The Mandalorian Armor (Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars, #1)

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The Mandalorian Armor (Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars #1)

by K.W. Jeter (Goodreads Author)

3.53 of 5 stars 3.53 · rating details · 2,490 ratings · 53 reviews

He's the most feared and successful bounty hunter in the galaxy. He is Boba Fett, and even the most hardened criminals tremble at his name. Now he faces the deadliest challenge of his infamous career--an all-out war against his most dangerous enemies.

As the Rebellion gathers force, Prince Xizor proposes a cunning plan to the Emperor and Darth Vader: smash the power of the...more

Paperback, 387 pages

Published June 1998 by Spectra

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Best Star Wars Books

56th out of 231 books — 415 voters

Tales of the Bounty Hunters by Kevin J. Anderson

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Jan 17, 2009 Andy rated it 1 of 5 stars

As a fan of the short stories about Boba Fett from the 'Tales from Jabba's Palace' and 'Tales of the Bounty Hunters' books, I went into this book expecting more exciting tales of intrigue, action and mystery from the seedy underbelly of the Star Wars Universe. What I ended up with was a few hundred pages stained with the tears of my disappointment. It begins with Fett's ruined body wasting away in the Dune Sea of Tattoine following his escape from the Sarlacc pit. He does get rescued, but if Fet...more

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Feb 03, 2012 Donovan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi

The Bounty Hunter Wars Trilogy follows Boba Fett after he escapes the sarlacc's stomach. The majority is set during events of The Return of the Jedi.

The Bounty Hunter Wars Trilogy:-
The Mandalorian Armour
Slave Ship
Hard Merchandise

Plot ***Spoilers***
The Mandalorian Armour begins with Dengar searching through the wreckage of Jabba's sail barge for anything or anyone of value. As Dengar is ready to give up, assuming that the Jawas had beat him to the wreckage, he notices two things: first, that the...more

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Jul 23, 2010 Crystal Starr Light rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: star-wars, so-boring-it-s-boring

Dengar is scavenging around the Sarlac after the big blowout at Jabba's when he makes two discoveries: 1) a dancer named Neelah is not all she seems and 2) Boba Fett is alive. Back post-A New Hope, Boba Fett is hired to destroy the Bounty Hunter's Guild.
NOTE: Based on the novel (read years ago) and the audiobook.

I Liked:
What sane person wouldn't want to read a book starring the most enigmatic, least important, most highly sought after character from the movie? I read the book to learn more about...more Dengar is scavenging around the Sarlac after the big blowout at Jabba's when he makes two discoveries: 1) a dancer named Neelah is not all she seems and 2) Boba Fett is alive. Back post-A New Hope, Boba Fett is hired to destroy the Bounty Hunter's Guild.
NOTE: Based on the novel (read years ago) and the audiobook.

I Liked:
What sane person wouldn't want to read a book starring the most enigmatic, least important, most highly sought after character from the movie? I read the book to learn more about Fett, and, in a way, I did.
Fett was well done, if a bit verbose. He is mysterious, he is cunning, he is ruthless, he is a mercenary to the core. His mind is analytical, he plans for all contingencies (well, most of them) and he isn't burdened by pity or mercy. Even with recent prequel and Traviss retcons (Well, I don't know so much about Traviss' retcons, if any, of Boba Fett, just of the Mandalorians), he holds up well.
But for me, the one who shined was Dengar. I know, it's odd, but Dengar was a very personable character for me. I liked his relationship with Manaroo (established in Tales of the Bounty Hunters, one of the good short stories), I liked how he balanced being emotional and yet a mercenary, and I liked how he teamed up with Boba Fett.
I also really liked how this book was set in the Imperial (aka between Hope and Jedi) era and not in the future. We don't get to see much of Vader, Palpatine, Xizor, so it was nice to have scenes with them.

I Didn't Like:
If you were to ask me to give two words summing this book up I would say "Slow" and "Confusing". Both are closely intertwined, but I'll try to explain individually.
This book is incredibly slow. Really, not much happens in this book. If I hadn't trudged through it the first time (it took me forever and I was tempted to give up, it never seemed to go anywhere), I would have given up. Yes, it ends on a cliffhanger, but to get me there...too hard, too long, too slow.
As for "Confusing", this book includes two seemingly unrelated storylines. I say "seemingly" because, having read the book, I know that the two stories are intertwined. But for someone who hasn't read the trilogy before, it would be mindboggling why there are two stories being relayed with the only plausible tie to the other is the characters (Boba Fett and Kuat of Kuat). I love subtlety, but this goes too far. Give me something to work with, anything. Drop a hint, a clue, a tidbit. Kriff, make the "Then" sections obviously a flashback. Anything, so I can tie the two together and not wonder if Jeter is pulling a Black Fleet Crisis with Lando's story.
Another thing that bothered me was the monologuing. Characters absolutely love to talk endlessly or think endlessly. Boba Fett is particularly prone to being overtalkative, something that seems to conflict with his on-screen persona. Kuat of Kuat does a lot of staring at screens and thinking, plotting something we have no clue. Xizor spends a huge chunk of time and pages relating in excruciating detail his plan for destroying the Bounty Hunters Guild (it goes WAY overboard). And Kudar Mu'bat, while an interesting character, grated on my nerves for his blathering.
My last complaint is reserved for Neelah. I know she's supposed to be integral to the plot, but I can't get over how cliched she is. Hot dancer? Check. Amnesia/Memory-wipe? Check. Quick-thinking? Check. Able to deliver great groin attacks? Absolutely.

Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
I caught a d*** and a p***, the latter being a surprise in a Star Wars novel.
Neelah was a dancer.
Bossk kills his father. Boba Fett is nearly digested by the Sarlac. The story deals with mercenaries and bounty hunters, so expect a lot of battles, fights, betrayals, firefights and the like.

Overall:
Mildly entertaining, this book would be so much better if it weren't so overcomplicated and ridden with characters who like to hear themselves talk/think. Decent, but unless you are a Fett fan, I would skip. (less)

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Jun 29, 2009 Ron rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, science-fiction, star-wars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Pretty much a waste of time and paper. There's not much to spoil.

Two half-hearted, interleaved stories--"Then" and "Now"--with little to no connection in this book. (Is that why there are two more books in the series?) Many plot and character errors based on what we all now know from the "first" three movie episodes, but of course Jeter didn't know who Boba Fett really was, nor the clones, nor lots of things in 1995.

What's the deal making the "bad guys" like Boba Fett and Darth Vader semi-good g...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Jeff Lanter rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: star-wars

After reading a pretty poor book, I wanted to read something fun. I mostly read Literature and History books and while those are fun in their own way, it is also nice to read something that is just aiming to entertain you. The Mandalorian Armor delivered that and some. This book is a bounty hunter story and actually focuses on scheming and subterfuge instead of the Space Opera story that Star Wars is famous for. So that means less action and no Jedi stuff. I was totally fine with that, because t...more

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Apr 22, 2010 James rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: star-wars

This story jump between events before the Empire Strikes back and during the Return of the Jedi. The main part of the story covers the destruction of the Bounty Hunters Guild by Boba Fett. The main flaw is that the actual destruction of the guild is covered only very briefly at the end of the story, and the bulk is about how Boba Fett joins the guild and follows a mission in which he enlists the help of four other bounty hunters including two familiar faces from The Empires Strikes Back - Bossk...more

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Mar 23, 2011 Emily rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: scfi, it-s-a-trap

In the Star Wars original trilogies Boba Fett has five lines. (And that's if you include, "Ahhh!" as he falls into the Sarlacc pit). From his brief appearances in the movies, Boba Fett has risen above cult status to become one of the most popular characters from the Star Wars universe.

Because Boba Fett is such an aloof character, I thought it was really interesting to have a whole book centered around him. We even get to hear him make a little speech which even Boba Fett thinks is weird of him....more

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Oct 06, 2012 Babuir rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: star-wars

Out of all the EU SW books I have read, this is by far the best and brightest of the bunch. Jeter has this amazing ability to shift back and forth seamlessly between timelines to tell you a very intriguing story about a very intriguing character. I bought these when they debuted on paperback, and just finished them as e-books on my Nook. This trilogy is far superior to Zahn's initial Thrawn trilogy in that it doesn't get bogged down by plot, sub-plot, sub-sub-plot, and so on. Everything is clear...more

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Jul 28, 2011 Mike Smith rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: star-wars

A fairly straightforward Star Wars story. Well... two stories actually. Both feature bounty hunter Boba Fett, with one taking place just after the events of the first Star Wars movie (a.k.a. A New Hope) and the other, the main plot, occurring in the middle of the events of The Return of the Jedi. This novel is interesting in that it was written before Boba Fett's backstory was explained in the prequel film Attack of the Clones. It does affect how you interpret the story when you know Boba Fett's...more

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Jul 16, 2009 Mike rated it 2 of 5 stars

If you like Star Wars and Boba Fett, then you'll probably like this book. I enjoyed the machinations of all the schemers involved (which includes just about everybody), but I thought there were too many long winded "meeting" scenes where the various scoundrels explained all their plots and plans in way too much detail.
Boba Fett has become a legendary character in the Star Wars universe despite being only a minor character in the second and third films of the series. Boba Fett and his "father," J...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Peter rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: hardcore star wars fans bent on reading all aftermarket novels

Shelves: adventure, aliens, bounty-hunters, crime, fiction, gangs-fiction, novel, paramilitary-fiction, read-in-2012, read-in-idaho, sci-fi, series, set-in-another-world, set-in-space

Let's face it, Star Wars expanded universe novels aren't the peak of literary excellence. However, like most of the ones I've attempted, this one was readable. Not particularly good, but readable. The plot was disjointed, full of holes, and predictable to whatever extent the holes allowed. The characters were two-dimensional, and the fan-service of having Boba Fett be as unrealistically indestructible as he was made it all too easy to know the outcome. That said, it gave me something non-addicti...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Jazzie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I like the story, if you're a star wars fan and want to know what happens with Boba Fett in the EU, then you must read it. It did go a little slow for me, and Boba Fett was a bit too chatty for my taste. It might also be because my first encounter of the Star Wars EU world was through The Legacy of the Force Books, so if you compare this Boba to that one (who is a lot older then and not really THAT greedy or sneaky). However, all in all, it was decently written, I didn't hate it. Although going...more

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Jan 17, 2009 Mike added it

This book was so horrifically bad that I never purchased the second and third in the series, and I'm a rabid gotta-have-'em-all SW collector! I simply refused to pay even half cover price for these abortions! I may loathe Barbara Hambley's work in the SW universe, but I actually bought (and read, god help me!)both of her books.

I might give Jeter another chance on his Blade Runner sequel, because after all, he might just have a bad grasp of the SW Universe, but I fear that he has just raped anoth...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Tony Black rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: star-wars

I read this book around the time it was released in 1998 and didn't really like it. I wanted to like it but I just couldn't. It's 14 years later (holy crap) and I decided to give it another try since my brain has evolved quite a lot since then. Maybe this time I would like it. The storyline revolves around Boba Fett, my favorite Star Wars character, and a bunch of bounty hunters. How can that not be good!?

14 years later and I still don't like this book.

First, let's start with the cover. Looks pr...more I read this book around the time it was released in 1998 and didn't really like it. I wanted to like it but I just couldn't. It's 14 years later (holy crap) and I decided to give it another try since my brain has evolved quite a lot since then. Maybe this time I would like it. The storyline revolves around Boba Fett, my favorite Star Wars character, and a bunch of bounty hunters. How can that not be good!?

14 years later and I still don't like this book.

First, let's start with the cover. Looks pretty cool, right? Darth Vader and Boba Fett together on the cover. Is Vader going to hire Fett for some nefarious task? Or are they going to fight again like they did in the comic series Star Wars: Boba Fett: Enemy of the Empire? Or is Vader just going to be a supporting character for one chapter that takes place entirely in the Emperor's throne room? Unfortunately it's the latter. And is Fett in that chapter at all? Nope. You may notice that Vader's TIE Advance fighter is also featured on the cover. Couldn't tell you why as it isn't in the book at all.

And the title of this book The Mandalorian Armor is inexplicable as Boba Fett isn't wearing his armor for 90% of the book. Nor does it come into play in some other manner.

Now, I actually don't mind the storyline of this book. There is a lot of mystery involved, which I love. But the writer fills the book with repetition and unnecessary over-description of meaningless details. Here's an example:

One of the inspectors lay crumpled in pieces, a few lights still forlornly blinking, on the thrust-scarred landing dock. That one had been a little too brusque in frisking the Trandoshan Bossk for any concealed weapons, and had paid the price in quick, bolt-snapping disassembly...

...The inspectors spider-legged their way toward the waiting bounty hunters. A couple of the droids lagged behind and began picking up the scattered wreckage of their forcibly disassembled companion, the broken circuits of its main sensory input/ output box still buzzing and moaning...

...The lead inspector extended one of its optic stalks straight up and swiveled its small lens around to see how the others were coming along with the bits and pieces of the one that Bossk had taken apart. A few last segments were being tucked into an inert-mesh sack, from which the droid's muffled complaints were barely audible...

...A dark oil stain and a couple of glittering, broken transistors were all that were left on the surface of the dock...

...Zuckuss was glad to see the customs-inspection droids leave, stalking their way delicately across the landing dock, dragging their bagged comrade behind themselves.

I find it ridiculous how much was written about that disassembled droid when it has nothing to do with the plot. This is just one of many occurrences of pointless writing. I think I would have enjoyed this book more if it were a lot shorter.

I had other problems with this book but I just don't feel like wasting any more time writing about it. Unfortunately for me this is only the first part in a trilogy. Sigh.(less)

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Oct 24, 2009 Travis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: star-wars, manly-literature

The best of the series, as it just focuses on Boba Fett in all his bad ass glory as he escapes from the Sarlacc and sets out to rebuild his ship, armor and rep.
Great space opera and action adventure and lots of appearances by the other bounty hunters. The writer is also very clever in never describing what Boba Fett looks like without his armor and yet that's how he spends a big part of this book.

Unfortunately, the pay off off this series never matches up to this excellent set up book.

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Jan 15, 2012 Michael Tildsley rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really loved this series. For anyone dissatisfied with the way the prequels really muffed up the back story of Boba Fett, this series provides (to some degree) a much better one, while also letting us know what kind of troubles Boba gets into after he escapes the belly of the Sarlacc. Boba is cold and calculating, but not entirely inhuman. I really should re-read this series.

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Jan 18, 2013 Jesse Booth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

Not the best Star Wars book out there. There was enough going on that I still want to know what happens in the rest of the trilogy. I'll continue on to book 2.

I will admit, when I first heard that there was a book that brought Boba Fett back after his fall into the Pit of Carcoon, I rolled my eyes. It sounded absolutely ridiculous. Kudos to Jeter for being able to write what happened in a believable way. Boba Fett is awesome, which really is the only reason to read this book!

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Jan 11, 2013 Jolene Tyler rated it 4 of 5 stars

This story happens after the fall of the empire in Return Of The Jedi. You get to see what happens to Boba Fett after he gets thrown into the mouth of the Sarlacc and how he got to be at Jabba's palace. Really interesting story, and there are two more books that continue the story. Next up is, Slave Ship.

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Jul 03, 2011 Mark rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-was-young-and-dumb-okay, science-fiction, star-wars

On one end, you have Boba Fett, and on the other end you have Dengar, and there is some big conflict over who's going to be in control of the bounty hunters guild or whatever. On the OTHER hand, you have George Lucas, who is poised to destroy this story in four years when he releases Episode II. Go figure.

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Feb 04, 2011 Dennis Brock rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: star-wars-novels

Not my favorite Star Wars fiction, but not the worst either. I really like the Timothy Zahn Star Wars novels, and to me this book cannot compare with his work. It was ok though, and for hard core SW fans I would suggest it. But for the casual fan or someone who is just starting to read their first Star Wars novel, skip this book and go for "Heir to the Empire" by Timothy Zahn. I think I'll give the 2nd book in this series a try though.

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Jun 29, 2011 Dustin Gaughran rated it 5 of 5 stars

(This review will cover all three books in the series.)
What I liked most about this trilogy was that it focused on Boba Fett, and it did so in a way that grows the characters legend. It wove a nice tale between old characters and new, in an exciting story that jumps into the past, present and future nicely. What I liked most was that the underlying tone of the book matched the darker, more callous attitude of Boba Fett. It wasn't a wild, fun adventure. It was a lot more dark, with double crossin...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Kelly Lynn Thomas rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: star-wars

I don't often say this about Star Wars novels, because I am most definitely a biased reader when it comes to SW, but this trilogy just plain sucks. The writing is bad, and the plot is RIDICULOUS. Read the summaries on Wookieepedia, don't bother with the books.

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Nov 26, 2011 Patrickderaaff rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: star-wars

Boba Fett is one tough cookie and everybody fears him (we are told so repeatedly throughout the story), that basically sums up the book. It details how Fett joins the Bounty Hunters Guild to break it up. This plan is put into motion by Prince Xizor (working through a middle agent), head of the Black Sun crime syndicate, who wants to please the Emperor for his own purposes and taunt Vader. The story also tells what happens after Fett escapes from the digestive system of the Sarlacc in Tales From...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Jc rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book probably only deserves a three star rating but I'm a huge Boba Fett fan so the fact that it's about him gets it an extra star. I did enjoy the book however and if you're a Star Wars fan you will most likely enjoy the book as well.

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Sep 12, 2012 Luke Nyland rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this, but being completely honest, it could have been a little better. Just one example: repeating characters' full names over and over instead of finding new ways to refer to them so it doesn't get stale.

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Jan 14, 2010 Whitby Syme rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, star-wars

The Extended Universe is at it's best when it is actually *extended* - rather than bundling together loose plot points from the films.

Jeter came up with some good concepts in this series.

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Jan 06, 2010 Patrick Nilsen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I liked this book because it showed viewpoints of some of the most famous bounty hunters in the star wars saga, like Boba Fett, IG 88, Bossk and more. There was a lot of action in the book too.

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Aug 05, 2011 Stephen is currently reading it

so far this book is really fun. my favorite charicter in star wars comes back. and some new ones enter the ledgend. I am not finished with it yet but I dont want to.

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May 20, 2012 Claudiu marked it as to-read

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/6578126

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Jan 21, 2010 Jessie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: star-wars

Oh good Lord, give me the perseverance to finish this series. The only redeeming feature is that Boba Fett is hardcore, the way he was meant to be.

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About K.W. Jeter

Kevin Wayne Jeter (born 1950) is an American science fiction and horror author known for his literary writing style, dark themes, and paranoid, unsympathetic characters. He has written novels set in the Star Trek and Star Wars universe, and has written three (to date) sequels to Blade Runner.

Series:
* Doctor Adder

Series contributed to:
* Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
* Alien Nation
* Blade Runner
* Star W ...more

More about K.W. Jeter...

Books by K.W. Jeter

Star Wars: Hard Merchandise (Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars, #3)

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