Using both Dash Rendar and Han Solo in the book was my big issue with it. Dash Rendar is Han Solo sans Leia. Han Solo prior to Episode IV is Dash Rendar. So it doesn't really make sense to use both characters because they should be the same. But in comparison in this book, Dash comes off as the less mercenary and coldhearted of the two, which makes absolutely no sense because Han is the one that ends up joining the Rebellion and Dash does not -- even after Han does despite Dash saying in this book that he would when Han does.

I thought the book depicted Dash much less of a jerk than he actually is. This dude is supposed to be chummy with Lando and Han, yet at Gall when Lando pays him to lead them to Boba Fett -- whom has Han frozen in carbonite -- he does just that, then completely abandons Lando and the Millennium Falcon when the shooting starts, showing absolutely no concern for Lando or Han's welfare because he wasn't paid to fight, only paid to lead them to Slave I.

Han, on the other hand, has a sentimental streak to him even before Episode IV, so in effect I thought the characterizations were completely backwards. I was honestly expecting a bad ending that would embitter Dash and lead to this change in character because it really doesn't make sense to me the way he's written otherwise. The dude is an absolute jerk.

And given the absurd self-confidence displayed by Dash in SOTE, he would probably blame himself for the death of one of the characters in the novel the same way he blamed himself for the death of the "many Bothans [who] died" in SOTE.

Does Dash survive the events of SOTE? Ive heard some peoples ay he did and others say no

Javul refers to Princess Leia as her cousin. Could Javul really be Winter?

Winter would have been 17 years old at the time. I didn't even make that connection, but I don't think that it is Winter. But then Dash's age is/was messed up in the timeline too so who knows anymore. Wouldn't surprise me, actually. Cue the continuity complaints I guess?