STar Wars universeBy Adam Bray, Kerrie Dougherty, Cole Horton and Michael Kogge

DK Publishing, out now

A fascinating collection of Star Wars trivia – with a sneak peek ahead to the world of The Force Awakens…

Hiding in the small print on the back page is the information that this book draws “mostly” from the Extended Universe, or, as we’re now meant to call it, the Legends universe, those parts of the saga that are now no longer deemed canonical by the powers that be at Lucasfilm. It means that there’s a possibility that some of what we are told in here may prove to be contradicted by the multiple new films coming our way over the next few years – but let’s be honest, Doctor Who and Star Trek fans have dealt with that sort of thing without any problems for decades. Maybe it’ll make for a cool moment in Episode XI for character A to do action B that page X of this book says is impossible… but at that point, story can and should win!

All of which is a slightly longwinded way of saying, don’t be surprised to learn things in here which aren’t covered in the six movies and the two TV series – characters and situations from the comics, novels, games etc. turn up. Each spread is filled with facts – from a “Really?!” box to “Fast Facts”, “Tell me more!” and a very brief “Peek behind the scenes” – accompanied by multiple illustrations and dialogue quotes. You certainly come away with a plethora of trivia, your appetite whetted for the next batch of films…

Verdict: A very comprehensive guide to the current state of the universe… 9/10

Paul Simpson