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Star Wars Disney Canon Junior Novel
Tales From a Galaxy Far, Far Away, Vol. 1: Aliens
The worlds of Star Wars are full of countless alien species, each stranger and more fascinating than the last. Here you'll find six stories for kids about just some of the amazing aliens who appear in the smash-hit movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Featuring a dashing tale of piracy and double crosses, the story of a wise Jakku constable and an unfortunate droid, and a mystery that can be solved only by the gruff cook at Maz Kanata's castle, this collection will bring thrills and chills as it takes you deep into the corners of your favorite galaxy far, far away. . . .
Constable Zuvio must get to the bottom of things when a faithful droid commits a bank robbery in "High Noon on Jakku."
The Frigosian cryptosurgeons of Takodana give a criminal on the run just what she asks for in "The Face of Evil."
The repugnant scrap trader Unkar Plutt may finally have met his match in the twisty tale "True Love."
Bobbajo the Crittermonger spins a tale of bravery against impossible odds in the fable "All Creatures Great and Small."
When his sous chef turns up dead, the cook at Maz Kanata's castle holds an unusual competition to find the culprit in "A Recipe for Death."
And pirates, gangs, and bounty hunters alike race to find precious cargo in "The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku."
Constable Zuvio must get to the bottom of things when a faithful droid commits a bank robbery in "High Noon on Jakku."
The Frigosian cryptosurgeons of Takodana give a criminal on the run just what she asks for in "The Face of Evil."
The repugnant scrap trader Unkar Plutt may finally have met his match in the twisty tale "True Love."
Bobbajo the Crittermonger spins a tale of bravery against impossible odds in the fable "All Creatures Great and Small."
When his sous chef turns up dead, the cook at Maz Kanata's castle holds an unusual competition to find the culprit in "A Recipe for Death."
And pirates, gangs, and bounty hunters alike race to find precious cargo in "The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku."
346 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2016
100 people are currently reading
688 people want to read
About the author
Landry Q. Walker
198 books71 followersLandry Q. Walker is a New York Times bestselling author of comics and books. His work includes Star Wars stories, Batman and Supergirl comics, and the Project Terra series of novels. He also co-created a Saturday morning cartoon called Scary Larry. He likes castles and robots and also pop-tarts. Most days he sits in his office and pushes buttons on a keyboard until stories somehow happen.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
April 24, 2021
This is a collection of six short stories that take place during the new trilogy. These short stories are interpretations of works. We get an interpretation of a pirate story, one of the classic Frankenstein and one of a cooking show that one might see on television.
This book surprised me as I wasn't expecting much. I thought the author did a fantastic job with the goal of the interpretations. One could easily see what the author was drawing from but also making these interpretations fit into this universe. I did think the first story (a Western interpretation) and the last story (the pirate story) were standouts and definitely made this book a worthwhile read. The others were just okay for my taste. I am sorry but a cooking show interpretation just doesn't do it for me even though it is well written. There is nothing really memorable here but I did enjoy the stories for right now. Actually, there is one thing is memorable. There was a character who was in a perilous situation and uttered the iconic line of "I have a bad feeling about this". The other characters were like "No shit. We might die and that is why you have that feeling." I could not stop laughing over this and I think every time I come across that line now I will remember this satire of that line.
The cover of this book dissuaded me from reading this book for a long time. I finally decided to read it and I am glad. It reminded me of reading the old "Tales" books years and years ago. They were nothing great but I was once again enjoying stories from this universe. That is how I felt about this one.
This book surprised me as I wasn't expecting much. I thought the author did a fantastic job with the goal of the interpretations. One could easily see what the author was drawing from but also making these interpretations fit into this universe. I did think the first story (a Western interpretation) and the last story (the pirate story) were standouts and definitely made this book a worthwhile read. The others were just okay for my taste. I am sorry but a cooking show interpretation just doesn't do it for me even though it is well written. There is nothing really memorable here but I did enjoy the stories for right now. Actually, there is one thing is memorable. There was a character who was in a perilous situation and uttered the iconic line of "I have a bad feeling about this". The other characters were like "No shit. We might die and that is why you have that feeling." I could not stop laughing over this and I think every time I come across that line now I will remember this satire of that line.
The cover of this book dissuaded me from reading this book for a long time. I finally decided to read it and I am glad. It reminded me of reading the old "Tales" books years and years ago. They were nothing great but I was once again enjoying stories from this universe. That is how I felt about this one.
August 8, 2016
Having read almost everything in the new Star Wars canon, I'm coming to a conclusion: I enjoy Star Wars most as a story for kids. Maybe it's because I grew up with Star Wars myself, and it formed the biggest part of my imagination when I was a kid. But I know that of all the books I've read in the past year, I've really enjoyed the ones aimed at a primary school/middle school level, and I've really disliked many of those written for adults. Before the Awakening was great; Aftermath was terrible.
It continues with this unexpected little book of short stories, Tales from a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Aliens, Vol. 1. I didn't even notice it when it was published earlier this year; somehow it slipped under my radar. But it really amused me, and I enjoyed it a lot. Landry Walker has just the right kind of absurd, bizarre sense of humor and storytelling that I like, and it works well with very minor characters from Star Wars. The six stories span a range of storytelling tropes, from Westerns to noir to pirate battles to . . . an episode of Chopped in Maz Kanata's kitchen? Oh yeah. Landry is happy to take risks and create some unlikely stories.
Because he's dealing with minor characters, and maybe because I'm not very invested in characters from Episode 7, these odd, quirky ideas worked for me. Landry's at his most outlandish in the cooking competition, and in a story that reimagines the events on the first Death Star in a very whimsical way (that is, small cute animals were actually responsible for the escape of the Millennium Falcon and the destruction of the Death Star).
His best contribution to the Star Wars canon? Bringing Gormaanda, from the Star Wars Holiday Special, officially into the canon (51). I'm thrilled. First we got Admiral Screed from the Droids cartoon, and now Gormaanda. Things are looking up.
Another triumph is spotting a group of Ewoks at Maz Kanata's castle (173). Seriously, an author with the courage to bring in a Holiday Special character and Ewoks? Wonderful!
In addition, Landry is not afraid to poke fun at some of the directions the franchise is going. I loved his reference to "the many dry and hot desert worlds that seemed more and more commonplace throughout the galaxy" (268).
In some ways, Aliens, Vol. 1 is a simple, throw-away book that doesn't have a significant effect on the bigger galaxy of Star Wars stories. But Landry's incisive and out-there sense of humor won me over. I hope he gets the chance to continue contributing to Star Wars. It's not only a book that I loved, but I also have no problems passing it along to my kids, and that is sadly rare with Star Wars books these days.
("I've got a bad feeling about this" alert: page 320)
It continues with this unexpected little book of short stories, Tales from a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Aliens, Vol. 1. I didn't even notice it when it was published earlier this year; somehow it slipped under my radar. But it really amused me, and I enjoyed it a lot. Landry Walker has just the right kind of absurd, bizarre sense of humor and storytelling that I like, and it works well with very minor characters from Star Wars. The six stories span a range of storytelling tropes, from Westerns to noir to pirate battles to . . . an episode of Chopped in Maz Kanata's kitchen? Oh yeah. Landry is happy to take risks and create some unlikely stories.
Because he's dealing with minor characters, and maybe because I'm not very invested in characters from Episode 7, these odd, quirky ideas worked for me. Landry's at his most outlandish in the cooking competition, and in a story that reimagines the events on the first Death Star in a very whimsical way (that is, small cute animals were actually responsible for the escape of the Millennium Falcon and the destruction of the Death Star).
His best contribution to the Star Wars canon? Bringing Gormaanda, from the Star Wars Holiday Special, officially into the canon (51). I'm thrilled. First we got Admiral Screed from the Droids cartoon, and now Gormaanda. Things are looking up.
Another triumph is spotting a group of Ewoks at Maz Kanata's castle (173). Seriously, an author with the courage to bring in a Holiday Special character and Ewoks? Wonderful!
In addition, Landry is not afraid to poke fun at some of the directions the franchise is going. I loved his reference to "the many dry and hot desert worlds that seemed more and more commonplace throughout the galaxy" (268).
In some ways, Aliens, Vol. 1 is a simple, throw-away book that doesn't have a significant effect on the bigger galaxy of Star Wars stories. But Landry's incisive and out-there sense of humor won me over. I hope he gets the chance to continue contributing to Star Wars. It's not only a book that I loved, but I also have no problems passing it along to my kids, and that is sadly rare with Star Wars books these days.
("I've got a bad feeling about this" alert: page 320)
October 17, 2018
A fun, light look at some of the lesser known characters in the Star Wars Universe.
Released around the same time as The Force Awakens, the short stories focus on aliens who appear in the movie, mostly in non-speaking roles in Maz's castle.
The collection is aimed at younger readers but its perfect for any age if you're into Star Wars.
The highlights, for me: High Noon on Jakku, and The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku
My rating: 4/5 stars. If you're looking for a fun, quick, short story collection I highly recommend this over the disappointing Legends of Luke Skywalker.
Released around the same time as The Force Awakens, the short stories focus on aliens who appear in the movie, mostly in non-speaking roles in Maz's castle.
The collection is aimed at younger readers but its perfect for any age if you're into Star Wars.
The highlights, for me: High Noon on Jakku, and The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku
My rating: 4/5 stars. If you're looking for a fun, quick, short story collection I highly recommend this over the disappointing Legends of Luke Skywalker.
February 28, 2018
3.5 stars.
Light, fluffy Star Wars fun, in the vein of, Tales from Jabbas Palace" or "Tales of the Bounty Hunters."
Nothing to expand/enhance canon greatly, but these quick reads give us some insight into some minor characters from Force Awakens, and are quick, fun reads.
Light, fluffy Star Wars fun, in the vein of, Tales from Jabbas Palace" or "Tales of the Bounty Hunters."
Nothing to expand/enhance canon greatly, but these quick reads give us some insight into some minor characters from Force Awakens, and are quick, fun reads.
January 17, 2020
So this is technically a collection of YOUNG READER level short stories. However, considering this book cost me $8 (for the hardcover too!) and is compiling 6 of the 27 Disney canon short stories I decided to give it a go. They’re all short, fun, quick reads.
High Noon On Jakku: 3*
This story was a cool western like police story with a samurai looking constable and his two cousins as his (apparent) only deputies. The desert of Jakku, a robbery, the deserted town involved, and the mental calculation of how quick of a blaster-draw Zuvio could get off all lent to the western, cowboy-esque feel.
A Recipe For Death: 4*
This story was silly, fun, and even horrid?
It takes place in Moz’s castle and is both a funny cook-off and a murder mystery slapped into one. It’s also a pretty in-depth look at cooking in the galaxy far, far away—which is such a strange, minuscule thing to pursue. What could be better?
All Creatures Great and Small: 4*
This story is probably the strangest and silliest thing I’ve read from Disney canon? An old Nu-Cosian is a walking-talking zoo and he carries them all on his back. When he visits on Jakku the old and young alike flock to him for stories. The creatures love him and can understand him and they have the ability to get him out of an old and very familiar situation...
The Face of Evil: 5*
This story is a SW universe retelling of Frankenstein. However, retold at its finest. I genuinely wish these spin-off movies would focus on different things like this while still being “in-universe.” Imagine Dr. Frankenstein but as two minion like puff balls. Portrayed like the evil scientist style from films. There’s even an Igor like assistant, a castle, a monster, and a lightning storm.
The only downsides for me are that it was a young reader, because this could so easily have been a full on horror, and the fact that now that we’ve seen TFA, we know this could never have happened in Moz’s castle.
True Love: 3*
This story feels kind of like a SW universe version of Her mashed with traits of Ex Machina and unlined with robbery and other hijinks. An AI is programmed to get information and trick someone who I believe is the ugliest creature to make it into a SW story/movie, Unkar Plutt (But also, F YEAH for Simon Pegg). He’s supposed to be disarmed by a female fawning over him in a SW makeshift dating site Turing test. Plus some double crossing... some double-double crossing??
The Crimson Corsair And The Lost Treasure Of Count Dooku: 5*
First of all... what a sick name for a short story I mean really
This story was a great attempt at giving a SW story a real world pirate feel. A Corsair, captains, first mates, barges and skimmers. A sea (of sand?), storms, and monsters too. Rigged barges and boarding parties using hand-weapons for close combat? These are all things I like to see and read.
Not to mention ties to the Clone Wars and Count Dooku? Need I say more?
Maybe even a few other familiar references too... high-FIVES all around amiright?
High Noon On Jakku: 3*
This story was a cool western like police story with a samurai looking constable and his two cousins as his (apparent) only deputies. The desert of Jakku, a robbery, the deserted town involved, and the mental calculation of how quick of a blaster-draw Zuvio could get off all lent to the western, cowboy-esque feel.
A Recipe For Death: 4*
This story was silly, fun, and even horrid?
It takes place in Moz’s castle and is both a funny cook-off and a murder mystery slapped into one. It’s also a pretty in-depth look at cooking in the galaxy far, far away—which is such a strange, minuscule thing to pursue. What could be better?
All Creatures Great and Small: 4*
This story is probably the strangest and silliest thing I’ve read from Disney canon? An old Nu-Cosian is a walking-talking zoo and he carries them all on his back. When he visits on Jakku the old and young alike flock to him for stories. The creatures love him and can understand him and they have the ability to get him out of an old and very familiar situation...
The Face of Evil: 5*
This story is a SW universe retelling of Frankenstein. However, retold at its finest. I genuinely wish these spin-off movies would focus on different things like this while still being “in-universe.” Imagine Dr. Frankenstein but as two minion like puff balls. Portrayed like the evil scientist style from films. There’s even an Igor like assistant, a castle, a monster, and a lightning storm.
The only downsides for me are that it was a young reader, because this could so easily have been a full on horror, and the fact that now that we’ve seen TFA, we know this could never have happened in Moz’s castle.
True Love: 3*
This story feels kind of like a SW universe version of Her mashed with traits of Ex Machina and unlined with robbery and other hijinks. An AI is programmed to get information and trick someone who I believe is the ugliest creature to make it into a SW story/movie, Unkar Plutt (But also, F YEAH for Simon Pegg). He’s supposed to be disarmed by a female fawning over him in a SW makeshift dating site Turing test. Plus some double crossing... some double-double crossing??
The Crimson Corsair And The Lost Treasure Of Count Dooku: 5*
First of all... what a sick name for a short story I mean really
This story was a great attempt at giving a SW story a real world pirate feel. A Corsair, captains, first mates, barges and skimmers. A sea (of sand?), storms, and monsters too. Rigged barges and boarding parties using hand-weapons for close combat? These are all things I like to see and read.
Not to mention ties to the Clone Wars and Count Dooku? Need I say more?
Maybe even a few other familiar references too... high-FIVES all around amiright?
April 12, 2022
While this is marked as middle grade, I think it qualifies more as YA with it's mature subject matter (pirates, gangsters, etc.). I'm not one for short story collections and this one is 6 short stories about aliens in SW. It just was a recipe for me to dislike. It's probably ok, but just not for me.
May 4, 2016
Four of the novellas featured in this book were released in digital form prior to The Force Awakens coming out. I read all those novellas then and absolutely loved them. It added to my viewings of The Force Awakens to know stories about a few of the background characters. I've always loved the Star Wars background characters. I have the action figures to prove it!
Below are my reviews of each of the stories in this collection. The two new stories are listed first, A Recipe for Death and True Love. I highly recommend this book! I give the overall book a 5/5! Since it says Volume 1 on the cover, I'm hoping for more. I'd love to see more Star Wars written by Landry Q. Walker.
Title: A Recipe for Death
This story takes place in the kitchen of Maz Kanata's wonderfully quirky castle. The sous chef is dead and the head chef has been framed. An investigation takes place in the form of a cook-off. It's like a cooking reality tv show meets murder mystery. Like many of Landyr's stories, this story is both playful and dark. There are plenty of wonderful details that make sure you know this story takes place in the Star Wars universe. I want to see what a Mon Calamari/Quarren hybrid looks like! I give this story a 5/5.
Title: True Love
Unkar Plutt gets a message from a dating service. I liked to see modern uses of technology shown in the Star Wars universe that was created before the Internet was a household thing. I enjoyed learning more about the junker and seeing Jakku, but this was probably my least favorite of the stories in this collection.I give this story a 4/5.
Title: The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku
This was my favorite of these short stories. Ever since I first saw the Crimson Corsair in the Vanity Fair spread, I thought he looked cool. I wanted to know more about him. This story follows him and his crew in a race across a desert planet against other pirates searching for a lost treasure. Captain Sidon Ithano, as he is also known, is an awesome character. There's a toy coming out of him and his first mate that I think will be one of the few The Force Awakens figures I actually buy.
This story has it all. Like a lot of the new canon, it takes inspiration from all the Star Wars films and tv shows. It even starts with a Hondo quote! Fans of The Clone Wars tv series MUST read this!
I found myself using wookiepedia to get accurate ideas of what the characters looked like. The Ortolan pirate known as One-Eye is such a cool image.
The chapters are very small, which made it very easy to read. This story is full of adventure as well as comedy. I love when Star Wars stories make allusions to classic lines and such in creative ways. I never had a bad feeling about this book while I was reading it.
I give this short story a 5/5. I want more! I am so much more intrigued by the character of the Crimson Corsair. I want to follow his crew on many more adventures. I really hope Walker gets to continue writing their stories.
Title: High Noon on Jakku
I have not yet seen The Force Awakens, but from promotional material it seems like Constable Zuvio is the character most featured in the film out of these four stories. In this story he is the good guy, keeping the law in order. I'm interested to see what his role will be in the film.
This short story is a great introduction to Jakku. It sets up how the planet works and the minimal law enforcement that is present.
The design of Constable Zuvio is really cool and I've seen the action figure, but I didn't realize him and his cousins are members of an already existing Star Wars specis. They are Kyuzo, which is the same species as Embo the bounty hunter from The Clone Wars.
This is a crime story with a bit of heist. I really enjoyed the way it played out. I give it a 5/5.
Title: The Face of Evil
With this story, we get our first look inside the castle of Maz Kanata on Takodana. There is an Edgar Allan Poe feel. It is a dark and stormy night. There's something in the basement. There's also a Frankenstein-like feel to the science.
When I first saw the fluffy yellow creatures featured in this story, I thought they were ridiculous even for Star Wars. But, I like their characterization. I want to explore Maz Kanata's castle more.
I give this short story a 5/5. It is a fun and creepy read.
Title: All Creatures Great and Small
This was the first creature we were introduced to in the Force for Change promotional video. And again, at Comic-Con. In this story we get to meet this unusual storyteller.
I like how uncertainty and believing in the implausible is at the heart of this story. Although it does get kind of outrageous. I'd be interested to learn more about how he is aware of such details.
The story told within this short story is a tale of the unsung heroes of Yavin who aided in the destruction of the Death Star.
This story was fun and interesting. It's a story that makes you wonder about stories. I give it a 5/5.
Below are my reviews of each of the stories in this collection. The two new stories are listed first, A Recipe for Death and True Love. I highly recommend this book! I give the overall book a 5/5! Since it says Volume 1 on the cover, I'm hoping for more. I'd love to see more Star Wars written by Landry Q. Walker.
Title: A Recipe for Death
This story takes place in the kitchen of Maz Kanata's wonderfully quirky castle. The sous chef is dead and the head chef has been framed. An investigation takes place in the form of a cook-off. It's like a cooking reality tv show meets murder mystery. Like many of Landyr's stories, this story is both playful and dark. There are plenty of wonderful details that make sure you know this story takes place in the Star Wars universe. I want to see what a Mon Calamari/Quarren hybrid looks like! I give this story a 5/5.
Title: True Love
Unkar Plutt gets a message from a dating service. I liked to see modern uses of technology shown in the Star Wars universe that was created before the Internet was a household thing. I enjoyed learning more about the junker and seeing Jakku, but this was probably my least favorite of the stories in this collection.I give this story a 4/5.
Title: The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku
This was my favorite of these short stories. Ever since I first saw the Crimson Corsair in the Vanity Fair spread, I thought he looked cool. I wanted to know more about him. This story follows him and his crew in a race across a desert planet against other pirates searching for a lost treasure. Captain Sidon Ithano, as he is also known, is an awesome character. There's a toy coming out of him and his first mate that I think will be one of the few The Force Awakens figures I actually buy.
This story has it all. Like a lot of the new canon, it takes inspiration from all the Star Wars films and tv shows. It even starts with a Hondo quote! Fans of The Clone Wars tv series MUST read this!
I found myself using wookiepedia to get accurate ideas of what the characters looked like. The Ortolan pirate known as One-Eye is such a cool image.
The chapters are very small, which made it very easy to read. This story is full of adventure as well as comedy. I love when Star Wars stories make allusions to classic lines and such in creative ways. I never had a bad feeling about this book while I was reading it.
I give this short story a 5/5. I want more! I am so much more intrigued by the character of the Crimson Corsair. I want to follow his crew on many more adventures. I really hope Walker gets to continue writing their stories.
Title: High Noon on Jakku
I have not yet seen The Force Awakens, but from promotional material it seems like Constable Zuvio is the character most featured in the film out of these four stories. In this story he is the good guy, keeping the law in order. I'm interested to see what his role will be in the film.
This short story is a great introduction to Jakku. It sets up how the planet works and the minimal law enforcement that is present.
The design of Constable Zuvio is really cool and I've seen the action figure, but I didn't realize him and his cousins are members of an already existing Star Wars specis. They are Kyuzo, which is the same species as Embo the bounty hunter from The Clone Wars.
This is a crime story with a bit of heist. I really enjoyed the way it played out. I give it a 5/5.
Title: The Face of Evil
With this story, we get our first look inside the castle of Maz Kanata on Takodana. There is an Edgar Allan Poe feel. It is a dark and stormy night. There's something in the basement. There's also a Frankenstein-like feel to the science.
When I first saw the fluffy yellow creatures featured in this story, I thought they were ridiculous even for Star Wars. But, I like their characterization. I want to explore Maz Kanata's castle more.
I give this short story a 5/5. It is a fun and creepy read.
Title: All Creatures Great and Small
This was the first creature we were introduced to in the Force for Change promotional video. And again, at Comic-Con. In this story we get to meet this unusual storyteller.
I like how uncertainty and believing in the implausible is at the heart of this story. Although it does get kind of outrageous. I'd be interested to learn more about how he is aware of such details.
The story told within this short story is a tale of the unsung heroes of Yavin who aided in the destruction of the Death Star.
This story was fun and interesting. It's a story that makes you wonder about stories. I give it a 5/5.
August 23, 2016
A great collection of stories that echoes past compilations like "Tales of the Mos Eisley Cantina" or "Tales of Jabba's Palace" among others, except that all stories in this book are by author Landry Walker.
We got stories from some of the colorful aliens that populate Jakku and Takodana, the most interesting places we were shown in The Force Awakens (save for Hosnian Prime which doesn't have a happy ending).
The tales range from detective work, mystery solving, heists, etc. and do create a sense of wonder and adventure that fits right in the Star Wars universe. Four of these were already published as ebooks, but Unkar Plutt's adventure plus the Maz Kanata's castle cook ones are new to this volume. They are very entertaining and not only they play on the mysterious character that is my favorite of the movie, Sidon Ithano, but also he brings back in a triumphant way a character from the Clone Wars!
A wonderful and delightful book!
We got stories from some of the colorful aliens that populate Jakku and Takodana, the most interesting places we were shown in The Force Awakens (save for Hosnian Prime which doesn't have a happy ending).
The tales range from detective work, mystery solving, heists, etc. and do create a sense of wonder and adventure that fits right in the Star Wars universe. Four of these were already published as ebooks, but Unkar Plutt's adventure plus the Maz Kanata's castle cook ones are new to this volume. They are very entertaining and not only they play on the mysterious character that is my favorite of the movie, Sidon Ithano, but also he brings back in a triumphant way a character from the Clone Wars!
A wonderful and delightful book!
November 11, 2019
It would be amazing if all the interesting bits distribuited across the books eventually build up to something we could see on the movie (The clone trooper and droids here, Lando's gift pistol in Aftermath, the Leia scape on Bloodline, etc.)
May 11, 2022
I read two of the short stories in this collection separately before I discovered that our library had the whole book, with six stories including those two. Of the six, I disliked two of them, and the other four were somewhere between fine and great.
Individual story ratings:
High Noon on Jakku - 5 stars. A great example of how to write a short story with a self contained plot and stakes you quickly start to care about. I would read this one again.
A Recipe for Death - 3 stars; fine but not my favorite. It was set up sort of like a cooking show, and even though I like both cooking and Star Wars, I just couldn’t quite get into this one.
All Creatures Great and Small - 1 star; this is one of the ones I read before, and I HATED how it kinda retconned some really important things from Rogue One and A New Hope.
The Face of Evil - 2 stars; it’s sort of a Frankenstein-ish Star Wars story, and I’m just not a fan of the mad scientist thing and face replacement, ew.
True Love - 3.5-4 stars; it felt a bit rushed at parts, but overall decent story, and consistent with a character we already know from The Force Awakens.
The Crimson Corsair - 3.5-4 stars; a fun story, though also a bit rushed and a lot of disposable characters.
Individual story ratings:
High Noon on Jakku - 5 stars. A great example of how to write a short story with a self contained plot and stakes you quickly start to care about. I would read this one again.
A Recipe for Death - 3 stars; fine but not my favorite. It was set up sort of like a cooking show, and even though I like both cooking and Star Wars, I just couldn’t quite get into this one.
All Creatures Great and Small - 1 star; this is one of the ones I read before, and I HATED how it kinda retconned some really important things from Rogue One and A New Hope.
The Face of Evil - 2 stars; it’s sort of a Frankenstein-ish Star Wars story, and I’m just not a fan of the mad scientist thing and face replacement, ew.
True Love - 3.5-4 stars; it felt a bit rushed at parts, but overall decent story, and consistent with a character we already know from The Force Awakens.
The Crimson Corsair - 3.5-4 stars; a fun story, though also a bit rushed and a lot of disposable characters.
January 14, 2025
I love Star Wars, but this really isn't. It's 6 simple stories that are not that memorable. The first one is about a character you never see in the movie in a Western style story. Kinda confused story line, not that good. The second story, again about a character you've never seen or heard of is a cooking competition. A COOKING COMPETITION! REALLY!? What? I was so upset by the cooking competition one (still) that I don't even remember what the 3rd one was. I doesn't matter, don't bother. The only character you may know is in the final story, Unkar Plutt, who is enticed by an online remance/ sex phishing site and oh yeah, comes from a same sex species. Who needs that story in your life. The book's worst story by FAR is the one where they try to ret-con the way in which to Original Death Star was destroyed. That's sacrilege. Shame on you Disney. Do better, this is not Tales at Jabba's Palace.
July 13, 2020
This book is like a short story anthology, but with multiple genres rather than just one or two. It was pretty cool to have something different to read in each story, and I really liked seeing how the author remixed the elements of the various genres to make them fit into the Star Wars universe.
Each story is its own thing, although a couple make references to characters and locations in others. Each story also has chapter breaks which are very short (often only a couple little pages or so), but they sometimes feel unnecessary.
The genres are:
1.) a Western showdown
2.) a murder mystery
3.) a cute fantasy tale with animal helpers
4.) a horror story
5.) a tragic love story of sorts with heist elements
6.) a pirate's tale
Some stories were very engaging, while others were not quite so much. Overall, though, this book was a really cool read and I would be interested in seeing more.
Each story is its own thing, although a couple make references to characters and locations in others. Each story also has chapter breaks which are very short (often only a couple little pages or so), but they sometimes feel unnecessary.
The genres are:
1.) a Western showdown
2.) a murder mystery
3.) a cute fantasy tale with animal helpers
4.) a horror story
5.) a tragic love story of sorts with heist elements
6.) a pirate's tale
Some stories were very engaging, while others were not quite so much. Overall, though, this book was a really cool read and I would be interested in seeing more.
August 13, 2018
I read a bunch of these short stories in 2016, a year after The Force Awakens had come out. I loved them all and I was excited to find that they were now in a book instead of digital only ebooks. There are even two bonus stories in Tales From A Galaxy Far, Far Away that I hadn't read yet! The bonus stories - A Recipe for Death and True Love - are exclusive to this collection. The four other stories can be purchased as separate ebooks (and are free on kindle prime and unlimited). Since this is a short story collection, I'm going to review each story separately.
High Noon on Jakku
This is a cute, fun, and simple bank robbery mystery. The characters were my favorite. Everyone thinks Zuvio is angry because he's always squinting but it's actually because he can't see well and "on the harsh world of Jakku, better to let people believe he was angry. (pg 6)" All Zuvio really wants is peace and quiet.
I loved this quote:
CZ-IG5 stared at the blaster he was golding in his stiff white hand. Anyone who knew the droid well would have thought he looked...sad.
-Landry Q. Walker, Tales From a Galaxy Far, Far Away, Vol. 1: Aliens (pg 17)
I know droids can't look "sad" but for some reason I can imagine exactly what this poor droid looks like.
A Recipe for Death
Well that wasn't what I was expecting...and neither was that. I think Landry Q. Walker is a master of short stories because he packs so many twisting plots and rich characterization in such a short time. This story was a mix of murder mystery and a Star Wars food competition the likes of Chopped on Food Network to find out who the murderer is. So fun. So creative. The main character, Strono Tuggs aka "Cookie," works for Maz in case you were wondering, like I was, where this side character fit in.
All Creatures Great and Small
This, by far, is my favorite story in the collection. Bobbajo is a story teller who is briefly seen on Jakku in The Force Awakens. He tells stories about the adventures of his little pet animals and you can't tell if they are tall tales or not. One of his stories even has a very cute tie-in to Episode IV. When the kids who he is telling his stories to don't quite believe him, he says "But stories...they are powerful things. Never...discount their...strength. (pg 153)"
The stories in the collection also connect in small ways. The kids in the story expect the constable from the first story, High Noon on Jakku, to help them.
The Face of Evil
This has a mad scientist/Frankenstein feel to it. Like the other stories, it has a fun twist at the end. I enjoy how all these short stories get straight to the action and this one is no exception. The faces on the cover of this story (the two little guys with furry yellow heads) look familiar to me for some reason. I tried watching A Force Awakens and I couldn't see them in the castle even in passing. Like A Recipe for Death, this is also set in Maz Kanata's castle.
True Love
Unkar Plutt stars in this story and is the most recognizable character from this collection. It's another creative and fun story to read. I thought this quote was hilarious and described Unkar Plutt's character perfectly:
Every day was the same-which was just how Unkar Plutt would have liked it if he actually liked anything.
Which he did not.
-Landry Q. Walker, Tales From a Galaxy Far, Far Away, Vol. 1: Aliens (Pg 215)
The constable from the first story shows up again. I can't get over how clever and delightful this whole collection is.
The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku
By the time I got to this last story, there have been enough twists and turns that I know this isn't going to end the way I think. Even expecting a twist, it was still surprising to read what happened. This exciting pirate story takes the traditional pirate story with storms and ships and treasure hunting and makes it Star Wars with sailing barges, sand storms, and "sunken" ships.
I liked the prequel tie-in to this. I know the prequels weren't the best, but I like it when they are acknowledged as part of the story (and I personally like them even if I didn't love them like the originals).
The characters in this story you can actually see in the movie. They are the pirates that Finn wants to join in The Force Awakens.
High Noon on Jakku
This is a cute, fun, and simple bank robbery mystery. The characters were my favorite. Everyone thinks Zuvio is angry because he's always squinting but it's actually because he can't see well and "on the harsh world of Jakku, better to let people believe he was angry. (pg 6)" All Zuvio really wants is peace and quiet.
I loved this quote:
CZ-IG5 stared at the blaster he was golding in his stiff white hand. Anyone who knew the droid well would have thought he looked...sad.
-Landry Q. Walker, Tales From a Galaxy Far, Far Away, Vol. 1: Aliens (pg 17)
I know droids can't look "sad" but for some reason I can imagine exactly what this poor droid looks like.
A Recipe for Death
Well that wasn't what I was expecting...and neither was that. I think Landry Q. Walker is a master of short stories because he packs so many twisting plots and rich characterization in such a short time. This story was a mix of murder mystery and a Star Wars food competition the likes of Chopped on Food Network to find out who the murderer is. So fun. So creative. The main character, Strono Tuggs aka "Cookie," works for Maz in case you were wondering, like I was, where this side character fit in.
All Creatures Great and Small
This, by far, is my favorite story in the collection. Bobbajo is a story teller who is briefly seen on Jakku in The Force Awakens. He tells stories about the adventures of his little pet animals and you can't tell if they are tall tales or not. One of his stories even has a very cute tie-in to Episode IV. When the kids who he is telling his stories to don't quite believe him, he says "But stories...they are powerful things. Never...discount their...strength. (pg 153)"
The stories in the collection also connect in small ways. The kids in the story expect the constable from the first story, High Noon on Jakku, to help them.
The Face of Evil
This has a mad scientist/Frankenstein feel to it. Like the other stories, it has a fun twist at the end. I enjoy how all these short stories get straight to the action and this one is no exception. The faces on the cover of this story (the two little guys with furry yellow heads) look familiar to me for some reason. I tried watching A Force Awakens and I couldn't see them in the castle even in passing. Like A Recipe for Death, this is also set in Maz Kanata's castle.
True Love
Unkar Plutt stars in this story and is the most recognizable character from this collection. It's another creative and fun story to read. I thought this quote was hilarious and described Unkar Plutt's character perfectly:
Every day was the same-which was just how Unkar Plutt would have liked it if he actually liked anything.
Which he did not.
-Landry Q. Walker, Tales From a Galaxy Far, Far Away, Vol. 1: Aliens (Pg 215)
The constable from the first story shows up again. I can't get over how clever and delightful this whole collection is.
The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku
By the time I got to this last story, there have been enough twists and turns that I know this isn't going to end the way I think. Even expecting a twist, it was still surprising to read what happened. This exciting pirate story takes the traditional pirate story with storms and ships and treasure hunting and makes it Star Wars with sailing barges, sand storms, and "sunken" ships.
I liked the prequel tie-in to this. I know the prequels weren't the best, but I like it when they are acknowledged as part of the story (and I personally like them even if I didn't love them like the originals).
The characters in this story you can actually see in the movie. They are the pirates that Finn wants to join in The Force Awakens.
October 17, 2019
The writing was definitely nothing spectacular here but the stories were very clever, to the point of absurd at times. It was an exceptionally fast and very fun read though and I enjoyed the little bits of background on these mostly silent characters from the movies.
April 30, 2023
this was so awesome!! I loved the different stories all set in the planet Jakku. super entertaining!
August 4, 2019
This book contained 6 short stories as you might already know and while there is variety in each of the 6 stories, I only enjoyed 2 of the 6. I will also give each of the stories their own ratings.
High Noon on Jakku
-7/10
Good story, has a western/sheriff/outlaw feel and focuses on constable Zuvio, he’s a Kuyzo, which happen to be one of my favorite alien species in the Star Wars universe, Embo is my favorite of them and he’s in The Clone Wars.
A Recipe For Death
-5/10
Good story that reads as a cooking competition/crime-solving tale with a decent plot twist. While I liked the aspect of telling a different kind of story in the Star Wars universe, I had no connection to the new character or the new type of story so it was kind of a miss for me.
All Creatures Great And Small
-8.5/10
Very good story, loved that the story within the story dealt with the Death Star from A New Hope. However I do firmly believe that it was Luke that destroyed the Death Star lol.
The Face Of Evil
-6/10
I was genuinely excited for the horror aspect of this story but it was kind of lackluster, did enjoy that the little yellow furry aliens were mad scientist tho.
True Love
-5/10
I didn’t quite enjoy this story myself, though it did give more background into the alien that sells food rations for scrap in The Force Awakens. He’s a very sleazy character.
The Crimson Corsair And The Lost Treasure Of Count Dooku
-9/10
This was my favorite of all the short stories! It brought a clone trooper from the Clone Wars into the sequel trilogy and I would love to read more about his adventures with the pirates that saved him. However it is quite saddening to realize that all his brothers and the Jedi that he tried to save are all gone.
High Noon on Jakku
-7/10
Good story, has a western/sheriff/outlaw feel and focuses on constable Zuvio, he’s a Kuyzo, which happen to be one of my favorite alien species in the Star Wars universe, Embo is my favorite of them and he’s in The Clone Wars.
A Recipe For Death
-5/10
Good story that reads as a cooking competition/crime-solving tale with a decent plot twist. While I liked the aspect of telling a different kind of story in the Star Wars universe, I had no connection to the new character or the new type of story so it was kind of a miss for me.
All Creatures Great And Small
-8.5/10
Very good story, loved that the story within the story dealt with the Death Star from A New Hope. However I do firmly believe that it was Luke that destroyed the Death Star lol.
The Face Of Evil
-6/10
I was genuinely excited for the horror aspect of this story but it was kind of lackluster, did enjoy that the little yellow furry aliens were mad scientist tho.
True Love
-5/10
I didn’t quite enjoy this story myself, though it did give more background into the alien that sells food rations for scrap in The Force Awakens. He’s a very sleazy character.
The Crimson Corsair And The Lost Treasure Of Count Dooku
-9/10
This was my favorite of all the short stories! It brought a clone trooper from the Clone Wars into the sequel trilogy and I would love to read more about his adventures with the pirates that saved him. However it is quite saddening to realize that all his brothers and the Jedi that he tried to save are all gone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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November 9, 2024May the 4th be with you!
I’m not a huge Star Wars fan. I’ve seen the movies. Rogue One is my favourite. I thought it would be fun and silly to borrow a Star Wars book from my library and read it today.
Not a bad collection. All the stories were three stars except for one called True Love that was five stars. Truly amazing and I would love to own this book just for that story.
If you love Star Wars, this would probably be a lot more fun. I was totally here for the sci-fi vibes.
I’m not a huge Star Wars fan. I’ve seen the movies. Rogue One is my favourite. I thought it would be fun and silly to borrow a Star Wars book from my library and read it today.
Not a bad collection. All the stories were three stars except for one called True Love that was five stars. Truly amazing and I would love to own this book just for that story.
If you love Star Wars, this would probably be a lot more fun. I was totally here for the sci-fi vibes.
June 11, 2021
This was a fun read!
First, the chapters are short and sweet, so I read each story really fast and finished them off.
Second, it was fun revisiting the Star Wars series through different eyes! Many great characters popped up here.
Then there's the style of the stories! It's all adventure with some comedy and lots of action. Absolutely love it!
First, the chapters are short and sweet, so I read each story really fast and finished them off.
Second, it was fun revisiting the Star Wars series through different eyes! Many great characters popped up here.
Then there's the style of the stories! It's all adventure with some comedy and lots of action. Absolutely love it!
July 11, 2024
In the likes of the former ‘Legends’ catalogue of anthologies, such as “Tales from Jabba’s Palace”, “Tales of the Bounty Hunter”, etc., “Tales from a Galaxy Far, Far Away: Aliens” collects a series of “Disney-era” stories, relating some of the alien species shown in ‘The Force Awakens’. Some are acknowledgeable, but others are simply an invention for the book to gather more content. The first two stories are a peculiar take on the whodunnit mystery; the first one is about a sherif from Jakku, called Zuvio, belonging to the alien race of Kyuzo, and he must investigate a murder in the town he protects. The other one has Maz Kanata’s main chef investigating the murder of his helper at the castle’s kitchen, resulting in an obvious homage to the tv-show “Master Chef” but with the element of the thriller. The third tale is about a storyteller called Bobbajo, who tells a group of refugees the story of how he- apparently- helped destroy the original ‘Death Star’. Perhaps the one that’ll grab some readers’ attention because of its protagonist is the one with Unkar Plutt who, in ‘Episode VII’ was the owner(?) of Rey; in his tale a pair of schemers try to obtain his treasures hidden in the ‘Jakku’ desert. The most interesting- and surprisingly creepy- one was the tale of the fugitive Ryn Biggleston, who arrives at Maz Kanata’s castle, in Takodana, looking for a place to hide, but encountering with a pair of frigosians, partners of a scientific snivvian called Drix Gil, who is experimenting with a monstrous alien specimen… until his newest victim arrives. Finally, a story of a group of pirates, bandits, and gang bangers all fighting against each other in order to posses the long forgotten “Treasure of Count Dooku”, which as one could assume, won’t be what they all expected.
I don’t really have much to say about these stories, and while I didn’t find them particularly terrible, or even that mediocre, I don’t have much of a usage for them. Since all these stories take place prior to the events of ‘Episode VII’, I thought at first that some important events will be put together in a kind of chronological relevance regarding the movie, specially the one with Unkar Plutt, which seemed to be the one with the most importance to connect with the rest of the Saga, like how he ended up owning Rey, or the very least, what kind of relationship- or partnership- the two shared. But instead, it was a completely different story of how he avoided being scammed by two random folks.
The one about Bobbajo was the one that, rather than adding, messes with the events of ‘A New Hope’, regarding the escape from the ‘Death Star’, and its subsequent destruction.
Perhaps the one that connects with ‘the Clone Wars’ at the very end of the book could’ve been the most interesting one to get through, especially with its twist at the end, with the appearance of a character from that era. It wasn’t a bad tale, but thinking about it, its conclusion doesn’t contribute to the larger scale of things, and it felt as fanservice for the “Prequel-era” fans. I don’t mind fanservice in a franchise with this scope, but the “Clone Wars” and the “Sequel-era” are so distant from each other, it almost doesn’t fit in the context of the timeline to mention one or reference the other.
Either from the way that Landry Q. Walker writes, or how purposeless the stories of each character were, but this is as disposable a lecture as expected out of a ‘Star Wars’ property that doesn’t relate to any important moment or characters in the saga. It doesn’t even answer things that one might argue should be answered from ‘Episode VII’, like the Unkar Plott-Rey dilemma, or why Maz Kanata had Luke’s lightsaber, or better yet, who the hell Maz Kanata was in the grand scheme of things. I don’t know who the main target audience for this could be, since this is not a book for kids, but I don’t see an older type of reader enjoying it. Is not a hard read at all, and it could be finished in less than two days, but its content is not worth it.
I’m all in favor of expanding-type of stories for the ‘Star Wars’ franchise, and “spin-offs”, prequels, sequels, they all could enrich, benefit, and improve over the overall universe, and each new character is a new chance for obtaining new knowledge, and opportunity for new storytelling material, but this is simply another filler-book that doesn’t really fill much. Is not an essential piece, and it is entertaining, although considerably forgettable in the likes of the average “new canon” selection.
I don’t really have much to say about these stories, and while I didn’t find them particularly terrible, or even that mediocre, I don’t have much of a usage for them. Since all these stories take place prior to the events of ‘Episode VII’, I thought at first that some important events will be put together in a kind of chronological relevance regarding the movie, specially the one with Unkar Plutt, which seemed to be the one with the most importance to connect with the rest of the Saga, like how he ended up owning Rey, or the very least, what kind of relationship- or partnership- the two shared. But instead, it was a completely different story of how he avoided being scammed by two random folks.
The one about Bobbajo was the one that, rather than adding, messes with the events of ‘A New Hope’, regarding the escape from the ‘Death Star’, and its subsequent destruction.
Perhaps the one that connects with ‘the Clone Wars’ at the very end of the book could’ve been the most interesting one to get through, especially with its twist at the end, with the appearance of a character from that era. It wasn’t a bad tale, but thinking about it, its conclusion doesn’t contribute to the larger scale of things, and it felt as fanservice for the “Prequel-era” fans. I don’t mind fanservice in a franchise with this scope, but the “Clone Wars” and the “Sequel-era” are so distant from each other, it almost doesn’t fit in the context of the timeline to mention one or reference the other.
Either from the way that Landry Q. Walker writes, or how purposeless the stories of each character were, but this is as disposable a lecture as expected out of a ‘Star Wars’ property that doesn’t relate to any important moment or characters in the saga. It doesn’t even answer things that one might argue should be answered from ‘Episode VII’, like the Unkar Plott-Rey dilemma, or why Maz Kanata had Luke’s lightsaber, or better yet, who the hell Maz Kanata was in the grand scheme of things. I don’t know who the main target audience for this could be, since this is not a book for kids, but I don’t see an older type of reader enjoying it. Is not a hard read at all, and it could be finished in less than two days, but its content is not worth it.
I’m all in favor of expanding-type of stories for the ‘Star Wars’ franchise, and “spin-offs”, prequels, sequels, they all could enrich, benefit, and improve over the overall universe, and each new character is a new chance for obtaining new knowledge, and opportunity for new storytelling material, but this is simply another filler-book that doesn’t really fill much. Is not an essential piece, and it is entertaining, although considerably forgettable in the likes of the average “new canon” selection.
November 18, 2021
This is a collection of short stories amidst the Star Wars universe, around the point in the timeline right before The Force Awakens.
Some are super fun and very good, others are straight up duds. I wanted to be as numerically fair as possible for the overall star rating, so below is a quick breakdown of each short story.
4, 4, 1, 1, 4, 2 ...
Coming out to a 16/30 ...
~2.6/5 overall == rounded up to a 3.
Short Story individual breakdowns in detail:
1. High Noon on Jakku - 4/5.
Space western! This was close to being my overall favorite in the book. Smart move to make this the opener of the string of short stories.
2. A Recipe for Death - 4/5.... quite possibly a 5. I'll call it as a 4.5 with a round down.
Alien chefs squint at each other, as a murder mystery unfolds in the kitchen. Super fun! The alien cuisine was fun to imagine and read about as well. Again, classic murder mystery format and it was damn near perfectly delivered.
3. All Creatures Great and Small - 1/5.
This is where the ship starts to sink. Basically, a child's tale about alien animals doing (truly) unbelievable feats. It just does not stick. It is just weird and weak the entire time. Unenjoyable as a 35 year old... maybe if I was 13 I would like it?
4. Face of Evil - 1/5.
Did not like Face of Evil. Pretty unremarkable and just not a good story. Nothing positive to say.
5. True Love - 4/5 ... "I really liked it."
Online dating scams within the Star Wars universe, against a wealthy target who has an abundance of resources that they scammers are after? So much fun, funny, and strong all the way to the end. Damn good short story. Really enjoyed it.
6. The Crimson Corsair and the lost treasure of Count Dooku - 2/5.
"I did not like it", but one thing saved this enough to give it +1 star.
Two massive sci-fi rips in this short story, one being much more criminal than the other.
First being .... a desert planet, with giant sand worms, a hidden valuable resource that everyone is seeking, with a giant storm thrown in the mix.... Hmmm, this sounds remarkably like DUNE. Even without the new release of the movie in 2021, sci-fi fans who have read the original Dune books will more than likely be appalled by this blatant rip.
If that wasn't enough... again, one of the most iconic, genre defining novels of sci-fi, gets some content plucked from it as well, as there is a SHRIKE in this. I'm sure most sci-fi fans have heard of a book my Mr. Simmons called, oh I don't know.... HYPERION.
The only, only thing that gave this +1 star.... is that there is a twist at the end that is actually pretty good. Finally, there is a lot of Clone Wars (TV Show) connections as well. If you are pretty current on the TV Show, you will appreciate a lot of the references a particular character makes.
< Break >
Overall, a low investment book (time wise) and some really great content mixed in, with some pretty poor content as well. Overall though, this is a great read.
Some are super fun and very good, others are straight up duds. I wanted to be as numerically fair as possible for the overall star rating, so below is a quick breakdown of each short story.
4, 4, 1, 1, 4, 2 ...
Coming out to a 16/30 ...
~2.6/5 overall == rounded up to a 3.
Short Story individual breakdowns in detail:
1. High Noon on Jakku - 4/5.
Space western! This was close to being my overall favorite in the book. Smart move to make this the opener of the string of short stories.
2. A Recipe for Death - 4/5.... quite possibly a 5. I'll call it as a 4.5 with a round down.
Alien chefs squint at each other, as a murder mystery unfolds in the kitchen. Super fun! The alien cuisine was fun to imagine and read about as well. Again, classic murder mystery format and it was damn near perfectly delivered.
3. All Creatures Great and Small - 1/5.
This is where the ship starts to sink. Basically, a child's tale about alien animals doing (truly) unbelievable feats. It just does not stick. It is just weird and weak the entire time. Unenjoyable as a 35 year old... maybe if I was 13 I would like it?
4. Face of Evil - 1/5.
Did not like Face of Evil. Pretty unremarkable and just not a good story. Nothing positive to say.
5. True Love - 4/5 ... "I really liked it."
Online dating scams within the Star Wars universe, against a wealthy target who has an abundance of resources that they scammers are after? So much fun, funny, and strong all the way to the end. Damn good short story. Really enjoyed it.
6. The Crimson Corsair and the lost treasure of Count Dooku - 2/5.
"I did not like it", but one thing saved this enough to give it +1 star.
Two massive sci-fi rips in this short story, one being much more criminal than the other.
First being .... a desert planet, with giant sand worms, a hidden valuable resource that everyone is seeking, with a giant storm thrown in the mix.... Hmmm, this sounds remarkably like DUNE. Even without the new release of the movie in 2021, sci-fi fans who have read the original Dune books will more than likely be appalled by this blatant rip.
If that wasn't enough... again, one of the most iconic, genre defining novels of sci-fi, gets some content plucked from it as well, as there is a SHRIKE in this. I'm sure most sci-fi fans have heard of a book my Mr. Simmons called, oh I don't know.... HYPERION.
The only, only thing that gave this +1 star.... is that there is a twist at the end that is actually pretty good. Finally, there is a lot of Clone Wars (TV Show) connections as well. If you are pretty current on the TV Show, you will appreciate a lot of the references a particular character makes.
< Break >
Overall, a low investment book (time wise) and some really great content mixed in, with some pretty poor content as well. Overall though, this is a great read.
February 6, 2022
Tales From a Galaxy Far, Far Away continues the grand Star Wars tradition of taking extremely minor background characters and giving them their own adventures. This collection (the only volume that exists, despite its name) includes four short stories that were published as e-books around the release of The Force Awakens, as well as two stories exclusive to the collection. They each highlight a different background character from the movie, focusing on Jakku and Maz Kanata's castle on Takodana, and tells a story slightly different in tone from the others.
High Noon on Jakku takes inspiration from classic Westerns, and focuses on Constable Zuvio -- the lawman at Niima Outpost on Jakku. It has a twist that you can see coming a mile away, but is reasonably well-told and the Western tropes are fun to see.
A Recipe for Death is a murder mystery/detective story in Maz Kanata's castle, focusing on Strono Tuggs -- the head chef. It was one of the more entertaining ones, and the twist here was much less obvious to me.
All Creatures Great and Small is written like a fable and focuses on Bobbajo, a keeper of creatures on Jakku. The fable element is great, but the story itself leaves something to be desired.
The Face of Evil is a body horror story starring Laparo and Thromba, scientists at Maz Kanata's castle. Again, the twist comes a mile away but the story is well-told -- if understandably not particularly scary for an adult.
True Love focuses on Unkar Plutt, the man in charge of the economy at Niima Outpost, and probably has the least defined style. I guess it's a heist story, if that counts? Yet another twist, but I liked it because Unkar was the character in the collection I was most interested in learning more about.
The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku focuses on the titular Crimson Corsair in a pirate story set on Ponemah, yet another desert planet that could just have easily been Jakku. This one has the least connection to The Force Awakens, although a surprising connection to other Star Wars media made this one a highlight.
Overall, Tales From a Galaxy Far, Far Away is a good set of simple stories, most with a twist and a different style to keep things fresh. The chapters are short, and I read through each story in one sitting -- and enjoyed every one of them. This is easy to recommend for all Star Wars fans (except perhaps the tiniest babies). It's a very solid group of Star Wars fiction.
High Noon on Jakku takes inspiration from classic Westerns, and focuses on Constable Zuvio -- the lawman at Niima Outpost on Jakku. It has a twist that you can see coming a mile away, but is reasonably well-told and the Western tropes are fun to see.
A Recipe for Death is a murder mystery/detective story in Maz Kanata's castle, focusing on Strono Tuggs -- the head chef. It was one of the more entertaining ones, and the twist here was much less obvious to me.
All Creatures Great and Small is written like a fable and focuses on Bobbajo, a keeper of creatures on Jakku. The fable element is great, but the story itself leaves something to be desired.
The Face of Evil is a body horror story starring Laparo and Thromba, scientists at Maz Kanata's castle. Again, the twist comes a mile away but the story is well-told -- if understandably not particularly scary for an adult.
True Love focuses on Unkar Plutt, the man in charge of the economy at Niima Outpost, and probably has the least defined style. I guess it's a heist story, if that counts? Yet another twist, but I liked it because Unkar was the character in the collection I was most interested in learning more about.
The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku focuses on the titular Crimson Corsair in a pirate story set on Ponemah, yet another desert planet that could just have easily been Jakku. This one has the least connection to The Force Awakens, although a surprising connection to other Star Wars media made this one a highlight.
Overall, Tales From a Galaxy Far, Far Away is a good set of simple stories, most with a twist and a different style to keep things fresh. The chapters are short, and I read through each story in one sitting -- and enjoyed every one of them. This is easy to recommend for all Star Wars fans (except perhaps the tiniest babies). It's a very solid group of Star Wars fiction.
November 18, 2021
I admit, I borrowed this book solely for “The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku,” so here it goes…
Without Spoilers…
“High Noon on Jakku” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was truly a great beginning to this book. An exciting mystery with likable characters, and that’s all about I can say without giving away spoilers.
“A Recipe for Death” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another mystery, this time combined with a cooking competition. It was as entertaining, but with it being a short story, the suspects are not given enough time for me to really explore the mystery.
“All Creatures Great and Small” - ⭐️⭐️
Tall tales. A new perspective on a known event has been done enough times already.
“The Face of Evil” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For a short story, it moves a bit slowly at first. I admit though, Frankensteinish stories are usually ones I don’t like, so the issue is probably me. The story really picks up towards the end.
“True Love” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
This one is kind of hard to judge. I’ll make my notes below because there is not much I can say without spoilers.
“The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really liked this, but it really needed a few more scenes from a certain character’s POV.
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“The Face of Evil”
There’s a great twist ending with clues along the way. Mysteries that move too slowly end up being completely predictable. Too fast, and it comes out of no where. This hit just the right balance.
“True Love”
Honestly, my issue is the bad guy winning ending. That could work, but my issue here is that he’s the only character in the story that isn’t likable. Still, the entire rest of the story was very good.
Without Spoilers…
“High Noon on Jakku” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was truly a great beginning to this book. An exciting mystery with likable characters, and that’s all about I can say without giving away spoilers.
“A Recipe for Death” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Another mystery, this time combined with a cooking competition. It was as entertaining, but with it being a short story, the suspects are not given enough time for me to really explore the mystery.
“All Creatures Great and Small” - ⭐️⭐️
Tall tales. A new perspective on a known event has been done enough times already.
“The Face of Evil” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For a short story, it moves a bit slowly at first. I admit though, Frankensteinish stories are usually ones I don’t like, so the issue is probably me. The story really picks up towards the end.
“True Love” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
This one is kind of hard to judge. I’ll make my notes below because there is not much I can say without spoilers.
“The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku” - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really liked this, but it really needed a few more scenes from a certain character’s POV.
S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S
“The Face of Evil”
There’s a great twist ending with clues along the way. Mysteries that move too slowly end up being completely predictable. Too fast, and it comes out of no where. This hit just the right balance.
“True Love”
Honestly, my issue is the bad guy winning ending. That could work, but my issue here is that he’s the only character in the story that isn’t likable. Still, the entire rest of the story was very good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2018
I was never a fan of the old Kevin J. Anderson Legends novels, but some of the short story collections he edited, such as Tales from the Mos Eisley Cantina, Tales of the Bounty Hunters, and Tales from Jabba's Palace gave some of the most interesting (and often peculiar) backstories to background characters from the original Star Wars Trilogy.
Tales From a Galaxy Far, Far Away, Vol. 1: Aliens is a junior novel that fulfils the same function for the first film in the Sequel Trilogy. It consists of six short stories giving a little peek into the lives of characters from the First Order/Resistance era of the Galaxy Far, Far Away.
Not all of the stories hit their mark, and they can be derivative of other works (one in particular is reminiscent of Frankenstein, as well as the Doctor Who story The Brain of Morbius), but they are by-and-large enjoyable, and none outstay their welcome.
I like the way that the author was not afraid to tie the Sequel Era characters to events of the Prequel Trilogy, or even the Clone Wars TV show - something which the makers of The Force Awakens were unwilling (or averse to the risk of adverse fanboy reaction) to do.
I would recommend this to children who are interested in reading about the Star Wars galaxy, but who might not be quite ready for the YA novels such as Ahsoka, Rebel Rising, or Lost Stars, but for an adult reader it is all to brief and simplistic.
Appropriate for its target audience.
Tales From a Galaxy Far, Far Away, Vol. 1: Aliens is a junior novel that fulfils the same function for the first film in the Sequel Trilogy. It consists of six short stories giving a little peek into the lives of characters from the First Order/Resistance era of the Galaxy Far, Far Away.
Not all of the stories hit their mark, and they can be derivative of other works (one in particular is reminiscent of Frankenstein, as well as the Doctor Who story The Brain of Morbius), but they are by-and-large enjoyable, and none outstay their welcome.
I like the way that the author was not afraid to tie the Sequel Era characters to events of the Prequel Trilogy, or even the Clone Wars TV show - something which the makers of The Force Awakens were unwilling (or averse to the risk of adverse fanboy reaction) to do.
I would recommend this to children who are interested in reading about the Star Wars galaxy, but who might not be quite ready for the YA novels such as Ahsoka, Rebel Rising, or Lost Stars, but for an adult reader it is all to brief and simplistic.
Appropriate for its target audience.
March 25, 2021
I had the opportunity to interview Landry Quinn Walker. We talk about this book in detail:
https://youtu.be/AME8axbpVSM
I really enjoyed the book. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. I have been discussing New Star Wars canon on my show, with a few of my friends and one of the points we keep bringing up is that in new Canon, there isn’t any tension. If a story features characters that we know, we know they aren’t going to die, because we have seen them in future stories in the movies or in other media. Then you have stories with characters that are made up specifically for comics or novels, and they, I am sad to say, are not as exciting as characters made for the films or TV shows. Doctor Aphra is the exception to this.
Then you have this book, featuring essentially background characters from the Force Awakens. Landry Quinn Walker, by telling each story in a completely different genre - Murder Mystery on an episode of Top Chef ; Wild West Stand off ; Frankenstein body Horror automatically makes these stories more engrossing. These characters looked cool in the Force Awakens film, but they brought nothing to the actual story. This could have easily been a throwaway collection of stories, instead it has become one of my favorite books from the new canon.
https://youtu.be/AME8axbpVSM
I really enjoyed the book. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. I have been discussing New Star Wars canon on my show, with a few of my friends and one of the points we keep bringing up is that in new Canon, there isn’t any tension. If a story features characters that we know, we know they aren’t going to die, because we have seen them in future stories in the movies or in other media. Then you have stories with characters that are made up specifically for comics or novels, and they, I am sad to say, are not as exciting as characters made for the films or TV shows. Doctor Aphra is the exception to this.
Then you have this book, featuring essentially background characters from the Force Awakens. Landry Quinn Walker, by telling each story in a completely different genre - Murder Mystery on an episode of Top Chef ; Wild West Stand off ; Frankenstein body Horror automatically makes these stories more engrossing. These characters looked cool in the Force Awakens film, but they brought nothing to the actual story. This could have easily been a throwaway collection of stories, instead it has become one of my favorite books from the new canon.
October 21, 2016
Aliens una excelente colección de “mini cuentos” llenos de aventura, misterios, algo de locura así como un poco de terror disfrazado. Son historias de criaturas que se encuentran en Takodana, Jakku y sus alrededores; que se introdujeron en el Despertar de la Fuerza, básicamente este libro logra ampliar o agregar más datos al episodio VII lo cual es un pequeño complemento o expansión.
Las seis historias que abordan son sumamente creativas, algunas son demasiado predecibles en cuanto a su desenlace y a mi parecer resultaron muy forzadas. Particularmente tres de ellas valen la pena, están llenas de inspiración, y hay referencia a líneas y momentos clásicos del universo incluyendo películas, libros, cómics y series de televisión. Conoces acerca de infinidad de especies sensible y no- sensibles, maneja mucha información, y en algún punto te va resultar confuso sino estas familiarizado.
Un libro que sorprende, lectura fácil de llevar nada aburrido, una colección que NO aborda historias de La Orden Sith o Caballeros Jedi y mucho menos de la Dinastía de los Skywalkers.
Las seis historias que abordan son sumamente creativas, algunas son demasiado predecibles en cuanto a su desenlace y a mi parecer resultaron muy forzadas. Particularmente tres de ellas valen la pena, están llenas de inspiración, y hay referencia a líneas y momentos clásicos del universo incluyendo películas, libros, cómics y series de televisión. Conoces acerca de infinidad de especies sensible y no- sensibles, maneja mucha información, y en algún punto te va resultar confuso sino estas familiarizado.
Un libro que sorprende, lectura fácil de llevar nada aburrido, una colección que NO aborda historias de La Orden Sith o Caballeros Jedi y mucho menos de la Dinastía de los Skywalkers.
January 11, 2017
If you like the expanded Star Wars universe, then this book is for you! With some new aliens from the force awakens, this book is packed full of the misadventures of a junkyard constable, a smarter than you think junk dealer, and more, this book will have you hooked on the adventures of everyday aliens. The stories are not to deep as other novels but that' just because that the book is made up of many different stories and is also part of series! This being Volume. 1! I think that this book is a great way to prepare for Episode 8 coming out this year, and that it could give us an insight to some possible aliens reappearing in it!
May 28, 2018
Rating 4
Considering that the target audience for this collection of novellas/short stories is YA readers, this title was very entertaining for me (I am way outside the YA age range).
It reminded me of the old collections titled ‘Tales from .....’ that were published years ago.
Obviously with this being released to tie in with TFA the stories are all connected in some way to jakku.
The new characters such as the constable and crimson Corsair would potentially make interesting characters in any live action tv series that appears.
Overall a recommended read for any age.
Considering that the target audience for this collection of novellas/short stories is YA readers, this title was very entertaining for me (I am way outside the YA age range).
It reminded me of the old collections titled ‘Tales from .....’ that were published years ago.
Obviously with this being released to tie in with TFA the stories are all connected in some way to jakku.
The new characters such as the constable and crimson Corsair would potentially make interesting characters in any live action tv series that appears.
Overall a recommended read for any age.
May 13, 2020
Short, enjoyable, and doesn't overstay its welcome Tales From a Galaxy Far, Far Away was a solid read. I enjoyed it a lot, more so then I did the Canto Bight book, though Canto Bight has its own strengths and weaknesses. The short stories in this where overall more enjoyable to me, and the different settings were a nice change of pace even if 3 of them were on desert planents.
My only strong complaint for the book is that it gave me a new favorate character to watch out for, Sidon Ithano, who I know never gets any other major roles or appearances. The horror of it!
My only strong complaint for the book is that it gave me a new favorate character to watch out for, Sidon Ithano, who I know never gets any other major roles or appearances. The horror of it!
February 7, 2017
Do not tell me that some random puppet with his random CGI creatures are the ones who actually blew up the Death Star over Yavin. Just no.
Other than that, while I know this is a middle school book that is no excuse for the clumsy sentence structure and poor writing that dominate this book. It was a very quick read, but didn't feel like Star Wars. You want a Star Wars feel? Read Lost Stars by Claudia Gray.
Other than that, while I know this is a middle school book that is no excuse for the clumsy sentence structure and poor writing that dominate this book. It was a very quick read, but didn't feel like Star Wars. You want a Star Wars feel? Read Lost Stars by Claudia Gray.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 3, 2017
Standard short story fare, some of these are better than others, but none are bad. I enjoyed getting to know some background characters from The Force Awakens a little better. I especially liked the high fantasy-like pirate tale of The Crimson Corsair (Capt Sidon Ithano, the red-helmeted fellow Finn almost threw in with from Maz's castle), the implications of which could actually have an impact in the new trilogy era. They could turn that story into a real nice animated feature. MTFBWY...
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