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rebelspykatie 's review for:
Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel
by James Luceno
I enjoyed this for what it was, a really wonderful prequel to Rogue One. This sets up so much of the dynamics between characters and gives so much background information on how these people got intertwined together. The relationship between Galen and Lyra is developed so well and shows how they will do anything to protect their daughter. We get to see the ups and downs they experienced trying to remain neutral in the war, but eventually ended up working for the Empire. We get to see how they start to become suspicious of everyone's intentions, especially what the Empire is doing with Galen's research on kyber crystals and imitation forms of crystals.
The battle between Krennic and Tarkin is both hilarious and annoying. I just imagine the two of them in a room like continuously slapping each other saying the other person started it. They're just horribly misguided idiot old white men vying for the top positions among the Empire, and this doesn't shy away from that dynamic at all. Both men are ruthless, but in very different ways. Tarkin is blunt and straight forward with his deception. He uses people around him by intimidating them and coercing them. Krennic is much sneakier. He makes people believe that they want to work with him, by presenting his option as the best course of action or by trying to frame it as the other person's idea in the first place. He manipulates Galen for a lot of this book and it causes a strain in his relationship with Lyra. They get to the point where they're keeping secrets from each other, Krennic starts openly threatening Lyra, and Lyra is scared she's going to lose Galen to his research.
Lyra helps his see that this is all wrong and they're working for the wrong person. They uncover a lot about what the research is being used for (with is the development of the Death Star), and they realize they have to leave. With the help of Saw Gerrera, they manage to get off world and into hiding. And that takes us right up to the events of Rogue One. This is such a great prequel, I hope everyone has a chance to read this before watching the movie. I hope the other books that are related to Rogue One are just as wonderful.
The battle between Krennic and Tarkin is both hilarious and annoying. I just imagine the two of them in a room like continuously slapping each other saying the other person started it. They're just horribly misguided idiot old white men vying for the top positions among the Empire, and this doesn't shy away from that dynamic at all. Both men are ruthless, but in very different ways. Tarkin is blunt and straight forward with his deception. He uses people around him by intimidating them and coercing them. Krennic is much sneakier. He makes people believe that they want to work with him, by presenting his option as the best course of action or by trying to frame it as the other person's idea in the first place. He manipulates Galen for a lot of this book and it causes a strain in his relationship with Lyra. They get to the point where they're keeping secrets from each other, Krennic starts openly threatening Lyra, and Lyra is scared she's going to lose Galen to his research.
Lyra helps his see that this is all wrong and they're working for the wrong person. They uncover a lot about what the research is being used for (with is the development of the Death Star), and they realize they have to leave. With the help of Saw Gerrera, they manage to get off world and into hiding. And that takes us right up to the events of Rogue One. This is such a great prequel, I hope everyone has a chance to read this before watching the movie. I hope the other books that are related to Rogue One are just as wonderful.