During The Force
Awaken, Han Solo informs the newest generation of heroes that
“The Force. The Jedi....All of it...It's all true.” And while
that may make for a solid quote he probably should have clarified
what they'd already heard about historical events as heroes tend to
inspire a great deal of tall tales. That's the concept behind the
most recent Star Wars novel, The Legends of Luke Skywalker,
an anthology of potentially false or misinformed stories about
the farm boy turned space wizard. Given the nature of this
storytelling format, this review is going to be slightly different
than usual. More importantly, could this be the first Luke focused
book of the new continuity to not completely suck? Time to find out.
The Wraparound
Story
Aboard a cargo
ship bound for Canto Bight, cremates swap tales of the legendary
hero, Luke Skywalker. One of them is helping a stowaway who once had
her own encounter with the last Jedi. Unless any of these characters
manage to pop up in the new movie, this story isn't bound to prove
all that important to the greater universe. That's not really the
point so much as to showcase how the very idea of a mystical hero can
unit and inspire people. On that point, this wraparound works out
just fine, just don't go in expecting some deep emotional pathos or
grand hints about the future of the franchise.
The Myth Buster
The first segment
gives off some of that classic Arabian Nights vibe of stories within
stories. The deepest layer of this narrative chip dip is a conspiracy
theory about how Luke was just the key player in a massive con job.
Honestly it's a pretty nifty write-up of how the original trilogy
could have been a public relations trick meant to sucker the common
man into supporting the rebel alliance. Who spearheaded this rouse
you ask? Why that would be Benny O'Kenoby, a wise intergalactic
grafter. Even the existence of the Death Star is waved off with
alternative explanations for how Alderaan was destroyed. Essentially
this is a truther version of events though the commentary of other
characters along helps to keep it fun, along with an appairent cameo
from the main man himself.
The Starship Graveyard
Next we have a
tale from an Imperial perspective, told by a soldier who is left near
death after the battle of Jakku. A mysterious figure arrives and
cares for the solider as the pair braves the dangers of the desert
planet and smoldering starship rubble.
Easily one of the
better tales in the book, it hinges on the notion that this mystery
man may not even be Luke. In fact, it seems quite likely this is just
another soldier merely playing the role in order to survive a bad
situation.
Another
interesting aspect to this story is how Imperials thought of Luke
after his duel with the Emperor. In their mind he's something close
to a demon. A magical bogeyman fueled entirely by lightning and rage.
The same grunt who fears this enemy is able to see another viewpoint
when he meets a group of individuals who need a hero to follow.
Fishing in the Deluge
Another solid bit
of storytelling arrives with this yarn about a quiet, tropical planet
whose populace lives off the bounty of the sea, rides giant birds,
and follows the flow of the tide, their version of the force.
Unlike the
previous two tales, this seems like a legitimate record of Luke's
activities as he visits this place to learn more about how it's
inhabitants use the tide. He is met with resistance yet given an
opportunity to learn if he can complete a set of challenges with
select children as his guides.
While there's
nothing massively informative here, this is a breezy and entertaining
story that showcase how other people view the energy of the universe.
I, Droid
Things begin to
slow down with a narrative told entirely by an enslaved droid. No,
the perspective isn't the problem so much as the story they tell is
an odd combination of slow and over the top. The droid in question
wasn't enslaved by just anyone you see, it were taken to an
inhospitable world which houses a secret cabal of rich layabouts who
use droid labor to continue their elegant lifestyle.
After being
altered to become an enforcement droid to keep others in line, our
narrator offers details on a particularly willful specimen called
R2-D2 and later a very strange droid that is revealed to be Luke in
disguise. The Jedi liberates the robotic lifeforms and brings down
the sheltered society of scum who enslaved them, meanwhile earning
respect from the droids for his own inorganic components.
The point here is
essentially how Luke is a hero to all walks of life, even those who
aren't technically alive. Beyond that is a welcome look into one of
the lesser elements of this franchise, the bizarre and enduring cruel
treatment of artificial life. However, the dull progression mixed
with the odd setting make this one a bit laborious to get through.
The Tale of Lugborious Mote
Here's the one
that's quickly gotten some flack from the fanbase either because
they're taking it too seriously, simply weren't prepared for such an
outlandish story, or just couldn't abide it's goofy tone. The plot
concerns that of a highly intelligent flea who lives on Salacious
Crumb (Jabba the Hut's weird monkey pet). This flea claims credit for
Luke's victory over the rancor and Jabba's barge as he tricks
Skywalker by pretending to be the force.
Obviously this one
is meant to be a laugh as well as a tale of fame by proximity. The
person relating this tale claims that the flea in question has an act
where it plays out the entire saga of Jabba's palace/barge on a
miniature replica. Maybe that's true. Perhaps the truth is some
higher evolved insect was witness to those events and simply twisted
the narrative for personal gain. In essence, the very sight of Luke
doing his heroics could open up an entire career for someone.
The problem when
it comes to such a patently silly concept as this one is that it
requires a light, humorous touch that simply doesn't come through as
strongly as it should. Which means this farce is closer to a chore.
Big Inside
Finally we return
to somewhat more traditional narrative about Luke and a biologist
finding themselves trapped within a giant space slug and searching
for an escape before they are digested. Personal issue; I've never
liked the whole trapped inside a big monster trope. Even for someone
who loves gore this setting is just too icky and weird for my liking.
Taste aside we are
offered yet another take on the force via beings called Mist Weavers
and the story flows fairly smoothly. It's just such an odd tale to
wrap up with. More so when you try to figure out how the teller would
have even heard of these events to begin with. I'd like to chalk this
one up to being pure fantasy though it's written with enough of a
straight face to seem legit.
Overall
In the end, The
Legends of Luke Skywalker fares better than other novels based on
the character by focusing on what he means to other people rather
than another unnecessary tale of his force education. At the same
time, this is much more of a playful love letter to the character
than a hint of his journey after the original films. Anyone looking
for grand tales of his work building a new Jedi academy or teaching
his nephew will be sorely disappointed.
Author, Ken Liu
keeps the book going mainly by staying light and breezy. Characters
are largely stock personality types, events are kept at the right
level of interesting while potentially false. Essentially it's the
novelized form of a kid playing Jedi in the backyard. That style
makes for an inherently comfortable read, just not one that's all
that deep or important, making this one tough to place on the
rankings.
1. Lost Stars by
Claudia Gray
2. New Dawn by
John Jackson Miller
3. Bloodline by
Claudia Gray
4. Guardians of
the Whills by Greg Rucka
5.
Ashoka by E.K.
Johnston
6. Tarkin by
James Luceno
7. Thrawn by
Timothy Zahn
8. Battlefont
Twilight Company by Alexander Freed
9. Moving Target
by Cecil Castelluci and Jason Fry
10. Before the
Awakening by Greg Rucka
11. The Legends
of Luke Skywalker by Ken Liu
12. Catalyst
by James Luceno
13. Smuggler's
Run by Greg Rucka
14. Heir to the
Jedi by Kevin Hearne
15. Lords of the
Sith by Paul S. Kemp
16.Aftermath by
Chuck Wendig
17.The Weapon of
a Jedi by Jason Fry
That's all for
today, folks. I've got a mountain of stuff to work on though I plan
to bring another update before Thanksgiving. Remember; this Friday is
The Feast of Maximum Occupancy so be sure to treat yourself.
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