OUT NOW IN UK PAPERBACK: 'HONOR AMONG THIEVES'

Its still early days for space smuggler extraordinaire Han Solo and his first mate Chewbacca's involvement in the Rebel Alliance, after vitally assisting Luke Skywalker in the destruction of the Death Star. So much so that, with their names not yet fully connected to the struggling band of freedom fighters, they can likely stay off the Imperial radar long enough to extract a top Rebel operative now in peril. But we all know it isn't going to be easy, despite the pair's ingenius, often unorthodox talent for navigating perilous situations, as the action-packed and solidly enjoyable second and final book in the Empire and Rebellion saga: Honor Among Thieves, penned by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (under their pen name James S.A. Corey), arrives in UK paperback form within the Legends collective, courtesy of ARROW.

Check out our original review and info here: STAR WARS AFICIONADO WEBSITE: HONOR AMONG THIEVES

Get the book here: Honor Among Thieves: Star Wars (Star Wars - Legends): Amazon.co.uk: James S. A. Corey: 9780345546876: Books

AFICIONADO REVIEW: 'HONOR AMONG THIEVES' NOVEL

STAR WARS: EMPIRE AND REBELLION BOOK TWO - HONOR AMONG THIEVES


By James S. A. Corey

Available in UK hardback from 24th March, from CENTURY PUBLISHING


Reviewed by Scott Weller


Lindsay Lohan's joined the Rebels!

Well, that's what you'd think when looking at her photoshopped face adorning the cover, alongside our veritable band of Classic Trilogy heroes led by Han Solo, to book two of the popular EMPIRE and REBELLION trilogy, our now in UK hardback from CENTURY PUBLISHING: Honour Among Thieves, an adventure told with enjoyable verve by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (under their pseudonym of James S. A Corey).

Lohan becomes Scarlet Hark- the latest new character to be introduced to George Lucas's printed universe: a different but similar successor, yet timeline precursor, to old-time fan favourite Mara Jade in many respects. Just as fiery and opinionated, but a lot less arrogant, than that other red-headed heroine and former wife to Luke Skywalker, Scarlet, respected by her Rebel Alliance colleagues as one of their best undercover operatives, uses her feminine wiles, wits and abilities to their limits, not having the powers of the Force or a lightsaber to aid her-though she's also pretty adept with a blaster. Soon recovered by Han Solo, on behalf of a worried Princess Leia, the newcomer and the sometimes happily, sometimes begrudgingly beleaguered smuggler- still in a conflicted state over where his current and future loyalties lie (either to his continuing life as a smuggler or cementing his allegiance to the burgeoning Rebellion), head to a far-off planet shrouded in mystery and danger, eventually accompanied by the Alderaanian icon/highnessness (how's that for an intriguing literary menage à trois!), in a genuine race against time to stop the Empire from unleashing a newly discovered, millennia ancient weapon that will forever affect the balance of power in favour of its user...

Corey's writing captures the post A New Hope tone successfully, within an adventure that's on the right side of classy pulp, equally bringing Han Solo to life in a manner that few STAR WARS book writers have accomplished these past few years: spot-on capturing his rogue qualities, edgy arrogance but also lovability and unexpected ingenuity as one of the saga's greatest heroes. His sparring with the equally sharp and passionately determined Leia, and the feisty, youthfully spirited Scarlet (likely a character who will be enjoyed for a long time to come by Expanded Universe fans), is additionally crisp and entertaining- by the end of their Stormtrooper battling/Indiana Jones-esque escapades in the book's final section, the trio even manage a grappling hook escape flight together! 

In and out of the building chaos, Star Destroyer out-manoeuvring and explosive confrontations, the few newly created, plot-serving supporting characters tussling with Solo and company prove well utilised within a page-turning adventure that thankfully and ultimately doesn't outstay its 247 page welcome: there's never really a boring or out of step moment to it.

A marked improvement over Princess Leia's slightly cliched feeling opening entry: Razor's Edge, Honor Among Thieves is a worthy continuance//tribute to the classic tales previously laid down by Brian Daley's Han Solo Trilogy of the late seventies, whilst further raising my quality hopes and expectations for Luke Skywalker's starring role in the third and final book of the saga... 

AFICIONADO RATING: 7.5 out of 10

Get hold of Honor Among Thieves here: Honor Among Thieves: Star Wars Empire and Rebellion: Amazon.co.uk: James S. a. Corey: Books

Shotglass Digital | David Collins & Jimmy Mac Present “Honor Among Thieves”

CLASSIC IMAGE: A STAR IS BORN!

Seeking a good life for himself and his young family in Hollywood, actor/carpenter Harrison Ford had made a reasonable career in some American film and TV appearances-of which all whom worked with him at that time had seen and noted his potential for superstar megadom. But such success had seemingly failed to materialise, at least not until he accepted the intriguing part of space pirate extraordinaire Han Solo, for some little known film being made in England during 1976, called STAR WARS. 

The rest is history. 

The first UK MAGAZINE COVER I saw Ford adorn, linked to the blow everybody away success of STAR WARS, was this one- a title that saw his incredible future on the horizon: genre magazine favourite PHOTOPLAY, then at its true editorial peak in the mid-seventies. This super-cool image would help cement his icon status as the character and the actor in years to come...

Image via The Star Wars magazines reference guide

An outtake image from that classic London photo shoot adorns the upcoming cover of Book Two in the upcoming post EPISODE IV set EMPIRE and REBELLION novel trilogy, courtesy of CENTURY PUBLISHING UK. Honour Among Thieves, written by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (writing as James A. Corey), arrives from 24th March 2014, and looks set to reunite heroes and villains from the Outer Rim all over again...

Here's the cover blurb:

When the Empire threatens the galaxy’s new hope, will Han, Luke, and Leia become its last chance?
 
When the mission is to extract a high-level rebel spy from the very heart of the Empire, Leia Organa knows the best man for the job is Han Solo—something the princess and the smuggler can finally agree on. After all, for a guy who broke into an Imperial cell block and helped destroy the Death Star, the assignment sounds simple enough.
 
But when Han locates the brash rebel agent, Scarlet Hark, she’s determined to stay behind enemy lines. A pirate plans to sell a cache of stolen secrets that the Empire would destroy entire worlds to protect—including the planet where Leia is currently meeting with rebel sympathizers. Scarlet wants to track down the thief and steal the bounty herself, and Han has no choice but to go along if he’s to keep everyone involved from getting themselves killed. From teeming city streets to a lethal jungle to a trap-filled alien temple, Han, Chewbacca, Leia, and their daring new comrade confront one ambush, double cross, and firestorm after another as they try to keep crucial intel out of Imperial hands.
 
But even with the crack support of Luke Skywalker’s x-wing squadron, the Alliance heroes may be hopelessly outgunned in their final battle for the highest of stakes: the power to liberate the galaxy from tyranny or ensure the Empire’s reign of darkness forever.

The Genesis and Goals of Star Wars: Honor Among Thieves | Star Wars Blog | Star Wars Blog

Get hold of the book here: Honor Among Thieves: Star Wars Empire and Rebellion: Amazon.co.uk: James S. a. Corey: Books

And look out for AFICIONADO's book review in the not too distant future...