The Mandalorian Armor (Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars, Book 1)
by K.W. Jeter
from Spectra
This story, book 1 of the Bounty Hunter Wars trilogy, intercuts between the time just after Star Wars and events that take place during Return of the Jedi. It's an intricate tapestry of deceit and backstabbing villainy among those scum of the galaxy, the bounty hunters. Principal scum include: Prince Xizor, a Darth Vader wannabe and leader of the ultrasecret crime syndicate Black Sun; reptilian Cradossk, leader of the Bounty Hunters Guild; his son, Bossk, who makes Oedipus look like an underachiever; and finally Boba Fett--faceless, ruthless, and impossible to kill. Thought the Sarlacc consumed him in Return of the Jedi? Guess again.
This first novel only kicks off the trilogy's story, so while there is some action, there's also much talking and scheming, and the overall plot is only beginning to become clear by the book's end. Curiously, since everyone is so wretchedly evil, there's really no hero to root for--a marked contrast to the usually quite romantic Star Wars tales. This explains, perhaps, why K.W. Jeter was chosen to author the trilogy. Jeter, once Philip K. Dick's protégé, tends to avoid anything upbeat or uplifting.
Tony Award nominee Anthony Heald doesn't just read the book, he performs it, using countless different voices. He's backed up by music and sound effects that make The Mandalorian Armor into a full-fledged audio drama. Fans of Star Wars fiction and Boba Fett in particular will be pleased with this further exploration of Lucas's rich universe. Newcomers, though, might want to start with something more traditional. --Brooks Peck
He's the most feared and successful bounty hunter in the galaxy. He is Boba Fett, and even the most hardened criminals tremble at his name. Now he faces the deadliest challenge of his infamous career--an all-out war against his most dangerous enemies.
As the Rebellion gathers force, Prince Xizor proposes a cunning plan to the Emperor and Darth Vader: smash the power of the Bounty Hunters Guild by turning its members against each other. Only the strongest and most ruthless will survive, and they can be used against the Rebellion. It's a job for the fiercely independent Boba Fett, who jumps at the chance to destroy his rivals. But Fett soon realizes the game is rigged, as he finds himself the target of murderous factions, criminal conspiracies, and the evil at the Empire's dark heart. Boba Fett has always finished first. And in this game, anything less is death.
Hard Merchandise (Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars, Book 3)
by K.W. Jeter
from Spectra
Boba Fett fears only one enemy--the one he cannot see....
Feared and admired, respected and despised, Boba Fett enjoys a dubious reputation as the galaxy's most successful bounty hunter. Yet even a man like Boba Fett can have one too many enemies....
When Boba Fett stumbles across evidence implicating Prince Xizor in the murder of Luke Skywalker's aunt and uncle, Fett makes himself an enemy even he fears: the unknown mastermind behind a monstrous deception, who will kill to hide his tracks. Fett also finds himself in possession of an amnesiac young woman named Neelah, who may be the key to the mystery--or a decoy leading Fett into a murderous ambush. Fett's last hope is to run through the list of Xizor's hidden enemies. And since Xizor's hidden enemies are almost as legion as Fett's, the chance of survival is slim--even for someone as skilled and relentless as Boba Fett.
© 1999 Lucasfilm Ltd. and TM.  All rights reserved.  Used under authorization.
Slave Ship (Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars, Book 2)
by K.W. Jeter
from Spectra
"How many times, wondered Boba Fett, could he die--and yet not die? Someday it would be all over for him..."
Fett fans take note: Star Wars: Slave Ship features the (in)famous bounty hunter as he chases after the largest bounty ever offered--by tracking down renegade stormtrooper Trhin Voss'on't. The story, book 2 in The Bounty Hunter Wars series, jumps back and forth between the time of Star Wars: New Hope and Return of the Jedi in a series of convoluted plot twists that involve everyone from Emperor Palatine and Darth Vader to Zuckuss and Bossk. Written by well-known SF writer K.W. Jeter (whose first novel, Dr. Adder, was praised by Philip K. Dick as "stunning"), Star Wars: Slave Ship is in many ways a perfect serial novel--it raises as many new questions for the next installment as it solves from the previous one. Neelah's identity is finally revealed, but how did she end up in Jabba the Hutt's palace? You'll have to wait and see. --C.B. Delaney
Prince Xizor, servant of the Emperor and leader of the mysterious Black Sun organization, has set a trap for Boba Fett--by dangling the largest bounty ever offered for the capture of renegade stormtrooper Trhin Voss'on't. How will Boba Fett escape? Book 2 in The Bounty Hunter Wars series, Star Wars: Slave Ship is a good story made even better thanks to Tony Award-nominee Anthony Heald's performance. Heald captures the drama of the story with his wide range of voices--from the sniveling tones of the arachnoid assembler Kud'ar Mub'at to the softer sounds of Neelah, the dancing girl rescued from Jabba the Hutt's palace. The abridgment allows you to follow the major threads of the story, but misses some of the more convoluted twists--a reasonable trade, considering that the audiobook is enhanced by sound effects and John Williams's music from the Star Wars trilogy films. (Running time: 3 hours, 2 cassettes) --C.B. Delaney
He's both feared and admired, respected and despised.  Boba Fett is the galaxy's most successful bounty hunter.  Now he finds himself the hunted in the oldest game of all: survival of the fittest.
The once powerful Bounty Hunter's Guild has been shattered into warring factions.  Now the posting of an enormous bounty on a renegade Imperial stormtrooper is about to start a frenzy of murderous greed.
Hoping to fuel rumors of his death, Boba Fett abandons his ship, Slave I, and sets out to claim the prize.  Yet his every move leads him closer to a trap set by the cunning Prince Xizor.  Fett will die before becoming Xizor's pawn in the Emperor's war against the Rebels.  And he may have to.  For in order to gain his freedom he must outwit a sentient weapon that feeds on human spirits.  Then he must escape a galaxy of deadly enemies who want to make the rumors of his death a reality.
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