Look, I'll be honest with you. I started this audiobook at 2 AM because I couldn't sleep, still annoyed about how Rise of Skywalker felt in theaters. You know that feeling when a movie rushes past emotional beats so fast you can't even process them? Yeah. I figured the novelization couldn't possibly make it worse, and maybe - just maybe - Rae Carson could salvage something from the wreckage.
She did. She actually did.
The Novelization That Should Have Been the Movie
Here's the thing about expanded editions: they're usually just padding. Extra scenes that got cut for good reason, filler dialogue, maybe some worldbuilding that sounds cool but adds nothing. This isn't that. Carson does something genuinely impressive here - she takes the breakneck pacing of the film and lets it breathe. General Leia's internal thoughts hit different when you're actually inside her head, processing her connection to Luke's Force ghost. The Emperor scenes that felt rushed on screen? Thompson's portrayal of Palpatine is genuinely unsettling. That crackling, ancient malevolence comes through in ways the movie never achieved.
I kept pausing to text my D&D group about specific passages. "Guys, THIS is what they should have done." The expanded content isn't just longer - it's actually filling in the emotional gaps that made the theatrical cut feel hollow.
Marc Thompson: The Good, The Bad, The Wookiee
Thompson is an Earphones Award winner for a reason. His Oscar Isaac impression for Poe? Spot-on. The cocky flyboy energy is there. C-3PO sounds exactly like Anthony Daniels should sound - fussy, anxious, somehow endearing. And Palpatine - I already mentioned this but it bears repeating - Thompson absolutely nails that ancient Sith Lord menace.
But then there's Han Solo.
Look, Harrison Ford's voice is iconic. Everyone knows it. And Thompson's attempt... it's not terrible, but it pulled me out of the moment. Same with the Wookiee sounds - they're just not quite right, and in a universe where we all know exactly what Chewie should sound like, that's noticeable. It's like when someone at your table tries to do a dwarf accent and it slowly morphs into Scottish-Irish-vaguely-Scandinavian. You appreciate the effort, but you're also kind of relieved when they stop.
The production itself is solid though. Background music, sound effects - it feels like you're listening to a Star Wars experience rather than just someone reading a book. That immersion factor is real. Court of Thorns and Roses (1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] nails that same full-cast production energy - sometimes the theatrical approach just works better than straight narration.
Why This Works Better Than the Film
I've been thinking about this a lot (instead of writing my thesis, obviously). The movie had maybe two hours to wrap up a nine-film saga. That's an impossible task. Carson gets nearly ten hours to do the same thing, and she uses that time wisely. Character motivations that felt paper-thin on screen suddenly make sense. The Resistance feels like an actual movement again, not just our heroes plus some extras.
The pacing can drag in spots - I'll admit I had to restart a few sections after taking breaks because I'd lost the thread. This isn't a casual background listen. Hanging Tree demands that same kind of focus when it gets into the magical theory - you zone out for thirty seconds and suddenly you're lost in the metaphysics. You need to pay attention, especially during the Force-heavy sequences where things get dense. But if you're the kind of person who reads Wookieepedia articles for fun (guilty), that density is a feature, not a bug.
Who Should Hyperspace Into This
If you walked out of Rise of Skywalker feeling unsatisfied - like something was missing but you couldn't quite articulate what - this audiobook is genuinely therapeutic. Carson provides the connective tissue the film desperately needed. Completionists who need to experience every piece of Star Wars content? This is one of the better expanded editions out there.
Skip it if you're looking for something to half-listen to while gaming or cleaning. The expanded content rewards attention, and Thompson's performance deserves focused listening. Also maybe skip if you're already at peace with the sequel trilogy - this might just reopen old wounds about what could have been.
Rolling a Natural 20 on Redemption
I finished this around 6 AM, way past when I should've been asleep. And you know what? I didn't regret it. Rae Carson did something I didn't think was possible - she made me care about Rise of Skywalker. Thompson's narration (Han Solo aside) elevated the material. The expanded scenes with Leia alone are worth the listen.
Is it perfect? No. Does it fix every problem with the movie? Absolutely not. But it's the version of this story that should have existed from the start. My D&D group would love this - it's got that same energy of a DM who actually wrote backstory for the NPCs instead of improvising everything.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have a thesis to continue ignoring.
