Author: Claudia Gray
Publisher: Del Rey
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Unique Elements: An interconnected universe that is equally ruled by science and the force, with its greatest heroes and villains rising from the Skywalker clan.
Series: Star Wars
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Number of Page: 352 pages
MSRP: $28.00
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Reviewed by: J.T. Hanke
Final Score: 5 Moons (out of 5)
In Bloodline, we follow Princess Leia some 6 years before the events of The Force Awakens, where she’s a married senator who’s trying to get the New Republic to work together, Han is her devoted husband who runs space races to keep sharp, Chewie lives back on Kashyyk with his family, and her son, Ben, is being taught the ways of the force by Luke.
When a secret scheme forces Leia and her aides to explore the dark criminal underworld of a nearby star system, no one is prepared for the depth of the conspiracy–or the secrets–which will be unearthed in the process!
Story
The stark changes that have to occur in just 6 years from the beginning of this book to the beginning of The Force Awakens intrigued me immediately; but it’s the story flow that kept me dialed in throughout the reading of it.
Not only is the pacing of this tale incredibly well done, but Ms. Gray wisely focuses on expanding the mythology of Star Wars (rather than shrinking it) by focusing on exploring characters we haven’t met in the films or shows and whose future fates we have no idea about. (Unlike Lords of the Sith or Dark Apprentice, which both dealt with assassination attempts which were predestined to fail, since they are targeted against characters whose deaths we already know will occur in later episodes!)
In a show of trust, LucasFilm story group has given Ms. Gray a number of juicy tidbits to weave in that tie not only into The Force Awakens’ backstory, but which also disprove certain fan theories which arose in the wake of the recent film.
The ending of Bloodline is solid and feels very authentic to the world of Star Wars–wrapping up part of a story, while leading directly into the next chapter of that story. (In some ways, since Bloodline doesn’t actually spoil anything in The Force Awakens, though it does directly impact it, it would’ve been very cool if this novel could’ve come out BEFORE that film was released.)
Dynamics
While Ms. Gray is a master of storyteller, it is her interpersonal dynamics between characters that truly push her novels to the heights they achieve. This permits her to delve into places that most others simply could not. In anyone else’s hands, the dynamics of a senator trying to get a galactic senate to work together–without the action beats of any Jedi in the mix–would have been a disaster. (Need we remember the CSPAN-like pacing of The Phantom Menace, despite having both Jedi and Sith as active presences?) Yet Claudia Gray continues to work her writing witchcraft in Bloodline, creating a riveting tale of intrigue that seems to blend the best elements of shows like House of Cards and Orphan Black.
While there were a couple of interpersonal relationships that verged on cliché, Ms. Gray managed to so cleverly conclude the story arcs for these characters that it redeemed almost completely any prior predictability.
Gothic Fit
Machiavellian politics, insidious plots, and a shadow conspiracy that looks to take over the universe—what’s not to love? Even without the preexisting appeal of Star Wars to the Goth community, the authoress’ willingness to craft a tale about seeking out the truth through whatever quagmire may be required makes this novel a great fit for our readers. (The fact that it also tells more secrets about characters we love and shows them in an even more complex light is just the cherry on top!)
Closing Thoughts
Not since Timothy Zahn have I read a book that so accurately breathed continuing life into established Star Wars‘ characters—and, unlike Zahn’s work, Gray’s is canon.
Her writing is so honest to Star Wars (regardless of whether it’s with characters we already know, like in Bloodline, or characters that are new to us, like in Lost Stars), that I hope Claudia Gray one day gets to write a Star Wars’ story that is transitioned into a Star Wars’ film–whether that be a spinoff film, like Rogue One, or an actual episode, like Star Wars: Episode X. (Of course, I’d also love to see her help craft an overarching tale for a Star Wars live action television show on Netflix.)
Regardless of when Ms. Gray gets around to her anticipated sequel to Lost Stars (which didn’t necessarily require a sequel, but which we all desperately want), I certainly hope we get at least two more books from her in this series, forming a Bloodline trilogy!
Editor’s Note: Unfortunately, in a recent interview with nerd ‘zine blastr, Gray was vague about when new Star Wars books might materialize from her, with blastr paraphrasing that she’d “discussed some possibilities with Star Wars publishing about future work, and the two are eager to work together again, but for the next few months, she’ll be focusing on original work”. While I totally respect her work as an authoress of her own IP, I will admit that I would like to see follow ups to her work in Star Wars sooner rather than later. (You can read the entirety of her blastr interview with Lisa Granshaw here.)
Story: 5.0 Moons (out of 5.0)
Dynamics: 5.0 Moons (out of 5.0)
Gothic Fit: 5.0 Moons (out of 5.0)
Final Score (not an average): 5.0 Moons (out of 5.0)
