*All posts in the Star Wars Canon series contain minor spoilers
23 weeks until Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker!
“I’m going to be a pilot. Best in the galaxy.” –Han Solo, Solo: A Star Wars Story
Star Wars: Most Wanted is about the budding friendship between Han and Qi’ra as they fight for survival on the streets of Corellia.
Written by: Rae Carson (author of From a Certain Point of View short story and Canto Bight novella)
Published: May 25, 2018
When does Most Wanted take place?
Before Solo: A Star Wars Story, or more specifically: around 13 BBY.
Synopsis:
Han and Qi’ra, both part of the White Worms on the planet Corellia, are competing for the position of Head of the gang. Their mission? To successfully bid on shield generator technology from a defected Imperial engineer for Lady Proxima. But the White Worms leader is not the only one interested in the technology and soon Han and Qi’ra are fleeing for their lives from Imperials and crime syndicates. Placing their competition to the side, working together proves to be their only chance of survival.
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Star Wars: Most Wanted was the second novel published to tie in with Solo: A Star Wars Story after Last Shot. It is a YA novel written at a fairly quick pace and really dives into the characters of Han and Qi’ra, setting up their personalities for Solo and, in Han’s case, his journey throughout the rest of the saga.
The pair are complete opposites. Han is the risk taker; he is quick on his feet, spontaneous, and always seems to have a little bit of luck on his side. He tries to talk his way out of anything, and most times is successful. Qi’ra needs to think things through and come up with a plan before jumping into action. She is a strong character and I would love to see more of her story in the future. But they work well together; they appreciate their differences which complement each other. Another character Han and Qi’ra are on the run with is a Rodian named Tsuulo. Tsuulo speaks Huttese and fans get a glimpse of Han’s knack for languages, something he doesn’t necessarily appreciate about himself. Another aspect of Han’s character that is evident from his friendships with Qi’ra and Tsuulo is that even though he might not trust very many people, the ones Han does trust, he trusts with his life.
Despite the characters constantly falling into looming danger, Most Wanted had some humorous moments. Many of Han’s lines and actions made me laugh out loud and it was an enjoyable read. Carson’s worldbuilding was also really well done; she takes readers right into the grimy streets and foul sewers of Coreilla.
Something that bothered me throughout the book was despite how much Han and Qi’ra wanted a better life, they put little effort in trying to escape. Their only motivation is the position of Head of the White Worms gang. At one point they make a bargain with some powerful figures for the shield generator tech and the only thing they want in return is to get back safely to the White Worms. I get that Corellia isn’t the most welcoming place and you need to find allies where you can, but they don’t particularly try too hard to escape their harsh lives. Obviously, they can’t actually escape in the book because that happens in the film, but the lack of trying makes for a weak plot and this is a hindrance in a few Star Wars books (I’m looking at you Dark Disciple!) Another downside was that even though Most Wanted had plenty of action, which I always love, the majority of it is just running around. I felt like sometimes the plot was literally going around in circles.
I would recommend Most Wanted for anyone who loves the characters of Han and Qi’ra, or who wants an enhanced look at Solo: A Star Wars Story. I believe this book takes place only a few months, maybe a year, before the start of the film. Also (this wasn’t a negative for me but it might be for some readers) this book isn’t about the romance between Han and Qi’ra, just a heads up if that is what you are expecting from it.
Have you read Most Wanted? What do you think of Han and Qi’ra’s friendship in the book?
Next week: Rebel Rising
Complete list of Star Wars Canon novels
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