Rating: Summary: A funny, well written, excellent Star Wars book Review: Well, I have to say that I didn't expect to like this book nearly as much as I did, on acount of the somewhat irritating title. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was in fact an excellent book, one of the most entertaining Star Wars books I have read in a while. The writing was skilled, humourous, and portrayed everyone well, so that I felt as if I was there. Set four years after Return of the Jedi, in this book the sixty-three incredibally rich planets of the Hapes cluster say they will join the fledgling New Republic if Leia will marry the incredibally handsome Prince Isolder of the Hapes Cluster. She seriously considers it, and Han takes that to mean she doesn't love him anymore, so he kidnapps her to the planet Dathomir which he won in a card game, in the hopes that being alone with him will make her love him again. What he doesn't realize is that the planet is crawling with giant rancors and fierce warrior women who use men as slaves. Meanwhile, Luke and Isolder follow them to try and rescue Leia, and end up getting "captured" by Teneniel Djo, who is one of these warrior women, who decides to make Luke her slave/husband. As to how this mix-up is finally solved, well, you'll just have to read the book because I'm not telling! One problem I had with this book was that it seemed to skip over too many years between itself and The Truce at Bakura, and then expect me to know what was happening politically at that time. Just who is this Zsinj? Did I miss a book or something? He certainly wasn't mentioned in The Truce at Bakura which, as far as I know is the last book before this one. Anyway, back to good points. This book, I thought, portrayed all the characters with expertise, even Luke, who a lot of authors seem to have trouble with. Also, this book actually made me gain some interest in Han and Leia's relationship, which I previously ignored, since because Luke was always my favorite character I was always more interested in his relationships. (hint: Mara Jade) This book though, effectively brought out both of Han and Leia's hotheaded personalities, and very well illustrated the essencse of their often rocky relationship. Also, going back to Luke's relationships, his 'almost, sort of, mutual like' he had with Teneniel was something I found more funny than annoying and frustrating like I have found many of his other relationships. (Aka Gaeriel and Callista, (loud gagging noises)) I also knew from the beginning that Teneniel was going to end up with _______ because their daughter, Tenel Ka was one of the main characters in the series, Young Jedi Knights. Another thing I loved about this book was that Dathomir was such a cool planet. A planet full of warrior women who ride rancors and wield primitive weapons. Can it get any cooler? I doubt it! Anyway, I would recommend this book to any Star Wars fan, especially those who want to see how Han and Leia finally get married.
Rating: Summary: Courtship is strong on adventure, but weak on Star Wars. Review: Just what is it that Leia Organa and Han Solo see in each other? What makes their love so strong? Those questions, which would make for a decent plot, are largely ignored in The Courtship of Princess Leia, novelist Dave Wolverton's addition to the the Space Opera's constantly growing multi-media empire.Han Solo returns from a hard five months of space battles to find that a suitor has come to offer his hand in marriage to Princess Leia. The suitor comes from a rich cluster of planets that would prove beneficial to the Rebel Alliance and offer the Alderaan refugees (those off planet when it was destroyed by Grand Mof Tarkin in Episode IV: A New Hope) a possible new home. Leia, who badly wants her guilt about Alderaan's destruction eased, seriously contemplates the offer. Han responds by taking desperate (and almost thoroughly out of character) actions to win Leia back. Individual moments in Courtship's storyline are better than the sum of its parts. There's enough exciting action and political intrigue to hold interest and make the book an entertaining read, but it is severely hampered by Wolverton's obvious tin ear for the characters in the Star Wars franchise. Just when the book gets cooking someone behaves in a manner that just seems wrong and the spell is broken. The old cliche of "Close, but no cigar" is what describes this outing best.
Rating: Summary: I was honestly suprised... Review: I bought this book because of the title. I am a big fan of Princess Leia, Luke and Han, and I could never forget Chewie! I am also a very picky reader. When I read a book, I want to FEEL what is going on, not just see the words. This book was more than I thought it would be. I found not only great battles, but also great humor. The author did a nice job in balancing so many aspects. While I grew even closer to the main characters, I grew close to the planet that this story took place on as well. This story calls out to you as the Nightsisters and those of the Singing Moutain Clan battle for more than just their morals. If you are a Star Wars fan, I suggest you check out this book and see for yourself.
Rating: Summary: Okay, but... Review: I was a little disappointed with this book. For one thing, the author gives Luke superhuman powers- whatever happened to the more brash Luke? I can understand growing and maturing in the Force, and all that- but then there's also the slight fact that he seems to regularily do things without effort using the Force, without even pausing to think about it. It gets old, after a while. And Han Solo was totally unlike the character we remember from the movies. Come on, who ever heard of using a Gun of Command just to get someone to go on a space flight to a planet with them? On the other hand, the plot line does have some interesting points, and Teneniel Djo is an interesting character. Nice try, Wolverton. Try to make the characters a little more realistic next time.
Rating: Summary: Good solid Star Wars Han-Leia romance story..... Review: Dave Wolverton's Star Wars: The Courtship of Princess Leia chronicles the desperate campaign waged by Han Solo to win Princess Leia's heart even as the New Republic leadership encourages the former senator from Alderaan to marry Prince Isolder of Hapes. It is a time of transition in the galaxy. The Emperor and Darth Vader are dead, and the Galactic Empire is now one-fourth its former size. Without the unifying influence of Emperor Palpatine and his dark-side powers, Imperial moffs, admirals, and self-appointed warlords are vying for power. Some fight among themselves, while others, such as Warlord Zsinj, employ their Star Destroyers and stormtroopers against the fledgling New Republic. While Han Solo is tracking the elusive and dangerous Zsinj and his Super Star Destroyer, the Iron Fist, Luke Skywalker is scouring the galaxy for data about the Jedi Order, which had been nearly exterminated by Emperor Palpatine and his henchman Darth Vader, who once had been Anakin Skywalker, Luke's father. Knowing that the New Republic can only survive with the aid of a new order of Jedi, Luke has made it his life's mission to learn all he can about the training of Jedi Knights so he can set up a Jedi Academy. On the planet Toola, in the ruins of a Jedi Master's last hiding place, he finds, with guidance from the Force, a data cylinder which, although damaged by the effects of Imperial grenades, contains a hologram containing mission reports from various Jedi...including his own former Master, Yoda. "We tried to free the Chu'unthor from Dathomir, but were repulsed by the witches..." Yoda says. The words don't make much sense to the last of the Jedi Knights, but he's determined to find out what, or who, the Chu'unthor was, and to discover how several Jedi Masters and their acolytes could have been forced to retreat. Meanwhile, Han has returned to Coruscant from a long and frustrating search for Zsinj and the Iron Fist, only to find a huge Hapan Battle Fleet in orbit. Having had run-ins with the xenophobic and closed society of the 63-world strong Hapan Cluster in his early days as a smuggler, Han is apprehensive. His apprehension turns to dismay when he discovers that the Machiavellian Queen of Hapes, Ta'a Chume is willing to ally her realm with the New Republic if Princess Leia agrees to marry her son, Prince Isolder. Leia is torn between her love for Han and her sense of duty to the Republic, in whose service she has been since her teens. She doesn't accept right away, but under pressure from both Mon Mothma and the surviving Alderaanian refugee leadership, she does agree to consider it. Angry and dejected, Han goes to a bar and casino in the seamier parts of Coruscant, and joins in on a sabbacc game. In one lucky hand, the smuggler-turned-General wins the deed to a planet...a planet known as Dathomir. Elated and somewhat recklessly, Han attempts to impress Leia with his new property, hoping that Dathomir can be set up as a substitute for Leia's now-defunct home-world of Alderaan, which had been destroyed by the Empire's first Death Star almost a decade before. But when Leia seemingly rejects them, Han takes one of Leia's engagement gifts, a Hapan Gun of Command, and uses it to force the strong-willed Princess to accompany him on a trip to Dathomir....a trip that Han hopes will rekindle Leia's love for him. But Ta'a Chume and the New Republic leadership are determined that the wedding take place, so Prince Isolder and Luke Skywalker follow the Millennium Falcon to the mysterious planet of Dathomir, where the witches who defeated Yoda and several other Jedi still reside.... Wolverton's novel is fast paced and entertaining, and Han-Leia fans will enjoy reading the ups and downs of this chapter in their romantic history. As in every good Star Wars novel, there are space battles, suspense, political intrigue, and the classic clash between the forces of good and evil.
Rating: Summary: Don't let the title mislead you... Review: ...into thinking this is a romance novel, Star Wars style. Summary: The novel starts off on Coruscant, with Leia welcoming an entourage from Hapes. Hapes and its other worlds, have plenty to offer to the newly formed Republic, 4 years after ROTJ. One surprise, is Prince Isolder, who wants Leia as his wife, and eventually the queen mother of Hapes. She starts to fall for him, and this makes Han very jealous. He wins a planet in a sabacc game, called Dathomir. He kidnaps Leia, and takes her here to try to win her back. This planet is orbited by Zsinj, a warlord from the remnants of the Empire. Han and Leia, along with Chewie and C-3PO crash land on the planet. They find that this planet has more than meets the eye. Luke comes searching for them, along with Isolder. The planet is full of surprises, including rancors, much larger than the one in ROTJ, that was in Jabba's palace. Even more dangerous are these witches, called the Nightsisters, who possess the Force, and use it for evil. Come to find out, the Emperor himself, was afraid of them. Leia and Han come in contact with a clan of good witches, called the Mountain Clan. This sets up a struggle between the two clans, with Leia, Han and Luke involved. Likes: So, not much courtship going on in this novel. This novel has everything I like in a SW novel, interesting, forbidden planet, involving the characters as much as can be expected, and good vs. evil. The evil being pretty strong in this one and Luke struggling with the Nightsisters. Dislikes: None. Finally: Make sure you get this for your SW novel collection.
Rating: Summary: Well done if standard Star Wars book Review: This book is a well written adition to the Star Wars Universe. While not as complex as the Zahn books or the Stackpole books, it is a strong story with an interesting concept. One assumes that Han and Leia will be together happily ever after at the end of Return of the Jedi, but what if there were some bumps in the road on the way to happy marriage? Wolverton explores this path, by having a rival for Han Solo show up. Now normally Han Solo would just laugh at a rival, but this guy seems just too perfect for Leia. Han and Leia argue and seem to break up. In desperation, Han kidnaps Leia and takes to to a planet won in a card game that happens to be in the territory of an Imperial Warlord who hates General Solo personally. Luke and the jilted suitor followeventually everyone is shot down on this planet which is inhabited by force powerful "witches" who are engaged in a battle between light and dark. This book, while it might not have alot of depth, is just alot of fun to read. The new characters the Prince of Hapes and Tenneil Djo are a great addition to the expanded universe. It is unfortunate that it is not until the Young Jedi Knights series that these characters are in any way used again. Overall I have to say this is a fun, enjoyable and recommended Star Wars book.
Rating: Summary: This one's a little painful Review: Yep. I read it. It hurt, by I survived. It's set a couple of years after Return of the Jedi (4?). It has a very bizzare plot, of Leia being suited and the like. Han Kidnapps her, and somehow they wind up on this 'uninhabited' world. That is, except for political prisoners, witches, and oh, yes Rancors. WHY!!!! Zjinsi learns of this, brings his SSD around to the system and they have a good 'ol battle. It had its moments, not many, but it had them. (allow me the paraphrasing of a certain character, please) I'd say for the die-hard star wars fan, you almost have to read it, but anyone else might resort to violence after being subjected to the tyranny of the first several chapters. Happy Reading P-)
Rating: Summary: More than just a love story . . . an epic Review: The Courtship of Princess Leia immediately begins with the conflict between Han Solo and the impressive Prince Isolder, bringing all the hopes that Leia and Han would marry to a halt. It is obvious to any Star Wars fan that Han and Leia are married in later novels, and to think the conflict to be trivial would be incorrect. Fortunately, that conflict is only actually a tool used to create the larger story by forcing Han to kidnap Leia and take her to the remote world of Dathomir, which is under Imperial control by the Warlord Zsinj. It is on this plant that the real story begins. With the Falcon broken down on the strange and beautiful planet, Han, Leia, and Chewie try to find a way to escape before Warlord Zsinj finds out. Also, Luke teams with Isolder to find Han and Leia on this world. Once all the major characters are on Dathomir, they discover a new society of "witches" who battle for supremacy. These witches utilize both the light side of the force (by the White Singing Clan) and dark side of the force(by the Nightsisters). I can't recommend this novel more. The Courtship of Princess Leia is more than just a love story - it is a novel of epic determination, old traditions battling new possibilities, and an adventurous battle that could only mirror the old battles of Hoth and Endor. It is a must read for anyone thinking of reading the expanding universe.
Rating: Summary: Star Wars Review: While this is not one of my favorite Star Wars books it is an interesting story. It is also an important story. Characters introduced in this book will return in later ones. This also contains Han and Leia's wedding.
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