Review: 'Lando's Luck' by Justina Ireland was a perfect story for my daughter

As a girl dad and father, it gets harder and harder to find new and exciting things to introduce my young daughter to. It's also hard to find things that we can either watch or listen to that she will enjoy without me wanting to rip my eyes out and plug my ears with cotton. As I have begun to introduce her to a galaxy far, far away, one thing we both enjoyed was Justina Ireland's novel, Lando's Luck.

The middle-grade novel, set before Solo: A Star Wars Story, tells one of the many adventures in which Lando Calrissian and his droid, L3-37, find themselves. I chose to listen to the audiobook with my daughter, which is narrated by voice actress Soneela Nankani.

The story takes place one year before the events of Solo. It follows Lando and L3 as they attempt to survive getting arrested and in trouble involving a smuggling operation working with a young princess. The story is from the perspective of the young Princess Rinetta Gan, who attempts to both double cross and then work with Lando and L3.

The entire story and audiobook add a sense of adventure but also humor. Throughout his character arc during the franchise, Lando always has the sense to do the right thing despite his scoundrel tendencies. His decisions to help the young princess and people give adults and fans of the original trilogy a sense of nostalgia.

The story also expands L3 and where the character is coming from. After her role in Solo, many fans wanted more, and this book adds more to her character and her witty attacks against Lando. Rinetta Gan is also a character that will appeal to younger audiences. She has a feisty attitude, and the way that the narrator voices her character, she is an inspirational young leader for little girls.

The audiobook is also easy to listen to and not overly complicated to follow. The sound effects and music of the franchise help push the story along. Nankani's narration and voices for the characters have depth and are well done. Her impression of Lando is spot on and avoids sounding like a caricature.

My daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook as we drove in the car over several weeks. It was all she wanted to listen to, and she wanted to know how it ended. It's hard to find enjoyable entertainment that has a good lesson for younger audiences. Lando's Luck is one of those stories.