Review: Star Wars:Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber

Happy Star Wars (May the 4th) Day to you! Given that I will be celebrating Zombie Awareness month by showcasing a zombie title each weekend, I thought it fitting that the first one (that just happens to fall on Star Wars Day!) shall be a Star Wars zombie title. Yes…it does exist!

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: LucasBooks; 1 edition (October 13, 2009)
ISBN-10: 0345509625
Source: Library

The Purge is an Imperial prison barge filled with five hundred of the galaxy’s worst killers and thieves breaks down in a remote part of the galaxy, their options are limited. They notice an abandoned Star Destroyer in the distance. It appears as though a few life forms are still on board. Never-mind the fact that a ship of this magnitude would have never been left abandoned or the fact that it should have been filled with hundreds of life forms…

When a boarding party goes on a scavenging mission they quickly discover why the ship has been left to rot. Only have of the team returns to The Purge, bringing with them a horrific disease that leaves most of the inhabitants dead. If that isn’t bad enough, the small number of survivors are forced to deal with what happens next: the dead begin to rise and they are hungry!

Ok, so while Star Wars: Death Troopers isn’t the best Star Wars novel nor the best zombie novel, the fact that it is a culmination of the two is what makes this title pretty darned awesome. Throw in some classic Star Wars characters (Han Solo and Chewbacca) to save the day and you have a romping good read.

The intensity of the novel starts within the first few pages of the book. What is lacking in character development and writing skill is made up for with the truly outstanding action scenes that scatter through a majority of this title. I wouldn’t recommend this to a Star Wars aficionado looking for the next great Star Wars novel or to a zombie fan looking forward to a unique piece of zombie fiction. That said, if you are looking for a thrilling, slightly gory and unique spin on zombie fiction, this is the title for you. Recommended.