Star Wars: The Han Solo Adventures

Rating:
Summary: one of the few chances to travel with a young Han
Review: "The Han Solo Adventures" is a Three-in-One novel that takes three novels about Han Solo and brings them together in one volume. These novels are set before "Star Wars: A New Hope" and feature a younger Han Solo than we see in the movies. While these books were written before the Original Trilogy had even finished, they fit in very well into the Extended Universe, mostly because nothing that happens in these books has any bearing on the rest of the Star Wars story. The title for this collection is perfect, these are just three Han Solo Adventures.

Unlike most of the other Star Wars novels, the main villain here is not the Empire but rather a completely unrelated entity called the Corporate Sector Authority. Being short on credits again, Han and Chewie take on a job to find a missing mechanic. That sounds simple enough, but this mechanic is one that made many of the major modifications to the Falcon and he operates outside of the law like many smugglers. This search for the mechanic takes Han into the Corporate Sector, an uninhabited section of the galaxy which is used for mining and is controlled by the Corporate Sector Authority. "Han Solo at Star's End" covers this story. Han fights the Espos (the military/police force of the Corporate Authority), rescues prisoners, and gets into tight situations.

"Han Solo's Revenge" has Han and Chewie taking on a smuggling mission, but the cargo ends up being slaves. Since Han refuses to have anything to do with the slave trade, what follows is double-crosses by the slavers and then by Han as he tries to fight back and get himself out of this mess. This is also a bit of a revenge novel with Han's grudge against slavers of all kinds.

The final novel in this collection is "Han Solo and the Lost Legacy". This novel takes Han and Chewie on an adventure to find a mythical treasure hidden on a new planet. Comparing this to Indiana Jones would not be out of the question as this is the type of adventure it is, even set in the Star Wars Universe. At times, this novel seemed to be just a bit too silly because of the treasure hunting aspect of it.

Brian Daley did a good job writing these stories. This was before there was an Extended Universe (except for "Splinter of the Mind's Eye") and we get to see Han and Chewie go on three new adventures. We seldom get to see a younger Han except as he relates to Luke and Leia, so these books are nice for that reason. They are also fairly well written (especially compared to the 3-in-1 Lando Calrissian book). My biggest problem is just that these aren't connected to anything else in Star Wars. The Corporate Sector, while a good villain and a change of pace from the Empire, is never re-visited again (though I understand that the New Jedi Order series finally mentions it), and while the stakes are high for the characters, we know that the two important characters are going to make it. A.C. Crispin does a very good job tying these three books into her Han trilogy (which she wrote some 15 years after Daley), but does a better job at telling an interesting story and explaining Han Solo. Brian Daley just has Han being Han. These are well written, but not quite as interesting or exciting as I had hoped. The first book is best and the quality drops throughout each story. Still, there are only 6 books that deal with a younger Han Solo, so if that is an era you are interested in, this is one of your only chances to visit with a younger Han and go on an adventure.

-Joe Sherry

Rating:
Summary: Overall, pretty good.
Review: All things considered, this was a great trio of books. The characters, story plots, and settings are all very believable, but they are also interesting. While not as good as the Zahn trilogy or the Han Solo Trilogy, pretty interesting reading for any Star Wars fan.

Rating:
Summary: Good stuff!
Review: Along with 'Splinter of the Mind's Eye', this was some of the first comissioned Star Wars work. Instead of continuing the story, like Foster did, Daley decided to delve into the history of Star Wars' most interesting character, Han Solo. These books were simply incredible. They work as action novels, but they also give many glimpses into the personalities of Han and Chewie at work. It's easy to forget Daley's contributions, since these can be overlooked during the current wave of new SW material. However, much of what he wrote here is now considered by all to be part of the "official" history. For example, he was the first to write about the meeting of Han and Chewie, something no one today questions. The strength of these books is more poignant considering Daley's death about a year ago. It is reassuring to know he left such a good mark within the Star Wars universe. I strongly recommend them, not just to SW fans, but all sci-fi fans

Rating:
Summary: Han Solo from the Vault
Review: As a Brian Daley fan, I may be a bit biased, but hey! These stories are the reason I AM a B.D. fan. I speak as a Star Wars fan strictly now though, and this book is a must. This is Star Wars before there was full-blown tie-ins and spin-offs,etc.,etc. While some of the planets, species and people are unfamiliar, Han & Chewie are not and that's all you need to have a good read. (Brings back memories of watching the old movies and reading my old Marvel comics.)

Rating:
Summary: Solo Books Great Reading
Review: Brian Daley did a fantastic job on these novels. He wrote perfectly for Han and Chewie even before they were fully developed (the books were written in 1979 and 1980). An important part of the novel is the characterization, at which Daley is very talented. Han and Chewie speak and act like they would in the movies. The Solo adventures are action-packed and never slow down. A must read for Han Solo fans. If you're looking for something in a Star Wars novel besides seeing MORE remnants of the Empire pop up again and again, you HAVE to read these books. In them, Han deals with the Corporate Sector Authority, a group unrelated to the Empire, but just as dangerous. Daley introduces new and interesting characters that become as much a part of the book as Han or Chewbacca. These books will definitely not disappoint a true Star Wars fan. They're full of all the action and excitement that epitomize Star Wars. I would give the books a 10 except that there are a few somewhat goofy moments. In "Han Solo's Revenge", Chewbacca escapes stampeding animals by quickly making a glider out of a dead pterosaur. That seems a bit ridiculous to me, but everything else is just perfect.

Rating:
Summary: True to the Original
Review: Brian Daley does a fine job of staying true to the original Star Wars movie characters. Normally I am not a Daley fan, disliking the Coramande stories, and if it had not been for the "Star Wars" title I probably would not have given it a second glance, but I'm glad I did. All three stories stand on their own, but together weave a great saga-like tale. The best (I feel) of the three is the first: Han Solo at Star's End. The publisher's description does not do it justice, I feel it is movie material. The story's ending is very well written, you feel as if you are there with Han fighting the Empire. "Lost Legacy" is the second best, but just a bit "outside" Han's character and a bit too spectacular. Overall, this is a great series of books wrapped (finally) into one. Well worth the purchase price.

Rating:
Summary: Daley does it better
Review: First released in the 1970s, Daley gave hungry "Star Wars" fans a much-needed fix between the release of Lucas' flicks, and with the notable exceptions of AC Crispin and Tim Zahn, has been the only writer to really do justice to the original trilogy. Daley gives us a look into Han and Chewbacca's smuggling career and takes them from caper to caper and thrill to thrill in the Corporate Sector Authority (nice change from the Empire, by the way). Han destroys a slaving circle in Han Solo's Revenge and does an Indiana Jones in Lost Legacy. Definitely worth a read.

Rating:
Summary: ok, but only if this is the last book lying around
Review: Han Solo, probably one of the most interesting characters in the Star Wars universe, as he's not as black or white as most characters. Unfortunately this book only gives us three stories with a rather two dimentional Han. The only reason I'm giving it three instead of two stars is because the fact that it's about Han Solo it builds up a certain anticipation, which it ulitmately doesn't live up to. If you want to read something about Han Solo, read A.C. Crispin's excellent trilogy. However if you've read all the better SW books out there and are now reading some of the back catalog of lesser ones (like me) it isn't truly bad, it's just that it could have been so much more

Rating:
Summary: Planet-hopping pulp encounters!
Review: I first read this when I was 10. Still a pleasure. What can I say about Brian Daley's Han Solo material?

Daley's style is all action, with some fairly challenging visual descriptions, that give your imagination a brief workout. The pages-long fighter duel in _Star's End_ a is a perfect example, you should be prepared to hear the swooshes.

There's not a lot of invention, just variations on a planet-hopping Star Wars formula of getting out of one jam after another, while rescuing your friends or picking up new ones.

It's more believable than fantasy, because Daley obliges the laws of physics more often than some we can mention, and there's no weird Force stuff. There's very little theme at all here, and in fact it's quite squarely in the pulp tradition of science fiction/fantasy action that Star Wars takes after.

If you have an appetite for a little more pulp, try Leigh Brackett's _Starmen of Llyrdis_, _Sword of Rhiannon_, or the Skaith planetary trilogy. George Lucas read her Skaith trilogy and hired her to write The Empire Strikes Back.

Rating:
Summary: Love it!
Review: I have read and re-read this book since it frist came out and was relieved when I read The Han Solo Trilogy - Volume 3 : Rebel Dawn to see that A.C. Crispin had included references to the books and the fun and exciting adventures that were written. The characters were written just as I had immagined they would be, based on the movies. It should be included in any Star Wars novel collection.