REVIEW Last Shot: A Han and Lando Novel by Daniel Jose Older

Last Shot: A Han and Lando Novel by Daniel Jose Older
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Release Date: April 17, 2018
Format: Audiobook (Library)
Publisher: Del Rey 

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QUICK SUMMARY OF THE BOOK

This book follows Chuck Wendig’s trilogy, where Lando and Han must face a new threat emerging in the galaxy. Han’s actions are, of course, partially to blame for what’s happening. Lando and Han end up assembling a ragtag crew to track down a piece of technology Han encountered years ago, and an evil scientist who wants to use the technology for nefarious purposes. 

WHAT I LIKED

• Han and Lando! The author did a great job capturing the vibe of the two characters that Billy Dee Williams and Harrison Ford gave off (which was my original exposure to the characters). The narrators, Marc Thompson and January LaVoy elevated that aspect with their performance in the audiobook - the music and the sound effects interwoven with the actual narration were like the icing on the cake. It was exciting to hear things like blaster fire in the background. 

• The tone. I would place the book somewhere between young adult and adult on the intended audience level. It would be equally appropriate for either age group. There were moments where it was a bit juvenile, moments of maturity, but it all blended together well to work for this story.  

• The look into Ben Solo/Kylo Ren’s early life. I loved his character in the newer movies, and I was excited to see a glimpse into his life before he went over to the dark side and became Kylo Ren. 

• The worldbuilding. Daniel Jose Older did a great job adding to the already existing Star Wars lore and worlds.  

WHAT DIDN’T WORK FOR ME

• I found myself confused at times by the timeline of events. The publishers did provide a timeline at the beginning of the book, but it was still hard for me to keep track of what was happening when. I’m not a huge Star Wars fan, so this could just be on my lack of knowledge versus a failing on the book's part. 

• The use of three narrators. I think the book could have been done with just one or two narrators. The author, Daniel Jose Older, covers Han’s point of view from ten years ago. While he did an admirable job when compared with two professional narrators in Marc Thompson and January LaVoy, I’m not sure it was strictly necessary.  

OVERALL THOUGHTS AND IMPRESSIONS

• This book is best suited to fans of the original Star Wars movies - newcomers will have some trouble following everything that’s going on without some prior knowledge. If you’re a fan of the original Star Wars movies and you enjoy the Han/Lando interactions, then this is definitely a book you should check out. If you’re not familiar with the Star Wars movies, then this may not be an enjoyable reading experience for you.

About the Author

Daniel José Older is the New York Times bestselling author of the Young Adult series the Shadowshaper Cypher (Scholastic), the Bone Street Rumba urban fantasy series (Penguin), and the upcoming Middle Grade sci-fi adventure Flood City (Scholastic). He won the International Latino Book Award and has been nominated for the Kirkus Prize, the Mythopoeic Award, the Locus Award, the Andre Norton Award, and yes, the World Fantasy Award. Shadowshaper was named one of Esquire’s 80 Books Every Person Should Read. You can find his thoughts on writing, read dispatches from his decade-long career as an NYC paramedic and hear his music at http://danieljoseolder.net/, on youtube and @djolder on twitter.