Martha Wells, though, has returned to those heady days when the Star Wars universe was ripe for exploration in Star Wars: Empire and Rebellion: Razor’s Edge
***Book Two: Honor Among Thieves by James S.A. Corey is Released. Our review***
Gone is the ever-increasing ante. The galaxy is no longer at stake, it’s just the Empire versus the Rebellion. Princess Leia along with Han Solo, Luke Skywalker and Chewbacca are young and relatively unknown. In Razor’s Edge they’re dealing with the fallout of Alderaan’s destruction and their victory over the Death Star. In the four years between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back things are far from rosy, as Leia sets out with Han to aid in the construction of Echo Base, the Rebellion’s future headquarters on Hoth. In the process they get attacked by the Empire and hijacked by pirates and have to outwit and escape all, whilst saving some slaves and redeeming said pirates.
Leia, as always, is more than capable of handling anything the galaxy throws at her. With Han Solo at her side she’s downright unstoppable. Their relationship hasn’t moved beyond the frustrating jibes Han and Leia throw at one another, but the idea is there which provides a good lead up to the events in a certain asteroid belt in the Hoth system. Han’s assistance could be categorized as reckless and unplanned. Next to Leia’s methodical and cerebral approach, Han’s appears more childish and brash – perfectly in line with his character.
The number of female characters far out numbers the male, which works perfectly in the Star Wars universe. Strong women have been the norm since the series inception and include: the aforementioned Princess Leia, Mara Jade, Mon Mothma, Jaina Solo, Ysanne Isard and Padme Amidala. The problem is that the most memorable female characters are all white humans. For a series full of an infinite number of beings there’s very little diversity. To be fair to Martha Wells in Razor’s Edge, she uses very little in the way of character descriptions, leaving them open to the reader’s imagination. The only downside of this is that secondary characters become pretty interchangeable with no discerning features to differentiate them by.
The concentration on the original set of characters in a time period where little beyond the comic books has been written is a great way to introduce new readers to the Star Wars Expanded Universe. Hopes and worries about what Disney will do with Star Wars and the Expanded Universe, Razor’s Edge makes for a great read that returns to the heyday of what Star Wars was – a fight for each star system by a beleaguered, embattled and ragtag bunch of rebels. The return to scale keeps the story believable and prevents Leia, Han, Luke and Chewbacca from being the demi-gods they become later, keeping them relatable. For those wondering what the heroes of the Rebellion were up to between the movies, Razor’s Edge is a worthy read.
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Review by: Gregory Pellechi
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