by Matthew Wilson
Star Wars: Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor was written by bestselling author, Matthew Stover. This tale takes place during the Rebellion era on the Expanded Universe novel timeline, four years ABY (After the Battle of Yavin).
SUMMARY
Another crazy man steps up in an attempt to rule the galaxy! The New Republic faces off against a new enemy on the planet Mindor. The planet is violent, not only because of the war, but the planet – in the Taspan system, is breaking apart! The planet’s atmosphere is a mess of asteroids and meteor slinging all over the place.
Lord Shadowspawn, one name for the villain in this tale is obsessed with destruction and power. Luke Skywalker leads the charge to free hostages that were taken by Shadowspawns raiders. Many of which were either chosen to die, or join Shadowspawn. Much of the villains tactics are designed after popular holovids (what we would call movies).
Luke Skywalker faces one of his biggest challenges yet… guilt. His force ability reaches new heights, resulting to a situation that cannot be undone. The New Republic must act fast as they race against the clock, before the world of Mindor, is utterly destroyed.
Or… did any of the things in this story actually happen… or is this a story within a story about the legendary heroes of the New Republic… It’s hard to tell.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
When I first saw the cover of this book, I thought, “this is gonna be a chore to get through.” That’s right, I judged a book by its cover without knowing a thing about it. Yet, I didn’t let the cover hold me back forever, (I let the paper do the talking).
This book starts off with a bang, it’s fast paced, explosive action, and gritty. My impression of the opening chapters, was that this story is the punk rock of Star Wars. It’s loaded with weirdness, some of it is interesting, while most of it… is not. A theme that runs throughout this book, is that nothing is as it seems.
The characters felt so different than what they should be. The dialogue is a mess, characters cut each other off so much in this book. mid sentence. Everyone is talking back to each other, there’s far too much sarcasm, and witty comebacks… it got annoying.
Stover does a fine job with descriptions… to a point, sometimes the details are so elaborate, it drags out and gets boring, even to the point of forgetting what’s happening in the moment.
I do like the way that Stover explained some of the traits of Vader and Palpatine. Palpatine had a lust for power in the force, he had a knowledge of its power, he was steeped in its lore; but still trying to have the force bend to his own will. Vader on the other hand, was a pawn, using the force in the most shallow ways, as a machine absorbs fuel to operate.
However, what drives me crazy, is when authors attempt to undermine the credibility or weight of characters or actions that have already been established, especially from the films. In this story, Stover attempts to make the villain of this story, far superior than Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine. The villain is revealed to be the actual puppet master over the Empire. He was the mastermind behind Palpatine’s demise. I find this character development ridiculous.
Do I recommend that you read this tale? I have to say, no. I had a few interesting moments, but not worth the time.
RATING
I give Star Wars: Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor, a D (0.5/5)
by Matthew Wilson
Star Wars: Isard’s Revenge was written by Bestselling Author, Michael A. Stackpole. This Expanded Universe tale takes place during the New Republic Era, nine ABY (9 years after the battle of Yavin).
SUMMARY: Wedge Antilles finally accepts a promotion. He and Rogue Squadron.
Somehow… Isard has returned. Turns out the Isard that was believed to have been killed, was a clone. With Thrawn out of the way, the real Isard is ready to establish herself as the successor to the Emperor.
OVERALL THOUHTS
I really hate to say it, but this book was such a boring read. After the excitement and thrills I experienced with the three Wraith Squadron books by Aaron Allston, this one was a sad let down. The book wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t near as fun as the Wraith Squadron trilogy. Corran Horn believed the hard battles would be over, that the New Republic just had some mopping up to do to snuff out the Empire, but he was wrong. The arrival of Thrawn had disrupted everything! I like getting into Rogue Squadron’s thoughts of Thrawn and how they aren’t buying into the belief that he’s truly dead.
This book pivots back to Stackpole’s take/vision of the New Republic X-Wing squadrons. We spend too much time with boring characters and get a deeper look into the strange lifestyle choices of two, with their interspecies relationship. It’s pretty gross and really stupid, the Bothans view relationships with non-Bothans is the Emperor winning.
Somehow… Isard has returned. With this book taking place after the Thrawn trilogy, where Timothy Zahn brings in the use of cloning, Stackpole jumps on the coat-tails of that idea and uses it as a way to reintroduce us to an enemy that was already defeated. However, that does seem to be a recurring issue in Star Wars… the dead enemy is resurrected. I believe that sort of thing can work, when handled appropriately, such as Palpatine in Dark Empire.
This book just feels like “things happen” and “more things happen.” Just to get us to the back cover. The previous three books felt like a real structured story with satisfying arcs and conclusions. By the end of this book I was just tired with the characters.
Do I recommend you read this X-Wing book? No, too boring.
RATING
I give Star Wars: X-Wing” Isard’s Revenge, a D.
by Matthew Wilson
Star Wars: Solo Command, book seven in the X-Wing Series, was written by Bestselling Author, Aaron Allston. This Expanded Universe tale takes place during the New Republic Era, seven ABY (7 years after the battle of Yavin).
SUMMARY
The mission to eliminate Imperial Warlord Zsinj continues under the command of General Han Solo. Wraith and Rogue Squadron work close together in many space battles that result in a cat and mouse chase with Zsinj.
A new tactic of the Empire against the Republic, is to build distrust against a race of people, by inserting secret assassins to bring chaos and death to the New Republic.
Wraith Squadron will face many challenges on the hunt for Zsinj, not only from external forces, but from those internally as well.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Another great X-Wing story written by Aaron Allston! The characters he writes and the situations they get into are so fun to read. One thing that I find funny about our main villain, Warlord Zsinj, is that he’s always talking, even just thinking out loud. The drama that unfolds with who Wraith Squadron knows as Lara Notsil was intense! Such heartache and anger throughout the story, and it isn’t cheesy or cringy at all.
The concept of dividing the different alien races against one another was already a plan devised in a previous X-Wing book with the creation of the Krytos Virus. Luckily the route taken in this novel was sparse, more of a side issue that was taking place.
Han Solo is present pretty often in this novel, the title is a bit of a dead giveaway. Yet, the book doesn’t lean on Solo, the story doesn’t revolve around him, he’s not a crutch for the book to lean on. General Solo’s flagship during his quest to end Zsinj, is the Mon Calamari ship, Mon Remonda. Han doesn’t really enjoy the job too much, but he’s doing his best.
The Wraith mission at the Binring Biomedical facility was intense. I thought Allston did a nice job giving us that commando action which was teased in book five – Wraith Squadron. Taking Piggy back to the laboratory he was experimented on was harsh, but great.
One negative, I don’t like how the missions on both sides were paralleled in a few cases… It’s way to convenient! The setup for the missions were disappointing – Zsinj wants to set a trap at a specific place, meanwhile, Wraith Squadron is getting ready to investigate said place.
I’m not quite sure how I feel about how this book ended. Wraith Squadron, decommissioned as an X-Wing unit. I’m looking forward to seeing more of these characters in future books.
Do I recommend you read this novel? Absolutely, no need to skip this book! I’m surprised by how much I’m enjoying the X-Wing series.
RATING
I will give Star Wars: X-Wing: Solo Command, a B+.
by Matthew Wilson
Star Wars: Iron Fist, book six in the X-Wing Series, was written by Bestselling Author, Aaron Allston. This Expanded Universe tale takes place during the New Republic Era, seven ABY (7 years after the battle of Yavin).
SUMMARY
Warlord Admiral Zsinj is on the prowl, his hit and run tactics are brutal against the New Republic. He sits comfortably in his Star Destroyer – Iron Fist. While he seems unpredictable, New Republic Wraith Squadron narrows down his tactics through collected intel and risky groundwork.
Wraith Squadron works hard to prevent Zsinj from accomplishing one of his biggest moves yet, acquiring a super star destroyer to expand his fleet. The missions that take place to maneuver Wraith into having chance to face off against Zsinj comes with a heavy price tag; the cost… life.
In this tale, Wraith Squadron gains new members, replacing the few that were recently lost. One new member, isn’t quite who she claims to be. Lies are told, secrets are kept, and blood is shed.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
Alright, this is the best one yet in the X-Wing series. This book had so many tense moments that kept me glued to the pages! I really enjoy not knowing what the outcome will be when it comes to the characters; which is the best part about “side’ characters of Star Wars. We all know the established characters will be around.
Allston does a wonderful job writing the characters of Wraith Squadron. The misfit group of pilots work well together, mostly. The plot of this book was simple, the missions were highly entertaining, and the villain really gets under the skin. The story was unpredictable, the author wasn’t afraid to kill off anyone.
Gara Petothel, has to be my favorite character in this story. One of my complaints for the previous book, Wraith Squadron, was that we didn’t get that much commando action. This book fulfills what that book lacked. The fighting on the ground was just as exciting as the fighting in the air/space. Allston does a fine job setting the scene and building up tension.
We get a peak at what happened right after that Return of the Jedi special edition scene where the people on Coruscant are pulling down the statue of Emperor Palpatine. I loved that little moment that gave us a direct tie-in visual to the film.
Do I recommend this book in the X-Wing Series? Absolutely. This book has great humor sprinkled lightly throughout, it’s not overly done. The characters are fantastically written.
RATING
I give Star Wars: X-Wing: Iron Fist, an A! Making this book the best in the series so far.
by Matthew Wilson
Star Wars: Tatooine Ghost was written by bestselling author Troy Denning. This tale takes place during the New Republic Era on the Expanded Universe novel timeline, eight years ABY.
SUMMARY
The Killik Twilight is one of the last known famous Alderaanian moss pieces, is on its way to auction. The Killik Twilight, isn’t just a unique and magnificent piece of art, but it serves an important role to the New Republic. It contains a hidden spy communications device!
Han and Leia disguise themselves to attend the auction being held on Tatooine, to get the Killik Twilight back in Republic hands. Imperial Star Destroy Chimaera shows up, sending a squad of Imperials to the auction to get the artwork for their Admiral (the name isn’t mentioned, but the man sure loves art).
The auction gets explosive when the art-piece is taken by a familiar name in Star Wars history, Kitster Banai! Now, Leia and Han race against the Empire to recover the art. Along their journey on Tatooine, Leia discovers much about her family history. This story brings in characters from across the timeline in a unique way, teaching Leia many lessons.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
This is a story with many ups and downs, liking and disliking the story throughout. Yet, for me, in the end, the positive outweighed the negative. I can see though how some folks would dislike this story as It leans heavily on The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. The plot was pretty straight forward – get the painting. However, events unfold in a way that relied on Leia’s viewing of the vid-journal that belonged to Shmi.
Troy Denning did a good job stirring up the emotions of Leia, as well as the reader on some occasions. I liked that we got to witness Leia discover a piece of her history, watching her Grandmother on the vid-journal. She experienced conflicting emotions as Shmi spoke of such love for her son – Anakin. Leia, only knowing Anakin as the Darth Vader, the dark lord of the Sith, a torturer, a murder, a destroyer of worlds.
I believe this story feels like a classic adventure with Leia, Han, Chewbacca, and C-3PO. It’s got some really cheesy moments, it’s got wonderful character interaction and references to other things that took place in the expanded universe. One of my favorite mentions is that of Outbound Flight! I think the flashbacks or journal scenes were my favorite parts of the story. There is a pretty wide section that felt very repetitive.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, like I said earlier, I can see why some readers would not like this story and wouldn’t think they were crazy for disliking it. When a book gets me to sit up straight and bring a smile to my face, I’d call it a good book.
Do I recommend you read Star Wars: Tatooine Ghost? Yes, I think this would be a fun one to read immediatly after watching the prequels.
RATING
I give this expanded universe novel a B.
by Matthew Wilson
Star Wars: Wraith Squadron, book five in the X-Wing Series, was written by Bestselling Author, Aaron Allston. This Expanded Universe tale takes place during the New Republic Era, seven ABY (7 years after the battle of Yavin).
SUMMARY
Wedge Antilles builds a new squadron! He wants it to mirror Rogue Squadron, which is both fighter unit and commando unit. Rogue is pilot first, commando second. He wants the new one – Wraith Squadron to be commando first, pilot second.
The Wraiths commandeer an Imperial ship, it’s mission logs, code, and mapping are all intact and available. They will use this equipment to pose as Imperials, following through on missions that are logged on the schedule as not to arouse suspicion. This will be the perfect opportunity for the New Republic to gather intel on the whereabouts of Warlord Zsinj. If all goes to plan, Wraith Squadron would be able strike Zsinj when he least expects it.
While the first four books of the X-Wing series focused on Rogue Squadron, there is a massive shift in the series. This story if full of new characters, though some do make an appearance, Wraith is now the primary focus of the X-Wing series.
OVERALL THOUGHTS
I enjoyed this story a bit better than the previous X-Wing books, though it is a tad slow. The development of the new Wraith Squadron, the mission they go one, and the interaction between the characters was written pretty well. Yet, I am a bit irritated that we didn’t truly get what we were teased; Wraith Squadron being designed as commandoes first, fighter pilots second. We really didn’t get an action packed commando story.
The first four X-Wing books written by Stackpole had a lot of characters to keep up with. That doesn’t change with Allston’s first book in the series. It’s easy to lose track of who the characters are sometimes. This book has a few characters that I found to be much more memorable than those in the first book. The few that stand out to me to be the most unique, are Piggy (a Gamorean that has a vocal translator to speak basic. He was a subject in one of the strange experiments under the rule of the Empire. ) and Donos (human male). Wedge Antilles shines in this tale as squad leader as well, we get a good sense of the burden he carries, the responsibility he has in the New Republic.
It may be sad to say but it’s honest, I’m so glad Corran Horn was absent in this story. Aaron Allston did a fine job mixing up the X-Wing series with the introduction of Wraith Squadron and the cast of characters. The plot was straight forward, introducing risky tactics that proved to be beneficial to the New Republic. This story also retcons some events from the previous story; the resignation of Rogue Squadron members was “misfiled” therefore they were still operating as the Republic. A temporary Rogue Squadron took their title so it wouldn’t draw so much attention.
Do I recommend that you read this tale? Yes. I found this installment to be far more entertaining that than the first book in the series, which a better cast of characters than the first four books all together.
RATING
I give Star Wars: X-Wing: Wraith Squadron a B+.
