Ok, first off, this book is not as bad as everyone says it is. It is actually a really good read, IF you've already seen or have some experience with Star Wars Rebels. As such, you'll have a much better connection to the characters in this book than those who had no previous experience with Rebels characters.
Kanan's backstory is really fun to read because of how different he is from his animated counterpart. He's younger, cocky (especially around women), and less inclined to care about others. However, once Hera enters his life, he begins to show a side that is more reminiscent of Caleb Dume (his Jedi name) than Kanan Jarrus. This is interesting because immediately you begin to see how his connection to Hera slowly begins to bring out the rebel and Jedi in Kanan. His whole philosophy up to this point has always been to not get attached to someone or someplace, but once you do, then it's time for you to leave. This ideology stops him from caring about others too much while also letting him keep his identity secret from the Empire and not be captured.
As for Hera, you learn about how devoted to the Rebel cause. Given how early in the timeline this takes place, she never truly mentions that she is a part of the Rebel Alliance in the beginning of the book as she has to continue to scope out who is or isn't against her cause to take down the Empire. Even when different situations present itself to her, she never wavers in her beliefs. Even when she thinks some may be valuable to the rebel cause, she doesn't recruit just anybody, especially if she thinks they're reckless and more trouble than what it's worth. Just in the animated show, Hera is just as strong of a character in the book while also giving the reader a further proof of her iconic piloting skills.
The rest of the characters are just minor, except for the two prominent Imperials who act as the antagonists of the book. Count Vidian is an interesting character that makes me wonder what the Imperial leaders think of him. Vidian has such a strong presence about him that I think would provide some great dialogue with other Imperials like Tarkin. (I know that there is a short story of him and Tarkin, but I haven't gotten around to it.) You grow to despise this character in this book, which creates intense dynamics between him and the rest of the characters in the book. He's such a vile cyborg who will go at any length to get what he wants done, even if it means killing workers or making himself more of a robot than a man. Captain Rae Sloane is one to keep an eye on given how she appears to be headed up in the Imperial ranks by the end of the book. She is a fascinating character because she is a new character in this canon who might end up having a strong presence in it later on. Given how young she is, she is still learning what it means to be a part of the Empire, especially in this book when she sees first-hand Vidians tactics and methods to get things done "efficiently".
Overall, I truly think that this is a solid book. The issue many probably had with it was that it was the beginning of a new canon with new characters no one even cared about as it came out before Rebels. The cover is also to blame as it shows Kanan with a lightsaber when he doesn't even use it. This could account for reader's expectations when first going into the book as the cover makes you think that there will be plenty of lightsaber action when, in fact, there's not, and there are more chapters about mining than what readers actually want. Given my experience with this book, I would have to give it a solid B because I really did enjoy this book. Yes, it was slow at times, but it was worth it to learn more about Kanan and Hera before they were who they are now on Rebels. I also like it for its detail about how Kanan was incredibly infatuated with Hera in the book, which only makes me want to read or see more about their relationship in the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment