Han Solo's Revenge?

I spotted this today while browsing my local used bookstore. Since they only charge $0.79 for paperbacks I figured "why not?" and picked it up. I'd like to know:
1. Is it any good?
2. Is it a part of official continuity?

From the same shelf I also picked up a copy of Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker. It's the 1977 edition and the phrases "episode four" and "a new hope" are conspicously absent. This makes me a bit skeptical of the notion that Lucas had the whole six episode saga planned out from the start. Does anyone know if the Journal of the Whills was ever mentioned again?

It's interesting to note that both these books are from Del Rey. It seems the circle is now complete...

Edited for typo.

 

I don't believe there are any novels that are not part of continuity. All the Han Solo novels are, for sure. I'm not that fond of them, but there are others who swear by them. A matter of taste, I guess.

I don't believe thte Journal of the Whills turns up elsewhere. If it does, it can only be in passing, but I believe it's absent.

-Paul

 

1. Is it any good?

The Han Solo Adventures got progressively better, I thought, with Revenge, being in the middle, being the second best. The first book, Han Solo at Stars' End, I didn't care for at all, but Han Solo and the Lost Legacy was very good. I found The Lando Calrissian Adventures to be much higher in quality overall, but that's really irrelevant.

2. Is it a part of official continuity?

Yes.

Does anyone know if the Journal of the Whills was ever mentioned again?

Not in any mainstream novels that I know of.

It seems the circle is now complete...

*stabs OccamsVibroaxe*

 

1. Is it any good?
2. Is it a part of official continuity?

1. The three Han Solo Adventures books (Han Solo at Star's End, Han Solo's Revenge, and Han Solo and the Lost Legacy) are possibly my favorite pieces of EU out there. They are fun to read, well written, humorous, and have several exceptional characters.
2. Yes, they are. If you've read Hero's Trial, a huge number of the things he remembers are from HSA. HST also references it, as well as wriggling around in the timeline to accomodate it.

Notable things in the EU taken from HSA:

Lorrdians
Tion Hegemony
Corporate Sector
Free thinking droids
Gallandro/Anja Gallandro
Disruptor pistols

 

Thanks for the replies, but now I've a third question. Should I track down a copy of book one first, or is it alright to jump right in at book two?

 

Should I track down a copy of book one first, or is it alright to jump right in at book two?

I would read right away, and then hunt down a copy of "Han Solo At Star's End". Like most trilogies, you can't really enjoy the second part without reading the first.

 

Depending on where you live, you shouldn't buy either unless you are EXTREMELY short on funds, as you can buy a new paperback of all 3 HSA for the price of a normal PPB.

 

Read it and decide if you like it. It ain't gonna kill ya.

 

Also from this series:

• The Victory-class Star Destroyer
  
  | /__|===--
  [__|______~~--._
  |\ `---.__:====]-----...,,_____
  |[>-----|_______<----------_____;::===--
  |/_____.....-----'''~~~~~~~


• Lord Tion from the Brian Daley-penned NPR radio drama being a scion of the same Tion Hegemony from these books;


• Xim the Despot's history, later expounded by other sources.

 

I've seen the Solo and Calrissian escapades each collected into a single book, all three in one.

 

For a time in the early nineties, those were the only means of reading the two series for those nOObs who were interested and who didn't have the wherewithal to track down the individual volumes. Later (around 1994, it was) Del Rey put out the individual Han Solo reprints with the new Dave Dorman coverwork.

 

Well, it's too late to hold off for the three-in-one version, as both books are sitting on my shelves as I type. Besides, I like having older copies of books, those two are far from the only paperbacks in my collection that date back to the seventies. And of course I'll read it, the only question is when. One of the side-effects of living near such a good used bookstore is that I often find myself buying large stacks of books all at once, so I need to prioritize them.

 

1. Is it any good?

Absolutley. This is the second best of the trilogy behind Star's End which is the second best peice of EU ever book wise. (Only behind Star by Star) These are nice fun reads full of action. Plus this introduces for the first time a swoop and many fun characters. I could go on and on but nobody wants to hear that and I'll leave it at is the best trilogy you can buy. (Yes better than Thrawn)

 

I believe they also introduce us to the Z-95 Headhunter fighter craft, used in many, many other EU sources.

 

It also introduces a swoop.

 

"I believe they also introduce us to the Z-95 Headhunter fighter craft, used in many, many other EU sources."

Yes it does.

"It also introduces a swoop I believe."

Yes this is the first appearence of a swoop.