From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back - Book Review

The Empire Strikes Back has been called by many Star Wars fans the best episode of the entire saga. The second chapter of the original trilogy brought countless unforgettable moments that are still to this day embedded in pop culture—from the introduction of the greatest Jedi Master of all time, Yoda, to the shocking revelation of Luke Skywalker’s parentage through Darth Vader’s quote “I am your father.” Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the movie, Lucasfilm Publishing assembled an all-star group of forty storytellers with From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back—recreating iconic scenes through the eyes of their supporting characters, from unsung heroes to beloved protagonists.

Continuing the tradition of its predecessor by the same name, From a Certain Point of View has a unique structure compared to what you would expect from an anthology. Although each tale is standalone in and of itself, readers will experience a certain level of continuity from one to the next. Watching The Empire Strikes Back is definitely a prerequisite for the book, even tempting the readers to indulge in rewatching specific scenes in the movie, frame by frame to visually connect with each story—especially the ones with background characters (yes, Willrow Hood, a.k.a Ice Cream Man gets his own tale). However, having a new author for each story can break the flow of the book as a whole, which is something that needs to be considered when reading it as a novel.

Artist Chris Trevas’ black and white silhouette illustrations perfectly capture the essence of each story—a clever way to allow the readers to visually immortalize them.

The new perspectives in From a Certain Point of View often come from well known side characters, from the Wedge Antilles to Admiral Piett, but what makes this book shine is the points of view of the creatures. Readers will finally understand the struggles of the tauntauns as they are kept in captivity in the tight walls of Echo Base and the Space Slug’s search for love and togetherness.

From a Certain Point of View not only connects with The Empire Strikes Back, but also with events from other Star Wars sources—movies, TV shows, and the publishing world, both canon and Legends. For example, Rogue One’s “Rebellions are built on hope” quote deeply resonates with the Rebels’ fight against the Empire’s constant oppression during the Battle of Hoth seen in the movie and expanded in the book. Even L3-37 from Solo returns to the spotlight as part of the “Millennium Collective”. Readers will also spot mentions of events from The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels series. Characters and locations from other books and comics including but not limited to Rae Sloane, Jaxxon (thank you, Cavan Scott), and even the jungle planet of Haruun Kal (from Matthew Stover’s Shatterpoint Legends novel) are featured in From a Certain Point of View—bringing a true sense of a larger galaxy within the movie and the franchise as a whole.

The all-star author tales are paired with an equally spangled voice cast. Star Wars narrating legends Marc Thompson, Jonathan Davis, and January LaVoy are joined by Emily Woo Zeller (Doctor Aphra), Sean Elias-Reyes (Poe Dameron: Free Fall), Dion Graham, Soneela Nankani, Sam Witwer, and Jon Hamm—coming back to voice a Boba Fett story once again! Listening to the audiobook brings the experience closer to the movie, with each actor’s performance elevating the characters within the stories. In particular, Sean Elias-Reyes truly showcased his vocal versatility with bold characters such as Jaxxon—adding extra fun to the mix.

From a Certain Point of View is the best way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back. Forty acclaimed authors for forty amazing stories that will expand what you know from the movie like never before. Why don’t you give it a try? But as Yoda says “Do or do not. There is no try,” so grab your copy, whether it’s physical or audiobook format, and let us know about your favorite story by leaving a comment below or on our social media outlets.