Lit The Official Scoundrels Discussion Thread (Spoilers Allowed)

Star Wars

Scoundrels

By Timothy Zahn

January 1, 2013

Hardcover (464 pages)

Han Solo should be basking in his moment of glory. After all, the cocky smuggler and captain of the Millennium Falcon just played a key role in the daring raid that destroyed the Death Star and landed the first serious blow to the Empire in its war against the Rebel Alliance. But after losing the reward his heroics earned him, Han’s got nothing to celebrate. Especially since he’s deep in debt to the ruthless crime lord Jabba the Hutt. There’s a bounty on Han’s head—and if he can’t cough up the credits, he’ll surely pay with his hide. The only thing that can save him is a king’s ransom. Or maybe a gangster’s fortune? That’s what a mysterious stranger is offering in exchange for Han’s less-than-legal help with a riskier-than-usual caper. The payoff will be more than enough for Han to settle up with Jabba—and ensure he never has to haggle with the Hutts again.

All he has to do is infiltrate the ultra-fortified stronghold of a Black Sun crime syndicate underboss and crack the galaxy’s most notoriously impregnable safe. It sounds like a job for miracle workers . . . or madmen. So Han assembles a gallery of rogues who are a little of both—including his indispensable sidekick Chewbacca and the cunning Lando Calrissian. If anyone can dodge, deceive, and defeat heavily armed thugs, killer droids, and Imperial agents alike—and pull off the heist of the century—it’s Solo’s scoundrels. But will their crime really pay, or will it cost them the ultimate price?

Original thread here.

Here's hoping this turns out quite good. The ebook sort of prequel was decent and the previews seem quite interesting. Most SW things I'm pessimistic about but Zahn's Han Solo and Lando Calrissian have been consistently good over the years so I'm looking forward to this.

Just bought it at my local Wal-Mart. Is this thing even out yet?

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk 2

So, the big question: having recently finished Lost Tribe of the Sith, do I read this or Annihilation?

I do want to check this one out. I've always liked how Zahn handles Lando.

I might read this eventually.

Same, I'm gonna wait for the paperback.

I can't wait to read this. I'm nervous about Han and Lando meeting since I'm fine with them not meeting after Rebel Dawn until Empire Strikes Back.

On chapter IV. Love it. Has this Rachele character appeared before?

You should read Annihilation first so you can most likely be let down, and then read Scoundrels to be brought back up with a good story and a good grasp of continuity.

Got to admit I see that a possible continuity issue. Then again, the incident Lando referred to in ESB might happen in this novel. In which case, no continuity issue.

Well Lando thought Han betrayed him in Rebel Dawn and Yavin Vasiliska and by the sounds of it was still a bit irritated or acted like it in Empire. So I don't think Scoundrels will be that bad. If it's not why be mad about it?
On another point wouldn't Leia have heard of Lando before Empire from this? Winter was there and I'm sure Han told the others at least once about it

I wonder how Zahn will shoe-horn Thrawn into this novel.

Then again, something that happened three years back doesn't really seem like much of a "long time ago," as Han put it.

Lando doesn't seem that upset about the Vaskila in Scoundrels. However, they do say he was desperate for money. It could always be he held back his anger at Han until ESB

$18.99 at Walmart in the States?! I love how in Canada we not only never get those kinds of deals but we have to pay 12-15% tax after the sticker price.It's the reason I preordered the Audible version. Which is too bad. This looks like something I'd rather read than hear.

Then again, we don't have anything as dumb as a fiscal cliff.

That's only because we're dumb enough to vote either to put idiots into office or to keep them in office.

Oh, we vote for those guys too. Plenty.

What previews will be in this book? Crucible? Dawn of Jedi?

I thought there was supposed to be a preview of Crucible. Can anyone who already has a copy shed some light on this?