Dark, Emotional and Utterly Captivating

I'm one of those Star Wars fans that craves SW stories to delve deeper into darker territory. I'm overjoyed to say that if that is something you crave too, then Phasma is for you!

Despite her being woefully underused in the films, this story provides a thorough backstory to the character that is full of detail, mystery and weight. This story genuinely makes Captain Phasma a much more complex and interesting character.

The story does take it's time, much of the plot being told surrounding a sluggish hike through a desolate wasteland. However, this is something I found to be particularly engaging. The general lack of environment forces character interactions and body language to the forefront of attention whilst also giving the reader just enough new revelations to keep them hooked throughout.

I found myself consistently inquisitive about Phasma's true motivations and was shocked multiple times by her actions. She is not a character you should expect to root for in this story, she remains a villain through and through. But she also shows some rare moments of humanity that make it difficult to lock down an overall opinion on her character, and that makes her story all the more enjoyable to read.

I loved the performance for the most part. I particularly enjoyed January's performance of Phasma herself, especially how she evolves her accent throughout the story so that she sounds exactly like she does in the films by the end. There were times I had to wonder if they actually got Gwendoline Christie to do Phasma's voice, it is seriously that good! Other characters are not performed as well, particularly male characters who are meant to be big, strong and gruff with deep voices. I still enjoyed the performance overall but every time one of these characters spoke, it broke my immersion in the story very slighty.

If you are like me and you enjoy the darker and bloodier side of Star Wars, then you should read this book. And if you are looking for an immersive way to experience this story, then you NEED to pick up this audiobook. Complete with authentic Star Wars sound effects and John Williams' incredible score.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Phasma and if I could forget it all and read it again I most certainly would!

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Amazing

I absolutely loved this fantastic book so interesting and I love the back story of captain phasma

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some other star wars story

was a bit lengthy and drifted a bit but generally was good ... characters were good .

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1 person found this helpful

Enjoyable backstory

Good to finally get some fleshed out story of Captain Phasma and not just the few minutes in the film

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Good beginning, lost myself at the end

I did love it but I struggled to keep up with it. Would like another book after phasma

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This was good. I liked it. it is Star Wars.

I think this story is about people who live in a place called space and they fly to worlds where there are all types of species and wonders. sometimes the lady reads the story and changes her voice to sound like all different people. I liked her. They also had sounds of lasers when the soldiers shooted each other. it was really good.

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I was entirely gripped from start to finish.

This is a brilliant book, it tells Obama's back story through other people - while also introducing new characters and dynamics. I was gripped from the moment the book started. The interactions between Vi and Cardinal, and how their 'relationship developed was by far the highlight of the book for me. I would recommend this to any Star Wars fan.

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Brilliant

A must for any star wars fan, absolutly amazing, the movies do not do her justice

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A good story well performed

Intetesting back story for the mysterious Captain Phasma. I felt the story dragged a bit in the middle but enjoyable overall. Nice subtle tie ins to previous canon books. Performance was good with the different characters well presented.

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A mixed bag

As Phasma's character wasn't given any development in TFA, I was excited to give this a listen.

Unfortunately the book itself isn't from Phasma's perspective, save for the last chapter. This isn't generally a deal breaker but considering the book is about her, she's very one-dimensional. You end up finishing the book with only a couple of the original questions you had about her answered.

The characterisation of the supporting characters is a lot better and I would happily read/listen to a sequel about Vi and Cardinal. I was a lot more invested in their stories!

As for the book overall, it's quite slow with long sections taken up by a journey through the vast deserts on Phasma's home planet. While there are interesting sections here, it's scuppered by poor pacing and some parts which could have been left out entirely.

Finally, and I know this is just subjective but I found the voice acting a bit cringy. Not to the point where I had to stop listening, but there were a few occasions when the way it was delivered was pretty immersion-breaking.

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