Q&A with author Beth Revis; Star Wars books of September

One of the coolest things about loving Star Wars books is discovering talented authors with backlogs in the fantasy and sci-fi genres. Often, reading their non-Star Wars work confirms why they were picked to tell their Star Wars story or take on a beloved character in the galaxy. Beth Revis is one of those authors for me. She’s also an incredibly cool and kind person who would love to spend hours geeking out with you over feisty heroines like Leia and Ada Lamarr — the star of her newest sci-fi novel.

I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing Full Speed to a Crash Landing, the first in Beth’s new Chaotic Orbits novella series. The first book packs a sweet and sour punch, and was just what I’ve been looking for in a not-too-futuristic sci-fi story. Thanks to coordination with the publicity team at Daw Books, I got to ask Beth some questions about Full Speed to a Crash Landing, her busy year in books, and some Star Wars influences in her new series.

Full Speed to a Crash Landing is a heist set in space, with River Song faces off against Sherlock vibes. It stars Ada Lamarr, a down-on-her-luck space scavenger who happens to cross paths with Rian White, a man on a mission for the government. And they both happen to be eyeing the same crashed ship for loot. And nothing at all is as it seems.

My publishing calendar is pretty chock-full! I’m working next on copy edits for the last book of the series edits for a secret YA fantasy, prepping for the launch of the second book (and the launches of The Fate of Magic and Someone Who Loves You and two self-published titles). But the thing I’m drafting right now is a book that’s due on Halloween and will be out (probably) late next year, and all I can say is that it’s a fantasy for adults.

This story was founded in spite! I was at a convention when someone was incredibly rude to me and implied I couldn’t write something short, fun, romantic, and in space. I had to smile politely at him since I was at the con in a professional capacity, but I turned my anger into inspiration, went straight back to my hotel room at the end of the day, and had the first few chapters written before I went to bed. By the time I flew home, I had almost half of the book done. I wrote it all in a fit of rage, and I am thrilled that it’s paid off!

There were other inspirations–I have a line in the early chapters that Star Wars fans will definitely recognize, another nod to Firefly, and I named my characters very purposefully. Ada Lamarr is named for Ada Lovelace and Hedy Lamarr, both brilliant women who were often misjudged and dismissed for their gender and beauty. And Rian White is named for Rian Johnson and his character, Benoit Blanc (Blanc, of course, meaning “white”) — I drew a lot of inspiration from Glass Onion.

I think it helped that, before I put a single word to the page, I knew that Ada Lamarr had a secret. I absolutely thought a lot about what her secret was and how it would shape everything in the story, and because of that, all the other elements fell into place. Ada’s motivation was all wrapped up in the secret, and that stemmed everything else…although I’m afraid I can’t actually explain further without spoiling it!

DOCTOR APHRA IS THE BESSSSSSTTTTTTTTT. She is 100% my favorite comic character, and I am THRILLED you saw the connection! After I read my first Doctor Aphra, I remember just sitting there and thinking, “Damn, I wish I’d written that.” I definitely started from a place of hoping to do a tiny ounce of justice to that brilliant character! Of course, since Star Wars is my favorite film series, there are a few other little nods in there, and one direct line. But the experience of working with Star Wars, especially with Han and Leia, and their bantering and mix of action and romance, was a high influence. Ada is my Han; Rian is my Leia.

I do have to switch my brain a bit to go from one to the other! It’s just so tempting to put technology to solve a character’s problems in a fantasy book, or insert some magic into sci-fi. I do work on lots of projects at a time, but I don’t work on multiple different projects in a day. I tend to break up my week, allotting different days to different projects as they come. Juggling this much work is something I won’t complain about — I’ve had dry spells, too, and much prefer being busy — but I have had to adapt my process and plan a LOT.

What I most love is that Ada says the inside stuff out loud. I think it’s because of her origination — because I couldn’t tell the man who insulted me exactly what I thought of him and his opinions, because I felt a professional obligation to be polite for the convention organizers and for my publishers. But Ada has no such compunction. She has nothing to lose. She says the thoughts out loud, and it was so much fun to actually write a character who sees zero limitations on herself.

• Full Speed to a Crash Landing (Chaotic Orbits #2) — out now

• The Fate of Magic (sequel to Night of the Witch co-written with Sarah Raasch) — October 1

• How to Steal a Galaxy (Chaotic Orbits #2) — December 3

• Star Wars: Someone Who Love You — December 3

September is stacked with new Star Wars releases — from the final issues of the yearslong Marvel Star Wars and Darth Vader comics to the next young adult book in The High Republic Phase 3. There’s also an Acolyte one-shot and a new High Republic Adventures mini series.

Here are all the new Star Wars releases this month.

• Young Jedi Adventures: Lys and the Snowy Mountain Rescue (Little Golden Book)

• Star Wars (2020) Vol. 8: The Sith and the Skywalker

• Young Jedi Adventures: The Harvest Feast (World of Reading 1)

• Legends Epic Collection: The Rebellion Vol. 6

• Queen’s Series: Padme Paperback Box Set

• Darth Vader (2020) Vol. 9: Rise of the Schism Imperial

Just a couple more months until another wave (the 11th one) of Essential Legends Collection reprints arrives. There are more than 30 Essential Legends books already out there, so it’s once again time to make room on your (and my) shelf.

Nov. 5

• The Force Unleashed

• The Han Solo Adventures

• X-Wing: Solo Command

We also recently got a first look at the covers for the 12th wave of Essential Legends Collection reprints, which release in February.

Feb. 4, 2025

Which ones are you most excited for? How far behind are you on collecting these? (I’m putting these and the last wave on my Christmas wish list) Share your thoughts in the comments!

Star Wars Outlaws is finally here! If you preordered the game, you’ve probably had it for a few days at least. Still, today is the official release date.

I am not great at video games unless they’re cozy sims and/or made for children. So, I will likely watch my husband play this Star Wars story for a while. If you’ve played Outlaws, convince me it’s not as hard as it seems!

But to celebrate, I’m resharing my reading guide for Star Wars Outlaws — full of new canon and Legends books set around the same time as the game. These stories all focus on the criminal underbelly of the galaxy, which is what Star Wars Outlaws is all about.

As you’re playing, if you think of any other books or comics with Outlaws settings, characters, or vibes, please let me know!

• Shadows of the Empire (Legends): Set between ESB and ROTJ, the novel follows the daring mission to free Han Solo from his carbonite prison while Black Sun underlord Xizor conspires with Darth Vader to target Luke Skywalker.

• Books with Qi’ra: With Crimson Dawn confirmed for Star Wars Outlaws, it’s all but guaranteed we’ll see Qi’ra in the game. A fan favorite since her debut in Solo: A Star Wars Story, Qi’ra’s journey to the top of the crime syndicate is chronicled in Most Wanted (set right before Solo) and Crimson Climb (includes the opening scenes of Solo and what happens after).

• War of the Bounty Hunters (comics): The end of The Empire Strikes Back saw bounty hunter Boba Fett land his biggest prize — Han solo frozen in carbonite. His next move is bringing the smuggler to Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine and collecting the huge bounty. But there are other bounty hunters and a certain someone from Han’s past looking to claim the scoundrel.

• Crimson Reign (comics): The sequel to War of the Bounty Hunters, this limited series follows Qi’ra and her Crimson Dawn executing bold power moves against the Empire and the Rebellion. Features Ochi of Bestoon (The Rise of Skywalker) and fellow killer Deathstick.

• Hidden Empire (comics): The conclusion to the unofficial trilogy, Hidden Empire follows Qi’ra and her final efforts to take down the Empire — including partnering with the Knights of Ren and using an ancient Dark Side weapon.

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