THE JOURNEY OF A MILLENNIUM
James Luceno’s Millennium Falcon takes readers on a joyride through Star Wars history.
originally published by Fully Booked Zine, October 2008
Every vehicle, real or imagined, has its own unique life history, from the pioneering Ford Model T, to the average Pinoy jeepney. But few vessels have quite the storied past as Han Solo's dependable Millennium Falcon. Not only did it play a key role in bringing down a tyrannical Empire, it notoriously made the Kessel Run smuggler’s route in “less than twelve Parsecs”. But that’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, it seems…
The Falcon is the subject of James Luceno's eponymous novel, the latest book in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. Though it directly follows the events of Invincible (the final installment of the melodramatic Legacy of the Force series) it's accessible enough for readers who have a passing familiarity with the original space opera trilogy.
Largely self-contained, the narrative fleshes out the character of Allana Solo, the Force-strong granddaughter of Han and Princess Lea. The feisty youth joins her graying Lolo and Lola aboard the titular YT-1300 light freighter, for a warp speed intergalactic joyride that spans the Falcon's crowning moments, as well as the horrors to which it has been a silent witness.
But Allana's quest is more than just some indulgent nostalgia trip for Jedi geeks. As is customary, the Fate of the Universe rests on the success of her mission. So the motley group's escapades put them at loggerheads with a colorful assortment of individuals: bounty hunters, vicious space pirates, crooked officials, and even fallen comrades!
Millennium Falcon doesn’t attempt to reinvent the Star Wars canon. Frankly, it doesn’t need to. It holds its own as a fun, standalone romp, highlighting a single vehicle that’s become a darling part of the series’ mythology.