Review: Star Wars Crucible by Troy Denning

 I received this book from Netgalley  for free in exchange for sharing my thoughts here at Fiction State of Mind.

PUBLISHER:
Del Rey Books

The Star Wars Extended Universe of books has recently focused on galaxy spanning events like Legacy of the Force and  Fate of the Jedi, which Troy Denning was a contributor to . Though I read  the Legacy series I wasn’t really up for another huge crossover so I didn't read the Fate series.

That’s why I was so drawn to Crucible. The story is set almost forty years after the events of Return of the Jedi and focuses of our favorite trio: Luke, Leia, and Han.

The story opens in a shady Cantina where Han and Leia are waiting for a meeting with Lando. The Solo luck is in full force as the pair discover Lando isn't making it to the meeting but he has sent asteroid miner Omad Kaeg in his place. Too bad Omad is on the wrong side of a debt being collected by Mandelorian Mitra Gev, granddaughter of Boba Fett.

Fights ensue and the Solo’s are given the first thread in a tangled web that is gathering around their pal Lando’s newest business venture. Crucible is a solid enjoyable read. Han fans will love this book! Its extremely Hancentric! That's right, I made up a word just for this book!

Denning had me chuckling and smiling every other page with Han’s scenes. He really captured the essence of Han, Lando and Leia. I will confess to imagining Harrison Fords sexy smile and smuggler swagger in all the action scenes and the smooth sounds of Billy Dee’s voice flowing through my head with Lando’s lines. 

There are some really interesting scientific and  spiritual concepts in this novel. We meet the Nargons, fierce beasts with cybernetic implants and controlled (barely) by a Mandelorian security force.
There is also some exploration into a raw flow of force energy near a Rift in space. The odds seemed stacked against the trio until the timely arrival of Luke Skywalker. Once the gang are all together the action and danger really kick into high gear. 

There were a lot of unexpected twists and revelations as the book built to its climax and I loved seeing the strength of Han and Leia’s relationship survive many obstacles. A really nice ending and  a possible shift in the prominence of Luke in the EU stories to come. A very new reader friendly book for those who have seen the original trilogy of films.