Bitchin' Blog Posts
The Courtship of Princess Leia by Dave Wolverton - A Guest Review by Carrie S.
by SB Sarah | by SB Sarah | February 02, 2011 | Wednesday at 11:44 am | 68 CommentsTitle: The Courtship of Princess Leia
Author: Mark Wolverton
Publication Info: Spectra 1995
ISBN: 978-0553569376
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
It could have been worse.
When people ask me if I’m “Into Star Wars”, I say, “Yes, absolutely”. But when I say “Star Wars”, I mean, “Star Wars: A New Hope”, “The Empire Strikes Back”, and “Return of the Jedi”. I saw the first two prequels but am convinced they were a hallucination brought on by bad popcorn. I’ve never seen the Clone Wars. And I’ve never read a Star Wars novel. But for you, dear bitches, I braved the novelization world to review The Courtship of Princess Leia. I figured a novel about Han and Leia’s romance would either be the best thing since hyperdrive or the worst thing since Jabba the Hut’s personal appearance. Turns out I was wrong on both counts. This novel wasn’t irredeemable. It had good action sequences, a fast pace, and a few hilarious moments. But, as a romance novel, it was a big fail, because the most critical component – believable, well-developed, exciting romance - was absent.
To be honest, I’m grading this novel pretty harshly, mostly because it dangled so much potential in front of me and then whisked it away. At the start of the book, Han and Leia are both exhausted and overwhelmed. They are mourning the losses brought on by war and facing the realities of the struggles yet to come. Han has just returned from five months in combat, and Leia is preparing for a major diplomatic mission in another star cluster. They have a very brief time to try to reconnect. But, before they can do more than say, “Hi”, Leia receives a marriage proposal from Prince Isolder from the Hapes Consortium. This marriage would greatly strengthen the Alliance, and Isolder is quite a hottie. What will Leia do?
Well, I’ll tell you what Leia will do. Leia will be greatly charmed by Isolder (as who wouldn’t). Leia will then follow the men of the book around as they initiate all the action. Han, who has never been a paragon of maturity, will have hissy fits not unlike those of a thirteen-year-old girl. Luke will utter calm, wise words of wisdom and peace whenever he isn’t busy turning his enemies into barbeque. Chewie rips off arms, Artoo chirps, and Threepio is surprisingly awesome. Readers get a lot of adventure, but not a searing examination of the costs of war, or the difficult realities facing a couple who experience long separations and conflicting demands on their time and energies. Nor will the ethical implications of Leia’s choice have any but the most superficial treatment. Initially, it looks like this story will deal with the question of how much one can put one’s own personal happiness ahead of the well-being of others. A character explains the benefit of the marriage to Isolder in this way, “With the wealth of Hapes to help fund the war, Leia could overthrow the last remnants of the Empire quickly, saving billions of lives in the process”. Hear that, people? Not dozens, not millions, but billions of lives. What difference does it make whether Isolder is cute or repulsive? What difference does it make whether Han is the love of Leia’s life? Why are they fighting for her affections? This is a royal, political marriage, like many others, and normally affections would be beside the point. If the author is going to set such high stakes, those stakes should be seriously debated. That would make a compelling story about two kids who fell in love in wartime, and now have to make things work as adults with major challenges in their lives.
We don’t get that story, but we do get a fun romp, albeit not one that makes a lot of sense. I’ll let Han explain what happens once he realizes that Leia may very well leave him for Isolder:
“Well, see, it happened this way: I won a planet in a card game and really wanted to see it badly. Meanwhile, the woman I love was planning to run off with another man, so I convinced her to take a short trip with me. Only when we got here, I found the skies full of warships that shot me down – because no one bothered to tell me the planet was interdicted – and after we crashed, a bunch of witches decided to start a war over who gets the wreckage of my ship. So I’ll tell you, Luke, I’ve had a really bad week so far. Now, to top it off, I suppose you’re going to lecture me, or arrest me, or beat me up. So tell me, how is your week going?”
That plot summary is pretty complete, except where Han says, “convinced”, read, “kidnapped”. There are also various side plots involving extraneous characters who appear to be fully, um, compatible, despite originating from different planets. Sadly, the romance aspect really falls short. In a good romance novel, the relationship between the couples grows before our eyes, and the moment when they realize they love each other and decide to be together is a satisfying conclusion to that growth. The mood of the novel may be light and comic, or ridden with angst, but the happy ending has to be earned. We have to believe (at least, I have to believe) that this couple is in love, respects each other, balances each other, and is committed to each other. Sadly, without being too specific with the spoilers, it seems like the only reason romances in The Courtship of Princess Leia come to fruition is that the author is running out of pages and has to wrap things up. In one case, two characters go from showing no significant romantic interest in each other to professing undying love in the space of one page. I don’t mean that we know they liked each other all along, but they were blind to their true feelings, etc, etc. I mean the book was almost over and no one else was eligible, so the author gave these characters total reversals so they could be an item.
On the upside, the characterizations in the novel aren’t bad. Han and Leia bicker just as they did in “A New Hope” and “Empire”. There is some truly clunky dialogue, but some good lines too. The action zips right along, there are plenty of explosions, and one remarkable scene in which Luke experiences the Force on new levels (Not THOSE levels. Jeez, I can’t take you guys anywhere!). Above all, there is a song from Threepio. Yes, a song. Bitches, I’m not saying you should read this book, but I do think you should buy it, just to send a thank you donation to the author for coming up with this:
“He’s got his own planet
Although it’s kind of wild.
Wookies love him.
Women love him.
He’s got a winning smile!
Though he may seem cool and cocky,
He’s more sensitive than he seems,
Han Solo!
What a man! Solo!
He’s every princess’s dream!”
In closing, let me just say that nowhere will you find a more devoted Leia/Han shipper than myself. Han Solo was my first crush, and Princess Leia was my first female role model. Having invested all this energy in the two of them since the age of eight, I’m a little picky. In fact, I can tell you the exact moment when the Star Wars franchise jumped the shark. It’s in “Return of the Jedi”. Han is staring out the window, and instead of smacking him upside the head and making a sarcastic comment, Leia gently embraces him and says, adoringly, “Hey…you awake?” My God, people. They’ve shared great sex, not full frontal lobotomies. Can no one write for this couple anymore? Their fans deserve bickering! We deserve passion! We deserve the joy of watching them work as a team – her levelheadedness balancing his impulsiveness, his bravado balancing her emotional caution, and their two strong natures ensuring that no one gets pushed around. Since this book consists of people randomly running around and then pretending that some sort of emotional journey took place, I’m giving it a C. However, in fairness, Threepio’s little ditty by itself deserves an A. Beware readers, the book looks promising, but “IT’S A TRAP!”
The Courtship of Princess Leia is available at Amazon, as an Audible audio book, from Book Depository It is not available digitally that I can find, anyway.
Filed: General Bitching, Reviews, Grade C, Authors, T-Z
Tagged: wtfery, star wars, space, romance, review, princess leia, carrie s, angst
Scrin said on 02.02.11 at 11:58 AM • [link]
I never read THIS one, but I can say that Han and Leia do have three kids—first fraternal twins, then a son.
And they did a whole lot of years dangling potential love interests for Luke around until George Lucas put his foot down and they tied him down with someone. But the character had been a recurring figure in the books, often involved in the same crisis Luke did, so it isn’t like it came out of nowhere.
But I will say this: The Star Wars Extended Universe novels are often reeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyy hit-or-miss.
Sometimes you get something awesome like the Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn (the books in order are Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command and yes, I am recommending them). Sometimes you get something ‘meh’ such as the Courtship of Princess Leia. Sometimes you get something absolutely retarded like Darksaber or Crystal Star.
If it’s any consolation, there was a whole series pretty much dedicated to the villain here—Zsinj—basically pointing out that no one gets to his position by actually being as big of an idiot as he tried to appear as. The X-Wing books contain several romantic subplots and end on a pretty sweet notes, too.
Actually, the Star Wars EU has several instances where someone wrote something bad/mediocre, and another author did a book pointing out its flaws. Sometimes retconning plots and characters into something coherent, sometimes being not nearly so kind.
OdetteLovegood said on 02.02.11 at 12:14 PM • [link]
Part of the problem here is that you were hoping for a romance, and what you got is a sci-fi adventure story. The author was probably more interested in causing trouble for the main characters than seriously exploring their relationship.
I haven’t read a lot of Star Wars novels, but I did enjoy the Jedi Academy Trilogy, which focuses on Han and Leia’s three children and the revival of Jedi training- and where it can go wrong.
Jen H said on 02.02.11 at 04:31 PM • [link]
Like our brave reviewer, my first ‘ship was Han & Leia, with Han setting the Bad Boy Precedent For All Time, so this p.o.s. that manages to emasculate him and render her TSTL in places just bugged me when it came out and still does. That song, however, has popped up randomly in my head for over 10 years…! Gah. One of the best qualities of this couple is that they are so similar, like a functional version of Rhett & Scarlett, so to see them portrayed so OOC is painful. Their characterization in Mr. Zahn’s books is much more accurate, and the story’s not bad, either:) Carrie, thanks for taking one for the team, and for refreshing those lilting lyrics for me!
move69: ...I got nothin’.
Jen H said on 02.02.11 at 04:35 PM • [link]
Forgot to include: in the movie (500) Days of Summer, there is a part where the hero looks in a glass and sees Han Solo looking back. It was so perfect for that story point and such a pleasant surprise, I laughed out loud. See it if you haven’t already, Carrie—-you’ll love it:)
wish44: nope, too early for me
JJ said on 02.02.11 at 04:38 PM • [link]
Sarah, I love you for this review.
I too adore the original trilogy (I was 11 when A New Hope was re-released in the theatres) and I once picked up a Star Wars novelization meant for children in an obsessive 11-year-old fit of “I’M ADDICTED AND I NEED MORE.”
I don’t remember much about it; it had less Force stuff and less romance than I would have liked but it was an decent sci-fi action-adventure story that I enjoyed at the time and then forgot about entirely.
I’ve always been tempted to pick up Star Wars novelizations involving Han and Leia (because I too, am a devoted Han/Leia shipper), but am always afraid that it will never live up to the movies and/or the couple in my head.
H said on 02.02.11 at 04:53 PM • [link]
I will also recommend the Zahn stories. I used to read all of the SW novelizations and agree on the hit or miss nature. One thing to note is that Courtship did come out after the Thrawn trilogy, so it had already been established that Han and Leia end up together and start a family.
Hannah said on 02.02.11 at 05:41 PM • [link]
I read the novelization of The Empire Strikes Back, back in the day. It wasn’t that memorable and I quit reading Star Wars books after that. To me, the story told in the movies was complete—I didn’t want any more. I really enjoyed the radio dramatizations that were played on NPR and had some of the original cast members—they filled in a lot of details that were not in the movies. I had a huge crush on Luke Skywalker (even wrote in my first diary at age 6 “Luke Skywalker is my boyfriend”) and always wanted him to hook up with Leia. In my defense, there were no clues at all the first two movies that they were brother and sister. No, I take that back, there was that time that Darth Vader said “there is another” about Luke and Leia.
Sarah W said on 02.02.11 at 05:49 PM • [link]
I got into trouble for this book.
I was working in a bookstore when it came out, and the minute I opened the carton, I skimmed the first few pages. My assistant manager came up and asked me if it was any good. I said it was so far and told her what the blurb said.
She expressed passionate hope that Leia would choose Han. I, veteran of the romance circuit said, “Yeah, like there’s any chance she’d pick anyone else.”
She yelled at me for ruining the book for her and gave me a serious lecture on how she had better not hear that I’d told any of our customers the ending.
Ooookay.
Beth said on 02.02.11 at 06:22 PM • [link]
The love story between Han and Leia in the expanded universe is so complex and fantastic, but this book isn’t very representative of that. They have children, they grow old, they celebrate personal and political victories, and they suffer some terrible losses. So don’t fret that authors have ruined the Han and Leia romance.
This book is really kind of fun because of the characters it introduces; they play a HUGE part in the story line later on. I don’t think I could point to one book that sort of does the whole Leia/Han romance justice, but that’s probably becuse I was never a big Han/Leia shipper. Liked them, but I was much more interested in who Luke was gong to end up with. If you are looking for Star Wars books that have good romances in them, I’d recommend X-Wing: Starfighters of Adumar, by Aaron Allston, and Visions of the Future, by Timothy Zahn (though, you should probably read his Thrawn trilogy and Specter of the Past first) Actually, you should read the Thrawn trilogy anyway because it’s just really, really good.
The most frustrating thing about reading Star Wars books is that there are lots of authors writing in one universe so sometimes characters aren’t very consistent.
Anna the Piper said on 02.02.11 at 06:28 PM • [link]
Oh man, STAR WARS.
My fellow Bitches, I PLAYED Han Solo for two and a half years on an online Star Wars game. I know me some Han Solo. And I slurped up a whole helluva lot of Star Wars novels in the process, including this one. Our guest reviewer Carrie is right, though; this isn’t the best that Star Wars novels have to offer by a long shot.
But yeah, they’re SF, not romance, so there won’t be as much front-and-center emphasis on the relationships as you’d get in the romance genre. I DO however recommend for my fellow Solo fans the awesome, AWESOME trilogy that A.C. Crispin wrote going into his backstory: THE PARADISE SNARE, THE HUTT GAMBIT, and REBEL DAWN. There’s a lovely little pre-Leia romance in those—though since it IS pre-Leia, y’all will already know it ain’t going to end well. ;)
Barbara W. said on 02.02.11 at 06:32 PM • [link]
I’m sure a bigger and better fan than I will come back and give a title, but I seem to recall back before it was revealed that Luke was Leia’s brother that there was a ‘shipper book about the two of them. I only recall some vague details (hey, I was 4th, 5th grade at the time), but I remember Leia got injured at the end - something about her arm? - and they had a sort-of HEA.
It was so swoonworthy. Then RoTJ came out and I couldn’t believe I ever wanted her with anyone but Han the Hottie.
(bowing back out because I totally don’t know anything about the Star Wars books beyond that weird memory)
Sarah W said on 02.02.11 at 06:47 PM • [link]
@Barbara W
I think the book you’re remembering was Splinter of the Mind’s Eye.
I agree that the scene was swoonworthy—-but in retrospect, it was a good thing Luke nobly held back from “taking advantage.” I re-read it after Return of the Jedi, and whew, close call!
Ruth said on 02.02.11 at 07:02 PM • [link]
I blazed through the Star Wars novels right about the same time I discovered romance novels (so, about 14?). This one never sat well with me. It’s decent, but not especially romantic or that useful for understanding the ‘verse. It’s very much a one-off. That said, it’s much better than the “romance” which Barbara Hambly dredged up between Luke & Callista in some later books. That was godawful. Luke’s romance with & marriage to Mara (I’d say spoiler, but it’s been 11 years or more since that was published & you totally see it coming) is much more in the style of a good romance…cooperation combined with annoying and some good banter.
LizC said on 02.02.11 at 07:21 PM • [link]
Oh boy. I read this book when I was 13 or 14. In fact I wanted to read it so badly that I made my mom buy it for me using the special order form in the back of one of my other Star Wars books because you couldn’t find it anywhere else and this was before Amazon.
The thing about Courtship is you cannot read it as a self-contained romance. It is a Star Wars novel first and a romance novel last. The other thing about Courtship is that it really helps to have read the other EU books that take place earlier in the timeline to get a better idea about the progression of Han and Leia’s relationship in the novels. EU novels aren’t meant to be read as stand alones even when they aren’t part of a series within the EU. At least in my opinion they aren’t.
I also recommend any and all Star Wars novels by Timothy Zahn. Also, almost all the X-Wing novels (I haven’t read them all yet). DO NOT read anything by Troy Denning. Just . . . don’t. Start with Zahn, read the older novels first, and then if you must, read Denning. But he’s a hack so it’s not necessary.
Barbara W. said on 02.02.11 at 07:26 PM • [link]
OMG @ Sarah W!
I feel like I just fell down a rabbit hole, lol. I went to Amazon and was reading the reviews and most of it came flooding back if I ignored all the arguing about the legitimacy of the book’s place in the Lucas empire. :\
Ha, I even guessed at my age right - I would have been roughly in 4th grade when this originally came out. How weird. I feel the urge to break out my curling iron and roller skates…
Thank you!!
sanalayla said on 02.02.11 at 07:49 PM • [link]
I have the exact same relationship with “Star Wars” that you do: HUGE fan of the first trilogy, but I pretend the prequels never happened & I don’t make it a habit to go around reading “Star Wars” books, fanfiction, or watch Clone Wars.
However, I have read Timothy Zahn’s trilogy (over a decade ago) and it was VERY good. It is not a romance, by any means, but I enjoyed how the Han/Leia romance was handled in that book. It was much more mature. Also, I enjoyed the new characters he’d created.
Han/Leia are one of my first ships, too. (Along with Clark Kent/Lois Lane) and - yes - it would be impossible to read someone write them without the banter and the bickering. It’s one of my beefs with “RotJ”, too.
I really enjoyed this review, but I don’t think I’ll be reading. It seems like there is probably fanfiction out there that would handle Han/Leia better.
Cecilia Grant said on 02.02.11 at 08:18 PM • [link]
I wish you hadn’t told me that this doesn’t mean what it sounds like, because I would have ordered that book pronto.
Yet another recommendation for Zahn’s Thrawn trilogy. There’s not a whole lot of Han/Leia romance in it, but I like what he does with Leia’s character - you get a sense of how she has a different, not lesser, skillset from Luke and how she’s going to use the Force to her advantage. Also I loved Mara Jade: angry, kickass, pitiless, and hell-bent on Luke’s destruction. You know they’re made for each other :)
Jennifer Armintrout said on 02.02.11 at 08:38 PM • [link]
Greatly disagree! That book is one of my favorites from the extended universe!
Jennifer Armintrout said on 02.02.11 at 08:40 PM • [link]
@Anna the Piper, I totally agree about the pre-New Hope trilogy. I freaking gobbled those up. And then I lent them to someone and… well, we know how this story ends. :(
Chelsea said on 02.02.11 at 08:45 PM • [link]
I went through a phase once upon a time when I was for no reason at all determined to read quite a few of the star wars novels. This was among them. I remember having a similar reaction as in this review. I am a HUGE Han Solo fan, and like you he an Leia represent one of my earliest intersts in non-Disneyish romance.
I recall really liking the ones made for young adults, which were mostly about Han and Leia’s children. I was 9 or 10 at the time though, so my tastes weren’t well refined.
Angelia Sparrow said on 02.02.11 at 08:46 PM • [link]
@Anna, I’ll see your Crispin and raise you Daley.
I’m a SW geek from the days when Luke and Leia had a two year age difference between them and she was his dream girl. (he was 20, she was 18 at the opening of ANH) And as far as I’m concerned Brian Daley sitteth at the right hand of the Great Flanneled One forever. Han Solo at Stars End, Han Solo’s Revenge and Han Solo and the Lost Legacy are terrific. And Daley also wrote the radio plays. (I will not tell you how much of the 6.5 hour production of ANH I still have memorized)
I read The Courtship of Princess Leia years ago. Didn’t move me much. I gave up on the HanxLeia romance somewhere in the middle of Jedi (I was 15) and never picked it back up. I tried the EU and just never found them convincing as the centerpiece. Then I discovered fanfiction….
And whoever said it above: Han & Leia are Rhett and Scarlett right down to the dialogue. My copy of Gone with the Wind is cross-referenced to my copy of Empire.
Anna the Piper said on 02.02.11 at 08:51 PM • [link]
@Jennifer: Sympathies on the loss of those books!
@Angelia: Oh god yes the Daley trio of stories is just as awesome for Han backstory goodness. :D Crispin even called back to the Daley adventures in her trilogy, so they tie together nicely!
Crispin’s got way prettier cover art though. Mmm pretty young Han mmmmmm!
Tee said on 02.02.11 at 09:02 PM • [link]
I’ve read a bunch of the Star Wars books. I just went back thru my list with ratings to see which ones were best and mentioned Leia and Han enough to make the summary for the books, best one was “Truce at Bakura” by Kathy Tyers. It was set right after Return of the Jedi, and chemistry is good and the plot blew me away, way better than a lot of other books published prior to 2003 in the series.
Kathy Tyers is an excellent author too - she has written several other sci-fi/fantasy books that crossed over as romance also, good with writing about emotion and internal conflict.
Can I give you a bit of a bitch slap - most guys don’t write good romance novels? The Courtship of Princess Leia was a good book, but mostly for political intrigue, not for romance. The author puts in what should make sense - a hunky prince coming to woo the hand of the imperial daughter of Darth Vader. He’s handsome and wealthy, much more honorable than Han. It’s a bit of a let down that she ends up with Han…
Carrie S said on 02.02.11 at 09:14 PM • [link]
Oooh, now I have lots (more) to read! I’m loving this thread!
Smart Bitches, I have many questions for you. SB Sarah has graciously told me that I can write one geektastic review per month for y’all. I made my first official entry a Star Wars novel because really, how much more geektastic can we get? But, OdetteLovegood was absolutely right that I hoped for a more romance centered book and I got adventure. I took pity on the author and gave him kudos for the adventure without skewering the “science fiction” aspects. It had spaceships aplenty but was gravely lacking in “science”. Anyway, crossing genres seems to be a theme with me. Most of the books I’ve reviewed or am planning to review are found in the science fiction/fantasy section of the bookstore, even if they are advertised as romance here on the Smart Bitches website. Do you guys prefer reviews that are more straight up romance genre? Do you like crossing genres in hopes of finding great romance in hard sci fi, i.e., Lois McMaster Bujold, or in fantasy, i.e., Emma Bull? The next two books I’ll be reviewing (probably) are “Tempest’s Legacy” (yeah, the one with the ad that says, “Bringing selkie back!”) and “Across the Universe”, which is being marketed as a YA dystopian romance (but IS IT? Drumroll, please). Tell me what kinds of things you like, please!
BTW, completely off topic, I just read “Iron Duke” and it was MADE OF STEAMPUNK WIN. So good. Consider that a mini bonus review, right there.
@Jennifer Armintrout: Don’t leave us hanging! Tell us why this book resonated with you! It was the song, right? I almost upped this book a whole grade just for the song. Seriously, I would love to hear what you liked about it.
Carrie S said on 02.02.11 at 09:22 PM • [link]
@Tee - One of my big problems with the book was that I didn’t feel like it worked as good political intrigue, either. It had a great set up for intrigue, and frankly, I’m with you - I love me some Han and Leia, but based purely on the novel, I was rooting for the Prince. There could have been so much more done with the politics, not to mention the ethics and the issue of personal preference over greater good. But then they had to go run around the planet, at which time the intrigue virtually disappeared, and even by Star Wars standards the sci fi was pretty weak, although the straight up adventure was fun. I think the author was just trying to take on too many elements. The first few chapters seemed to belong to a completely different book.
Anyone out there know of any guys who write good romance? Aren’t there some Harlequin male authors who use female pen names (much the was, in the early days of sci fi, many women used male pen names?)
Yes38: Yes, I have seen Star Wars 38 times.
April said on 02.02.11 at 09:59 PM • [link]
Oh, that book. It drove me nuts back in the day. I remember really enjoying Dave Wolverton’s The Golden Queen though. He just wasn’t really cut out for Star Wars stuff, I didn’t think. But then I was more into the whole Dark Empire idea with the Emperor clones and the Thrawn Trilogy.
I can’t pretend the prequels completely don’t exist, but only because I actually love all of the books the prequels resulted in. Especially the Jedi Academy books by Jude Watson featuring such hilarious moments as Qui-Gon giving a young Obi-Wan a random river rock for his birthday because he figured he should have gotten the kid something.
And I’m really excited about your next two reviews, Carrie! As for future titles, I’m a big cross-genre fan but really whatever you want to read sounds great to me. I’ve liked your picks so far.
megara said on 02.02.11 at 10:02 PM • [link]
Oh man. I just reread CoPL back in November, and realized how utterly out of character Han & Leia were in this book. (I wrote about it here.)
Carrie, you’re right—it had so much potential as a romance, or a political intrigue, or a romantic political intrigue, but instead turned into….a book where they run around in circles on a backwater planet? SW novels have never been great with the romantic side plots, but CoPL just failed.
I, for one, would love to see more reviews about other genres that contain great romance as well. I love me some Bujold, but I’m always looking for more. :)
Beth said on 02.02.11 at 10:30 PM • [link]
@LizC Oh, I know! Star by Star ruined the New Jedi Order for me, and the Joiner trilogy was just a joke.
@Carrie S I LOVED everything about the book -except the romance! It seemed forced and although I loved the characters individually I thought they had no chemistry together. But I think that’s just me :P
Angelia Sparrow said on 02.02.11 at 11:42 PM • [link]
For the geeks:
http://www.tomscott.com/weather/starwars/
Star Wars Weather Report
And really, Prince Isolder?
Is it just me or does it sound like Isildur? You know, the Man who cut off Sauron’s hand, claimed the One Ring for his own and ended the reign of the Dark Lord for ages?
Isolder? Seriously?
Betty Fokker said on 02.03.11 at 12:44 AM • [link]
My Fellow Bitches,
I can recommend, with all my heart, the two Star Wars novels by Barbara Hambly, Children of the Jedi and Planet of Twilight. They were (holy of holies) nuanced character portrayals.
Kar said on 02.03.11 at 02:10 AM • [link]
I felt a disturbance in the Force over in the Bitchery.
@ LizC
Didn’t Denning do some of the ‘Legacy of the Force’ series with Karen Traviss? I love her stuff, but I do have to agree with you on Timothy Zahn though.
Also, has anyone seen Isolder’s picture in the Essential Guide to Characters? He looks a bit like Brendan Fraser. Just sayin’.
Cidi said on 02.03.11 at 02:16 AM • [link]
This was the first star wars book I ever read, excepting the novelisations of the movies and dammit now I want to read it again, but all my star wars books at my sisters house across county, I ran out of space in my house and didn’t want to break up the set. Is eleven at night too late to ring her…....
maritime law said on 02.03.11 at 02:17 AM • [link]
I am such a fan of the trilogy and the universe of SW, so I hate to admit it: their novels are almost always a “C” in my book. I must have read hundreds of these wooky boogers, to no avail. What’s wrong with us? You know fans are writing these novelettes. Can’t someone with some real gusto, ala Lucas, step forward and make this happen?
Callrie S said on 02.03.11 at 02:17 AM • [link]
@Angelina:
Dude, that’s all I could think about when they introduce Isolder! I actually looked up Isildur’s name because for a minute there I thought maybe it was the same name!
@Beth - I thought the Iron Duke was so well written it derserved an A, but personally I couldn’t stand Rhys. Old skool alpha heroes don’t do it for me, personally. But I did think his character was well written. did you like him?
Carrie S said on 02.03.11 at 02:18 AM • [link]
That’s Carrie S, not Callrie S. when I can’t spell my own name, it’s been a long day.
Laura Danger said on 02.03.11 at 03:41 AM • [link]
I’ve been in love with Han Solo since I watched The Empire Strikes Back on TV when I was five, and I read a dozen Star Wars novels in high school.
I read this book 11 years ago, and even with a haze of Han-lust clouding my judgment I was disappointed.
Pickle said on 02.03.11 at 04:03 AM • [link]
Okay…..I’ll come out of lurkdom for Star Wars…...LOL. I’m a HUGE SW fan and almost every SW book ever written is in an antique Larkin bookcase in my living room….LOL. Yes, you can all make fun of me now. =) Please, please, if you are going to read SW….. read the X-Wing Series. Read the Timothy Zahn books. Read the New Jedi Order (but some of them ARE frustrating as hell - like Star By Star). There are some spectacular SW books, but Courtship of Princess Leia was NOT one of them.
clew said on 02.03.11 at 05:00 AM • [link]
Being adventure/space opera is a fine excuse for not putting in much romance, but it’s not an excuse for doing what romance there is badly—especially if that means making strong, central characters act out-of-character.
Oh and, Barbara Hambly writes everything well, including straight-up historical literature. _The Emancipator’s Wife_ is a great example of the hard-to-like heroine.
Diva said on 02.03.11 at 05:14 AM • [link]
While I totally love Han (despite my lack of geek pedigree—I’m not a star wars fan…I have been known to refer to Luke as “that whiny little boy running around in his pj’s”), I don’t think I could live with Leia trashing BILLIONS of lives to get in Han’s pants for evah.
But then I was the bitch who thought that Lizzie should have married Mr. Collins to save her family because she was going to be impossible to please anyway.
I’m too damn practical to even appreciate romance sometimes. You’ll have to excuse me.
Beth said on 02.03.11 at 05:54 AM • [link]
@Carrie S
I liked Rhys when he wasn’t trying to get into Mina’s pants. I liked his character, his background, and the fact that he didn’t judge others. He appreciated Mina for her mind and wasn’t bothered by her difficult position in society. So whenever he was being macho it seemed out of character, and it totally took me out of the story.
Sara said on 02.03.11 at 05:57 AM • [link]
Yay! Star Wars! *fangirlish squeals*
...
Now I want to watch the whole original trilogy again, but I am WAY too busy for that, and I promised someone that I’d watch Inception when I have free time. Sigh.
I’ve read some of the young Obi-Wan series (even though I finally realized Hayden Christensen’s monologue in Ep. II after he kills everyone in that village is utterly ridiculous and can no longer watch the prequel triology, I love Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon!), and they’re not so bad. He kind of had a girlfriend among the Padawans, and they gave Qui-Gon a girlfriend of sorts too, but I don’t think that either of those ended well (obviously).
The name “Isolder” reminds me not of Isildur (Although I love LOTR, too! ... Something else I want to watch again. Dangit!) but of “Isolde”, which Wikipedia tells me is a variation on “Iseult” from the “Tristan and Iseult” courtly love/adultery legend. Yeah, Isolde is the girl, which makes it a weird connotation for a space prince.
But the political marriage idea is there! (Just not in space. And not the same genders. And…yeah.)
Carrie S, please write more reviews!s
Tricia (FANgirl) said on 02.03.11 at 06:28 AM • [link]
Glad to see some attention for Star Wars books. Men can write good novels with romance, but they are hard to come by in the Star Wars realm.
Zahn’s books are great. Visions of the Future ends like you’d want a romance to end.
CoPL is not one of the best examples of romance in SW. Anything by Aaron Allston always has a nice touch of it. I highly recommend the X-wing Series. They are not romance novels though. In the middle of the New Jedi Order there is a nice romantic arc for Jaina (Han and Leia’s daughter) with a love interest that resonated with a lot of female fans. Those books are Dark Journey by Elaine Cunningham, the Rebel Dream and Rebel Stand by Allston.
For some reason the powers that be don’t seem interested in going there - as in producing books aimed at any romantic storylines. In fact the Legacy of the Force series was devoid of romance. I’m hoping they come around to seeing that female fans would like a dash of romance in our space opera and will buy it. The one hope for a book with some romance - Blood Oath - was cancelled. It’s got a great romance-style cover and no book to go with it.
I’ll be glad to see there will be more reviews of this type of book.
Sarah A-B said on 02.03.11 at 06:56 AM • [link]
Another one coming out of lurkdom…lol
(To be fair I just found this site recently…still I resided until lurkdom until the geekgirl in me got excited over this review ).
I would totally like to see more cross-over reviews. I think the ideal book for a cross-over would be one that combines the best of both world elements. So I don’t think it’s too much to ask for some romance in a sci-fi book, it should do it well and not feel like an afterthought. Same with a romance book that has sci-fi elements to it.
geekgirl said on 02.03.11 at 07:13 AM • [link]
Oh, no, I guess it’s too late to yell DON"T DO IT!!”
I’m sure there are at least half a dozen people ahead of me saying this but If you’re going to read Star Wars novels, just read Tim Zahn, or at least start there, then work through Micheal Stackpole. (I am a bit bias, Tim Zahn is all time my favorite sci-fi author. ) Also the short story Tales Of… are usually pretty good.
If it’s by Kevin J Anderson burn it. (I don’t normally advocate burning books, but I’d happily throw him on a pile of his own books and then toss a match)
Try the X-wing series, they’re fun and fluffy and not mind numbingly stupid like so many of the SW novels.
awasky said on 02.03.11 at 07:27 AM • [link]
I faintly remember reading this—I read all of the Star Wars tie-ins before Phantom Menace came out. To be fair, though, despite the title, tie-ins are pretty much targeted to guys. I didn’t get the impression from any of the ones I read that they were really interested in romance or a female readership. (Well, maybe Children of the Jedi).
If you want good Star Wars tie-ins, though, read the Hand of Thrawn trilogy by Timothy Zahn. Then stop. Remember, I read all of them. Those were the only ones I remember fondly.
Anna Richland said on 02.03.11 at 08:48 AM • [link]
I’ve never read any of the SW books, but I cannot stop my mind circling around the concept of NPR dramatizations. I read that comment out loud to Mr. Richland (interrupting his perusal of our tax situation), and he destroyed my concentration with this: Susan Stamberg as Princess Leia offering Darth Vader’s cranberry relish recipe over the radio. Now I am picturing her desperately trying to program a cranberry relish recipe into R2D2 while Congressmen board her starship to axe NPR financing. Would Carl Castle be Han Solo or Darth Vader?
Anna the Piper said on 02.03.11 at 09:04 AM • [link]
Might I also say I am quite excited at the idea of more reviews of SF/romance crossover novels? I am first and foremost an SF/F reader, but the books I get happiest about are the ones with awesome love stories to go with the SFnal plot.
And if Carrie S wants to do a review of Julie Czerneda’s A Thousand Words for Stranger, I might have to make fangirly noises I normally reserve for Great Big Sea concerts. :D
Also recommended: Sharon Shinn (her Samaria novels, but also her standalone Jenna Starborn, which is her science fiction version of a Gothic romance), Linnea Sinclair!
AHLondon said on 02.03.11 at 06:31 PM • [link]
So my writer friend Kinsay Holly sent this review to me today with the comment that there is a lot of overlap between women who read romance and sci-fi. She’s been telling me about this place for a while…I think this might be the best comment thread I’ve ever seen. Y’all can talk plot points of Splinter of the Mind’s Eye! And the whiny Leia that was in the NPR series. (Remember her breaking down in tears when she first fired a gun and killed that Imperial officer who was at the palace for some political alliancing of the marriage kind?) I’m in geek heaven.
Carrie, generally agree with your review except a C is far too high. The book is supposed to be about the courtship, yet that is the worst part, for reasons stated and many others. This was the book that put me off of the extended universe for years.
After 10 years then 4 babies in another 5, I picked up Death Star. That is a good extended universe book. Adds more to the universe and more, and consistent, understanding to existing characters, specifically Leia.
If you are writing a book on existing characters, you can flesh them out, add something new, but you can’t change them. Same goes for the world they inhabit. Most of the Star Wars extended universe fails for those reasons. Hell, the anniversary editions fail too. Han Shot FIrst, baby.
(Kinsay, I know you are in here. You’re in trouble. I had other things to write today and now all I can think about is how the novels tried to add a modern-Earth woman’s gloss to the character of Princess Leia. Grrrr. Arrggg.)
Carrie S said on 02.03.11 at 09:17 PM • [link]
@AHLondon: Welcome to Smart Bitches! Glad you like it!
Ducky said on 02.04.11 at 05:54 AM • [link]
I, too, read every single one of the EU books right up until Phantom Menace came out and the EU started getting ambitious about various things (certain characters being killed, certain other characters going evil, romantic relationships I liked being broken up, Timothy Zahn being crowned continuity king and Michael Stackpole his prime minister, etc.).
My favorites were any books that harkened back to the wise-cracking tone of Han Solo the original movies, either courtesy the man himself or by proxy: in particular, Wraith Squadron, The Correllian Trilogy, and Young Jedi Knights. Every one else can rag on KJA all they want, but I loved those silly knock knock jokes he’d work into plot courtesy of Jacen.
Maggie said on 02.04.11 at 06:05 AM • [link]
Oh god. I wish the Internet had been around when I was 12. If I’d known that there were so many other girls reading Star Wars novels, then I might have actually checked the things out from the library. Instead, I hid my shame by reading them at the library, in the back corners where no one could see me, and hiding them so nobody else could check them out while I came back every day and read.
Once, I actually hid a Star Wars novel behind another book while I read it.
And now, I’m ashamed of having been so ashamed.
AHLondon said on 02.04.11 at 02:20 PM • [link]
@Maggie, I hear ya, sister. I went so far as to get two pen pals from letters on the back of some of the comics. Is Faye Green in here? Long shot, but I can’t find her on FB.
Anyway, this post killed my day yesterday. I’d had this rant in my head for a long time, and yesterday it had to come out.
The writers needed something for romantic tension since they set the story 5 years after Han and Leia actually fell for each other, so they unceremoniously threw in another suitor who’s attractive and rich.
Actually, I think the writer did this because he was trying to connect Leia and Han to the modern romance, so that women would get it. Of course Han and Leia would date for years on end. Wouldn’t the modern woman freak out if they got married right after the Battle of Endor? (That was in the early drafts of Return of the Jedi.) The stories in the Timothy Zahn novels get better but still make this mistake. One of the threads in those works has Leia worrying about being a working mother and about Uncle Luke not helping out with the kids. Zhan and his editors assume that for modern women to relate to Leia, they need her to be like them.
This is insulting pandering, but sadly excusable given the debates among many modern women. Modern women constantly equate their struggles as comparable to the struggles of the poor. Check out Caitlin Flanagan, How Serfdom Saved the Women’s Movement. So of course when faced with a crumbling Republic, war breaking out, an increasingly isolated Jedi who is too scared to train anyone, baddies attempting to kidnap your children for their Force abilities…and Leia is worried about Luke helping with the kids more? It makes no sense.
(I just realized part of my post is missing. Kids must have played with my computer while draft was up and deleted part of a paragraph. Great.)
Jennifer Armintrout said on 02.04.11 at 03:54 PM • [link]
@Anna “I’m Diana Rehm. Many Bothans died to bring you this programming.”
Jennifer Armintrout said on 02.04.11 at 03:55 PM • [link]
Ah, balls. Diane Rehm. A single vowel and it messes up the whole illusion of Diane Rehm’s shaky voice. Sigh.
Kristi Lea said on 02.04.11 at 09:06 PM • [link]
Too funny. My mom bought (and therefore I also read) a Star Wars trilogy by Timothy Zahn when I was in HS (early 90’s), and then brought home this book. I loved the Zahn books and was far less than excited about this one. I never tried any of the other Star Wars spinoffs after this one (I have gone back and looked for other stuff by Zahn, though).
So yeah, what everyone else said.
Christina said on 02.05.11 at 04:06 AM • [link]
I wish this review had been around when I bought the book! Han was my first crush too, and I still adore him and Leia with such great fervour. Was so excited to buy this book back then, and so disappointed. (It’s still lying around somewhere - I really should go find it and have a look again after reading this!)
Han just seemed to act like a whiny jerk from what I remember - sure there was friction between him and Leia, but it wasn’t the clever banter laced with mutual respect they had in the movies. The whole Isolder thing (err the whole plot really) seemed a massive contrivance to pull Han and Leia apart, but then was so overwhelming that by the end I didn’t really care if they got back together or not. (Probably cos in my head they WERE together anyway by inarguable movie canon, so it was a sure thing.)
As I said, this is based on recollection as can’t find the book atm, but really seemed like the romance and the adventure just didn’t end up working together in this case. Shame.
Pickle said on 02.05.11 at 05:19 AM • [link]
For all of you interested in the original Timothy Zahn books, this year is the 20th anniversary, and they are being released. There will be a new Thrawn Novella in there….and you can never get enough Thrawn (or if you are like me Paelleon!). But I digress. Perfect time for those who haven’t read the series to pick them up! Enjoy!
SykesElnora34 said on 02.05.11 at 06:49 AM • [link]
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Kathleen said on 02.05.11 at 07:08 PM • [link]
This book always has a special place in my heart! I read it for the first time when I was 12 or 13 and LOVED it. Teneniel Djo is okay but her daughter Tenel Ka Djo is one of my favorite Star Wars girls so I also like the book because it’s the story of her parents getting together. I’m a huge Star Wars nerd and I’ve read lots of the books but this one is probably my favorite!
jedifreac said on 02.08.11 at 09:27 AM • [link]
Hey, I just wanted to say, there’s an even trashier cover for The Courtship of Princess Leia out there! The cover you have is the paperback. The official hardcover truly looks like something.
http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20060127170130/starwars/images/2/2d/Courtship2.jpg
Anna the Piper said on 02.08.11 at 09:32 AM • [link]
WOW. That’s quite the “bitch, PLEASE!” expression Leia’s got on her face, isn’t it? :D
Frighteningly enough, I think I remember this cover.
Christina said on 02.08.11 at 09:47 PM • [link]
jedifreac hehe, that’s the copy I have! love the contrast between her wonderfully floofy hair and her no-nonsense expression ...! XD
izmir web tasar?m said on 02.14.11 at 03:46 PM • [link]
Nice. Thanks for information.
Nicole K said on 03.05.11 at 03:45 AM • [link]
Thanks for the review. I can honestly say that there was a time in high school/college when I was obsessed with the star wars books (okay, I still read them on occassion).
Anyway, right around the time I read them, they actually had a series called the Young Jedi Knights and it just so happens that prince that tries to marry Leia is in it—as a father…
Yeah, the Lucas empire is ever exapnding, this wasn’t a FANTASTIC book—but I remember liking it as a teen, LOL.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Gerd D. said on 03.13.11 at 08:14 PM • [link]
They had sex in RotJ?
Somehow that’s a fact that forever evaded me, I will never be able to look at this movie again with same eyes. *shocked*
@jedifreac:
Oh, I completly forgot about the HC cover, always preferred it to the paperback cover.
Carrie S said on 03.14.11 at 03:38 AM • [link]
@Gerd D - I assume they had sex but tragically we never actually see it happen. But sometime between the rescue of Han and the flight to Endor, I’m pretty darn sure the sex was had. Or maybe it’s just me. If I had just rescued Han, and then he had just rescued me, and we finally had 5 minutes of relative calm and privacy, oh yes, there would be sex!
AHLondon said on 03.14.11 at 03:52 PM • [link]
Who said they had sex in RoTJ? Actually, they had sex in ESB. Kershner said that in the SW universe, kissing was a metaphor for sex and that we only see the kissing because of the young audience, and I’d say because we don’t always need to. Makes sense when you think about it. Since they were moving at sublight speed and since Luke improved drastically in training, many weeks must have passed between floating away with the rest of the garbage and landing on platform 327. I wonder if I can find support for that? Heading into the bowels of the SW cyber-universe now. If I don’t report back in a few hours, someone send in a rescue team, please.
AHLondon said on 03.14.11 at 05:16 PM • [link]
Well I found this, not on point, but interesting: http://cinemaroll.com/cinemarolling/gone-with-the-wind-vs-the-empire-strikes-back/?38711#comment-38711&reload;
Well, I didn’t find anything specific on the bit about kissing scenes as sex in Star Wars, but did see that it was Lucas, not Kershner, that said it. The premise is all but common knowledge among hard core SW fans, usually taken far too literally, i.e. that every kiss=sex, hence the topic comes up in threads about the lack of homosexuals in the Star Wars universe. But here is a thread about sex, specifically pre-martial sex, in the extended SW universe.
http://boards.theforce.net/literature/b10003/28232361/p2
Care to comment?
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