The Brian Daley Han Solo trilogy is sort of a cross between Han Solo and Indiana Jones (and predating Jones yet.) The Lost Legacy involves a gunfighter searching for Solo, a lost treasure, some sentient water creatures and a bunch of war robots, oh, and a girl, what would it be with out the girl? It’s a pretty fine adventure.

Solo gets convinced to go on this treasure hunt by an old professor of his from the Imperial Academy. Xim’s treasure is fabled to be magnificent and Solo’s greed sensors over load at the idea so they’re off. They had to land practically on the opposite side of the planet to avoid detection and hike. During this hike they are being pursued by Galadro, the gunfighter, who’s vowed to kill Solo, presumably over money, I don’t remember just now if they ever said. They find the location of the treasure, contend with the war robots, get into the vault … hey, read it yourself!

This is one of the better sci fi adventures I’ve read. It’s definitely near the tippy top in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. Badure, Han’s old professor, is a convincing and admirable old adventurer. He’s what Indiana Jones will be when he grows up, if he grows up. Hasti, the love interest, is enough like Princess Leia that you can believe that Solo is attracted to a certain kind of woman, but enough not like her to be a believable, and other, character. The robots, Blue Max and Bollux, were entertaining enough that I debated naming my computer Blue Max. They are still near and dear to my heart. Skynx is a very neat alien. He’s kind of like a sentient caterpillar. He’s got hopes and dreams and many, many legs. He also has a deadline. He’s about to turn into a … I don’t know, a butterfly or something and he wants to see the universe before it’s too late.

Since this story isn’t set in the Empire, Daley was free to do pretty much whatever he wanted to and he did. He’s created a complete universe with better aliens than Lucas could manage. I can’t find any flaws with the plot and I looked. The descriptions are thorough without being overpowering. Han Solo even talks like himself which is really the hardest part of one of these things. And it even makes sense within the greater universe. There aren’t any embarrassing gaffs that don’t jive. Even if you don’t like tie-ins, you might like this. It’s good enough as a stand alone adventure that you might forget that it isn’t.


Recommended: Yes