Phasma: Star Wars

Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi

By: Delilah S. Dawson

Narrated by: January LaVoy

Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

Discover Captain Phasma's mysterious history in this "Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi" novel.

One of the most cunning and merciless officers of the First Order, Captain Phasma commands the favor of her superiors, the respect of her peers, and the terror of her enemies. But for all her renown, Phasma remains as virtually unknown as the impassive expression on her gleaming chrome helmet. Now, an adversary is bent on unearthing her mysterious origins - and exposing a secret she guards as zealously and ruthlessly as she serves her masters.

Deep inside the Battlecruiser Absolution, a captured Resistance spy endures brutal interrogation at the hands of a crimson-armored stormtrooper - Cardinal. But the information he desires has nothing to do with the Resistance or its covert operations against the First Order.

What the mysterious stormtrooper wants is Phasma's past - and with it whatever long-buried scandal, treachery, or private demons he can wield against the hated rival who threatens his own power and privilege in the ranks of the First Order. His prisoner has what Cardinal so desperately seeks, but she won't surrender it easily. As she wages a painstaking war of wills with her captor, bargaining for her life in exchange for every precious revelation, the spellbinding chronicle of the inscrutable Phasma unfolds. But this knowledge may prove more than just dangerous once Cardinal possesses it - and once his adversary unleashes the full measure of her fury.

©2017 Delilah S. Dawson (P)2017 Random House Audio

Not the best but not terrible

What would have made Phasma: Star Wars better?

If the focus had actually been phasma the story may have improved. Characters were in no way fleshed out and the story left more questions than it supplied answers.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

disappointment mostly. not a great one

worth it for January LaVoy's amazing performance

Nice to get some backstory on the mysterious Captain Phasma, just barely glimpsed in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The format chosen for the book was interesting, in that we see Phasma through the eyes of others, rather than her own. This maintains a distance between the reader and Phasma that I have to believe was purposeful, allowing her to maintain an air of mystery and menace.

The author did a very good job of depicting the planet where most of the action took place, and giving the inhabitants their own culture and way of life adapted to the harsh conditions. The planet was very nearly a character in its own right!

The book fulfilled its raison d'etre, that being to whet my appetite for the upcoming film Star Trek: The Last Jedi.

[I listened to this as an audio book read by January LaVoy. She did such an amazing job with the voices that I actually had to check more than once to be sure that she was the only reader. I honestly thought several different people were reading, that's how good she was!]

A pleasant surprise

I'm not a huge fan of the new star wars "Canon" storyline, so I was pretty wary when getting this audiobook. As the title of this review says though, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. It does a great job with giving Phasma a fleshed out backstory and it gives us a reason to actually care about her character at all. January Levoy once again does a great job voice acting all of the characters, and the author was able to get some really good character development here. My only real gripe about this audio book is that the music that plays in the background here and there can come out of nowhere and just feel out of place in some scenes.

Character Portrait of Phasma

This was an unusual entry in the Canon books of Star Wars. After ace Resistance spy Vi Moradi is captured, her captor wants information on First Order Captain Phasma. Phasma's brutal survival gives insight into a character that was too briefly used in the films. The insights into First Order training are interesting, but the book spends most of its time recounting Phasma's journey to save marooned First Order General Brendol Hux. That section drags a bit and there are lots of deadly fights. The contrast between the planet suffering from a cataclysmic event and how the First Order operates is the closest this book comes to more familiar Star Wars territory. Once the story picks up, events towards the end draw to an exciting climax, though I would've liked to see No returning for Siv and saving Cardinal. I read this book using immersion reading while listening to the audio book. January LaVoy has a beautiful, expressive voice that flows.

Phasma is fantastic!

This is a great story on the beginnings of Phasma. They should make this into a film to be honest. After listening to her story and how she fought from scratch on her home planet makes me want to see it on the big screen. To be honest, after listening to this and re-watching the new movies, you will think they made a joke out of her character and it deserves more justice. Phasma is a badass. One of my favorite Star Wars Audiobooks up there with Thrawn and Plagieus.

Just Ok Book

Overall: found it to be slow and with a boring story that just doesn’t have a Star Wars feel to it.
Performance was great as expected from Audible voice actors. Background music and soundtrack was only thing that reminiscent of a galaxy far far away.

Story just didn’t have a Star Wars feel to it. Could’ve been any ol sci fi novel. Most of the interesting storyline came from a character that the book should’ve been named after.

Good background story, weak repercussions

First off: Very good narration, great listen. The story overall was interesting and nice to hear the origins of Phasma. She is a difficult character still, however, when we barely know her at all from The Force Awakens, and this story doesn't seem to really lead into anything else afterwards. Audible 20 Review Sweepstakes Entry

more than just a good backstory.

This was a very good book and will easily fit in the new Star Wars cannon.

Another amazing addition

I really enjoyed this story! The reader was great, and I was amazed by the story line for Phasma! It was fun how it was written as well, a story with storytelling in it. I loved it! I hope some of the characters make reappearances.

Great story and great narrator

January was great. She can do a male voice better than most female narrators. A