Friday Star Wars Double Feature: Women of the Galaxy and The Wildlife of Star Wars

I was inspired by two posts last week by two awesome bloggers. The Grimdragon wrote about Chuck Wendig’s Life Debt: Aftermath , and then The Grimdark Dad reviewed Rae Carson’s Star Wars: Most Wanted. After reading their posts, I felt like I needed a Star Wars fix myself. So, I hopped on my Hoopla app and found these two books. Both of these are oversized coffee table books, so I lost a little by reading on my app. Here are my thoughts:

Women of the Galaxy by Amy Ratcliff:

In alphabetical order, Ratcliff’s book features 75 women from the Star Wars universe. Each segment includes some original artwork of the character, a short bio, and thoughts from the actors who played the role, writers who created the character, and/ or people who have been inspired by the characters. I like that the women were chosen from all Star Wars mediums: TV shows, novels, films, comics. Obviously, the major stars, such as Leia, Ashoka, Mon Mothma, Jyn, and Padme, are on display and are given the royal treatment, but there are several other minor characters who I was happy to learn a little more about. Maz, Qi’Ra, Enfys, and Bariss.

I have one criticism. A canon vs EU issue. Mara Jade… One of my favorite characters in the SW universe is not on the list. I know it’s illegal in SW world these days, but a shame. All in all, a stunning book. I will search it out in a book store to see what it looks like in hardback format.

The Wildlife of Star Wars by Terryl Whitlatch and Bob Carrau:

A beautifully-drawn book that covers all the four-legged creatures of the galaxy. From Hoth to Endor to the three different ecosystems on Naboo, Whitlatch’s art is gorgeous. It reads like the best National Geographic or DK title, with explanations of each animal’s “mating habits, feeding patterns, herding instincts, and defensive mechanisms.” From the tauntauns on Hoth to the Rancor, it made me appreciate the great range of all the settings that have been a part of the Star Wars stories.

I would say that this is perhaps a title for more serious fans because at times, some of the animals started to blur together. It was very interesting, but it just didn’t get me like the characters’ stories do.