Death Troopers (Star Wars) (Star Wars - Legends)

by Joe Schreiber

Book Overview

The chilling tale of the undead in a galaxy far, far away. "This is the Star Wars of every horror fan's dreams--gory, funny, and brimming with a blood-spattered cast of swashbucklers and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345520815
• Release Date: October 2010
• Publisher: Random House Worlds
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.9" x 0.8" x 4.1"

Customer Reviews

My son enjoyed it

My son enjoyed a grittier at times scary story taking place in the Star Wars universe. He read through it extremely quick. We were disappointed that it wasn’t an accelerated reader book to test on but that has nothing to do with the contents of this great book.

I wish I could un-read the book!

I just finished Death Troopers. I wish I could un-read the book. I want to experience it again. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down. This book makes the Emperor, Vader, Maul and all the rest look like chumps. This book will make you feel sympathy for the Imperials. Fantastic story. Very fast paced. This book is a must for a Star Wars collection. Familiar surprise characters.

Breath of fresh air

Death Troopers is a lot of things in one, but primarily it is a breath of fresh air. I'm a 20 year old avid star wars reader, have a bookcase filled with all the star wars books, and enjoy reading the latest releases. Over the last few years, the newest books have been really disappointing. Especially the drawn out series like the new jedi order, legacy of the force, or even the commando series (what is 501st even about?!). Rather than let a good thing stay the way it was, things were just dragged along wayyyy too much to make money. Death Troopers on the other hand is set about 5 years before A New Hope, and as a horror book, is extremely entertaining and fast paced. I'm not into horror much myself, but I couldn't put the book down and finished it the same day I started it. No lightsabers, no jedi, no whizzing from planet to planet. Instead, just good old fashioned story telling, with the author painting an extremely vivid (and scary) picture. My only complaints would be that *SPOILER ALERT* the appearance of two of the most famous SW characters is kind of a catch 22 for the book. If you include them in the story, then you know they won't die. On the other hand, having those characters pop up in the middle of the book is a really nice surprise, and its just fun to read more about them in the pre Rebellion days. The other issue is that the book is a little short, so you don't get much bang for your buck. Although, this is a really minor complaint because I'd take quality over quantity any day of the week (hello Karen Traviss and your 500+ page monstrosity in 501st). So, to wrap things up. I'd definitely recommend the book. Its fast paced, exciting, and fresh. I can see it very easily be converted to a screen script, although there is obviously no chance of the book ever making the silver screen. Still, one can dream...

Why all the hate?

I have no idea where the hate is coming from in regards to Star Wars Death Troopers. I'm a huge Star Wars fan and also a fan of all things Zombies. So, I may be a bit one sided here, but I loved the book. It was a nice, quick read and the introducion of the two characters from the movies was a great surprise and didn't bother me at all. Is it a great book that can stand on its own merits? No, but it's still a great, and original, addition to the Star Wars universe. There were many white knuckle moments and I began caring for the characters more and more as the story went on. Just turn your brain off, dim the lights, and enjoy. It's not a classic book, more of a popcorn book, but still a great read.

Creepy Fun in the Star Wars Universe

I became aware of this book through the video trailers fans had done for it. I am a huge zombie genre fan and a Star wars junkie. This was just too good to be true. If you enjoy Star Wars, Horror, or Zombie fiction you will enjoy this book. The pacing is fast and addictive. The characters are realistic and approachable. If there is anything to complain about this book is that it is fast paced. For the first time I sat down and read a book from cover to cover in one sitting. I haven't owned the book for 24 hours and have finished the book. Part of me is curious to see if there will be another book following the characters that survive the events in the book or if the infection will become a series of books. That the concepts from the book are being brought into the Galaxies MMO and the fan adoption of the ideas makes me hopeful that this is not the last we will see of this type of book in the Star Wars Universe.

No Jedi to Save You Here

No lightsabers. No Jedi. Nothing but dark space and the things shambling after you on a derelict Star Destroyer. They are hungry and dead, but not mindless. They are growing. Evolving. Planning...and very, very angry. They are swarming everywhere, and they have one desire - to feed. Blasters just aren't going to work, this time. Zombies are the current "big thing", inspiring everything from literary romance/horror "mash-ups" (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies), to film satire (the upcoming Zombieland, starring Woody Harrelson). Given this, it was only a matter of time before zombies took on the next frontier, infecting a place "far, far away". In many ways the result is a standard "zombie novel". Joe Schreiber writes it well, however, invoking a cold dread new to the Star Wars universe. There are genuinely creepy moments here, almost verging on those found in the original Alien, and Schreiber's spin on zombification is fresh enough. Existence aboard the Imperial prison barge Purge is miserable. Jammed-packed with the most ruthless killers in the galaxy, crewed by a spineless figurehead, with a warden's guard led by a near sociopathic commander, woe to the simple smuggler or con artist confined within its depths. For Kale and Trig Longo - smugglers whose father has just died in the barge infirmary - existence is just another word for "living hell". For sympathetic, fed-up and disgusted infirmary medic Zahara Cody, it's simply another example of the Empire's unending cruelty. When Purge drops out of hyperspace because of an unknown malfunction and encounters a dead Star Destroyer, "living hell" takes on new meaning. A disease floats through the cruiser's stale air, and infects within minutes. Those infected die within hours and soon after rise to feed on the few survivors. Solitary confinement and even death soon becomes preferable to what lies in wait, deep in the dark holds of the dead Star Destroyer, drifting in space. No lightsabers, Jedi, or mystical Force, and certainly...no new hope.