Space Throne

Space Throne is such a fun book to read that I kept thinking this would have made a great addition to the expansive Star Wars universe. There are weird, freaky, and strange aliens just as diverse as you could imagine and are as morally questionable like any hutt (Jabba the Hutt), quirky and odd gungans (Jar-Jar Binks), and miniature wookies and yuzzums among a few.

There’s literary quite a cadre of alien races Corley has created in the world of Space Throne that I personally feel the author should hire an artist to create a bestiary of sorts to do his creations some justice.

Other than a clearly-defined plot, an expansive world that has plenty of potential for future novels if Corley ever decides to write more novels (it would be a waste of creativity and time if he doesn’t), characters who aren’t only witty and remain in a state of stasis but maintain an excellent sense of momentum as the plot unwinds, and villains both daunting and hilarious, Space Throne is a book you’d really want to pick up if you’re in the mood for a Star Wars story.

Corley also recently stated in a blog post how much he enjoyed Solo and, to be honest, I did as well. The fact that Space Throne can be used as resource material for a future Solo-inspired movie is something I would advise people not to overlook, especially given the strong Star Wars atmosphere you can experience within these pages.

Naturally, there are dozens of other novels that could be used as future Star Wars resource material or even influence, but as of this moment of writing, Space Throne is the one that’s currently at the forefront of my thoughts.

The protagonist, Parr, is similar to Han Solo and yet completely his own person as well. I’m only making the comparison because it’s clearly obvious every author out there is now leaning towards the trend of creating a protagonist who is either an uncaring, cold, calculating, and yet intriguing bastard (Jorg Ancrath from Mark Lawrence’s Broken Empire Trilogy) whom, if done right, provides endless entertainment, or a simple clone copy of a cheeky Ethan Hunt badass (Mission Impossible).

Space Throne is as much a tribute to the Star Wars franchise (specifically Solo) but also stands firmly on its own feet as a science fiction novel you’d regret not reading. It’s fun, charming, and as energetic and at times emotional when it needs to be.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an eARC of this book in return for a fair and honest review.

This book follows Parr as he is trying to go home and reclaim his throne. One slight problem.... he faked his death so he could live a life free of the responsibilities of the crown. Parr has been living as a free-spirited space trader for a while now and on his journey back home he encounters a tenacious bounty hunter (foe), an old loud-but-lovable pirate (friend mostly), a mysterious woman with a secret past (friend?), and a pirate king (definitely foe).

My thoughts:

Soooo this book was interesting but nothing amazing. We have a decent cast of characters, although they could use some more substance in my opinion. The world building was pretty basic for a scifi adventure story and I enjoyed it.

My main disappointment with the book is that the main character is both dumb and arrogant, but still everything works out for him. I understand he was raised as nobility, but you'd think living as a regular person would give him some humility. But no, he literally faked his own death to get away from the crown, but now thinks he can stroll back in everyone will welcome him with open arms. There are several other instances where he is extremely dumb and outrageously lucky and those make it difficult to believe the main characters are ever truly in danger.

He somewhat reminds me of Peter Quill from Guardians of the Galaxy.

Again, thanks to NetGalley for providing me an eARC of this book.

Space Throne does not take itself too seriously. Brain Corley dispenses with any laborious world building and drops the reader into a universe familiar to anyone who has played space-based video games stretching back to the early days of such titles as Elite and Freelancer.

Apart from our quintessentially roguish hero Parr, most of the characters we meet along the way have the feel of video game Non-Player Characters (NPCs). They arrive and depart quickly having served their purpose of moving Parr on to the next set-piece action sequence.

Space Throne ultimately delivers on its goals of being a fun, space action adventure story. Does it contain enough memorable moments or originality for me to actually recommend it? Well no, not really.

I am grateful to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in return for a fair and honest review.

Ridiculously fun. The world presented in Space Throne is so vibrant and full of life that flows effortlessly on the page, the characters and story so aesthetically pleasing and easy to imagine; an expansive universe is the backdrop for characters with sharp voices and complete characterizations. My issue with scifi is typically in the worldbuilding, with the lore either being over- or under-explained, but Brian Corley really finds the perfect balance in immersing you into the world without it feeling cluttered. While humorous at times, Corley doesn't skimp on the action and development, just brushing against the politics of the universe in a sly and efficient manner. I don't even find myself bothered by the sort-of-instalove between Parr and Ren because the progression of their relationship feels wholly natural instead of forced.

While it works well as a standalone, it's rich with potential to be expanded into a series, either with Parr at the helm or another character guiding us through the universe; I wouldn't mind either.

My very good run of excellent books sent to me for review from NetGalley continues.
I was a bit worried about how a new space comedy series would perform by comparison with the wonderful Space Rogues and Space Team series. The start of this book added to those worries with too many new star systems, lifeforms, food names, etc but gradually it got better and better. It’s not as knockdown funny as the previously mentioned series but the plot and writing style are gripping. Another reviewer didn’t like the central character but I found him quite bearable as he developed. The violence was low key and the sex content very mild indeed. Any swearing (mostly from one character) used obscure space speak eg you swattle-tailed purple pondiver. The book abruptly ends at a key plot moment promising a next instalment. Really looking forward to it.