The Paradise Snare by A.C. Crispin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’ve read this book before, but it was years and years ago, when I did very little analytical thinking and mostly just enjoyed reading about Han Solo shooting stuff. I had memories of the low-level Coruscant bits being longer, and the Ylesia bits being shorter, but all those aside, I still enjoyed this book.
It has romance in it, and implication, but nothing explicit, which is appropriate for the subject material. On very rare occasions, I saw what I may start calling “Emily Bronte syndrome,” in which every character was written like a female character, but for the vast majority of the time, Ms Crispin did an excellent job differentiating thought patterns among Han, Muurgh, and Bria. I appreciate that, especially given the variety of perspectives necessary to tell this story well.
I recall noting one typo, but I can’t recall where it was, now. Something minor. Other than that, it was a solid, entertaining book about a beloved character, and it explains a lot of his later personality (as exhibited in the films). I thought there were a few too many terms of endearment, and I had a few other little head-scratch moments, but nothing that broke the story or left me dissatisfied. All-in-all, recommended for fans of Star Wars.