Star Wars authors explain the tricky bits of expanding canon romance
The story
Star Wars novelists Beth Revis, Alexander Freed, and John Jackson Miller walk us through writing Han and Leia, and canon couples from Andor and Rebels
From the source
Star Wars isn’t primarily known for its love stories . While the franchise has featured a few iconic ones over nearly 50 years, Star Wars romances rarely get much screen time, and they all seem to end in tragedy . But authors writing tie-in Star Wars novels have a lot more freedom to explore the parts of relationships that the movies and shows skim over. For example, R.A. Salvatore’s 2002 novel adaptation of Attack of the Clones delves into Padmé Amidala’s family’s thoughts about Anakin. And Claudia Gray’s 2016 novel Bloodline uncovers the ups and downs of Han and Leia’s marriage.
But how does an author expand on an established love story without angering the fandom? The sequel trilogy faced the wrath of passionate Han and Leia fans after The Force Awakens revealed that the couple had split up , and their relationship was on shaky ground. It was obvious they still loved each other, but that didn’t make their breakup popular. The movie did, however, highlight an unfortunate issue for a franchise with many different cooks in the kitchen: Every new addition will taste bad to some fans, even if it’s scrumptious to others.
With that in mind, it’s clear why Beth Revis felt some pressure about getting the chance to write the most iconic Star Wars couple of all time. Revis’ The Princess and the Scoundrel is a whirlwind 2022 romance novel following Han and Leia shortly after their wedding on Endor. The two embark on their honeymoon aboard the Halcyon Star Cruiser, but soon get caught up in yet another dangerous adventure across the stars.
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