This collection of short stories centering on minor or background characters from Empire Strikes back is not as good as the one about a New Hope. In part, this is because what really made the New Hope one so good was the use of humor. And Empire is a much darker movie than the New Hope. But it is more than just that.
Part of the problem is the first third of the collection takes place on Hoth and quite a few of the stories feature characters that any viewer of Empire knows will die. In fact, you read like four of these stories in a row (or it feels like in a row) so it comes across as unremitting grim. And it is a strange contrast because the grimness that could be the evac of Cloud City, isn’t there. All those escapes are free and clear.
But part of it is also that many of the stories, while not bad are also very, very predictable. And it also doesn’t help that the bulk of the stories feature male characters (almost a 2:1 ratio), though fair credit there are more LGBT and characters of color in this one. But there are only so many times you can take Rebel characters going “Jyn is awesome” or Imperial characters going “Vader is choking someone again”. It isn’t that Jyn isn’t awesome, because she is and of the post Disney buy out movies, Rogue One is by far and away the best. But it feels slightly strange since the book is to celebrate, in part, the 40 year anniversary of movie which predates Rogue One by years and comes across in most senses as marketing. The only exception to this, interesting enough is “Faith in an Old Friend” by Brittany N. Williams, which ties darkly into the Solo movie and simply proves, as we all know, that Falcon really belongs to Lando and Han (and later Rey) should just simply give it back. (and if you are going to tie it in to the other movies and series, why isn’t Poe’s mom and dad mentioned? I don’t think they were)
Most of the stories, at least the Rebel based ones feature hero worship of varying degree of Leia, and this is most touching considering the loss of Fisher. It is far better tribute than the weak ending that Leia was given in ROS (to be fair, any ending to Leia’s story at that point was going to be difficult.
Stand out stories Include “Ion Control” by Emily Strutskie, featuring the woman in charge of the ion cannon and her work with Princess Leia. “A Good Kiss” by C B Lee, which is the best story in the collection, and features a character who not only gets several good comments about attractive people but also, let’s admit it, would be most of us in the Star Wars universe. “She Will Keep Them Warm” by Delilah S. Dawson is one of those stories were the reader knows the character will die but there is s a wonderful level of detail and beauty in the story. Wedge gets a spot light in an overly long story “Rendezvous Point” by Jason Fry. “STET!” By Daniel Jose Older is a very good, funny story as is, in a different way Django Wexler’s story, and that one offers a good analysis of the differences between Rebel and Imperial ships. There is a graphic story set on Hoth by Katie Cook. The most inventive is “Vergence” by Tracey Deann. And John Jackson Miller’s story, “Lord Vader Will See You Now” appears to feature a women of color in the Imperial Service (several of the stories feature women serving the Imperial. This one features a woman of color serving a commander of rank, commanding a ship. Not as a stormtropper). She wins because of her brain.
“There is Always Another” by Mackenzi Lee is Obi-Wan dishing dirt on the Jedi order but is also an nice nod to what is long with the Jedi – overlooking Leia in favor of Luke. It hits the right points for someone like me who had to wait decades for a live action sequence involving a group of women working together in the Star Wars Universe (thank you Mandolorian).
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