I’ll admit I had my doubts about this novel at first. I’m not exactly the biggest fan of the zombie genre, so I went in expecting nothing more than your classic reanimated corpses and that was it. What a macabre surprise I was in for by the time I finished it.
The author did an incredible job with this one; the narrative moves at a brisk pace, describing the siege unleashed by a mysterious virus aboard a prison barge. The horror escalates slowly, eventually spiraling into a bloody odyssey of corpses and formless monstrosities, something that left me both fascinated and grinning from ear to ear. Perhaps it’s because the franchise is so often pigeonholed these days as "for kids", but I was genuinely struck by how visceral and creative the author could be (my favorite scene involves a mountain made of various severed limbs). He truly maximized the potential of the Star Wars universe to craft terrifying and conceptually inventive zombies. (I’ll definitely be checking out the prequel, Red Harvest, at some point.) On that same note, I have to praise the decision to set a big part of the story aboard a Star Destroyer. Its colossal scale creates a perfect, labyrinthine environment, where the constant feeling of being watched becomes almost oppressive. As a fan of ships, I loved every second spent exploring its corridors.
Of course, the story also relies heavily on its characters. Dr. Zahara Cody was an engaging lead, delightfully sharp, with a pragmatic streak that held up well amidst the surrounding chaos (I’d love to see more stories featuring doctors as protagonists). Jareth Sartoris was a fantastic antagonist for the most part, utterly despicable and a total jerk; I found myself wanting to see him fall just as much as I wanted to keep following his journey. My only gripe with him is his ending, which feels a bit out of character. The Longo brothers work well, too; I don´t find them particularly remarkable, but it´s nice to have the perspective of prisoners who are easy to empathize with, culminating in some truly emotional moments.
As for Han and Chewie... their presence didn't bother me much. I’d be lying if I said they didn't diffuse the tension in certain moments, but at the same time, I can't but fall over by the charisma they bring to every scene and interaction with the protagonists; Han, in particular, has a unique "horror hero" vibe that reminded me of Ash Williams. In that regard, I also have to give credit to Sean Kenin, the audiobook narrator; it is thanks to him that those sections feel natural within the rest of the story, not to mention the distinct voice he gives each character.
My only reservation is that the beginning is a bit slow. I liked some moments, but as I said, I wasn't really interested in following the brothers story. Oh, and I certainly don't see much reason for this to take place a year before Ep IV. I feel like Han would be the first to brag about this...
In conclusion, it is a grotesquely beautiful and enjoyable horror novel. Please, disney, let the authors get this creative in more horror stories!
