Book Review: Healers and Hunters (WARS: The Battle of Phobos - Earthers, Part 1 of 3) by Nathan P. Butler

Before it was a novella, it was a card game.

Books & Nachos is now part of Now Playing Podcast. Before our book reviews were branded as Now Playing Podcast Book Reviews, they were released under a separate show called Books & Nachos. That podcast focused on book discussions, most of which tied directly into films we were covering on Now Playing Podcast. We’ve now merged those episodes into the main Now Playing Podcast feed for easier access and a complete archive. But these older episodes still have the original Books & Nachos intro and credits on those older recordings.

In 2004, Decipher resurrected the gameplay of the ended Star Wars Trading Card Game and launched WARS, building a brand-new sci-fi universe with creative input from names like Michael Stackpole and John Howe. Gamers embraced it, but the line was short-lived, ending in 2005 before the world could fully unfold. Now that story continues in prose with Healers and Hunters by Nathan P. Butler, the first novella set in the WARS universe. For those who never cracked a single booster pack, can this book stand on its own? Does it reward longtime fans while welcoming newcomers, or is it too tied to a game most readers have never played? Join Arnie as he evaluates whether this expansion of the universe is worth your time. {Book Reviews}