– Spoiler Review –
Most Wanted, written by Rae Carson, is a young adult novel focusing on Han Solo and Qi’ra prior to the events of Solo: A Star Wars Story. It’s a well-written, fast paced book that gives Qi’ra her due, diving deep into what makes her tick, while focusing more on the idealistic younger Han than the film ever did.
Most Wanted reminded me of Rebel Rising by Beth Revis, which provided us with a better understand of Jyn as a character as it explored the 15 year gap between Rogue One’s opening scene and the rest of the film. Han and Qi’ra are the subjects of Most Wanted’s attention, giving us a glimpse into their White Worm days, how they became cohorts (and something more), and a better understanding of what drives them. Just like Rebel Rising, MW doesn’t fill in every blank of their pre-Solo: A Star Wars Story days, but it spends more time diving into what makes the characters tick, which was a much more needed aspect for Qi’ra than Han, but it uncovers more of what makes him like the young Han Solo he is in the film than the film itself does. This character exploration is MW’s biggest strength, but its plot is also intriguing and well-paced, and a great ringer to throw these characters through as it supports MW‘s efforts to help us understand Han and Qi’ra better.
Most Wanted joins Han and Qi’ra after they’ve already been part of the White Worms, the sewer gang we see them with in the beginning of Solo, and while it’s less than ideal place to be, they are both gunning for the position of Head, a top lieutenant for Lady Proxima with extra perks to sewer living. On their quest for the position, Han and Qi’ra are both sent on secretive missions by Proxima, only to find out they were both on the same mission, just covering different parts of a black market deal for stolen Imperial tech that goes sideways fast. On the run from several criminal organizations, Qi’ra and Han team up, and eventually rope in their Rodian White Worm friend, Tsuulo, as they make a made dash around the seedier parts of Corellia to survive long enough to clear their names. I found it a bit surprising the stakes for MW were a little bigger than Solo‘s, as the Imperial tech being sold could give one of the gangs in a struggle for Corellia a serious advantage and completely upend the status quo in the Corellian sector, while Solo‘s was more about a couple of people trying to make sure they finished a job for a criminal organization so they wouldn’t be killed for failure. The fact that the stakes were so large was a nice surprise, which MW seems to be a book full of, and how Carson manages to use it to help build the characterizations for Han and Qi’ra that directly set up points in Solo is subtle and effective, while she managed to make it believable they’ve gone through such an experience prior to Solo and still be part of the White Worm gang afterwards. As I mentioned earlier, there are parts missing from Han and Qi’ra’s past, like how Han ended up with the White Worms/what happened with his father briefly mentioned in the film and Qi’ra’s “rescue” from the Silo by Proxima, but those things weren’t needed to enjoy what Carson did with the story or the characters, and leaves it open to be explored at a later date.
In my review for Solo, I felt like Qi’ra’s ultimate choice in the film came out of nowhere, but subsequent rewatches of Emilia Clarke’s subtle performance and excellent think pieces have made me realize I was wrong. Qi’ra makes her choice in the film to help save Han, essentially sacrificing her chance at freedom because she knows she can keep Han alive and Maul at bay if she goes deeper into Crimson Dawn. Most Wanted does a lot of excellent leg work for Qi’ra’s characterization, and now I’ll always feel stupid for thinking her choice at the end of the film came out of nowhere. Rae Carson does a good job getting inside both Han and Qi’ra’s heads, but Qi’ra is the real star of the book, as her analytical mind, pragmatic viewpoint, quick thinking, and thirst for being in charge are infectious. The way she begins by plotting against Han and later Tsuulo, luring them into underestimating her, but then slowly, carefully opening herself up to trust them as their exploits get crazier by the hour, were some of the best parts of the novel for me. She has a similarly big choice to make at the end of MW as she did in Solo, which is part of the plot that nearly eclipses the scope/stakes of Solo, and the way Carson has Qi’ra explain her reasoning for turning down a job offer of exploring the galaxy to return to the sewers of the White Worms is a thing of mental gymnastics beauty, as all the time spent with Qi’ra makes it believable she’d make such an intriguing choice. I really hope Emilia Clarke gets to play Qi’ra again in some type of Solo sequel, or other film appearance, but if those plans never come to fruition, due to the film and this book, she’s a character well-worth visiting again, especially in the novel medium (and Carson could come along, as well!).
At first I kind of side-eyed Carson having Han thinking/saying lines in Most Wanted that he’ll use in the original trilogy and even The Force Awakens, albeit in different ways so they sound close to the original, though just quite aren’t, as I felt it was a narrative cheat for a Han characterization, but I really grew to like it and appreciate it as a way to show us the Han we all know has been hiding inside his whole life. In fact, Carson’s young Han is more of the young Han I imagined would be in Solo, as MW reveals when Han learned to want to reach for the stars, his reasoning for upgrading a ship but not maintaining its looks, and even his lack of desire for joining any type of cause. But it also focuses on the hidden heart of gold, blocked out by his wise-cracking exterior or feigned indifference, through his growing friendships with Qi’ra, Tsuulo, a strange alien in the sewers, and even a droid informant for the Droid Gotra, a droid-centric organization. There are also plenty of actions and choices Han takes that betrays his better nature, supporting Qi’ra’s view on Han being the good guy, as she told him on Savareen in Solo. The book doesn’t focus on making Han and Qi’ra into a couple, as seen in Solo, but rather starts them as enemies and builds a believable foundation of a friendship with hints of something more, a tasteful and nuanced approached I really appreciated. It’s very easy to tell how good they work together, Han being pure instinct and a bludgeon, Qi’ra a tactician and planner, and the push and pull between their methods as they grow to trust one another makes for a much better connection between the two than a will they/won’t they plot thread.
Here are a few other things:
- Carson’s descriptions of Corellia really feed into the grimy look and feel of the planet as seen in the movie, while she makes a stark contrast to Han and Qi’ra’s usual haunts and the little glitz and glamour they come up against. Also, her action sequences are easy to follow, with lots of moving parts and intriguing environments.
- The Droid Gotra criminal organization is a big factor in the proceedings of Most Wanted and we finally get to learn a bit about them, as they’ve been name dropped throughout canon since the Tarkin novel in 2014, but they’ve stayed nebulous until now. According to Tool, the Gotra is a collection of droid’s seeking emancipation, that will commit violent acts if they must to get what they want. Since the Lucasfilm Story Group is playing the long game, with the Gotra being mentioned in several comics since Tarkin, now most recently in Last Shot, and with L3-37, Lando’s droid partner, being one of the first radical droids, might they be leading to some type of droid revolt/droid rights event? Either way, the best part about the Gotra being in MW is how Han can never care enough to get their name.
- The Gotra, their mission and their methods, are similar to the Hardwire, a group of robots from the excellent comic series, Descender. I’d highly recommend checking that series out!
- The Imperial Engineer,”Jenra,” whose new shield technology was up for bid, is a character I hope is revisited soon, as the story of her defection from the Empire, and her plans afterwards, could be rife with intriguing tales.
- The cover is illustrated by Florian Nicolle.
Important backstory and characterizations for Qi’ra and Han to help their Solo: A Star Wars Story appearances are the true stars of Most Wanted.
+ Giving Qi’ra her much deserved due
+ Thee young Han Solo adventure
+ Fills in some gaps, but leaves plenty open
– A little predictable in parts
Ryan is Mynock Manor’s Head Butler. You can follow him on Twitter @BrushYourTeeth. You can follow the website @MynockManor.
ALSO BY RAE CARSON:
“The Red One” – From a Certain Point of View | “Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing” – Canto Bight
RELATED REVIEW:
Solo – A Star Wars Story (Movie) | Last Shot (Novel) | Lando – Double or Nothing (Comic Miniseries) | Beckett (Comic One-shot)
RECENT NOVEL REVIEWS:
The Last Jedi (by Chris)
Canto Bight
The Legends of Luke Skywalker
From a Certain Point of View
Phasma
Leia: Princess of Alderaan
Battlefront II: Inferno Squad