The Star Wars franchise is interesting in that is has caught a firm hold of the imaginations of so many people. Now that Disney owns it, the level of commercialization associated with it has, of course, skyrocketed. One of the things Disney has done is make animated series that tie into their official, or canon, universe. The second of these is called Star Wars Rebels. It ran for four seasons, and I have watched most of the episodes (working through the fourth season as of this writing), thanks, in large part, to family members who find it to be pretty much the best thing ever. The series has been better than I would’ve expected (other than the lamely rendered lightsabers, which are too thin and pointy).
Star Wars: A New Dawn by John Jackson Miller (ISBN: 978-0-553-39286-9) talks about how two of the main Rebels characters met and teamed up to fight the Empire. A guy named Kanan is living out his life in anonymity, usually jumping from one job to another to stay ahead of anyone really getting to know him, mostly because he’s a little afraid of the Empire and because he’s really never known anything different. His public image is that of a rough-and-tumble cowboy, piloting ships carrying explosives and fighting anyone who so much as looks at him crookedly. However, he often finds himself helping people out of sticky situations, usually seemingly without thinking as it just seems to be a part of who he is. Opposite him is Hera, a Twi’lek, a humanoid alien (basically a human with so-called head-tails), who is an excellent pilot and has already dedicated her life to fighting against the Empire, although she is not part of any truly organized effort. Their worlds collide on a planet where the moon is the real draw because it can be mined. Kanan saves a few people, having used the Force to keep a cave from collapsing on them, and so is looking for a way away from the planet to avoid detection as a former Jedi. Hera comes to get some information from a guy who works for a Star Wars version of a signals intelligence agency. They meet in a dark alley, fighting off the local gang bangers and protecting people in the process. Eventually, rather begrudgingly (especially for Kanan), they’re drawn into a mission that involves smuggling things on board an Imperial ship, fighting a cyborg, and a few shoot-outs. There’s lots of action, some Star Wars-style romance, and the necessary positive ending after all the damage is done along the way. The result is that the groundwork is laid for Hera and Canan, no longer completely running from his Jedi past, leading a small team of rebels all over the galaxy, resisting the Empire whenever they get the chance.
Since the series has been a pleasant surprise, I figured the book would decent, and I was not disappointed. In a way, it was predictable, and Kanan’s storyline was an awful lot like Ahsoka’s, but I still found the story fun to read, and there was enough to the plot to keep it interesting, including a number of minor characters that were developed sufficiently to make them a good part of the story. Fans of the TV show will enjoy the book, but if there are Star Wars fans thinking of giving the TV show a try, this book would probably be good to read before watching. It would make it a bit less predictable. Finally, as with all things Star Wars, there were enough loose ends to make it very easy for someone to come along and write the next installment or a spin-off.
Star Wars: A New Dawn by John Jackson Miller (ISBN: 978-0-553-39286-9) talks about how two of the main Rebels characters met and teamed up to fight the Empire. A guy named Kanan is living out his life in anonymity, usually jumping from one job to another to stay ahead of anyone really getting to know him, mostly because he’s a little afraid of the Empire and because he’s really never known anything different. His public image is that of a rough-and-tumble cowboy, piloting ships carrying explosives and fighting anyone who so much as looks at him crookedly. However, he often finds himself helping people out of sticky situations, usually seemingly without thinking as it just seems to be a part of who he is. Opposite him is Hera, a Twi’lek, a humanoid alien (basically a human with so-called head-tails), who is an excellent pilot and has already dedicated her life to fighting against the Empire, although she is not part of any truly organized effort. Their worlds collide on a planet where the moon is the real draw because it can be mined. Kanan saves a few people, having used the Force to keep a cave from collapsing on them, and so is looking for a way away from the planet to avoid detection as a former Jedi. Hera comes to get some information from a guy who works for a Star Wars version of a signals intelligence agency. They meet in a dark alley, fighting off the local gang bangers and protecting people in the process. Eventually, rather begrudgingly (especially for Kanan), they’re drawn into a mission that involves smuggling things on board an Imperial ship, fighting a cyborg, and a few shoot-outs. There’s lots of action, some Star Wars-style romance, and the necessary positive ending after all the damage is done along the way. The result is that the groundwork is laid for Hera and Canan, no longer completely running from his Jedi past, leading a small team of rebels all over the galaxy, resisting the Empire whenever they get the chance.Since the series has been a pleasant surprise, I figured the book would decent, and I was not disappointed. In a way, it was predictable, and Kanan’s storyline was an awful lot like Ahsoka’s, but I still found the story fun to read, and there was enough to the plot to keep it interesting, including a number of minor characters that were developed sufficiently to make them a good part of the story. Fans of the TV show will enjoy the book, but if there are Star Wars fans thinking of giving the TV show a try, this book would probably be good to read before watching. It would make it a bit less predictable. Finally, as with all things Star Wars, there were enough loose ends to make it very easy for someone to come along and write the next installment or a spin-off.
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2 comments:
Good review! I also read the book and I liked it; I thought it was a bit funny how Kanan's initial reaction to Hera was very similar to Ezra's first thought about Sabine! And although Kanan was obviously crazy about Hera at first, he soon grew more mature and learned who she really was and why he truly loved her. I thought the book was good and there was an appropriate balance between action, explanation, and character interaction.
Good review! I also read the book and I thought it was a good book, with an appropriate balance between action, explanation, and character interaction. I agree that the story was similar to Ahsoka's - a former Jedi living under cover, not wanting to reveal who they were or use their now forbidden Force abilities, but later becoming a 100% rebel against the Empire. Another thing I noticed was that Kanan's initial reaction to Hera was quite similar to Ezra's first thought about Sabine, and I thought that Kanan and Hera's relationship started off very similar to Ezra and Sabine's. Later, Kanan grew more mature and grew to see and love Hera for who she was, not just a pretty lady. I liked the book and I thought that it was well written and I could understand Kanan's character more and I understand why he acts the way he does and how he's grown through his work with Hera and his active rebellion against the Empire.
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