Star Wars: Death Troopers

Before I begin, I'd like to point out that there may be some MINOR SPOILERS in case if anyone's interested in actually reading this book. I'll avoid major plot twists, but tell as much as needed in order to paint a proper picture.

I love Star Wars. I grew up with Star Wars. It's hard to deny the cultural impact of the franchise, as it has reached literally every medium of entertainment that I can think of. Comics, TV shows, a friggin' Christmas special of all things, and books, to name a few. The books in particular helped inflate the lore and canon of the Star Wars universe, and prior to Disney rebooting Star Wars, there's a figurative galaxy's worth of stories from the Star Wars expanded universe, now called "Legends".

Don't get me wrong. Not all of the Legends universe is all fine and dandy. Yes, you'll get the occasional Shadows of the Empire and Knights of the Old Republic stories, but prior to Disney's reboot, there was a lot of junk in the canon. To save you all time and sanity, I won't get into that... Yet.

I will, however, give you my thoughts about one of the last expanded universe books published, and how bat-guano crazy and awesome it is at the same time. None other than Death Troopers.

It seems that, despite the overwhelming inflation of zombie video games, movies and books, even Star Wars had to have a piece of the action.

Published in 2009, Death Troopers takes place one year before A New Hope. An imperial prison barge is making its way through the galaxy. Suddenly, the engines fail, and a team is sent in to retrieve spare parts from a nearby derelict Star Destroyer. After returning, the crew and inmates begin to suffer from an illness, causing immense pain and swelling, killing victims within hours and bringing their corpses back to life. It's up to two brothers, an imperial officer, the ship's doctor, and a couple of familiar faces to figure out the origins of the disease, how to stop it, and how to escape with their lives.

During the beginning, it feels like your typical Star Wars story. Around halfway is where things get violent, disturbing, and even gruesome. I can say, at least in terms of a Star Wars book, the descriptions are some of the most detailed and horrific. I'm not going to lie, it gets downright sadistic at points. Not to mention, when I think of Star Wars, I don't really imagine a lot of blood. There is some blood in the movies, and a bit more in the video games, but this goes above and beyond that.

It has all the right twists and turns of a great thriller, the scares of a zombie flick, but still manages to capture some level of Star Wars charm with its characters and setting. While I originally scoffed at the idea of zombies in Star Wars, Death Troopers gives a lore-friendly explanation to how the disease works, and of its origins and creation. And trust me, once you get to know these characters, you'll want to see them make it out alive and in one piece.

In conclusion, as both a zombie story, and a Star Wars story, Death Troopers manages to stand out, and yet, feels very familiar. If you can get your hands on a copy, I say give it a read. But if you'd rather listen to it, there's an awesome audio book version presented by Audible. It has sounds, music, and wonderful narration. If you love Star Wars and you're looking for something spooky to read, do yourself a favor and give it a try. If you're a zombie fanatic and want to learn a bit about Star Wars... How have you NOT seen Star Wars?! Sheesh, you call yourself a nerd and have never seen any of the movies? Do yourself a favor and watch the movies right now! Don't worry, you don't have to see Phantom Menace. You will be forgiven if you skip that one.