the romance to seem genuine and authentic.

I think the biggest take away from this novel was that there is beard suppressant in the Star Wars universe. All joking aside, I loved this book. Claudia Gray's YA books have been way bumped up on my TBR list. And she has another Star Wars book coming out next year!!!

I give this book a well-deserving 5/5. I HIGHLY recommend it to superfans of Star Wars as well as the casual fan just slightly familiar with the franchise. I think this book can stand on its own. I will be recommending this to all my friends as they tell me their views on The Force Awakens later this week. 

-PAUL