Star Wars The Last Jedi Novelization - Expanded Edition

[Falconer]

They hinted a lot about the Unknown Regions in TFA and in so many of the books and other materials in the past few years. I was really expecting TLJ to take us there—Luke and Rey taking the fight back to Snoke, and uncovering the UR’s mysteries. Hopefully one of the coming series is ambitious and creative enough to go there.

[Wajeb Deb Kaadeb]

It was vague in the book, so I'm not quite sure about this, but it sounds like Holdo took out more than just the Supremacy with her suicide run. I think she damaged several Star Destroyers, too.

The ship splits in half, in the book, with the two "wings" floating off into space. Thousands of escape pods fire. The FO has its hand full in rescuing those from this giant ship.

[Wajeb Deb Kaadeb]

Getting close to finishing this book....



Major Revelation:

I've been reading the books, studying the movies, and checking out the extras like the Incredible Cross-Sections books. When it comes to Star Wars, I've been tappin' a vein.

I haven't seen this anywhere. I knew that General Hux's father was dead, and I knew that the elder Hux is the one who created the Stormtrooper program for the First Order.

What I didn't know: Hux killed his own father, took over the Stormtrooper program, and rose in the ranks of the First Order (over the bodies of other professional rivals).



Rey:

She gets off the Supremacy by stealing a shuttle. The ship is in two halves after Holdo's maneuver, and the scene outside the ship is crazy with debris, escape pods, and rescue ships doing what they can do to help their comrades.

It is easy to disguise the shuttle among all this. She waits for the Falcon. When Chewie arrives, they dock and she comes aboard. A few TIEs take notice and attack the Falcon, but it ain't no big thang.

I wonder if Rey will start the next movie with a lightsaber? Since hers was destroyed.



Battle of Crait:

This is done well. It's an extended section as the book describes the Resistance take over the old base. Leia has been here before, back before she was a princess. I believe that a YA story covers this visit. Bail Organa financed the base.

The Resistance fighters in the ski speeders have a hell of a time with the TIEs. The speeders can't get enough altitude to get the enemy ships in their sights. The Falcon saves the day.

The siege laser is described well. The damn thing starts to gen up. It gets so hot around it that it liquefies the salt on the ground and sets fire to spots in the atmosphere.

[Wajeb Deb Kaadeb]

Influence on the way FO stormtroopers are created came from both the Jedi and from Palpatine's Clone Warriors.

In both cases, people are taken at a young age and trained their entire life to become "X". The Jedi identify Force Sensitives as early as possible and take them away from their families to grow up in the Jedi Temple.

Palpatine's Clone Warriors were grown, from birth, to be warriors for the Republic.

The Hux program, for the FO, takes conscripts at a very young age and trains them from as early as possible to be loyal stormtroopers.

[garhkal]

[Wajeb Deb Kaadeb]

[Wajeb Deb Kaadeb]

I finished the book. The ending was...beautiful. It was really well done.

It was sad. But, it was also hopeful. I'd say that, although the events were about the same, the book took on more emotion because it got into the heads of the characters. You felt what they felt.

Plus, the music and production quality, being top notch throughout the entire book, really out did itself at the end.

A couple of notes....



When Luke's Force Ghost kisses Leia on the head, she knows---she knows what Luke is doing, and she knows that it is his essence there but not his flesh.

When Kylo storms into the vacant Resistance hideout and finds the dice, he has another moment connecting thought with Rey. She has the willpower to cut him off immediately. She done with him. Ben Solo is the enemy.

I don't think that moment was in the film. Maybe it was. I'll need to watch for it the next time I see TLJ.

But, this flies in the face of Snoke putting the two together via the Force, as was explained earlier in the book. Or, maybe once you make a connection, its easier to do it again--I'd buy that.

When Luke passes, it is truly well done. He merges with the Force, and it's a bitter-sweet thing. It is truly beautiful, in a way. As he is passing, he hears a familiar voice...,"Luke...let go...".

There's a new scene as we go back to Ahch-to, and the caretakers prepare for the next one who will come to the island. They don't know when. It may be decades or even lifetimes. But, they know it will happen. And, they'll be prepared.



All in all, a damn good interpretation of the movie--a great adaptation. I recommend it. It was a very enjoyable listen.

[Whill]

Wajeb I appreciate you sharing all this detail of this film novelization since this is the first one I am not reading. Thank you.
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[Wajeb Deb Kaadeb]

[Wajeb Deb Kaadeb]

Oh, and one more thing. The last scene in the book is that in the movie--the kid in Canto Bite who wills the broom to his hand through use of the Force.

There's more to this. This scene must happen a long time after the Battle on Crait, because he's heard of it. He's heard of this lone man--something they call a Jedi--who faced the entire First Order....alone!

There's no hit of the Force Ghost. The story is that a single man, Luke Skywalker, faced down the entire First Order offensive on Crait by himself.

I'm sure First Order people as well as Resistance folk spread the tale.

And Luke Skywalker, Master Jedi, passes into MYTH.

I thought that a damn cool way to end the book.

[Whill]

[garhkal]

[Wajeb Deb Kaadeb]

[Whill]

I'm ok with Kirk's death. I'm ok with Qui-Gon, Ben Kenobi, and Anakin's deaths. I'm ok with Han's death (pending the outcome of Episode IX). I'm pretty much ok with Luke's death but I would have preferred if after projection-Luke disappears, Luke's X-wing comes flying out from behind the mountain and takes out an AT-AT before getting shot down, Luke surviving and having a real lightsaber duel with Kylo, and then he pulls a Ben Kenobi and fades away after the Resistance has had enough time to evacuate, denying Kylo the kill. Luke would still enter legend but with a better climax to the film. And Spock, yeah it's a great death and I cry every time even though I know he comes back in the next movie. 8)
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[garhkal]

Which of kirks deaths in generations are you on about? The first when the ribbon took him from the Enterprise B, or the other one, after Picard rescued him?
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