This story is an enjoyable story of Han and Leia, and acts as a tie-in novel to the Galactic Starcruiser Halcyon. I personally would have loved a bit more of the romance in this novel, but at the end of the day it is Star Wars! This story had an iconic relationship at its core, fun references to the Halcyon, and an enjoyable third act! Overall, an easy book to recommend to Star Wars fans!

Finally a Star Wars romance book. For many of us Han and Leia was our first ship and we always want more of them. Revis delivers a wonderful tale that is both romantic and still very "Star Wars."

The Princess and the Scoundrel offers lovingly crafted character work for Han and Leia as well as cleverly handled worldbuilding surrounding the days following the destruction of Death Star II. I especially loved how much care was given to the wedding ceremony, and the pulpy aspects of it really felt true to the heart of Star Wars. However, on the contra side, I personally found the Starcruiser segments forced and distracting and this impacted my general enjoyment of the book, but that is also down to my personal dislike of the expensive hotel experience as part of canon Star Wars lore. It's a solid read for anyone who wants to spend more time with Han and Leia, though, and Easter eggs like the reappearance of a half-forgotten villain from a 2015 middle-grade title make this book all the more enjoyable.

All couples have a history and with Star Wars we have a divide between Legends and Canon, two pathways for one of the most popular couples in the SW saga. The Princess and the Scoundrel takes on the herculean task of giving readers the story of the wedding of Han & Leia.

Beth Revis was given the opportunity to tell this story and she has become the architect of one of my favorite Star Wars novels . Set within hours of the Rebel's victory against the Empire we begin Han and Leia's journey with a sweet proposal, And epic celebratory party facilitated by some boisterous Ewoks, and the smoothest of best men in Lando Calrissian.

I began this story expecting some romance and an epic adventure and Revis delivered that and so much more. Moving forward to a new future can often bring up ghosts from the past and both Han and Leia confront some ghosts from their past. Choosing love and marriage is a courageous thing but not the end of the work that needs to be done for a true partnership. Revis blends romance and the honest hurdles two very different people who found love in the midst of war. I did a combination of print and Audio book for this story and both versions are wonderful. The audio book has a dual narrative that fits the alternating chapter perspectives beautifully. I put off the final chapters of this book for days because I just didn't want it to end. If you choose the physical version for your collection (or ebook) , I still highly suggest getting the audio version from your local library or using an audible credit. Marc Thompson and Saskia Maarleveld do such a fantastic job with this story. They pair capture the essence of both characters and the final chapter is wonderfully unique and just filled my heart with such joy. Such a fantastic read and a beautiful exploration of one of the most important times in Han & Leia's lives. Beth deserves a tremendous amount of credit for the deep pulls from SW lore she brings to this novel and for also creating situations for these characters to shine and personally I found myself soothed by many struggles I had with these characters in the sequel trilogy after finishing this book. Books have a tremendous potential to enhance and expound on situations that may have had little time to be explored onscreen.

The Princess and the Scoundrel unfortunately turns out to be only a sufficient novel and nothing more. Not even the premises, which is a story that strongly winks in the direction of the romance genre, are able to avoid the reader grimace in front of some actions carried out by the two protagonists and the final overall result.

Excluding the first part set on Endor, the first half of the book is absolutely to be forgotten, dominated by individualisms that do not go well with the idea of ​​such a novel, especially if resolved too late within the narrative.

There is a slight improvement in the second act, which however appears to be directly borrowed from the trite dynamics of the comic series Star Wars (2015), reducing everything to a mere mission of sabotage and support to the population of a moon still bound to the imperial yoke. Reflections repeated to excess and an inconsistent rhythm override the occasional positive elements that nevertheless never fail to emerge, such as the wedding on the Forest Moon of Endor or having Leia facing her Force powers.

Fortunately, we are far from the narrative vicissitudes and naivety of the historical period in which "Union" and "The Courtship of Princess Leia" were written ... but the panache of the time is not present at all.

Recommended only for fans of the saga and the romance genre, for everyone else it will be really difficult to get to the last page.

Princess and the Scoundrel is a political thriller and a romance novel, and readers will be rewarded by appreciating both aspects of the story. While it may seem like a simple tie in for the Star Wars hotel, don’t let that fool you or drive you away — it’s worth sticking with this story to see where it goes.

Star Wars: The Princess and the Scoundrel is More Than Just a Tie-In Novel

When Lucasfilm and Del Rey first announced a new Star Wars novel following Princess Leia Organa and Han Solo’s honeymoon aboard the very same luxury starliner that fans can board at Walt Disney World’s immersive Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser experience, it was difficult to approach it with anything but cynicism. There’s also the small matter of a pivotal first love that made me want to object to this rewriting of canon: The Courtship of Princess Leia, the ridiculous but wonderful Star Wars Legends adventure romance that got these crazy kids together. Yet in the skilled hands of author Beth Revis, Star Wars: The Princess and the Scoundrel thoughtfully acknowledges all of the reasons why Han and Leia shouldn’t work as a couple (with some sly nods at its status as a transmedia tie-in) while still making the case for their love and its own existence within the current Star Wars canon.

Opening mid-yub nub celebration at the end of Return of the Jedi, the book (told in romance-trope dual perspective) aptly depicts the push-and-pull nature of their relationship: High on destroying the second Death Star and eradicating Emperor Palpatine’s control over the Empire, Leia and Han steal away for what is presumably their first night together, only to get engaged the next day. Yet she has loved him for a year—the year that he lost due to being frozen in carbonite, though his love for her has not lessened one bit. Unlike the Star Wars Legends books, which gave the couple some breathing room to explore their dynamic while building the New Republic, this new retelling is all about nonstop momentum.

Their subsequent rushed wedding (full of drunken Ewok shenanigans) and honeymoon further illustrate the precarious position they currently inhabit: The war is far from over, but they need to embrace peace, however fleeting. It also supports the fledgling New Republic by showing its figurehead of hope moving forward with excitement for the future… not to mention patronizing the Chandrila Star Line, as the entire galaxy’s economy is reconstructing itself with the loss of Imperial business and the disruption of supply chains across worlds.
It also gives a very meta tour of Disney World’s interactive Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel for potential visitors who might be balking at the hefty price tag for that two-day roleplaying experience. But it’s pleasantly surprising to find that the tie-in isn’t completely soulless, due to Revis’ sly acknowledgment in the book of ulterior motives: Leia and Han wouldn’t have chosen the Halcyon for a lavish getaway, either, but they are beholden to the Rebellion first, as public figures who happen to also be carving out a private joy. If they can mix business with pleasure on this publicity stunt, they’ll do it for the good of the galaxy.

Still, the plot does often feel as if it’s following a rigid itinerary, compared to the much more freewheeling nature of the Star Wars Legends books—or, as they used to be called, the Expanded Universe. Back in 1994, when the prequel films were just a twinkle in George Lucas’ eye, the sci-fi writers of the time seemingly had a lot more freedom to play around in the Star Wars universe. Certainly, they had to adhere to an official continuity timeline and handle the IP just as carefully, but you got the impression that the blueprint was a lot more flexible.

To wit, Dave Wolverton’s The Courtship of Princess Leia goes all-in on romance novel tropes, from the shirtless hero in Prince Isolder competing with a flustered Han for Leia’s hand in marriage, only for the scoundrel to kidnap the princess and whisk her away to Dathomir, a planet he won for her in a sabacc game. When Isolder and Luke catch up with them, Leia, Han, Chewie, and Threepio have gotten embroiled in a war between Force-singing witches and the evil Nightsisters. It’s got couple-swapping of the Midsummer Night’s Dream variety, with two very different but equally badass matriarchal societies and a bonafide HEA (or Happily Ever After). And Threepio singing an original ballad he composed about King Han Solo? Icing.

It’s a delightful hot mess of a book, whereas The Princess and the Scoundrel feels a lot more calculated as a connective story between different corners of the Star Wars franchise. From the Queen of Corellia dining room with its games of holo-sabacc to its impressive bridge, the Halcyon has a lot of specs to impart, which Revis does so wonderfully—no surprise, as her debut sci-fi novel Across the Universe takes place on a generation ship that has been in space for enough decades that it feels comfortably lived-in. Revis puts a lot of care into describing various portions of the ships and which members of which class inhabit them, from reporters looking for a sound bite to Imperial sympathizers who even up in space manage to keep their heads in the metaphorical sand. (It also helps that Revis is familiar with the universe of Star Wars novels, having written Jyn Erso’s adolescent adventures leading up to the events of Rogue One in the 2017 YA novel Star Wars: Rebel Rising.)

Thanks to the existence of the sequel trilogy, we know that Han and Leia ultimately don’t make it. Obviously losing Ben Solo to the Dark Side is the primary reason for their split, but the fractures have always been there: Leia has difficulty putting her own needs over her compulsion to help everyone else as an ambassador and later general, while Han is uncomfortable with the responsibilities of leadership and would rather be adventuring and watching his own back. Despite their bond, both struggle to make space for the other in their lives. Revis cleverly communicates this tension onboard the Halcyon, as Leia is forced to let the entire galaxy follow along with her honeymoon (and, to be fair, courts some of that attention for the sake of attracting new allies), while Han is much more comfortable playing sabacc with real cards in the engine room with the ship’s mechanics. And, to be clear, making his own deals and alliances over cards and just high enough personal stakes. Neither is wrong for the work and relationships they choose to pursue, but both are unaccustomed to compromising their independence.

It’s actually a shame that we don’t spend more time aboard the Halcyon, as Revis has such a knack for showing how even a luxury starliner can feel claustrophobic depending on who’s traveling alongside you. Not just the ship, but also its inhabitants are fascinating: politicians, celebrities, and other wealthy clientele who could afford to be unaffected by the Empire’s defeat, as they had ignored the worst of the Empire’s atrocities during its reign. Unlike the awkward placement of the Canto Bight interludes in The Last Jedi, this class commentary feels a lot more organic. By contrast, Han and Leia’s detour to the ice planet of Madurs feels so much like a planned excursion that I had to double-check it wasn’t part of the Galactic Starcruiser package at Disney World. (It’s not, though I assume mostly because why would you want to try to recreate a wintry world in Florida.)

Rereading Courtship for this review, I discovered that it wasn’t entirely as swoony as I had recalled in my starry-eyed nostalgia. Leia in particular is written as flighty and frustratingly uncertain about her devotion to Han versus her attraction to Isolder. The prince’s romance with Dathomir witch Teneniel Djo, though an excellent pairing in theory, is similarly underdeveloped on the page. But what best comes through is Han’s desperation at ever being good enough for the princess at the heart of the Rebellion, compared to Leia’s genuine terror at realizing that someone could love her enough to give her up for the greater good.

Even though this new book supplants the old in the canon, it’s gratifying to see the thematic connections between the two. In each, Leia mourns anew the destruction of Alderaan, which makes sense considering that she’s considering a huge transition that will be noticeably absent of both her parents and her culture. Both times, a new world brings up those feelings, from Han trying to gift her the planet of Dathomir as a New Alderaan to the slowly-cracking ice moon of Madurs representing another world that Leia fears she will be responsible for destroying. And while Courtship presents a different way to wield the Force, Princess makes the Force seem new by exploring it through Leia’s eyes. Her cautious interest in training with Luke and exploring their bond as twins is countered by her revulsion at being related to Darth Vader and her fear that she will be tempted toward his same rage and need for control.

The Courtship of Princess Leia was fun as hell despite its flaws, but The Princess and the Scoundrel takes more opportunities to really delve into the work required to forge a partnership between two very independent, very public figures. It’s just too bad that those moments of insight often get overshadowed by an on-planet showdown that drags, featuring a shoehorned-in villain who clearly is going to show up in another accompanying Star Wars adventure. If the novel were a bit less beholden to corporate synergy and more allowed to follow its heart, it could be just as legendary.

A romance following the marriage and honeymoon of Princess Leia Organa and Han Solo, Star Wars: The Princess and the Scoundrel is written by Beth Revis and published by Del Rey, an imprint of Penguin Random House. The Princess and the Scoundrel is Revis’ second foray into the world of official Star Wars novels.

The Princess and the Scoundrel picks up directly after the events of Return of the Jedi. The Rebels have won; the Deathstar is destroyed, and Darth Vader and The Emporer are dead. It’s the perfect time for a wedding between Princess Leia and Han Solo, two icons of the Rebellion.

And with the war against the Empire winding down, Leia reluctantly accepts the idea of going on a cruise, seeing the opportunity to celebrate her honeymoon and attempt a diplomatic mission. The adventure begins when their cruise ship, the Halycon, docks on the ice planet Madurs. The Emporer may be dead, but the Empire still stubbornly holds on.

Revis expertly navigates the timeline set by the existing movies, shows, and books by creating a memorable love story for these iconic characters without contradicting the existing canon. Not only do Han and Leia match their voices in the movies, but this adventure fits flawlessly into their story.

Because of the novel’s place in the timeline, readers know Han and Leia will survive The Princess and the Scoundrel. Despite this, Revis manages to make the stakes feel high for these characters. I worried about them, wondering how they’d escape a bad situation.

Another fantastic addition to this story is Revis’ look into Leia’s connection with the Force and how her parentage affects that. While Luke went on his Jedi journey, Leia played politics and led the Rebellion. But with the Deathstar destroyed and Vader not only dead but revealed to be her father, it’s time for her to come to terms with the Force. And to try and come to terms with the knowledge that such a monster was her father.

Throughout the book, Leia recalls how Vader tortured her, not just emotionally but physically as well. What’s implied to have happened in A New Hope before she was rescued is addressed in The Princess and the Scoundrel. But, unlike Luke, she cannot forgive Vader.

Because of Vader, she’s reluctant to call upon the Force. Revis shows readers how deeply Vader directly affected Leia. While she did make it out of the Death Star, Leia acknowledges that the mental scars from that encounter have never left her. Likewise, the pain of losing her entire home planet never left her. And Revis explores how Leia’s perception of herself changes after learning who her father was. It’s a chance for her character to receive more profound development that didn’t happen in the original movies.

Unfortunately, Revis’ storytelling falters a bit when it comes to pacing. Despite being touted as the most essential part of the book, the wedding itself is practically over before it happens. Han and Leia’s marriage is far more relevant and important than their actual wedding. Once they begin their honeymoon, the pace is acceptable for most of the book; when it comes time for the climax and to start wrapping the plot up, things feel rushed. But all of the loving interactions between Leia and Han all but make up for this.

I shipped Han and Leia from the moment I first saw A New Hope. They were, as the kids say, “the blueprint.” This is to say that I cannot get enough Han/Leia content, and this book offers it in spades. While The Princess and the Scoundrel suffers from poor pacing in some areas, it’s ultimately very close to being the perfect combo of Star Wars and romance.

Star Wars: The Princess andthe Scoundrel will be available wherever books are sold on August 16th, 2022.

Han and Leia tie the knot! But can they really look forward to a new life when their previous life continues to call to them? Read my review of The Princess and the Scoundrel!


Let me just start off this review with the most important part I think most of us were waiting to find out, but we’ll revisit it a bit more in-depth shortly: this book is not a commercial for Disney’s new hotel experience, the Galactic Starcruiser.

A few months ago on social media, Del Rey announced this novel with an invitation to the wedding of Leia Organa and Han Solo. I am not really a fan of romance books – in that I don’t go out of my way to read them, not that I don’t like them. In this case, I almost checked out. But then I saw the author: Beth Revis. I am a pretty big fan of her young adult novel Rebel Rising, so I was checked back in. But then the press release noted that a lot of the novel would take place onboard the Halcyon, the in-universe ship that Disney made into a real life experience. As you can tell, my expectation for this novel was really mixed, and I wasn’t sure if it was going to end up being a commercial, an all-out romance, or just not-for-Chris. I’m happy to report that I mostly liked it!

But yeah, to go back and address maybe the biggest concern, both of my own and maybe the wider internet’s: this did not feel like a commercial for the hotel. Books set on Batuu, clearly gaming for the Galaxy’s Edge market, like Black Spire and A Crash of Fate, both read as commercials with a narrative, in my opinion. It didn’t help both novels spent time detailing every menu item at Oga’s Cantina or every ride that you could take at the park! Thankfully, The Princess and the Scoundrel ends up bypassing almost all of that, using the ship as a setting but not as the selling point. You probably will read about some things you can do at the hotel, but I don’t follow the news, so I’m not sure what all that may be. But even if I did, I feel like this would have bypassed the problem by not walking Han and Leia through each event like a checklist. The ship does play an integral part in the story, but thankfully as something that could exist without a hotel.

star wars princess and scoundrel full coverIn general, one thing that I appreciated a lot about the novel was its sense of setting. One of my biggest critiques of the Disney Plus TV shows, and a lot of the franchise in general lately, is that the stories lack a sense of place. There’s no real reason certain stories take place on certain places, and the context that the stories play out on don’t contribute much to the story. That didn’t feel like the case here. All three major locations felt like they contributed to the story, with Endor and the ship being the first two major ones. The final planet, where Leia and Han do end up coming into conflict with the Empire, feels fairly fleshed out and the stakes of the novel are driven up by the setting of the novel. I was fairly impressed with this, and I think more novels could really learn to lean into their settings like this.

The major draw of the novel, for me, is the character work. Han and Leia are really well-written in what I consider to be two major parts of the book: the wedding and the honeymoon. The wedding portion of the book is really well done, showing Han and Leia interacting with one another with their guards down and their walls removed. Some of the dialogue took some getting used to, but I think that’s more because we don’t see these two in this exact context much. They’re comfortable with one another, they’re in love, and both learning how to interact with one another in this setting and new context. It’s as weird to them, I imagine, as it is for us! In the second half of the novel, the honeymoon portion, I felt like they retreated a bit more into the Han and Leia that we know more, and that also works in the story, as they roll back into their more comfortable ways of functioning. The interactions between these two were consistent throughout the novel, and I thought that the character work kept the book feeling fresh and engaging.

I will say, without giving into much spoilers since the book’s release is still a little bit out, it deals with Leia’s history and future with a lot of weight. Fresh from learning that her father is Darth Vader, and learning that she has access to the same Force as Luke does, brings up a lot in Leia. All of this, and a wedding, no less! I shouldn’t have been surprised to see this in the novel, but I am very happy it was included and written well.

The plotting, I think, is maybe the part of the book that resonated with me the least. My extremely scientific and precise review tactic is: does it feel long? The previous Del Rey novel, Shadow of the Sith, is a fairly long book. Very few times, though, when reading it, did I feel like I needed to see how much was left in the novel. I was thankfully fairly engaged. The Princess and the Scoundrel is not as long – it definitely didn’t need to be – but it felt a bit longer to me at times. The first half, during the wedding on Endor, I was extremely engaged and loved reading the book. When the novel switched gears and moved into the honeymoon, I felt a bit of my interest dip as it became a bit more conventional Star Wars. I wouldn’t say I completely checked out, but I wasn’t as engaged. I think part of it was, like I said, a bit more conventional, so I felt more familiar with it with a sense of “yeah, I’ve seen this before”. I think I also enjoyed just spending time with the characters and didn’t need such a big shift in the story. By the time the villain showed up, one I was pleasantly surprised to see, I was feeling a bit closer to “yeah, but Han and Leia….”

Without giving away much more, there’s one more comment I’d like to make: we give a lot of credit to books like Brotherhood and Shadow of the Sith for being workhorses in bringing a lot of canon material together. Revis does the same work here, but on a bit more of a lowkey scale, but deserves a lot of the same credit. A few surprising references made it in, a lot that may not be as well known due to the characters’ original appearances in magazine short stories. It also works really well with Shattered Empire, a series I like a lot simply due to the release of the book corresponding with the hype of The Force Awakens.

All in all, I liked this novel far more than I thought I would. The parts that didn’t land with me as much, like the plotting and the pacing, were still fine, and thankfully not a huge detriment. But the material between Han and Leia elevates this book to a really high pedestal, one I hope it enjoys for a while.

You can follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisWerms, and of course, you can follow the Manor on Twitter @MynockManor and Instagram @mynockmanor!

DISCLOSURE: I received a copy of this book, through NetGalley, from the publisher at no charge in order to provide an early review. However, this did not affect the overall review content. All opinions are my own.

Thank you, Del Rey/Penguin Random House for the arc!
My review for Dork Side of the Force:

Star Wars has had dozens of epic and passionate love stories over the decades. Perhaps the greatest of those is the original love story of Princess Leia and Han Solo. Now, for the first time, we get an entire adult novel dedicated to our favorite Star Wars couple with Beth Revis’ The Princess and the Scoundrel.

Before this novel, we only knew of the love story between Princess Leia Organa and Han Solo as passionate and uneasy in its beginnings and heartbreaking and bittersweet at its end. We knew they got married and eventually had a son after the events of Return of the Jedi, but grew apart in the 30 years between that film and the events of The Force Awakens.

But what was their wedding like? Did they get to enjoy a honeymoon or time away as newlyweds after having saved the galaxy? How did they grapple with the aftermath of fighting a years-long war and the toll that took on themselves and their relationship?

Revis answers all of those questions and more in The Princess and the Scoundrel.

The new novel starts off immediately after the ending of Return of the Jedi – the celebrations on Endor are winding down and Darth Vader is little more than ash on the funeral pyre built by his son, Luke Skywalker. Leia and Han are bouncing between briefings with generals and other leaders of the Rebel Alliance, which is about to become the New Republic government.

The Emperor is dead, and the second Death Star is destroyed. Galaxy-wide peace and freedom are so close the Rebels can taste them. But at this moment, even as Han and Leia worry over the future, they only have eyes for one another.

The first chunk of this story takes place on Endor as Han proposes to Leia and they set to wedding planning with the help of Mon Mothma, Lando Calrissian, Chewbacca, and the Ewoks, of course. Revis writes Han and Leia’s wedding in exquisite detail, describing everything from the meadow green of Leia’s gossamer gown and the wildflowers woven into her hair to the intricacies of the spiritual and emotional Ewok-assisted ring ceremony.

In the midst of all this revelry and joy, we see Leia grapple with the anger and heartbreak of learning that Darth Vader was her father. As she celebrates the end of the Empire and her pending nuptials, Leia quietly grapples with the trauma of learning that the man who tortured her, froze her soon-to-be husband in carbonite for a year, and watched as her home planet of Alderaan and billions of people were blown up, was actually her father and likely passed down to her his Force abilities.

Throughout the novel, this revelation makes Leia balk at the idea of studying the Force and honing her own skills alongside her twin brother Luke, even as he gently tries to convince her of her potential. We know Leia eventually begins Force training with Luke, but up until this novel we haven’t seen much of her feelings about her abilities and the legacy these two carry.

The meat of the novel is, of course, Han and Leia’s relationship and their honeymoon aboard the Halcyon starcruiser. Yes, it is the same one at Walt Disney World in Florida. No, the book does not feel like one giant commercial for the luxury, multi-day resort.

Exploring the Halcyon with Han and Leia is fun, and Revis does a great job building out this in-universe location that can be experienced in our own galaxy – not that many can afford it, but that’s another matter. Still, the events onboard the Halcyon are the least interesting parts of the novel.

While Leia quickly turns her honeymoon into a diplomatic mission and mini press tour, Han wanders aimlessly around the starcruiser bored and brooding. It’s understandable that their old habits die hard – Leia has and always will be a passionate politician-turned-rebel, and Han is more comfortable at the Sabacc table or surrounded by criminals than he is rubbing elbows with the wealthy elite.

Still, it’s hard to see them already start to drift apart just hours after the most beautiful wedding since Leia’s parents Padme Amidala and Anakin Skywalker secretly wed in the lake country on Naboo.

Luckily, the novel picks back up steam when the Halcyon docks for an unplanned “shore excursion” on an ice planet that’s galaxy-renowned for its stunning but temporary art. What happens next is a thrilling and daring Han and Leia mission to uncover a mysterious Imperial threat. The big baddie of this mission is a bit undercooked, but Revis gives just enough detail about them to make us wonder where we’ve seen them before (see Smuggler’s Run) and where we might see them again.

Overall, The Princess and the Scoundrel is a captivating story focusing on two of the most beloved Star Wars characters. The novel is so much more than a wedding and a honeymoon cruise. The Princess and the Scoundrel is about the earliest days of the fledgling New Republic in the wake of the Emperor’s death. Its setting is a transitionary period between the fall of a fascistic regime and the birth of another fighting for freedom.

And, perhaps most of all, the book is about Han and Leia – how their relationship is evolving from one fueled by the passion and adrenaline of warfare and stolen moments to one where they can finally focus on themselves. Revis deftly shows how Han and Leia complement one another, embracing and challenging each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

The Princess and the Scoundrel is a charming and thrilling tale about the galaxy’s favorite power couple and how they made their love work.

After the Alliance’s victory at the Battle of Endor, Princess Leia and Han Solo get married and head off on their honeymoon! Beth Revis brings us our romance we’ve wondered about since we saw Leia and Han kiss before Wicket jumped in and killed the vibe!

Adventures on a Galactic Starcruiser! Drunk ewoks! Ice Palace art! Imperial entanglements!! This book has it all!

The writing of the book shifts back and forth between Han and Leia each chapter. It’s great to see the story unfold from both of their points of view and the characters are written wonderfully. I love when these more popular Star Wars characters are so well written!

This book is a fun romantic romp that leads to adventure as usual for our favorite newlyweds! The audiobook is dual narrated by Marc Thompson and Saskia Maarleveld who switch back and forth between Han and Leia wonderfully. Definitely the best audiobook listen I’ve had in a while! While I confess my only romance reads are probably Lost Stars, Dark Disciple (totally counts), and A Crash of Fate this book definitely stands with them with its attention to Han and Leia’s love and their growing relationship as the galaxy shifts!

This is a must-read for every Han and Leia romantic out there!

… Or anyone who could use a vacation!

“My only regret is that Bail and Breha cannot be here with you.”

Mon Mothma

The Princess and the Scoundrel van auteur Beth Revis speelt zich direct na Return of the Jedi af. We zien de rebellen feesten en bijkomen na de overwinning. We zien ook dat de overwinning nog niet het einde van de Empire is en dat deze overwinning aan beide kanten een hoop verliezen met zich meegebracht heeft. In de nasleep van het feest besluiten Han en Leia in het huwelijksbootje te stappen en – op aandringen van Mon Mothma – op huwelijksreis te gaan. Maar een Star Wars verhaal is geen Star Wars verhaal als de plannen niet in het water vallen en onze helden niet in een spectaculair avontuur verzeild raken.

Na de vernietiging van de tweede Death Star barst het feest op de bosmaan van Endor los, maar na het feest moeten er ook plannen gemaakt worden voor de toekomst. Dat de Death Star, Palpatine en Darth Vader niet meer bestaan, wil niet zeggen dat het hele sterrenstelsel ineens een nieuwe republiek is. Denkend aan de toekomst besluit Han om Leia ten huwelijk te vragen, en aangezien iedereen toch al in de feeststemming is wordt het huwelijk ook maar min of meer direct voltrokken. In een Ewok tempel in Bright Tree Village, met zowel Rebellen als Ewoks op de gastenlijst geven de twee elkaar het jawoord. Mon Mothma vindt dat de twee helden wat tijd voor zichzelf kunnen nemen en regelt als huwelijksreis een cruise op de Halcyon Starcruiser voor ze. Niet alleen kunnen die twee zo samen bijkomen, ook zal hun aanwezigheid een boodschap naar de inwoners van het gevallen keizerrijk sturen, dat het einde van de oorlog daadwerkelijk in zicht is.

Uiteraard zou Leia, Leia niet zijn als ze deze reis niet nog verder om zou zetten in een zakenreis en ze ziet haar kans schoon om niet alleen aan boord met alle passagiers te spreken, maar ook tijdens een uitstapje naar de onafhankelijke ijsmaan Madurs, een poging te doen de inwoners over te halen zich bij de nieuw vormende republiek aan te sluiten. Maar eenmaal op de bevroren maan aangekomen ontdekken ze een mysterie dat deze ontspannen huwelijksreis een stuk spannender maakt dat het koppel had kunnen verwachten.

Bij de aankondiging van dit boek gingen veel mensen er vanuit dat het een simpele publiciteitsstunt was om reclame te maken voor Disney’s nieuwe Galactic Starcruiser hotel in Florida. Maar niets in minder waar, tuurlijk speelt een gedeelte van het verhaal zich af aan boord van de Halcyon, en het schip speelt een vrij belangrijke rol in het verhaal, maar het overgrote gedeelte van de tijd spenderen we op Endor en Madurs. De Halcyon komt pas na een goede 100 pagina’s in beeld en de tijd die we aan boord van de Halcyon doorbrengen past uitstekend in een verhaal waarbij het schip, de locaties en details aan boord op heel natuurlijke manier als world building gebruikt worden. Als je je niet bewust bent van het hotel, zal je helemaal niets bijzonders merken aan dit boek, en als je je wel bewust bent van het hotel… zul je ook niet veel bijzonders opmerken aan het boek. Het is niet alsof we een rondleiding door elke ruimte krijgen en elke menuoptie uitgebreid besproken wordt. De halcyon is gewoon een locatie in het verhaal, en is wat mij betreft prima gebruikt. Uiteraard zullen mensen die een reis aan boord van de Halcyon gemaakt hebben gedeeltes van die boek iets anders bekijken omdat ze dingen anders herkennen. Maar mensen die nooit aan boord van de Halcyon zullen stappen zullen helemaal niets missen en net zo goed van dit verhaal genieten.

Wat Revis ook prima doet in The Princess and the Scoundrel is diepgang geven aan Han, Leia en hun relatie. Zo komt meermaals aan bod dat Han nog steeds last heeft van zijn ervaring met carbonite. Niet alleen was de fysieke ervaring traumatisch voor hem, ook psychisch heeft hij moeite met het feit dat hij ongeveer een jaar kwijt geraakt is. In de tijd dat hij bevroren was, is de wereld om hem heen gewoon door blijven bewegen. In de tijd dat Han met zijn ogen knipperde hebben Leia en Chewbacca een hechtere band gekregen, is Luke is een stuk volwassener geworden, is Lando ineens een goede vriend geworden, heeft Leia Qi’Ra ontmoet, en ga zo maar door.

Tegelijkertijd heeft ook Leia het een en ander aan moeilijke dingen te verwerken. Ze heeft het heel moeilijk met de revelatie dat Darth Vader haar vader is, en het moment waarom zij de restanten van de brandstapel ziet waarop Luke Vaders lichaam gecremeerd heeft is erg indrukwekkend en emotioneel. Ook het verlies van Alderaan en alles en iedereen dat Leia daar ooit gekend heeft komt naar boven als iets waar ze het – op momenten dat anderen het niet zien – ontzettend moeilijk mee heeft. Vooral het verlies van Alderaan en haar familie is iets dat niet heel vaak aan bod komt, en de manier waarop Revis het hier behandeld is erg sterk.

Het tempo van het boek springt wat heen en weer, het begint wat traag, terwijl het ”eindgevecht” juist met wat haast voorbij lijkt te vliegen. Revis’ schrijfstijl is erg prettig, ze heeft oog voor detail, maar strooit niet met saaie beschrijvingen. Het is ook heel duidelijk dat Revis helemaal thuis is in de Star Wars wereld, ze weet niet alleen de stemmen van Han en Leia perfect te vertolken, ze trekt details uit alle hoeken van de Star Wars wereld. Er komen referenties voorbij naar de films maar ook naar andere boeken, comics, series en zelfs games. Poe’s moeder, Shara, heeft bijvoorbeeld een kleine rol, Leia mist L0-La59, de droid waar ze als kind zo veel waarde aan hechte. En Breha’s problemen op Appenza Peak tijdens haar Day of Demand en de gevolgen daarvan komen voorbij als iets waar Leia inspiratie uit haalt. En ondanks dat het allemaal herkenningspuntjes zijn, voelt geen van allen als goedkope fanservice, het komt allemaal op natuurlijke wijze voorbij en geeft meer diepgang aan de personages en zorgt ervoor dat alles ontzettend veel met elkaar verweven voelt.

Het 12 uur en 45 minuten durende audioboek is door twee personen ingesproken. Omdat de hoofdstukken steeds wisselen tussen de perspectieven van Han en Leia, worden die hoofdstukken in audiovorm opgedeeld tussen Star Wars audioboek legendes Mark Thompson en Saskia Maarleveld. Dit geeft een erg leuke dynamiek aan het verhaal en maakt het nog makkelijker je in te leven in de personages. De geweldige Han en Leia vertolkingen gecombineerd met authentieke Star Wars muziek en geluidseffecten maken ook dit audioboek weer een pareltje waar menig lezer/luisteraar van zal genieten. Zeker een aanrader als audioboeken jouw ding zijn.

Het verhaal voelt als een Clone Wars verhaal, een losstaand avontuur wat kleinschalig begint maar verder uitvouwt tot een groot probleem dat de personages vakkundig oplossen. Inclusief een onverwachte maar bekende slechterik die verslagen moet worden. Maar de echte ster in het verhaal is wat mij betreft de personageontwikkeling, zowel voor Leia als Han, en hun onderlinge relatie.

The Princess and the Scoundrel is wat mij betreft een aanrader voor iedereen die graag wat meer van Han en Leia ziet en een dieper kijkje in hun relatie en psyche wil nemen.

Han and Leia have always been an interesting couple to me. For me personally, their onscreen romance never had that heart-racing quality that I look for in a love story. Not to say that I don’t think theirs is a good love story, but I think I’ve always just taken them as a given. This might have something to do with watching the entire Original Trilogy for the first time in a single day. I was only 7 years old, so by the time we get to their romantic resolution at the end of Return of the Jedi, I’m tired, grumpy, and a little confused. But from that point on in my mind, Han and Leia just were. They weren’t something that made my heart race watching a love story unfold, though I could certainly see the appeal.

This changed with The Princess and the Scoundrel by Beth Revis, which managed to make a love story that is older than I am feel fresh, and exciting, and yes, even swooningly romantic.

If you, like me, have spent the last couple of years alternating between Star Wars stories and romance novels, then I highly recommend The Princess and the Scoundrel, which exists right at the intersection of the two. The story picks up immediately after the Battle of Endor and the destruction of the second Death Star. Not wanting to waste any more time, the two decide to get married right there on the forest moon, with no one but the Ewoks and the Rebellion for company.

But good things don’t stay good for long, and reality sets in before either of them are ready. Their blissful post-wedding haze is broken almost right away with the very real fact that the galaxy is now in total upheaval following the death of the Emperor. The most pressing thing, really, is that many in the Empire don’t believe Palpatine is dead and things that aren’t happening in the immediate vicinity of the Death Star are proceeding as normal.

Since there is no such thing as a day off for either the princess or the scoundrel, Mon Mothma gifts them a honeymoon on the luxurious Halcyon cruiser where they can both spend time together and also possibly do some investigating for the rebellion while they’re at it.

The adventure and the politics of the story are a natural part of Star Wars and it’s to Revis’s credit that these things never feel totally divorced from the romance, which really is the heart of the book. The love story isn’t an afterthought, it’s integral to every part of The Princess and the Scoundrel and might honestly have given us our first true Star Wars romance since Claudia Gray’s Lost Stars.

Because there is no doubt in my mind that this book is a romance first and foremost. It adds dimension and clarity to a relationship that, when we last saw the two of them on screen together, things were strained and sad. There was a lot of imagination that went into wondering how Han and Leia had become so strained in The Force Awakens, and the best guesses said that this probably had something to do with Ben falling to the dark.

But now with the added context of The Princess and The Scoundrel, we see it for what it is. These are two people who desire each other, who love each other, and who really want to make it work. But these are also two people who have been conditioned — and even traumatized — by what they suffered under the Empire. They do their best to shake it, and to start a new life together, and it’s to Revis’s credit that her writing sells their love story so well, you come out believing these two crazy kids might just make it after all.

The Princess and the Scoundrel is out August 16. Special thank you to Del Rey for an advance copy for review purposes.

Despite my love of obscure Star Wars characters, I’m actually a really big Han and Leia fan. The sequels splitting them up always struck me as out of character, and I’ve enjoyed every other book depicting their really healthy relationship. This book is no exception. Han is exactly the perfect mix of horny and #1 wife guy that he should be. Leia is the workaholic who needs to learn how to put her needs first. The author really understands these characters. I had a great time - especially as a comics reader there were SO many references here wow! I loved the exploration of Leia and the Force as well. Vindication! It was also really thoughtful about the impact of Han’s freezing in carbonite on his psyche - the PTSD, the loss of a year while the galaxy went on without him.

However, the truly only downside was the incessant advertising for the Galactic Starcruiser, the Halcyon. Star Wars has always been plagued by capitalism, and I’ve loved books like Thrawn: Alliances that tie to Batuu (Galaxy’s Edge) just as much, and this is NOT the author’s fault at all. But tying this incredibly important moment (their wedding and a few other big reveals) and these huge characters to the damn cruise felt so cheesy and forced sometimes. (Again, not by the writing, it is the conceit of the whole project, sadly). I would be enjoying myself thoroughly with the characterization and then suddenly they’re describing exactly a cocktail you can probably order on the Starcruiser. I guess this would be cool if I had $5000 to spare, and I love when a world is interconnected, and I’ve read most of the canon so I’m a deep cut fan, but even for me this was too much. It felt like when celebrities are contractually obligated to promote a company product - I felt BAD for Han and Leia. I still recommend people read it, and the audiobook is great, but go in expecting the advertising to be a bit annoying.

Spoiler Free Review

Hot on the heals of Shadow of the Sith, we have even more content that helps to bridge the gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens with The Princess and the Scoundrel. While Shadow of the Sith was a Luke and Lando novel, this focus on Han and Leia in the moments immediately after Return of the Jedi.

The Death Star is destroyed, and the Emperor and Vader are dead, but most Star Wars fans know the Empire isn’t defeated yet. And that’s where we find ourselves at the start of this book. The Princess and the Scoundrel had been advertised as Han and Leia’s wedding story and while that certainly played an essential role, most of the story is focused on their honeymoon as the two of them learn to navigate their marriage. Both Han and Leia are characterized perfectly as if their Original Trilogy selves jumped off the screen onto these pages.

Revis does a great job with the internal conflicts of both Han and Leia. Leia has to grapple with the fact that Darth Vader was her father and struggles to sit out the continuing fight against the Empire. Han needs to try and change, to be a different man. One that’s worthy of his new wife but again, it's not easy. Watching their journey as separate people and then seeing it continue as husband and wife throughout this novel was a really great experience. Their relationship is the beating heart of this novel.

Overall the Princess and the Scoundrel is a fantastic continuation of Han and Leia's story after Return of the Jedi. It’s nice to see more of their early marriage before the continued turmoil of their lives This is essential reading for any Star Wars fan! The Princess and the Scoundrel hits store shelves Tuesday, August 16th. A huge thanks to DelRey for this review copy!

I loved Beth Revis’ characterization of Han and Leia in addition to the quiet moments throughout the novel. Anything in the romance genre is out of my wheelhouse, but it was still fun nevertheless.

The Star Wars romance we've always wanted! The Princess and the Scoundrel fits seamlessly into the days following Return of the Jedi. A lovely exploration of Han, Leia, and most importantly, Han AND Leia.

The matrimony of one of the most iconic Star Wars characters is finally depicted in The Princess and the Scoundrel. Although Legends fans have already experienced this memorable event in the 1994 novel The Courtship of Princess Leia, Beth Revis’ canon version of the two lovers’ wedding and honeymoon is a story not to be missed. The book is a direct continuation of Return of the Jedi, where as the celebration of the victory against the evil Empire takes place at the forest moon of Endor, Han unexpectedly proposes to Leia—leading into an unforgettable Ewok-themed wedding and a honeymoon aboard the luxury starcruiser Halcyon full of intrigue and adventure.

Author Beth Revis wrote a piece of Star Wars storytelling that is instantly memorable. The characterization of both Han and Leia in The Princess and the Scoundrel is at the forefront of the novel, with each chapter switching back and forth between the two characters’ perspectives—providing a great amount of insight into their most intimate selves, especially for Leia. Starting at the forest moon of Endor, Revis covers some of the unanswered questions left by Return of the Jedi: Leia’s family connection with her father, Darth Vader and her twin brother, Luke Skywalker. In this first act, the author does some heavy lifting in terms of explaining Leia’s feelings towards her terrifying parental revelations from the movie and her connection to the Force and Luke. However, the highlight of Endor is obviously the wedding of Han and Leia—every detail of the ceremony makes the readers feel like they are actually witnessing the momentous event.

The second act of The Princess and the Scoundrel takes place aboard the Halcyon, which although it could be taken as yet another advertisement of the 2-Night, immersive adventure from Disney Parks, Galactic Starcruiser, it is far from it. The author does a great job of using the iconic ship as a story device rather than another way to promote the attraction—their stay turning from a relaxing honeymoon into a diplomatic mission.

A diplomatic mission that turns into a full on rescue mission of a moon from the clutches of the Imperial Remnant. Without diving into spoiler territory, the third and final act of The Princess and the Scoundrel truly elevates the intrigue within the tale. The depiction of the moon and its art is fascinating and very much fits within the Star Wars universe, but it’s the threat that lurks underneath the surface of the moon that brings this novel to its peak. Revis has no reservations in terms of reintroducing characters from other books and comics—some mere mentions, others impacting the story in a bold way, all adding to the interconnectedness of Star Wars storytelling.

Are you ready for a romantic and daring adventure? Then The Princess and the Scoundrel is the right book for you. Witness the wedding and honeymoon of Leia Organa and Han Solo, available in physical and digital format (with gorgeous cover by artist Oliver Cuthbertson), as well as an unabridged audiobook, narrated by the all-star duo Saskia Maarleveld and Marc Thompson!

The second Death Star has been destroyed, the Emperor and Darth Vader are dead and the rebellion are reeling from their victory. On the moon of Endor Princess Leia Organa and Han Solo find themselves contemplating their futures now that their fight is seemingly over. It becomes clear that the only future they can envision is by each others side and they marry on the forest moon. Can they survive the skeletons of their past and build a healthy marriage alongside a budding New Republic? All be revealed as they honeymoon on the luxury cruise ship, The Halcyon.

Put your cynicism to one side and enjoy this book for what it is, a wonderful love story. The cover is not misleading, this is absolutely a story of Han & Leia and the next chapter in their relationship. That's not to say it's juvenile or saccharine, the love displayed in these pages is about acceptance, grief and support. It's a love that feels incredibly natural and earned. Revis captures these characters perfectly and builds upon the heavy lifting done by the movies. This is the same Han and Leia that first met in the Death Star detention block and also the Han and Leia that took down the shield generator on Endor as they flirted between taking shots at Stormtroopers. Revis gives Claudia Gray a run for her money in writing the perfect Leia and she gives us the softer side of Han, one we got to know in Return of the Jedi. It's beautifully written and it's hard not to fall for this coupling all over again. It's a far more believable and compelling love story than others from the saga like Anakin and Padmè.

The other side of Han & Leia is their inherent badassery and that's also here in spades. Their honeymoon is somewhat derailed when the cruise touches down on new stop (much to Leia's urging as she sees a diplomatic opportunity for the New Republic) Madurs and things are quite clearly not right. A subdued and clearly fearful population that refuse to look at or acknowledge a mysterious black tower piercing the horizon raises suspicion and activates the Solo's hero mode. Full of mystery and action from this point until the explosive finale the pick-up in momentum coupled with the stellar character work puts The Princess & The Scoundrel a step above typical canon fare.

If I had to liken the book to other works I'd have to split my answer into two parts. The first half of the book feels like a direct sequel to Return of the Jedi with a similar feel to Leia: Princess of Alderaan and Bloodline. I don't know if Gray's works were an influence on Revis but there's some obvious references to the former and this honestly feels like it could he the missing middle chapter in an unofficial trilogy. When the story moves to Madurs it shifts gears and starts to feel more like early canon works A New Dawn and Ahsoka. It becomes about helping a subjugated populace overcome oppression, something Star Wars has always been about and while those books always felt self contained and unwilling to shake the larger canon, they're fantastic adventures. This is no different.

The cynicism I referenced at the start of my review is understandable but I wouldn't worry, this doesn't feel like an advert for the Disney attraction/hotel. If you've read Black Spire or A Crash of Fate which were set in Black Spire Outpost, the location of Disney's Galaxy's Edge theme park, then this is handled in much the same way. It's a present setting for the story and you're introduced to recognisable characters and features of the Halycon but it never feels forced and, more importantly, it never derails the story being told. I was rather ambivalent to the new hotel before, which the lacklustre Halycon Legacy comic series didn't help, but now I recognise it as the backdrop to one of my favourite new stories and I'd love to see it for myself. Whether that was the aim of the book or not is immaterial, we just have more great Star Wars content to fall in love with and that's never a bad thing.

The Princess and the Scoundrel picks up where Return of the Jedi leaves off. The Emperor is dead. The Empire should be, too. But the battle for control of the galaxy isn't over; Leia, Han, and the rest of the war's most capable heroes still have a lot of work to do.

But first: a wedding.

And then a honeymoon. Except it's not going to be the relaxing, carefree honeymoon one might expect on a luxury galactic cruise line, because anywhere Han Solo and Leia Organa go, chaos usually follows. That, or they fly directly into it.

Part romance, part adventure, all delightful, The Princess and the Scoundrel is the latest Star Wars story from Beth Revis, but hopefully it isn't the last. To write a story of love and acceptance in the midst of galaxy-wide change takes a deep understanding of what it means to agree to bind yourself to someone for life. Han and Leia are not perfect. But they work because they want to work. Despite uncertainty surrounding them from every direction, they agree to lean on each other, not just for now, but for always.

The Emperor may be dead, but the Empire is very much alive. And as we see in other stories, it will take a lot of effort to silence it for good. But there's nothing wrong with taking some time away to celebrate -- right?