Moving Target

Much like Smuggler's Run, this story features an older Leia relating a story back to another party prior to the events in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In this case, it's a droid attempting to work on a memoir about one of the most important members of the rebellion. Set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, Princess Leia is the last surviving member of House Organa, and finds herself learning to embrace a new role as a rebellion leader with her diplomat status. Leia comes up with an ambitious plan to help the Rebel Alliance gain some time to bolster their forces and regroup, a plan that requires her to make tough choices as her role expands.

Love, duty, and loyalty play a big role in Leia's adventure. She finds herself conflicted between putting the needs of the people over the needs of the galaxy. She clings to her feelings for Han who has been captured by Jabba the Hutt while trying to reassure herself that she must think of the galaxy first. She comes to term with the fact that duty and loyalty don't always mean being loyal to a cause over the people who support you--no matter if it is for the greater good. This is a fast story that any fan can enjoy. It balances the action with the story quite well, and I continue to be impressed that these books don't treat their target age group as if they can't understand the complexity of the morals and ideas these books are presenting. Also, this book includes a more direct Easter egg for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

This is the second book I've listened to with Jennifer LaVoy as the narrator. The first was also a Star Wars story set in the same canon (The Perfect Weapon). Even though I wasn't bowled over by that story, I praised LaVoy's excellent narration, and I have to do the same here. I can be particular about listening to books with characters from movies or games because it can be difficult for me to associate someone else's voice with a character from a visual media. However, LaVoy's narration has been my favorite so far of these books.