Star Wars: Death Star

Star Wars: Death Star, by Michael Reaves and Steve Perry, releases today from Del Rey.

It was the size of a small moon and able to destroy planets. Set shortly before the events in the original Star Wars movie and leading up to its destruction, Death Star focuses on the individuals who live and work on the massive station. Under constant sabotage during the construction and small attacks from the Rebellion, Darth Vader himself visits the Death Star to ensure completion. And he is determined to wipe out every trace of the Rebels.

Many main characters from the movie make brief cameos, such as Princess Leia and Obi Wan. But the story centers on many characters from different walks of life: a doctor, a convict, a barkeep, a pilot, a librarian, a pilot, and a few others. And all of their lives become intertwined when they find themselves aboard the Death Star and see its true purpose. If you haven’t already watched the next Star Wars film, you definitely should. You’ll learn much more about the Death Star and the different characters that live on it. Tension mounts, knowing that the destruction of the Death Star is immanent. And it’s easy to get wrapped up in the lives, forming relationships, and the choices that each person makes. Not everyone is as evil as Darth Vader and Grand Moff Tarkin. Will these average people, when confronted with the devastation that the Death Star leaves in its path, decide to go their own way? Or will they perish with the rest of the crew?

Reaves and Perry have created a masterful look at the story behind the behemoth Death Star and the people who lived there before its end. Star Wars fans will thoroughly enjoy this exciting installment in the continuing saga.