Review: PHASMA by Delilah S. Dawson

Publisher Random House Audio
Length 12 hours 14 minutes 
Format audiobook
Published 2017
Series Star Wars
My Copy I bought it

My Review

This book breathes new life into Phasma, a character who had little more than a bit part on The Force Awakens. This is both a good and a bad thing. Now that Phasma has become a bona fide character in the Star Wars cannon, what role she is set to play in The Last Jedi is very important; given the momentum generated in this book to build her up as a ruthless career soldier with high ambitions and the Marvel comic (of which I’ve not read) it’s obvious there are plans to break the ‘Stormtrooper as cannon fodder’ typecast and have her develop into an important figure in the First Order along with Kylo Ren, Snoke and Armitage Hux.

While this book is all about Phasma and her adventurous origin story, it’s the use of characters such as Cardinal, Vi Moradi, Siv and Brendol Hux which make this book as good as it is. I thought the storytelling aspect was a great way to add lore to the legend that is Captain Phasma. The book largely centers around captured rebel spy Vie as she tells the story of how Phasma came to be a vital member of the First Order. Through an unconformable interrogation at the hands of Cardinal, a Stormtrooper decked out in red who is responsible for brainwashing and training the next generation of Stormtroopers, Vie spills all she knows when harshly asked to do so under sufferance. He sees Phasma as a threat and uses Vi as a means to end Phasma’s rise in the ranks.

The world building is exceptional; Parnassos, a world ravaged by nuclear disaster is as important as the characters themselves, listening to the audiobook this world really came to life thanks to great storytelling, pitch perfect narration (thanks January LaVoy) and some nifty special sound effects. 

There's also a nice easter egg for readers of the new cannon with one of my favorite characters in Rae Sloane (A New Dawn, Aftermath trilogy) being mentioned in a nice nod to continuity. 

My rating: 5/5 stars. Great all the way through and introduces a handful of characters I hope to see more of in either film/novels.