Books Journey to TLJ: Canto Bight

So, my post-ROTJ read through continues.

You know, I almost skipped this one because I wasn't sure if I had time to read it and Before the Awakening, TFA, Cobalt Squadron, Black Spire & Resistance Reborn before ROS comes out. But I'm really glad I didn't. I had forgotten this was an anthology, so that was a great little surprise reminder. After requesting a proper, Tales-like, anthology, for, now, almost 2 decades, it was a blast to have another- even if only for 4 stories.

Now, of course, it's dealing with characters that are much, much less known than the original Tales Of/From series- but, then, that was some of the fun when you had a story about a character you knew nothing about, so this recreates that four times over. However, as a result, I did find myself checking Wookieepedia more often than I ever do during most books. This kinda needed a companion visual reference of some sort- it could have really benefited from having character illustrations at the start of each story, like Tales had. Or at least less-stylzied covert art that could have highlighted/depicted them more clearly/distinctly.

That said, for a book set within a casino city, it sure had the worst damn luck of any movie tie-in, didn't it? 95% of the characters and situations originate entirely from a scene deleted from the Fathier stampede sequence in the film (specifically: the spa/bath house). A shame, since it does rob the book of any "movie insight" bonuses it had (a minor thing, sure, but always welcome).

The book does a real good job of adding character to the city. In the film, you get that it's really fancy and has the one-percenters selling to both sides of the impending conflict, but you don't get a sense of the structure much. The stories here show how many get trapped by the nature of the city and casinos, with their debt or status. It gives us a glimpse of the criminal element without making it seem like other planets with gangsters that we've seen.

All four stories end up being pretty good. JJM's anchor is the greatest page turner. Just great pacing and urgency there. Rae Carson's introduces the most memorable new character with Lexo Sooger. Mira Grant's focus on a bottle of wine is an unexpected subject but involves intriguing characters and some interesting questions that could be explored elsewhere. And Saladin Ahmed's opener at first seems very silly (because, well, you really can't avoid that with a creature that looks like Kedpin) and you start thinking it might be a skippable, silly little story- but ends up being rather enjoyable and really has you rooting for Kedpin.

The stories are not as fully integrated as the Tales books were, but there are some crossover appearances between them, and the first two stories do a good job at hinting at the main antagonist of the later two stories. JJM's also manages to bring things somewhere full-circle so you do feel like the book, as a whole, has a beginning, middle and end.

One aspect that is most insightful about this book, particularly in JJM's story, is that it shows how the larger galaxy is away from, and unaware of, larger galactic events. In the decades since Alderaan, many aren't even aware of the planet having been blown up- despite trees from the planet lining the arrival of the casino they're in. Others aren't even aware of the destruction of Hosnian Prime, despite that being the capital of the main galactic government and having just happened. Jedi Knights are something people haven't heard of (granted, that started to happen during the OT era, but it shows that Luke's temple didn't do much to change that perception).

JJM's also had a semi-meta comment (intentional or accidental) about how it is a crowded galaxy "that had too much history and was making more every day" whose sufferings are trying to be forgotten. Given that JJM is, with those words, literally adding to that history, one might take that as a comment on SW production and publication .

Spoiler

Also- MOSEP! Ol' fake Jabba himself. Next time I make a CCG deck, he's going in it somehow.

Overall, a fun read- but definitely look up images of the characters before you read (I think some, but not all, are in the TLJ Visual Dictionary as well). 9/10

I really hope we can get a second volume one day, to showcase more characters and to be able to tie into the film events from other POVs like the Tales series did so well. Maybe that won't happen, what with TLJ (and the Canto Bight sequence in particular) being so controversial, but I think further anthologies would work independent of those vocal minorities. I'd like to hope so, at least.


Ranking NU Adult Novels so far:
-The Last Jedi 10.0
-Catalyst 9.5
-Last Shot 9.0
-Canto Bight 9.0
-Alphabet Squadron 8.75
-Lords of the Sith 8.5
-Bloodlines 8.0
-Aftermath: Empire's End 7.75
-Aftermath: Life Debt 7.5
-Tarkin 7.0
-Aftermath 7.0

 

Some of the characters are blink-and-miss, but they are there if you know to look for them. It's really just Lexo, Kedpin, and Ganna that were cut.

 

Some are, true, but it's clear the book was anchored around the Spa scene characters and setting. Even those that don't directly feature the Spa itself are using characters somehow linked to it (such as Ganna) or aspire to using it (or mention actually using it). It's used more than the actual casino.

But, even still, Lexo and Kedpin are the main characters of two of the 4 stories. And Ganna is the main antagonist overshadowing the whole book.

 

That's interesting. That it ended up being pure coincidence makes its bad luck even more amusing . It does give one the impression of it being anchored that way, though. And that's not a complaint- it's much more interesting than just using the casino.

I got the impression that the first three stories were before TLJ (Kedpin's 2 week vacation, as you reference) and that JJM's might be the same day as TLJ/Hosnian Prime (thus word hadn't been blasted everywhere yet, if anyone cared), while the epilogue would be afterwards if one takes that to be the case. Time for Kal to start his new job, learn the regulars' names, etc. Kedpin gets to have his vacation go out on a high note with the lucky brothers after the Spa stampede, etc.

Admittedly it can be set entirely beforehand, but the line I recall (don't have the quote offhand) was something like "Did you hear what happened on/at Hosnian Prime?", which does seem like it would b taken as a reference to TFa by most folks.

 

Alright, cool. That still works. Could squeeze TFA's events in there as simultaneous, then, with Finn & Rose arriving a couple nights later. Epilogue either just before the stampede or shortly after (within a week or two) but I suppose the latter would be more difficult to explain why no one is remarking about all the damage and chaos (it would at least be an odd omission),

But, even if I'm reading the Hosnian line wrong, the book still has the interesting general insight into the perception of Alderaan, as well as others trying to forget the larger galactic events.