Ratings17
Average rating4.1
It is Leia Organa's sixteenth birthday and she participates in the traditional ceremony where she declares her intention to one day take the throne of Alderaan. But she's much more concerned about the way her parents are acting lately: lots of meetings and late dinners and not talking to her as much as they used to. Eventually she discovers the reason for their secrecy: their involvement in the increasingly organized rebellion. When Leia decides to become involved herself in the fight against the Empire, whether her parents approve or not, she will have to prove to them that she is a valuable asset who must be allowed to take a stand, regardless of the risk to herself. Her stand will also put her at odds with a pacifist young Alderaanian man who gives Leia her first kiss…and her first real loss.
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Disclaimer: I liked Lost Stars. I don't mind YA titles, nor the idea of a romantic one. This book though is profoundly frustrating. About halfway through, I gave up hoping to enjoy it and kept going in case any new bits of the canon were fleshed out. They weren't. There's really no good reason to read this book.
Why is it so frustrating? The novel goes out of its way to both point out Leia's privilege and her awareness of it, but it's just so dull to observe Leia learning what we already know about the nascent Rebellion. It's a fatal flaw, as this tack just makes her come across as young Picard in “Rascals” rather than someone we can empathize with.
If Catalyst was a prelude to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story then this book was a prelude to Star Wars: The Last Jedi. It did justice to one of the most inspiring and iconic characters in science fiction/fantasy by giving her fitting backstory. Introducing us to Holdo, long before they reunite in The Last Jedi was great, and I must say, based on the description in the book, Laura Dern nailed the character. I enjoyed the story, it gave us great insight into how Leia's character was formed. The romance with Kier was a bit too much for me, it did seem out of place for Leia, but I can understand the argument otherwise. So much was set on Alderaan that I constantly felt so horrible, knowing their fate, not long in the future.
One of best on the new canon, definitely worth a read!
Series
1 released bookJourney to Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a 15-book series first released in 2017 with contributions by Jennifer Heddle, Saladin Ahmed, and 10 others.
Series
9 primary books13 released booksStar Wars Disney Canon Novel is a 111-book series with 9 primary works first released in 1976 with contributions by John Jackson Miller, Chuck Wendig, and 47 others.
Series
1 released bookStar Wars (Canon and Legends) is a 46-book series first released in 1976 with contributions by John Jackson Miller, Mike Chen, and 26 others.