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Title: Slave Ship (Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars | Book 2) |
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Review of Slave Ship (Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars, Book 2)
- He's both feared and admired, respected and despised. Boba Fett is the galaxy's most successful bounty hunter. Now he finds himself the hunted in the oldest game of all: survival of the fittest.
The once powerful Bounty Hunter's Guild has been shattered into warring factions. Now the posting of an enormous bounty on a renegade Imperial stormtrooper is about to start a frenzy of murderous greed.
Hoping to fuel rumors of his death, Boba Fett abandons his ship, Slave I, and sets out to claim the prize. Yet his every move leads him closer to a trap set by the cunning Prince Xizor. Fett will die before becoming Xizor's pawn in the Emperor's war against the Rebels. And he may have to. For in order to gain his freedom he must outwit a sentient weapon that feeds on human spirits. Then he must escape a galaxy of deadly enemies who want to make the rumors of his death a reality.
Product Description
- "How many times, wondered Boba Fett, could he die--and yet not die? Someday it would be all over for him..."
Fett fans take note: Star Wars: Slave Ship features the (in)famous bounty hunter as he chases after the largest bounty ever offered--by tracking down renegade stormtrooper Trhin Voss'on't. The story, book 2 in The Bounty Hunter Wars series, jumps back and forth between the time of Star Wars: New Hope and Return of the Jedi in a series of convoluted plot twists that involve everyone from Emperor Palatine and Darth Vader to Zuckuss and Bossk. Written by well-known SF writer K.W. Jeter (whose first novel, Dr. Adder, was praised by Philip K. Dick as "stunning"), Star Wars: Slave Ship is in many ways a perfect serial novel--it raises as many new questions for the next installment as it solves from the previous one. Neelah's identity is finally revealed, but how did she end up in Jabba the Hutt's palace? You'll have to wait and see. --C.B. Delaney
Amazon.com Audiobook Review
- Prince Xizor, servant of the Emperor and leader of the mysterious Black Sun organization, has set a trap for Boba Fett--by dangling the largest bounty ever offered for the capture of renegade stormtrooper Trhin Voss'on't. How will Boba Fett escape? Book 2 in The Bounty Hunter Wars series, Star Wars: Slave Ship is a good story made even better thanks to Tony Award-nominee Anthony Heald's performance. Heald captures the drama of the story with his wide range of voices--from the sniveling tones of the arachnoid assembler Kud'ar Mub'at to the softer sounds of Neelah, the dancing girl rescued from Jabba the Hutt's palace. The abridgment allows you to follow the major threads of the story, but misses some of the more convoluted twists--a reasonable trade, considering that the audiobook is enhanced by sound effects and John Williams's music from the Star Wars trilogy films. (Running time: 3 hours, 2 cassettes) --C.B. Delaney
Amazon.com Audiobook Review
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Comments for Slave Ship (Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars | Book 2)
- Posted on 2007-12-29
Boba Fett - Part Two
Slave Ship by K. W. Jeter is the second book of a trilogy about the Bounty Hunter Wars, i.e., a three-part series about the indestructibility of Boba Fett. As I explained in my review of The Mandalorian Armor, I have no problem reading stories about Fett. He is a memorable character and has a cool ship. That is normally reason enough to read a Star wars tale. However, the problems in the first book still exist in this one. Mr. Jeter apparently feels that we cannot distinguish who the different characters are, so he continuously strings together descriptions in front of their names so we won't get confused, e.g., the arachnoid assembler Kud'ar Mub'at. After fifty descriptions of this nature, you pretty well get the idea that Kud'ar Mub'at is in fact an arachnoid assembler. Mr. Jeter also has amazing insight into the thought processes of the characters, even with Boba Fett. In the films and in previous stories the esteemed bounty hunter hardly talks at all. In this trilogy, not only does Fett explain what he is doing but we are also privy to his thought processes as well as to everybody else's. The entire trilogy needs more action and less delving into the characters' thought processes.
As far as plot is concerned, here it is in rough form. The Bounty Hunter's Guild has been split into two factions that do not get along. An enormous bounty has been posted on a renegade Imperial stormtrooper, and everybody goes after it. Boba Fett has switched to Bossk's ship in an effort to substantiate the rumors of his death. Prince Xizor is still involved with his Machiavellian schemes, and he has another interminable conversation with Emperor Palpatine and Lord Vader. Dengar and Neelah remain a part of the story, and subterfuge is everywhere. Things are rarely what they seem to be.
On to book 3 and the end of this trilogy.
Score: 2
- Posted on 2007-11-01
Very much in the vein of the first book
The saga of The Bounty Hunter Wars continues in K.W Jeter's Slave Ship, the second book in the trilogy. It is very much like the first volume, The Mandalorian Armor, in that the story is split between the Episode IV and Episode VI timeframes, the characters talk in very lengthy monologues, and the descriptions tend to be repeated ad infinitum.
The storyline proceeds with Boba Fett rebuilding himself and his schemes as the Rebels mass for a final attack on the Death Star II at Endor. Simultaneously, we read flashbacks continuing the older story of the Bounty Hunter Wars and how Fett was able to destroy the old Bounty Hunter's Guild. Xizor's schemes to eventually take on Darth Vader and the Emperor are central to the plotline, and we spend more time with Kuat of Kuat, although his agenda and importance remain unclear.
The most entertaining segment of Slave Ship is set in the Episode IV timeframe and depicts Boba Fett teaming up with Bossk to capture the rogue stormtrooper Voss'on't (Jeter really has a thing for apostrophes!). The Emperor has offered an obscenely large bounty for Voss'on't, and even though he smells a rat, Fett still wants the cash. Like the Shell Hutts flashback tale in the first book, this flashback to an old bounty hunt provides the best action of a very talky novel.
One problem that comes to light as I proceed through this trilogy is the essential deification of Boba Fett and corresponding dumbing-down of all his peers. Bossk is always trying to get the best of his archrival Fett, but no matter how hard he tries, he can't stay ahead of Fett's complete perfection in all things bounty-hunting. Dengar is a bumbling idiot who doesn't seem to be able to handle anything well, IG-88 is powerful but easily tricked, and Zuckuss seems like a naive kid playing at war. If Fett was really so all-powerful, how does a blind man with a stick manage to take him out in Return of the Jedi? Granted, random things can happen even to the best, but it doesn't even seem to bother Fett that a nearly BLIND Han Solo could defeat him with no problem. Fett's a cool-looking character and a fun one to collect, but the EU goes overboard in making him something Lucas did not seem to have in mind.
Overall, Slave Ship is very much like the first book, and I continue to have the feeling this trilogy should have been condensed into one book.
Score: 2 - Posted on 2007-08-29
A review of the audiobook
This is a prime example of the worst that can happen to a prefectly good sci-fi series.
The action takes place during Episode VI (Return of the Jedi) but includes plenty of flashbacks to right after Episode IV (A New Hope).
To be fair to K.W. Jeter, it's not like he has a completely free hand to do what he would with these characters - there's an existing Star Wars timeline to deal with. However, that is not the entire problem with this book. It is repetitive and tedious - the audiobook presentation only enhances the repetitive nature of the text. I must have heard the phrases "Kuat of Kuat" and "Kuat Driveyards" a hundred times in a 10 minute period. Pronouns, anyone?
This book also hold the record for most uses of the word "murderous". "Murderous rage". "Murderous glare". "Murderous intent". I actually considered keeping a tally.
The book was well-read by veteran actor and reader Anthony Heald. He did a very good job with all of the voices, including using many different accents and speech patterns. I like Heald's work so I was glad to see him get the opportunity to read this book because a paying gig is a paying gig, but I also felt bad that he actually had to read this book out loud.
As in other Star Wars audiobooks there is a liberal sprinkling of the original Episode IV soundtrack and it incorporates original Star Wars special effects. However, from time to time the music drowned out the reader's voice and some of the special effects were irritatingly repetitive (spaceship background noise, etc.)
Score: 2 - Posted on 2007-03-12
The basic, well-writen Star Wars book
A classic. A lot of it references the previous Bounty Hunter Wars, Book 1. I suggest you read that first, but it is not necessary. Slave Ship is a well writen book with very few, if any inconsistencies. I recommend it for any Star Wars fan looking to find out more about the infamous Boba Fett.
Score: 4
- Posted on 2006-11-26
A few sparks of action amid reams of recapitulation .....
The premise of the book is a lot more exciting than the execution -- in fact, when you find yourself using the words "quiet" and "contemplative" about a book that's supposed to deal with the adventures of a bunch of top-notch bounty-hunters, you know that the author has failed at some level....
Instead of being quick-moving and evoking a sense of danger and action, "Slave Ship" is a series of dense, repetitive internal monologues on the part of the characters, mostly carried out while they're sitting motionless.
For example, an entire chapter is used up by Boba Fett punching in one set of coordinates and telling Dengar that he isn't going to tell the other bounty hunter where they're going. Three pages of dense, monolithic paragraphs are expended in a bounty hunter asking the "arachnoid assembler" character -- "is this area really airtight?" and the assembler answering "yes." Literally, 3 pages are taken up with this one question and answer, because of the narrative following the assembler thinking 20 times over what a clown the bounty hunter is, in great detail.
There are the seeds of a story in here, and the book is all right to read when you've got a spare moment to fill, but don't expect anything fast-paced .... the characters drone on for pages about the exact same idea, thinking about the same thing in 40 different ways, and the author seems to think it necessary to use 3 different sentences to describe the sound of Dengar's boots as he climbs down one short ladder after talking to Boba Fett. And on and on and on ....
Score: 2