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crystalstarrlight's review against another edition
4.0
The time has come for Han Solo to go home to his homeworld of Corellia. He along with Leia, Chewie, and his children go for an important trade summit. But a New Republic Intelligence agent, Belindi Kalenda warns him of the unknown situation on Corellia. Once there, the situation escalates, as none of the major species (human, Drall, and Selonian) can stand each other.
Meanwhile, Lando (with the aid of Luke) has a different mission in mind...one that could make him comfortably rich for the rest of his life.
NOTE: This is a review based on the audio book and what I remember from reading the actual novel years ago.
I Liked:
The new characters. To be honest, earlier Star Wars novels (minus the Thrawn Trilogy and the X-Wing series) have generated mediocre or lousy characters, some of which include Prince Isolder, Admiral Daala, and Kueller. Here, I found I loved the new characters, particularly Belindi Kalenda, Ebrihim, and Tendra Risant.
Belindi initially struck me as a woman that was good to look at but far from drop dead gorgeous. So that, and the fact she gets a part of the action, means I was instantly drawn to her. I love how we get to be with her for her crash landing, how she is part of the NRI, and how Han helps her escape Corellia to send an important message to Coruscant.
Ebrihim is one of the few aliens I've actually enjoyed. Maybe it's because I don't understand most aliens, maybe it's because most aliens feel too human or maybe it's because aliens tend to be written too boring. Anyway, Ebrihim is cool because A) he is a mini-Wookiee (Okay, so a skinnier Ewok, but I'll just pretend Han said shorter Wookiee), B) he is no-nonsense, and C) he isn't intimidated by either Leia's popularity or her kids' wise cracks. I almost envision him as a hairier (if that is even possible) Gimli.
Lastly, Tendra Risant. Another woman I can relate to! She is slightly overweight (despite how she is drawn with perfect curves in her Wookieepedia profile) but very kind, and generous. I am very glad that Lando found her. She was a perfect doll.
The main characters come off very well as well. Han and Leia in particular are excellent, namely Han. It was enjoyable to watch him return to Corellia, to see him roam the streets. And you can really feel the romance, the love between these two, which is sometimes sorely lacking in these books.
Lando and Luke are present too (I absolutely adore the conversation Mon Mothma has to Luke), but I want to focus on someone else not seen often enough: Mara Jade. She reappears in this book, to deliver a message to Han and Leia. I love how she comes back (even if I am not fond of the idea of her having her own business--I just don't like how "hasty" and "slipshod" it feels, but that would be Anderson's fault, because he introduced that idea first in his Jedi Academy trilogy).
As for the story, I was stunned. It is so interesting! Initially, Han and Leia are going to Corellia for a trade summit, but then they run into a huge conflict between the species of the Corellian system. This is such a unique story, such a cool conflict! And yeah, it ends up including a stupid superweapon, but somehow, that isn't so annoying at this point. At least the enemy isn't the Empire! And who could hate a story set on a planet where Han was born?
I Didn't Like:
The wallbanger moments in this book are pleasantly few and far between. The only noteworthy one was Lando's mission. You see, Lando's latest scheme is to marry into money. Yeah...that's...nice. While it is interesting to see a man try it instead of a woman, I still was a bit perturbed at how it takes away from an otherwise amazing story. And would Luke really try to help Lando marry someone for money? In fact, it seem odd to me that Mon Mothma actually encourages Luke to join Lando. I know she wants him to cultivate his more political/diplomatic side, but how is helping with the courting process going to do that?
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Little to none.
There is chemistry between Han and Leia. Lando seeks out a wife, one of which feeds off her mate's life essence.
Han runs headlong into a Human League march, which lands him in jail. Belindi crash lands on Corellia.
Overall:
This was another of those books I read when I was a teen and vastly enjoyed. After all the other books that haven't quite favored as well in my adult eyes, I was pleased to find this one enjoyable once again. Yes, it's still a bit silly in places, but I think the characters are well-done and the plot shows thought. A good read.
Meanwhile, Lando (with the aid of Luke) has a different mission in mind...one that could make him comfortably rich for the rest of his life.
NOTE: This is a review based on the audio book and what I remember from reading the actual novel years ago.
I Liked:
The new characters. To be honest, earlier Star Wars novels (minus the Thrawn Trilogy and the X-Wing series) have generated mediocre or lousy characters, some of which include Prince Isolder, Admiral Daala, and Kueller. Here, I found I loved the new characters, particularly Belindi Kalenda, Ebrihim, and Tendra Risant.
Belindi initially struck me as a woman that was good to look at but far from drop dead gorgeous. So that, and the fact she gets a part of the action, means I was instantly drawn to her. I love how we get to be with her for her crash landing, how she is part of the NRI, and how Han helps her escape Corellia to send an important message to Coruscant.
Ebrihim is one of the few aliens I've actually enjoyed. Maybe it's because I don't understand most aliens, maybe it's because most aliens feel too human or maybe it's because aliens tend to be written too boring. Anyway, Ebrihim is cool because A) he is a mini-Wookiee (Okay, so a skinnier Ewok, but I'll just pretend Han said shorter Wookiee), B) he is no-nonsense, and C) he isn't intimidated by either Leia's popularity or her kids' wise cracks. I almost envision him as a hairier (if that is even possible) Gimli.
Lastly, Tendra Risant. Another woman I can relate to! She is slightly overweight (despite how she is drawn with perfect curves in her Wookieepedia profile) but very kind, and generous. I am very glad that Lando found her. She was a perfect doll.
The main characters come off very well as well. Han and Leia in particular are excellent, namely Han. It was enjoyable to watch him return to Corellia, to see him roam the streets. And you can really feel the romance, the love between these two, which is sometimes sorely lacking in these books.
Lando and Luke are present too (I absolutely adore the conversation Mon Mothma has to Luke), but I want to focus on someone else not seen often enough: Mara Jade. She reappears in this book, to deliver a message to Han and Leia. I love how she comes back (even if I am not fond of the idea of her having her own business--I just don't like how "hasty" and "slipshod" it feels, but that would be Anderson's fault, because he introduced that idea first in his Jedi Academy trilogy).
As for the story, I was stunned. It is so interesting! Initially, Han and Leia are going to Corellia for a trade summit, but then they run into a huge conflict between the species of the Corellian system. This is such a unique story, such a cool conflict! And yeah, it ends up including a stupid superweapon, but somehow, that isn't so annoying at this point. At least the enemy isn't the Empire! And who could hate a story set on a planet where Han was born?
I Didn't Like:
The wallbanger moments in this book are pleasantly few and far between. The only noteworthy one was Lando's mission. You see, Lando's latest scheme is to marry into money. Yeah...that's...nice. While it is interesting to see a man try it instead of a woman, I still was a bit perturbed at how it takes away from an otherwise amazing story. And would Luke really try to help Lando marry someone for money? In fact, it seem odd to me that Mon Mothma actually encourages Luke to join Lando. I know she wants him to cultivate his more political/diplomatic side, but how is helping with the courting process going to do that?
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Little to none.
There is chemistry between Han and Leia. Lando seeks out a wife, one of which feeds off her mate's life essence.
Han runs headlong into a Human League march, which lands him in jail. Belindi crash lands on Corellia.
Overall:
This was another of those books I read when I was a teen and vastly enjoyed. After all the other books that haven't quite favored as well in my adult eyes, I was pleased to find this one enjoyable once again. Yes, it's still a bit silly in places, but I think the characters are well-done and the plot shows thought. A good read.
gossamerwingedgazelle's review against another edition
1.0
I can't guarantee that you will hate this book. I just have a very low tolerance for "gosh, Uncle Luke! *pout* I don't know why you care about that dumb ol' space station anyway.". The precocious, trouble-finding child/children trope gets old really fast (IMO). The characters in this book seemed to all lack any depth. Anyway, I'm giving up, as I just can't take any more.
emjohnsey's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
yousuck's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
queen_in_yellow's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This book has been hanging out for very long time on my TBR and in my bookshelf and I never found the time or motivation to actually read it, but when a friend made me read it I was actually looking forward to some oldschool Star Wars Action like I enjoyed back in my teenage years.
And I think my 13 year old me would have enjoyed this book far more than my 26 year old me did. Sadly it's one of the Star Wars novels with mediocre quality. It's one of those cases where you have to stretch a plot, that would barely be enough to fill two books, out to three books, so you can sell a trilogy. The plot drags on so much, it takes them until the half of the book to even get to Corellia and then there's this weird side plot with Lando who wants to marry and takes Luke as a wingman with him on a tour to find a wife. The last third finally has some action which is the build up for the following book and I hope that the second installment will have better pacing, now that the introduction is out of the way.
In the end it was an okayish experience, because the characters are well portrayed and there are some cute and funny moments, but it definitely can't live up to the level of e.g. the Thrawn Trilogy.
And I think my 13 year old me would have enjoyed this book far more than my 26 year old me did. Sadly it's one of the Star Wars novels with mediocre quality. It's one of those cases where you have to stretch a plot, that would barely be enough to fill two books, out to three books, so you can sell a trilogy. The plot drags on so much, it takes them until the half of the book to even get to Corellia and then there's this weird side plot with Lando who wants to marry and takes Luke as a wingman with him on a tour to find a wife. The last third finally has some action which is the build up for the following book and I hope that the second installment will have better pacing, now that the introduction is out of the way.
In the end it was an okayish experience, because the characters are well portrayed and there are some cute and funny moments, but it definitely can't live up to the level of e.g. the Thrawn Trilogy.
lucymaymiles's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.25
carterkalchik's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
With Ambush at Corellia, Roger MacBride Allen caught the Star Wars Expanded Universe baton from Kevin J. Anderson and Vonda McIntyre and more than adequately began his section of the relay.
Leia, Han, Chewie and the kids (Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin) are off to Corellia for a trade and mutual goodwill mission in an attempt to bring the isolationist sector closer to the increasingly established New Republic. Problem is, trouble is brewing in the sector and it’s… pro-human fascism. Yikes. Also, Lando ropes Luke into helping him find a wife.
Is this the best the EU had to offer? No, far from it. And reading the EU books in publication order, this is the first where the decision to do annual trilogies really starts to feel like a money grab. Ambush at Corellia is almost all setup for the next books. It feels like the first 45 minutes of a two-part series pilot, which means it doesn’t feel like a complete book on its own.
But it’s fun, fast-paced, and feels “Star Warsy” without all of the traditional trappings of Star Wars (hardly a lightsaber or X-Wing in sight). MacBride Allen leaves you wanting more, which is about as best as he could do given the assignment.
Leia, Han, Chewie and the kids (Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin) are off to Corellia for a trade and mutual goodwill mission in an attempt to bring the isolationist sector closer to the increasingly established New Republic. Problem is, trouble is brewing in the sector and it’s… pro-human fascism. Yikes. Also, Lando ropes Luke into helping him find a wife.
Is this the best the EU had to offer? No, far from it. And reading the EU books in publication order, this is the first where the decision to do annual trilogies really starts to feel like a money grab. Ambush at Corellia is almost all setup for the next books. It feels like the first 45 minutes of a two-part series pilot, which means it doesn’t feel like a complete book on its own.
But it’s fun, fast-paced, and feels “Star Warsy” without all of the traditional trappings of Star Wars (hardly a lightsaber or X-Wing in sight). MacBride Allen leaves you wanting more, which is about as best as he could do given the assignment.
fandom4ever's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Ambush on Corellia is the first book in the Corellian trilogy, taking place in Han’s home sector. It’s the first time he’s been back in many years and boy has the system changed. This series was released in 1995, among some of the first books in the Expanded Universe. Indeed I had to look into it and found at this time, that in addition to the movie novelizations, the Han Solo and Lando Calrissian Adventures, the Thrawn trilogy, the Jedi Academy trilogy, The Truce at Bakura and The Courtship of Princess Leia had been released. There are quite a few books in between there now whose events had yet to happen in publication history including Han Solo’s trilogy. It was really interesting to read this, in terms of publication, backwards. I knew all these events of Han’s earlier years from that trilogy and yet this series will be making references that will be further explained in those books. It makes your head spin a little, mostly in the fact that I had to keep in mind that the reason certain things weren’t being referenced was because they didn’t exist yet! Now this did not take away from the book, it was just something I had to keep in mind.
As Ambush on Corellia is the first of three, most of the story is dedicated to setting up the plot and political scene in the Corellian sector. There is something brewing there between the three main species and naturally Han and Leia will find themselves in the midst of it when they decide to take a family vacation there before a trade summit. I loved reading more of the Solo children who are now 9 and 7 and more able to interact with others and the world.
On the other side of things, we got to see Luke and Lando hang out together, though it was an odd way to go about it, and indeed I didn’t feel much depth between them. Perhaps that will change in the other two books but in this book, their scenes were so few it felt that they were just added in so we wouldn’t forget about them.
This being a set-up book didn’t stop me from enjoying it; I was finding myself turning page after page intrigued as to what was going on and wondering how things would unfold. The ending was a well-done set-up ensuring that I will continue on to see what will happen next! I can’t wait to see the other planets in the Corellian sector!
olivertrumann's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0