11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Transitional Hero, December 8, 1999
This review is from: Star Wars: The Lando Calrissian Adventures (Classic Star Wars) (Mass Market Paperback)
First thing first: My review is biased. I love Lando Calrissian. He is probably my favorite character in the whole series and I'll explain why. When we first see him in Empire Strikes Back, he is someone that doesn't have the same freedom that the others have. He is responsible for the well being of an entire populace, on his own. His apparent betrayal of our heroes is one of necessity. Only when he realizes that his betrayal will not save his city and will make things even worse for his friends does he correct the situation as best he can. By the end of the trilogy, he is the hero of Endor, having led the defeat of the Death Star. Lando is a transitional hero; he is not as clear cut as the rest, but develops with the story. His actions are weighed by responsibility and eventually he does the right thing; not only that, but he redeems himself for his apparent betrayal. So, let's look at the book itself. We get to see what Lando did while he owned the Millenium Falcon, back before he became Baron Administrator, previous to his heroics in the rebellion. And his story is very fun to read. It takes place when the Jedi are gone, the Empire strong and growing, and the galaxy falling to despair. Never a better time to make one's fortune. He flies his ship through uncharted backwater worlds to become involved in an "international" adventure that leads to some terrific conclusions and plot twists. Not only that, the scenes that stand out are Lando's James Bond-like lifestyle and the casino scenes are well written. Lando could beat 007 at a hand of cards and with style. Don't look for an all out battle that redefines the fate of the galaxy. Instead, sit back and enjoy the suspense of a good card game, the mystery of the past revealed, and the wonder of discovery in classic sci-fi fashion. Lando is young, the Millenium Falcon, well, still an old piece of junk that can outfly anything, and there are destinies to be made. This book lays the foundation of Lando's adventures and gives us a glimpse into his past. p.s. If you want to find out what happens after the Lando Calrissian Trilogy, read the second Han Solo trilogy by A.C. Crispin; highly recommended.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Some of the best Star Wars books ever., August 17, 2004
This review is from: Star Wars: The Lando Calrissian Adventures (Classic Star Wars) (Mass Market Paperback)
Seriously, L. Neil Smith's Lando Calrissian Adventures are among the best stories set in the Star Wars universe. I'll not waste your time repeating all of its virtues (you can read the other positive reviews for that); instead, I'll clear up a couple of misconceptions some other reviewers had.
The Emperor and the Empire do not exist in these books, one reviewer griped. This is incorrect. Try reading them.
The Centrality = the Empire??? Not at all, friends. The Centrality is a small, self-governed region of the galaxy, much like the Corporate Sector, located in a remote corner of the Inner Rim Territories, between the Cron Drift and Hutt Space.
It has few planetary bodies, though it does contain the Rafa System and the Renatasian System. The Centrality was allied with the Empire, but there were few Imperial forces in the area because of its lack of resources. I'd assume that a good number of these forces were destroyed in the battle with the Oswaft at the ThonBoka.
Oh, no! Incorrect terminology ("faster-than-light" instead of "hyperspace")! Er, yeah. Ships in hyperspace DO go faster than light.
Rokur Gepta! Who is he, why is he commanding the Imperial Fleet (or part of it)? Rokur Gepta was one of the galaxy's assorted darksiders who were allied with the Emperor, like Azrakel and Del Korrot (make no mistake, he wasn't one of Palpatine's Imperial Dark Jedi stooges like Hethrir, Ameesa Darys, or Arden Lyn). Emperor Palpatine took interest in Rokur Gepta, the last Sorceror of Tund, and made him one of the most powerful beings in the Centrality, with the power to supersede most government or military operations.
Yeah, well, that's it. Hopefully, they'll bring back Vuffi Raa in a future story. That little droid just rocks.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very Good, September 9, 2000
This review is from: Star Wars: The Lando Calrissian Adventures (Classic Star Wars) (Mass Market Paperback)
These stories were a refreshing change from the more "heavy" star wars books, and makes for a nice break from the endless arrays of "Greatest Threats Ever" or giant Superweapons that plagued the Jedi Academy Trilogy, Corellian and Darksaber books. The Calrissian trilogy also has more in common with traditional sci fi than most Star Wars stories. The characterizations of Lando and his robot sidekick, Vuffi Raa, are spot on, even if the main villain, Rokur Gepta is totally generic. The story is pretty light throughout, it is always interesting and full of unexpected twists and turns. The droid, Vuffi Raa, is a classic robot, and has the same appeal as C3-PO and R2-D2. And if many of the details in the book seem wrong, or undefined, just remember that it was written in 1982-1983 when only two films and maybe five books of Star Wars were around. This series is far better than the 1978 Han Solo Adventures. Highly recommended.
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