This thrilling Young Adult novel gives readers a macro view of some of the most important events in the Star Wars universe, from the rise of the Rebellion to the fall of the Empire. Readers will experience these major moments through the eyes of two childhood friends–Ciena Ree and Thane Kyrell–who have grown up to become an Imperial officer and a Rebel pilot. Now on opposite sides of the war, will these two star-crossed lovers reunite, or will duty tear them–and the galaxy–apart? Star Wars: Lost Stars also includes all-new post- Star Wars: Return of the Jedi content, as well as hints and clues about the upcoming film Star Wars: The Force Awakens, making this a must-read for all Star Wars fans.

What if the Star Wars books didn’t have to slavishly follow the Skywalkers? There’s now been two movies with this in mind, but this book came out well before either of them were being marketed. There’s a solid storyline here if you look past the fact that all these people were joining up with the Imperial Navy despite the horrors and evil that were apparent, which was something that completely rubbed me the wrong way. It wasn’t until the last third of the book that I felt comfortable with how the Imperial characters were acting or reacting to events around them and it sets up a nice battle that’s hinted at in The Force Awakens movie.

This was a good book that I had issues with and it took me nearly two months to get through, I just didn’t feel like there was much there to keep me hooked.