‘Poe Dameron: Free Fall’ Review [Spoiler-Free]

Author:

Alex Segura

Publisher:

Disney Lucasfilm Press

Release Date:

August 4th, 2020

Publisher’s Summary:

"It's been a few years since Poe's mother passed away, and Poe and his father, who was a pilot for the Rebellion, have had more and more trouble connecting. Not sure what he wants to do with his life, teenage Poe runs away from home to find adventure, and to figure out what kind of man he is meant to be."

First Impressions:

What seemed to be throwaway dialogue in ‘The Rise of Skywalker’, Poe Dameron’s past life of being a Spice Runner is actually very interesting. This book deals with Poe dabbling into grey areas of morality, which was my favorite aspect of the book. If you’re a fan of Poe Dameron, this book is definitely for you, ‘Poe Dameron: Free Fall’ really felt like a case study of the character.

Story Review:

This story is a total joyride, no pun intended, I did expect this book to be somewhat interesting but there’s so many elements at play that makes it far from boring and dull. One of the things that kept tugging at my heart was the relationship between Poe and Kes Dameron. It totally reminded me of Kylo’s and Han’s relationship. After Poe’s mother, Shara Bey, passes away, their relationship is fractured; spawning off conflicts. I applaud that this story certainly does not have easy choices. Most of the choices in the book are not presented in a “black and white” way; that in the end it’s pretty hard to choose a correct path or a “right way”.

A key figure to this story was Zorii Bliss, Spice Runner of Kijimi. Zorii was a total badass in this story and she really was the one moving Poe along and showing him the ropes. The relationship that Poe and Zorii have is one of the highlights of this story, and to say the least, it’s heartbreaking. There’s a couple of twists that happen in this story that actually left me with my mouth wide open, as silly as it sounds. A lot of questions are raised towards the middle of the story but it’s all definitively answered by the end.

What Can Fans Take Away:

While ‘Free Fall’ offers a look at what Poe Dameron was doing when he was 16, there are definitely other things fans can enjoy about this book. There’s quite a bit of lore about the New Republic and the way the new government plays into the story is riveting. There’s also a bit of exploration of the Spice Runners of Kijimi organization and other spice running organizations such as the Pykes. How has the rise of the New Republic affected underworld criminal organizations? Overall ‘Free Fall’ has lore scattered here and there that fans will definitely enjoy.

Verdict:

‘Poe Dameron: Free Fall’ is really a coming of age story. Seeing Poe go from someone without something to fight for to finding something to fight for was such a payoff. While this book is a joyride, it is loaded with great characters and a well written story and it answers a lot of the questions raised about Poe in ‘The Rise of Skywalker’.

Rating:

9.5/10

Thank you to Disney Lucasfilm Press for providing me with an advanced review copy!

‘Poe Dameron: Free Fall’ is now available.

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