Book Review - Star Wars: Lost Stars (by Claudia Gray)

Title: Lost Stars
Series: Star Wars (Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
Author: Claudia Gray
Genre: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Young Adult, Media Tie-In
Publisher: Disney Lucasfilm Press
Release Date: September 4th, 2015
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 551

"The reign of the Galactic Empire has reached the Outer Rim planet of Jelucan, where aristocratic Thane Kyrell and rural villager Ciena Ree bond over their love of flying. Enrolling at the Imperial Academy is nothing less than a dream come true for both of them. But Thane sours on the dream when he sees firsthand the horrific tactics the Empire uses to maintain its ironclad rule.

Bitter and disillusioned, he joins the fledgling Rebellion--putting Ciena in an unbearable position between her loyalty to the Empire and her love for the man she's known since childhood.

Now on opposite sides of the war, will these friends turned foes ever find a way to be together, or will duty tear them--and the galaxy--apart?"

Star Wars: Lost Stars

(click to read an excerpt on Barnes&Noble)

- Review -
What Made Me Read It
As a long time fan of the Star Wars franchise it was pretty much a given.

The Plot
Eight years after Emperor Palpatine established the Galactic Empire, the mountain planet of Jelucan in the Outer Rim is the latest to align itself with the growing Empire. Thane Kyrell comes from an aristocratic Jelucani family while Ciena Ree was born in a proud yet rustic tribe. Despite their cultural and social differences, both children bond over their shared dream of attending an Imperial military academy and becoming pilots for the Empire.

After honing their skills over the years, Thanos and Ciena are admitted to the Royal Imperial Academy on Coruscant and quickly prove their worth. Ciena becomes an officer aboard Darth Vader's Star Destroyer Devastator while Thanos is assigned to the Death Star.

But the destruction of Alderaan and all the atrocities committed by the Empire drive a disillusioned Thane to desertion. He doesn't believe in the Rebellion, seeing the rebels as the terrorists the Empire makes them out to be. However he does believe in destroying the Empire, ridding the galaxy of its oppressive rule, and the Rebel Alliance is a way to achieve that goal.

Ciena is not one to break an oath and her unquestioned belief in the law and order promised by the Emperor himself impels her to continue serving the Empire. Her heart is torn by Thane's defection but she finds a way to protect him by declaring his death so he won't be hunted down. All that changes when Thane joins the Rebellion and both find themselves on opposite sides of a war that will determine the fate of the galaxy and their relationship.

The Good
"Lost Stars" takes place over the course of several years, between the end of the Clone Wars depicted in the movie Revenge of the Sith and the Battle of Jakku, one year after the events of Return of the Jedi. It follows the lives of two childhood friends, Thanos Kyrell and Ciena Ree, from their years under the Imperial rule on their home planet of Jelucan, their time at the Royal Imperial Academy on Coruscant, their rise through the ranks of the Imperial Navy and the impact of the Galactic Civil War. The novel provides a fresh perspective from the inside of the Empire, through the eyes of these two characters who grew up believing in the Imperial propaganda and ended up on opposite sides of the war. As readers we get to re-experience major events from the Original Trilogy like the destruction of Alderaan and the Battles of Yavin, Hoth and Endor as witnessed from the side of the so called bad guys.

The novel is compelling, well-crafted and well-paced. It's thought-provoking but also action packed, humorous and emotional, with believable multi-dimensional characters. The author does a really good job developing the two main characters - their thoughts and emotions, beliefs and doubts, points of view and allegiances, how they grow and are shaped as individuals through time and war. Ciena is a strong female protagonist with her own dreams, goals and motivations, a strong sense of honor and duty, loyalty and self-discipline - traits that compel her to remain in the service of a corrupt system. Thane is a cynical, disillusioned and bitter character, who doubts authority after a childhood of abuse by his father and witnessing the atrocities condoned by the Empire - he doesn't really believe in the Rebellion Alliance, it's just the lesser of two evils.

"Lost Stars" may be labeled as Young Adult but it explores deep and mature themes of honor and loyalty, friendship and love, betrayal, justice and revenge. The line between good and evil is blurred and the author successfully tackles the moral ambiguity of two opposite sides that believe their own cause is just. The Empire is still depicted as utterly corrupt and oppressive, but also made of individuals who still believe in its proclaimed principles of law and order, who just want to do their jobs believing they're fighting for the right cause and a brighter future, who mourn for friends and family killed in combat. The Rebel Alliance may have a higher moral ground but it's capable of as much needless violence as the Empire, resorting to questionable means to achieve their goals and easily coming across as a group of terrorists bent on destroying society (explored in greater detail in the movie Rogue One and its companion books, mainly through Saw Gerrera's militia The Partisans).

The Not So Good
As a Young Adult novel, "Lost Stars" has the expected romantic element between the two characters. It grows over time and integrates seamlessly with themes of friendship, loyalty and duty in a way that feels natural, which is a notch above the usual instalove, but the typical budding angsty puppy love is still present. Fortunately the major focus of the plot is on the moral and ethical dilemmas faced by the main characters so I was able to ignore the romantic aspect and still give the novel a high rating. But, this is a personal quirk of mine, I really have no patience whatsoever for romance. If it's your thing, then you will probably enjoy how it was handled in the book.

Final Rating

"Lost Stars" is a strong, compelling and thought-provoking space opera novel, set in the Star Wars universe and easily one of the best novels released in the new canon. It captures perfectly the aesthetic, drama and epic scope of the original franchise, while expanding the universe with new characters and locations. Recommended for Star Wars fans in particular but also suited for anyone who enjoys science fiction and space opera novels.

About the Author (interviews)