But if you are to join me, you must look to your pride, Phasma. You must learn to gracefully accede to a superior’s will. Would you rather be right or would you rather be alive?
Introduction
‘Phasma’, part of the new Star Wars canon, is written by Delilah S Dawson. It is, as the name implies, the ‘origin’ story of the eponymous character, set after ‘Return of the Jedi’ but before ‘The Force Awakens’.
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Recommendation
“Phasma’ was a let down. I had reasonably high expectations from this book since it was the first new canon book I was reading. Phasma was the other reason to looking forward to it. ‘Phasma’ is the mysterious figure who while appearing to be a badass, somehow let’s herself be captured in ‘The Force Awakens’. I was looking for motivations which could help explain her better and this book does a semi-decent job of doing so.
The biggest gripe I have with this book is the fact that Phasma comes out of it as a one dimensional character. She will do anything to survive. And unfortunately, this book is told from the perspective of other characters. We never get a glimpse of what goes on inside Phasma’s head. Ultimately, She remains the same chrome armour wearing mysterious entity, at the end of the book. Cardinal (the one person who has an actual character arc) and the rest of the characters were more interesting.
I found the pacing to be a bit off too. The book dragged quite a bit – especially around the encounters in the desert. There was nothing original about these encounters and the writing could not save the book from being a bore.
Other Thoughts (Spoilers warning)
Spoilers below. Continue reading at your peril.
This book should have been called Cardinal or Siv. Both were infinitely more complex characters than Phasma. While the protagonist can be an asshole, they cannot be dull or uninteresting. Phasma is both and, for that reason, this book dragged. If the author had cut out Phasma from the story and made it about either of the two characters above, the book would have been much better.
Other nitpicks. Phasma and co are traveling across the desert in vehicles. So how could the Claws and Scyre follow them and outpace them on foot? How does no one else in the First Order know that Vi Moradi has not been captured? How does the First Order know so much about the Rebels and vice versa but not know what is happening under their noses? Also, is Parnossos where Fallout and Madmax happen?
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