Phasma - Book Review

Phasma was released in 2017 and written by Delilah S. Dawson as part of the Journey to Star Wars: The Last Jedi publishing endeavor. This book tells the backstory of a minor character we didn’t know we needed. There’s twists, turns and loads of character development that will leave readers on the edge of their seats.

When Phasma made her first appearance in 2015’s The Force Awakens most fans were likely happy enough with a shiny new villain to root against (or for). With a cold, calculating manner—and a strong female to boot—Phasma positioned herself as a Stormtrooper captain not to be messed with. Plus that chrome armor was just so cool! Cut to two years later, fans were gifted with a standalone novel that promised to delve deeper into the history of this mysterious figure.

Phasma is told from the perspective of Resistance spy Vi Moradi as she finds herself aboard the First Order Star Destroyer Absolution in “current day”. Crimson armor-clad Captain Cardinal views Captain Phasma as a threat to all he has worked for so he interrogates Vi secretly to glean as much dirt on Phasma as he can to bring her down. Phasma’s epic history is recounted as Vi is subjected to Cardinal’s means of information extraction—and what a history it is.

Without getting to spoiler-y, Phasma was reared on the planet Parnassos which has suffered a mysterious event leaving life there barely livable. Her story is rife with family issues, power struggles and violence. Readers quickly learn that much of who Phasma is has been there from the start. She’s part of a clan called the Scyre who have struggled amidst the planet’s harsh living conditions; her innate leadership abilities combined with her icy personality are a recipe for a character as cold as chrome. As the book progresses and Phasma continues to make hard (and often violent) decisions, she quickly rises to the top of the food chain. One day the Scyre come across Brendol Hux and a few Stormtroopers, their ship having recently crashed on the planet. Hux realizes the First Order’s recruitment potential on Parnassos and identifies Phasma as a strong leader. The two of them form a bond that continues as they trek back to his downed ship.

Dawson does a superb job of having Vi “tell” us this tale—she expertly peels back layers and continuously builds momentum throughout the novel, making for a thrilling, page-turning read. Reminiscent of the island from Lost, Parnassos is a character in and of itself. It’s steeped in mystery and readers learn of its storied past as the characters do. This is Star Wars at its action/adventure best! If Lucasfilm is ever looking for source material to adapt into a series or film, Phasma deserves consideration. The storytelling is so visual, it would be amazing to see some of it in live action. Again, to avoid spoilers, a lot goes down both in the Parnassos and on the Absolution—with exhilarating and satisfying results.

For as fun and exciting as this book is, it is also steeped in humanity. From Captain Cardinal’s jealousy to Phasma’s ambition, there is much to relate to here. As great storytelling often does, Phasma holds up a mirror and asks us to look at ourselves: would we make similar decisions as these characters would if we found ourselves in their place? We likely will never be facing deadly desert beetles or climbing up the ranks of an evil space organization (such a shame!), but what does choosing between right and wrong look like in our daily lives?

A solid addition to the Star Wars canon, Phasma is one wild hyperspace ride not to be missed.