Surprisingly, I found this book in my cellar. It must've been my brother's? I don't recall ever buying it or picking it up anywhere. But, "The Hutt's Gambit", by AC Crispen turned out to be a great, fast moving, book that captured the Star Wars 'feel' better than any other book I've read lately. The worlds, characters, weapons, and vehicles were all described in such a way that it reminded me of the original films. The aura or Star Wars was evident right from the first page of this book. The story was interesting and had enough action, twists, and plot to keep me hooked and turning the pages.
My favorite part of this book was the beginning when Chewbacca and Han Solo are getting to know each other. Han has yet to take Chewie on as his partner, and Chewie is insistent on paying a 'life debt' to Han for saving his life. The incident where Han saves Chewbacca's life is played out in the first book of the series. The story opens with Han and Chewie in a bar on Coruscant and the dynamics between them are fun and provide lots of memorable moments. It's great, as a long time Star Wars fan, to see this relationship begin and how it grows into an unshakable friendship and loyal partnership.
The characters are believable and I like how the Hutt's are depicted and take on a lead role in the story. Crispen does a masterful job creating the Hutt's home world of Nal Hutta and bringing the Smuggler's Moon, Nar Shadda, to life. The grimy streets, dark alleys, and shady thugs who populate the city are all described in clever, but easy to read prose. I never felt lost while reading this book. Crispin does not overdue his descriptive writing, which many times with other authors will cause me to have to reread a paragraph a couple of times just to make sure I understand what is being said.
This book shines as a Star Wars novel. It does 'Star Wars' better than any recent SW book that I can remember and I would recommend it to starwars fans and non fans alike. Although, Star Wars fans are sure to enjoy it much more. Especially scenes that any fan would be thrilled to see: Han and Lando meeting for the first time. Han's first run in with Boba Fett. The illustrious Jabba the Hutt is introduced. Chewbacca and Hans partnership beginning and flourishing and the two becoming close friends.
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