Razor's Edge: Star Wars: Empire and Rebellion, Book 1 Author: | Language: English | ISBN:
B00FFEPO34 | Format: EPUB
Razor's Edge: Star Wars: Empire and Rebellion, Book 1 Description
Times are desperate for the Rebel Alliance. Harassment by the Empire and a shortage of vital supplies are hindering completion of a new secret base on the ice planet Hoth. So when Mid Rim merchants offer much-needed materials for sale, Princess Leia Organa and Han Solo lead an Alliance delegation to negotiate a deal.
But when treachery forces the rebel ship to flee into territory controlled by pirates, Leia makes a shocking discovery: The fierce marauders come from Leia's homeworld of Alderaan, recently destroyed by the Death Star. These refugees have turned to pillaging and plundering to survive - and they are in debt to a pirate armada, which will gladly ransom the princess to the vengeful Empire...if they find out her true identity.
Struggling with intense feelings of guilt, loyalty, and betrayal, Leia is determined to help her wayward kinspeople, even as Imperial forces are closing in on her own crippled ship. Trapped between lethal cutthroats and brutal oppressors, Leia and Han, along with Luke, Chewbacca, and a battle-ready crew, must defy death - or embrace it - to keep the rebellion alive.
- Audible Audio Edition
- Listening Length: 9 hours and 57 minutes
- Program Type: Audiobook
- Version: Unabridged
- Publisher: Random House Audio
- Audible.com Release Date: September 25, 2013
- Whispersync for Voice: Ready
- Language: English
- ASIN: B00FFEPO34
Razor's Edge has been billed as a book about Princess Leia Organa during the Original Trilogy era. As such, I think the most important question I asked myself after finishing this book is whether or not I learned something new about Leia as a character. After all, I think one of the justifications for the Empire & Rebellion series is that we get books focused on the Big Three during the Original Trilogy era. I'm not sure I have a great answer to that question. I enjoyed the book overall, but thought it definitely would have benefitted from more character moments.
First, it's worth mentioning the setup, although I will not reveal spoilers beyond the first few chapters. Leia, Han, and other members of the Rebel Alliance are on a secret mission to procure resources for Echo Base when an Imperial corvette intercepts their ship based on a tip from a spy. They manage to escape to a nearby space station when they receive a distress call from a ship attacked by pirates. Leia is initially reluctant to get involved until she realizes that the pirate ship is Alderaanian. Feeling an obligation to investigate the actions of her fellow Alderaanians, Leia goes aboard the Alderaanian pirate ship. However, the Alderaanian pirate ship is forced back to the pirate base. Trouble and action ensue.
Broadly speaking, there were two things I liked about Leia's character development in Razor's Edge. First, I really appreciate that Martha Wells shows us the toll that Leia's leadership role in the Rebel Alliance takes on her personally. Leia is a strong character and always quick to take charge of a situation. But it's also clear that it's stressful. We see Leia become irritated and tire.
When Razor's Edge was first announced I thought "Oh great another big three novel, like we don't have enough of those already.", but when I saw who was writing it, I found that my lack of enthusiasm was immediately upended. I have read Martha Wells' books before and was a huge fan of her work in the Stargate Atlantis franchise. I know her to be a very good writer with a great understanding of the characters she writes. She is also a writer capable of writing big, meaningful stories. And here, with Razor's Edge, she doesn't disappoint.
In Razor's Edge, Leia carries the bulk of the book's story, and even though Martha Wells is painted into a corner story wise(limited by events before and after the book's story), she finds a way to make Leia's story compelling and entertaining. After the destruction of Alderaan, Leia is burdened with the memory of the Empire's crime against her home-world, but when a group of Alderaanian military refugees attacks a merchant vessel, she must leap into action to fix the injustices committed by her fellow Alderaanians. Pinned against a powerful pirate with an extraordinary ability to read her opponents, Leia is forced to jump through hoops to free those indentured into a life of servitude. But even as the lives hang in the balance, she must also complete her original mission to acquire much needed supplies for the rebellion.
Han, too, plays a large part in making these criminal acts right, but where Leia focuses her talents on finding a peaceful, diplomatic way to correcting these wrongs, Han chooses a more direct approach. In the book Martha Wells takes Han on a much more gritty adventure, full of death-defying action and suspenseful interactions with cutthroat machinery and vial villainy.
Razor's Edge: Star Wars: Empire and Rebellion, Book 1 Preview
Link
Please Wait...