Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition

Star Wars Disney Canon Novel #3.1

by Mur Lafferty

Board the Millennium Falcon and journey to a galaxy far, far away with the most beloved scoundrel in the galaxy in this thrilling novelization of Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Through a series of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, a young Han Solo meets his mighty future copilot Chewbacca and encounters the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian in a journey that will set the course of one of the Star Wars saga’s most unlikely heroes.

Genres: Star Wars, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Audiobook, Space Opera, Adventure

282 pages, Hardcover

First published September 4, 2018

About the author

NOTE- Goodreads mail is NOT a good way to get in touch with me. I don't get notifications of questions and I'm rarely here. Please contact me via my website, murverse.com.

Mur Lafferty is the author of Solo: A Star Wars Story and the Hugo and Nebula nominated novel Six Wakes, The Shambling Guides series, and several self pubbed novels and novellas, including the award winning Afterlife series. She is the host of the Hugo-winning podcast Ditch Diggers, and the long-running I Should Be Writing. She is the recipient of the John Campbell Award for best new writer, the Manly Wade Wellman Award, the Best Fancast Hugo Award, and joined the Podcast Hall of Fame in 2015, its inaugural year.

Reviews

[Khurram · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was slightly disappointing with this book. In fairness it did get better towards the end, but it was a bit too little too late. This is the third Han Solo book to come out since Disney took over the Star Wars franchise. I hated Last Shot, and Love Most Wanted. This book is somewhere between two.

I am a little disappointing with the way such a legend has been treated, like in Last Shot I felt Han was over shadowed by the side characters in the story. I know why Disney is doing this it is so they can develop their own characters, however I do feel such an important character should be given a proper moment of glory especially since his death in the series. In this book Han comes across as more of a lucky bumbling loser, relying on other to save him. Though he does show the beginning of becoming the of who he is to become towards the end of the book. I did also like the little twist on the debate of "who Shot first".

An okay book, that has a good links from the other books, and with some interesting revelations that I hope will be explored later in other movies or series, but I really wish this book was more about Han learning his trade rather then stumbling his was through it or being upstaged by side characters.

[Sean Barrs · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the tepidness of The Last Jedi Disney really needed to get their act together and give their fans something solid. And this is SO solid! (both book and film.)

I loved the movie. It’s one of my favourites in the Star Wars franchise because it explains the personality of one its most important characters so thoroughly. There’s a reason Han Solo is so hard, dismissive and reluctant to believe in the rebellion. He’s been betrayed and abandoned and he’s not ready to give his trust so easily. But it’s all an act, a persona to cover up who he really is and what he wants to really do.

“You are the good guy.”



So the story from the movie is strong. And this novel carried it off perfectly. It didn’t really add too much to the dialogue, but I did find the scenes where Chewie and Solo bonded quite moving. It’s the start of a very important friendship and, arguably, one of the most important developments within this. It had to be spot on, and it was.

It’s quite a brief read. I read it in just one night, though I think fans of the movie will get quite a lot out of it. I loved the ending too, it was quite exciting to see who was behind the Crimson Dawn.

[Sinisa Mikasinovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning: I carry a heavy bias here. Han Solo is my childhood hero.


This is how heroes used to look like ❤️

To paint a broader picture - When other kids would pick He-Man, Superman, Batman or even the Captain Power (and the Soldiers of the Future!) all I wanted was to be Han.

I once got into a fight when someone blasphemously claimed Harrison Ford was a better Indiana Jones than he was Han Solo. Yes, I did love Indy as well, but I was also a hot-blooded teenager. And he was being intentionally difficult and annoying. Needless to say, my "arguments" carried heavier weight. I beat the living shit out of the infidel.

Nobody talks shit about my idol.

Incidentally, we turned out becoming best friends. He still does talk shit about Han from time to time, though, but that's just to see me squirm. Bastard 🤣



I wish Harrison could have seen me fighting for the glory of Han Solo. If he told me to join the Rebellion right there and then I wouldn't hesitate for a heartbeat.

Ah, good times. Sometimes I miss being a stupid teenager.

Anyway, now that we've had this bonding moment, let me tell you a little bit about the book. Which I thoroughly enjoyed, by the way. Proof being Mur Lafferty still breathing.

She wrote a tie-in story for the Rogue One. Haven't heard it, but she apparently did a great job. Aside from the abrupt ending which most everyone seems to particularly hate. Mur is also the author of the, seemingly neverending, series Bookburners. I'd link to the series, but it seems like books are all over the place. A Goodreads Librarian (eek!) will likely need to spend some considerable time there to put everything in order.

"Enough already! The story!"

Alright, alright! Some of you may actually be interested in the story, I admit. Well, here it is - The story starts on an orange dustball called Correlia. It's not a backwater planet per se, for it's extremely close to the galactic core (Second closest to Coruscant. Will be the closest after Alderaan decides to stop existing), but it is very poor in both resources and wealth. An incubator for gangs and crime syndicates.

Our boy Han, no older than 12, was an errand boy for Lady Proxima - a head of one such crime syndicate. "Meet a guy in a dark alley and exchange this for that" was the standard jig.

What wasn't standard is Han trying to scam a gangster by giving him only 5 vials of refined coaxium fuel, instead of the agreed 7. When the gangster became clearly unhappy, Han "managed to find" the 6th one. Not amused by this trickery, the gangster decided enough is enough. This insolent kid needs to die.

And the party started!

Of course, being able to summon Lady Luck on demand, Han eventually managed to escape. Returning to Lady Proxima with nothing but his life (and a hidden vial) he informed her that the gangster tried to kill him and scam her out of the deal. Well, she wasn't amused either and Han was soon on a yet another run for his life.


Me? Stolen coaxium? I would never!

Aaand that's it! That's all you get in this limited preview 😎

If you have any further questions, or something is left unclear, please look for the additional clarifications here. A worthy read, especially questions 62 and 63 😂

This "Expanded Edition" book was written as a novelization of the movie. A tie-in which expands on the story seen in the movie. And now I can finally see it! 😍

Interesting fact: With an estimated production budget of $275 million, Solo is one of the most expensive films ever made (6th, at this time).

Oh, I almost forgot! The book was narrated by the godlike Marc Thompson! He's (and probably the quality of all these boks) the reason I ran through the Legacy of the Force, Fate of the Jedi and The Thrawn Trilogy like a maniac. This man is an alien, I am sure of it.

How good is he? I listened to 35 of his narrations so far, that's hod good. Thirty five!

It was all before I joined Goodreads so there's not a single review of these books in here. But I did praise him here and there when I compared him to other mythical narrators such as Ray Porter 😍

If you haven't seen the movie yet - don't! Read this book first! If you love Han Solo, drop everything you're doing and get this audiobook! Not the book-book - audiobook! It is just so damn beautiful!

Biased review score: 5*.
It was amazing and I love it. Can't wait to see the movie!

 

- What is your name, boy?
- Han.
- Han...?
- Just Han.
- Where are your parents?
- I don't have any parents.
- Alright, Han... Solo. Proceed.

Han Solo came to be thusly.


Safe journeys, Captain Solo!
 

Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition
by Mur Lafferty, Marc Thompson (Narrator)

Verdict     Couldn't make it any better.
Runtime     09:32
Overall     
Performance 
Story       

[Eva B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not need the emotions from that epilogue at 12:30 in the morning-

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

The expanded adaptation of the feature film, Solo, provides added depth to the first Stars Wars heist-like film, broadening an already entertaining story and immersing the reader in the ever expanding Star Wars universe.

Without giving away spoilers, we learn more of Qi'ra's difficult time having being sold to slavers and ending up in the criminal gang Crimson Dawn in between leaving and being reunited with Han Solo. While also getting some character perspective to the action orientated scenes during Solo's time as a member of the Empire.

The plot is pretty straight forward and ties in nicely with the original trilogy feel. The early Han Solo is a little less battle hardened and tends to rely more on luck than wit but all the hallmarks of the character he eventually becomes are there.

Both Lando and Beckett were key cogs in the film, however in the novelization, they read as bit players with Lando providing little more than a cameo - a stark contrast to how I felt after watching the film. Perhaps this is more about the way I read the characters rather than the majority.

I'd rate Solo smack bang in the middle of the unofficial Solo trilogy of books with Most Wanted as easily the best book and Last Shot rounding out the three.

My rating: 4.5/5. Chances are, you'll enjoy the book if you enjoyed the film. Without having previously seen the locales and characters on the big screen, I think the novelization would've felt a little less polished, the kessel run in particular. That said, I enjoyed the added depth the book provided and would easily recommend this to fans of the Disney Cannon.

[Neil R. Coulter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the movie Solo, and I didn't expect to at all. It's a lot of fun, and brings back more of the sense of adventure that Star Wars shouldn't ever leave too far behind. So I was eager to read the novelization, which promises (as all good movie novelizations should) extra scenes that weren't in the film.

There aren't many of those extra scenes, but most of them are very good (with the exception of Lando contemplating his capes, and cleaning his shower after Chewbacca uses it; that humor goes much too broad for even a relatively silly Star Wars story). Particularly helpful is a flashback–memory Qi'ra has, which fills in some of the missing years between her separation from Han and her appearance on Dryden's yacht. We also see more of what happened to Han between leaving Corellia and deserting on Mimban.

Author Mur Lafferty still leaves a lot of space for future stories, which I suppose is a Disney requirement (even though, sadly, the odds of there being another Solo movie are . . . well, you know—never tell me those). The most obvious and strangest remaining gap is what happened to Han's parents. This is lightly mentioned a couple of times in the book, but it seems like an important detail that should be told here somewhere.

By far the best added scene is the epilogue—a joy for anyone whose favorite Star Wars film is Rogue One. That scene bumped my rating of this book from two stars to three.

Why only two stars? It's all because of Lafferty's writing style. The voice and perspective switch haphazardly from one character to another, even within a chapter. It gave the whole book a patched-together feel that didn't help the story. A tighter, more focused narrative approach would have brought out the strengths of this story—and it really is a pretty good story.

The tone of the book feels more like a YA style, not an official movie adaptation. It's just a little too casual and flippant. Also, Lafferty uses awkward phrasing that is distracting. A sentence like this just doesn't roll off the tongue very smoothly:

[S]he and Han had always lived for the moment, but now, maybe, she could actually consider that she and Han might have a tomorrow. (31–32)

And author or editor should (somehow) have caught this one long before publication:

[H]e'd been holding on to an illogical hope that somehow she had somehow used her grappling gun to get away before the bridge blew. (111)

Another annoyance in this book is the usage of our-world words for things that feel like they should get their own SW-world names instead. This has been happening for a while with drinks. Star Wars has long had "caf" instead of coffee—which is fine—but now the galaxy has just about every kind of alcoholic drink, using the same names we use here. This novel brings in more alcoholic drink names from our world, but it also mentions at one point that Han's face is "illuminated by a strip of emergency LEDs on the console" of the Falcon (222). LEDs in Star Wars?? That feels wrong.

It's too bad that the story didn't translate very well to this format, but the novel doesn't make me like the movie any less—in fact, it shows me that the story in the movie is quite good. If Lafferty continues writing Star Wars, I think she would be a better fit for the younger-reader/YA level.

[Lata · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. So, this book actually makes me dislike Han Solo, and I find it hard to believe this guy, as General Solo, led troops in Endor. Though, young Han’s impulsive, slapdash, careless approach to everything is still apparent in the much older Han we finally say goodbye to years later.
So now we know how he and Chewie got together. And Lando has great taste in clothes.
And the way Val and L3 are treated stems from screenwriters’ bad decisions so all I can do is shake my head at missed opportunities for both of these characters: how Val has at best a blink-and-you’ll-miss-her part in this story’s plot, and how horrible it is that L3 is subsumed (and how that happens,) and then is forgotten.

[Gerhard · Rating 4 out of 5]

What makes this such an enjoyable – and impressive – movie novelisation is the amount of extra detail that Mur Lafferty manages to pack in. Yes, she is not able to deviate from the overall plot, including its major narrative beats.

But she is able to find the living, breathing hearts of these characters – from Val to Beatty to L3, Lando, Enfys Nest, Dryden Vos and, of course, the famous trio of Han, Chewie and Qi’ra – in the quieter moments, the interstices of the overaching plot.

Hence we have such wonderful moments as Chewie using all of Lando’s expensive grooming products to detangle himself in the shower after the mud of Mimban, to some tear-inducing scenes when the memory core of the fatally-damaged L3 is merged with the AI of the Falcon, to a truly jaw-dropping end scene that so neatly ties the criminal syndicate plot strand into Rogue One, you wonder why the filmmakers didn’t think of it first.

I loved Solo as a movie when it was released in 2018, as it so clearly hearkens back to the original spirit of Star Wars as a gung ho adventure with wonderful characters and outlandish derring-do. Paying homage to different generations of Star Wars fans is a tricky balance.

But I thought Solo managed this balance effortlessly (more surprising so given the much-publicised and tortuous making of the movie, which I think contributed overall to its perceived box-office ‘failure’. People were simply expecting a wookie of a movie, and hence stayed away. A curiously lacklustre marketing campaign – a rare misstep on the part of Disney – did not help matters either.)

So it was a wonderful surprise to find such an effective, and affective, novelisation. Disney has increasingly turned to seasoned writers for its New Canon novels, and the results speak for themselves. While The Force Awakens by Alan Dean Foster was arguably a true wookie of a novelisation, Mur Lafferty achieves a rare miracle with Solo: She restores our faith in the actual movie itself. Wonderful stuff.

[Scott Rhee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mur Lafferty’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story” is an okay novelization. It does what any good novelization should do, which is making one want to watch the movie. Lafferty’s novelization has the added bonus of being an “expanded edition”, which is basically a novelization with additional scenes that weren’t in the movie. (Some of these can be found on the “bonus features” section of the DVD, some can’t.) Some added scenes are fun, but all of them are superfluous. An added epilogue which ties characters from “Solo” to events in “Rogue One” is cool for super-geeky Star Wars fans like myself but does absolutely nothing to add to the story. I would have liked to have seen more depth and characterization, especially with the title character himself, but Lafferty basically sticks pretty close to the script, written by Jonathon and Lawrence Kasdan, with little to no deviation from what was on the screen. This is pretty much in keeping with most of the novelizations, thus far, of the recent Star Wars movies since Disney bought the rights. They’re not bad, but they’re not that great or enlightening either.

[Eva-Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

That scene at the end with Jyn made me feel all the things.

[Holly (The GrimDragon) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"His own ship. A copilot and friend he trusted with his life. They were finally on their way."

Pssshew! BBZSHOOOO! Zvvvwwommmmm! ::insert your lightsaber sound effect here::

You didn’t think I would let May go by without posting Star Wars, did you?! Because, ME!

Mur Lafferty's Solo adaptation gives us more of Han's early days as an Imperial pilot, his reaction to seeing the Millennium Falcon for the first time, the beginnings of a beautiful friendship with Chewie, L3-37 origins, Val's sacrifice, and of course, more insight into Qi'ra!

Solo was dealt an almost impossible hand & was "critically analyzed" wrongfully when it came out, in my opinion. I mean, Han Solo isn't exactly the easiest character to become, yet to me, Alden Ehrenreich did a stellar job! MY KESSEL CREW!!

Also? Enfys Nest is one of the raddest characters EVER! Don't even try to argue with me on this. YOU CAN'T.

The epilogue in this, though. My heart!

The Rise of Skywalker is the last Star Wars novelization that I have left to read, now! I know many people aren't into novelizations, but for me, especially with Star Wars, they do such a fantastic job with telling the story on page, while expanding upon it in such an authentic way.

May the Force be with you!

[Nessa [October Tune] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nope, the epilogue did not make me cry. Absolutely not. I just have so many Rogue One feelings y'all.

I already enjoyed this movie more than the average Star Wars fan, I guess, but this book made me enjoy it even more. There were some scenes added and the multiple POVs, and thus character's thoughts made it way more enjoyable. This is honestly why I support movie novelisations and will try and read more of them!

[LO Loverun (A. Lavas Lead) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating my experience: 2.5 out of 5

So, how did I end up reading a novelization of Solo: A Star Wars Story? Well, I decided to do a Libby experiment. I set a few parameters (sci-fi being one) and sorted the results randomly, intent to read the first thing on the list. That first thing was Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition.

Honestly, I was disappointed. I had hoped for something obscure, maybe old, or otherwise unexpected. Instead, I got a novelization of a giant Intellectual Property owned by Disney. Now, I am a curmudgeon, to be sure, but I'm not an elitist. My only real disqualifier for creative works is if they feel like nothing more than "entertainment product"—designed to check boxes on a lowest-common-denominator list, with no passion or imagination.

So, where does that leave Disney's Solo? It's fair to say the first Star Wars film was born of passion and imagination. It's also fair to say the creator of Star Wars, George Lucas, was very conscious of the business opportunity he had with the success of the first film. We all have to make a living, so I would not begrudge his success or the author, Mur Lafferty, for taking this novelization gig. But where is Star Wars in 2025? Is it product, or art, or both? With a property like this we can safely assume the shareholders' profit prioritization trickles into creative decisions. Anyway, the short answer to this long preface is that I decided to give Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition a chance.

I have a complicated history with Star Wars. Like many of my generation, I fell in love with the 1977 film and its two sequels. I was conflicted about the "special edition" re-releases and underwhelmed by the prequels. Yet, I once did a friend a favor and performed live lightsaber combat at Star Wars Celebration and Comicon. See? Complicated. As for the Disney era, I kind of liked season one of The Mandalorian, and that's about it. When Solo was streamable, I watched it, but honestly, I barely remember it—except for how oddly dark it sometimes seemed—not thematically dark but literally dark visuals. This is a hell of a book review so far, right? I apologize. As I said, Star Wars and I are complicated. So are novelizations and I. Adapting a pre-existing story is not unfamiliar to me because I've written a re-telling of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, so I know something about working with someone else's material. The question is how does one critique a novelization? Should I account for the original screenplay by Lawrence and Jon Kasdan (which I haven't read)? The influence of the first directors, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller? Or Ron Howard's final direction?

Nope. I haven't read the script and I don't remember the film, so my thoughts are strictly on the book. Though, I admit, my history with the original trilogy's characters and world colors my reaction. Anyway, enough stalling. What did I think?

Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition will likely please Han Solo and Star Wars fans. From an execution standpoint, the prose does a solid job of painting the world and characters. For me, the story started reasonably, drawing me in despite my initial disappointment. But as it went on, I became less interested. There's a lot of fan service here, and many story elements build off small moments from the original trilogy. For example, a significant chunk of the plot stems from "the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs." This sort of deep-lore callback might thrill hardcore fans, but for me, it lacked imagination and felt inauthentic. In another example, the story spends time on how Lando Calrissian (yes, he's in this) is really into capes. Why? Because he wore a cape in The Empire Strikes Back. Along with Lando's story elements, his inclusion feels forced and dilutes the attempt to explore Han's relationship with an early mentor, Beckett. Anyway, I could continue citing these types of things, but you get the idea.

In conclusion, the book didn't land with me, but if you are a hardcore Star Wars fan, love Han Solo, movie callbacks, and like space adventure fiction, you might genuinely enjoy this book—even without seeing the film.

My Video Review Channel

[ᒪᗴᗩᕼ · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY RATING⇢ 4.2 STARS | GRADE B+

FEATURING⇢

Star Wars Disney Canon
Movie Adaptation
Han Meets Chewy
L3 - One Of Coolest Droids Ever!
Lando and His Capes
Qi'Ra, I Loved You In Most Wanted...
...But Not So Much In This
How Han Acquired the Millennium Falcon


With Audio Performed by Marc Thompson


MY THOUGHTS⇢

Full Disclosure:  This is my second ever Star Wars read...and it won't be my last.  I've seen all the movies, including Solo...which I just watched after finishing this.  And while I really like the Star Wars movies, I'm not a die-hard fan, like some others out there are...you know those people, they know who every character is, and what planet they came from, and all their stats, basically.  I don't follow the stories that well...in fact, when I saw Rogue One in the theater, I didn't even know that they were all going to die in the end...I was like, what, they just died?  My husband rolled his eyes at me.  Furthermore, I don't even care that Disney took it all over.  It totally works for me.  One other thing, I find I have a better idea of what is going on after having read these two books...at least in regards to the Movie Solo.

I didn't love this like I did Star Wars Most Wanted...I think Rae Carson captured the true personality of Han Solo much better than Mur Lafferty did.  Although the narration performed by Marc Thompson did make Han...well, more Han.  I have to say though, that L3 gave him some competition for best character, I really love how all the droids in the Star Wars Universe have such personalities, even R2D2, who only communicates with beeps has character.  It's quite refreshing when we're constantly bombarded with the robots that want to kill us all, like the Terminator Universe.

Overall, I really liked what these two books (Solo and Most Wanted) together gave me...a background on Han Solo, my favorite character in Star Wars Universe.  Well, other than the droids of course.  


THE BREAKDOWN⇢  

Plot⇢ 4.5/5
Narration Performance⇢ 5/5
Characters⇢ 4.5/5
The Feels⇢ 3.5/5
Pacing⇢ 4.3/5
Addictiveness⇢ 4.3/5
Theme or Tone⇢ 5/5
Flow (Writing Style)⇢ 4/5
Backdrop (World Building)⇢ 4.3/5
Ending⇢ 4/5 Cliffhanger⇢ ...you could say that.
_____

Book Cover⇢ Movie Cover...
Setting⇢ Star Wars Universe
Source⇢ Libby Audiobook (Library)
Length⇢ 9 hours, 32 minutes

[Graham Barrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even as a fan of Star Wars movies and books, I’ve mostly sidestepped the movie novelizations. I read “Phantom Menace’s” as a kid and skimmed a lot of the others (including the admittedly awesome one of “Revenge of the Sith”) for the juicy parts as I would much rather watch them. As I’m working my way through various Han Solo books this year, I thought I’d give the novelization for “Solo: A Star Wars Story” a shot as well. Specifically titled “Solo: A Star Wars Story - Expanded Edition” it tells the story of the movie but with the deleted scenes, unfilmed scenes from the script, etc. added in.

It's not the best Star Wars book but I did enjoy listening to the Marc Thompson audiobook version (I finally get why he’s so popular among Star Wars audiobook fans). Thompson’s narration and voice work were awesome and gave a fresh spin on a story whose movie version I've seen ~6 times at this point. Besides him, the additional scenes/content I think is the book’s main appeal. Some of the scenes don’t add much (i.e., Chewie using Lando’s shower) but others did give me an extra bit of impact to a movie I already enjoyed. For instance we get to see a bit more of Han’s time in the Imperial academy (including cameos by Tag & Bink!), an extended conversation with Qi’ra and L3-37 before Kessel (which expands on both of their personalities), and a bonus section that connects Solo with “Rogue One”. Besides these, the POVs reveal more about characters that I felt the movie had skimped on like L3 (the aforementioned scene with Qi’ra helps with her backstory, plus an emotional conversation with Lando that should have been left in the movie) and Val (dare I say it I now feel bad for her and Tobias). And while the movie did Chewie fine, I did like his POV moments to show why he bonded so strongly with Han.

Thompson’s narration, the added scenes, and a few other features (i.e., all the name dropping and Easter Eggs to both Canon stories and non Canon Han and Lando stories) perhaps work better here than in the movie add up to a solid movie novelization. I can’t honestly say if it will change folk’s minds about the movie itself but for me at least, “Solo: A Star Wars Story - Expanded Edition” is a nice supplement to a movie that I already personally enjoyed.

[N.E.C.C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it's pretty simple with the Star Wars novelizations: if you liked the movie, then you'll like the novel and it might make you like the movie more afterwards. If you didn't like the movie, then this novel won't change that probably.

In my case, i liked the movie so this book was no diferent.
The characters were great. I did like a lot the scenes that weren't in the movie, it gave a more insight into the characters. Especially Qi'ra who was my favourite from the movie and Most Wanted. This novel gives you more of her and makes me want even more. I hope Lucasfilms do something more with her in the future.

I also liked the author's writing style. I hope Lucasfilms gives Mur Lafferty a chance with another book to see what she is capable of in the Star Wars universe (not another novelization obviously).

The audiobook was GREAT! Marc Thompson as always delivering a brilliant performance.

Overall, like i said before, this made me like the movie even more.

[Wendelle]

so good, sadly underrated, and to people who hate it for being an unnecessary origin story- the EU after all is 100+ novels and comics of what Han and Leia and gang did before the movies, in between the movies, after the movies, and what their grandsons did after the movies, so take a hike. Maybe they should have slated it for release in an uncrowded month, and let the main be a different character without the baggage of the name Solo.

[Frédéric · Rating 2 out of 5]

The rating is not so much for the plot- I’ve already seen the movie, I knew what to expect- than the total absence of style whatsoever which actually made reading this book a tedious drag.
Lafferty simply goes through the motions,using the basics and nothing more, adding nothing of importance but putting the reader into a tepid stupor.
Just watch the movie, guys!

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solo was a solid adaptation of a movie I really enjoyed. It didn't add as much to my understanding of the characters as I had hoped. I would recommend it solely for the L3-37 morsels we got including what went through her head when she became part of the Falcon.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

When it comes to Star Wars novelizations, there is one book everyone can agree is the best. Matthew Stover’s novelization of Revenge of the Sith set the bar. It took a good story, and made it better. That’s no easy feat considering that the Star Wars movies are such wonderful visual adventures. Books can be hampered in that they can’t match that visual splendor, let alone top great acting performances and matching that initial surprise of the film with its twists and turns. It’s not enough to simply translate that story to the written word. While it’s nice when an author adds a bit extra to make the time and money worthwhile to pick up the book version, it’s a whole different thing when the author transforms the novelization into a different experience. That’s the magic Mur Lafferty captures with Solo.

Throughout the book, in every chapter, and on every page, there’s something extra to the story. Sometimes we get the viewpoint of a character that adds a different view of the movie. You get to dive into the head of Moloch, one of Lady Proxima’s enforces on Corellia, seeing a brief glimpse of his motivations. We get a look inside of the head of the security officer at the Corellia spaceport, the one who lets Qi’ra and Han go through the gate. There’s explorations of Beckett’s viewpoint, Dryden, and even Val and Qi’ra, which are probably the most rewarding. Many people wanted more of Val, and this book delivers. It dives into her internal musings as she thinks of past adventures her and Beckett went on. And it shows her viewpoint of her death scene, breaking down the logic of the choice she made. That extra insight is everywhere in the book, and it adds to the story of the film, making it that much better.

In addition to different viewpoints, there’s added scenes that take place between the moments in the movie. The book explores the mission Han was on that led up to him having to boost a landspeeder. It goes over Han’s stint in the Imperial academy and how he wound up getting booted to the infantry. The book explores more of the combat on Mimban and shows off the fourth member of Beckett’s crew, Korso, who is only briefly glimpsed in the movie. There’s a nice extended chat between Qi’ra and L3-37 that touches on a very interesting nerve with Qi’ra, her restraining bolt that keeps her with Crimson Dawn. The book even ends with an awesome epilogue that ties Enfys Nest to elements of Rogue One.

With all the extra story bits in the book, readers get to learn more about the characters. There is more about their backstories, their motivations, and their desires. For some, it will help plug in some of the gaps and shortcomings with the movie. In the book, Beckett has time to grieve the loss of his friends, and lament the lack of time to grieve more. For fans who loved the film, there’s more to enjoy with the book. There’s precious explorations of Chewie’s thoughts which are always obscured in the films since he speaks a different language. There’s extra details on what happened to Qi’ra in the years between here being left on Corellia and eventually meeting back up with Han. It reveals how she wound up with Dryden, and some of the things she was forced to do. It also helps explains her decision at the end of the movie to stay with Crimson Dawn.

So whether you’re looking for answers or another fun way to explore the movie, the Solo novelization delivers. It’s great story that takes the time to add a lot to the story of the film. From different viewpoints, new scenes, and explanations for the events that happen in the movie, the extra content creates a completely new experience. For Star Wars fans and Solo fans, the Solo novelization is a must read. I highly recommend it and give it a five out of five.

[Saimi Korhonen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mur Lafferty's novelization of Solo: A Star Wars story does everything a novelization is supposed to do and it does it wonderfully. There's great new additional scenes, interesting conversations between characters who perhaps didn't have that much interaction in the movie, and more character development and depth for the supporting characters (especially Qi'ra, L3 and Lando). There's also a really nice scene at the very end of the novel that ties this story to another Star Wars story - I won't give away what it is, but it was really wonderful and I loved it, even though it was just a little scene.

I really enjoyed the movie Solo but I had some issues with it, mainly with the lack of character moments for some of the new characters. But this book is extremely character-driven, which I loved, because I got to know the characters so much better and I became even more fond of then than I was before. The highlights of the book, for me, were Lando Calrissian, who is honestly the most fabulous dude ever, and Qi'ra, who we get to know so much better and whose backstory we get to see glimpses of.

Lafferty's writing is wonderful and hilarious, and I loved the way she wrote both the action sequences and the quiet, more emotional scenes of the story. I really hope she gets to write more Star Wars books. My dream is that she would write a whole book about Qi'ra, her life and all that she went through.

All in all this novelization of Solo was great and I highly recommend it, especially if you enjoyed Solo but were left wanting to know more about the criminal world and the characters of the story.

[Scotty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Years ago I read the novelization of Revenge of the Sith and it really blew me away. You got all this great extra characterization that was left out of the movies and there were these great descriptions of characters where the author put you in their shoes that added depth and nuance (“it is in this blazing moment that you finally understand the final trap of the Darkside, the final cruelty of the Sith. Because ‘yourself’ is now all you will ever have.”).

So I had some hope for Solo. Truth be told, Solo is not even in my top five favorite Star Wars movies, and the fan service in it often seems to be a little over the top, but I hoped that the novelization would add some of that extra depth that was missing in the movie. Sadly, this was not to be.

I would say that more than 90% of the novel is just straight 1:1 transcription of the movie. In many places it felt like I was just reading the screenplay, to be honest. So much so that there were entire pages that I just skimmed over because they didn’t offer anything new when compared the movie.

Additionally, the author doesn’t really showcase any unique voice or style. I don’t know if this is his own limitation or if limitations were imposed upon him, but the overall tone of the book is very bland.

The book is safe from a one star review by the fact that there are a couple of nice moments where you get a little extra characterization, particularly with Qira and Lando. If you’re looking for further insight into Han or Chewbacca, however, you’ve come to the wrong place.

Overall though, I recommend skipping it.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I audiobooked Solo, the reader did a good impression of Harrison Ford as Han, but I didn’t feel like this was the Solo from the movie. Though Alden has similarities to Harrison’s Han, there are also so many instances where Han is an entirely different than we are used to. He is young and naive, sweet and unsuspecting. It didn’t feel that way listening to the audiobook, it felt Han was more jaded than I remember him being in the movie, more the Original trilogy Han. It made me wish I had read the book myself.

The adaptation itself was good. A few added in deleted scenes kept it fresh while being exactly what I expected having already seen the movie. I am now prepared to rewatch the movie!

Also, SPOILER, Jyn and Saw show up at the end! Awesome!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the last Solo book I read which was a prequel to the movie, by extension, this book. It actually felt like this was the sequel to that book. The characters flowed as if they were written by the same person. There were differences in the writing style of course, but they didn't get in the way of the story telling. The added aspects of L3's point of view was fun and really made her part in the story more meaningful. It's a 4 star. If it wasn't for the awful decision the film writers came up with regarding Han Solo's sir name, I might have given it 5 stars.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve always enjoyed novelisations of screenplays, they add another dimension to the story. A reader can really get inside a character’s mind and help them to better understand the decisions they make.

This book was no different.

It was a well-written, action packed, and enjoyable adventure, though it might have been a tad confusing if I hadn’t seen the movie.

Thank you Mur Lafferty, Random House UK Cornerstone and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just like the source material, this is a pleasant, crisp, efficient story that makes for a pleasant afternoon of distraction. It doesn't rock my world, but it does leave me satisfied -- literary comfort food. That said, I'd probably give it 3.5 stars if I could; the bonus going into the exta insights into both L3 (especially) and Qi'ra. Would have enjoyed even more of those extra layers.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun listen. I always look forward to an occasional Star Wars book every now and then. This one happens to be about one of my favorite characters.

I liked the story. It fit Han's character and explained some things about him. This one had a nice pace and it had plenty of adventure and action. So 4 stars.

[Maisie Dickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a ride but i expected nothing less from a han solo novel

[Lance Shadow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Next up on my effort to catch up on Star Wars canon novels is Mur Lafferty's novelization of Solo: A Star Wars Story! With these first couple of catch ups I'm trying to complete "series" that I have read parts of but didn't finish. That's why Alexander Freed's Twilight Company was first (because I had previously read Inferno Squad), and I plan on my next catch up to be The Rise of Skywalker (in order to finish all of the novelizations thus far).

This review will contain SPOILERS for both this book and the film that it was based on.

THE MOVIE: Solo: A Star Wars Story is a movie that I have a lot of fun with. While it isn't one of my top Star Wars films (and NO, I'm not giving you my movie ranking here), I do find it underrated. The action sequences are entertaining, John Powell's score is fantastic, and I absolutely loved Alden Ehrenreich as a young Han Solo. I also liked Donald Glover's Lando and loved the portrayal of Chewbacca, Dryden Vos made for a very fun villain, and the various side characters like Q'ira, Beckett, Val, and Rio were memorable as well (exception: I never cared for L3-37. I though she was obnoxious).
That said, the movie still falls short in one key area: Han Solo himself. While again, I loved Alden's performance and I totally believed that the character he was portraying on screen was in fact the same Han Solo that Harrison Ford plays in the Original and Sequel Trilogies, I agree with many of the criticisms that the script doesn't explore the character with the depth that many were hoping for. The way the movie writes Han IS compelling- I totally buy Solo's portrayal of the younger Han as more naive and less hardened than when we first see him in the Mos Eisley Cantina in 1977. However, the movie presents itself as a Han Solo origin movie and it really doesn't convey very well exactly HOW he becomes the person we knew when he was first introduced in A New Hope.
Ultimately, I think Solo: A Star Wars Story works well as a fun, entertaining young Han Solo adventure, but it didn't really do much in terms of the Han Solo Origin story it was trying to present itself as.

THE BAD: I found this novelization rather disappointing for one major reason: the characterization of Han Solo.
The book still stays accurate to the film when it comes to Han Solo's characterization, so I can still buy that the Han we see in this novelization is the same Han we see when Harrison Ford plays the character. But I have higher expectations for a novelization, because, well, it's a NOVEL that has the advantage of being able to go deep inside characters' heads in ways that movies can't. Alden Ehrenreich still carries the performance in the movie brilliantlhy through his inflections and maneurisms in a way that feels like Han Solo without being a Harrison Ford impression. He makes the role his own in a charismatic performance that goes a long way in making up for the missed potential that the script never took advantage of. I was really hoping the novelization would fill in those gaps that were missing in the movie, but unfortunately the book doesn't quite get there in my eyes. As I was listening to the audiobook, I started to realize that all of the pieces were there to really elevate the story told in the film in the same way Alexander Freed's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story did, or at the very least elevate some of the movie's weaker aspects in the way Jason Fry was able to do with The Last Jedi.
And in a couple of key moments, Mur Laferty gets frustratingly close to pulling this off with Han in this book (I will cover these in THE GOOD). Unfortunately, there is one key scene at the end where Lafurty's added context is missing, and all of the progress that was made in fleshing out Han's character and motivations that would have made this story work perfectly great is undone. I'm referring to the scene at the end, where Q'ira decides to contact Maul and meet him on Dathomir. This should have been the point where everything that has happened to Han throughout the story, and all the lessons he learns from Beckett, should have been tied together. And Lafurty already laid out all the additional groundwork throughout the novel beforehand that would have made this payoff so satisfying. Unfortunately, the scene is glossed over and played too much like a copy-paste job of adding words from the movie script, and doesn't provide the extra character insights I needed or wanted.
Speaking of which, portions of this novel, especially the key action scenes, really come of as just surface level transcription of Lawrence and John Kasdan's screenplay (one particular moment that stuck out to me was why the novel didn't offer any additional explanation on why Han knows Shriiwook, one of the few moments that felt overly convenient in the movie). It was rather disappointing after seeing how much Alexander Freed and Jason Fry really built on the stories from the movies with their novelizations for Rogue One and The Last Jedi. Both the action sequences and the extra scenes were hit and miss. Some of the hand-to-hand slugfests including the final Dryden fight were done pretty well, but other sequences including the standout Kessel Run from the film were underwhelming. As for the extra scenes, I'll get to my favorite one in "THE GOOD", but most of them don't really do anything to enhance the story. In particular, I was disappointed with the scene where Han got to be an imperial pilot. After seeing the movie I was disappointed to see it not make it into the film, but after listening to it in the audiobook I realized why it ultimately found its way to the cutting room floor. There's an epilogue with Enfys Nest at the end that lore junkies will probably squeal with delight at, but after the novelty of seeing a tie-in to Rogue One, it doesn't serve Han's story and it doesn't add anything to Enfys Nest that wasn't already in the movie.

THE GOOD: Was I disappointed with this novelization? Yes. But does it still work as a novelization? In a few, but critical, places, it does.
It is hard for me to get that excited about the extra insights we get into young Han because of how the book failed to combine it all together at the end (because again, it could have very easily been turned into a satisfying character arc). In the opening, the description of life on Corellia offers excellent context clues on why Han grew up as a street rat. Later on, there's a really great sentence while on Dryden's yacht where Han thinks about how he wishes he can live like the other patrons- an Han specifically thinks about how he wants to live as a CRIMINAL like them. These moments really help clarify Han's personality and outlook on life- and makes his declaration of being an outlaw on Savareen work so much better (although him saying he's a "terrible human being" still feels a bit forced, even if the book does provide enough context to convince me that Han was just trying to stay connected with Q'ira). I know some people wanted to see him be an antihero or a bad guy, but he never was a "bad guy". Q'ira was right when she told him he was a good guy- sure he was selfish and out for himself, but he wasn't a terrible human being. And I thought that the movie did a perfectly competent job illustrating that, and the book did a good job fleshing out and clarifying it.
Additionally, the book really nails another aspect of the story that needed fleshing out- Han's relationship with Q'ira. The novel does a really good job keeping focus on Q'ira being Han's driving compass as to why he does what he does. I loved the moment of insight during the Kessel Run where Chewie takes over as copilot but Han laments how he wishes Q'ira was there instead. The movie provides a perfectly fine explanation why Chewie takes over (and this is what we movie goers want to see in a Han Solo movie), but this extra insight helps develop the story and maintain its focus.
While most of the extra scenes were disappointing, the scene where we see what happens to Q'ira just after getting separated from Han on Corellia provides so much extra context into her transformation between that day and when she and Han reunite. This, along with multiple extra moments and insights throughout the book, do a great job fleshing out Q'ira- and this enhances the story because the book really highlights how important she is to Han's origin story.
Speaking of which, I really like how the book enhances some of the supporting characters. Beckett is enhanced as we get an extension of the campfire scene with him and Val. The novel does a good job giving him added lines and some moments in his head to take his character from being the rough and untrustworthy mentor to a jaded old criminal who's been in the business too long.
Aside from Q'ira, the biggest improvement was made to L3-37. She was the one character I disliked in the movie and one of my least favorite parts of the film. She was yet another comic-relief droid coming off the heals of Rogue One's K2SO (and for fans of the EU in particular, HK-47 from Knights of the Old Republic). While I don't think she was a flat-out rehash of K2 because of her personality, her jokes were pretty grating. The bad one-liners are still present in the novel, but its made up for by additional passages that go inside her circuits and offer haunting insights on her merging with the Millenium Falcon.
Going off of this, Lando gets some extra passages and an extra scene that fleshes Donald Glover's take on the character out, including a really good passage with L3 that makes their relationship stronger.

SPECIAL SECTION: THE AUDIO: Marc Thompson is the Narrator for the audiobook of the Solo novelization. While this isn't his best audio performance, it's still excellent. Thompson has established himself as a legendary audiobook narrator, especially among the Star Wars fanbase. I think the nitpick that stuck out to me here was his voice for Han, which felt more like an impression of his standard Harrison Ford voice rather than the unique spin Alden Ehrenreich offered in the film. The other voices were solid as expected though. And while the sound effects were as on point as expected in a Star Wars audio production, the music choices were slightly disappointing- rather than utilizing the spectacular film soundtrack from John Powell, it uses the standard Star Wars themes and tracks in the same places that they were always used. It was perfectly suitable for what it was, but I'm just such a big Powell fanboy that I was missing his amazing new Star Wars tracks.

THE CONCLUSION: Final rating is 3.5 stars, rounded down because it didn't quite stick the landing in the places I needed it to.
The novelization of Solo: A Star Wars Story is good, but not great. The writing is serviceable and if you go the route of the audiobook it will be a perfectly fun listen. It does its job as a novelization in many places- it does a great job fleshing out Q'ira, the locations, and the supporting cast, but these achievements are overshadowed by limited additional details we get on Han Solo. Again, the efforts to flesh out the characters are commendable, but the story is about Han Solo- and while his motivations are clearer in this novelization than they were in the movie, it didn't come together in a satisfying character arc. Hence, I was left with roughly the same feeling as I do with the movie. Solo: A Star Wars Story is a fun adventure film and a fun adventure novel. While I can believe that this is an adventure that Han Solo went on in his youth, neither version of the events portrayed satisfied me as the origin story that it wanted to be. So at that point, I'd rather just rewatch the movie with its fun action, charismatic performances, and brilliant soundtrack.

THE RANKING: Here's my updated ranking of every novelization of the Star Wars movies that I have read.
11. The Force Awakens (1 star)

10. The Empire Strikes Back (2.5 stars)

9. A New Hope (2.5 stars)

8. Return of the Jedi (3 stars)

7. The Phantom Menace (3 stars)

6. Solo: A Star Wars Story (3.5 stars)

5. Attack of the Clones (4 stars)

4. The Last Jedi (4 stars)

3. The Clone Wars (4 stars)

2. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (5 stars)

1. Revenge of the Sith (5 stars)

[Steph LaPlante · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novelization, the writing was amazing and the extra insight was also amazing. I really enjoyed the movie Solo, to me it was an exciting heist movie. One of the biggest questions I had after watching the movie was, who did Enfys Nest deliver the coaxium too? I was going to google the answer to prepare for the podcast, but this book answered that question in the Epilogue, I will not lie it made me emotional.
Highly recommend this novelization to anyone who liked the movie.