Black Spire was an enjoyable book. I could not put it down. I am a huge Star Wars fan and had read plenty of books that were horrible. This was not. I have not read a lot of sequel novels as it really isn’t my favorite timeline, but I would pick this book up again in a heartbeat and would recommend this book to anyone.
The book is a standalone, but I recommend reading the book Phasma written by the same author. The understanding of the relationship and PTSD between Vi Moradi and Archex would make the book richer. The best thing is, the background story between Vi and Archex is explained throughout the book. I enjoyed both characters and would look forward to reading more about them. I well-liked the other characters in this book but felt they were a little underdeveloped. I loved Kriki and would love to see more of her. The villain Wulfgar Kath was disappointing for me. I found his cruelty the only interesting part of his character. But his personality was lacking.
The world-building in Star Wars never have disappointed me. This one did its job. I enjoyed the creepiness of the cavern and the mystery behind the creators or earlier settlers. The gang boss and the “you scratch my back and I will think about scratching yours” reminded me of some legends books. What was great was there was no feeling of information dump. The descriptions enhanced the story than dragging it, and that was why I immersed myself in this book.
When I asked for this book and received it for Christmas, I knew ahead of time there was a theme park. I did not think about any of it while reading. I was too immersed in the world. I have read many other reviews stating this was nothing but an advertisement for Disney’s theme park Galaxy’s Edge. I can see the points of what they are talking about, but I do not think things in that perspective. Yes, it is a tie into the theme park, there is no doubt. My question would be, if there was not a theme park, and they wrote the book in the same way, would you still think of it as an advertisement for something? Pointing out a specific cantina name and drink for me did not differ from reading a legends book doing the same. This is world-building. It helped bring this outpost to life.
I would recommend this book to anyone, Star Wars fan or not. It was a great read and am looking forward to more Vi.
I would give this book a 4/5
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