Star Wars: Crimson Climb Book Review
“Star Wars: Crimson Climb” gives Qi’ra the spotlight.
Written by E.K. Johnston (who previously penned “Ahsoka” and the Padme trilogy), “Star Wars: Crimson Climb” focuses on what happened to Qi’ra in between the time she was separated from Han and when they reconnected in “Solo: A Star Wars Story.” Although her time on Corellia with Lady Proxima is covered, you can probably surmise from the title that the bulk of the story involves how Qi’ra ended up with Crimson Dawn and working on under Dryden Vos. Without delving too heavily into spoilers, readers can expect to see Qi’ra dealing with a Crimson Dawn traitor, her self-made rise up the ranks to accrue power, her dynamic with Dryden, the tough decisions she has to make, other characters within the organization (like Eleera, Cerveteri and Trinia), and a certain Temple mission.
Ever since her introduction in “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” Star Wars fans have been eager to learn more about the mysterious former lover of Han Solo. There have been comic book stories involving Qi’ra and now the fan favorite character has her own novel with “Star Wars: Crimson Climb” 5 years after the release of ‘Solo’ (seems a bit late, no?).
‘Crimson’ is the type of book that is a rather frustrating read. For years fans have been left wondering about how Qi’ra became involved with Crimson Dawn. The story we get here feels rather underwhelming. Don’t get me wrong, there’s some good material here to be sure. Her scenes with Dryden Vos are always engaging, learning about the innerworkings of Crimson Dawn shed more light on the organization, and seeing how Qi’ra adjusts to a huge change in her life (all while trying to survive the dark and cruel world that she is in) proved to be compelling. What falls short is the story itself. Granted, Johnston may have been hamstrung by the story she could tell, but it felt like only part of a bigger story. You’re left wanting more about her and Dryden, tidbits about Darth Maul, and a bigger overall journey for the character. The book sort of ends just as Qi’ra begins to move on up in Crimson Dawn. Yes, there’s some little tidbits at other points in time (again, no spoilers), but it all feels like one big tease. With all of that said, perhaps one day we will get bigger Qi’ra stories or maybe even see the character in live-action form again.
Look for “Star Wars: Crimson Climb” to hit shelves October 10, 2023.
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