Catalyst Part 3

[colls]

Welcome to our first of THREE check-in and discussion posts for our Book of the Month.

This month’s book is Catalyst by James Luceno
Part 3: Dead Reckoning (ch. 23-28)

Catalyst Part 3

1. Was the Erso's escape from Corusaunt as expected?

2. Which back story here did you find the most compelling? Galen, Krennic, Lyra, Has, Saw, Tarkin, someone else?

3. How do you feel this works as a companion piece to the movie?

4. Anything else?



FYI - There's no need to answer all (or any) of the questions above - they're just talking points to get us started. Informal chatter is more than welcome! In-person book clubs often veer off topic, it's okay if we do as well. :)

Comments

[colls]

1. Even though I'd read this before, I'd forgotten that Has made himself a decoy and Saw actually took the Erso's off planet.

2. I really enjoyed the insights into Lyra and her ability to manage her family despite her husband's obsession with Kyber. I felt Galen was meant to be sympathetic here, and in the movie, but he allowed his work to cloud his judgement. I'm thankful he came to his senses.

3. I think it fits is very well, more than some other SW books have with other films. I'm looking forward to rewatching the movie next weekend.

4. Some of Lyra's internal dialogue struck me as poignant - not just for the Erso's situation, but overall life these days.
"How did people convince themselves to act against their nature; to do something entirely our of keeping with who the imagined themselves to be? How did they rationalize lying, betrayal? By claiming situational ethics, or belief that they were protecting someone they loved from pain, from hurt?

[brokenmnemonic]

1. The Erso's escape felt a little... anticlimatic? I was surprised that Has acted as the decoy so that Saw could rescue them, but I'm also not sure what I was expecting. Perhaps something more along the lines of a hot pursuit? Although there's a certain something about Krennic's plans being foiled because of heavy traffic.

2. I think I found Lyra's story more compelling than the others, although I was interested to learn more about Tarkin. Tarkin's always been the evil guy who died in A New Hope for me - learning about his history with the Empire and the Republic before it was satisfying. I think this book made me somewhat annoyed that Lyra died so early into Rogue One, because I think she would've been an interesting character to see more of in future stories. I'm also pondering the fact that Jyn is, in age terms, a contemporary of Luke and Leia - something I'd not considered before.

3. I think this is an efficient companion piece for the movie, albeit not the most exciting one. The thing I liked most about it was seeing the transition between the Republic and the Empire, and what people thought about the Jedi and the end of the Jedi Order.

4. One of the things that struck me reading this is that following Galen's capture in Rogue One, he must've spent a decade or more working for Krennic. It feels like the Empire made a lot of progress in building the Death Star in this novel, which I'm still pondering.

[colls]

Is perhaps the anti-climatic bit because the story is completed by the movie, making this book technically incomplete?