Last Shot (Star Wars): A Han and Lando Novel

This book is like a Stefon (Bill Hader) skit from Saturday Night Live in book form. Spoilers to follow.

If you want a Leering characters, Droids with Wookie arms, L3 fornication, and a brief discussion on a droid orgy then this is the book for you.

This story also has the worst MacGuffin since Kevin J. Anderson stopped ruining books with escalating preposterous plot devices.

The audio book switches between 3 Narrators, one of which is the author who is not a trained professional. This makes his segments hard to enjoy compared to the ones read by Marc Thompson and January LaVoy who are wonderful as always.

I'm only about halfway through this book, but I'm already really not liking it. The characters aren't developed. The dialogue is wooden. There is no need for the innuendo between Lando and Kaasha. The sarcasm is not well used. The incorrect pronouns are just confusing everything. The flashbacks are disjointed. I'm really starting to get disappointed with what Disney is doing with these novels. I've been reading the Star Wars novels for a really long time and I have to say, I'm pretty tempted to stop.

Daniel Jose Older has done a fantastic job matching the storylines and characteristics of our old favorites with a new story. I didn't want to stop reading because it was just a fun story that I'm glad was told.

The best part, however, was the audiobook narrators. The story splits the timelines with three different narrators; Marc Thompson for the main story with January LaVoy telling Lando's past story and the author himself taking on Han's. It was a great was to separate the stories and it made the plot easier to follow.

I can't wait to see what Older does next for the Star Wars universe!

Wanted too like this book to the point I got a limited Ed cover & Peekpa pin set (as a gift) and the audible of it but ended up very disappointed. That seems to be par for the star wars course for most the non-Zahn books these days. That may go a bit far - there have been some good recent editions of non-Zahn Star Wars books (Ahsoka & Dark Disciple to name a few) but there have been more stormtroopers shots then hits. (Aftermath being rock bottom of it)
My biggest issues were that I went into it loving the characters & wanting to like it - the story was just so lackluster that it even made Han seem boring.

Last Shot is a great new entry into Star Wars canon. He author does a great job at representing classic characters we know and love, while at the same time fleshing out new and interesting ones as well. The main villain of the story is super creepy and his plan has galactic consequences. Overall I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good Star Wars mystery thriller. Also, BABY BEN is so damned adorable!

This book is far superior to Solo: A Star Wars Story and it actually enhanced my viewing of the movie itself, although the two aren’t technically related. Also, this book is not for those with short attention spans. I don’t mean that condescendingly, but the author uses a time jumping mechanic in every chapter that can often lead to confusion if you aren’t paying attention. I think it’s used very well in setting up and paying off storylines, but I can see why it may be off putting for some people.

All in all this was a great buy for a lifelong Star Wars fan. Check it out!

Well, like some of the other long time fans, I came into this with high hopes. Han, Lando and Chewie are some of the more interesting characters from the OT and to get a new book around their adventures sounded great. I was very excited and very optimistic.

I'll admit, I quit reading the book about half way through and skimmed the rest. I had purchased the book at my local Walmart store and ended up returning it. My biggest complaint, as a few others have stated, was that the story didn't FEEL like a Star Wars story and the characterization of Han and Lando was off. Yes, it was their names on the page but as I read through the first portion of the book, I just wasn't convinced.

Also, one of my biggest pet peeves has been the push of the far left wing agenda in some of these newer books. The horrible Aftermath Trilogy is loaded with it, and although this book dialed it back, the whole gender identification of Takka came off as being pushed on the readers. It really didn't add anything to the story and it seemed blatantly obvious why it was included. As much as some people don't want to admit it, biology dictates that there are only two genders for humans in nature. There is no middle ground.

Hopefully we'll get something better next time.

Like the title says, don’t listen to the idiot fanboys who hate everything new in Star Wars. These same people claim Rey is a Marry Sue then proceed to vulgar comparison to the book and Daisy Ridley’s chest size. The plot for this books is as weird and great as any EU plot. Droid + Body Parts, that’s all the weird you need to know to get how great this book actually is.

I'm a huge fan of Mister Older and his Shadowshaper series, so even though I'm a big fan of the original Universe before Disney took over Star Wars, I wanted to give this book a shot. DJO continues to impress with his masterful characterization, sharp and lovely narration, world-building, and realistic dialogue. Not my favorite of his works, but still really good.

The dialog is really quite terrible in this book. "Ass" and "FYI" are thrown around and it really takes you out of the story. I wish I could get farther in it but the authors inability to write quality star wars dialog makes me put it down frequently.

A decent read, but took me a lot longer to get through them most Star Wars novels. The constant time jumping back and forth through the first two thirds of the book makes it really difficult to get engaged in it. Glad I did finish it though as last 100 pages were very entertaining. My advise, wait for the paperback. I feel if you spend $25 on this you will be dissapointed.

Last Shot is one of the funnest and funniest Star Wars books in years. Once you start reading, it sucks you in and I found it almost impossible to put down. Would highly recommend especially if you're a Lando fan. Hopefully DJO gets to write more Star Wars books!

There are a lot of complaints about the timeline switching back and forth, but in general it was pretty easy to follow and in the end it all comes together. Parts of the story were a little weird, but the portrayals of Han, Lando and Leia were good. Overall I enjoyed the story and was glad I read it.

Its not the worst Star Wars book I have ever read but its pretty bad. I had to check to see if it was a Young Adult novel about a third of the way through. It doesn't seem like there's any character depth, the author uses phrases like "clap back" and the pacing is incredibly disjointed. Locations and scenes last for about three pages and then you are whisked back in time to follow another plot thread. The story itself itself is incredibly forgettable.

Star Wars novels, where have you been all my life? Did you know that even after you've seen all the movies, you can still keep reading about your favorite characters?? I didn't. This is life-changing, honestly. This book is a quick, easy read with short chapters (I'm a huge fan of short chapters, it makes it easier for me to go to bed on time) that was fun and got me out of a reading slump. Thank goodness for it.

I haven't read them all, but this the just the worst. Constantly switching between four different timelines was a very bad idea. The plot doesn't make any sense and is boring as hell. Can't recommend to even the most die hard Star Wars fan. Read SW Most Wanted instead. Much better.

The good:
Older's chapters and narration were probably my favorite part of "A different point of view" so I had some high hopes and perhaps expectations leading into this book. He does a great job of adding dimension to Han and one of my all time favorite underutilized characters Lando. The story jumps around in time in a Tarantino like style as the story unfolds. Thompson and LaVoy are also two favorites of mine and do a great job.
The bad:
I have a hard time believing that a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away anyone cares about made up gender politics. Hearing Han adjust his pronouns is out of place and takes you out of an otherwise immersive story. Furthermore it serves no purpose at all in regards to the plot, its just kind of tossed in there to make a point. Believe whatever you want to but star wars is a fantasy, an escape, we watch these films, and read these novels to get away from all the nonsense we have to deal with on a daily basis in our regular lives. Star wars is also timeless, we can enjoy 40 year old material today like we did as children and now this story will seem somehow dated. Real world politics don't have a place here and Star wars shouldn't be used as a platform.
So in conclusion although for the most part I really did enjoy this book and Older is truly a talent and doesn't need attempt so spark some kind of controversy to get his name out. By all means if you like these characters read or listen to this book, just be aware of what you're in for and hopefully it will distract you less than it did me.

This is not a Star Wars novel. This is a novel about Star Wars by Disney. Yes, the plot contains an accurate portrayal of favorite characters and offers the thrills, excitement, and emotional empathy characteristic of Star Wars...so if you can hold your nose from cover-to-cover at the odor of Abrams/Johnson’s spawned creations appearing here and there in the book, you might just make it to the last page with some enjoyment left.

Star Wars: Last Shot Book Review

Star Wars: Last Shot was written by Daniel Jose Older. This tale takes place a few years after Aftermath: Empire’s End. However, the story transitions back and forth through time to cover certain events in Han and Lando’s life.

SUMMARY: Lando Calrissian is attacked and threatened by a manipulated reprogrammed droid and a mysterious figure! A threat is made on the life of Lando and the imminent massacre coming to Cloud City. Unless, the owner of the Millennium Falcon hands over the location of the Phylanx Transmitter, to Fyzen Gor, which was stolen some 10 years ago.

Lando goes to Chandrilla, angry, because the owner of Falcon 10 years ago, was Han Solo! Lando express his anger and his plea for help in this situation to his old buddy. Han has the yearning to right this wrong, he can’t sit back and leave Lando to a horrible fate.

Lando, Han, and an assembled crew of all new characters go on a wild adventure to find the Phylanx Transmitter. This device is an apocalyptic mechanism with the capability of reprogramming droids across the galaxy, turning them into homicidal machines! Fyzen Gor is the madman behind this destructive power. Fyzen desires to unleash this device, to reconstruct the galaxy to his design.

CHARACTERS: There’s a new bundle of characters in the book, like an Ewok slicer named Peekpa and a Twi’lek named Kaasha. Even Sana Staros from the comic series makes an appearance! But, I’m going to talk about Han, Lando, and Fyzen Gor.

Han Solo: He’s a scoundrel, war hero, husband, father, and finally… head of the Republic Pilot Union. He’s the same old Han, his mind always drifting to open space, missing action. He’s full of regret for signing up to head the union, he can’t stand meetings and doesn’t understand how Leia enjoys political banter of her own position in the New Republic. Han struggles with being a father to Ben, who’s two years old now. He doubts himself at every turn, with fear of screwing up his family by not being there mentally and emotionally. When he gets pulled into the Phylanx mess, he feels at home, though he does indeed miss his wife and child.

Lando Calrissian: He’s also a scoundrel, war hero, not a husband nor a father… but he’s head of his own droid manufacturing company. He likes to wear a cape and tight pants that show off his butt in the back and support his bulge in the front (seriously… what the heck Del Rey?) For the first time, we see Lando speechless and lovesick. Lando really starts to think about his life. If he survives this Phylanx fiasco, he wonders if he’s capable of putting aside his scoundrel lifestyle to settle down. He may be a scoundrel, but his desire to keep bad people for doing harm to good people, is strong. He truly is a hero.

Fyzen Gor: He’s a Pau’an, which is a humanoid being from Utapau. He’s gone mad, wanting to set off a droid apocalypse, meaning he’d use his Phylanx Transmitter device to reprogram droids to go on a killing rampage. Fyzen is demented, he redesigns droids using parts and limbs from organic beings like humans and other alien species. His goal is to reshape the state of the galaxy and come out on top.

OVERALL THOUGHTS: The main character or headliner of the book, in my opinion, is Lando Calrissian featuring Han Solo. It’s nice to finally get a meaty story staring Lando! I believe the characters were consistent throughout the book and true to who they were in films. However, I was not thrilled with the new cast of characters. The idea of an Ewok slicer is a little goofy, but it did lend to some humor. I believe the chemistry between Han and Lando was realistic, their on this adventure together and over time they get irritated with each other, so Jose Older did get there.

There are a few things I was confused about. Back in the day when Lando had the Falcon, he also had a droid called L3. While everything about Lando is sleek and stylish, his droid is a mess of unpolished covering and lose exposed wires. This droid is also a bit odd, didn't like it at all, most of what happens in the book could have been prevented by this droid. I found that very irritating.

As I got to the last quarter of the book, a sudden realization hit me. The plot of the book is very similar to a legends book, The New Rebellion. In that book, the villain also wants to cause chaos throughout the galaxy by reprogramming droids. I have to admit, this revelation took me out of Last Shot once it crossed my mind. Was this plot point hijacked from legends or is it merely coincidental? I'm going to hope it's a coincidence.

Overall though, it was an okay book. The climax was pretty anticlimactic. When we know for certain what characters are in other films or books, why would we have any concern or worry? Fyzen Gor, was a pretty lame character, he comes off like a villain of the week.

I think this may be the first Canon book that has absolutely no mention of Jedi or Sith, and maybe only one mention of the force. But hey, I could be mistaken though, there might be another book without those things.

Do I recommend that you pick up Star Wars: Last Shot? Sure, it brings a few things from legends into canon. If you’re a big Lando fan… this is the book for you.

RATING: Will I give this book a rating based on the size of Lando’s bulge? No, we didn’t get that much info.... thankfully. I will give the book a C+.

I find it ironic that Lucas handed his beloved franchise (written for children, yet embraced by all) to Disney, presumably to maintain the family-friendly feel, only to have the supposed family friendly House of Mouse run this series into the ground. I'm getting fed up with the profanity (not only in this book) and PC culture being rammed down my throat. I've written to Disney. No response. Why should I expect one? They're making money hand over fist. I've read every Star Wars novel that has been published. I'm very close to calling it quits. Thanks Disney. You managed to sour a beloved series in less time than I ever expected. Way to go! Enjoy the money! After all, that appears to be all Star Wars is now about.

Another boring Star Wars novel with terrible dialogue, an uninteresting story and no tension. Seeing Han and Lando on an adventure was fun but all-in-all, this story and dialogue was cringe-worthy at best. The author clearly doesn’t know how to write Han and Lando.

I want to start out by saying that I nearly always finish a book, regardless of whether I like or dislike it. I could not finish this book. Before I get into it, I will say there were TWO things I did like in the book: the author does a great job of portraying Han's struggles to have a normal life and be a father to Ben and husband to Leia. Second, I like that he introduced a non-binary character into the book (a Star Wars first, I think). I thought the character was OBNOXIOUS, but I am glad that the character was introduced with subtlety and accepted without mention (the only reason you know as the reader is the pronouns used to describe them).

To the problems: the book doesn't FEEL like Star Wars at all - it is full of modern slang and phrases that make it impossible to get immersed in a fantasy/sci-fi setting (bust his ass up. bro, ass, ass, ass, daaaaayuuum, etc). The author has written in a undertone of Han being a ignorant racist for some reason (I don't remember seeing anything to suggest that in the films, barring his dislike of droids), and everything from Lando's perspective makes him seem like a creepy sexual predator rather than a suave con man. There are also a slew of gimmicky characters like a "slicing prodigy Ewok" and "woke Gungan" that add little and distract tremendously. They are both there to challenge stereotypes, but it is handled with no subtlety and in a way that just seems more 4th wall breaking joke than political statement. He could have just had the Gungan defy expectations rather then have him also go on a five minute diatribe about how Han is a racist and the dangers of stereotypes, all the while winking at fans about Jar-Jar hate.

However, I don't want this to sound like a fandom rage rant: There are some serious pacing and writing issues beyond its genre problems. There are 3-4 separate timelines going on in the story and they switch back and forth so often that the actual story progresses at a snail's pace. I've read other books that take a similar approach and feel like many threads being woven together throughout the book. In this novel, you have to get about a third of the way through for the actual plot to really start. The character's motivations for involvement in the plot are very shallow and contrived and they take actions very out of proportion with the threat (firing on New Republic ships and seemingly being prepared to shoot it out with New Republic officers?!) The villain is also completely uninteresting and unthreatening - I got no real sense of menace or threat from him. Overall, between the cringy new characters and poor plot, I returned the book while about 2/3 of the way through. I've read a few of the author's other books and had a similar experience - I figured I'd give him one more shot in a different franchise. Basically, he has some good ideas and can get into characters heads, but tends to craft a pretty flimsy story. I have to say I was pretty disappointed, as I am always on the lookout for a new author to follow, and Older gets a lot of hype. I might try him again in a few years and see if he progresses as a writer.

It's not a good book. Easily the worst of the new cannon behind maybe the first After Math book(Chuck Wendig is by far the worst of the new cannon writers). The story is so not Star Wars feeling. It feels like it was written about 2 dudes hanging out in modern day Earth or something. I don't recommend.

When I first started reading this novel, I was hoping that this was going to be about my favorite characters. Well I was greatly surprised. I was expecting the same characters that I learned to love reading about.Why has the author gone and screw up the characters??? First of all Han and Leia NEVER HAD A SON NAMED BEN!!! If someone would have taken the time to research the past novels, they would have realized that this IS NOT HOW GEORGE LUCAS had it laid out. Han and Leia had 3 kids, and none of them were named Ben.If this is the way Star Wars novels are going to be, I will stop buying Star Wars books! Greatly disappointed!!!

Don't waste your hard-earned credits on this book. Once again the books of the Disneyverse fall flat compared to the old EU. This book feels rushed and hastily slapped together. The dialogue feels neither natural nor in keeping with the tone of the universe, and the characterization of Han and Lando is completely off.

If you're interested in some quality Star Wars fiction with Han and Lando, I suggest the Han Solo Adventures and Lando Calrissian Adventures series, or the Han Solo trilogy by A.C. Crispin. This book is a poor shadow of what has come before.

I wanted to have high hopes for a new series but after reading less than half of the book I had to stop. This trash is more revolting than 2 girls and a cup. At least that kept a small portion of my attention with some eroticism. Where as this shill of an attempt at fantasy story falls flatter than Daisy Ridley's chest.

I had read the author's short story contribution to the Star Wars compilation book From A Certain Point of View and greatly enjoyed it. It was called Born in the Storm and was very funny, read by the author on the audio book. This is the first full length novel and it arrives just in time for the new Solo film.

Last Shot tells the story of a mad Pau'an's attempt to take over the galaxy using a device that had been previously stolen by the owner of the Millennium Falcon years ago. Now Han and Lando must reunite, both older and wiser, with Han being a married father, to stop the nefarious plot. There are twists and turns along the way along with action and more relationship issues than one would expect in a Star Wars novel. Both Han and Lando have things to mull over. The novel jumps back and forth quite a bit in both Han and Lando's pasts framing the main storyline. A touch of humor and a good deal of action keep the story flowing. It's more like an adventure novel. I read this book using immersion reading, while listening to the audio book. The audio book features 3 narrators, the fantastic Marc Thompson, brilliant as usual, doing an incredible Lando and Han. He narrates the main story. January LaVoy narrates Lando's past adventure, while the author himself, narrates Han's older adventures. Thompson could've easily done the book himself. Several other reviewers felt that the author's narration took them out of the story, I thought it wasn't bad, but did detract from the easy flow of the other 2 narrators. It was a likeable book once the action got going midway through.

One of the best things about the Star Wars universe is that it never needs to end. It can expand in both space and time.

You can always tell when an author cares as much about the characters, and their interactions, as they do the plot and franchise "rules." As a long-time fan of the Star Wars franchise, I find myself growing with the multiple authors who expand the universe. As a Big Fan on non-linear storytelling style, I found the style of this particular book refreshing, and gave me the feeling that things were moving really fast in multiple directions in space AND time.

The gender-inclusiveness just shows how a franchise can be both timeless and modern. A lot has changed in our world in four decades, but the hope for the future of openness and the embracing of different cultures and values, hasn't changed. I find myself thanking the author for taking many chances in ways which stay true to the Star Wars universe.

Finishing this book, I found myself wishing for more, but that's what the best books do, right?

P.S. The "flip cover" is awesome. I'm often a digital guy, but saw the physical edition at the library where I volunteer. Really eye-catching!

I haven't read them all, but this the just the worst. Constantly switching between four different timelines was a very bad idea. The plot doesn't make any sense and is boring as hell. Can't recommend to even the most die hard Star Wars fan. Read SW Most Wanted instead. Much better.

Wanted too like this book to the point I got a limited Ed cover & Peekpa pin set (as a gift) and the audible of it but ended up very disappointed. That seems to be par for the star wars course for most the non-Zahn books these days. That may go a bit far - there have been some good recent editions of non-Zahn Star Wars books (Ahsoka & Dark Disciple to name a few) but there have been more stormtroopers shots then hits. (Aftermath being rock bottom of it)
My biggest issues were that I went into it loving the characters & wanting to like it - the story was just so lackluster that it even made Han seem boring.