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Readers` Reviews

★ ★ ★ ★ ★
alishba
Loved this novel! James Luceno does a phenomenal job of crafting personal, powerful, yet wide-sweeping stories and its just fantastic! I love how they incorporated a lot of other fun easter eggs from other new cannon stuff, and set up deep relationships for characters that are in the movie! I'd highly recommend this novel to any Star Wars fan!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
debbie ogan
By far one of the best Star Wars books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Its a great story that not only sets up Rogue One, but also provides a wonderful narrative of how the idea of the Death Star came about and how it was built. There is not a whole lot in the book regarding the Force or Jedi, but if you are interested in a more technical point of view then this is the book for you. Tons of great references and easter eggs are littered throughout the novel as well. Certainly a must read for any Star Wars fan.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
maria maniaci
One of the more enjoyable Star Wars canon books. Behind Bloodline and Lost Stars, but in line with Tarkin and Lords of the Sith. Way ahead of Aftermath.

Slow paced, but does a good job of leading into Rogue One and setting up the relationship between main characters in Rogue One.
Star Wars: Aftermath: Empire's End :: Thrawn: Alliances (Star Wars) :: Official 40th Anniversary Collector’s Edition - A New Hope :: Star Wars: Labyrinth of Evil :: Star Wars: Outbound Flight
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
keshia thompson
Excellent book. This is probably the most essential book to read as it pertains to the movies. This is even more true when Rogue One is basically a sequel to this book.

The writing and character development is among the best of the new canon. I highly recommend the audiobook version. Or if you're like me then get both.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
kari ruport
"Star Wars: Catalyst" (2016) is a prequel to the upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story movie. It was penned by veteran Star Wars storyteller James Luceno.

"Catalyst" focuses primarily on giving the backstory of Galen and Lyra Erso, the parents of Jyn Erso, who will be the star of the upcoming Rogue One film. Jyn also appears in the story, though as an infant and as a young child. The story of the novel primarily revolves around the brilliant and pacifist scientist Galen Erso (Jyn's father), and how he eventually comes to be associated with the Empire and work on the most fearsome weapon the galaxy has ever seen: the Death Star. The novel also reveals the details of his relationship with Imperial villain Orson Krennic, who will also be a major character in Rogue One. The plot structure of "Catalyst" will feel very familiar to readers who have enjoyed James Luceno's other Star Wars novels, particularly "Tarkin" or "Darth Plagueis." The plot takes place over a number of years and focuses more on backstory and intrigue than on action or excitement. However, while "Tarkin" and "Plagueis" are excellent, "Catalyst" doesn't quite live up to these other novels. Perhaps because it's a prequel, the novel doesn't quite feel complete. However, the novel does act as an excellent bridge between the prequel and original trilogies.

Characters in "Catalyst" are well-conceived and interesting. There are a mix of new and old characters that are balanced well, and I look forward to seeing some of the new characters in Rogue One. There are some old characters from both the prequel and original trilogies that are used quite effectively in the plot. However, Moff Tarkin seems to have lost his brilliant edge, and this is not in keeping with earlier portrayals of the character (even by the same author, no less). There is also the matter of major character Orson Krennic showing up out of nowhere, having never been referenced in any other Star Wars novel. Of course, this is no fault of the author. Perhaps the movie will come up with some convincing reason as to why he's never been referenced in any other source. I also missed seeing certain big-time characters like Darth Vader and the Emperor, and felt that they would have added to the juiciness of the plot had they played more of a role.

Author James Luceno is an excellent writer and "Catalyst" exemplifies this assertion well. Vocabulary is well-used and dialogue in particular is excellent. However, some of the technical discussions are rather abstruse and the reader will most likely just gloss over those passages.

While not Luceno's best Star Wars effort, "Catalyst" is an informative read with some nice nuggets about the upcoming Rogue One movie (though nothing earth-shattering) and some good characterization. Mainstream readers may not find it all that exciting, but Star Wars fans should definitely give it a look.

In Summation:

The Good:
-informative
-sets up Rogue One well
-excellent bridge between prequel and sequel trilogies
-good mix of old and new characters
-well-written

The Bad:
-not terribly exciting
-doesn't make use of enough iconic characters
-technical discussions difficult to get through
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
nathangrma
I will recommend this book to any Star Wars fan who will be watching the Rogue One movie this weekend. It gives information about the Erso's and how essential is Galen Erso in the completion of the Death Star's Super laser and how he met Orson Krenic. It also reveals how Saw Guerra meets the Erso's and his importance in the upcoming film. The book captures your attention in every chapter.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
mouli
I gave this book 4 stars. Not a lot of action, but I did enjoy learning the back stories of some of the new characters coming in Rouge One. I believe it will make the movie more enjoyable. The book is well written and had good pacing.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
saje goodson
I struggle with changes to the canon long time fans know. The Rogue storyline for the most part doesn't corrupt that history.

Episode 8 was an abomination as to the original storyline sactioned by Lucas beginning in the late 70's. That said the alternative timeline is well done and seems more plausible then the original one where Leia was head of the galactic government, Han a decorated general and Luke heading up a vast Jedi order. In that timeline the Solo's had three children...
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
sarah clarke
I am looking forward to the movie Rogue One and read this book to help pass the time. This book introduced characters that will be in the movie, so maybe it will help to more easily be familiar with the characters and keep them straight in the film.
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
emilija
I was left with the impression the author didn't have enough material for a full book. I had trouble getting into Tarkin so maybe it's something about his writing style that I don't connect with. I enjoyed the two novels by Claudia Grey more. This just felt like filler which left me disappointed.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
arlene abernathy
The book explores the origins of the Erso family that we will soon see on the big screen. Orson Krennic makes his debut as an imposing figure that will surely make his motion picture counterpart that much more of a villain. If you need or want any more depth for the upcoming film, this is it.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
stephen oxman
I've never read any Star Wars fiction, so this was a real treat. I'm still in the middle of the book, but after I finish, I'll read more of James Luceno's work. He really captures the World created in '77.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
heather edwards
Luceno has done it again. Tarkin was great, and Catalyst left me even more excited for Rogue One than I was before. He did a phenomenal job with character development and setting the stage for what I perceive to be my new favorite Star Wars movie. Luceno can be very detail oriented, sometimes to a fault, but unlike Aftermath, where you had five hundred prominent characters to "care about," Luceno keeps the focus on the Ersos, Krennic, Tarkin, and a new character, Has Obbit. It's easier to manage, and I found myself emotionally invested in who they were and what was happening. Oh, and expect some good cameos, as well.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
susan lodge
I guess gone are the days when I'd would inhale a star wars book in one night. Catalyst is alright, a bit dull, definitely not needed to enjoy rogue one. I feel like it is best as a back story for krennic more than anyone else. Not a must read.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
chrissie smith
I liked this book. It gave a lot of foundation (I assume) for the movie and its characters (the Ersos, Krennic). There were minor spelling and grammatical things I would fix, but the story was engaging.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
dhana
I guess gone are the days when I'd would inhale a star wars book in one night. Catalyst is alright, a bit dull, definitely not needed to enjoy rogue one. I feel like it is best as a back story for krennic more than anyone else. Not a must read.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
gar sydnor
I liked this book. It gave a lot of foundation (I assume) for the movie and its characters (the Ersos, Krennic). There were minor spelling and grammatical things I would fix, but the story was engaging.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
codyr72
This book covered a great detail about the events concerning the Erso's and led you down a path of great storytelling as you uncovered the truth about the events leafing up to Rouge One. I am now more excited than ever to see where the movie takes us.
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
jakob b born
Boring.

This is really slow.

You are given one dimensional scientist characters. Cut-out genius without any palpable substance. Conflict without cause or care.

I had difficulty trying to care about anyone until I finally realized that there wasn't much to care about in the first place.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
rindis
The first new canon adult novel that deals with the main characters of a film and has real concrete details that entertain as well as inform. This backstory is invaluable in knowing the relationships between the Erso family and Krennic over 20 years leading to the start of the new film.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
sara texas girl reads
Lucasfilm is so guarded about its Canon at this point that they miss a real chance to bring some New Magic into the story in the form of Science. While people bitch about 'midichlorians' at least Lucas had the balls to come out and just name them, then Luceno had the power to write Darth Plagueis which explained them, and made midichlorians beloved in the minds of readers. Here we have **spoiler** kyber crystals, Luceno in previous books has been very detailed about the force, but here we are left with a ton of questions, and not many answers. Is there synthetic Kyber? Was Galen working on sythetic Kyber in the beginning? What did Galen actually do to get power out of them? What role do they play in the force? How are they partially alive? This was the book to explain these things, not some later movie or book. If you are going to write a science book which stars kyber crystals in the Star Wars Universe, then we should get sufficient science about kyber crystals out of it. Plagueis was very good at expanding the role of the force, and especially midichlorians. Overall it is a good setup for the movie, I just hope we get more details about the crystals in the movie, they left much to be desired in this book.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
rebecca young
Worst of the Star Wars novels. No climatic ending. Just a plodding story that may have some set up for the Rogue One movie, who knows. My biggest disappointment was there was very little real background on the Death Star, when this book would have been so perfect for that.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
mary e
The way the design and execution of the battles on the comm tower and the gateway looked amateurish. It was hard to believe that advanced technology would include attacking with all your forces concentrated and static, just waiting to be killed. It's stupid today, in our world, and even more stupid among supposedly advanced interstellar-capable societies. Also, what's the deal with putting control terminals, outside, exposed to the elements? These ideas just remind me too much of movies made in the 1950's and '60's. Ridiculous.

Some elements like these are too simple-minded to be believed.

The character development was great. The ending of the characters was very powerful.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
khadijah
Honestly, I usually like Luceno's books. For example, I loved his book about Darth Plaguis and liked the Tarkin novel. However, this one seemed to just be an all around horrible novel. The plot is predictable, slow, and one-dimensional. He goes into unnecessary detail about things that don't seem to drive the plot or add anything to the Star Wars Universe. I found myself flipping pages in the Kindle ebook in order to skip one of the painfully slow and uninteresting storylines. Do yourself a favor and don't bother.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
ryan fox
The way the design and execution of the battles on the comm tower and the gateway looked amateurish. It was hard to believe that advanced technology would include attacking with all your forces concentrated and static, just waiting to be killed. It's stupid today, in our world, and even more stupid among supposedly advanced interstellar-capable societies. Also, what's the deal with putting control terminals, outside, exposed to the elements? These ideas just remind me too much of movies made in the 1950's and '60's. Ridiculous.

Some elements like these are too simple-minded to be believed.

The character development was great. The ending of the characters was very powerful.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
purnima
Honestly, I usually like Luceno's books. For example, I loved his book about Darth Plaguis and liked the Tarkin novel. However, this one seemed to just be an all around horrible novel. The plot is predictable, slow, and one-dimensional. He goes into unnecessary detail about things that don't seem to drive the plot or add anything to the Star Wars Universe. I found myself flipping pages in the Kindle ebook in order to skip one of the painfully slow and uninteresting storylines. Do yourself a favor and don't bother.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
bree conklin
Catalyst gives you a couple of nice bells & whistles before you start: a cutaway view of the Death Star graces its prefacing pages along with a timeline of the Del Rey books, which will include the upcoming Thrawn novel- whom I’m curious to see how he’ll fit into the canon going forward.

Like a movie or a play, Catalyst is divided into three acts- each one focusing upon a particular aspect of the storyline. You start with the time during and immediately after the war with the Separatists led by Dooku, Act 2 is about establishing the Imperial presence and Act 3 brings us the realization of life under Palpatine's rule- and how these events relate to the construction of a technological terror.

Pacing is a little uneven as it waxes and wanes between all the time spent on Galen’s idiosyncracies and quirks, Has Obitt's conversion from rogue to rebel, Orson’s manipulations of his former comrades, Lyra’s suspicions and constant musings upon the Force… you get the picture. It’s all pieces of the puzzle and bears out on the story, but did slow things down.

Speaking to those characterizations, Luceno did a very good job of them. The conflict is more about character than hyperdrives. At the heart of it all are the people behind the events- who they are and why they’re driven to what they do. From the Vallt rebels who’re just trying to hold onto their planet to the smugglers kicking back at the Wanton Wellspring bar- it’s all about those just trying to survive in the galaxy. Save for a few examples, Galen and company all came across as living, vibrant people. Galen, your typical genius-level scientist who only wants to be left to his research, is critical to the plan but getting- and keeping- him involved is the trick. Orson’s Machiavellian machinations while clever, were just as often very clumsy and his own motives were never really delved into- mostly he was just there to move the plot along. And his Vader-esque moment at the end of the book was unnecessary.

Lyra’s character was confusing. She’s… sorta implied to be an untrained Force-sensitive, yet she never really does anything other than lecture everyone about the Force and lament the fall of the Jedi Order. Palpatine is always referred to and Vader makes a cameo, but I suppose he’s being saved for the next books. Tarkin appears during the second half when construction begins and brings his usual suaveness when dealing with insurgents.

We’re all familiar with the setting, but the story is both old and new- the origins of the Death Star: its conceptualization, planning, engineering, construction, etc. There’s some overlap with, reference to and expansion on events from the Prequel Trilogy- Geonosis, the fate of Poggle the Lesser, the fall of the Jedi & the sudden appearance of Vader, how the Death Star plans were drafted and who acquired them. What I really enjoyed was the exploration of the science behind kyber crystals- their nature, how Jedi might interact with them and the possibility of their possessing a latent sentience. Luceno admits to doing a lot of research on lasers, crystals and synthetic diamonds and it showed.

Luceno, as always, delivers a tightly woven tale from a galaxy far, far away. It gets a little bogged down at times, but more than does the job of helping stage the events of Rogue One.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
wickedfarmgirl
I had a hard time making it through the book. Not very interesting characters, boring plot. Probably the worst new Canon book I have read, and I have read most of them. I don't usually write reviews but I was disappointed to have spent the money on this book.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
kimberly beiro
I have read over 500 books in my life, and I've read many of the Expanded Universe Novels, and I've recently read most of the new Star Wars canon novels (Ahsoka, Lords of the Sith, Tarkin, Dark Disciple). This was one of the worst novels I've ever read, and definitely the worst Star Wars novel I've read. I expect Rogue One to be much better than this book, and this book seems less like a Rogue One tie in, and more like just a total fluff piece for fans that are desperate for more Star Wars content.

Let me try to provide a non-spoiler metaphorical example to elaborate how useless I found this novel: Imagine a "Lord of the Rings" tie-in book, that features no pre-existing characters, and is about some mid-level evil lackey of Sauron conning some mid-level down-on-his-luck wizard into giving him the special gold that Sauron ultimate uses to eventually make his One Ring. Then to make it worse, don't even bother making the story really that interesting or relevant. Finally, to put the rotten cherry on top, after you have finished the bad novel, add 100 more pages of fluff to just get the word count up.

That pretty much sums up my feelings for this novel. I can't think of a single good thing to say about it, other than I finally finished it and can look forward to Thrawn by Timothy Zahn.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
rochelle capes
First I need to submit my biggest complaint about the entire book. One of the recurring characters is named Has Obitt. That's not possessive that's his first name. Reading through anything referring to Has as a proper noun is EXTREMELY difficult. That alone is a writing foul I feel merits the rating I've given the book.

However, I won't stop there. Nothing happens. In 330 pages nothing happens. You learn about Galen Erso, Lyra Erso, Orson Krennic, and a bit about Tarkin, but that's all that happens. You learn about characters. This could have been handled in about 5 pages. Just a bio for each of the characters.

I'm sorry but this one is going to compete with the Crystal Star for worst EU books. It's not an insult to the author. (The "Has" bit was) I'm sure the content was limited to make sure it doesn't become required reading for the movie or that it doesn't overshadow the movie, but wow. NOTHING HAPPENS.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
dragynlady
So far I have been enjoying this book. However, as I flipped back to the time line in the front of the book this story takes place AFTER Revenge of the Sith but the story talks to the separatists and Dooku both of which were settled in episode 3...I'm now confused as to where in the time line this story fits because it reads like it should be before episode 3.
Anyone know about this?

***update 21 Nov 16****
Now that I am a little over 1/2 way through the book the time line is coming together, at first it's very confusing in terms of the time frame the story takes place.
The story is OK, I'm just so used to the old Star Wars books/stories that these "new" stories seem slow compared to the legends books. As a Star Wars fan I'm just thankful to still be reading stories of that galaxy far far away!!
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
khairun atika
Gives very little back story, and just a bit of character backstory....could have been a 10 page short story.

*Story plot below (Spoilers)*

Galen Urso is scientist would is studying about kyber crystals and wants to synthesize them, but not for weapons. Empire wants him to make a weapon for them, he doesn't want to. Then really want him to, he really doesn't want to.......the end. Such a boring book, I powered through it cause I was excited for the movie and wanted to know everything I could about the characters. So disappointed, I'll stick to Timothy Zahn written StarWars books.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
cazza
Catalyst is an ok book. It is among the better of the new canon, it's better then Lost Stars (the two main characters were too much copy and paste for my taste) but not as good as Dark Lords of the Sith (the book had a better story period). Here I list some highlights and where they fall on the spectrum of good or bad.

The Goods:
1. The construction of the Death Star. While it's more of a backdrop, I really liked how they went about explaining it's construction.
2. Saul Greera. It's nice seeing the TCW character brought in.
3. Canonization of the Battle of Hypori. If you've seen the original "Clone Wars" series, Grievous is introduced during a battle on Hypori where he utterly annihilates the Jedi. While not every detail is canonized, the whole "Jedi and their forces ambushed" is made canon.
4. References to TCW in general. It's nice to see even the Unfinished Legacy TCW episodes getting mentioned in the book.
5. Deeper understanding of the kaiber crystals.

The Meh:
1. The rivalry between Krenic and Tarkin. It was basically what we've in almost every Legends and Canon book and even in the movies.
2. Lera and Galen Orso. Ironically, these characters I didn't find all that appealing. Sure, they were the central characters and they are the focus of the book. But they weren't ever anything that made me really cheer for them.
3. The opening part of book. I didn't care for the enter Vale segment of the book.
4. Absolutely no one could understand kaiber research besides Galen? Honestly this seems a real big stretch because in an Empire full of scientists and brilliant minds, none of them could figure out anything without Galen? Ok.....
5. Geonosians......

The Bad:
1. Modern parenting......never actual parent and reward your child if they throw a temper tantrum. The whole parenting portions made me cringe as they would allow their daughter to go around without a bedtime, rewarding her for throwing a tantrum by taking her to the park to play, letting her basically do whatever she wants. I really hope Jyn herself is an awesome character in the movie, because she is raised as a spoiled child.
2. Poggle the Lesser. Honestly, I don't know what they were wanting to do with him. His whole turn to helping the Republic seemed forced and inorganic.
3. Months fighting for a single planet? I have never cared for the new Canon's insistence that battles in the SW galaxy take months to resolve. Especially when the onscreen evidence in both TCW and the movies simply don't support it.
4. Endless resources for the Separatists and resistance against the Republic/Empire. They talk about months worth of endless droids battling endless lines of clones. Sorry, but that's simply not the case.
5. In summary, the battles were pretty bad and not believable within the SW setting.
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
pete broderick
I found this book boring. It doesn't feel like a Star Wars book at all. What the book does is give you detailed background on the relationship between Orson Krennic (the bad guy from Rogue One) and Galen Erso (the main character's father in Rogue One). Slowly, the book details how Krennic shepherded the development of the Death Star's Super Laser.

This story should have been, more properly, placed as a secondary plot line in another book (written to feel more like a Star Wars story).

I felt like I was reading biographical information in one of those Star Wars supplemental books.

It is not an engrossing novel at all--not in my opinion.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
rosie crawford
"Catalyst" is a bit of an odd duck: technically it's a prequel to the prequel of Star Wars: A New Hope, designed to sketch out the events that occurred in the years preceding Rogue One. I saw the film before reading "Catalyst", though I think both would benefit from doing the opposite: the novel provides background to the trio of Orson Krennic, Galen Erso and Lyra Erso that illuminates the dynamic between them in the film's opening scene.

In the midst of the Clone Wars, rumour of Count Dooku preparing a secret superweapon has the Galactic Republic gripped with fear. As a member of the Republic's Strategic Advisory Cell, Lieutenant Commander Orson Krennic is determined to develop a weapon of equal power – seeing it as a way to advance his own career as well as subdue the Separatists.

But to do this, he knows he needs the involvement of his old friend Galen Erso, a brilliant scientist who specializes in energy-focused research. Seeing an opportunity to rescue Galen and his pregnant wife Lyra from Separatist kidnappers, Krennic gambles on the family's gratitude to him and offers Galen a job at a state-of-the-art research facility.

But where Galen appreciates the chance to study real khyber crystals (those which power the Jedis' lightsabres), his wife Lyra remains more suspicious of Krennic's intentions...

The book details the breakthroughs in Galen's research, the steps Lyra takes in order to expose the Empire's true designs, and the complications that surround the early stages of the Death Star's construction.

Naturally the creation of a giant space station with a world-destroying laser attached is no easy feat, and we're shown the challenges that went into its completion. For instance, Krennic finds it necessary to place the various engineering teams on different worlds so they don't realize they're working on a weapon of mass destruction, though their inability to compare notes means that progress is extremely slow.

The Empire also has to deal with funding the project and mining for the necessary resources, which results in the destruction of several Legacy planets (worlds that are meant to be protected under Republic law). This in turn requires a massive cover-up and the hiring of untrustworthy smugglers to transport the essential supplies.

And of course, the key to the entire project lies in unlocking the secrets of khyber crystals; a mineral that no one knows much about thanks to the secrecy of the Jedi. Galen is Krennic's best chance of understanding their potential, but he requires careful handling if he's to keep his mind on the work.

Author James Luceno does a stand-up job of exploring all these complications, technicalities and setbacks – to expand on the old saying: Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was the Death Star. He also finds a way to bridge the gap between Revenge of the Sith and "Rogue One" regarding the Geonosians (the original designers of the Death Star, whose absence from "Rogue One" felt like an odd omission).

It's informative and it's interesting, but it's not a particularly exciting story; foregoing the usual three act structure of rising action and climactic finish in favour of laying down the foundations of what occurs in "Rogue One". There's a deeper look at the characters of Galen and Krennic, which sheds light on their actions in the film: the former is deeply introverted and so easily lost in his own work that he hardly questions it's purpose, while Krennic's rising ambitions (and the start of his rivalry with Tarkin) highlight just how good he is at manipulating others.

But the character who benefits the most is Lyra; wife of Galen and mother to Jyn. Barely a blip in the film, here she's fleshed out as an archaeologist, researcher, translator, and the first to realize Krennic is not to be trusted. Sadly Jyn is too young to be anything other than carry-on luggage, but we get a sense of how chaotic and distressing her earliest years were (it seems fitting that she was born in prison – this was a child destined for a tragic life).

There's also an introduction to Saw Gerrera, and original character Has Obitt (what a truly dreadful name; whenever it came up I thought the text had incorrectly capitalized "has") who follows the prequel's theme of seeking redemption for past sins.

It's not a bad book, but it very much feels like a setup to "Rogue One" rather than its own story.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
rosearik simons
More of a 3.5 than a 3. I love Star Wars books. I've read a lot of both the Legacy series and now several of the new Disney Universe, and have enjoyed them all, and loved a few. This one is one I enjoyed, but I didn't love.
What I liked:
So much background for the movie. I loved Rogue One so dang much. This book gave a lot of depth to the Ersos, to Krennic, to Krennic's rivalry with Tarkin. It connects Episode III to Rogue One which connects to Episode IV. Lots and lots of background.
What I didn't like:
Not a lot really happens, in the end. Maybe its a symptom of trying to squeeze the story between 2 well known (at least to me) cinematic stories, Episode III and Rogue One. It felt like the author was a little to constrained on what could ultimately happen and so in the end there weren't really any surprises. And what can be more action packed than a scientist working on crystals all day long? Not much as it turns out.
In summary, this book is a worthwhile read if you're a die-hard fan of the Star Wars film universe and of Rogue One in particular. If you're one who wants to know everything about these characters, then dive right in. Just know it's not the most action packed or fast paced. If none of that sounds like you, you may want to avoid it.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
garret
In "Star Wars: Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel" James Luceno, author of numerous previous "Star Wars" novels, links the appearance of the Death Star plans at the end of "Attack of the Clones" with the beginning of "Rogue One", tracing Galen Erso's involvement in Project Celestial Power, Director Orson Krennic's rivalry with Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, and Saw Gerrera's transition from Onderon freedom fighter to friend of the Ersos and burgeoning Rebel. In his previous works, Luceno found ways to include elements of the old Expanded Universe in the new Disney canon and he continues that here, with the beginning of the Corporate Sector that Brian Daley first introduced in "The Han Solo Adventures". Luceno builds upon the concept of the Empire compartmentalizing the various parts of the Death Star project writing, "Each project was concealed behind names like Stellar Sphere, Mark Omega, and Pax Aurora" (pg. 212). This line explains the various project names Jyn calls out in "Rogue One" while tying them to the larger project. Examining Galen's eventual reluctance to continue with the program, Luceno writes, "His scrutiny of the inner workings of the crystal had become part of his waking and nighttime consciousness. Were the permutations in the kyber lattice comparable to emotional shifts in a sentient being? Could sentient beings compel what was inorganic to pulse in harmony with their tempers and appetites? Was there such a thing as a noble lie?" (pg. 240). Luceno describes Saw's eventual transformation into a rebel against the Empire, writing, "The Empire was quickly becoming the other, a featureless gray enemy that species of varied sorts would be able to stave off only if they united, all differences set aside. It was almost heartening to witness the dawning of hope, as cautious and fragile as it was. If the oppressed could coalesce before the Empire's burgeoning military grew too strong or its forces too widespread, then maybe it could be foiled" (pg. 274). In bridging the events of "The Clone Wars" with those of "Rogue One", Luceno succeeds in providing some backstory that enriches the "Star Wars" universe.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
tone
There’s a reason why the original film was not titled Star Drama. Other than an odd combination of words, it just reeks of tedium. By its very nature, the word “wars” implies action, adventure, danger. It is those very qualities that are lacking in Catalyst, the prequel novel to the movie Rogue One.

Having said that, however, the novel is not without its good qualities. A healthy does of backstory is crammed into this 11-hour audiobook narrated by Jonathan Davis, the fantastic actor who voices many of the current crop of Star Wars novels. But the listener has to understand that much of what happens in this book is, by definition, mere prelude to the events in the movie. And there’s not a lot of action. It’s like an episode of House of Cards in the Star Wars universe.

I purposefully didn’t read this book ahead of seeing the movie. I wanted as clean an experience as possible with the film. Now, having seen it twice, I dove into this book. Going in, I expected to get the backstories of all the major players in Rogue One. That’s not the case. The focus of the novel is solely on Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen in the movie), his wife, Lyra (Valene Kane ), and their mutual friend, Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn). Only late in the story does Forest Whitaker’s Saw Gerrera show up. Oh, Grand Moff Tarkin is present, but no one else. I was hoping for some background into the other characters, specifically Donnie Yen’s Chirrut Îmwe, the mystic who is blind and one with the Force. Perhaps future books.

Perhaps the neatest thing author James Luceno accomplishes is put these characters in the context of the prequel movies, specifically Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. You saw those events from their points of view, not always knowing what we viewers know about the Jedi, the Emperor, and Darth Vader. We get a nice scene with the Ersos—Felicity Jones’s Jyn is a mere babe through most of this novel—fleeing Republic droids when Order 66 is instituted. The droids fall dead. The humans don’t know why, but they also don’t care since they’re still alive.

As a huge fan of Ben Mendelsohn, I enjoyed the many scenes with Krennic and his machinations and politics behind the scenes. I’ve just started House of Cards and I can already see a partial parallel. Mendelsohn is a terrific actor who could have been used more in the movie, so it was nice to learn more about his efforts to maintain the production of the Death Star—a term never used in the book—while trying to woo Galen into the Empire’s folds.

Another great part of the book is the discussion of the Kyber crystals. These are the minerals Jedis use to power their lightsabers. Those are small. The ones needed for the Death Star need to be quite a bit larger. Luceno’s discussions of Galen’s attempt to understand the crystals is good. Moreover, his wife, Lyra, respects the Jedis and their ways even though she isn’t a part of their order. It’s a good dip into the greater Star Wars mythology that I, before reading this book, didn’t know.

In the end, however, and boy do I hate to say this, Catalyst reads like a well-written Wookieepedia entry. The material is nice, the drama is real, but none of it amounts to a decent story, at least one that stands on its own. I know it’s not supposed to, so I’m about to embark on the audio of Rogue One itself. I’m wondering how much the two novels will tie into each other. At the very least, however, there will be action.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
odawg diggity
This was a great book!I made a great decision in this book being the first one I read in the new Canon. Now there are minor complaints,but I'll get onto them
Now exploring the struggles of what Galen and Lyra had to go through before the events of Rogue One is super interesting. I really do wish this whole entire book was focusing on just their relationship as they struggle with stress from Galen's research along with taking care of Jyn. This book really establishes the family into stone as it makes the opening scene of Rogue One much stronger.
Now there are some boring parts. I won't get into too much detail to save some from spoilers.
There will be 2 major characters, Orson Krennic and Tarkin, which has been seen a mile away. I have no issue with them being in the novel, but the author sometimes put too much detail and complexity into their characters and thoughts, that you sometimes space off. There's at least a paragraph of details regarding their thoughts and actions as they rival in trying to 1-up each other. While it's cool to see people who are on the same side dislike each other, it isn't executed too well. At a certain point, the chapters in which they're included in can turn into a yawn feast.
Now there's another character who's completely new, Has Obbit, but.. I never found him interesting at all! Sure, I found some bits throughout where I'm like "Aye,that's pretty good" But around 85% of the time a part shows up that has Obbit in it, you just want to get back to Galen and Lyra, or maybe slightly read about Krennic. I really never find the moments with Has memorable.
Regardless, the fact that this book sheds light onto the relationship Galen and Lyra have is enough to outweigh the cons. (Also,you will see young Jyn,but she won't be a little Anakin, she'll be pushed to the side for the most part with lines here and there) This book was more about seeing how and why Galen and Lyra are wanting to escape the Empire. I really do recommend getting this novel! (But you do have to read the Has and Krennic/Tarkin parts for some other events to make sense)
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
melissa dahlin
I thought this book (got the audiobook version) would be interesting in providing some details to the Star Wars - Rogue One movie that'll be released in a couple of days from this writing.

As of Chapter 3, I'm BARELY able to stay awake as the Narrator is TERRIBLE and so is the Story!
The beginning is about the story of Galen, the person who will eventually come up with the laser weapon in the Death Star.

The story line is SLOW, there's NO emotional feeling tied to the characters as it's just the narrator trying to fake the different character's voices when reading, and did I mention that it was SLOW?!!

I may as well listen to it since I got it but it's going to be tough listening.

James Lucerne should NEVER WRITE another Star Wars novel ever again!
Jonathan Davis should NEVER NARRATE another Star Wars novel ever again!

Random House Audio should've hired Marc Thompson who read the SW "Legends" (aka SW Expanded Universe (EU)) novels. At least his character voices and impersonations ARE BETTER than J. Davis's renditions!

Go read or listen to the SW: Aftermath series #1-2, #3 coming in Jan. 2017 to finish off the trilogy series.

After Disney took over the SW universe, many things SWs went downhill!

Just go see the movie when it's released, at least based on the official trailers that were released which made the movie look good so you want to see it. Hopefully, it won't be as bad as "SW: The Force Awakens" with it's many plot holes and terrible writing.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
corry seibert
I see some reviews that say this book is boring or that nothing happens. I think they are looking for epic dogfights or lightsaber duels, because there are plenty of things happening here. A nice bridge between the end of the Clone Wars and the beginning of Rogue One, the story centers on Galen and his family trying to find their way in the new order of the Empire. Galen is the loving father, scientist and unwitting conscript who is trying to find a means of creating cheap and renewable energy, and of course, we know where that leads. Some interesting insight into the workings of the Kyber crystals, a look at the interstellar politics and The Force from a point of view that's not inner circle, as well as the political maneuverings between Krennic and Tarkin, all of which sets things up nicely for a rewatch of Rogue One. This isn't a critical read, you won't miss out on the main story set up by the movies, but some nice insight overall to the characters and the rebellion to come.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
omar seyadi
I'd give this book about 3.5 - 3.75 stars. The first half is much stronger than the second half, because the Clone Wars are raging in the first half and there's a sense of urgency to everything that's going on. That sense of urgency is lost in the second half.

But still, I really enjoyed this book for the most part. Despite expectations, this is not in fact Galen Erso's story, but rather Orson Krennic's story. And what a character he is! He is such a political creature, such an upward-climber. Every word out of his mouth is a manipulation. He reminds me of Littlefinger from Game of Thrones, and I mean that as a compliment. He is ruthless and strategic and far-seeing. I enjoyed seeing Krennic's burgeoning rivalry with Tarkin. I got a sense from the movie "Rogue One" that there was some personal rivalry there, but to see it play out in this book was fantastic.

There are a few logical lapses, and shifting character motivations that don't always make sense. Also, a lot of time passes in this book, but it's not always clear when time is passing -- leading to some confusion.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the movie "Rogue One." Funnily enough, I found myself reading all of Galen Erso's dialogue in Mads Mikkelson's signature Danish accent. It's such a unique accent I couldn't NOT read his words in it, though I snickered a lot of times at just how delicious I found it to have Mads Mikkelson's voice in my head.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
andrea ward
I've been wanting to read this book for at least a year, and finally borrowed a copy from a library in Singapore. The book didn't disappoint. I enjoyed the movie Rogue One, and this book adds a great deal to the movie. James Luceno did a great job of developing the different characters in this novel, including Orson Krennic, Governor Tarkin, and Galen Erso. This story may not have as much action as some would like, but it's a very good tale, very much driven by the story's characters, and Luceno does a great job of exploring the moral dilemmas Galen Erso and his wife, Lyra encountered in the midst of the Empire's project to construct the galaxy's ultimate weapon.

I heartily recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Star Wars, and who wishes to know more of the back story behind the movie Rogue One.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
cristy carnes
Finished reading the last third of this in one sitting after listening to the audiobook version to start with, and while I think the book is well-written, I still believe that this "essential" prequel to the movie got lost in the minute details behind the design/construction of the Death Star weapon. As I saw Rogue One before finishing the book, I didn't really feel the need/felt the desire to finish the book, so I basically skimmed that last third. For diehard fans that need to read ALL THE THINGS, this is obviously a good book for them, but I think most people will have no problem going into the movie without losing anything for having not read this book.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
suzy kelly
One of the best Star Wars novels I've read. James Luceno really develops Galen Erso & Orson Krennic's characters and motivations. I became very invested in their stories and perspective.

Lots of new information that was not in Rogue One. I highly recommend reading this novel after seeing Rogue One, but before reading Rogue One's novelization for Catalyst is a prequel.

Have you ever wanted to know how the Empire built the Death Star and got scientists to research into energy enhancement? Ever wanted to see into the rank and file and machinations of the Empire? Did you just want to know more about Galen, Lyra, & Jyn Erso's past? All of the above is explored in thoughtful detail carefully crafted into a compelling tale of Orson's manipulations into Imperial command, Galen's trials as a father, husband, and theoretician, a smuggler's ethical dilemma, and how the Empire was fated to rise. Read Catalyst!
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
kim leinonen
If you're big on Star Wars novels you might enjoy this. I've read my share of SW novels, and this was probably the least interesting. I enjoyed Luceno's own Labyrinth of Evil, and maybe the problem is that here he just has much less to work with, being a prequel to a movie that's not out as of this writing and that the public (myself included) has no clear picture of. That said, he does little to explore the main characters, and the most interesting characters are secondary ones - particularly a smuggler who has the only clear, compelling story arc.
The best thing I can say is that it's a slow boil with some interesting climactic points, and that it does give some slight insights into the construction of the Death Star and a couple of characters who play important roles in Rogue One.
The tension over all is very mild, and characters are not explored with much depth.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
tobey
Great book! It really enhanced my experience with the Rogue One Movie. If you are a Star Wars fan, or more, if you are a Star Wars: Rogue One fan then I recommend this Novel for you. It will give you quite a bit of background information about Rogue One, and has lots of tie in with the prequels.

Pros:
Inside Scoop - As mentioned earlier in this review, reading Catalyst before I saw Rogue One definitely enhanced the experience of Rogue One for me. I felt like I had the inside information on what was happening. I also felt more connected to the characters, which made me feel emotionally invested in the movie as well.

Cons:
Slow Sometimes - Although I personally found the story exciting and interesting, it did get slow at times. Typical Star Wars novels are full of adventure and action, Catalyst was more about the manipulation of the empire to get it’s super weapon done, and had less of the action and adventure then you would have expected.

Must read for any Star Wars fan, but those or are only interested in science fiction, or a good story, they may get bored with this novel.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
acbrown
While not horrible in it's attempt to fill in the gaps for a side character from Rogue One, parts of the book are quite good but others go into a direction that isn't addressed anywhere else in the book - the most important parts in my opinion are left out or implied, which is the main drawback of this book. In a way I guess you could say it suffered from not knowing where it wanted to go and being in a proverbial box - this is a prequel to Rogue One so you know how it basically has to end already if you have seen the movie.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
helen casteel
The background of characters from Rogue One was very interesting, and the layered complexity of Krennic's obsession with Galen was very well done. Delving into the nature of Kyber crystals and how they were basically enslaved by the empire in order to be used in the death star was fascinating as well. While those things among others were worthy of five stars, the slow pacing at times removed one. The tense moments didn't seem tense enough to accurately portray the peril the characters were in. Collected together I would still recommend this book simply for the way it fills in knowledge of the Star Wars Universe.
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
farzin houmanfar
This Star Wars novel is neat for fleshing out the backstory between Galen Erso and Orson Krennic (and to a lesser extent Grand Moff Tarkin), but it gets bogged down in a few too many viewpoint characters and far too heavy a focus on Erso's incremental research into the kyber crystals that will ultimately power the Death Star. It's overall a tepid affair, lacking much of the space action and soaring emotion of the Star Wars franchise at its best.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
lauren patricia lund
Luceno does a fantastic job of placing Original Trilogy content in the Prequel era. It is seamless and ties both eras together perfectly. Catalyst is absolutely a tie-in novel for Rogue One, as reading it will give you a deep understanding of the relationships between the characters in Rogue One, as well as a deeper understanding of what motivates the Ersos and the main villain of Rogue One, Krennic.

Catalyst is not my favorite in the new canon but it is a must read for canon junkies. It explains a lot about the Death Star, where it came from, who built it, why it was built, and how they made it a super weapon.

Side note, I listened to this novel on Audible, and Jonathan Davis' performance was amazing and the overall production value was great!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
sandra spada
I am a fan of James Luceno's writing, having enjoyed his other Star Wars books Darth Plagueis and Tarkin. This book, Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel, provides great background on a few of Rogue One: A Star War Story's characters, namely Galen and Lyra Erso and Orson Krennic. Wilhuff Tarkin also features prominently in the novel. I really enjoyed the context this book gives surrounding the construction of the Death Star we see in Episode IV: A New Hope, in addition to Rogue One. If you're a Star Wars fan, give this book read. If you're a fan of the movie Rogue One, give this book a read. I enjoyed it, and while I can't guarantee you will, too, here's to hoping.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
joell smith borne
Finished reading the last third of this in one sitting after listening to the audiobook version to start with, and while I think the book is well-written, I still believe that this "essential" prequel to the movie got lost in the minute details behind the design/construction of the Death Star weapon. As I saw Rogue One before finishing the book, I didn't really feel the need/felt the desire to finish the book, so I basically skimmed that last third. For diehard fans that need to read ALL THE THINGS, this is obviously a good book for them, but I think most people will have no problem going into the movie without losing anything for having not read this book.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
a analise
One of the best Star Wars novels I've read. James Luceno really develops Galen Erso & Orson Krennic's characters and motivations. I became very invested in their stories and perspective.

Lots of new information that was not in Rogue One. I highly recommend reading this novel after seeing Rogue One, but before reading Rogue One's novelization for Catalyst is a prequel.

Have you ever wanted to know how the Empire built the Death Star and got scientists to research into energy enhancement? Ever wanted to see into the rank and file and machinations of the Empire? Did you just want to know more about Galen, Lyra, & Jyn Erso's past? All of the above is explored in thoughtful detail carefully crafted into a compelling tale of Orson's manipulations into Imperial command, Galen's trials as a father, husband, and theoretician, a smuggler's ethical dilemma, and how the Empire was fated to rise. Read Catalyst!
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
junita
If you're big on Star Wars novels you might enjoy this. I've read my share of SW novels, and this was probably the least interesting. I enjoyed Luceno's own Labyrinth of Evil, and maybe the problem is that here he just has much less to work with, being a prequel to a movie that's not out as of this writing and that the public (myself included) has no clear picture of. That said, he does little to explore the main characters, and the most interesting characters are secondary ones - particularly a smuggler who has the only clear, compelling story arc.
The best thing I can say is that it's a slow boil with some interesting climactic points, and that it does give some slight insights into the construction of the Death Star and a couple of characters who play important roles in Rogue One.
The tension over all is very mild, and characters are not explored with much depth.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
georgette mcnally
Great book! It really enhanced my experience with the Rogue One Movie. If you are a Star Wars fan, or more, if you are a Star Wars: Rogue One fan then I recommend this Novel for you. It will give you quite a bit of background information about Rogue One, and has lots of tie in with the prequels.

Pros:
Inside Scoop - As mentioned earlier in this review, reading Catalyst before I saw Rogue One definitely enhanced the experience of Rogue One for me. I felt like I had the inside information on what was happening. I also felt more connected to the characters, which made me feel emotionally invested in the movie as well.

Cons:
Slow Sometimes - Although I personally found the story exciting and interesting, it did get slow at times. Typical Star Wars novels are full of adventure and action, Catalyst was more about the manipulation of the empire to get it’s super weapon done, and had less of the action and adventure then you would have expected.

Must read for any Star Wars fan, but those or are only interested in science fiction, or a good story, they may get bored with this novel.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
sherrylp
I gave it 5 stars, but I don't know what to think about it.

I've always said: I don't care about tie-in novels, cartoons, comics - I want the story to be delivered in the main movies. If you can't do that, then you're just a bad storyteller.

But since I loved Rogue One, I gave this one a shot and marked other SW novels as something I want to read - in the near future, I hoped.

But now, I don't know.

While I can't say the novel is bad, it's not stellar, either. It's just like a filler episode. Prequels, sidequels, in-quels, whatever you may call them, can have the problem of being boring because we know what came before and what comes after. It is up to the author to make his story compelling and interesting nonetheless.

The problem here, while the story in general is interesting, there is nothing really compelling or more compelling than the little bits of information we got in the movie. And what I do hate are shoed-in mentions of things that happened in the movies (like the gladiator pit on Geonosis from Attack of the Clones).

But what I hate most and which is the main reason I was and remain against having to read a bunch of novels, comics and watch TV-shows for explanations of things in movies is this: while all those stories in all these media are considered "canon", they're not really canon. The moment someone making a new movie wants to retcon something that we had in the books, they will just do it. Heck, they probably won't even know about the book or what happened in it. Or if, by chance, they do know about it, they still choose to ignore it.

So, while this is a pleasant read - it's not really necessary. And it does not make you care more about the characters in Rogue One. Galen is not the most interesting person in the universe. Lyra just comes off as Jedi-obsessed. Jyn is too young, but does Luceno try and make her the Jyn from the movie as a toddler already. And I don't really care about Saw.

Especially the bland ending just shows you that this is nothing more than a story-filler. But hey, I repeat, it's not bad.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
antonia vitale
While not horrible in it's attempt to fill in the gaps for a side character from Rogue One, parts of the book are quite good but others go into a direction that isn't addressed anywhere else in the book - the most important parts in my opinion are left out or implied, which is the main drawback of this book. In a way I guess you could say it suffered from not knowing where it wanted to go and being in a proverbial box - this is a prequel to Rogue One so you know how it basically has to end already if you have seen the movie.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
sarah campbell
The background of characters from Rogue One was very interesting, and the layered complexity of Krennic's obsession with Galen was very well done. Delving into the nature of Kyber crystals and how they were basically enslaved by the empire in order to be used in the death star was fascinating as well. While those things among others were worthy of five stars, the slow pacing at times removed one. The tense moments didn't seem tense enough to accurately portray the peril the characters were in. Collected together I would still recommend this book simply for the way it fills in knowledge of the Star Wars Universe.
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
tom hitchner
This Star Wars novel is neat for fleshing out the backstory between Galen Erso and Orson Krennic (and to a lesser extent Grand Moff Tarkin), but it gets bogged down in a few too many viewpoint characters and far too heavy a focus on Erso's incremental research into the kyber crystals that will ultimately power the Death Star. It's overall a tepid affair, lacking much of the space action and soaring emotion of the Star Wars franchise at its best.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
aaron karp
Luceno does a fantastic job of placing Original Trilogy content in the Prequel era. It is seamless and ties both eras together perfectly. Catalyst is absolutely a tie-in novel for Rogue One, as reading it will give you a deep understanding of the relationships between the characters in Rogue One, as well as a deeper understanding of what motivates the Ersos and the main villain of Rogue One, Krennic.

Catalyst is not my favorite in the new canon but it is a must read for canon junkies. It explains a lot about the Death Star, where it came from, who built it, why it was built, and how they made it a super weapon.

Side note, I listened to this novel on Audible, and Jonathan Davis' performance was amazing and the overall production value was great!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
jason powell
I am a fan of James Luceno's writing, having enjoyed his other Star Wars books Darth Plagueis and Tarkin. This book, Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel, provides great background on a few of Rogue One: A Star War Story's characters, namely Galen and Lyra Erso and Orson Krennic. Wilhuff Tarkin also features prominently in the novel. I really enjoyed the context this book gives surrounding the construction of the Death Star we see in Episode IV: A New Hope, in addition to Rogue One. If you're a Star Wars fan, give this book read. If you're a fan of the movie Rogue One, give this book a read. I enjoyed it, and while I can't guarantee you will, too, here's to hoping.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
traci nigon
Do NOT waste your money on this product. This is barely a Star Wars novel. It reads like a three hundred page job resume. Galen has a job here. Then he gets a job there. Then he gets another job because his skills and resume are in demand. Krennic manipulates Galen along the way. Galen has a wife and a baby. BORING! In Catalyst, there is no: Yoda, Jedi, Force, Sith, droids (one has one funny line and disappears), Skywalkers, Rebel Alliance, Wookies, Ewoks (thankfully), Midichlorians (thankfully again), love story, hero story, Obiwan Kenobi, etc. Almost everything we love about Star Wars is absent in Catalyst. If you want to pay $20 to know what powers the Death Star (absent as well), then buy and read Catalyst. But be prepared to be incredulously bored in the process.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
allie marie
As a prelude to Rogue One, this novel helps to define characteristics and motivations of certain individuals present in the film; mainly Galen, Lyra and Krennic. Jyn Erso is more or less a passenger along for the ride as this is her parent's story. Much like Rogue One, this Novel brings you fairly close to the start of the film it precedes-although exact time passage from novel's end to film beginning is ambiguous. As a prequel of sorts it works well (better than the history of Star Wars prequels) and did keep me entertained in the description and execution of the tale. I have only attempted to read one other Luceno-Star Wars novel (Plageuis) and personally I was more locked in to this novel than the previous, which was about my favorite Sith Lord. Whether that's due to Luceno's flexibility as a writer or the boundaries of this particular type of tale,being a direct prelude to a motion picture, i do not know.

In closing, Catalyst was a good read that strengthens the Rogue One experience.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
sherri dishon
Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel details the events, characters and their related agenda around the development of the Death Star battle station. Central to the story is the manipulation of the scientist Galen Erso, whose research focuses on the generation of power from kyber crystals (the same ones used in Jedi lightsabers). Without revealing the plot details of the book, the genius of Galen is manipulated towards ends that he does not intend.

The viewpoint of the story follows five main characters: Galen Erso, his wife Lyra Erso, Imperial Commander/Engineer Orson Krennic, Governor/Moff Tarkin and Has Obitt; a smuggler. A few of the major Star Wars characters are mentioned in passing but have no direct interaction in the story.

The timeline of the story starts prior to the events of Revenge of the Sith. Count Dooku and the Separatists are still a threat and the Clone Wars are still creating havoc on multiple worlds. For the second act of the book the viewpoint jumps forward to a period a few years after the end of the Clone Wars and the destruction/disbanding of the Jedi Order. The newly formed Empire is tasked with chasing down pockets of Separatist resistance and these conflicts are used as justification for ever tighter control over the population of the Galaxy. The third act can't really be discussed without spoilers, but suffice to say that it involves a betrayal of trust, some shifts in allegiance and a glimpse at the beginnings of The Rebellion.

Pros:
- Luceno jumps in to the technology of Star Wars and the Death Star with both feet. If you enjoy the psuedo-science behind the Star Wars universe you won't be disappointed.
- Characters are all given sufficient back story and their choices and motives are spelled out
- The use of Clone Wars conflicts directly impacting Galen Erso is very effective for helping to understand his choices to go against his beliefs. I'd imagine we may even see some of this as flashbacks in Rogue One.
- Orson Krennic is an outstanding "villain" in this tale, using guile and manipulation to achieve his ends instead of direct violence. He's the classic sociopath; driven solely by his need to further his own power and influence.
- Luceno knows how to voice a character and paint a scene. I never felt like I was taken out of the story by his writing style or narrative voice. Contrast this to an author like Chuck Wendig who made me throw a book across a room with his ham-handed ineptitude as a writer.
- I loved the interplay between Krennic and Tarkin. These two characters come from different spheres of the Empire and both can be manipulative, but it's easy to see why Tarkin was seen in A New Hope and Krennic is (probably) dead.

Cons:
- Pacing is a tad uneven, and I often felt like nothing was really happening for pages at a time in the second act.
- I think we are meant to identify most with the character of Lyra, but she is very inconsistently painted as being both a strong-willed, adventurous naturalist and a caring mother willing to make concessions for the safety of her family.
- Action is thin and almost universally without consequence to the main characters of the story.

I didn't feel like Catalyst: A Rogue One novel was a book I'd read twice. The story is fairly linear and predictable, and more enjoyable for the characters it introduces than the adventure that they participate in.

Recommended as an entertaining backstory to what is sure to be the biggest movie of the year, but not required reading.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
amit anand
Rented as a library eBook. I've read many (20+) Star Wars books, and it's rare for me to stop reading a novel, let alone a Star Wars book, but after about a 1/3 of the way in, absolutely nothing is happening. Apparently Orsen Krennic and Galen Erso have a history together, which is gone over in excruciatingly slow detail. Since Rogue One is a one off, why exactly I should have any great interest in the background of these characters was lost on me. Recommend Tarkin or The Dark Lord by Luceno instead.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
amanda guthrie
The sole purpose of this story is to give more depth to the events of Rogue One. There's nothing too grand within. With that said, having seen Rogue One in theaters at Christmas, and read Catalyst between February and March, I feel that the contents of this book are essential to getting the full impact of Rogue One.

You grow to love Galen, Lyra and Jyn Erso. Lyra is a major player in this book.
You learn why you hate Orson Krennic at the start of the film, and learn exactly where he fits within the Universe.
You get more Tarkin.

As far as scope It's a pretty nerdy read, meaning you aren't going to get a ton of action out of it... it's essentially giving you the "how" of the Death Star. Which to me, was extremely fascinating. It's not really a page turner or a barn burner, but those who seek more of an emotional investment to the new additions to the canon will definitely enjoy it. I liked it, and i bookend right into reading Rogue One's novellization, and it flows very nicely.

Hope you enjoy it.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
tyler wilson
It was great to know a bit more of the back story of my favorite movies of all time. I have never been much of a reader of these books but will definitely check more out. I will admit the book does start off pretty slow. There many places I almost outfit down,but it picks up when (spoiler) when Lyra starts to see through Orson.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
ozlem ozkal
I read this book before seeing the movie, and found it to be fairly dark and depressing, yet hopeful at the end. It's main theme is finding the courage to fight back against what seem to be overwhelming odds, which definitely supports Rogue One as well. My main gripe is that virtually everything any of the protagonists achieve in this book is nullified by the opening five minutes of Rogue One. Really, before I even saw a single shot of adult Jyn during Rogue One, I was already thinking, "Huh, I guess Catalyst was all for nothing." At least the book gives you a good look at the personalities of Orson Krennic and Galen Erso. Krennic in particular is a lot more interesting here than he is in the movie. A good read on its own, but given how the movie basically turns it into a big waste of time, I can't give it a full five stars.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
chrystine chambers
I LOVED this book! I finished reading it and went to the theater and felt the two had a near-seamless transition. It switches from the perspectives of Orson Krennic, Lyra and Galen Erso, and toward the end we see Tarkin and Jyn. We see how Krennic manipulated Galen into researching for the Death Star and his rivalry with Tarkin. We see how Lyra is having trouble coping with the Empire after eradicating the Jedi and how her husband is obsessing over his work with the deceased Jedi's kyber crystals. The book ends with the perspective of Jyn and how she first sees and understands the Empire. Would recommend this to anyone before they see "Rogue One."
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
greg milner
Catalyst (Star Wars): A Rogue One Novel is an excellent prequel to the overwhelmingly popular and well-scripted Rogue One: A Star Wars Story film. James Luceno depicts the life of scientist Galen Erso, his wife Lyra Erso, and the Director of the then Republic Special Weapons Group Orson Krennic. Catalyst offers wonderful insight on the genius philanthropist who wants nothing more than to create clean, reusable energy for the whole of the galaxy and especially for those planets struggling to survive... and how he fell into creating super weapons for the Empire.

As an avid audiobook listener--especially of the Star Wars variety--I can say with great confidence that Jonathan Davis always offers an extremely immersive experience for even novice Star Wars fans.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
julia fierro
I thought this book did a great job detailing the end of the republic and the shift to the Empire. I particularly enjoyed Galen and Orson, and felt they were well expanded on from their roles in Rogue One. However, the last 100 pages dragged a bit. Still, solid read
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
aimee morse
The absolute most BORING Star Wars book I have ever read. I mean, its a back story, but it doesn't do anything that makes you happy you read it, or any more knowledgeable as to the events of Rouge One. There is no, "Ahhh, so that's why that happened in the book." Just a boring story that when you finish you just go, "That was a waste..."
This book was made on a bet that went something like this, "I be you I can write a book, a STAR WARS book no less, that has either "research" or "work" in every single paragraph. No joke. I'll create an entire novel around saying the words 'research' and 'work' as many times as I can. It's going to be great." The author uses those words sooooooooooo many times you start to dread reading it about every single page.
The story sucks, a researcher getting shuffled around from place to place.
Boring.
They talk about kyber crystals so that is kind of cool.
Very boring.
It is very tech heavy, but this is science fiction so they are making things up so you can care less.
It's a SERIOUSLY BORING BOOK.
Read it if you really want to, but if you want to start reading Star Wars books, STAY REALLY FAR AWAY FROM THIS until you have read many others.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
thejaswi parameshwaran
This book lacked any real excitement or adventure. I liked it and it did provide some nice background information for Rogue One, but ultimately I was disappointed with the book.

I've read a lot of the Star Wars novels and I don't think I'll be recommending this one.

Maybe I'm just not a fan of James Luceno, since I didn't care for the Darth Plagueis novel either, even though it was chocked full of information I found very interesting.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
raissa chernushenko
I had tepid expectations for RO and Catalyst after the disaster that was The Farce Awakens.
Reading this book before the movie painted a picture that was everything I hoped RO would be. Different. Taking risk.
Catalyst did this by being mundane, the most mundane and grounded SW book Luceno has written.
Expanding upon what was alluded to in the film, and giving a whole new dimension of character and how Galen, Krenic and Tarkin got to where they were.. While the film does enough required work to make the film work without Catalyst being required reading. Unlike Before The Awakening.
At the same time, Catalyst really breathes new depth into the movie as well. The Yin to it's Yang, it completes the picture. How the weapon works, the reverence and reluctance to allow access to the Kyber by the Jedi, how Saw comes into the picture, why Galen only refers to Orson by "Krennic" after he betrayed his friendship, I could go on.

The only thing i'd fault the book for, is that it is a lot slower and deliberate than a typical Star Wars Story. Which will no doubt turn off many people. To the same point, i'd fault the film for not quite including quite enough context and making the prelude act too short to keep the pacing fast.
It's not as poor as TFA was, but it was good enough to do the job.

So far I am loving everything Disney has done Pre-ROTJ era, they've nailed it. While everything Post-ROTJ has been completely mediocre, plays it too safe and excessively panders to a fault to emulating the rose tinted memories of a certain sub section of fans.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
anouk martin
James Luceno does it again! I loved this novel. It works on every level, both as a prequel to Rogue One and as a story in its own right. I was totally invested in the Erso family, and Orson Krennic is looking to be one of my new favorite villains in the Star Wars lore. We get great insight into the minds and motivations of the characters, as well as some interesting information on how the Death Star was constructed. It also does a really fantastic job of bridging the prequel and original trilogy time periods.

I highly recommend you give this a read.

P.S. I also want to say that Mr. Luceno writes our favorite Grand Moff just as brilliantly as he did in "Tarkin."
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
peggy
It's a good character set-up for the new movie. I'm glad I read it, but it was predictable. I can't understand why you would write a book in this time frame, and have no appearance or action from Emperor Palpatine or Darth Vader. They are mentioned, but the fact they are not taking any action in the book is a huge missed opportunity in my opinion. I also found it very distracting that one of the main characters is named Has. I don't understand why the author has named him Has. I kept reading it as a verb, and not a character name.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
kellie jones
Sorry I gotta be that guy. I hated it so much I actually returned it which I rarely do. It reads like one of those british made for TV melodramas. You know the type that's been going on for 50 years that they play in nursing homes. It starts off innocuously enough with a nice chase scene and the Erso family on the run from the separatists, but then we cut to Krennic having a conversation about rescuing the Erso's and employing them to work on the Deathstar with one of Palpatines cronies. This dialog of "intrigue" is about as tame as a wet napkin and I swear to god it went on for at least an hour before I finally gave up and shut it off(audible). It wasn't even some sort of verbal battle.
Krennic "So theres this guy"
Secretary "Ok?"
Krennic "he can build a weapon"
Secretary "ok?"
Krennic "we should hire him"
Secretary "sound good"
Imagine it taking an hour or say 20 pages to get from the first sentence to the last and they didn't argue or anything. It was like when you checkout at Target but the cashier desperately tries to start a conversation about the eggs you just bought. That was me trying to get through this book.
Reading the other reviews I get the impression thats all this is. Its like a tech manual that explains what happened to the Erso's pre-Rogue one. I was excited at first hoping something interesting happened behind the scenes that was worth writing a book about. Clearly nothing did. This one's a cash in plain and simple. skip it. *ITS A TRAP*
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
nicole heggelund
I saw Rogue One before I read this, so I can confidently say that this book certainly enhances the experience of watching the movie. It begins in the Clone Wars era and tells of the relationship between Galen and Orson and how each plays a part in the construction of a terrifying weapon station, the Death Star. The book added so much depth to certain scenes in the movie that I was emotionally moved when I wasn't as much so in prior viewings. Learn the whole story. Also I gotta say that the design of the book was awesome. There's really cool art on the title pages. Looking forward to a second read.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
mary allen
This is an excellent book. It is paced well the characters develop excellently. This book is superior to "Rogue One." Where Rogue one is fast paced and under developed this book focuses solely on the main character -- Galen Erso
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
scott greer
Slow read. I like most of his books, I guess they didn't give him much to work on.

Spoiler: Galen (girls father from the movie) creates death star ray almost and unknowlingly. Tarkin takes over most of the death star planning from Krennic (imperial officer from movie). A few planets are taken over by the empire for some resources. Smugglers who help them do it become good at end. One is saw guerera (resistance righter from movie)
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
fr carl
How do you judge this book? By the writing? By the story? By the changes to the story from what the EU had done to it? It fails at all of these so maybe it does not matter.

The writing was mediocre. The author had an amazing ability to not draw me in and not to leave me wanting more. The climax of the book happened about 1/3 of the way into the book. The last two thirds was even more painful of a slog. The use of thesaurus words and where the author would fit them became very predictable and neither added to the writing or the depth of the story. This was the first book by the author I have read and do not plan on looking into his other works.

The story...well there wasn't a story. The book had no point. There was no strong theme, not rush of events, not personal growth or development. This book like about as nutritious as a bag of equal except it didn't even taste sweet or have an aftertaste. The book spanned ~3-4 years of time in which nothing happened.

The book did accomplish one thing. It turned events and building of the death star from an interesting layered thing to a dull adaptation to use movie locations. Gone are the days of the black hole nebula. Gone is any love interest for Tarkin. Gone are the salves and prisoners who worked to create the death star and who had families and lives. Left is only a badly wrinkled blank page no longer suitable for writing on.

Do not waste your time, money, or thought on this book as it has nothing in it.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
dane macaulay
This book gives a great back story as to where the Death Star came from and about who the chief architects of the massive weapon were. It also gives you an idea of the other players from Rogue One actually were and why they fought.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
amanda page
tl;dr: meh

I've read most of James Luceno's Star Wars books and this one is okay. It's on par with Tarkin (almost) and definitely no where close to Plagueis. Catalyst plays to his strengths but also prominently displays his weaknesses. Luceno is very good with details and has an impressive ability to reference tiny details in the Star Wars universe. He's not especially good with stories or characters. Hardcore Star Wars continuity nerds won't want to miss this but, then again, they don't miss anything. More casual readers will find this dreary.

If you haven't read any other Star Wars books this one shouldn't be your first.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
robin bailey
I listed to the audible book. The narrator was great. I loved how he did Orson Kennic and Lyra's voices. The book is great. I was upset when it ended, I didn't want it to. I fell in love with the Erso family. I'd been waiting for this since it was announced. It's very rich in story. It's a must for Star Wars lovers who are wanting to know what came before Rogue One. 10/10
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
michael hays
In my opinion, Catalyst overall is Star Wars history in narrative form. It does not tell a compelling story with conflict, climax, and resolution. It is essentially the story of the construction of the Death Star including planning, resource allocation, political maneuvering, and malicious manipulation.

In general, I was impressed by Luceno's writing. The characters had me thinking, especially Orson Krennic, and the reading level of the book is probably up there at the high school level (as evidenced by the many times I had to google word definitions). I have not read any of his other Star Wars books, but, based on their titles, I am guessing they read very similarly to this one.

In general I would not recommend this book except to the most die-hard of fans. I thought I was one of those, but apparently I'm not.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
lindyloumac
Finally, a new Star Wars book to break the monotony of the Wendig disaster that is the Aftermath series. James Luceno is a staple of the Star Wars novels and needs to remain so. He has returned Star Wars novels to their glory days. There wasn't a ton of action in this book, but there was a ton of scheming, and though the movie has yet to be released, this prequel book sets it up very nicely. A great read.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
norman
Possibly my favorite novel of the new canon. Much like his "Tarkin" novel, Lucino hits it out of the park again. Incredible insight into the construction of the Death Star. If Rogue One is half as good as this, we will be in for a treat.
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