Book Review: [Star Wars] Empire and Rebellion Honor Among Thieves

If you want to read a very good book about the one and only Han Solo you need to consider this one! I've found in extremely well done. I think Han is even a more difficult character to write than Leia since he tries to hide what he feels under piles of sarcasm and wit! James S.A. Corey gave him justice and I enjoyed the book (especially the second part) immensely!

The book is the second part of the trilogy Empire and Rebellion but it's set before Razor's Edge. As Razor's Edge covers the events right before Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Honor Among Thieves is set right after Episode IV - A New Hope. I think this is kind of odd for a "trilogy" but I understand it's called that way because each book covers the adventures of one of the 3 big characters. Sorry Luke but I don't think I'll read yours any time soon! Nothing against you but I'm mainly here for Han and Leia :D

“But always there was the voice at the back of his head telling him that by joining the Rebellion he’d become less of a rebel than he’d ever been.”

	Honor Among Thieves Originally published: 2014 Author: James S. A. Corey Genres: Star Wars Novel/SciFi (reading time: May 21 - May 23) ★★★★

So, in a nutshell: The rebels are looking for a planet where to set base, and they have some options (Holt is among them). Leia has some meetings she has to attend to on a planet, but before leaving she sends Luke (Wedge and his group) to go investigate a system where they might build their secret base, and Han is sent into the core of the Empire to extract a Rebel Spy: Scarlett. Han is worried about Luke because the system he has to check out is a sort of Bermuda Triangle where ships get lost but no one knows why, and he spends most of the first part of the book thinking about their friendship, and how he cares about the farm boy in a brotherly way. Han goes to pick up Scarlet and, of course, they run into an old friend of his, who's now a bounty hunter. Han does't even have the time to shake him off that Scarlet asks him to help her finish her mission. After getting what they need, they manage to run away, and Han wants to bring Scarlet back to the Resistance ASAP, until he finds out Leia is in danger so he runs to her.  They get to Leia and, before leaving the planet that is about to be destroyed by the Empire in order to destroy an information, our 3 heroes (plus the bounty hunter who's back) has to recover the information and get out alive. Since Han is a GREAT pilot they escape and they find out the information the Empire wanted to keep hidden is a new weapon that allows them to control hyperspace jumps and guess where it is? Yep, on a planet in the system Luke went to investigate so Han goes to the rescue. At the end of the day they destroy the planet and the weapon and save the day.

I enjoyed the first part but the second one was the best (maybe because Leia was in it too). In the first part we have Scarlett who acts like Leia and it feels like there's no point in having her when they could have the princess, but I loved how Corey describes the conflict in Han's head about being part of the rebellion, using Scarlett and then Leia:

“We’re not anarchists,” she said. “We have goals. We want to end the Empire.”
“And replace it with what?
“You know what,” Scarlet said. Her crossed arms matched his own. “Are you trying to make fun of me?”
“It was rhetorical. I’ve heard the speech, sweetheart. ‘A glorious return to the Republic of old.’ To a guy like me, a new boss is still a boss.”

I think is great that the author managed to describe Han's internal conflict so well. This kind of conversation take places quite often throughout the whole book (with Scarlet, with himself and with Leia). Han is trying to figure out what he's doing and why and what's going to happen next. He says he does't like to think about it, and that's totally in character, especially for a novel set right after the events of A New Hope, in any other period it wouldn't have the same impact for the reader.

I loved the Han and Leia bits. There is a part where the Bounty Hunter tries to help Leia getting to a platform and he reach for her butt and Han punches him in the stomach when he notices and he gets very mad. And also Scarlet notices he is starting to have feelings for Leia but Han is totally oblivious until, I guess, this part:

“I was afraid you were in trouble for a second, Your Highnessness,” Han said, but the barb sounded hollow and unconvincing. Leia looked up at him, and the softness in her face told him that she’d heard the relief in his voice. He might just as well have said I thought I’d lost you.
“No such luck,” she said softly. He was surprised by the power of his urge to sweep her into his arms and kiss her. For a moment, there was something else in her expression—apprehension or hope or something of both. She blinked and looked away.

Here's a dialogue between Han and Leia that I think is just brilliant and you should read it even out of contest because it's great!

( AWESOME DIALOGUE ON THIS WAY )

Binge Watching: The Night Manager

I must be one of the few people who started the show because of Hugh Laurie!
I obsessed over this guy for years, and House is the show that started everything for me. Before that I was just watching TV without paying too much attention... Never went on the internet looking for things like spoilers, music videos, fan fictions... Never knew what a fandom was and - damn it - I wasn't even able to read or understand english that well. So it was Hugh Laurie who gently pulled me into this world and I owe him a lot somehow.

The night manager is SO.GOOD and you don;t need me to tell you what it is about because you just need to watch it!

It's interesting how a lot of Movie Actors are moving into the Television kingdom... It kind of shoked me when I saw Bradley Cooper in Limitless and now Ewan McGregor is going to be on the 3rd season of Fargo? 0____0 I can deal with seeing faces as pretty as Ewan once a year on a big screen, but weekly? I don't know how I'll be able to survive xD

It always makes me laugh whan I watch a show with brits and I always spot the same people... Seems like they have like 12 actors in the UK xD And theyre all so bloody good! A part from Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston, there's Tom Hollander that for me is always going to be Mr Collins xD, Olivia Colman from Broarchurch, Tobias Menzies from Outlander (poor guy... it must sucks to be him because I think now he's stuck with the evil guy/creep role... I would never be able to see him as an hero in any show) and Jonathan Aris from sherlock... Plus David Harewood from Supergirl! Maybe one day I'll have David Tennant and Hugh in the same show... A girl could wish, right?

Talking about David Harewood I saw an interview with him where he said Hugh stayed in character pretty much the whole time, and it doesn't surprise me since I remember Stephen Fry, once, saying that when they were having dinner in the US, and he was filming House, he kept speaking with an American accent. It must have been extremely creepy to stay in that character though. I'm so proud of him (and I know it's weitd) but he's such an insecure person and I know he works so hard and I'm happy when he gets a role that allowes him to show the worls how good he is!

So go watch the Night Manager and not just for Tom Hiddleston (who's marvellous anyway) but do it for Hugh too!