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Tuesday, 2 October 2018

AFICIONADO REVIEW: 'SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY - EXPANDED EDITION'

Smile. That's what Qi'ra would do whenever she thought of the dreams and possibilities of travelling the stars with her friend and once love Han Solo. You'll smile too, thinking about those early origin adventures of the young and reckless anti-hero/hero smuggler-to-be, as brought to life with amiable page-turning vigour by the talented Mur Lafferty, her delightful work in adapting Solo: A Star Wars Story into novelisation form out now in UK hardback (boasting a nifty and very welcome inside eight-page colour photo scene section) via CENTURY.

Han Solo and Chewbacca - aka 'Hairy and the Boy - survey the nightlife of Fort Ypso.

Like the film itself, bright and breezy fun is how best to describe Lafferty's work here, capturing the strong and surprising script of Star Wars meets the Wild West fusings generated by the Kasdans with great ease and efficiency, and getting the chance to add further unused material (from early script drafts and deleted scenes now on Blu-ray) to her adaptation. What a joy it must have been for the author to bring such well crafted excitement and feel good emotion from the film to a new dimension of life on the printed page, and with such great old and new icon characters to have in her personal writing sandbox to indulge in, especially shaping young Han on his personal journey of reaching the stars, alongside his slavery freed friend and 'bromance' companion in Chewbacca; the femme fatale with a good heart but too much of a dark survivalist edge imperative in Qi'ra; the crafty and wily freelance thief who ultimately gives away too many of his personal 'work' coda secrets -Tobias Beckett. And, of course, that charming galactic rogue whose love of stylish capes and luxury beauty product items knows no boundaries, Lando Calrissian, paired uniquely himself with his (kinda) faithful revolutionary-in-waiting droid companion L3-37, piloting the ship that Han craves so much for- that (soon not so) slickly modified YT-1300 freighter, the Millennium Falcon!

Find out more about the dark path trod by Qi'ra.

Always seemingly blessed with the winning hand: Lando Calrissian 'plays' Han!

Not including the material already seen on home entertainment release, great new and extended highlights satisfyingly rendered include the lead-in to Han's conflict with Lady Proxima, just what awful things the recaptured Qi'ra had to endure in her training alongside new master Dryden Vos (and the destiny he shapes in her), more snippets of Beckett's prior criminal adventures with fiery delight Val and lovably eccentric pilot Rio Durant, L3-37's becoming uniquely at one with the Falcon, and further humour (and character self-observations) linked to Lando Calrissian's vanity, including a running gag involving Chewbacca's fur maintenance. Plus some charming links to the original Expanded Universe (especially regarding Lando) if you know where to look, and two super and relevant cameos from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story characters whom we wish had made it to the original film!

Facing the dangers of the Kessel Run!

So, enjoy the Blu-ray or DVD release out now, then snuggle up for the autumn to enjoy the accompanying makings of a galactic duo of mavericks (or 'morons', if you side with Val's opinions!) in their zestful Kessel Run related action, adventure and humour, all of which generates old but new layers of Star Wars history-making via Miss Lafferty. It's also a book that additionally acts/compliments as a fine continuance to the previous EGMONT young readers adventure Most Wanted in further developing the characters of Han and Qi'ra during their Corellia trapped genesis days.

Will your Solo: A Star Wars Story novelisation reading experience be as fun as partaking in a Mynock hot roast with a group of festive Ardennians? Probably not, though it'll surely be close enough!

AFICIONADO RATING: Another fine adaptation for the official book shelves. 4 out of 5.

Get it here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Solo-Star-Wars-Story-Expanded-ebook/dp/B07D9L57YT/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1538478372&sr=8-1&keywords=solo+mur+lafferty

Thursday, 6 September 2018

OUT NOW IN UK HARDBACK: 'SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY - EXPANDED EDITION'

With the later this month release of the oh-so-enjoyable Solo: A Star Wars Story across all home entertainment platforms, the second wave of accompanying related books and tie-in merchandising has been launched. First out of the gate is the slick and playful 'Expanded Edition' novelization of the film by Mur Lafferty, available now in UK Hardback, from those lightspeed moving publishers at CENTURY.

Here's the release blurb:

This thrilling adaptation of Solo: A Star Wars Story expands on the film to include scenes from alternate versions of the script and other additional content, giving deeper insights into Han Solo’s years in the Imperial Navy, Qi’ra’s past, and the beginnings of the rebellion.

Though Han Solo has thrilled Star Wars fans for decades, the notorious wisecracking scoundrel was chasing adventure and dodging trouble long before he walked into the cantina at Mos Eisley spaceport.

Young Han dreams of someday soaring into space at the helm of his own starship and leaving his home, the gritty industrial planet Corellia, far behind. But as long as he’s trapped in a life of poverty and crime—and under the thumb of the sinister Lady Proxima and her brutal street gang—reaching the distant stars seems impossible. When Han tries to escape with his girlfriend and partner-in-crime, Qi’ra, he makes it out—but she doesn’t. Desperate for a way to find his own offworld vessel and free her, Han enlists in the Imperial Navy—the last place for a rebellious loner who doesn’t play well with others.

When the Empire clips his wings, Han goes rogue and plunges into the shady world of smugglers, gamblers, and con artists. There he meets the charming and cunning high roller Lando Calrissian, makes an unlikely friend in a cantankerous Wookiee called Chewbacca, and first lays eyes on the Millennium Falcon. To snag his piece of the outlaw pie, Han joins a crew of pirates to pull off a risky heist. The stakes are high, the danger is great, and the odds are slim. But never tell Han Solo the odds.

Mur Lafferty is a writer, podcast producer, gamer, geek, and martial artist. She is the host of the award-winning podcast I Should Be Writing and the Angry Robot Book podcast. She is the winner of the 2013 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. She loves to run, practice kung fu (Northern Shaolin Five Animals Style), play Skyrim and Fallout 3, and hang out with her fabulously geeky husband and their eleven-year-old daughter.