A csempész futása

Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens

by Greg Rucka

EBBEN A TELJESEN ÚJ TÖRTÉNETBEN ISMÉT IZGULHATUNK HAN SOLÓÉRT ÉS CSUBAKKÁÉRT!

A cselekmény a Star Wars: Új remény és a Star Wars: A Birodalom visszavág című filmek közötti időszakban játszódik. Han Solo és Csubakka egy titkos küldetésre indul a Millennium Falcon fedélzetén, miközben könyörtelen fejvadászok és egy fáradhatatlan birodalmi ügynök veszi üldözőbe hőseinket…

A történetben olyan fontos információkat is megtudhatunk, amelyek a STAR WARS: AZ ÉBREDŐ ERŐ című VII. epizód cselekményéhez szorosan kapcsolódnak.

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy, Audiobook, Middle Grade

192 pages, Hardcover

First published September 4, 2015

About the author

Greg Rucka, is an American comic book writer and novelist, known for his work on such comics as Action Comics, Batwoman: Detective Comics, and the miniseries Superman: World of New Krypton for DC Comics, and for novels such as his Queen & Country series.

Reviews

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining. Middle school reading level, grade 6-8. Entirely plot driven, Star Wars stories are often at their best when they try to do the least. Solo, Chewie and the Falcon are on grab and go assignment. The mission: find trapped operative in hostile territory, get him to safety. Fly in, fly out, fire blasters, escape TIE fighters, and banter, as needed. Takes place soon after destruction of first death star. Like Aftermath, features another competent female Imperial field officer, Commander Alicia Beck of the Imperial Security Bureau.

One of the best things about a story with Han and Chewie flying the Falcon into danger? Two guys on road trip with their tricked out ride. Buddies bringing out the best in each other.

[Lady*M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, like Luke's, is set between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back.

Han is talked into a rescue mission to save the man whose capture could destroy the Rebellion. Unlike Luke's book, Smuggler's Run did provide the expansion of both Han's character and the world. We have met several new and intriguing characters, including Commander Alecia Beck of the Imperial Security Bureau and Delia Leighton, captain and waitress on Miss Fortune, basically flying cantina. The man in need of rescue is Major Ematt, who also appears in Leia's book and is rumored to be a character in The Force Awakens.

What I liked the most about the book was description of Han and Chewie together. Rucka managed the perfect tone of their banter, the one-liners and friendship. But, what stood out to me is portrayal of Chewie as Han's moral compass. He is the one who has the best insight into Han and knows that behind rampant self-interest is a good man. And, if he has to nudge him towards the right thing to do - he will. The mutual respect and love came off the pages and made me smile. They are perfectly attuned to each other which was the source of some of the best scenes in the book. The action was fantastic and fit these two perfectly.

I enjoyed it a lot and wished it was longer.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this was fun. Prvo moram reći da sam oduševljen atmosferom pošto stvarno imam osećaj da je ko i u originalnoh trilogiji. Drugo nema ni jednog dosadnog momenta u knjizi. Treće svi likovi su interesantni, naročito lik ISB oficira Beck, sposobne žene koja ne preza ni od čega da bi ostvarila svoj cilj. Niko nije pošteđen u njenoj trci za ciljem koji sebi postavi.

Sa druge strane nije mi jasno zašto se ovo reklamira kao knjiga za osnovce sobzirom da ima stvari koje su na nivou drugog ili trećeg filma.

Al dobro preporuka u svakom slučaju.

[siren ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very fun middle grade Star Wars book, focusing on Han and Chewie in the OT era with bits and pieces of the ST era. I remember reading this for the first time right before Force Awakens came out, hoping for major clues. Not so spoiler alert: not many of them in here, but fun introductions to themes and mentioned TFA characters like Ducain.

I was inspired to listen to SMUGGLER'S RUN on Scribd because I couldn't remember much about this book and the audio was quick and narrated well. Marc Thompson does an incredible job, as always. I'm amazed that it is not Harrison Ford speaking when Han does.

One of the highlights of this whole book is the scene between Han and Leia in the beginning - it shows the reader right off the bat how well Greg Rucka understands these characters. "The princess remained motionless for a moment, using a glare that had once, he imagined, reduced her opponents in the now-dissolved Imperial Senate to tears." GAH. AMAZING. THE BANTER. Beck is an interesting and steely Imperial adversary, and the side characters like Deliah are easy to like and have their own flair.

I love seeing Han's icy exterior continue to melt in times like this, showing his true heart of gold. It was interesting to reread this after having Force Awakens come out - when he says he's not sure if he'd be willing to die for anything but himself, I actually gasped. It really helps show the character growth from young Han to old Han when you get to TFA.

Recommend for anyone wanting a light SW read with OT era Han and Chewie - esp. the audio!

3.75 stars

[Shadowdenizen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid Star Wars adventure, but not my favorite of the "New Canon".

Many thanks to my Goodreads buddy Matt, for being my StarWars guru (Or my "Yoda", if you prefer) in guiding me to what to read and what to avoid in the Star Wars universe.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is how a star wars novel should be. fun. a simple enough story with good characters with all the feel of the movies. unlike most of the new novels which are abysmal.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read with two of my favourite characters. Rucka gets their voices well.

[Lena's Version · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vaya pareja... :D
Un aventura curiosa para conocer un poco sus andanzas galácticas.

[Allison Tebo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty straightforward SW adventure...but something about the story/writing really appealed to me....just a fun read.

Content: I honestly can't remember anything bad in this book....

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chewie is the real MVP

[Paz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
Smuggler's Run is just a little story that takes place between IV and V. After the destruction of the Death Star the rebels are ready to hide throughout the galaxy abandoning Yavin's base and while Han is ready to leave all of this behind and finally settle some old debts, Leia asks for his help. There's a rebel in danger, a man who was a part of an special team inside the rebellion, he has important information and he's now being hunted by the Empire. There's only one ship fast enough, and a crew skilled enough, to rescue him, the Millennium Falcon is back in action.

This book is pretty much a love letter to the Falcon. From the prologue till the end, the Falcon is one of the main focus of this story. There's also lots of action, space battles, fire blasters, bounty hunters, great banter and what can I say? I liked it. Yes, it is a middle grade book, but it's a fun Star Wars book and, most importantly, it's a great Han Solo story. It's difficult to find the perfect balance writing for Han, he can come across as really cheesy *cough* Bloodline *cough* or sometimes he can be a little of a jerk. To me, finding this balance is even more difficult while writing Han and Leia scenes, but Greg Rucka did a perfect job here. He gets Han's voice and I was chuckling a lot while reading this.

He's still my favorite scoundrel.

There are also a few illustrations at the beginning of each chapter that I really loved, and the cover/book design was great too. Sure, I doubt I'll ever reread this little tale, but I'm glad I have it on my SW collection.
I'd recommend it if you want a fun time being back in a galaxy far, far away.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

To check out all my review: https://dancinginth3dark.wordpress.co...

I am ecstatic that I was able to finally finish this book and take part on this journey to the Force Awakens. Each day I am slowly losing my patience for the new Star Wars movie and I do not know how I am going to handle it come December. I am lucky enough to have plenty of comics and books of Star Wars to keep me entertain. I have to be honest and mention that this book will likely get 3 stars or at best 4 depending on my lovely Goodreads friends but for me it gets all the stars because this short book took me on this epic adventure with Han Solo and Chewbacca and for a moment I forgot that I was reading a book and instead watch Star Wars 4.5

This book is written for middle grade readers and for it being a short story I guarantee you can read it in a few hours. The story marvelously deals with the past, present, and future of Star Wars. It is told in different point of views which I love and you get insight into the minds of Han Solo, Chewbacca, and the new villain in this story.

Future: It takes places 30 years after Return of the Jedi or the same time frame as The Force Awakens.

Present: Han Solo is at bar telling these groups of young people about a story of the Millennium Falcon and how it is one of the best ships in the Galaxy.

Past: The story that Han Solo is telling these young individuals about takes place immediately right after A New Hope.

Han Solo is an old man which in my mind is unbelievable because he will always be the ruggedly handsome guy that I feel in love with in the original Star Wars trilogy. He is at a bar having his usual drink when out of the corner of his ear a group of Imperial looking individuals are being obnoxious talking about trying to steal one of the best ships in the Galaxy.



Knowing how Han Solo loves to be the center of the commotion finds his way unto the table and tells these individuals that there is only ship that is able to accomplish the task they want to achieve and if they buy him a drink he will tell them the story. The Prologue and Epilogue essentially takes place in the Force Awakens era but for the rest of the story we are in the past.

We are immediately introduced to Chewbacca who is on the Millennium Falcon ready to head over to Jabba's place in order to pay him his due because there are countless bounty hunters on the loose. We get inner dialogue into his head about the past and his mixed conflicted emotions but the nonetheless has two main loyalties in his life towards Han Solo and his ship. C-3PO messages him from the ship telling Chewbacca to meet Han Solo and Princess Leia.

The gang is still on Yavin (Minus Luke Skywalker) but clearly everyone that is still around is trying to dismantle anything that has to do with the Rebel Alliance and escape before the Imperials come and kill them. Han Solo is having an argument with Princess Leia because she has an important mission that she needs both Han Solo and Chewbacca to accomplish. Han Solo clearly does not want nothing to do with the Rebel Alliance because he doesn't want to include himself into this war. Unfortunately Chewbacca feelings differ and accepts the task.

It clearly obvious in A New Hope that Han Solo and Leia have an instant chemistry even though they always bicker but I love how Chewbacca picks up the little hints and realizes that Han Solo has feelings for the Princess and vice versa. Princess Leia relays the important information about this dangerous mission. The Rebels are always on the run to escape from the Empire and because they are a small group, Princess Leia has a recon teams who gather resources about possible locations for Rebel bases and top classified information that if the Imperials gather this intel it would be game over for the Rebel Alliance.

Sadly these individuals called the Shrikes were ambushed by the Imperial Security Bureau on Taanab but luckily one of the members was able to escaped and now is heading to Cyrkon waiting to be rescued and taken to the rendezvous point to provide the next base for the Rebels. It sounds like a piece of cake but Cyrkon is in Jabba's space loaded with criminals and a corrupted government meaning that bounty hunters will most likely be ready to capture Han Solo and Chewbacca.

They all argue but Chewbacca is the deciding vote and agrees to take this mission on to help the Rebels and Princess Leia. Meanwhile all that drama is happening we meet Commander Alecia Beck who runs the Vehement ship. She is the one who tracked the Shrikes but unfortunately they were all killed because one member of the team refused to confess any valuable information to the Imperials. Immediately Alecia Beck realizes that there is an extra member who escaped and tracks his whereabout and heads to Cyrkon.



Interestingly enough this is just a sample of what this story is about and I highly recommend everyone to read it especially if you love Han Solo and Chewbacca. I think this story would have been phenomenal if this was published in 1977 after Star Wars was released. The danger is a bit less scary because you already know that Han Solo and everyone survives in the Original Trilogy so it takes away that aspect of danger but I was still at the edge of my seat wondering how Han Solo and Chewbacca escape and save the day.

I wish there was a movie version that documented what happen between A New Hope and the Empire Strikes Back because there is tons of stories that can be filled in and this book would have been epic in film format. I couldn't get the actors who played these iconic characters out of my head and I loved every second of this adventure with these two rascals.

The illustrations were great but I wished there could have been more because it was fascinating looking at them and how it helped me visualize the weapons, the clothes, and the characters especially when sometimes it gets too Sci-Fi with the descriptions. For children who have started watching Star Wars this would be a great read for them and to enjoy more the Star Wars Expanded Universe. Alecia Beck was a phenomenal villain and I love how she is portrayed and how creepy she has that computer eye similar to the Terminator. I am curious how she got that eye and this is not the last time you see that name.

More Star Wars Adventures coming this way so stay tuned for more! May the Force be with You.

[Ulises Estrada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mis expectativas iban bastantes bajas cuando comence a leer este libro sin embargo creo que fue el que mas me gusto de los tres;Supongo que por su simplicidad en la trama es que me gusto aun mas.
Sin duda el humor que trae Han a las historias probablemente es lo que mas me ha gustado, asi como ver su relacion con Chewie.
Ademas la villana de esta historia a diferencia de las anteriores si tiene una escencia propia lo cual hizo mas disfrutable ver a Han enfrentarse a ella.

[Clint Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Han & Chewy could get into (& out of) more trouble than this.

[Nerdish Mum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wavering between 3 and 3.5 stars. I'll decide in my review to follow shortly.

[Lance Shadow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well... this one took a while. Not because it took forever to finish it (listened to the audiobook at the beginning of this month and I finished it in one day), but because I almost completely forgot about it the next day and I didn't feel like reviewing it. I just have so little to say about it that I couldn't get myself to even bother to review it for so long.
Let me explain: This is the third of a trio of middle grade/junior novels released in the early years of the new Star Wars Canon leading up to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, with each book focusing on a member of the classic trio of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo, who were referred to as the "Big Three" back during the old Star Wars Legends days. When I first read The Weapon of a Jed, the book centered on Luke, I found it to be a passable but forgettable kids book. I went into the Leia-centric book, Moving Target, to be more of the same, but was surprised to get a rather entertaining Star Wars adventure story that offered a new, insightful look into the character of Leia even after we've already been spoiled with books from the new canon like Bloodline, Leia: Princess of Alderaan (both by Claudia Gray), and Rae Carson's novelization of The Rise of Skywalker. So I went into "Smuggler's Run", the Han Solo book in this trio, with optimism- perhaps having it be a first hand account from the central character was the trick, given that was what "Moving Target" was (vs. "The Weapon of a Jedi" with its second-hand retelling). Unfortunately, "Smuggler's Run" was much closer to the disposable nature of Luke's book than the hidden gem that was Leia's book.

THE STORY: It opens with an older, pre-Force Awakens Han Solo as he sits in a cantina. A group of patrons come up to him and he tells them a story from his younger days that takes place shortly after the events of Star Wars: A New Hope. A rebel operative with information vital to the survival of the Rebel Alliance has gone missing and will soon be in the Empire's clutches. Leia hires Han Solo to retrieve him, because only the Millenium Falcon is fast enough to show up in time for the extraction. What follows is pretty much what you would expect from a story about Han Solo: Smuggler chases, underworld dealings, double crosses, maybe a redemption for the double crosser, you know the drill.

THE BAD: The biggest problem with this book is how forgettable it is: I can't really think of much to criticize because I remember so little. The plot is predictable and standard, it goes exactly where you think it will go. I can't say anything else about it because I remember little to nothing about the actual plot points except Han Solo flying the Falcon and getting into a shootout or two. Been there, done that.
The forgettable nature of the plot wouldn't be as big of a problem if it offered an interesting take on Han Solo and/or Chewbacca ("Moving Target" had some predictable plot beats and a stock character or two, throwaway imperial officer villain and all, but Leia's characterization and some likable side characters still carried the book). Unfortunately, it's pretty standard Han and Chewbacca and there aren't any interesting new characters for them to work off of.

THE GOOD: This book was competently written. It was easy to get through, it didn't ruin any lore, and it kept the characters of Han and Chewie intact.
Even though this take on Han wasn't very interesting, it still felt like the Han Solo I know and love from the original trilogy. I still believed that this is how a Han Solo shortly after A New Hope would act, I still believed this is how Chewie would act, and in the short scene with Leia I believed it was how Leia could act.
Greg Rucka's writing was fine. The dialogue was competent and the action scenes were competent. I'm going to assume I may have gotten more out of this if I read the book in print form (given how good Phil Noto's illustrations for "Weapon of a Jedi" were), but the writing on its own was fine.
If I had to pick something that I would call my favorite, it would be the villain. I don't remember her name and it was another Imperial officer character that the book says is threatening but doesn't end up being all that threatening, but she had a unique backstory for a throwaway villain like this, and I did like how Greg Rucka described her (again, something that I probably could have appreciated more if I had the print version with the illustrations).

THE AUDIO: Once again, we have another Star Wars audiobook narrated by Marc Thompson- probably chosen because of his spot on Han Solo voice. He's great at this thing, and he does another great job here, but it's more of the same if you've listened to as many Star Wars audiobooks as I have at this point. The high production values, music and sound effects included, are also here. Again, nothing out of the ordinary. This was a perfectly good audiobook production with a great narrator, just like you would expect out of Star Wars.

THE CONCLUSION: Final rating is... 3 stars? yeah that seems right.
My gut reaction is to rate lower because this was a bit disappointing for me, but even if I rated it 2.5 stars I would still round up. The main problem is that I listened to "Moving Target" before this, and that was such a great surprise. The truth is, though, if I read/listened too this one first before "Weapon of a Jedi" and "Moving Target", I probably would have had the same reaction that I had to "Weapon of a Jedi"- a perfectly fine, passable book for kids, but otherwise surface level with nothing much to offer for adults. In the end, out of this trio of pre-force awakens-kids-books-about-Luke-han-Leia, only "Moving Target" was anything special. Between "Smuggler's Run" and "Weapon of a Jedi", I'd personally pick the latter in having a slight edge, but that's just because I find Jedi quests and force lore more fun than smuggler chases, and I went into Weapon of the Jedi with far less expectations compared to Smuggler's Run. If you want jedi/force stuff because that's what you see as the "heart" of Star Wars, you'll probably like Luke Skywalker's book more. But if you're one of those people who get tired of the jedi and the sith and find the criminal underworld to be more your style, then you'll probably prefer Han Solo's book. But in the end, both are on the same level of forgettable/surface level and aren't even close to the same level as Princess Leia's book.
If you're a completionist, if you have a kid who's interested in Star Wars and/or you want to show them Star Wars, or you just want a light and breezy read, give this a shot, you'll probably finish it pretty quickly. Otherwise, just stick with Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure.

[Tiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

An aged Han Solo tells a group of young mercenary types a story about the famed Millennium Falcon, a story set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. After helping Luke during the Battle of Yavin, Han Solo looks forward to going back to his smuggling ways. However, Leia isn’t quite through with Han and Chewie just yet as she requests their help to locate an important figure in the rebellion who has fled after an Imperial ambush. Reluctantly (on Han’s part), Han and Chewie finds themselves back in imminent danger for the good of the people, as they try to outrun a ruthless Imperial captain in search of this contact.

This is a young adult book recommended for the middle school age group. While it certainly has a tone that will appeal to younger teens and tweens, I was surprised at how mature the story felt. Not so much that I would be concerned, but it doesn’t treat them like they’re too young to understand the nuances of life in this universe. There are a few dramatic action scenes. The antagonist was interesting, but she falls a little flat since she isn’t explored much. Above all else, I loved Han and Chewie’s friendship in this book. Chewie serves as the voice of morality for Han who believes he’s beyond such things as caring about the good of the universe. It’s often difficult for Star Wars books to convey the different language, but Rucka did an admirable job creating banter between the two and inferring Chewie’s dialogue through Han’s responses, actions, and thoughts.

Marc Thompson is a well known voice in the Star Wars universe, and as usual he gives an amazing performance. I had a copy of the book on hand as well, and Phil Noto’s clean, stark illustrations fit the book well. This is a straightforward romp in the Star Wars universe with two of its most lovable characters, and an excellent way for fans to spend a bite-sized amount of time visiting characters they love and a great introduction book for youngsters and older readers alike.

Narrator: Marc Thompson | Length: 3 hrs and 22 mins | Audiobook Publisher: Listening Library (September 4, 2015) | Whispersync Ready: No (As of this posting)

[Amanda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, but not really memorable or that great. The only amusement was really the guy looking back and talking about himself, while no one got it. Great, silly, predictable lovely trope use of that one, especially given it was published between the movies of the 6-9 set.

Liveplurk below:




ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Omg. Hi, your voice after referring to you as “the old man” foe half that beginning, too.

ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Loooovveee Chewie POV chapter.

ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Dice shoutout!

ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
The Solo voice in this is perfect.
The Leia voice is horrid so far.

ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
I super appreciate all the Wookiee sounds. Even more than the Star Wars soundtrack music, it’s super familiar and immersive.

ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
There’s more POV’s here than I’m comfortable with.
I know why they are being done, and I even 75% appreciate the other parts they tell, but they are being used too conveniently and too much only to answers questions the main POV chapters will ask before they ask them, instead of making us figure it out with them later, like a guy shot.

ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
(And mind you, I say that while Song of Ice & Fire and *Thd Expanse are my favorites forever, and examples of how to truly multiple POV beyond convenience.)

ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
Hrm. Part 3 previous to the part three section.

ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
"SHUT UP. I'M TRYING TO BE NOBLE."

ɑรรɑรรiɳcɑptɑiɳ
That might be Han in a sentence.

[AK 김 승 주 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Han Solo and Chewbacca, the crew of the famous Millennium Falcon, have gotten their reward and they are going to go to Jabba the Hutt and pay off their debts. But instead, they have a mission: Find and Rescue Calcuan Ematt on the planet Cyrkon. They have to evade bounty hunters, a ruthless Imperial agent, and get some help from some old friends, in order for their mission to be a success...

[Kami · Rating 3 out of 5]

- The hardest reviews to write are the ones where you don't have anything to say about the book. This is one of those books.

- It was a fun Han and Chewy adventure. That is all.

- I did like that old man Han is telling the tale and reminiscing of his younger rebel days.

[Michele Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

*clappy hands* Fast and fun, like a Star Wars book should be. I'll read anything Greg Rucka writes, and I hope he has the opportunity to write a lot more of this.

[Jordan Lahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty fun Han and Chewie adventure. It doesn't do anything new or develop the characters in any significant way, but it's a fun story that can be read in a couple hours.

[Bailey Marissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone was in character, and gives a story in between ANH and ESB. It also gives a glimpse into Han and Chewie's smuggling activities.

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

Nice to see a Han Solo and Chewbacca adventure. Story was very fun. Whatever did happen to Beck?

RIP Han Solo!!!! :-(.

[Drew's ambitious reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really nice read for me! I really enjoyed this book. Towards the end of the book I felt like chewbackwa's voice was a little fake. But, other than that it was great! Overall rating:4.5!(:

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a fun, quick audiobook listen. Very Star Wars-y, but nothing too mind blowing...

...besides Marc Thompson's pitch-perfect Solo impression, of course.

[Abigail McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things I love about Star Wars:
- Chewie is consistently the best character. no, you can't change my mind.
- the Falcon is both the Best and Worst ship in existence.
- Han wants so desperately to be a bad boy but he's too much of a softie.
- the music
- the worldbuilding
- the friendship between Chewie and Han (and Delia and, in a way, Ematt)
- there are a lot of things to say about why I loved this book, and my full review will come soon, yay

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short Star Wars story following Chewie and Han as they try and rescue a Rebel fighter.

Smuggler's Run is a fast-paced, enjoyable read for Star Wars fans.

[Melenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really really enjoyed this audiobook

[Ash Mustard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Han solo and Chewbacca are my favorite 😍