Tag Archives: Star Wars: X-wing (book series)

Star Wars: X-Wing: Rogue Squadron: Book 1

  By Ani Fardreamer | June 25, 2012 - 9:24 pm | , ,
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Star Wars: X-Wing: Rogue Squadron: Book 1

by Michael A. Stackpole

If you like dogfights, you’ll find plenty of it in Rogue Squadron. Unfortunately, there’s not much else. New characters are introduced left and right with no time for character development. The warm bond they formed with each other was anything but for the reader. I couldn’t share the moment with them. I hardly knew them.

Military tactics and strategy were also missing. This story is told from Corran Horn’s perspective, and the squadron was kept in the dark most of the time. Although we are privy to more than he is, it’s not much more. What we did see did not feel like genius to me. I sometimes wondered what in the worlds they were thinking.

I leave the story feeling a little empty inside. Everyone tells me the series takes off from here. I can only hope.

Star Wars: X-Wing: Wedge's Gamble: Book 2

  By admin | June 20, 2012 - 6:17 pm | , ,
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Star Wars: X-Wing: Wedge’s Gamble: Book 2

by Michael A. Stackpole

Wedge’s Gamble is better than Rogue Squadron — not so many dogfights, a better plot, we get to see more of the characters. The characters do more than just fly X-Wings — although with the exception of Corran Horn and Iella Wessiri, what they end up doing is something completely outside their realm of expertise. Potential romances and rivalries sprout up, always a plus in the Star Wars universe. Still, there is room for improvement.

As a villain, Kirtan Loor is hardly threatening. He’s more like Ysanne Isard’s messenger. Derricote does all the dirty work. I’m not sure why Isard doesn’t order Derricote directly and just skip Loor. Although Isard is the true villain, she is very one-dimensional. The most we see of her is when she gives orders to Loor.

The action scenes are so cluttered, I have difficulty envisioning them. All I know is there’s a battle and who won. My eyes just want to glaze over and skip it all.

The dialogue is often stilted and unnatural. The author uses the characters’ conversations as a way to explain everything to the reader. Consequently, one character asks a question and the other goes through a long-winded oratory spouting all the facts. Another question, another oratory. And so it goes. Information is crammed in as much as can be in a few pages. Imagine what conversations like that are like and you can imagine the dialogue. The characters dissect and analyze every single thought/action/emotion they experience and tell each other exactly what that is and why. They tell me everything. I don’t feel anything. And what the characters fail to explain to each other, the author will provide in equally analytical narrative.

Despite it all, the ending was quite good. The epilogue gripped me. So despite everything, I am left wanting to know more. I will be reading The Krytos Trap and hope that each book in the series keeps improving.

Star Wars: X-Wing: The Krytos Trap: Book 3

  By Ani Fardreamer | June 20, 2012 - 6:16 pm | , ,
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Star Wars: X-Wing: The Krytos Trap: Book 3

by Michael A. Stackpole

The Krytos Trap is easily the best of the series so far. It is a huge improvement over Rogue Squadron and much better than Wedge’s Gamble.

Dogfights take a back seat as plot development becomes more central. Here, we finally see more character development, a more believable storyline, better dialogue. I spent most of the book wondering what would happen to Tycho and how was Corran going to escape . . . and I cared!

I still don’t understand why people think Kirtan Loor is such a villain. He’s more a buffoon now than ever before — motivated only by self-preservation, not by some grand, evil scheme. In such a role, he plays it well.

Although I’ve been told this book is part of a tetrology, Krytos Trap could easily be the end of a trilogy. I am not left dangling off a ledge, but there is more left that could be told. If Rogue Squadron did not impress you, hang in there! It does get better.

Star Wars: X-Wing: The Bacta War: Book 4

  By Ani Fardreamer | June 15, 2012 - 1:19 pm | , ,
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Star Wars: X-Wing: The Bacta War: Book 4

by Michael A. Stackpole

Although The Bacta War is the last of a tetrology, it stands more on its own than The Krytos Trap. It contains fewer dogfights than Rogue Squadron, better character development than Wedge’s Gamble; but the plotline was not quite up to snuff with The Krytos Trap, which I consider the best of the tetrology. I didn’t feel the tension. I was not as engaged. However, the final battle scene was one of the best Michael Stackpole has offered in the series thus far. The military strategy was much better than in previous books.

Ysanne Isard finally gets center stage. She’s not very threatening at all. In fact, I wonder why she’s supposed to be such a natural heir to the Emperor’s throne. She’s not military command, she’s military intelligence. She has no experience commanding the military and this lack of expertise really shows in The Bacta War. It’s even apparent to all who work under her. The lack of a capable villain does hurt the story. This is Star Wars and we’re only in the fourth book of the X-Wing series, so of course we know who will prevail. But an incompetent villain is no challenge. I wasn’t on the edge of my seat wondering what brilliant move she was going to make. I was just waiting for the next stupid mistake.

It was wonderful to see the dynamics between Corran, Mirax, Booster and Karrde. I wasn’t a fan of Corran at first, but he’s becoming more likeable. It’s good he’s finally found someone. I look forward to reading more about them in future books.

This was an entertaining read. Good but not great. The ending leaves more to be explored, reminding me this is only a part of a larger series, but I was left satisfied.

Star Wars: X-Wing: Wraith Squadron: Book 5

  By admin | June 11, 2012 - 6:35 am | , ,
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Star Wars: X-Wing: Wraith Squadron: Book 5

by Aaron Allston

Wraith Squadron is basically Rogue Squadron gone commando. Like his predecessor, Aaron Allston set up an entirely new squadron under Wedge Antilles. The cast of new characters is huge, which makes this a difficult read. There were so many characters with angst, and so many that appear and then die. I had a hard time keeping it straight and thus bonding with any of them.

The the plot meanders. There just wasn’t much exciting about Wraith Squadron impersonating a ship’s crew. They could only plan around where they were destined to go under Warlord Zhinj, which meant no direction. Even though they were picking up intelligence, even though they had some good strikes, it was slow going. They would get through a battle and I would think, okay where are they going next? Ho hum.

I’d say this book is 3.5 stars. It’s better than Rogue Squadron, because it doesn’t have endless dogfights and there is more emphasis on character development. Now that the characters have been introduced, I am ready for Iron Fist.

Star Wars: X-Wing: Iron Fist: Book 6

  By Ani Fardreamer | June 7, 2012 - 9:10 am | , ,
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Star Wars: X-Wing: Iron Fist: Book 6

by Aaron Allston

Iron Fist is better than Wraith Squadron, because I’m not overwhelmed by the introduction of new characters. Still, it is slow going for the first half of the book as the Wraiths spend time imitating pirates. That was a little unsettling to me, because I’m used to our protagonists being the good guys; and although they were undercover, they were enjoying their bad boy role a little too much. Maybe the Aaron Allston was worried we’d think so, because Wedge said just as much.

The story takes off when Gara Petothel must go meet Lara Notsil’s “brother” and Face tries to save his friend Phanan. I was hoping for more story in those directions but everyone had to go back to fight in space. Gara Petothel is the best written character of this trilogy. She has a huge arc, a very intriguing character, and I just wonder how she’s going to pull it off.

Wedge is very subdued. I want to feel for him, but I can’t. He has issues, but he’s so down and guarded that I can’t get into his head.

Han makes his big appearance at the end. He’s almost always written very well, but Allston missed the mark here. Han sounds nothing like Han. He’s just so depressed, with none of the fighting spirit we’re used to, not even the little quips he relies on to get him through periods of stress. He is completely out of character. He’s a general, but I don’t even feel his power of command over his ship or the battle. His orders are more like suggestions that everyone just happens to follow. This was very disappointing to me, because I enjoy reading his character and it just wasn’t there.

This novel had a lot of potential. Midway through the book, I thought it would have a spectacular ending. Maybe Allston is saving the best for last.

Star Wars: X-Wing: Solo Command: Book 7

  By admin | June 1, 2012 - 6:29 am | , ,
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Star Wars: X-Wing: Solo Command: Book 7

by Aaron Allston

I’d say Solo Command is about on par with the rest of the Aaron Allston trilogy. There’s good and bad, and I’m ho hum over the whole thing. I read it, but I was not on the edge of my seat.

WHAT I LIKED:

1) This books leads right into The Courtship of Princess Leia , one of my favorite Star Wars books of all time. As bland as Han Solo is, he does give a reason for what happens in the next book.

2) Gara Pentothel. She has the best arc of the entire trilogy. Her character stretches and grows like no other. I wish her she had more closure, but my heart is with her.

3) At least it’s not all dogfights.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:

1) People who “die” aren’t truly dead. This is used a lot in Star Wars, but it’s just plain overused in this series. If they’re dead, they’re dead. Stop finding a way for them to not be dead. I am no longer saddened at anyone’s death, because I’m sure I’ll find them alive later down the line. They’ve lost that emotional response from me as a reader, and that disconnect is a BIG DEAL. I can’t relate. I’m outside looking in.

2) There is no logic. Everyone believes A leads to B — everyone but the reader. Wraith Squadron has to go to a planet to see the place Piggy was transformed. Why? Because Piggy was transformed there. Because Zsinj showed an inkling of interest in a fake Ewok pilot. That was their sole motivation at the time, not because they knew it was important to the New Republic. Was it important? Yes. But they didn’t know that at the time. It was a forced situation, so Allston could bring it back into the story later on; but it was completely illogical. Make it Piggy’s personal mission. Make it so some of his friends want to come along. Don’t make it a mission for Wraith Squadron.

Another example: Tal’dira tries to blast Wedge out of the sky. Corran rescues Wedge, thinks he shot Tal’dira. What is on everyone’s mind afterwards? Oh my, Corran shot a fellow pilot. Does that make sense? He rescued Wedge. Surely, they should be more concerned they had a traitor pilot? Or Wedge would be unnerved at the assassination attempt? Nope. Just doesn’t make sense.

3) Wraiths who aren’t fit to fly keep getting put back in the pilot’s seat. Come on, this is an elite unit. It’s ridiculous someone who’s so injured he’s still in a Bacta tank is brought along on a ship so they could let him fly. It’s ridiculous that someone who disobeys orders and tries to kill a fellow pilot is made to stay with the Wraiths, even when he asks to resign.

4) Han Solo has such a distinctive personality. In Solo Command he is the most bland character I’ve ever seen. I can’t tell him apart from anyone else. It’s like he has absolutely no energy.

OVERALL:

I know lots of people love the X-Wing series, but this is my seventh book and I still don’t feel it. The best one so far was book #3, The Krytos Trap. I prefer Aaron Allston’s writing style to Michael Stackpole’s; but even so, the stories do not show enough depth — too fast paced, very superficial.