I enjoyed it a lot when I got it a few years ago. It’s quite a gem, actually, either as a standalone story or as an expansion to A New Hope.
There are some nuanced differences. Han Solo came across as more ruthless than the easygoing version of the movies, which made his change of heart more meaningful. The interludes on Alderaan give more background to the rebellion as well as amplify Leia’s loss. Darth Vader’s torture scene with Leia was intense.
Overall, it has the feel of an old time Flash Gordon serial.
A group of separatist rebels in the Philippines formed the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
MILF, for short.