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Star Wars: Empire and Rebellion #1
Star Wars: Razor's Edge
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.
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.
251 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2013
About the author
Martha Wells
93 books20.3k followersMartha Wells has been an SF/F writer since her first fantasy novel was published in 1993, and her work includes The Books of the Raksura series, the Ile-Rien series, The Murderbot Diaries series, and other fantasy novels, most recently Witch King (Tordotcom, 2023). She has also written media tie-in fiction for Star Wars, Stargate: Atlantis, and Magic: the Gathering, as well as short fiction, YA novels, and non-fiction. She has won Nebula Awards, Hugo Awards, Locus Awards, and a Dragon Award, and her work has appeared on the Philip K. Dick Award ballot, the British Science Fiction Association Award ballot, the USA Today Bestseller List, the Sunday Times Bestseller List, and the New York Times Bestseller List. She is a member of the Texas Literary Hall of Fame, and her books have been published in twenty-five languages.
She is also a consulting producer on The Murderbot Diaries series for Apple TV+.
She is also a consulting producer on The Murderbot Diaries series for Apple TV+.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 419 reviews
December 25, 2016
As exciting as a "Star Wars" story should be!
This is the first novel part of a "Star Wars" book event called "Empire and Rebellion".
The event will consist of three books, each one centered heavily on each of the "Big Three" of the original "Star Wars" saga, Princess Leia on this very novel, later Han Solo on a book expected for early 2014, and finally Luke Skywalker on a novel announced for 2015. However, due Disney's buying of Lucasfilms, this trilogy-like books got separated in the sense that Leia's and Han's are now considered "Legends" (Non-Canon) while the one about Luke is the only part of the new Canon.
LEIA RULES!
I was really excited to read this book since it was said that Leia will be the main character here. On almost any Star Wars book featuring the "Big Three", you have quite a lot of development on each of them, but while Luke was being portraited on some books, even with his name on the title, and Han has two trilogies without counting other books with him as the main hero, in the case of Leia, you don't get much of her as the main character and that's a shame. So, realizing that she was going to be the main heroine here, it was too much to resist to read the book.
I liked it a lot!!!
Luke and Han have their own moments on the novel, especially Han, but it's undeniable that this is a story centered around Princess Leia Organa.
REBELS UNITE!
The plot is set between the events of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, which it makes an excellent time to develop a story about Leia. Due that Luke is still way young and untrained about the Force and Han still isn't believing in the Rebel cause and he collaborates mainly for the rewards.
So, Leia is the strong character here of the three, she is the surviving leader of all her remaining people after Alderaan was destroyed by the Death Star, and she is a pivotal member of the Rebel Alliance Council.
Leia isn't a character looking for being in command of the situation but she has the grit on her to take command of it in a split second and starting to give the right orders without hesitation.
FILLING A RELEVANT VOID
Other important detail of this novel, Razor's Edge is that, by the moment, is the strongest option to read for people looking for a solid adventure oriented for adult readers, linking between Episode IV and Episode V. Since if you look the list of books in "chronological" order in the time setting of the saga, the other books are the sagas of Rebel Force and Galaxy of Fear, that both are oriented for young readers. Then you have Splinter of the Mind's Eye, that it's still a really good reading but sadly, it can't fit well in the continuity due to changes made on the following Episodes on films. Scoundrels is about a heist plan. Allegiance and Choices of One are about Mara Jade's motivations. Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina is a collection of short stories set there. And The Ruins of Dantooine is a tie-in with the MMORPG Star Wars: Galaxies.
So, returning to this book, you can see that Razor's Edge is an ideal novel to read if you want something "in-between" of Episodes IV & V with the feel of an adventure that can link the events of both films.
LONG TIME AGO IN A GALAXY FAR FAR AWAY...
The Rebel Alliance is desperately looking for a new base and they need materials to construct it, so General Willard took Leia, Han and a crew to make a deal with smugglers who have just what they need to make Echo Base, a reality. However the things started to go wrong and the fear and suspicion of traitors and spies in their midst make even more dangerous and complicated this mission. Also, Leia faces a situation hard to assimilate: A former Alderaanian military vessel has turned to piracy as its mean to survive after the loss of their home planet. Leia is forced to lead a mission having pirates in one side and Imperial forces in the other and everybody with their targets on her.
Highly recommended!!! The Force is strong in this one!
This is the first novel part of a "Star Wars" book event called "Empire and Rebellion".
The event will consist of three books, each one centered heavily on each of the "Big Three" of the original "Star Wars" saga, Princess Leia on this very novel, later Han Solo on a book expected for early 2014, and finally Luke Skywalker on a novel announced for 2015. However, due Disney's buying of Lucasfilms, this trilogy-like books got separated in the sense that Leia's and Han's are now considered "Legends" (Non-Canon) while the one about Luke is the only part of the new Canon.
LEIA RULES!
I was really excited to read this book since it was said that Leia will be the main character here. On almost any Star Wars book featuring the "Big Three", you have quite a lot of development on each of them, but while Luke was being portraited on some books, even with his name on the title, and Han has two trilogies without counting other books with him as the main hero, in the case of Leia, you don't get much of her as the main character and that's a shame. So, realizing that she was going to be the main heroine here, it was too much to resist to read the book.
I liked it a lot!!!
Luke and Han have their own moments on the novel, especially Han, but it's undeniable that this is a story centered around Princess Leia Organa.
REBELS UNITE!
The plot is set between the events of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, which it makes an excellent time to develop a story about Leia. Due that Luke is still way young and untrained about the Force and Han still isn't believing in the Rebel cause and he collaborates mainly for the rewards.
So, Leia is the strong character here of the three, she is the surviving leader of all her remaining people after Alderaan was destroyed by the Death Star, and she is a pivotal member of the Rebel Alliance Council.
Leia isn't a character looking for being in command of the situation but she has the grit on her to take command of it in a split second and starting to give the right orders without hesitation.
FILLING A RELEVANT VOID
Other important detail of this novel, Razor's Edge is that, by the moment, is the strongest option to read for people looking for a solid adventure oriented for adult readers, linking between Episode IV and Episode V. Since if you look the list of books in "chronological" order in the time setting of the saga, the other books are the sagas of Rebel Force and Galaxy of Fear, that both are oriented for young readers. Then you have Splinter of the Mind's Eye, that it's still a really good reading but sadly, it can't fit well in the continuity due to changes made on the following Episodes on films. Scoundrels is about a heist plan. Allegiance and Choices of One are about Mara Jade's motivations. Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina is a collection of short stories set there. And The Ruins of Dantooine is a tie-in with the MMORPG Star Wars: Galaxies.
So, returning to this book, you can see that Razor's Edge is an ideal novel to read if you want something "in-between" of Episodes IV & V with the feel of an adventure that can link the events of both films.
LONG TIME AGO IN A GALAXY FAR FAR AWAY...
The Rebel Alliance is desperately looking for a new base and they need materials to construct it, so General Willard took Leia, Han and a crew to make a deal with smugglers who have just what they need to make Echo Base, a reality. However the things started to go wrong and the fear and suspicion of traitors and spies in their midst make even more dangerous and complicated this mission. Also, Leia faces a situation hard to assimilate: A former Alderaanian military vessel has turned to piracy as its mean to survive after the loss of their home planet. Leia is forced to lead a mission having pirates in one side and Imperial forces in the other and everybody with their targets on her.
Highly recommended!!! The Force is strong in this one!
May 28, 2022
4.5 Stars for Razor’s Edge: Empire and Rebellion (audiobook) by Martha Wells read by January LaVoy.
I really liked Martha Wells’s take on Stars Wars. I’m a big Murderbot fan and it was interesting to see what direction she went in for this story. For me it feels traditional than some of the other post Disney stories.
I really liked Martha Wells’s take on Stars Wars. I’m a big Murderbot fan and it was interesting to see what direction she went in for this story. For me it feels traditional than some of the other post Disney stories.
December 22, 2013
I received this book through Goodreads' First Reads program! Thanks to Goodreads and the author!
This was the first Star Wars tie-in book I've read since the original Alan Dean Foster ones, Back In The Day. But I'd heard good things about Martha Wells and was curious to read something by her.
What most struck me about 'Razor's Edge' was how well Wells captured the Star Wars characters. You could definitely vividly 'see' and 'hear' Leia, Han, Luke, &c.; it was all very true to the films.
However - I felt a lack of urgency in the book. I didn't feel the need to rush to finish it, at all. I don't think this is the author's fault - I think it's an artifact of it being a tie-in, relating an incident wedged between 'Star Wars' and 'The Empire Strikes Back' - we already know that no matter how dire the situations the main characters find themselves in, everything will be OK (for the time being), and there's no room for any change in the dynamics of their interpersonal relationships.
However, that aside - this is a fun, action-filled book, with Space Pirates thrown into the conflict between Imperial troops and the Rebel Alliance. Good fun.
This was the first Star Wars tie-in book I've read since the original Alan Dean Foster ones, Back In The Day. But I'd heard good things about Martha Wells and was curious to read something by her.
What most struck me about 'Razor's Edge' was how well Wells captured the Star Wars characters. You could definitely vividly 'see' and 'hear' Leia, Han, Luke, &c.; it was all very true to the films.
However - I felt a lack of urgency in the book. I didn't feel the need to rush to finish it, at all. I don't think this is the author's fault - I think it's an artifact of it being a tie-in, relating an incident wedged between 'Star Wars' and 'The Empire Strikes Back' - we already know that no matter how dire the situations the main characters find themselves in, everything will be OK (for the time being), and there's no room for any change in the dynamics of their interpersonal relationships.
However, that aside - this is a fun, action-filled book, with Space Pirates thrown into the conflict between Imperial troops and the Rebel Alliance. Good fun.
October 21, 2018
In recent years, the Star Wars Expanded Universe has veered into inanity...but, Martha Wells brings back everything that made the franchise great in Razor's Edge. Set between Episodes IV and V, this features Han, Leia, Luke, Chewbacca and crew as we came to love them in the old-school films. Even if some of the recent EU books have frustrated you, you should definitely check this out. Let's hope that the franchise continues the trend...especially with the next celluloid installment due out later this year.
January 13, 2016
I've been meaning to read Martha Wells forever. This is so not where I would've expected to start with her, but WHY NOT?
I also never expected to get into Star Wars novels twenty years late for my generation, but, again, WHY NOT? Twenty years ago, I was all about Star Trek and read all of those books, and I guess that took over the sci fi portion of my brain. But I really liked The Force Awakens, so here we are!
And I enjoyed this. It's set between the first and second movie. It was maybe a little long, a few too many problems to solve, but it was a good Leia book, and you got more about Alderaan, and a lot of fun pre-ship stuff for Leia/Han. (Luke and Chewie aren't in this much.)
Note for ebook readers: This ends at the 68% mark (the rest is excerpts from other Star Wars books). This seems to be the case for many of the Star Wars ebooks.
I also never expected to get into Star Wars novels twenty years late for my generation, but, again, WHY NOT? Twenty years ago, I was all about Star Trek and read all of those books, and I guess that took over the sci fi portion of my brain. But I really liked The Force Awakens, so here we are!
And I enjoyed this. It's set between the first and second movie. It was maybe a little long, a few too many problems to solve, but it was a good Leia book, and you got more about Alderaan, and a lot of fun pre-ship stuff for Leia/Han. (Luke and Chewie aren't in this much.)
Note for ebook readers: This ends at the 68% mark (the rest is excerpts from other Star Wars books). This seems to be the case for many of the Star Wars ebooks.
July 17, 2015
Razor’s Edge is the first in a loose trilogy of books commissioned in the Star Wars Expanded Universe* designed to let bigger name sci-fi authors play around with the characters in this world, and also to spotlight each of the ‘Big Three’ in their own novels. Each novel can stand on its own, but they all take place in the time between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back, after the destruction of the first Death Star. Razor’s Edge is Leia’s novel, and while I thought it did a nice job with highlighting Leia herself, I think it could have been better overall.
*The first two books in the trilogy (the second written by sci-fi superstar James S.A. Corey) were released before Disney killed the EU, so technically the first two are no longer canon, and are relegated to ‘Legends’ status, while Kevin Hearne’s book Heir to the Jedi is official in the new EU. I get the feeling it won’t matter, though. Hearne’s respect for Star Wars probably means it can be read with either canon in mind, although I have no idea what, if anything, was changed in his book after the EU was, ahem, forcibly retired.
It’s been about a year since the Death Star was destroyed at Yavin 4, and the Rebellion is trying to leverage as much as they can out of their victory, even as the Empire increases its efforts to put them down. What they really need in order to push the rebellion to the next stage is a base, where necessary maintenance and training can occur safely and secretly. But to build a base they need supplies, and funding. This where Leia’s most recent mission comes in. She and select rebels (including Han Solo, mmmmmm, not ashamed) have headed off for a clandestine meeting with potential financiers, but they are waylaid, first by an Imperial ship that has obviously been tipped off to the location they were to exit hyperspace, and second by a band of rogue Alderaanian pirates. Leia, Han and a couple of others board their ship to talk, and end up at a giant haven full of dastardly space pirates, with the Alderaanian crew that is waaaaay over their heads.
This is where Leia takes over for the Alderaanian captain, trying to negotiate and navigate the complicated terrain of pirate politics, and free the Alderaanians from a contract they never should have taken in the first place. There is also a subplot about Han and some of the other crewmembers trying to rescue captured merchants about to be sold into slavery, and a second subplot involving the spy that sold them out to the Empire.
I enjoyed this book. Leia is wonderfully competent and take-charge. She knows when to hit and when to run, and navigates the tricky terrain of the pirate base with impressive ease. Even Han (who is busy fighting his attraction to her, and vice versa) admits often that her strength and feisty attitude are two of the reasons he is so drawn to her. Wells does a nice job with their dynamic, and with the dynamics of the other characters as well. The heart of this book is Leia’s inner conflict over her loyalty to the Alderaanians as survivors from that doomed planet, and her duty to the Rebellion. I actually wish there had been more of that, and maybe a little less with Han and the other rebels, although I get why they’re in there. Wells’s style is also very simple and straightforward, maybe too much so, as I think she missed several emotional hotspots in her narrative that would have made the book pop. There was too much focus on the machinations of her plot, and not enough on the thing that makes the plot important in the first place: the characters.
Overall, glad I read this, but it’s not the best, especially now that I’m halfway through Corey’s Han Solo adventure, and his style is so vivid and unique, and is written with such obvious pleasure that this book pales in comparison, sadly.
[3.5 stars]
*The first two books in the trilogy (the second written by sci-fi superstar James S.A. Corey) were released before Disney killed the EU, so technically the first two are no longer canon, and are relegated to ‘Legends’ status, while Kevin Hearne’s book Heir to the Jedi is official in the new EU. I get the feeling it won’t matter, though. Hearne’s respect for Star Wars probably means it can be read with either canon in mind, although I have no idea what, if anything, was changed in his book after the EU was, ahem, forcibly retired.
It’s been about a year since the Death Star was destroyed at Yavin 4, and the Rebellion is trying to leverage as much as they can out of their victory, even as the Empire increases its efforts to put them down. What they really need in order to push the rebellion to the next stage is a base, where necessary maintenance and training can occur safely and secretly. But to build a base they need supplies, and funding. This where Leia’s most recent mission comes in. She and select rebels (including Han Solo, mmmmmm, not ashamed) have headed off for a clandestine meeting with potential financiers, but they are waylaid, first by an Imperial ship that has obviously been tipped off to the location they were to exit hyperspace, and second by a band of rogue Alderaanian pirates. Leia, Han and a couple of others board their ship to talk, and end up at a giant haven full of dastardly space pirates, with the Alderaanian crew that is waaaaay over their heads.
This is where Leia takes over for the Alderaanian captain, trying to negotiate and navigate the complicated terrain of pirate politics, and free the Alderaanians from a contract they never should have taken in the first place. There is also a subplot about Han and some of the other crewmembers trying to rescue captured merchants about to be sold into slavery, and a second subplot involving the spy that sold them out to the Empire.
I enjoyed this book. Leia is wonderfully competent and take-charge. She knows when to hit and when to run, and navigates the tricky terrain of the pirate base with impressive ease. Even Han (who is busy fighting his attraction to her, and vice versa) admits often that her strength and feisty attitude are two of the reasons he is so drawn to her. Wells does a nice job with their dynamic, and with the dynamics of the other characters as well. The heart of this book is Leia’s inner conflict over her loyalty to the Alderaanians as survivors from that doomed planet, and her duty to the Rebellion. I actually wish there had been more of that, and maybe a little less with Han and the other rebels, although I get why they’re in there. Wells’s style is also very simple and straightforward, maybe too much so, as I think she missed several emotional hotspots in her narrative that would have made the book pop. There was too much focus on the machinations of her plot, and not enough on the thing that makes the plot important in the first place: the characters.
Overall, glad I read this, but it’s not the best, especially now that I’m halfway through Corey’s Han Solo adventure, and his style is so vivid and unique, and is written with such obvious pleasure that this book pales in comparison, sadly.
[3.5 stars]
May 26, 2014
Good stuff! Now I feel like watching "Star Wars" again.
September 23, 2013
So. Much. Fun. So much good old Star Wars fun! So refreshing for the Extended Universe, that has been bogged down by so many mediocre post-RotJ novels.
This novel (first in a trilogy) is set in between Star Wars and Empire. Being set in that 3 year time frame doesn't lend much leeway in how big the story can be and that's just fine by me. In fact, after decades of warlords, doomsday contraptions and resurrected Sith lords, this space pirate adventure is just what the EU needs.
Wells understands the SW world and she really gets these characters. I've never read a more perfect Leia. Han is the snarky guy we've just met but his vulnerability and kind heart starts to show where Leia is involved. Luke is Luke, and I mean that in a good way. He's still a farm boy just with a bit more confidence in sticky situations. And CHEWIE! It's been so long since I've read a novel with Chewie! It was great to see that fur ball again!
Considering when this novel takes place in the timeline, Wells still manages to make you wonder about their fates as the plot progresses. The story remains somewhat small scale but that takes nothing away from it. The stakes are raised just enough to make you worry the characters and think about just how are they going to get out of this one. I'm thoroughly looking forward to the sequel!
Thank you, Netgalley, for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel.
This novel (first in a trilogy) is set in between Star Wars and Empire. Being set in that 3 year time frame doesn't lend much leeway in how big the story can be and that's just fine by me. In fact, after decades of warlords, doomsday contraptions and resurrected Sith lords, this space pirate adventure is just what the EU needs.
Wells understands the SW world and she really gets these characters. I've never read a more perfect Leia. Han is the snarky guy we've just met but his vulnerability and kind heart starts to show where Leia is involved. Luke is Luke, and I mean that in a good way. He's still a farm boy just with a bit more confidence in sticky situations. And CHEWIE! It's been so long since I've read a novel with Chewie! It was great to see that fur ball again!
Considering when this novel takes place in the timeline, Wells still manages to make you wonder about their fates as the plot progresses. The story remains somewhat small scale but that takes nothing away from it. The stakes are raised just enough to make you worry the characters and think about just how are they going to get out of this one. I'm thoroughly looking forward to the sequel!
Thank you, Netgalley, for providing me with an advanced copy of this novel.
September 18, 2013
I received a free ebook ARC copy of this book from NetGalley. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
3 stars, but was almost 2.
I had some really mixed feelings about this book. At times, I enjoyed it. At other times, I just wanted it to be over.
I'll start with the cons:
1. Describe describe describe. This was heavy-handed. When every nut and bolt and widget is described down to the corners, the story loses momentum. Or never gains any. And while good description can help give a clear picture, this did the opposite. The more I read, the more I couldn't visualize anything.
2. The tone was dry. It didn't seem to have highs and lows. Even when the story should have, the tone remained the same throughout.
3. The pacing. It never seems to let up. While this was probably meant to give the narrative suspense, it just served to drag it on and on. And on. And. On. With no rest to absorb heavy descriptions, the pace moved along without any tonal changes, and there was nowhere to take a breath and figure out where we were. Or care.
Now for the pros:
1. The established characters. While a lot of the Star Wars humor and at times light-hardheartedness was thin, the characters themselves were pretty well represented. Leia was Leia, Han was Han, and so on.
2. The new characters. While I would have liked to seen a bit more depth in learning about the supporting cast, I did like what I saw. A varied group of supporting players helped the story along, both allies and adversaries to the main group.
3. The story itself. It was engaging, and the concept behind it was sound. This was a realistic possible mission for the gang between Episodes IV and V, and had some nice twists and turns.
While typing the cons above, I nearly changed my rating back to a 2 again. But then I looked over the cons. How could I give a low rating for a book where I liked the plot, the characters, and the overall idea? The flaws were in the execution, but not the overall tale. So for that I'll stand by the middle ground 3 rating. Which means "liked it". No more, no less. I can go with that.
And that's no small moon.
3 stars, but was almost 2.
I had some really mixed feelings about this book. At times, I enjoyed it. At other times, I just wanted it to be over.
I'll start with the cons:
1. Describe describe describe. This was heavy-handed. When every nut and bolt and widget is described down to the corners, the story loses momentum. Or never gains any. And while good description can help give a clear picture, this did the opposite. The more I read, the more I couldn't visualize anything.
2. The tone was dry. It didn't seem to have highs and lows. Even when the story should have, the tone remained the same throughout.
3. The pacing. It never seems to let up. While this was probably meant to give the narrative suspense, it just served to drag it on and on. And on. And. On. With no rest to absorb heavy descriptions, the pace moved along without any tonal changes, and there was nowhere to take a breath and figure out where we were. Or care.
Now for the pros:
1. The established characters. While a lot of the Star Wars humor and at times light-hardheartedness was thin, the characters themselves were pretty well represented. Leia was Leia, Han was Han, and so on.
2. The new characters. While I would have liked to seen a bit more depth in learning about the supporting cast, I did like what I saw. A varied group of supporting players helped the story along, both allies and adversaries to the main group.
3. The story itself. It was engaging, and the concept behind it was sound. This was a realistic possible mission for the gang between Episodes IV and V, and had some nice twists and turns.
While typing the cons above, I nearly changed my rating back to a 2 again. But then I looked over the cons. How could I give a low rating for a book where I liked the plot, the characters, and the overall idea? The flaws were in the execution, but not the overall tale. So for that I'll stand by the middle ground 3 rating. Which means "liked it". No more, no less. I can go with that.
And that's no small moon.
June 10, 2017
A wonderfully in-character book that finally addresses Leia's guilt over Alderaan.
Suggest at least 12 or older for some language, and a few sensual scenes (but thankfully they both act like the adults they are and stop the thoughts before it gets too inappropriate)
Suggest at least 12 or older for some language, and a few sensual scenes (but thankfully they both act like the adults they are and stop the thoughts before it gets too inappropriate)
October 8, 2019
I was a MAJOR fan of the special effects and the narrator. They really helped pull the story together. Don't let the cover fool you either; Princess Leia is the star of this show with Han Solo following close behind, Luke Skywalker on the other-hand is a minor footnote in this tale of deceit, cunning, and badassery. When Princess Leia is forced to flee into pirate territory she has no idea how dire her situation has become. She may not be battling imperial ships, but she does have to contend with backstabbing Alderaaneans, untrustworthy pirates, and Han who is forever pushing on her nerves. Fast paced and full of near misses, action, and riveting chase scenes. This book is pure fun!
February 8, 2023
A short tie-in book that's hard to rate. On one hand, it's written far, far better than most of these things. It's by Martha Wells; why wouldn't it be? But on the other hand, because it is Wells, I'm expecting more. It's fine, but it didn't deliver the wow it might have for me. Three main points (and no transitions between them. It's too early in my morning to write transition! lol.)
This is very action-y. Action beat after action beat. Space battles, hand to hand battles, fighting security droids, fighting people, ducking, rolling, falling... if that's your thing, you'd like it.
A big cast of new, invented characters, tending toward strong women, which is a nice antidote to the original three star wars movies for us 51% of the population who are female. A few are complex; most are there to fulfill a function. A bit too many characters, perhaps, and by Chapter 6, I decided not to remember anyone's name. (Which led me to not give a crap who lived or died, for I couldn't remember if they were the nice person or the whiny person or the heartbroken person or what.)
A lot interior time spent with Leia and Han, so we get to watch them lusting for each other but controlling themselves, something a movie can't give us. (Why I prefer novels to movies, largely, that it's all about POV and what we can see inside of the person as the exterior events challenge and change them.) If that romance is important to you, it'd be worth reading this to see her take on that, which is (as Wells is) insightful into human nature.
This is very action-y. Action beat after action beat. Space battles, hand to hand battles, fighting security droids, fighting people, ducking, rolling, falling... if that's your thing, you'd like it.
A big cast of new, invented characters, tending toward strong women, which is a nice antidote to the original three star wars movies for us 51% of the population who are female. A few are complex; most are there to fulfill a function. A bit too many characters, perhaps, and by Chapter 6, I decided not to remember anyone's name. (Which led me to not give a crap who lived or died, for I couldn't remember if they were the nice person or the whiny person or the heartbroken person or what.)
A lot interior time spent with Leia and Han, so we get to watch them lusting for each other but controlling themselves, something a movie can't give us. (Why I prefer novels to movies, largely, that it's all about POV and what we can see inside of the person as the exterior events challenge and change them.) If that romance is important to you, it'd be worth reading this to see her take on that, which is (as Wells is) insightful into human nature.
February 23, 2019
“You can’t be responsible for every survivor of Alderaan, Leia told herself. It was worse than being the Alliance’s shining symbol and figurehead.”
The best Star Wars book I’ve read in years. Leia gets a story to show what she’s made of, and it’s quite a bit. True believers may argue whether this story is Expanded Universe or Legends or canonical. IMHO, it fits the canon well enough to make the discussion moot; read and enjoy.
“See, this is the part where you yell at me and prove with, I don’t know, brilliant logic or secret information, how of course we can trust them and I go away embarrassed but reassured.” Leia smiled wryly at her. “I wish.”
Set two years after Star Wars Episode Four (movie). Leia seems to have matured fast, and her relationship with Han more developed. Oh, it’s going where we know it will go, but it seems to already be there.
“Knowing too much about Han and Chewbacca’s non-Alliance-related businesses, past and present, just made her left eyelid twitch.”
Quibbles: “Terae stepped forward and pulled a fusioncutter out of her tool satchel.” Beyond imagining what a fusioncutter is, we’re told it’s pocket sized. “The asteroid riddles with tunnels that followed the paths of what must have been veins of various ores.” Most small asteroids are amalgams of material, not layers.
“When your decisions affected people’s lives, it was important to have the advice of someone who didn’t think you were always right because of who you were. Or who your father was.”
The best Star Wars book I’ve read in years. Leia gets a story to show what she’s made of, and it’s quite a bit. True believers may argue whether this story is Expanded Universe or Legends or canonical. IMHO, it fits the canon well enough to make the discussion moot; read and enjoy.
“See, this is the part where you yell at me and prove with, I don’t know, brilliant logic or secret information, how of course we can trust them and I go away embarrassed but reassured.” Leia smiled wryly at her. “I wish.”
Set two years after Star Wars Episode Four (movie). Leia seems to have matured fast, and her relationship with Han more developed. Oh, it’s going where we know it will go, but it seems to already be there.
“Knowing too much about Han and Chewbacca’s non-Alliance-related businesses, past and present, just made her left eyelid twitch.”
Quibbles: “Terae stepped forward and pulled a fusioncutter out of her tool satchel.” Beyond imagining what a fusioncutter is, we’re told it’s pocket sized. “The asteroid riddles with tunnels that followed the paths of what must have been veins of various ores.” Most small asteroids are amalgams of material, not layers.
“When your decisions affected people’s lives, it was important to have the advice of someone who didn’t think you were always right because of who you were. Or who your father was.”
August 17, 2018
Razor’s Edge by Martha Wells was one of the last Star Wars stories published as part of the old Expanded Universe (EU), which was recategorised as the “Legends” continuity following the Disney takeover of Lucasfilm.
The novel was intended to be the first of a trio of books set in the period between the Battle of Yavin (at the end of the original 1977 Star Wars movie) and the Battle of Hoth (from The Empire Strikes Back), with each book focusing on one of the main three human heroes of the original trilogy of movies, and loosely titled the “Empire and Rebellion” series.
Razor’s Edge has Leia as the main character, and it was the first of the three to be published ( Honor Among Thieves , focusing on Han, was published shortly after, and Heir to the Jedi , focusing on Luke, was published as part of the new canon). It recounts the details of a minor event that takes place shortly before the establishment of Echo Base on Hoth, and how Leia handles the growing complexities of the situation that begins to develop. There are pirates, traders, spies, imperials and rebels - all the elements you would expect from this genre and franchise.
However, this is a very mundane Star Wars book - it is not bad, per se, but it doesn’t really set the Galaxy Far, Far Away aflame with its originality or thematic complexity - it is a straightforward short adventure story. It isn’t badly written (although it does veer towards YA territory at some points, and has some odd choices of storytelling, such as a “mad” mining droid), it just doesn’t really have anything new to say.
The main problem I had with this book is the feeling of inconsequentiality: I knew that Leia, Han, Luke et al. would survive - I wasn't sure that General Willard would survive, given that he never appears in The Empire Strikes Back, so only he and the minor newly introduced characters are imperilled. The story isn't grand or compelling enough on its own merits, and the reader's interest suffers as a consequence.
Nevertheless, this book is by no means a kick in the face to fans like The Ruins of Dantooine or Last Shot are, but I really can’t recommend it particularly strongly, as there was nothing (either fantastic or atrocious) that made it stand out in the crowd. It leaves the impression of a tired franchise with nowhere left to explore - and has given me a new sense of appreciation for the Disney acquisition that has reinvigorated it since.
The novel was intended to be the first of a trio of books set in the period between the Battle of Yavin (at the end of the original 1977 Star Wars movie) and the Battle of Hoth (from The Empire Strikes Back), with each book focusing on one of the main three human heroes of the original trilogy of movies, and loosely titled the “Empire and Rebellion” series.
Razor’s Edge has Leia as the main character, and it was the first of the three to be published ( Honor Among Thieves , focusing on Han, was published shortly after, and Heir to the Jedi , focusing on Luke, was published as part of the new canon). It recounts the details of a minor event that takes place shortly before the establishment of Echo Base on Hoth, and how Leia handles the growing complexities of the situation that begins to develop. There are pirates, traders, spies, imperials and rebels - all the elements you would expect from this genre and franchise.
However, this is a very mundane Star Wars book - it is not bad, per se, but it doesn’t really set the Galaxy Far, Far Away aflame with its originality or thematic complexity - it is a straightforward short adventure story. It isn’t badly written (although it does veer towards YA territory at some points, and has some odd choices of storytelling, such as a “mad” mining droid), it just doesn’t really have anything new to say.
The main problem I had with this book is the feeling of inconsequentiality: I knew that Leia, Han, Luke et al. would survive - I wasn't sure that General Willard would survive, given that he never appears in The Empire Strikes Back, so only he and the minor newly introduced characters are imperilled. The story isn't grand or compelling enough on its own merits, and the reader's interest suffers as a consequence.
Nevertheless, this book is by no means a kick in the face to fans like The Ruins of Dantooine or Last Shot are, but I really can’t recommend it particularly strongly, as there was nothing (either fantastic or atrocious) that made it stand out in the crowd. It leaves the impression of a tired franchise with nowhere left to explore - and has given me a new sense of appreciation for the Disney acquisition that has reinvigorated it since.
September 22, 2013
Speculation continues to fly as news and rumours permeate the internet about the new Star Wars trilogy. Meanwhile, the books and comics have suspiciously returned to the past. The Star Wars expanded universe is vaaaaaaast, yet, surprisingly, very little of it has explored the ins and outs around the original trilogy.
Razor's Edge takes place shortly after A New Hope with the rebels in desperate need of a new secret base. Leaked information puts their attempt to set up on Hoth in peril, and we find Leia and Han in just such a situation at the beginning of the book when their ship is attacked by Imperials. But there is more to the aftermath of A New Hope that this book addresses: Remember that planet Darth Vader and Moff Tarkin blew up in A New Hope? Well that was Leia Organa's home and she has taken its destruction entirely onto her own shoulders. And there happen to be other survivors who deal with the destruction of their world in various ways.
That isn't to say this entire story is about Leia and the displaced Alderaanians going to PTSD meetings, but the weight of their despair remains a strong aspect of the story that the movies didn't have time to address. Leia is more than irked when she discovers an Alderaanian ship has opted to go pirate rather than join the Alliance and is drawn into conflict with its captain, Metara.
With Leia as the focus, we are reminded of just how strong of a character she is. She is more than just a symbol to her people. She is a born leader and it's implied that she sometimes has to fight harder with the higher ups to be allowed to lead as opposed to simply being the Alliance poster girl. Proving herself to them means all the more to a perfectionist who hates making mistakes. Her wisdom, intelligence, sense of responsibility, courage and stoicism sometimes make it difficult to remember that she's barely into her twenties.
Wells introduces some interesting new species, something I expected after reading her world and culture building talents in The Cloud Roads. She also introduces several new characters, but they are not much more than devices - red shirts, if you will - who mostly serve as targets for Han's snark. Even Luke, Chewie and the droids play only a minor role. This isn't a bad thing though, with the focus so heavily on Leia and subsequently Han. These two are my original OTP so I was quite happy to spend all this time with them and enjoyed their attempts to not admit their mutual attraction.
Beyond or underlying all of the above is typical good old fashioned Star Wars adventure that should please fans.
With thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey Spectra for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
See more reviews at The BiblioSanctum
Razor's Edge takes place shortly after A New Hope with the rebels in desperate need of a new secret base. Leaked information puts their attempt to set up on Hoth in peril, and we find Leia and Han in just such a situation at the beginning of the book when their ship is attacked by Imperials. But there is more to the aftermath of A New Hope that this book addresses: Remember that planet Darth Vader and Moff Tarkin blew up in A New Hope? Well that was Leia Organa's home and she has taken its destruction entirely onto her own shoulders. And there happen to be other survivors who deal with the destruction of their world in various ways.
That isn't to say this entire story is about Leia and the displaced Alderaanians going to PTSD meetings, but the weight of their despair remains a strong aspect of the story that the movies didn't have time to address. Leia is more than irked when she discovers an Alderaanian ship has opted to go pirate rather than join the Alliance and is drawn into conflict with its captain, Metara.
With Leia as the focus, we are reminded of just how strong of a character she is. She is more than just a symbol to her people. She is a born leader and it's implied that she sometimes has to fight harder with the higher ups to be allowed to lead as opposed to simply being the Alliance poster girl. Proving herself to them means all the more to a perfectionist who hates making mistakes. Her wisdom, intelligence, sense of responsibility, courage and stoicism sometimes make it difficult to remember that she's barely into her twenties.
Wells introduces some interesting new species, something I expected after reading her world and culture building talents in The Cloud Roads. She also introduces several new characters, but they are not much more than devices - red shirts, if you will - who mostly serve as targets for Han's snark. Even Luke, Chewie and the droids play only a minor role. This isn't a bad thing though, with the focus so heavily on Leia and subsequently Han. These two are my original OTP so I was quite happy to spend all this time with them and enjoyed their attempts to not admit their mutual attraction.
Beyond or underlying all of the above is typical good old fashioned Star Wars adventure that should please fans.
With thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey Spectra for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
See more reviews at The BiblioSanctum
June 4, 2014
I did not finish this book. When I realized a quarter of the way through that I was looking ahead to see how many pages I had left before I could move on to something else, I figured I should probably just drop it. Life is too short to read a book that doesn't captivate me.
Does that mean it's a bad book? Of course not. I can easily see the appeal. Leia is a cool character and she doesn't get much time in the spotlight. Anytime you put Han, Leia, Luke, and Chewie into a story together, you know you're going to have a good time. But that was exactly the problem for me. I know this story. Just because the location, minor characters, time, and the ones pointing the blasters at our intrepid heroes are different doesn't make this story fresh. I was looking for a character exploration of Leia and instead I got another ensemble piece with Leia playing the lead.
Even that would have been enjoyable, though, if the writing had been better and the characters drawn outside their cliched boundaries. Here's a tip for authors aspiring to write in the Star Wars Universe, explore new ground. We know that Leia is a strong woman with control issues and a guilty crush on Han. We know that Han works very hard on his devil-may-care attitude while secretly harboring growing feelings for Leia and an attachment to his new friends and the Rebellion. We know that Luke is a naive farm boy struggling to grow into the responsibility of a Jedi. We know that Chewie is a good-hearted teddy bear that will rip the arms off of anything that threatens his friends. If you really want to write a good story in this universe, you need to add something to that. This book does not.
Just one example and I'll be done. The opening of the book shifts points of view between Leia and Han. At various points the book voices their thoughts about finding the other attractive. Maybe it's just me but I always found these mental asides to be somewhat contrived and there were certainly more of them than necessary. As mentioned already, these are well known traits of these two characters so it is not inappropriate that they should come up in the course of the story. At the same time, though, these are well known traits of these two characters so there is no need to be quite so obvious about it. Again, explore new ground. The Leia/Han love story doesn't factor into this particular book (I think. like I said, I didn't finish it) so it's not necessary to play it up. This story should be about strengthening and deepening Leia's character and that can and should be done independently of her relationship to Han Solo.
Does that mean it's a bad book? Of course not. I can easily see the appeal. Leia is a cool character and she doesn't get much time in the spotlight. Anytime you put Han, Leia, Luke, and Chewie into a story together, you know you're going to have a good time. But that was exactly the problem for me. I know this story. Just because the location, minor characters, time, and the ones pointing the blasters at our intrepid heroes are different doesn't make this story fresh. I was looking for a character exploration of Leia and instead I got another ensemble piece with Leia playing the lead.
Even that would have been enjoyable, though, if the writing had been better and the characters drawn outside their cliched boundaries. Here's a tip for authors aspiring to write in the Star Wars Universe, explore new ground. We know that Leia is a strong woman with control issues and a guilty crush on Han. We know that Han works very hard on his devil-may-care attitude while secretly harboring growing feelings for Leia and an attachment to his new friends and the Rebellion. We know that Luke is a naive farm boy struggling to grow into the responsibility of a Jedi. We know that Chewie is a good-hearted teddy bear that will rip the arms off of anything that threatens his friends. If you really want to write a good story in this universe, you need to add something to that. This book does not.
Just one example and I'll be done. The opening of the book shifts points of view between Leia and Han. At various points the book voices their thoughts about finding the other attractive. Maybe it's just me but I always found these mental asides to be somewhat contrived and there were certainly more of them than necessary. As mentioned already, these are well known traits of these two characters so it is not inappropriate that they should come up in the course of the story. At the same time, though, these are well known traits of these two characters so there is no need to be quite so obvious about it. Again, explore new ground. The Leia/Han love story doesn't factor into this particular book (I think. like I said, I didn't finish it) so it's not necessary to play it up. This story should be about strengthening and deepening Leia's character and that can and should be done independently of her relationship to Han Solo.
April 2, 2019
“Razor’s Edge” by Martha Wells is one of the many books in the Star Wars Legends line, which is technically part of the Old Canon, the series of books which has been negated by the New Canon. Although, since the book is set in the years between “Episode IV: A New Hope” and “Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back”, nothing in it is necessarily disruptive to the continuity and new timeline of the New Canon, the series of books that follows the “official” new timeline set by J.J. Abrams’s film “Episode VII: The Force Awakens”.
(If you’re not a “Star Wars” fan, that preceding paragraph is probably confounding. It is, however, a ridiculous new reality for those of us who are “Star Wars” fans. C’est la vie...)
Remember Echo Base, the Rebel Alliance’s new base of operations on the planet Hoth after the Battle of Yavin? Well, if not, Echo Base was where the Rebels fled to after the Empire tried to destroy their last base on Yavin 4 with the Death Star, only to be thwarted by the wiliness of a farmboy-turned-pilot named Luke Skywalker. The destruction of the Death Star was a serious blow to the Empire, but the Emperor and his right hand man, Darth Vader, lived to see another day.
In the aftermath of the Battle of Yavin, Rebel forces needed to regroup. More and more planets and star systems were joining in the fight against the Empire, but the Alliance now lacked a central base of operations. Planet Hoth offered everything they needed, except, of course, necessary supplies such as food, medicine, and weapons. The planet was basically a frozen tundra, so the Alliance sent out delegates to other star systems for opportunities for trade.
Princess Leia and Han Solo are assigned a mission in the Mid Rim, but after an attack on their ship, the group is forced into an area run by pirates. It is there that Leia makes the horrifying discovery that many of the pirates are fellow Alderaanians. After the destruction of their homeworld, many of them felt that they had no choice but to resort to piracy to survive.
Leia must now use her diplomatic skills to convince her fellow Alderaanians to leave the life of piracy and join the Alliance, while also working a deal with the leader of the pirates, a Lorrdian named Viest. The catch? Lorrdians are known for having a highly developed instinct for detecting duplicity.
There is, of course, plenty of action and space battles in “Razor’s Edge” to satisfy the hard-core “Star Wars” fan. Overall, a fun albeit extraneous “Star Wars” adventure.
(If you’re not a “Star Wars” fan, that preceding paragraph is probably confounding. It is, however, a ridiculous new reality for those of us who are “Star Wars” fans. C’est la vie...)
Remember Echo Base, the Rebel Alliance’s new base of operations on the planet Hoth after the Battle of Yavin? Well, if not, Echo Base was where the Rebels fled to after the Empire tried to destroy their last base on Yavin 4 with the Death Star, only to be thwarted by the wiliness of a farmboy-turned-pilot named Luke Skywalker. The destruction of the Death Star was a serious blow to the Empire, but the Emperor and his right hand man, Darth Vader, lived to see another day.
In the aftermath of the Battle of Yavin, Rebel forces needed to regroup. More and more planets and star systems were joining in the fight against the Empire, but the Alliance now lacked a central base of operations. Planet Hoth offered everything they needed, except, of course, necessary supplies such as food, medicine, and weapons. The planet was basically a frozen tundra, so the Alliance sent out delegates to other star systems for opportunities for trade.
Princess Leia and Han Solo are assigned a mission in the Mid Rim, but after an attack on their ship, the group is forced into an area run by pirates. It is there that Leia makes the horrifying discovery that many of the pirates are fellow Alderaanians. After the destruction of their homeworld, many of them felt that they had no choice but to resort to piracy to survive.
Leia must now use her diplomatic skills to convince her fellow Alderaanians to leave the life of piracy and join the Alliance, while also working a deal with the leader of the pirates, a Lorrdian named Viest. The catch? Lorrdians are known for having a highly developed instinct for detecting duplicity.
There is, of course, plenty of action and space battles in “Razor’s Edge” to satisfy the hard-core “Star Wars” fan. Overall, a fun albeit extraneous “Star Wars” adventure.
March 14, 2017
Shortly after A New Hope, Princess Leia and Han Solo are on their way to negotiate for resources from a smuggling cabal when Imperial warships abruptly appear and attack. The rebels just manage to escape, but they've lost several crew members and are shaken to realize that someone on board must have passed information along to the Empire. They don't even get a chance to deal with this before they come across a crew of Alderaanian pirates attacking a merchant vessel. Leia is horrified that any survivors of her destroyed planet would turn to piracy, and tries to convince them to stop...which gets her embroiled in a whole pirate adventure.
I love the way this book conveys unresolved tension between Leia and Han. At this point they've worked together sufficiently to have amusing banter and trust, but they also each yearn for something from the other one that they're not sure how to deal with. Luke and Chewie get a few scenes in, but this is mostly Leia's book. And wonderfully so--I love seeing her in all her tough, supremely competent rebel glory. The plot itself feels a little episodic, as first one crisis and then another pops up, but that's my only possible criticism. Definitely a fun read.
I love the way this book conveys unresolved tension between Leia and Han. At this point they've worked together sufficiently to have amusing banter and trust, but they also each yearn for something from the other one that they're not sure how to deal with. Luke and Chewie get a few scenes in, but this is mostly Leia's book. And wonderfully so--I love seeing her in all her tough, supremely competent rebel glory. The plot itself feels a little episodic, as first one crisis and then another pops up, but that's my only possible criticism. Definitely a fun read.
January 8, 2014
Pretty boring. I think there were too many characters that I just didn't care about and I couldn't really keep track of who was who. It would mention a character and I would have to stop and try to remember if that was a Rebel member or a pirate. I knew that pretty much all of the characters would have no long term significance so I wasn't invested in them.
September 12, 2017
Just realized that I never reviewed this book, and didn't even rate it! I wonder how I could have missed that. I remember finding it a rather pointless side adventure. I don't really care about Star Wars novels that aren't closely connected to the movies. But I decided to try this one because it is by Martha Wells. 2.5/5
July 9, 2017
That was a fun book. Not my favorite but it was fun.
October 6, 2013
Originally published at Risingshadow.
Martha Wells' Razor's Edge is the first book of the Empire and Rebellion series. Two more books (Honor Among Thieves by James S. A. Corey and a currently untitled book by Kevin Hearne) will be published in the near future. The protagonist of Razor's Edge is Princess Leia Organa.
Several Star Wars books have been published over the years, but most of them aren't connected to the original Star Wars setting or are only loosely connected to it. I've noticed that many of the new Star Wars books have moved too far away from this original setting, which is the core of Star Wars franchise. Razor's Edge is fortunately faithful to the original setting and original characters. This is wonderful, because the old and familiar characters are the best characters. It's easy to say that Martha Wells has put the series back on the right track by writing about Leia and other familiar characters.
Before I write more about Razor's Edge, I'll mention that I haven't read many Star Wars books, because I've been badly disappointed by their quality. I admit that I'm a bit prejudiced when it comes to media tie-in literature, because most media tie-in books tend to be mediocre books and are not worth reading. Fortunately there are books like Razor's Edge out there that remind critical readers that media tie-in books can be worth reading when they've been written well.
When I first heard that Martha Wells is going to write a Star Wars book, I became excited about the forthcoming book, because I thought that she might be able to write a Star Wars book that is worth reading. My instincts were correct and I was positively surprised by this book. In my honest opinion Martha Wells has written an entertaining and old-fashioned Star Wars book that centers around Princess Leia.
Here's a bit of information about the story:
The events in Razor's Edge take place during the Rebellion era. At the beginning of the book Leia, Han and other members of the crew are on a secret mission, but an Imperial corvette intercepts their ship. A spy has leaked information to the Imperials about their ship and they're forced to escape. When they arrive near a space station, they receive a call from a ship (the Aegis) that is under attack. When Princess Leia notices that the ship is an Alderaanian ship, she decides to investigate the ship and its crew. She goes aboard the ship with a couple of members of her crew and meets Metara. Soon Leia finds out what's going on...
That's all I'll write about the plot, because I don't want to write too many spoilers. I can only mention that this is the beginning of an exciting and action-filled adventure. (Razor's Edge is one of those books that are best read when you know as little about the plot and happenings as possible, because it's full of action.)
In the foreword Martha Wells mentions that she's a Star Wars fan. It's easy to see how much she loves the original movies, because she writes richly and intensely about Princess Leia and the other characters and pays attention to details.
Martha Wells has always had a talent for good characterization, because she writes fluently about her characters and their actions. In Razor's Edge she demonstrates how well she writes about Princess Leia and her feelings. Leia is described as a realistic and believable person who has worries and feels stressed. Leia isn't a perfect heroine, because she's human and she has her own flaws. She has a temper and she's worried and stressed, but she tries to act cool. It's easy for a reader to see how all the things that the characters have experienced have affected her and how determined she is to help the rebels (fans will easily notice that Martha Wells paints a vivid image of Leia and shows how she uses her diplomatic skills and fights for what she believes).
Although the author mostly concentrates on writing about Leia, there are also other characters (Han, Luke, Chewbacca, Metara etc) in this book and they all have a role to play in the story. Their characterization is handled well, but I especially enjoyed the way the author wrote about Han. She described him as the loveable scoundrel we all know from the movies, which was nice.
The author writes a lot about Leia and Han, but she also writes about Luke. I think I'd better not reveal much about Luke's part in the story, but I'll mention that readers will be delighted to read about him at the end of the book.
It's good that Martha Wells hasn't forgotten how Princess Leia feels about Han Solo, because their relationship is one of the most interesting aspects of the movies. She writes about how Leia feels about Han and his actions etc in a fluent way and also handles well the slowly developing attraction that Leia and Han feel towards each other. In my opinion she fully understands these characters and why they do the things they do. This can be seen in her writing and that's one of the reasons why this book is better and more enjoyable than several other Star Wars books.
I also enjoyed reading about how Martha Wells wrote about the Alderaanian Metara. One of the best scenes including Metara is the scene in which Leia finds out what Metara has done and how she tries to justify her actions to others. Metara is a good supporting character and her dialogues with Leia are well written. The author is at her best in scenes like this, because they're perfectly nuanced scenes and the characters act believably in them.
At this point I must mention that the author hasn't forgotten the existence of C-3PO and R2-D2. It's very nice that they're part of the book, because they're interesting droids.
The story moves fast forward and there are plenty of action scenes that will keep readers glued to the book. It was interesting to read what happens to Leia and her friends as the story begins to move forward, because the action scenes were genuinely exciting. I have to admit that it's a bit amazing how well the author keeps the action going strong and doesn't lose sight of what's going on. She writes enthusiastically about the escapes, battles, pirates, rebels and droids etc, so there aren't any dull moments in this book. I was surprised by how many action scenes there were in this book, but I enjoyed reading about them.
There are several good moments in this book. Because the events of this book take place between Episode IV: A New Hope and Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, the characters are still new to each other and haven't gotten to know one another as well as they will later on. This adds a nice element of freshness to the book.
This book doesn't actually reveal anything new about the characters, but that isn't a bad thing, because the author has concentrated on writing about what the characters do. This kind of storytelling allows the readers and fans of Star Wars movies to fully enjoy the story, because they won't be disappointed by sudden revelations that might make them change their minds about the characters.
As you may have already guessed, the strengths of this book lie in good characterization, character interaction and strong story. Considering that this book is a relatively short and action filled book, the author has done her best to make the story as interesting as possible by writing about how Leia struggles with her feelings and how she tries to do her best under difficult circumstances (in my honest opinion she has succeeded in it).
Because this book is a sci-fi adventure book, it's understandable that there isn't much depth in it. There's depth in the characterization, but otherwise it's a bit difficult to find depth in this book. It's the only flaw that's worth mentioning. Fortunately it's an acceptable flaw, because there's seldom depth in adventure books. When talking about a Star Wars book one should always remember that they're pure entertainment and aren't supposed be taken seriously, because there are plenty of escapes, battles and also humour in them (all these elements can be found in this book).
I almost forgot to mention that Martha Wells has created a thrilling atmosphere in Razor's Edge. The escape and action scenes will keep the readers turning pages (when I began to read this book, I couldn't stop reading it, because I had to find out what happens to the characters at the end of the book).
After reading this book I can honestly say that a good and talented author matters a lot in media tie-in literature. If another author had written this book, it would've probably been weaker in terms of characterization and atmosphere. Because Martha Wells writes good science fiction, stays true to the original Star Wars characters and brings the story to life, it was a pleasure to read this book. (One of the reasons why I like this book is that I enjoyed reading about the original characters, because I've been fascinated by them ever since I first saw the original movie trilogy.)
Because Razor's Edge is a Star Wars book, readers should be familiar with certain things that have happened to the characters, because otherwise it may be a bit difficult to understand what's going on. It's possible that readers who aren't familiar with the Star Wars movies and books will be able to read and enjoy this book, but it's good to know at least something about the characters before reading this book (if you're a newcomer to Star Wars books, you'll easily find information about the original characters and other characters from the internet).
I'll also mention briefly that The Star Wars Novels Timeline section at the beginning of the book may be helpful to newcomers and also to fans. I think it's also good to mention that there are two excerpts from other Star Wars books at the end of the book. The first excerpt is from James S. A. Corey's forthcoming Honor Among the Thieves and the second excerpt is from Joe Schreiber's Maul: Lockdown.
If you happen to be as prejucided about Star Wars books and media tie-in books as I am, you'll be pleasantly surprised by this book, because it offers action packed entertainment and good characterization for Star Wars fans. This book is a positive reading experience for everybody who loves Star Wars. (By the way, this book made me want to watch the original movie trilogy again. I think that it'll have the same effect on several other readers too.)
Before I write the final words of this review, I'll mention that when I read this book, I thought to myself that it would be nice if the author would one day write an original science fiction book, because I think that she could write an entertaining and exciting book that would captivate several readers.
Razor's Edge is a well written and fast-paced Star Wars book that will please fans of the original movie trilogy. I can recommend this book to all Star Wars fans, because it's full of action and interesting happenings. I can also recommend it to other readers, because it's a fun sci-fi romp with almost non-stop action and good characterization. On the scale from one to five stars, I give this book full four stars for being an entertaining Star Wars book.
My final words are: Razor's Edge is excellent and exciting Star Wars fiction!
Martha Wells' Razor's Edge is the first book of the Empire and Rebellion series. Two more books (Honor Among Thieves by James S. A. Corey and a currently untitled book by Kevin Hearne) will be published in the near future. The protagonist of Razor's Edge is Princess Leia Organa.
Several Star Wars books have been published over the years, but most of them aren't connected to the original Star Wars setting or are only loosely connected to it. I've noticed that many of the new Star Wars books have moved too far away from this original setting, which is the core of Star Wars franchise. Razor's Edge is fortunately faithful to the original setting and original characters. This is wonderful, because the old and familiar characters are the best characters. It's easy to say that Martha Wells has put the series back on the right track by writing about Leia and other familiar characters.
Before I write more about Razor's Edge, I'll mention that I haven't read many Star Wars books, because I've been badly disappointed by their quality. I admit that I'm a bit prejudiced when it comes to media tie-in literature, because most media tie-in books tend to be mediocre books and are not worth reading. Fortunately there are books like Razor's Edge out there that remind critical readers that media tie-in books can be worth reading when they've been written well.
When I first heard that Martha Wells is going to write a Star Wars book, I became excited about the forthcoming book, because I thought that she might be able to write a Star Wars book that is worth reading. My instincts were correct and I was positively surprised by this book. In my honest opinion Martha Wells has written an entertaining and old-fashioned Star Wars book that centers around Princess Leia.
Here's a bit of information about the story:
The events in Razor's Edge take place during the Rebellion era. At the beginning of the book Leia, Han and other members of the crew are on a secret mission, but an Imperial corvette intercepts their ship. A spy has leaked information to the Imperials about their ship and they're forced to escape. When they arrive near a space station, they receive a call from a ship (the Aegis) that is under attack. When Princess Leia notices that the ship is an Alderaanian ship, she decides to investigate the ship and its crew. She goes aboard the ship with a couple of members of her crew and meets Metara. Soon Leia finds out what's going on...
That's all I'll write about the plot, because I don't want to write too many spoilers. I can only mention that this is the beginning of an exciting and action-filled adventure. (Razor's Edge is one of those books that are best read when you know as little about the plot and happenings as possible, because it's full of action.)
In the foreword Martha Wells mentions that she's a Star Wars fan. It's easy to see how much she loves the original movies, because she writes richly and intensely about Princess Leia and the other characters and pays attention to details.
Martha Wells has always had a talent for good characterization, because she writes fluently about her characters and their actions. In Razor's Edge she demonstrates how well she writes about Princess Leia and her feelings. Leia is described as a realistic and believable person who has worries and feels stressed. Leia isn't a perfect heroine, because she's human and she has her own flaws. She has a temper and she's worried and stressed, but she tries to act cool. It's easy for a reader to see how all the things that the characters have experienced have affected her and how determined she is to help the rebels (fans will easily notice that Martha Wells paints a vivid image of Leia and shows how she uses her diplomatic skills and fights for what she believes).
Although the author mostly concentrates on writing about Leia, there are also other characters (Han, Luke, Chewbacca, Metara etc) in this book and they all have a role to play in the story. Their characterization is handled well, but I especially enjoyed the way the author wrote about Han. She described him as the loveable scoundrel we all know from the movies, which was nice.
The author writes a lot about Leia and Han, but she also writes about Luke. I think I'd better not reveal much about Luke's part in the story, but I'll mention that readers will be delighted to read about him at the end of the book.
It's good that Martha Wells hasn't forgotten how Princess Leia feels about Han Solo, because their relationship is one of the most interesting aspects of the movies. She writes about how Leia feels about Han and his actions etc in a fluent way and also handles well the slowly developing attraction that Leia and Han feel towards each other. In my opinion she fully understands these characters and why they do the things they do. This can be seen in her writing and that's one of the reasons why this book is better and more enjoyable than several other Star Wars books.
I also enjoyed reading about how Martha Wells wrote about the Alderaanian Metara. One of the best scenes including Metara is the scene in which Leia finds out what Metara has done and how she tries to justify her actions to others. Metara is a good supporting character and her dialogues with Leia are well written. The author is at her best in scenes like this, because they're perfectly nuanced scenes and the characters act believably in them.
At this point I must mention that the author hasn't forgotten the existence of C-3PO and R2-D2. It's very nice that they're part of the book, because they're interesting droids.
The story moves fast forward and there are plenty of action scenes that will keep readers glued to the book. It was interesting to read what happens to Leia and her friends as the story begins to move forward, because the action scenes were genuinely exciting. I have to admit that it's a bit amazing how well the author keeps the action going strong and doesn't lose sight of what's going on. She writes enthusiastically about the escapes, battles, pirates, rebels and droids etc, so there aren't any dull moments in this book. I was surprised by how many action scenes there were in this book, but I enjoyed reading about them.
There are several good moments in this book. Because the events of this book take place between Episode IV: A New Hope and Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, the characters are still new to each other and haven't gotten to know one another as well as they will later on. This adds a nice element of freshness to the book.
This book doesn't actually reveal anything new about the characters, but that isn't a bad thing, because the author has concentrated on writing about what the characters do. This kind of storytelling allows the readers and fans of Star Wars movies to fully enjoy the story, because they won't be disappointed by sudden revelations that might make them change their minds about the characters.
As you may have already guessed, the strengths of this book lie in good characterization, character interaction and strong story. Considering that this book is a relatively short and action filled book, the author has done her best to make the story as interesting as possible by writing about how Leia struggles with her feelings and how she tries to do her best under difficult circumstances (in my honest opinion she has succeeded in it).
Because this book is a sci-fi adventure book, it's understandable that there isn't much depth in it. There's depth in the characterization, but otherwise it's a bit difficult to find depth in this book. It's the only flaw that's worth mentioning. Fortunately it's an acceptable flaw, because there's seldom depth in adventure books. When talking about a Star Wars book one should always remember that they're pure entertainment and aren't supposed be taken seriously, because there are plenty of escapes, battles and also humour in them (all these elements can be found in this book).
I almost forgot to mention that Martha Wells has created a thrilling atmosphere in Razor's Edge. The escape and action scenes will keep the readers turning pages (when I began to read this book, I couldn't stop reading it, because I had to find out what happens to the characters at the end of the book).
After reading this book I can honestly say that a good and talented author matters a lot in media tie-in literature. If another author had written this book, it would've probably been weaker in terms of characterization and atmosphere. Because Martha Wells writes good science fiction, stays true to the original Star Wars characters and brings the story to life, it was a pleasure to read this book. (One of the reasons why I like this book is that I enjoyed reading about the original characters, because I've been fascinated by them ever since I first saw the original movie trilogy.)
Because Razor's Edge is a Star Wars book, readers should be familiar with certain things that have happened to the characters, because otherwise it may be a bit difficult to understand what's going on. It's possible that readers who aren't familiar with the Star Wars movies and books will be able to read and enjoy this book, but it's good to know at least something about the characters before reading this book (if you're a newcomer to Star Wars books, you'll easily find information about the original characters and other characters from the internet).
I'll also mention briefly that The Star Wars Novels Timeline section at the beginning of the book may be helpful to newcomers and also to fans. I think it's also good to mention that there are two excerpts from other Star Wars books at the end of the book. The first excerpt is from James S. A. Corey's forthcoming Honor Among the Thieves and the second excerpt is from Joe Schreiber's Maul: Lockdown.
If you happen to be as prejucided about Star Wars books and media tie-in books as I am, you'll be pleasantly surprised by this book, because it offers action packed entertainment and good characterization for Star Wars fans. This book is a positive reading experience for everybody who loves Star Wars. (By the way, this book made me want to watch the original movie trilogy again. I think that it'll have the same effect on several other readers too.)
Before I write the final words of this review, I'll mention that when I read this book, I thought to myself that it would be nice if the author would one day write an original science fiction book, because I think that she could write an entertaining and exciting book that would captivate several readers.
Razor's Edge is a well written and fast-paced Star Wars book that will please fans of the original movie trilogy. I can recommend this book to all Star Wars fans, because it's full of action and interesting happenings. I can also recommend it to other readers, because it's a fun sci-fi romp with almost non-stop action and good characterization. On the scale from one to five stars, I give this book full four stars for being an entertaining Star Wars book.
My final words are: Razor's Edge is excellent and exciting Star Wars fiction!
January 2, 2024
Audiobook (10 hours) narrated by January LaVoy.
The narration and audio quality is good, without distortion or erroneous noises and can be listened too from 1x to 2x speed, as preferred.
Please note that there is some scoring, minor pieces of music and sound effects that sound perfectly fine at a sped up speed. The noises and music are identifiable as Star Wars sound effects, do not take a significant amount of time but are placed very well and do amplify the story and ambience. Also the scoring is at the same sound level, it does not cover any narration, nor is it overly loud. I wear headphones and found that the volume is consistent from voice to score.
After reading All Systems Red, and the rest of The Murderbot Series by Martha Wells, I noticed that the author also wrote a Star Wars novel. Being so impressed with the tone of The Murderbot Series and feeling a Star Wars vibe, I jumped on picking up this novel.
I rated the novel a 3 stars. I felt it isn't quite 4 and wish that I could do a 3.5. I did like the novel but parts of it felt a little off, especially the first 10 - 15% of the novel.
Once the novel got going, I felt that the story was very on point for the Star Wars universe. The characters that were introduced were quite good and well written.
The second book of this duology has a different author, James S.A. Corey, which I also picked up. I am kind of disappointed that both books are not written by Martha Wells, but it is what it is and I will see how the second book goes. Star Wars: Honor Among Thieves also has a different narrator, but if it is done well it shouldn't be any different than having different show runners for different episodes. Fingers crossed!
Recommended for Star Wars fans.
There is no introduction of the main characters in this book; Leia, Han Solo, Luke and Chewbacca. Those not familiar with Star Wars will be dropped into a running episode and may feel lost as the book assumes that you know the Star Wars universe up to episode IV, A New Hope, which is the first movie in order of creation, 1977.
The narration and audio quality is good, without distortion or erroneous noises and can be listened too from 1x to 2x speed, as preferred.
Please note that there is some scoring, minor pieces of music and sound effects that sound perfectly fine at a sped up speed. The noises and music are identifiable as Star Wars sound effects, do not take a significant amount of time but are placed very well and do amplify the story and ambience. Also the scoring is at the same sound level, it does not cover any narration, nor is it overly loud. I wear headphones and found that the volume is consistent from voice to score.
After reading All Systems Red, and the rest of The Murderbot Series by Martha Wells, I noticed that the author also wrote a Star Wars novel. Being so impressed with the tone of The Murderbot Series and feeling a Star Wars vibe, I jumped on picking up this novel.
I rated the novel a 3 stars. I felt it isn't quite 4 and wish that I could do a 3.5. I did like the novel but parts of it felt a little off, especially the first 10 - 15% of the novel.
Once the novel got going, I felt that the story was very on point for the Star Wars universe. The characters that were introduced were quite good and well written.
The second book of this duology has a different author, James S.A. Corey, which I also picked up. I am kind of disappointed that both books are not written by Martha Wells, but it is what it is and I will see how the second book goes. Star Wars: Honor Among Thieves also has a different narrator, but if it is done well it shouldn't be any different than having different show runners for different episodes. Fingers crossed!
Recommended for Star Wars fans.
There is no introduction of the main characters in this book; Leia, Han Solo, Luke and Chewbacca. Those not familiar with Star Wars will be dropped into a running episode and may feel lost as the book assumes that you know the Star Wars universe up to episode IV, A New Hope, which is the first movie in order of creation, 1977.
September 7, 2013
The Review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2013/09/...
“An excellent read. Martha Wells gets the Star Wars franchise back on track – a lot of fun is to be had here with a great focus on Princess Leia, making Razor’s Edge a book that fans will love.” ~Bane of Kings, The Founding Fields
ALONG TIME AGO, IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY....
"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."
I went into Razor’s Edge with a lot of high hopes. Whilst I haven’t read any of Martha Wells’ non-Star Wars fiction, I understand she’s a highly praised author whose work I’ve been meaning to check out for a while now. Thus a Star Wars novel from her, and not just any Star Wars novel, but a book set inbetween the events of Episodes IV and V, my favourite two movies of the saga to date, focusing on my favourite characters of the franchise, Han and Leia, who are also among my favourite all-time favourite characters. Whilst Luke does play a role, it isn’t really as big as I had expected, and was actually quite surprised. However, his impact in the book is certainly felt, just as much as Han’s. However, both aren’t nearly given as much attention as Leia, who dominates the main point of view and is portrayed like the other two perfectly well, never once floating out of character, and Wells gets the characters just as well as the likes of John Jackson Miller and James Luceno or any other A-List Star Wars author, with her first novel for the franchise. (I’d throw Timothy Zahn in there as well, but I haven’t actually read any of his work yet). An amusing moment in the book came from the banter between Han and Leia, when they aren’t ready to admit that they’re attracted to another just yet, proving that the book doesn’t fall into the trap of being too grimdark, with some nice elements of humour splattered across the pages.
Razor's EdgeThe plot itself is pretty action packed and as unpredictable as a novel featuring characters from the films set in a period between the actual films can be – no matter what danger the three lead characters (and the rest of the characters such as Chewbacca and C3PO) find themselves in, we know they’ll make it out alive. However, the same cannot be said for any other character though – Wells does her best to make the book as unpredictable as ever, and even the outcome of the plot can be unpredictable in places. Action is used well, but don’t mistake this for a book filled with nothing but the shooting of blasters and the swinging of Luke’s lightsaber – and to Wells’ credit as an experienced author, she never manages to make the book feel like it’s moving slower during the non-action sequences, with the pacing nailed pretty much spot on.
If you think female characters are unappreciated in the Star Wars Universe, then you should look no further than Razor’s Edge. Wells not only offers a strong portrayal of Princess Leia, but deals with several other interesting female characters to boot that make the book much more engaging. As well as exploring the state of the Rebellion following the events of Episode IV (hint: It’s not a good one, despite their victory over the Empire in the Battle of Yavin), touching upon just how vital pretty much every mission has become for them. Other factions are explored too, but for a book in a series entitled Empire and Rebellion, it is almost surprising as to a relatively minor role that the Empire play in this book. But their presence certainly is felt, and whilst characters from that faction may not get as much page-time or focus as our main protagonists do, and they play a much bigger role in the book later on. Another element that Wells chooses to explore as well is what happened to the survivors of Alderaan, because even though the planet got wiped out, there was no possible way that Leia could have been the only person who wasn’t actually on the planet at the time. This nice touch allows for a few interesting aspects to come into play – particularly when you consider that her fellow people are now working as pirates in order to survive.
I think it’s safe to say that Razor’s Edge therefore, is a success. Martha Wells succeeds in sticking to canon, getting everybody in character throughout the book and bringing a great, well-paced read that sees the Empire and Rebellion series get off to a very strong start. Rest assured, if you’re a fan of the franchise – Martha Wells’ first outing is one that you won’t want to miss out on, and I eagerly await the next instalment in the Empire and Rebellion series, written by James S.A. Corey.
VERDICT: 4/5
PREVIOUS STAR WARS BOOK: Splinter of the Mind’s Eye by Alan Dean Foster | NEXT STAR WARS BOOK: Empire and Rebellion #2: Honour Among Thieves by James S.A. Corey (2014)
“An excellent read. Martha Wells gets the Star Wars franchise back on track – a lot of fun is to be had here with a great focus on Princess Leia, making Razor’s Edge a book that fans will love.” ~Bane of Kings, The Founding Fields
ALONG TIME AGO, IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY....
"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."
I went into Razor’s Edge with a lot of high hopes. Whilst I haven’t read any of Martha Wells’ non-Star Wars fiction, I understand she’s a highly praised author whose work I’ve been meaning to check out for a while now. Thus a Star Wars novel from her, and not just any Star Wars novel, but a book set inbetween the events of Episodes IV and V, my favourite two movies of the saga to date, focusing on my favourite characters of the franchise, Han and Leia, who are also among my favourite all-time favourite characters. Whilst Luke does play a role, it isn’t really as big as I had expected, and was actually quite surprised. However, his impact in the book is certainly felt, just as much as Han’s. However, both aren’t nearly given as much attention as Leia, who dominates the main point of view and is portrayed like the other two perfectly well, never once floating out of character, and Wells gets the characters just as well as the likes of John Jackson Miller and James Luceno or any other A-List Star Wars author, with her first novel for the franchise. (I’d throw Timothy Zahn in there as well, but I haven’t actually read any of his work yet). An amusing moment in the book came from the banter between Han and Leia, when they aren’t ready to admit that they’re attracted to another just yet, proving that the book doesn’t fall into the trap of being too grimdark, with some nice elements of humour splattered across the pages.
Razor's EdgeThe plot itself is pretty action packed and as unpredictable as a novel featuring characters from the films set in a period between the actual films can be – no matter what danger the three lead characters (and the rest of the characters such as Chewbacca and C3PO) find themselves in, we know they’ll make it out alive. However, the same cannot be said for any other character though – Wells does her best to make the book as unpredictable as ever, and even the outcome of the plot can be unpredictable in places. Action is used well, but don’t mistake this for a book filled with nothing but the shooting of blasters and the swinging of Luke’s lightsaber – and to Wells’ credit as an experienced author, she never manages to make the book feel like it’s moving slower during the non-action sequences, with the pacing nailed pretty much spot on.
If you think female characters are unappreciated in the Star Wars Universe, then you should look no further than Razor’s Edge. Wells not only offers a strong portrayal of Princess Leia, but deals with several other interesting female characters to boot that make the book much more engaging. As well as exploring the state of the Rebellion following the events of Episode IV (hint: It’s not a good one, despite their victory over the Empire in the Battle of Yavin), touching upon just how vital pretty much every mission has become for them. Other factions are explored too, but for a book in a series entitled Empire and Rebellion, it is almost surprising as to a relatively minor role that the Empire play in this book. But their presence certainly is felt, and whilst characters from that faction may not get as much page-time or focus as our main protagonists do, and they play a much bigger role in the book later on. Another element that Wells chooses to explore as well is what happened to the survivors of Alderaan, because even though the planet got wiped out, there was no possible way that Leia could have been the only person who wasn’t actually on the planet at the time. This nice touch allows for a few interesting aspects to come into play – particularly when you consider that her fellow people are now working as pirates in order to survive.
I think it’s safe to say that Razor’s Edge therefore, is a success. Martha Wells succeeds in sticking to canon, getting everybody in character throughout the book and bringing a great, well-paced read that sees the Empire and Rebellion series get off to a very strong start. Rest assured, if you’re a fan of the franchise – Martha Wells’ first outing is one that you won’t want to miss out on, and I eagerly await the next instalment in the Empire and Rebellion series, written by James S.A. Corey.
VERDICT: 4/5
PREVIOUS STAR WARS BOOK: Splinter of the Mind’s Eye by Alan Dean Foster | NEXT STAR WARS BOOK: Empire and Rebellion #2: Honour Among Thieves by James S.A. Corey (2014)
June 17, 2016
Princess Leia was my childhood hero from I first saw A New Hope at the age of 5. She was pretty much the only badass woman I saw in a movie until I was somewhat older and became acquainted with Sarah Connor, and, even later, with Ripley. So there you have my background for this review. I am not an expert on Star Wars lore, and I have in fact read no other SW book so far. I'm just someone who watched the original trilogy countless times growing up, who wanted to be like Leia, had a crush on Han Solo, and who is appalled at episodes 1-3.
I was always rather disappointed that Leia never learned to use the Force. My father told me that it was because Leia was too busy with another career, where she did really important things. I wasn't satisfied with that answer as a child, because what could be more important than becoming a Jedi Knight! Right?! Considering it now makes me laugh. Can you picture Leia trying to be a humble padwan? Yeah, she'd have no time for that nonsense. Had she been trained from early childhood, no doubt she would have made a stellar Jedi Knight. As an adult, she'd be more impatient than Luke (but not as whiny. Leia doesn't whinge and whine. That seems to be a solely male trait in that family.)
Alright, onwards to the actual review already. Razor's Edge is set to two years after the events of A New Hope, and it shows you exactly how busy Leia Organa is. She is refusing to be simply a figurehead for the Alliance, both because a figurehead needs to be an image of perfection she doesn't feel she can maintain and because she has an overriding need to do something. Leia appears to have a case of survivor's guilt over Alderaan, and stopping long enough to dwell on things doesn't appear to be something she's keen on doing. She is on a mission to procure supplies for the Alliance and ends up taking on both pirates and Imperial forces, all the while keeping up an antagonistic flirtation with Han Solo. And while there is barely a mention of the Force in the book, I am starting to think that Leia is indeed using it without being aware of it. She is so good at working a situation and talking people around. It is a lot more subtle than "these are not the droids you are looking for", but I do get the sense that she is always rolling a 20 on her diplomacy and charisma checks. Oddly it was one of the sections where we see her through Han's eyes that made me think of it, though Han himself certainly never thinks of what she is doing in terms of the Force (or rolling the dice).
The interplay between Leia and Han is great. Luke, Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2D2 also appear in smaller roles and their actions and interplay is spot on. I could see and hear them all clearly in my mind. What I couldn't picture was the pirate base. There is endless running, sneaking, jumping, and fighting along corridors, shafts, maintenance tunnels, and "traverses". I really wanted a map, but I realise it would take a 3D interactive holographic map, and even then I probably wouldn't be able to make sense of it. The characters really wanted a map too, and Han manages to download one. Unfortunately it is damaged and has bits of static and cannot be enlarged. I just think it would have been hilarious if the Kindle version of the book had blurry schematics that you couldn't zoom in on. But I digress.
Why only three stars? In part because I have been spoiled by so many incredible books so far this year, and in part because the writing (and editing) could have been tighter in places, and the plot could have had more scope. It was also so terribly obvious whom the Empire got their information from, I was genuinely confused that Leia and Han didn't work it out sooner. In their defence though, they really were busy! There is pretty much non-stop action from beginning to end. Leia takes the time to scrub off the blood splatter early on, but runs around with her braids in disarray for the rest of the book (which I have to say is rather refreshing. I bet her lips didn't have that fresh lipgloss-look either.)
Did I enjoy the book? Oh yeah! I want more! (But I'm afraid to read The Courtship of Princess Leia because after reading a few reviews I fear I will possibly just barf and rage quit the book.)
I was always rather disappointed that Leia never learned to use the Force. My father told me that it was because Leia was too busy with another career, where she did really important things. I wasn't satisfied with that answer as a child, because what could be more important than becoming a Jedi Knight! Right?! Considering it now makes me laugh. Can you picture Leia trying to be a humble padwan? Yeah, she'd have no time for that nonsense. Had she been trained from early childhood, no doubt she would have made a stellar Jedi Knight. As an adult, she'd be more impatient than Luke (but not as whiny. Leia doesn't whinge and whine. That seems to be a solely male trait in that family.)
Alright, onwards to the actual review already. Razor's Edge is set to two years after the events of A New Hope, and it shows you exactly how busy Leia Organa is. She is refusing to be simply a figurehead for the Alliance, both because a figurehead needs to be an image of perfection she doesn't feel she can maintain and because she has an overriding need to do something. Leia appears to have a case of survivor's guilt over Alderaan, and stopping long enough to dwell on things doesn't appear to be something she's keen on doing. She is on a mission to procure supplies for the Alliance and ends up taking on both pirates and Imperial forces, all the while keeping up an antagonistic flirtation with Han Solo. And while there is barely a mention of the Force in the book, I am starting to think that Leia is indeed using it without being aware of it. She is so good at working a situation and talking people around. It is a lot more subtle than "these are not the droids you are looking for", but I do get the sense that she is always rolling a 20 on her diplomacy and charisma checks. Oddly it was one of the sections where we see her through Han's eyes that made me think of it, though Han himself certainly never thinks of what she is doing in terms of the Force (or rolling the dice).
The interplay between Leia and Han is great. Luke, Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2D2 also appear in smaller roles and their actions and interplay is spot on. I could see and hear them all clearly in my mind. What I couldn't picture was the pirate base. There is endless running, sneaking, jumping, and fighting along corridors, shafts, maintenance tunnels, and "traverses". I really wanted a map, but I realise it would take a 3D interactive holographic map, and even then I probably wouldn't be able to make sense of it. The characters really wanted a map too, and Han manages to download one. Unfortunately it is damaged and has bits of static and cannot be enlarged. I just think it would have been hilarious if the Kindle version of the book had blurry schematics that you couldn't zoom in on. But I digress.
Why only three stars? In part because I have been spoiled by so many incredible books so far this year, and in part because the writing (and editing) could have been tighter in places, and the plot could have had more scope. It was also so terribly obvious whom the Empire got their information from, I was genuinely confused that Leia and Han didn't work it out sooner. In their defence though, they really were busy! There is pretty much non-stop action from beginning to end. Leia takes the time to scrub off the blood splatter early on, but runs around with her braids in disarray for the rest of the book (which I have to say is rather refreshing. I bet her lips didn't have that fresh lipgloss-look either.)
Did I enjoy the book? Oh yeah! I want more! (But I'm afraid to read The Courtship of Princess Leia because after reading a few reviews I fear I will possibly just barf and rage quit the book.)
January 23, 2016
Razor's Edge is a fairly exciting tale that takes place in the world of Star Wars between episodes IV and V. The story revolves around Princess Leia and Han Solo as they end up in the hands of pirates. Luke Skywalker does appear in this book, but mainly as a supporting character. There is a wonderful image of moist of the main characters in this book and it is beautifully painted.
This story is about Princess Leia and the captain of an Alderaan ship that has turned to piracy after their planet was destroyed by the Death Star (see Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope). Captain Caline Metara and her crew of Alderaans have command of the Aegis. Leia tries to get them to join the Rebellion, but the captain is still quite angry at the destruction of her planet and partially blames the Rebellion. Leia wants to help Metara out of the debt owed to Aral tukor Viest, a nasty Lorrdian who is the pirate flightmaster that paid for upgrades to the Aegis. Little do Leia and Han realize how complicated their lives are about to get when they actually meet Aral tukor Viest.
I enjoyed this book greatly, as it is full of action great depictions of the Star Wars characters we all love. My confusion throughout a lot of the story was who all of the characters were. It seemed like there were just too many rebels and Alderaan pirates. I was often confused as to which group these characters belonged and found myself frustrated because of it. At the beginning of a book is a list of characters, which is great in a paper book that you can easily flip back to, but on an e-reader, this is not an easy thing to do. So, here is a list of all of the main characters, and there are a lot of them:
•Alia Terae; pirate (human female)
•Anakaret; smuggler (Twi’lek female)
•Andevid; pirate (Aqualish male)
•Aral tukor Viest; pirate flightmaster (Lorrdian female)
•C-3PO; masculine protocol droid
•Caline Metara; captain, Aegis (human female)
•Chewbacca; copilot, Millennium Falcon (Wookiee male)
•Dannan Kelvan; second in command, Aegis (human male)
•Degoren; Imperial commander (human male)
•Han Solo; captain, Millennium Falcon (human male)
•Jerell; aide to General Willard (human male)
•Kearn-sa’Davit; rebel (Videllan male
•Kifar Itran; rebel (human male)
•Leia Organa; rebel (human female)
•Luke Skywalker; rebel (human male)
•R2-D2; masculine astromech droid
•Sian Tesar; rebel (human female)
•Vanden Willard; rebel general (human male)
I enjoyed reading about the further adventures of Leia Organa and Han Solo in their early years, and I thought that the author nailed the the personalities of their characters. She also did a nice job with Chewie and C-3PO. Unfortunately, Luke Skywalker and R2-D2 have very small roles in this book. The action scenes are quite well done and the story moves along at a rapid pace.
Overall, Razor's Edge is a very good story that kept me interested until that last page was read. The only thing that hurt this novel was too many supporting characters. Still, it is a highly entertaining tale that no Star Wars fan should skip. So, if you are looking for a Star Wars book to read and don't know which one to buy, I suggest picking up a copy of this one today. After seeing the older versions of Luke, Hans, and Leia in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which is in theatres right now, it was nice to travel back in time to when all of these characters were fresh-faced and just starting out on their adventures.
I rated this book a 7½ out of 10.
This story is about Princess Leia and the captain of an Alderaan ship that has turned to piracy after their planet was destroyed by the Death Star (see Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope). Captain Caline Metara and her crew of Alderaans have command of the Aegis. Leia tries to get them to join the Rebellion, but the captain is still quite angry at the destruction of her planet and partially blames the Rebellion. Leia wants to help Metara out of the debt owed to Aral tukor Viest, a nasty Lorrdian who is the pirate flightmaster that paid for upgrades to the Aegis. Little do Leia and Han realize how complicated their lives are about to get when they actually meet Aral tukor Viest.
I enjoyed this book greatly, as it is full of action great depictions of the Star Wars characters we all love. My confusion throughout a lot of the story was who all of the characters were. It seemed like there were just too many rebels and Alderaan pirates. I was often confused as to which group these characters belonged and found myself frustrated because of it. At the beginning of a book is a list of characters, which is great in a paper book that you can easily flip back to, but on an e-reader, this is not an easy thing to do. So, here is a list of all of the main characters, and there are a lot of them:
•Alia Terae; pirate (human female)
•Anakaret; smuggler (Twi’lek female)
•Andevid; pirate (Aqualish male)
•Aral tukor Viest; pirate flightmaster (Lorrdian female)
•C-3PO; masculine protocol droid
•Caline Metara; captain, Aegis (human female)
•Chewbacca; copilot, Millennium Falcon (Wookiee male)
•Dannan Kelvan; second in command, Aegis (human male)
•Degoren; Imperial commander (human male)
•Han Solo; captain, Millennium Falcon (human male)
•Jerell; aide to General Willard (human male)
•Kearn-sa’Davit; rebel (Videllan male
•Kifar Itran; rebel (human male)
•Leia Organa; rebel (human female)
•Luke Skywalker; rebel (human male)
•R2-D2; masculine astromech droid
•Sian Tesar; rebel (human female)
•Vanden Willard; rebel general (human male)
I enjoyed reading about the further adventures of Leia Organa and Han Solo in their early years, and I thought that the author nailed the the personalities of their characters. She also did a nice job with Chewie and C-3PO. Unfortunately, Luke Skywalker and R2-D2 have very small roles in this book. The action scenes are quite well done and the story moves along at a rapid pace.
Overall, Razor's Edge is a very good story that kept me interested until that last page was read. The only thing that hurt this novel was too many supporting characters. Still, it is a highly entertaining tale that no Star Wars fan should skip. So, if you are looking for a Star Wars book to read and don't know which one to buy, I suggest picking up a copy of this one today. After seeing the older versions of Luke, Hans, and Leia in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which is in theatres right now, it was nice to travel back in time to when all of these characters were fresh-faced and just starting out on their adventures.
I rated this book a 7½ out of 10.
March 7, 2014
Unlike living, breathing people, figureheads were made of stone and incapable of mistakes; Leia wasn't certain how long she could bear that weight. Failure at some point seemed inevitable, and she hated to fail.
Leia asked, "Is that why you stick around? The thrill of destroying stuff with me?"
Han's sideways glance at her was hard to read. "One of the reasons."
Razor's Edge is the first book in a new series set in between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes back and focuses particularly on Leia and how she handles being a key part of the rebellion. When they come across an Alderaan ship that has resorted to pirating since the destruction of the planet, Leia feels obligated to convince them to not only give up their newfound ways but to also join the rebellion. But there's one slight problem with that...they blame the rebellion for the destruction of Alderaan and if there's one thing they hate more than the Empire its the rebels. Leia must use every bit of her compassion and wits if she wants to change their minds...especially once she learns that they have entangled themselves in the schemes of a very nefarious pirate who specializes in brutal tactics and slave trade, and is looking to incorporate them all in her next paycheck.
This book was absolutely fantastic! Everything I could long for in a Star Wars book; adventure, humor, danger, a hint of romance, and so so so much more. The best thing that I found within this book was the character development, particularly between Leia and Han. I won't lie, the snarky and sarcastic relationship between these two is one of my favorite aspects of the original Star Wars trilogy. This story takes place in the very beginning stages of their relationship, which is very clear here. There are a lot of sweet, awkward moments between them, and you can tell they both have feelings for each other, but haven't yet come to grips with it.
Leia sounded furious, but he knew that very little of it was actually aimed at him. She had been genuinely furious at him so many times it was easy to tell when he was the cause and when she was just furious in general.
And Leia is just amazing in this book. Truly amazing. You have to wonder how hard it is to not only be a figurehead for the rebellion but also a vital part of its operation. The author did a fantastic job not only showing how strong and independent she is, but also that she is human and experiences the same vulnerabilities and self confidences that we all experience. It made me grow to love her even more as a prominent figure in the rebellion and also just as a woman.
I recommend this book to any fan of the Star Wars series, particularly if you have a soft spot for Princess Leia.
Leia asked, "Is that why you stick around? The thrill of destroying stuff with me?"
Han's sideways glance at her was hard to read. "One of the reasons."
Razor's Edge is the first book in a new series set in between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes back and focuses particularly on Leia and how she handles being a key part of the rebellion. When they come across an Alderaan ship that has resorted to pirating since the destruction of the planet, Leia feels obligated to convince them to not only give up their newfound ways but to also join the rebellion. But there's one slight problem with that...they blame the rebellion for the destruction of Alderaan and if there's one thing they hate more than the Empire its the rebels. Leia must use every bit of her compassion and wits if she wants to change their minds...especially once she learns that they have entangled themselves in the schemes of a very nefarious pirate who specializes in brutal tactics and slave trade, and is looking to incorporate them all in her next paycheck.
This book was absolutely fantastic! Everything I could long for in a Star Wars book; adventure, humor, danger, a hint of romance, and so so so much more. The best thing that I found within this book was the character development, particularly between Leia and Han. I won't lie, the snarky and sarcastic relationship between these two is one of my favorite aspects of the original Star Wars trilogy. This story takes place in the very beginning stages of their relationship, which is very clear here. There are a lot of sweet, awkward moments between them, and you can tell they both have feelings for each other, but haven't yet come to grips with it.
Leia sounded furious, but he knew that very little of it was actually aimed at him. She had been genuinely furious at him so many times it was easy to tell when he was the cause and when she was just furious in general.
And Leia is just amazing in this book. Truly amazing. You have to wonder how hard it is to not only be a figurehead for the rebellion but also a vital part of its operation. The author did a fantastic job not only showing how strong and independent she is, but also that she is human and experiences the same vulnerabilities and self confidences that we all experience. It made me grow to love her even more as a prominent figure in the rebellion and also just as a woman.
I recommend this book to any fan of the Star Wars series, particularly if you have a soft spot for Princess Leia.
September 24, 2013
Razor's Edge is a straightforward and self-contained adventure, and thank God for it.
Aside from a few missteps, I enjoyed Razor's Edge a lot. It's a simple, straightforward action story that doesn't try to do too much, but succeeds at what does: provide a retro adventure for a throwback era.
Aside from a few missteps, I enjoyed Razor's Edge a lot. It's a simple, straightforward action story that doesn't try to do too much, but succeeds at what does: provide a retro adventure for a throwback era.
January 13, 2016
The book I've been searching for. Since I've gotten into Star Wars and all of the EU that entails I have looked and looked for one that shows Leia and Han working together; and this is it. It takes place between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back and gives you a grand adventure, showing us just how well these two work together and just how much they hate to admit it.
Leia is feisty and in command and Han is her valiant protector and they cooperate well enough when they're in the clear and even better when they're not. The Alderaanian pirates that they encounter surge feelings of guilt and responsibility in Leia and she makes it her mission to steer them to the path of the righteous and I loved seeing that. You got to see just how clever and how self reliant she really is. With Han you see his loyalty bubble to the surface as he helps Leia with what he sees as an unnecessary atonement mission, but he'd rather die trying to help her accomplish it than live knowing he let her down. Their dynamic is so in sync and their banter so funny that you can easily see why they would fall in love in the first place.
The Alderaanian pirates do their job of irking you when they first arrive-- I mean they're pirates. From Alderaan! Whoever heard of such a thing? They disgrace their planet. But as their wary alliance with Leia grows from suspicious to friendly, you hope that they can be saved. The book lacks Luke, and you do miss him, but hey, you can't have your cake and eat it too. There is a method to the madness. The lack of Luke helps the book to focus 100% on the Han/Leia relationship. You see all of the nuance and innuendo and internal thoughts that show that there is an attraction that they try desperately to hide.
This book is fun, just like most Star Wars EU, but it does cater more to the Leia fans out there, and being one myself, I am okay with that. 4.7/5
Leia is feisty and in command and Han is her valiant protector and they cooperate well enough when they're in the clear and even better when they're not. The Alderaanian pirates that they encounter surge feelings of guilt and responsibility in Leia and she makes it her mission to steer them to the path of the righteous and I loved seeing that. You got to see just how clever and how self reliant she really is. With Han you see his loyalty bubble to the surface as he helps Leia with what he sees as an unnecessary atonement mission, but he'd rather die trying to help her accomplish it than live knowing he let her down. Their dynamic is so in sync and their banter so funny that you can easily see why they would fall in love in the first place.
The Alderaanian pirates do their job of irking you when they first arrive-- I mean they're pirates. From Alderaan! Whoever heard of such a thing? They disgrace their planet. But as their wary alliance with Leia grows from suspicious to friendly, you hope that they can be saved. The book lacks Luke, and you do miss him, but hey, you can't have your cake and eat it too. There is a method to the madness. The lack of Luke helps the book to focus 100% on the Han/Leia relationship. You see all of the nuance and innuendo and internal thoughts that show that there is an attraction that they try desperately to hide.
This book is fun, just like most Star Wars EU, but it does cater more to the Leia fans out there, and being one myself, I am okay with that. 4.7/5
November 30, 2013
I don't read a lot of Star Wars EU books, but I'm aware of the recent criticism of them. That they have mostly abandoned character for plot and ever-increasing danger. If that is your crisism too, then Martha Wells' Razor's Edge subverts that. It's a character-driven, bottle story, with little impact to anyone but the characters directly impacted by its events.
Razor's Edge is the first in a Lucas stunt-cast trilogy. All three will be written by established Fantasy and SF authors (Wells, James S.A. Corey and Kevin Hearne) who are known for their character-driven series and excellent world-building. Each book will feature one of the big three of the SW Universe: Leia, Han and Luke. In Razor's Edge, the focus is on Leia.
Set between New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, Leia and Han are on a mission to secure material for their new base on Hoth. If nothing else, Wells makes Leia finally deal with the destruction of Alderan, and her torture at the hands of the Empire. I have no idea if these have been subjects of other Star Wars EU books, but I doubt it. It helps show how Leia went from her character in New Hope to the stronger, woman of agency in The Empire Strikes Back. I enjoyed it. If all SW EU books had this much depth of character, I'd probably read more.
Razor's Edge is the first in a Lucas stunt-cast trilogy. All three will be written by established Fantasy and SF authors (Wells, James S.A. Corey and Kevin Hearne) who are known for their character-driven series and excellent world-building. Each book will feature one of the big three of the SW Universe: Leia, Han and Luke. In Razor's Edge, the focus is on Leia.
Set between New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, Leia and Han are on a mission to secure material for their new base on Hoth. If nothing else, Wells makes Leia finally deal with the destruction of Alderan, and her torture at the hands of the Empire. I have no idea if these have been subjects of other Star Wars EU books, but I doubt it. It helps show how Leia went from her character in New Hope to the stronger, woman of agency in The Empire Strikes Back. I enjoyed it. If all SW EU books had this much depth of character, I'd probably read more.
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