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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I never expected to find myself reading a Star Wars novel. There were simply an astounding number of them each considered canon. I'd heard that a lot of the mythos was getting tangled, and I had no idea which ones to read. I simple felt way too daunted to take the leap. When Disney bought Lucasfilm, though, they basically wiped the slate clean, and now we get a fresh batch of new canon novels with really cool looking covers (which can never hurt).
My brother got me this one for Christmas, both of us already having seen Rogue One. For those who don't know, this book takes place before the events of Rogue One and Rogue One takes place before A New Hope. (Though if you're reading this, you definitely know all about that.) It follows Galan Erso, Lyra Erso, Orson Krennic, and a new character, a smuggler name Has Obitt. We also see quite a bit from Tarkin. Also baby Jyn :D. The follows the complex manipulation of the Erso family on the part of Galan's former friend, Krennic, in a ploy for power.
The story is rather slow. There is NO action in this book. If you are looking for large battles and lightsaber duels, this is not the book for you. It really drags quite a bit, and I felt there were many pages that went no where. That could just be poor editing, but it really stands out. On the other hand, the political focus in the book was really strong. We see a lot of the reasoning of the characters. Krennic has always had to work hard to achieve his goals, and if he sets his mind to something, he will stop at nothing to get there. He is slow and methodical in his plans. Galan's character was developed a lot, especially his struggle between science and family. Lyra Erso was a huge surprise. We don't see much of her in Rogue One, but in Catalyst, I was looking forward to her POV as I kept reading. She is extraordinarily strong willed, intelligent, and independent. She is an absolutely amazing mother to Jyn and an excellent foil to Galan. The two really feel like a team, and work off of each other's strengths. The new character, Has is interesting, but a little predictable.
One of my favorite things about this book is how the Republic/Empire seems to loom over everything. Most of the book takes place on Coruscant specifically the facility where Galan works and that pressure of tge government is always there. Has' predicament also shows this where just as soon as he thinks he's out of Krennic's reach he gets sucked right back in again.
Overall, Catalyst added a lot of depth to Rogue One, especially those first 10 minutes and I can't wait to see it through that new lense. The book does drag quite a bit in places and does suffer from a lack of dialog, but when it's there it's done really well. This book is clearly lacking in action which was disappointing but I still thoroughly enjoyed the book and the feeling that I now have a deeper Star Wars experience by reading this. Maybe I'll get around to Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston. She was always a favorite of mine from Clone Wars.
I think it's safe to say that I can also bet on some epic lightsaber battles there as well.
My brother got me this one for Christmas, both of us already having seen Rogue One. For those who don't know, this book takes place before the events of Rogue One and Rogue One takes place before A New Hope. (Though if you're reading this, you definitely know all about that.) It follows Galan Erso, Lyra Erso, Orson Krennic, and a new character, a smuggler name Has Obitt. We also see quite a bit from Tarkin. Also baby Jyn :D. The follows the complex manipulation of the Erso family on the part of Galan's former friend, Krennic, in a ploy for power.
The story is rather slow. There is NO action in this book. If you are looking for large battles and lightsaber duels, this is not the book for you. It really drags quite a bit, and I felt there were many pages that went no where. That could just be poor editing, but it really stands out. On the other hand, the political focus in the book was really strong. We see a lot of the reasoning of the characters. Krennic has always had to work hard to achieve his goals, and if he sets his mind to something, he will stop at nothing to get there. He is slow and methodical in his plans. Galan's character was developed a lot, especially his struggle between science and family. Lyra Erso was a huge surprise. We don't see much of her in Rogue One, but in Catalyst, I was looking forward to her POV as I kept reading. She is extraordinarily strong willed, intelligent, and independent. She is an absolutely amazing mother to Jyn and an excellent foil to Galan. The two really feel like a team, and work off of each other's strengths. The new character, Has is interesting, but a little predictable.
One of my favorite things about this book is how the Republic/Empire seems to loom over everything. Most of the book takes place on Coruscant specifically the facility where Galan works and that pressure of tge government is always there. Has' predicament also shows this where just as soon as he thinks he's out of Krennic's reach he gets sucked right back in again.
Overall, Catalyst added a lot of depth to Rogue One, especially those first 10 minutes and I can't wait to see it through that new lense. The book does drag quite a bit in places and does suffer from a lack of dialog, but when it's there it's done really well. This book is clearly lacking in action which was disappointing but I still thoroughly enjoyed the book and the feeling that I now have a deeper Star Wars experience by reading this. Maybe I'll get around to Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston. She was always a favorite of mine from Clone Wars.
I think it's safe to say that I can also bet on some epic lightsaber battles there as well.
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
While a good tie in to Rogue one it doesn't add much to the story of rogue one.
This was fun to read. This is the story of Galen Erso and explains a lot of the background for Rogue One. The story felt very believable and I liked the way it was laid out. Actually, the main downside of the book was that it was mostly background story: no action of any kind (a little hard to work in much excitement when your protagonist is an idealistic pacifist who is also a science-minded polymath). Probably of little interest to non-Star Wars people, but if you liked Rogue One, this is a great book to read as a companion.
Consider me pleasantly surprised. I was worried the poor reviews meant poorly written but that is not the case. Superfluous? Probably. However, if you're like me and believe that Orson Krennic is the Imperial officer we should have had in the new trilogy (instead of just one film) chances are you will enjoy this book. The protagonists here are really Orson and Lira--Galen Erso is just set dressing. Has Obitt also deserves mention as best new character.
I'm naturally suspicious of science fiction/fantasy and moreso licensed books. I'm happy to add Mr. Luceno to the to-read list.
I'm naturally suspicious of science fiction/fantasy and moreso licensed books. I'm happy to add Mr. Luceno to the to-read list.