Honor Among Thieves: Star Wars Legends

Fast paced hyperspace adventure with characters as per the Star War series i.e. Han, Leia, Luke, R2-D2, Chewbacca etc. There are new inclusions to the story in this book of Honor Among Thieves i.e. Scarlet and Baasen, where their characters were quite well explored.

Throw in Scarlet as the rebel spy, who is attractive as she is witty and resourceful and Bassen, an old friend who has ulterior motives of trading Han to Jabba for monies, a superpower weapon that controls travel of hyperspace and you are set for an adventure of a book!

Told very much from the perspective of Hans and from early days with the Alliance. Readers who love Han will enjoy this book where his cocky behaviour and banter with females are timeless.

The audiobook version of this book has a very high quality production value with the voices and the sounds but I find it very distracting and hard to listen to because of this. I wish it was just a good narrator reading the book normally. This audiobook is like trying to listen to a movie with no visuals. I'm about 1/4 of the way through and can't really take any more of this.

This book fits seamlessly with the style of the original stories, bringing back memories of when I saw the first movie back in 1976. The characterization, the content, the style are all in keeping with the feel of Episode IV.

I won't ruin the story by giving the details, suffice it to say the story centers on Han, but can be summarized as Han, Chewie, Luke and Leia save the universe again. There are a number of new characters, good and bad, added to the mix. The story is space opera in nature, not overly technical, and just plain fun to read.

I could easily recommend this book to any Star Wars fan that reminisces about the original stories.
P-)

Quite simply, Honor Among Thieves is a fun story with great dialog and good characters. The story focuses on Han Solo’s point of view as he is sent off on a rescue mission to recover a Rebel spy named Scarlet Hark. Along with his trusty companion Chewbacca, Han must deal with Imperials, bounty hunters, and the Emperor’s pet astrocartographer who has made a discovery that could upset the balance of power in the galaxy. It’s a series of fun adventures that’s kept lively by the ever entertaining cast of characters.

Promoted as a Han Solo book, Honor Among Thieves hits the mark. From start to finish, this story focuses on Han. Best of all, it doesn’t just use Han as an easy ploy to connect with readers. Instead, the authors do a great job of fully utilizing the character. For starters, they nailed Han’s dialog as well as his complexity. Han isn’t just a smart mouthed, sassy smuggler. He’s someone who can be compassionate, thoughtful, insightful and quick witted. And yet he’s still brash, foolhardy, cocky and selfish. He’s a man of many talents and faults. Through his actions, insights and dialog, readers get to see all the sides of Han that make him such a wonderful character. It’s not just a channeling of A New Hope Han or Empire Strikes Back. They really capture the full spectrum, and the book is so much better for it.

But Han is not alone in this book. While we don’t ever get to hear what Chewbacca is actually speaking, he’s still there all along the way to support his best friend. Leia also pops up later in the story for a role that involves both leadership and action. It’s a small part, but also very well done as the authors show the burdens and responsibilities Leia has to deal with while also not sidelining her when the action comes into play. Luke, however, gets the short end of stick as he has very little part in this story. Wedge’s role is pretty miniscule and it’s kind of odd that he gets a mention in the dramatis personae. Aside from Han, the biggest two characters in the book are Scarlet Hark and Baasen Ray.

Scarlet is a refreshing new character that I’d personally love to see more of. She’s similar to Leia in that she can hold her own when it comes to trading barbs with Han. As a Rebel spy and field agent, she can also hold her own when it comes to combat and tricky situations. She gets a lot of page time and the story manages to flesh her character out as someone who is both colorful and intriguing. On top of all that, she’s integral to the story rather than just a throwaway character. At first, Han has to find her, but once he does, she becomes a catalyst. Her involvement drives the story forward. Her presence also antagonizes and enhances Han, giving him someone to play off of, be challenged by, and even be defined by. There’s a contrast and similarity between the two that the story takes time to illustrate. By doing so, it helps cement the personality of both characters.

On the other hand, there’s Baasen Ray, a very unlikely character to tag along for the journey. Baasen is a Merialan (like Barriss Offee and Luminara Unduli). He’s also an old friend of Han’s. He shows up early in the story and becomes a recurring presence. In a way, he’s like a different version of Han, a smuggler who didn’t catch a break in life and fell on hard times. Throughout the story, there are moments when Han notices people and reflects on whether that could have been him if circumstances were different. It happens once with an old smuggler he runs into who has no love for the Rebellion but isn’t shy about making a profit off of them. It also happens a couple times with Baasen. Like Han, he’s a complex character, and like Scarlet, he’s colorful. There are other characters, but none as important as Scarlet and Baasen. Through them, a certain depth is added to the story.

“Scarlet?”

“Han?”

“Everything all right with you?”

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

“Nothing, maybe. But you’re all right?”

“Making progress,” she said. “I think I see how to do the thing, but if there’s trouble out there—”

“I don’t know that yet,” Han said. “I’m going to look around a little. If you hear, you know, blasters and screaming…”

“I’ll keep my ears up.”

One of the strengths of this novel, and the characters, is the dialog.

“Almost there,” she said, pointing at the room nearby. It was still filled with red dots. “We’ll need a plan to get past those guards.”

“What’ve you got in mind?” Han asked.

“My first thought was to send you and Baasen into the room, guns blazing, and then have Leia and me sneak past while the stormtroopers loot your corpses.”

“You see?” Han said. “That’s a terrible plan. This is why we don’t use plans. We’re really bad at them.”

Having read some of the author’s non-Star Wars books, I knew they were good at characters and dialog, but transitioning over to Star Wars can be tricky. Trying to capture the magic of the films without just rehashing the same lines is no easy matter. That said, they pull it off in Honor Among Thieves. There’s witty banter that brings a smile to your face as you read the lines and get lost in the story. Then there are the moments of Han when he’s panicky that reflect those same moments from the film and you can hear Harrison Ford’s voice as the words spill across the page. The dialog is just spot on.

Between the dialog and the characterizations, Honor Among Thieves is an easy story to get immersed in. It’s also a quick read at just 247 pages. While it won’t take you a week to finish the book, there’s the benefit of no time being wasted with filler. This story gets straight to the good stuff and hangs with it. For Star Wars fans, this is a great way to enjoy a Han Solo adventure as there is no extra baggage from the Expanded Universe. You can pick this book up without having to know anything else about Star Wars except the films. Yet EU fans can enjoy the new characters and locations that are brought to life. For us Star Wars book addicts, a Han Solo story has to compete with the likes of Brian Daley and Ann Crispin. Thankfully, Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck managed to pull it off. The Han in this book is a natural fit with the Han we all know and love. Best of all, they toss him into a series of fun adventures with equally great characters. I give Honor Among Thieves a five out of five.

We've got Han Solo intereacting with new characters but not enough Luke and Leia. Still it was a fun diversion and led me to rewatch my dvds of "A New Hope" and "Empire Strikes Back". Fun story but I never felt I was in a George Lucas film *sigh* I think it is the writing - I think it would have been light years better if one of the movie script writers had written it, The dialogue was expert but didn't feel or sound like the characters I knew (I who stood in line outside a movie theater for over an hour with my family for the first Star Wars at age 15). Maybe I am too well versed in the series.

In this Star Wars adventure, the Rebel Alliance asks Han Solo to extract a rebel spy from deep within enemy territory. Solo expects trouble from the Empire, but what he doesn't expect is a former colleague waiting in ambush. More importantly, he doesn't know that the spy he's been sent to find -- the beautiful and clever Scarlet Hark -- plans to enlist him in an attempt to prevent the Empire from obtaining a super-weapon left behind by an extinct civilization.

The novel begins on an unusual note, pointing out that the Rebellion depends on the support of shady characters like Han Solo. Not only do they need wily scoundrels who can survive difficult missions, they need the supplies and financing that they can only get from people and organizations who, like the rebels, have less than cordial relations with the Empire. This book isn't a "revisioning" of The Lies of Locke Lamora with Han Solo in the title role, however, and the authors really don't want us to think through what it means for the rebels to be in bed with a bunch of criminals. Honorable scoundrels give spice to life; real-life murderers and thugs, not so much.

As with most novels of this sort, the story is both end-of-the-world dramatic and yet entirely routine. Because this novel takes place after "Star Wars: A New Hope" and before "The Empire Strikes Back," we know that Han Solo isn't going to die or wind up in Jabba the Hutt's clutches, we know that the Empire isn't going to acquire a heretofore-unknown doomsday device, and we know that Han and Leia are fated to become a couple, but not just yet. Big things can happen in the novel, but only if they don't have any obvious lasting effects on familiar characters and the broader universe. This limits the authors' freedom, but they can still work their will on smuggler Baasen Ray, spy Scarlet Hark, and mad scientist Essio Galassian -- characters that are central to this book, but don't exist elsewhere.

Fans, of course, are not reading this book for novelty; they want to see their favorite characters doing what their favorite characters do. And they do. Han cracks wise, Chewie moans and waves his arms, Han and Leia clash and flirt at the same time, etc. The writing is competent, the story moves along quickly, and there are the usual plot complications. This book is not a must-read, and it's not going to rock your world, but it's perfectly serviceable entertainment for a rainy day or a wait in the airport. Mildly recommended.

Other reviews have stated many of the problems with this book- predictability (oh look- ANOTHER ultimate superweapon!), the issues of continuity for shoe-horning yet another novel into the Expanded Universe makes the outcome utterly predictable and one poster noted a strong similarity between this book and ESB (not too sure about that; will have to read it again). A few new characters entering the mix are always good, but again- you already know this'll be pretty much their only appearances so enjoy while you got 'em.

What's good about it is that it's a Han Solo-centered adventure, and who doesn't want more from our scruffy-looking nerfherder? So I'll say Buyer Beware: you should already know going in what you're getting, and let that be your guide.

Star Wars novels run the gamut from the atrociously awful ("Shield of Lies") to the amazingly engaging and entertaining (Timothy Zahn's "Thrawn Trilogy"). "Honor Among Thieves" is one of those that falls right in the middle. It's not a bad book that I regret spending time to read. But, it's not a good book, either. It's largely forgettable tale that takes place after the movie "A New Hope" and before "Empire Strikes Back". It's a story from that largely unexamined three year time period after the rebels blew up the Death Star at Yavin and being driven from Hoth by the Empire. Han Solo interacts with some old cohorts from his smuggling days to investigate rumors of a new game-changing weapon that the Empire has.

The potential is there, but the execution is lackluster. These new characters are not memorable in any way, and we don't get enough time with the characters we have grown attached to, like Luke, Leia and Chewie. The book also seems overly long, which seems odd to say about a 240 page book. This story would have been better off being told as a 40-50 page short story tucked in the back of a larger Star Wars novel, a practice that was frequently used during the "New Jedi Order" series

I especially recommend this to those who loved the movies but haven't read that many of the books. This is quite accessible even if you've only seen the original Star Wars movie since you'll be familiar with the main characters.

Needless to say, all other Star Wars fans will also love this book. The familiar characters are well handled and the new character, Scarlet Hark, is a quite welcome additional character. This is one of the best Star Wars novels .

Star Wars novels run the gamut from the atrociously awful ("Shield of Lies") to the amazingly engaging and entertaining (Timothy Zahn's "Thrawn Trilogy"). "Honor Among Thieves" is one of those that falls right in the middle. It's not a bad book that I regret spending time to read. But, it's not a good book, either. It's largely forgettable tale that takes place after the movie "A New Hope" and before "Empire Strikes Back". It's a story from that largely unexamined three year time period after the rebels blew up the Death Star at Yavin and being driven from Hoth by the Empire. Han Solo interacts with some old cohorts from his smuggling days to investigate rumors of a new game-changing weapon that the Empire has.

The potential is there, but the execution is lackluster. These new characters are not memorable in any way, and we don't get enough time with the characters we have grown attached to, like Luke, Leia and Chewie. The book also seems overly long, which seems odd to say about a 240 page book. This story would have been better off being told as a 40-50 page short story tucked in the back of a larger Star Wars novel, a practice that was frequently used during the "New Jedi Order" series

I especially recommend this to those who loved the movies but haven't read that many of the books. This is quite accessible even if you've only seen the original Star Wars movie since you'll be familiar with the main characters.

Needless to say, all other Star Wars fans will also love this book. The familiar characters are well handled and the new character, Scarlet Hark, is a quite welcome additional character. This is one of the best Star Wars novels .

This is a really written "fanfiction" that will delight even the most devoted Star Wars purists.

The book is well written and the characters are each spot on.

"Honor Among Thieves" is also fun to read if you are not a Star Wars geek. You only need to have a general idea from the movies to know what is going on -- you do not need to be an expert in the Star War universe to understand the events of the novel.

Honor Among Thieves very much reminds me of some of the early Bantam Books. Our heroes are racing against the Empire to stop a potentially devastating super-weapon, new minor characters are introduced, and even though the main characters start off in different directions, they're all brought together at the end to save the day. It might sound a little formulaic, but I've gotten so tired of the "current" EU that I was very excited to return to the Rebellion Era. For those new to Star Wars in book form, you don't have to have read any of the prior history to enjoy this. All you need to have done was see the original movie.

What sets it apart from those earlier books is the focus is mainly on Han, my favorite of the Big Three. They did a great job of capturing Han on the page, especially his interactions with Chewie. At times they're bantering back and forth and other times they're bickering about how best to fix the Falcon.

The most major of the minor characters, Scarlet Hark, is a great companion for Han. She's someone who can give just as good, if not better, than she gets. The only thing I'm not too fond of is her name, for some reason it just doesn't roll off the tongue for me. Not a huge deal and I'd like to see more of her in the future. Maybe they can use her for some Tom Clancy-style Star Wars novels.

My biggest gripe? The use of "crap" and "piss." They might be acceptable on TV now but they ejected me from the story each time I came across them because they are so un-Star Wars (twice and once respectively). Not over used by any means but there are at least a handful of in universe curse words that could have been used in their place.

Overall, this is a pretty straightforward, fun romp with some old friends that I've been missing in print. I recommend it for fans of the original trilogy and especially for fans of Solo (is there such a person that isn't a fan?).

It almost feels sacrilegious for me, a lifelong Star Wars fan to admit, but this was a DNF book for me. I found the plot [what I read of it] dull. To be fair, it starts off well, but where I finally gave up was when Han escaped his captors and started looking for Scarlet Hark. And can I say what a dumb name that is - and this is Star Wars, so that's saying something! As to the other new characters, none of them stood out in any way.
The plot, the writing, the pacing - none of it had the signature SW space opera/fantasy that I've known and have come to love.
This won't put me off reading other SW novels, but I have too much on my plate to bother with a sub-par book [even if it is Star Wars].

I liked this book because it had more characters and, to an extent, deeper character development. The story line was interesting and moved along nicely with the usual plot turns. Some of the turns were visible light years away.

This novel is a good Summer read; I finished it over a weekend.

Honor Among Thieves is ostensibly the second in the Empire and Rebellion series, but functions as a stand-alone novel set between Episodes IV and V of the original Star Wars Trilogy. It's a fun, rather light, read and could be enjoyed equally as well by newcomers to or longtime fans of the Expanded Universe. James S. A. Corey's style is easy to find oneself engrossed in and flows at a quick, though not breakneck, speed.

However, Honor Among Thieves is not a perfect book. The main characters are Han Solo and Chewbacca, along with a couple of newcomers (the Rebel spy Scarlett Hark and a smuggler-turned-bounty hunter named Baasen Ray). The characterizations of Han and Chewie don't always jive seamlessly with the way they're portrayed in the movies (though they're not nearly as off-base as the same characters in Brian Wood's recent Star Wars comic). Mostly, though, Corey writes a solid Star Wars narrative.

The main flaw of the book, though, is that, in the more than twenty years of Expanded Universe novels since Timothy Zahn gave us Heir to the Empire, this sort of story has become something of a cliché. We've read enough of these stand-alone books to predict what the MacGuffin will be from the handful of clues we're given, to know a certain character's change of heart is inevitable, and to be quite certain that the book will end in such a way that essentially takes Hark and Ray off the table for future stories. And we see the coincidences that eventually bring the main three characters to the same place in the end as almost silly by this point, since it seems that every time they split up, they're reunited by outside forces by the last few chapters.There's also the not entirely minor issue that this period in the Star Wars saga is ridiculously overfilled with stories, and one almost has to wonder when Han could stop for a bathroom break with all his gallivanting around the stars and not quite discovering yet that Hoth would make a good base.

This is not to say that Honor Among Thieves is a bad book. It isn't. It just isn't particularly memorable given that it's the latest in a long line of Star Wars novels that seem increasingly formulaic so as not to interfere with the movies, cartoon, or the "more important" novels. It's a fun read while it lasts, but it's the sort of Star Wars novel that you might find yourself wondering a year from now, "Did I read that? The description sounds vaguely familiar."