If you’re at all familiar with Older’s work, you’ve likely been excited to get your hands on a copy of this book—so stay excited because this is the most fun I’ve had reading about the galaxy’s greatest scoundrels since… well, Timothy Zahn’s Scoundrels ... The book is action-packed in all the right ways, and the plot is a fascinating one, too. It brings a lot of weighty galactic issues to light, particularly where the treatment of droids is concerned as mentioned above. The narrative manages to be full of life-threatening twists and turns ... I’ve said plenty, go read. Just read.
As well as being a characteristic Han Solo rollercoaster of chaos and disaster, it tackles some interesting questions about the role of droids in Star Wars ... Last Shot doesn’t go deep on Lando character development, maybe because we’ll see more in the upcoming movie. However, this isn’t really a problem because Lando is So. Damn. Fun. It’s exciting just to see more of him. Daniel José Older does a fantastic job of extrapolating on Lando’s relatively minimal screentime in the movies, giving a pitch-perfect portrayal of the slightly sleazy antihero we know and love.
Han Solo and Lando Calrissian are walking complications. When they tangle, they really tangle. When they’re friends, it gets even worse. In the new Star Wars novel Last Shot, now in stores, author Daniel José Older sets out to unravel their histories with a time-hopping tale of long-ago crimes and misdemeanors from their younger years that return to make trouble for them in middle age. ... Last Shot also explores topics that touch a nerve in our own galaxy — sometimes using humor, sometimes heart, and sometimes just by making it matter-of-fact.
The book is an entertaining read that delves into the characteristics of Han and Lando and the journey they’ve had throughout the course of the saga as they try to stop a potential uprising in the galaxy ... The supporting characters are a bit less memorable ... The story...peters out a bit in the middle and doesn’t really pick up again until the climax ... Last Shot’s pacing is a bit of an issue in the middle and the book’s tone shifts a little more into the comedy than it should at times, but Older balances the comedic and dramatic aspects of the story fairly well. His take on Lando is the big selling point of the book and despite Han coming off more slapstick at times, he still captures the voice of everyone’s favourite scoundrel. Star Wars: Last Shot has its flaws, but its still a good read with a nice spotlight on Han and Lando that fans will enjoy.
