Rating: 
Summary: A great new tale to expand our Star Wars imagination!
Review: Crispin is a superb Star Wars writer whos style stays in the vein of the original movies. He has succeded in giving the reader a glimps into the life of that mysterious 'Rogue' Han Solo. I can't wait for the third installment.
Rating: 
Summary: Author's comment on THE HUTT GAMBIT
Review: In response to Mr. or Ms. Mohan's question about why THE HUTT GAMBIT did not go into detail about Han Solo's days in the Academy or his life in the Imperial Navy...
I'm afraid that Lucasfilm instructed me to leave those subjects alone. I also wasn't permitted to have Imperial intrigues involving Emperor Palpatine or Darth Vader, except in a very indirect fashion.
So, to Mr. or Ms. Mohan...sorry you didn't like the book. They've re-released the Brian Daley trilogy. Perhaps that would be more your cup of tea?
At any rate, thanks for the kind words from those here on Amazon.com who -did- enjoy the story. Book Three, REBEL DAWN, will be released in March of 1998.
May the Force Be With All of Us
Rating: 
Summary: Now this is what I call a sequel!
Review: While A. C. Crispin's first Star Wars novel was alright, her second was excellent! It captured everything that made the movies so famous (not to mention the reader's attention)! Not only do you get to see how Han meets a lot of future-movie pals, but you also get a detailed (and enjoyable) look at the lives of the galaxie's most ruthless criminal lords, the Hutts! Well worth the read! -Embe
Rating: 
Summary: Going through the paces. . .
Review: Yes, it's a Star Wars book but that doesn't automatically mean it's amazing. Granted the Battle of Nar Shaddaa was well written and full of suspense, the rest of the novel lacks enthusiasm. Crispin puts Solo through the paces but there never comes a time when I was drawn into the action and cared about him. Why was I so disappointed? I'll start with the opening line: "Han Solo, former Imperial officer..." At the end of the first book, I wanted to read about Han Solo's experiences in the Imperial forces. Finally we might learn how he became the man that he is. But Crispin's second book skips over nearly five years of Solo's life and tells his story in a half-hearted way. Was Solo's time in the Imperial navy skipped over because this is an area Lucas wishes to remain untouched? I'd like to know.
And I long for a writer to avoid the cliches: Boba Fett flies over the Tatooine desert thinking he'll never come back again. Yet every Star Wars fan is supposed to chuckle and think, "Gee, I know he'll die there in 'Return of the Jedi.'" This book did not deliver. Paced like thick molasses, do yourself a favor: Skip reading most of the book and begin on page 280. If you would like to know what happened to Han Solo after the first book, do yourself a favor and use your own imagination. Trust me
Rating:
Summary: No disappointment in this sequel
Review: Often, sequels can be disappointing, not measuring up to the original book. Not so with The Hutt Gambit.
The story moves along quickly, full of action and drama. Those who have read other Star Wars novels will find many first encounters related here that impact future events. Ms. Crispin does an excellent job keeping to the known history of Han and his relationships with other Star Wars characters.
The Hutt Gambit is full of action, drama, and a little romance. What could be better?
Rating:
Summary: Great novel, Great writer
Review: With the notable exceptions of Brian Daley and T. Zahn, I've been disgusted by the supposed Star Wars novels. A.C. Crispin, however, obviously knows the universe and shows it with her on-target depictions of beloved characters. Fans of the Marvel comic series will be delighted to see some of those characters pop up from time to time, and Chrispin neatly ties in not only Lucas' work but also Brian Daley's. This is an excellent trilogy and I highly recommend it for real Star Wars fans. Even the most hardcore will find NO fault here. Neither does this critic, for what it's worth, and I quit counting the times I've watched Star Wars after it topped a hundred.
Rating:
Summary: Great for the Star Wars fan
Review: "The Hutt Gambit" is the second volume of A.C. Crispin's Han Solo Trilogy. At the end of "The Paradise Snare" a younger Han Solo was proud that he was accepted into the Imperial Navy and he looked forward to his career as an Imperial Soldier (potentially an officer) and a pilot. When we begin "The Hutt Gambit" we learn that Han had been dishonorably discharged from the service and he can be found in a bar with a Wookiee who has sworn a life debt to Han. The Wookiee, of course, is Chewbacca. Han acted against a superior office when he rescued Chewie from slavery, and from being killed. This brings Han full circle to become the smuggler we know in "A New Hope".
To start, Han does not want Chewbacca around. Han feels that there is no other way that he could have acted, and he was also paying off a debt that he felt he owed to a wookiee in "The Paradise Snare". But, Chewbacca insists and Han quickly gets used to having someone around to talk to. Han hires himself (and thus Chewie) out to the Hutts on the Smuggler's Moon. Specifically, Han takes employment with Jiliac and Jabba. Yes, that Jabba. This gets Han involved, on the periphery, of the interclan conflicts of the Hutts and also into battle with the Empire which is seeking to take control of some of the Hutt wealth.
"The Hutt Gambit" foreshadows Han's role in the Star Wars Trilogy, and does a good job in developing his character into the man we meet in "A New Hope". It sets up the relationships between Han and Lando, Boba Fett (this was interesting), Jabba, and Han's response to the Empire. This was a fast paced story and should be interesting to the Star Wars fan. I don't know how accessible this would be to those who are not familiar with Star Wars and it goes without saying that reading "The Paradise Snare" first is a must. This is worth reading for the Star Wars fan, but everyone else has to decide where they would like to enter the Star Wars universe.
-Joe Sherry
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Story! Perfect Continuation of the Han Solo books
Review: The second in the Han Solo Trilogy, The Hutt Gambut continues the exploration into Han Solo's life before Episode IV. We meet up with our scruffy hero after he has just been kicked out of Imperial service for saving a hairy alien named Chewbacca. Their legendary partnership begins with a drunk Han Solo and takes them all the way across the galaxy, with Han meeting all sorts of movie and expanded universe characters including Shalla, Lando Calrissian and of course everyonr's favorite bounty hunter: Boba Fett. The confronatation between Solo and Fett is classic and really amazing. Crispin continues to write perfectly for this character. She really makes a young Han Solo come alive, all while setting up his character to be consistant with the Solo from the movies. It truly is a welcome addition to the series and to the expanded universe in general.
Rating:
Summary: Solo beginnings
Review: If you have ever wondered just how Han Solo got his start, this is the book for you. Crispin has captured the flavor of the Star Wars and the characters of Han, Chewie, and Lando perfectly. The story is rich and exciting and full of great action. However, it is more than the typical action we are used to from Star Wars. It is rich in plot, locations, and characters. I highly recommend this book and the series as a whole.
Rating:
Summary: So how did Han end up in trouble with Jabba?
Review: This is the second book of the trilogy that introduces Han Solo and is the true beginning of the "Classic Star Wars era that ends with Vision of the Future. Han earns the affection of Jabba. This is my favorite series of books in the classic SW universe.
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