Last week I read E. K. Jonston's Crimson Climb, and I adored every second of it! I loved getting to dive into Qi'ra backstory and inner thoughts throughout this previously missing chapter of her life. Rae Carson's Most Wanted showed us her time in the White Worms, and comics (and now Outlaws) are taking us through her journey after Solo: A Star Wars Story, but her early days in Crimson Dawn were previously a mystery, one she was very vague about throughout Solo. Getting to crack into the book and learn about how she survived and the "terrible things" she's done that she alludes to in the movie was really interesting. I not only enjoyed getting to dive into Qi'ra's mindset here, but she also has an engaging supporting cast that always keep you guessing here as well.
Spoilers ahead for Crimson Climb by E. K. Johnston!
I loved Qi'ra's arc in this book. We see the hardened mindset that we know she has to keep her alive- it comes off as selfish, certainly, but it saves her skin a number of times and makes her a feared adversary, but we also see the softer parts of her we know from Solo. The books up immediately after the prologue of Solo, and she has mixed emotions about Han. She's happy he escaped, but angry and bitter that she was stuck behind. Over time throughout the book, though, we see those feelings change. For a while, she seems to get more angry with him, begins to mentally pick apart her memories of him to point out where he is foolish and fails. But after a while, that fades, and she begins to reminisce much more fondly about Han Solo. She appreciates his perspective, how his outlandish plans seem to work out, how she admires his buried heart of gold. And despire everything, she always makes sure to keep the lucky dice safe. It was a change you could expect, based on their interactions in Solo, but it was still really fun to read.
It was interesting to see some of the "terrible things" she's done as well. While Qi'ra is never bloodthirsty or even goes out of her way to very vengeful, many of the actions she seems to refer to with this are more inaction. She lets someone who betrayed her die instead of sticking her neck out for them, she lets someone she know is innocent be executed so she doesn't look suspicious, innocent people are sometimes collateral to her teams missions, she acts as an executioner for Dryden Vos on occassion, and so on. I loved this take on what she's done versus actions that are more purposefully cruel, because it really matches up with who she is in Solo.
I've written about this before, but Qi'ra in Solo is still overall someone who cares about others (seen in her agreement to help Enfys Nest), but she's fully in survival mode with this "game" she's in, versus Han who is trying to win. She has a tainted past that she's fearful of- not because she's completely guilt-ridden, she did what she had to to survive, but because she feels she's in too deep to get out now. In her mind, Han can't know what she's done, because his "heart of gold" means he won't understand and will see her differently. She's trapped in this life, and while it brings her some contentment, she knows Han is too kind to thrive like she has, and she wants to save him from that.
It is interesting to see how Qi'ra seems more satisfied in Crimson Dawn here than she does in Solo. It makes sense- Crimson Dawn gives her luxuries and power she only could have dreamed of before, and she fought tooth and nail and survived many starvations and beatings to find her way there- she's definitely earned it. It's also all new, versus it being a bit more tired by the time the movie rolls around. But in Solo, Qi'ra reunites with Han and is reminded of the goodness, joy and even love that the galaxy has for her. While she had always remembered Han, seeing him again is a stark reminder of what could have been, and that changes everything for her.
Crimson Climb gives me exactly what I wanted from the book- learning what I didn't know already about Qi'ra, re-affirming my interpretations of her from Solo but also added layers to her that I hadn't previously thought of. If you're a Qi'ra fan or a Solo fan like me, it is well worth the read, and it's an enjoyable one at that.
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