The novelization of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker isn't coming out until March 17, but early copies went on sale this past weekend in Chicago. And that means fans perused the pages (and took pictures, got to love that) to fill in some of the plot gaps the movie didn't have time for or bother with.
So...spoilers. That's our way of saying spoilers.
Are these new details welcome? Not really. Who's to say? You're probably going to have to read the whole book.
But, for one, the new book provides details on the film's Kylo Ren/Rey resolution. Namely when the two kiss. If you watch that clip again (see: click the link in the previous sentence) it sure looks like a romantic gesture. But as the book puts it, nope, that wasn't the case. At least this excerpt sure makes it sound like a platonic exchange:
"His heart was full as Rey reached for his face, let her fingers linger against his cheek. And then, wonder of wonders, she leaned forward and kissed him. A kiss of gratitude, acknowledgement of their connection, celebration that they'd found each other at last.
But then she drew back, concern on her face. She could feel him growing cold.
Ben smiled at her.
He had given Rey back to the galaxy. It wouldn't atone for the darkness he'd wrought, but it was what he could do."
The book also lends actual detail as to how Emperor Palpatine showed up in the movie, even though he previously fell to his death in Return of the Jedi. Not that that type of thing doesn't happen in sci-fi/action franchises but, well, no more watching fan theories on the subject for you.
As it turns out, Palpatine's a clone. The book spells that out in a paragraph that will surely make more sense if you read preceding paragraphs, but we can't give away the whole damn book:
"What could you give me?" Kylo asked. Emperor Palpatine lived, after a fashion, and Kylo could feel in his very bones that this clone body sheltered the Emperor's actual spirit. It was an imperfect vessel, though, unable to contain his immense power. It couldn't last much longer.
To have these new details revealed in a tie-in seems like something that could be considered controversial. At least if you're a big fan. Not surprisingly, these new deets alerted an always engaged base to share their opinions online.
Sounds like another reason not to read books.
