A new, but also very old, and yet never-seen-before love story is coming in the form of “The Princess and the Scoundrel” book!
The Star Wars universe is full of epic journeys, great battles and jaw-dropping moments, but it wouldn’t be complete with love stories. Despite not being that common, they’re still necessary for a franchise of this magnitude.
On February 14, 2022 “The Princess and the Scoundrel” was announced, a novel set to take place just after Return of the Jedi. The Empire is gone, Han and Leia finally get to be together, but that is something easier said than done, as they’ll have to worry about the ceremony, their honeymoon aboard a luxury cruiser and dealing with the imperial remnants. This new book’s release date is August 16, 2022.
From the moment they met in the imperial Cell Block, we all felt the chemistry between Star Wars’ iconic couple. Han was impulsive and cocky, Leia was smart, cold-headed and one of the leaders of the Rebel Alliance. After each movie, their feelings for each other became more apparent, peaking with that memorable line in Empire Strikes Back: “I love you. I know.”
Both understood there was no place for love until the Empire was defeated. Right after the second Death Star was destroyed, they confessed their feelings for each other and officially became a couple.
“The story begins on the forest moon of Endor, where Han proposes in the elation of the rebel victory against the Empire. After a ceremony at the site of the victory celebration at the end of the film, the newlyweds depart for a honeymoon aboard the Halcyon starcruiser, the luxury vessel at the heart of the new Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience at Disney World Resort. In their most desperate hour, with the war still raging but the Empire nearing its last gasp, the couple must outwit the Imperial remnants clinging to power.” – StarWars.com
Beth Revis, a New York Times bestselling author was in charge of writing this new book. Padmé, Ashoka and Jyn Erso are some of the characters she previously worked on. So, it’s safe to assume that she’s more than capable of writing strong female characters.
Del Rey Books (owned by Penguin Random House) are the publishers for this project. They have published novels for almost any big franchise in the industry; Halo, Spiderman, Batman, God of War and obviously, Star Wars.
“What makes the wedding scene my favorite is the ring ceremony. The rings become an important symbol throughout the book – I’m being vague on purpose so I don’t spoil anything, but I think it’s true of all societies, whether they be on Earth or in a galaxy far, far away, that ceremonies become a necessary component of culture. We ascribe value to specific moments, and we bring up importance to symbols from those moments, including wedding rings. A wedding is like a bright star in a person’s life — a fixed point of light. And that’s true for Han and Leia as well.” Revis mentioned.
Having a honeymoon while thinking about how to reorganize and rebuild the galaxy is an event that probably few of us thought happened. But it absolutely did and I know many fans have little to no interest in this kind of event, but this moment is something important in Leia and Han’s biography and I’m glad they address it. Afterall, their marriage had a big impact in the events that unfolded in the sequel trilogy.
It is also worth mentioning that one of this book’s intentions is to promote the new Star Wars: Galactic Battlecruiser. An upcoming Star Wars-themed luxury hotel located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In this immersive experience, you’ll be aboard The Halcyon (Yes, the same ship as the book). I wonder if there will be any references to the book and how the guests are going to interact with them.
Are you looking forward to knowing the most important wedding in Star Wars history?
Article Text: Adrián Oteiza
Editor: Vulkk / Alex
Images: Star Wars / Disney
