Star Wars Most Wanted

Written by Rae Carson

Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld

Set before the events of Solo: A Star Wars Story! Han and Qi'ra don't have a lot in common other than not having a lot. They're street kids on the industrial planet Corellia, doing whatever it takes to get by, dreaming of something more. They each jump at a chance to prove themselves in the perilous world of Corellia's criminal underbelly, only to discover they are on the same mission for the same unscrupulous boss. When the job goes disastrously wrong, Han and Qi'ra are on the run--from pirates, a droid crime syndicate, the Empire, and their boss--and will have to learn to trust each other if they are going to survive.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
• Release date: May 25, 2018
• ISBN: 9780525633983

Rae Carson

Rae Carson is the author of two bestselling and award-winning trilogies, as well as the acclaimed stand-alone novels Any Sign of Life and The Empire of Dreams. Her debut, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, was named a William C. Morris Award finalist and an Andre Norton Award finalist. Walk on Earth a Stranger was longlisted for the 2015 National Book Award and won the Western Writers of America Spur Award. Her books tend to contain adventure, magic, and smart girls who make (mostly) smart choices. Originally from California, Rae Carson now lives in Ohio with her husband. www.raecarson.com

Reviews for Star Wars Most Wanted

[darthdeverell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Rae Carson, who previously contributed to the Canto Bight story collection, returns to a galaxy far, far away in Most Wanted, a tie-in novel to Solo: A Star Wars Story. The plot focuses on Han and Qi’ra working to spare themselves Lady Proxima and the White Worm’s wrath while navigating the back alleys and sewers of Corellia when a deal that comes with a promised promotion goes wrong.
The story itself, like that in Solo is essentially a heist tale, but Carson uses the opportunity to reference other elements of the Star Wars saga and foreshadow Han’s later personality. For example, CorSec (pg. 37), which previously appeared in several of the Legends novels and was once again made canon in Solo, plays a large role throughout Carson’s novel. In examining Han’s character, she writes, “He preferred direct confrontation to innuendo, sneaking around, or the complicated planning Qi’ra seemed to prefer” (pg. 121). This discussion recalls Han’s later quip to Luke in the Death Star control room. Further, Han’s lack of belief in the Force or other systems of faith is a recurrent theme (pg. 127) throughout the novel. This ties in with his growing cynicism the more he interacts with the powerful (pg. 338). In another callback to (foreshadowing of?) A New Hope, Carson has Han describe the ideal vehicle as ugly, but one that will “have it where it counts” (pg. 151).
References to other elements of Solo: A Star Wars Story include the Droid Gotra, which recalls L3’s activism on behalf of droid liberation throughout the film (pg. 180). Further, Qi’ra wants to be a player, being able to use power and resources to exert her influence (pg. 237, 303). There’s also a “version of sabacc that used a couple of dice” (pg. 307).
As a tie-in novel, Carson offers a fun story that makes Corellia feel like a real place. Her work compares to other recent YA Star Wars books like Claudia Gray’s Leia, Princess of Alderaan, Beth Revis’s Rebel Rising, and E.K. Johnston’s Ahsoka. Fun as it is, my only complaint is that, like Solo, it never develops a sense of tension or stakes as the reader knows which characters are likely to be fine the whole time they read.