Welcome back Lanzothians!
I got a wee bit of progress done on my writing, and read four books this week. I was a bit engrossed with some Star Wars as usual, and I read a highly anticipated sci-fi novel (especially because of the new film this year), Project Hail Mary.
Below is a new ranking system that I’ve created this week. I’m going to re-rate every book I’ve listed on my annual book tracker, and any book in addition to it that I can remember reading from before I began the tracker back in 2020. All the books in this week’s review are based on this new ranking system.
1–10 Book Ranking System
Apex Tier
• 10.0 — Legendary
A rare, era-defining work that reshapes how stories are told or understood. Its influence, emotional power, and craftsmanship elevate it beyond even masterpiece status. Awarded only in the most exceptional cases.
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9-Level (Elite Tier)
• 9.5–9.9 — Masterpiece
Rare, luminous work with deep craft and lasting emotional and intellectual impact. A lifelong recommendation.
• 9.0–9.4 — Exceptional
Extraordinary execution with only the faintest imperfections; stands near the summit.
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8-Level (Excellence Tier)
• 8.5–8.9 — Outstanding
Highly memorable and skillfully constructed; confidently recommend to most readers.
• 8.0–8.4 — Excellent
Strong writing and thematic presence, though not fully transcendent.
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7-Level (Strong Tier)
• 7.5–7.9 — Distinctly Strong
Consistently engaging and well-crafted, with flashes of brilliance.
• 7.0–7.4 — Solidly Strong
Enjoyable and clearly above average; well-executed but missing some depth or cohesion.
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6-Level (Worthwhile Tier)
• 6.5–6.9 — Compelling but Limited
Competent and engaging storytelling with notable strengths, though missing depth or cohesion.
• 6.0–6.4 — Competent & Worthwhile
Worth reading, though limited in emotional, thematic, or stylistic power; delivers its premise but remains predictable.
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5-Level (Uneven Tier)
• 5.5–5.9 — Promising but Uneven
Meaningful strengths present, though inconsistencies are noticeable.
• 5.0–5.4 — Fundamentally Uneven
Balanced positives and negatives; neither strongly recommend nor discourage.
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4-Level (Strained Tier)
• 4.5–4.9 — Strained Execution
Frequent issues in pacing, characterization, or prose, though a few redeeming moments remain.
• 4.0–4.4 — Structurally Strained
Execution problems regularly interfere with engagement and immersion.
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3-Level (Poor Tier)
• 3.5–3.9 — Misguided but Attempting
Occasional bright spots and visible intent, but execution falters.
• 3.0–3.4 — Clear Misfire
Difficult to stay invested; major flaws in craft, structure, or narrative.
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2-Level (Very Poor Tier)
• 2.5–2.9 — Partially Collapsed
Only isolated strengths present, buried under heavy flaws.
• 2.0–2.4 — Critically Collapsed
Substantial failure in structure, narrative, style, or conceptual design.
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1-Level (Failure Tier)
• 1.5–1.9 — Nearly Unreadable
Fundamental storytelling elements function only intermittently; readability and coherence are severely impaired.
• 1.0–1.4 — Structurally Nonviable
Minimal narrative effectiveness, preventing clarity, continuity, and meaningful engagement.
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Conversion to a 5-Star System for Goodreads, Audible, and other platforms.
• 9–10 → 5 Stars
• 7–8 → 4 Stars
• 5–6 → 3 Stars
• 3–4 → 2 Stars
• 1–2 → 1 Star
Of Writing
Okay, some progress. Not much, but some. With some resistance (I won’t sugarcoat it) to writing rather han working on another task while listening to an audiobook, I sat my a** down and reread the mere 12 pages I’ve got written for Mortimer. Yes, I’ve only written 12 pages since mid-November. Don’t judge, I’m getting there. I felt the need to reread what I’ve written so that I can confindelty continue the story with the elements I’ve begun with and the writing style needed for an 1800s Gothic Fiction novel. Then I wrote about a paragraph before I got side-tracked again. Listen, I said I’m getting there. I promise I’ll write more this coming week. (Pinky promise).
Of Reading
#19 Star Wars: Tatooine Ghost (abridged) by Troy Denning
This is definitely a top Star Wars Legends book for me. Before I dive in, allow me to address the “abridged” part of the title. Many of Star Wars Legends books on Audible that were recorded in the early 2000s were released as abridged versions; short, cut down versions, if you’re unaware. I try not to read these abridged versions often as they leave out a majority of the book most of the time. I’ve read maybe five to ten abridged Star Wars books over the years. Many of them are cut from 10-15 average hour lengths down to 3 hours and up to 6 hours, depending on the book. This one in particular was just over 6 hours, so about half of the actual book, give or take. Plus, I already had it in my Audible library, so I said “what the heck, why not?”
Despite the length, I did very much enjoy this story. Another abridged title I enjoyed (that happened to only be 3 hours long) was Shadows of the Empire, and was so excited when Audible released the unabridged version last year, it’s definitely one of my favorite Star Wars books. This one could possibly be up there once I read the full text, though I’m not sure if this will get an unabridged version anytime soon, so I may need to just opt for the physical copy.
The story is about Han and Leia traveling to Tatooine to retrieve (or rather, buy) a painting that has a chip, for lack of better words, embedded within it, important for the New Republic to not let it get into the hands of Imperials. We get a lot of “fan service” in this novel by Leia experiencing Force visions of the past, and coming across things on Tatooine that happened during The Phantom Menace storyline. With a holo of Anakin as a kid winning the Boonta Eve Podrace, and her meeting the adult Kitster Banai, Anakin’s best friend from his slave days. With Leia’s Force visions and seeing her experience her biological father’s past, and learning he was a slave hits hard for a fan like me. I’m going to rate it a 7.4 for its lack of depth and cohesion as an abridged audiobook. This rating will like shoot up over an 8 or 8.5 once I read the full version.
#20 Star Wars: Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn
I’m a Thrawn “guy”, through and through. Not Empire, just Thrawn as the character. He’s one of my favorite Star Wars characters ever written. I’ve read every Thrawn books written by Timothy Zahn, with the exception of Survivor’s Quest. That’s about 12 if 13 books by Zahn that involve the character of the Thrawn. If you don’t know, he’s like the SW equivalent of Sherlock Holmes, but military. He’s most well known from his days as a Grand Admiral in the Imperial Navy of the Empire – and the only non-human officer of the xenophobic Navy. He’s just good. Well, he’s ruthless, but often times for the right reasons. I don’t condone some of the actions he takes within the Empire’s military, especially while hunting Rebels, but a lot of the things he does, especially in the modern trilogies are in accordance with his beliefs of solving problems, eliminating issues, and only taking life as a very last resort.
In the 90s trilogy within the Legends continuity, of which Heir to the Empire is the first, our Thrawn is a lot more ruthless that later depicted. He’s more willing to do what is necessary for the Empire rather than for goodness sake, though he still employs those values, just less often – at least, that how I interpret it. This is my third reread of this trilogy, and per my book tracker, I somehow tend to read this trilogy every other year in the month of February. Never planned, just a coincidence. And to be honest, the only reason I’m reading it again this time around is because it was literally next in the chronology after Tatooine Ghost. I was inspired during the former book to pick up this trilogy again because of one or two references to either Thrawn or the Chimaera (his Star Destoryer), and its Captain, Gilad Pellaeon.
This story focuses on several parties, another difference from the modern trilogies, where he we see POVs from Thrawn and Pellaeon together, Han and Leia (and Chewie and C-3PO), and Luke and Mara Jade and our stud smuggler Talon Karrde (whereas most of the POV in the modern trilogies are just of Thrawn and his internal thoughts, which is a very intriguing take on the character). Thrawn is after a cloacking device and cloning cylinders on Weyland, guarded by the Force-wielding clone, Joruus C’Baoth, a clone of a deceased Jedi Master. Thrawn offers to retrieve the twins of Leia and Han (who’ve yet to be born) for the C’Baoth to train. It’s just a really well written story that includes all of the characters we love, and introducing a few new ones, including the character of Thrawn. I’ve rated this book an 8.6 for its skillfully constructed and engaging story with its memorable premise and introduction of amazing characters, with a novel that basically kicked off the Expanded Universe back in the 90s. Next up, rereading Dark Force Rising, book two in this trilogy.
#21 Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
I’ve finally gotten around to finishing this one. I started it with my partner back in November, and have only been listening to the audiobook with her, and even then, only sparingly. I decided to just go ahead and knock it out since I was so close to finishing it. I did enjoy this book, though maybe not as much as Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood (yes, I’ve read the first in that trilogy too, leave me be). Let’s see how much I can talk about it, with having only intermittently read it. The story features a captured, enslaved world-renowned assassin, Celaena Sardothien, taken by the Crown Prince Dorian Haviliard of Adarlan to his father’s glass kingdom, and forced to compete in against other assassin’s to become the King’s personal assassin for the next six years, which then would ensure her freedom.
She forms bonds between both Prince Dorian, and the Captain of the Guard, Chaol Westfall, leading us to wonder who she will end up with. Are you team Dorian or team Chaol? (I guess it doesn’t matter if you’ve read the whole series). I was a bit underwhelmed by the premise, or rather, the competition doesn’t happen until the last 50-100 pages of the book, and I’m not exaggerating. I was waiting for them to happen throughout the entire story. Instead, assassins who are supposed to compete against her are being killed off left and right by a mysterious force (no spoilers here). That’s like 2/3 of the book, and my main gripe with it. It probably took me so long because I just wasn’t invested enough. I am, however, invested enough to continue reading the series, and have been told it gets so much better and more exciting, so I’m looking forward to it, I’ll probably read it over the course of this year. I’m going to rate it a solid 7.2, hopefully the next books in the series will be more exciting and redeem it.
#22 Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
This. Book. Just – wow. I am gobsmacked. Utterly entranced. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but I really, really enjoyed this one. I’ve been looking forward to reading this for a long time, especially after reading The Martian nearly 5 years ago! I need to reread that book soon, it is truly one of my favorite science fiction stories. I love Weir’s writing, it’s witty and hilarious and so, so well-researched. With a past in STEM, Weir has seeded knowledge to pull off well-detailed stories like this one. He incorporates AND explains in readable terms science and space terminology, how things within physics and biology work, and how these fictional characters solve real problems using real solutions. Yes, there’s a bit of fiction in this, but it’s just so good.
Dr. Ryland Grace, a middle school science teacher, is whisked off against his will by Eva Stratt, the head of the Project Hail Mary, with granted powers from the UN to do whatever is necessary to save Earth from the growing problem of Astrophage. Astrophage, in simple terms, is like an amoeba that is resistant to heat, breeds on Venus, and travels to live on the Sun. The problem is that it covers the sun, essentially affecting climate change by a lot. In the story, they predict something like 19 years for before humanity dies off from starvation, due to the climate affecting the growth rate of crops. Grace is now helping Stratt to launch an interstellar mission to find a solution to the Astrophage problem. And again, against his will (possible spoiler), he is sent deep into space aboard the Hail Mary.
I seriously enjoy Weir’s writing style and did not expect for this to be an emotional read, especially 2/3 of the way in, Grace meets a friend in space whom he forms an emotional attachment and bond with (that’s all I’ll say about that), and the way he attempts to save Earth in the end it truly moving. I know this book got a little backlash, and with it being so similar to how The Martian was written; and that the story “just didn’t do it” for some people. I don’t care. I loved it. This is stellar science fiction (pun intended). We get several things that are essential to science fiction, or otherwise enhance the genre: hard sc-fi descriptions on how technology and physics and other scientific properties work, space travel, and (ugh, spoilers) aliens. It almost perfect. It doesn’t quite hit the “Legendary” 10/10 rating on my personal rating system, but I’ve given it a whopping 9.6 for its illuminating storyline, with a possible lasting emotional impact, at least for me. I was engaged 100% of the time, and would always recommend this to readers of science fiction, or even readers who want to enter the genre. Though, I might recommend The Martian first.
I’m currently reading several books: The Library: A Fragile History; Star Wars: Dark Force Rising; Star Wars: Lando Calrissian and the Flamewind of Oseon; and The Count of Monte Cristo (350 pages in).
If you’d like to read any of my reviews from this year so far, I have them all linked below:
Science Fiction: Saturn’s Monsters; The Time Machine; Starship Troopers; The Martian Chronicles; Project Hail Mary
Dystopian: Anthem
Fantasy: Prince Caspian; Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (full-cast production); Throne of Glass
Star Wars: The Mask of Fear; X-Wing: Wraith Squadron; X-Wing: Iron Fist; Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter; X-Wing: Solo Command; The Courtship of Princess Leia; Star Wars: Tatooine Ghost; Star Wars: Heir to the Empire
Contemporary: They Both Die at the End
Literary Classic: The Metamorphosis; Moby-Dick; Wuthering Heights; Treasure Island
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Thank you for reading along. My hope is to inspire more and more readers across various genres. Farewell, and see you again next weekend!
T.P. Lanzarotto
15 February 2026
T.P. Lanzarotto 
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