Rating: 
Summary: Could've been better
Review: These chapters are way too long. I hate writers who lack the sense to make their books more readable & I deduct a star everytime one does this. I don't like to stop in the middle of a chapter & long chapter make the novel seem 5x's as long.This book was rather bland. It got better toward the end but the front was so uninteresting I almost put it down. The author also steals too many lines from the movies, making it seem hokey. I've already started reading the next one & it already has a better feel to it. You better get used to the characters in this one. They have recurring roles in the next 2 books.
Rating: 
Summary: At last - Han Solo's Origins Revealed!
Review: Have you ever wondered about Han Solo's past? Why is he such a loner? Why does he have such a cavalier attitude? Why can't he trust anyone?
All of these questions and more are answered in the Han Solo Trilogy by A.C. Crispin. Unlike the prior Han Solo Trilogy by Brian Daley, this trio of books delves deeper into Han Solo's past, revealing things like how Solo became a pilot, how he met Chewbacca, and more.
The first book in A.C. Crispin's trilogy is The Paradise Snare. In this book, we meet Han Solo when he is three years old, orphaned and homeless. Rescued by a ruthless Fagan-like character, Garris Shrike, Han is forced to beg and steal to appease his benefactor. He dreams of attending the Imperial Academy and becoming an officer in the Imperial Navy. However, he realizes he must escape Shrike is he ever hopes to achieve his goal. With help from a trusted friend he manages to escape, though not completely unscathed, and heads to the planet Ylesia, where he hopes to find a job as a pilot. The planet is toted as a religious paradise, but as Han continues to discover, things aren't always what they seem.
Having read other A.C. Crispin novels, I had hopes for this series. Although the author had never written novels featuring Star Wars characters before, A.C. Crispin is an accomplished science fiction writer, producing books in the Star Trek and V series. Paradise Snare was no disappointment. I found that Crispin had a full grasp of Han's character from the first page to the last. The book revealed a great deal about the reckless, carefree, cavalier Han Solo we meet in Star Wars: A New Hope. Han Solo fans will be greatly pleased by this novel. I, for one, can't wait to read the next novel in the series, The Hutt Gambit!
Rating: 
Summary: Every scoundrel has a beginning...
Review: This is truly one of the best Star Wars books I have ever read, and I'd place it right at the top alongside Timmothy Zahn and Aaron Allston. I started reading this book late at night, stayed up till two in the morning, and immediately finished it when i woke up the next day. Though many Star Wars books have been great reads, I can barely recall any that have had this kind of "must read" effect on me. Within the first few pages, Crispin nails Han Solo's character and draws us into his world of pickpocket gangs, scams, and later spice smuggling and piloting. Han is so well written that you could imagine a younger Harrison Ford delivering the lines. Throughout the course of the novel, Crispin gives us the set up for some of Han's ideologies later in life: his reason for saving Chewbacca, his disdain for hokey religions, his inability to tell later Leia he loves her, and much more. For fans of continuity, take note: in the early chapters Crispin blends in two events, one from a Zahn novel and the other from "Tales of the Bounty Hunters". See if you can find them! The supporting characters are written just as convincingly, and the reader really grows attached to them over the course of the novel. For a new alien race, Muuurgh the Togarian is nicely introduced and integrated. He never feels out of place, and becomes a sort of predecessor to Chewbacca without becoming a "clone" of him. While Muuurgh honors a life debt similiar to Chewbacca, he is unique because he has other motivations besides watching Han, which is to find his lost mate. The other new character is Bria, Han's love interest. Bria is also not a Leia "clone." She's strong-willed and capable, but her addiction to a mind-influencing cult (a very well written part of the novel I must say) makes her unique, and her character is constantly evolving. Add in a beautiful rendition of the character on the cover, and you really have someone worthy of Han's affections. Since we know Han makes it to the movies without Bria and Muuurgh, both characters are in constant danger of being killed off, and I was on the edge of my seat (bed) during one escape scene. Congrats to Crispin for providing the most tension-filled scene I've read in any Star Wars novel (Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter comes in a close second). This is a brilliant book, and I'm sorry that I didn't read it sooner. Much better than most of the prequel novels and New Jedi Order, as soon as I finished the Paradise Snare I immediately wanted to go out and buy the rest of the Trilogy. I hope Crispin writes more Star Wars in the future.
Rating:
Summary: I love the Nerf Herder
Review: After all of these year we finally get to know the origins of Han Solo our favorite Gambler, Smuggler and Nice Guy. We also get to see his early days and his romance with a woman named Bria who it was who first introduced him to the rebel cause. While he may not yet have his furry sidekick the seirse is still galvanized with humor. If you are a Han Solo fan and (for some reason) didn't know that these books existed feel free to go to a bookstore(or amazon.com) and get yourself a copy.
Rating:
Summary: Han Solo : Love Him or Hate Him
Review: You know Han Solo, smuggler, rebel hero, daredevil, and generally nerf-herder extraordinaire. If you're his fan, you'll absolute love this book. If you're not his fan---well, this book will make you one. Trust me. I fall in the latter category myself. To get on with the review, this book is wonderful. This is Han's history, told in such a fluid and vibrant way that the book seems to tug at your sleeves for you to read on. The author A.C. Crispin pretty much nail Han down flat, you can see the kid in this book really become the man in the movies. And Bria...while I understand how some people might not like the idea, but it's pull off well and really adds to his future relations. This book deserves every five stars it gets.
Rating:
Summary: A few drawbacks, but the good points outweigh the bad
Review: Finally, the answer to the question every Star Wars fan has asked at least once: Where the heck did Han Solo come from? The book is well written, has breathtaking scenery and brutal fight scenes, as well as delving deep into Han's character, perhaps more than any book has done before. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, even though Han was never one of my apsolute favorite characters, this book nearly changed all that, and I actually found myself identifying with him! Anyway, Han is a lost, lonely street kid barely scraping together a living in the hellish undercities of Corellia. When finally, he's found by Garris Shrike, a man willing to pay with food and a bed for the thieving and pick-pocketing skills Han's had to use to survive, how can he refuse? Once he's nineteen however, Han is more than eager to free himself of Shrike and get a real job somewhere, even if it means leaving behind his good friend Dewlanna, a female wookie who loved and cared for Han like a son once he came to work for Shrike. (enter Han's chronic affection for wookies!) As soon as he escapes, Han struggles to get to Elysia, the only place who will have him as a pilot, and there he meets Bria Theran... I can't bring myself to spoil the rest of the plot, but believe me, it's definitely worth it if you're a Star Wars fan. Like some other readers, I thought the religious cult was stupid, as was the whole Bria storyline. All Bria, this supposedly strong woman does in this book is cry and cling to Han. I mean really! It's like Callista all over again! (I'm sure many of you know what I mean) Why even bother building up all this utterly sappy Romeo and Juliet stuff when everyone KNOWS that it isn't going to work out, one way or another, because Han has to be free to fall in love with Leia (who just for the record would be about eight years old at this point in time) in about ten years. Even so, while I felt these things detracted from the story enough to make me take away that fifth star it probably deserved, I still greatly enjoyed it and would recommend it to just about any Star Wars fan. Side note though, this one is not for young kids, on account of the often intense graphic violence and sexual inuendo.
Rating:
Summary: Ok read, unrealistic parts to the story
Review: I thought the whole religious cult part of the book was stupid, almost like it was just to fill in space to give the book enough pages for the publisher. There were also several times I thought the characters actions were totally unbelieveable. But it was an OK read. I hope the second and third are better because I already bought them.
Rating:
Summary: A High-Quality Production
Review: While 'Paradise Snare' fails to hold its own against the other two books of the series, it remains a very enjoyable and good look into the early life of everyone's favorite rogue. It sets the stage very nicely for the following books, despite the notable gap in time and events between 'Paradise Snare' and 'The Hutt Gambit'. While characters such as Fett, Lando, Salla, Mako, and Jarik are yet to enter Han's life, crucuail original cast members like Muurgh and Bria get their very interesting starts here. As with the rest of the trilogy, this book deals greatly with the dirty side of the galaxy, far from the gallant battles between Rebel and Imperial. Here we get spice (drug) wars, slavery, cults, and all of that stuff that lurks in the shadows. Insight into the Hutts and their cousin species, t'landa Til, is highly interesting and helps add a sense of realism and history to both the books and the SW universe overall. The next two books only increase such above things, bringing about highly interesting situations that break the Rebel-Imperial mode that so many other novels resort to. The book also sheds light on how Han was raised and other little aspects of his past that fit in perfectly with who he becomes. Simply put, Crispin's series is wonderful. It delves deep into facets of the SW universe never before explored and pieces together Han's life with amazing skill and detail. I very highly reccomend this book and the next two books and applaud Crispin for a superb trilogy.
Rating:
Summary: A good start to a trilogy
Review: This is only by second book I've read of the Star Wars Universe, the other was Rogue Plant (which was a good read). I wanted to read more about Han Solo after seeing the epic films and have only just recently started looking for them in the bookshops. I was amazed to find so many Star Wars books and didn't know where to start. So, I thought Han Solo Trilogy would be a good as any, since he was the best character out of the films, him and Bobba Fett. Back to the book, it is very well written, I couldn't put the book down, I just needed to find out what happened next. Obviously, you realise that Han isn't going to die, and that he ends up with Leia, but that doesn't stop you from turning the page. I'm just looking forward to reading Book 2 Hutt Gambit and then Book 3 Rebel Dawn, can't wait till I get home and start reading them.
Rating:
Summary: Great Summer Read!
Review: wow...i just finished "The Paradise Snare", and all i can say is what a book! from page one to the very end, this story is great...there's action...there's suspense...there's space travel...there's romance. i'm tellin ya, if you want a story that will fill you in on alot of the background questions you have about Solo, look no further. i couldn't stop reading this fine Crispin novel, and now i can't wait to start part two of this trilogy. may the force be with you
|
