Title: Rebel Dawn (THT)
Author: Ann C. Crispin
Pages: 389
Type: Adventure
Time: 3 BBY

Introduction
It's been a while since I posted my last review. And no, it's not because I didn't like the novel or because I lost interest in Star Wars. I was in the process of finishing the first major part of my education, registering for the second part and finding a suitable job. As you can imagine I have been a bit preoccupied lately. I haven't stopped reading Star Wars novels however and have some catching up to do. I'll resume my reviewing with the final installment in the Han Solo Trilogy named "Rebel Dawn". I really looked forward to reading this novel since the previous two were so much fun. I'm happy to say that I wasn't disappointed at all. The novel provides a solid end to the trilogy. Here's why.

Novel quality
This last novel in the trilogy is the one where everything and everyone comes together. We see how Han gets his hands on the Millennium Falcon, we see the end of the conflict between the Hutts and we see the beginning of the active Rebel Alliance. We also see most of the characters from the previous novels return. Of course this is all really nice and interesting, but it does present me with a bit of a problem. It's really hard to tell you anything about the story without giving away some of the better moments from the novel. I'll try to work around it.

For me the best thing about the novel is definitely the starting of a active rebel alliance. We have seen the early stirrings in the deleted scenes from the "Revenge of the Sith" DVD, and now we get to see how things develop and how the unrest starts to turn into a full blown civil war. Great about the active rebellion in this story is that it is still in its infancy and consists mostly of extremists and radicals. At the moment the rebels are still more terrorist like than they were in "A New Hope". At some points in the novel the way the rebels behave will make you question them a bit. Sure they are fighting for a just cause, but by fighting in this way are they not becoming what they are trying to defeat? When are you a terrorist and when are you a freedom fighter? It is an interesting question especially if we look at ourselves and the world. Enough pseudo-philosophical nonsense, let's get back to the novel. Like I said earlier it is really great to see everything and everyone come together for some kind of grand finale. However, the way all the characters are connected to each other and the way all their lives come together at this point seems a bit too convenient. It's nothing really bad, but it does become a bit too obvious during the story. Another good point about the novel, just like the previous two, is the distinct OT-feel it leaves behind. This is good especially when there are references being made to the period we now all know really well, The Old Republic and the Clone Wars. It are just minor references, but they still give the story a bit of a special feel to it.

Overall this is a pretty good novel and I really enjoyed reading it. It doesn't feel as solid as the first two volumes in the trilogy but it does provide a good ending to the trilogy. Just the fact that nobody seems to know about Palpatine's true power and the fact that we see more of Boba Fett, Han Solo, Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian, makes this novel good enough to read. Just be sure to read the first two novels first, otherwise you may find this story a bit thin. Still, a solid conclusion to a great trilogy!
Rating: 80/100

Personal tilt
I feel a bit bad about giving this novel a lower rating than the previous two from the trilogy, but I think I should. The overall story seems to be a bit weaker and some of the character meetings feel just a bit too convenient. Still I really enjoyed the novel and would recommend it to anyone who read the first two novels in the trilogy. If you rip the trilogy apart however and consider the three novels one by one, you would find that "Rebel Dawn" just wouldn't quite make it on its own. It's the only one of the novels that really requires you to read the other two first and that's the main reason its rating is a bit lower than the rating of those two. Still, just pick up the entire trilogy and you'll have a great time. In the end, that's the way they are meant. The trilogy turned me into a Solo and Chewie fan!
Rating: 77/100


Overall rating: 78.8/100

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