Canto Bight by Saladin Ahmed

Canto Bight by Saladin Ahmed
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Soon to be seen in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, welcome to the casino city of Canto Bight. A place where exotic aliens, captivating creatures, and other would-be high rollers are willing to risk everything to make their fortunes. Set across one fateful evening, these four original novellas explore the deception and danger of the lavish casino city.

An honest salesman meets a career criminal as a dream vacation turns into the worst nightmare imaginable in a story by Saladin Ahmed.

Dreams and schemes collide when a deal over a priceless bottle of wine becomes a struggle for survival as told by Mira Grant.

Old habits die hard when a servant is forced into the mad struggle for power among Canto Bight’s elite in a tale by Rae Carson.

A deadbeat gambler has one last chance to turn his luck around, all he has to do is survive one wild night as told by John Jackson Miller.


This book was released in the build up to the release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi in cinemas. The book itself, contains four short stories that all focus in and round the casino world of Canto Bight. The four different stories are written by four authors, they are, Saladin Ahmed, Rae Carson, Mira Grant and John Jackson Miller.

I really enjoyed this book. I was very disappointed by Canto Bight in the film, as I had read this book before watching The Last Jedi. The world is far more exciting and vibrant than the film displayed. My favourite story within this collection of short stories comes from Saladin Ahmed and the story titled: Rules of the Game. The story focuses on two characters, one, a salesman from a distant planet who won a work competition, called Kedpin. The second character is a bounty hunter called Anglang, who is in Canto Bight on business. Their stories cross and it is a very amusing and up lifting narrative, where two very different people find similarities in each other and ultimately a friendship.

The remaining stories are also very good, expanding on the description of Canto Bight and giving an excellent feel for the place. Canto Bight is a vibrant and excellent addition to the Star Wars Galaxy and the book is definitely worth a read if you are a fan of the new canon.

I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.