Star Wars: Phasma - Delilah S. Dawson

I was about done with the Star Wars books by the time I got to Phasma, a title that seemed to exist purely to sell a toy. That, coupled with it being a bridge to The Last Jedi film, arguably the worst in the series by quite a margin, meant I was strongly prejudiced before I even turned the first page. My apprehensions, whilst not ungrounded, were soon relieved when I realised that the writer at least was halfway competent. The book tells the origin tale of Captain Phasma of the First Order, a fierce stormtrooper commander who began her life as a primitive warrior on the nuked planet Parnassos. Before we get to this history, we are subjected to a somewhat contrived frame story featuring a Resistance fighter being captured and tortured by an enemy and rival of Phasma's. Rather incredulously, I soon realised that Delilah S. Dawson was mimicking the Scheherazade device, whereby a character delays death by distracting their oppressors with a staggered story. Whilst initially scoffing the hackneyed gimmick, I soon found myself being drawn in.

Perhaps the greatest strength of Phasma is that it does not read like a conventional Star Wars novel. The tale is a personal one of survival and revenge, always the most engaging of topics, and most of the action takes place planetside, as opposed to the usual sweeping space battles and planet hopping of the genre. As such, Dawson is able to fully realise the dead world of Parnassos, and as far as Star Wars planets go, it's one of the most interesting. The small clan of warriors who cling to the treacherous cliffs, scraping together a meagre existence, have no idea what happened to the planet, or if there is life and resources further inland. The wasteland depicted has been seen before in post apocalyptic fantasies like Mad Max, but it's one that does not grow stale. After all, it's a fate we like to predict for our own world in the grip of climate change. Phasma's trek to locate and salvage a fallen ship takes up the core of the narrative, and it makes for an exciting read. Unfortunately, the last section following the closure of the pilot's tale and the resultant confrontation outstays its welcome. Due to the existence of The Last Jedi, we are never in any doubt as to the fates of the characters.

Rating: 4/5