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brittrivera's review against another edition
4.0
I have really come to love these Aftermath books and the stories they are telling in the Star Wars universe. They do a great job at combining characters we know and love with new characters who we learn to care about. This book did that especially well, combing Nora and her ragtag crew from book 1 with Han, Leia, and Chewy.
Having pre-existing information about events that take place in this book from The Force Awakens (like the knowledge of who Leia's son becomes and her split with Han) adds new emotional weight to the story.
I love listening to these audiobooks because of the production quality. The music and sound effects and even the voice work all remind me so much of the films. You are taken right back into the universe.
Having pre-existing information about events that take place in this book from The Force Awakens (like the knowledge of who Leia's son becomes and her split with Han) adds new emotional weight to the story.
I love listening to these audiobooks because of the production quality. The music and sound effects and even the voice work all remind me so much of the films. You are taken right back into the universe.
crankyoldnerd's review
4.0
This one worked much better for me than the first one. Enjoyed this elem t in the series and looking forward to the last chapter
therafa's review against another edition
3.0
I like the way the new masters of the Star Wars universe are handling the main characters and plot. Revealing disparate pieces of the puzzle as each new work comes out. Aftermath: Life Debt sure fills in some gaps and create new ones. I like where all this is going and even have my suspicions about certain things and characters. I find the interludes rather interesting and would love to see some of the characters in there make a comeback in some ways.
sqeeker's review
4.0
- Ask and ye shall receive! I wanted more Han and Leia, and I got a lot more! Hooray! Now if I could just get some Luke in there. Where is he anyway?
- I loved seeing Han and Leia's relationship. They understand each other's needs as individuals and as a couple.
- This story was action packed. There was never a dull moment.
- I love seeing how the new republic had to struggle after destroying the second death star. Starting a new government is not easy, especially when there is still a big empire presence.
- The ending!! Wow! I can't wait to see what happens on Jakku!
- I loved seeing Han and Leia's relationship. They understand each other's needs as individuals and as a couple.
- This story was action packed. There was never a dull moment.
- I love seeing how the new republic had to struggle after destroying the second death star. Starting a new government is not easy, especially when there is still a big empire presence.
- The ending!! Wow! I can't wait to see what happens on Jakku!
mightythor460's review against another edition
4.0
Much improved!
Life Debt is leaps and bounds better than Aftermath. The characters all have purpose and the store clicks along. Han Solo always helps! Wendig is still using third person present tense but it wasn’t as jarring this time around.
Life Debt is leaps and bounds better than Aftermath. The characters all have purpose and the store clicks along. Han Solo always helps! Wendig is still using third person present tense but it wasn’t as jarring this time around.
markjosefjones's review
3.0
Very enjoyable romp through Star Wars universe.
Interesting themes between Empire and New Republic and the segues to random galactic characters was a highlight and added to the immersion.
Looking forward to the third installment!
Interesting themes between Empire and New Republic and the segues to random galactic characters was a highlight and added to the immersion.
Looking forward to the third installment!
starsandstones's review
2.0
1.5/5 stars. Rounded up because of Marc Thompson's performance reading the audiobook.
I wanted to like this book. I keep trying to give the new canon a chance and I honestly don't know why anymore.
The book itself is okay. I don't particularly enjoy Chuck Wendig's style, but it's well written enough. I find it hard to connect with Norra Wexley and I find Rae Sloane to be boring. But the thing that bothers me most (besides some of the names being too Earth-like for my personal taste, but that's very much a personal problem) is that many of the characters and story arcs are clearly plucked from Expanded Universe/Legends stories. Norra Wexley is basically Iella Wessiri dressed up in a pilot role instead of that of an intelligence agent, right down to her husband disappearing and being brainwashed in a hidden Imperial prison and attempting to assassinate someone important and her romance with Wedge Antilles. The only big differences are location and Norra having a child - and Iella being way more competent. Brenton Wexley is Diric Wessiri, only he failed to assassinate his target and survived, while Diric succeeded and died. The prison where Brenton is kept is the Lusankya in a different guise and with a different main character leading to its discovery (Corran Horn being replaced by Chewbacca). Rae Sloane struck me as a stand-in for Natasi Daala in the last book and continued to do so in this book. Her plotline is a bit different and she was given an aide in an attempt to humanize her.
Wedge's Phantom Squadron full of forgotten pilots and misfits is so obviously a knock-off Wraith Squadron that it made me wince.
My biggest desire for this new canon is for it to try to be original instead of the painfully obvious cannibalization of the Expanded Universe and everywhere I turn they refuse to do it. That hurts them way more than it helps them because I don't want to see things I loved being pulled apart and used for storyline scraps. It's not a nice nod or homage to what used to be canon or a shout-out to EU fans - it's derivative at best and the more they do it the more it seems insulting.
Long story short - Michael Stackpole did it better. Go read the X-Wing series instead.
I wanted to like this book. I keep trying to give the new canon a chance and I honestly don't know why anymore.
The book itself is okay. I don't particularly enjoy Chuck Wendig's style, but it's well written enough. I find it hard to connect with Norra Wexley and I find Rae Sloane to be boring. But the thing that bothers me most (besides some of the names being too Earth-like for my personal taste, but that's very much a personal problem) is that many of the characters and story arcs are clearly plucked from Expanded Universe/Legends stories. Norra Wexley is basically Iella Wessiri dressed up in a pilot role instead of that of an intelligence agent, right down to her husband disappearing and being brainwashed in a hidden Imperial prison and attempting to assassinate someone important and her romance with Wedge Antilles. The only big differences are location and Norra having a child - and Iella being way more competent. Brenton Wexley is Diric Wessiri, only he failed to assassinate his target and survived, while Diric succeeded and died. The prison where Brenton is kept is the Lusankya in a different guise and with a different main character leading to its discovery (Corran Horn being replaced by Chewbacca). Rae Sloane struck me as a stand-in for Natasi Daala in the last book and continued to do so in this book. Her plotline is a bit different and she was given an aide in an attempt to humanize her.
Wedge's Phantom Squadron full of forgotten pilots and misfits is so obviously a knock-off Wraith Squadron that it made me wince.
My biggest desire for this new canon is for it to try to be original instead of the painfully obvious cannibalization of the Expanded Universe and everywhere I turn they refuse to do it. That hurts them way more than it helps them because I don't want to see things I loved being pulled apart and used for storyline scraps. It's not a nice nod or homage to what used to be canon or a shout-out to EU fans - it's derivative at best and the more they do it the more it seems insulting.
Long story short - Michael Stackpole did it better. Go read the X-Wing series instead.
qalminator's review against another edition
3.0
This one didn't grab me as much as the first one did. Not sure why, though I think part of it was that Wendig isn't particularly good at writing dialogue for extant Star Wars characters (e.g. Leia and Han). I looked at some of Han's dialogue, in particular, and thought, "No. He's never that wordy."
It's still a good Star Wars yarn, and I do enjoy the Wendig original characters (especially Sinjir), but it was a lot clunkier than the first book.
It's still a good Star Wars yarn, and I do enjoy the Wendig original characters (especially Sinjir), but it was a lot clunkier than the first book.
caitcoy's review
3.0
In Life Debt, the ragtag crew of the Halo,who joined together by the end of Aftermath, have become bona fide Imperial Hunters. Using the resources granted to them by the New Republic and their own ingenuity, Norra, Temmin, Jas, Sinjir and Jom Barell have been locating and capturing Imperials so that they can face justice for their war crimes. When their help is requested by none other than Leia Organa, the crew offers to put their skills to the test finding the missing Han Solo (last seen attempting a foolhardy plan to liberate Kashyyyk). Even for the crew of the Halo, this will be no easy task and they are far from the only players in this game.
While I didn't quite hate Aftermath, I was by no means sold on Wendig's writing style. And to be honest, I'm still really not. Life Debt is considerably better written than the first in this series but I still can't count it among my favorite Star Wars stories. What I will say for it is that Wendig finally figures out how to nail the pacing. The way that tension and dread are built throughout made it a considerably more interesting story than the second book in most trilogies. Many of the threads that he introduced in Aftermath start to tie together in Life Debt and the story moves quickly, from one nail biting fight to the next.
In addition, Wendig continues to make the characters feel real, interesting and complex. Each of them has their own struggles to deal with and they don't always handle them perfectly. I continue to feel kind of ambivalent about Temmin because dear God he is such a teenager. I mean, that probably means he's written reasonably well but sometimes I just want to shake the idiot. Overall, I'm invested in these characters and I want to see them succeed, no matter what the odds.
What drives me insane about Wendig's style is the same thing that drove me crazy in Aftermath. Everything is still over the top, like I'm watching an action movie. Life Debt is tempered by much better character arcs and fewer ridiculous moments but I really struggle with Wendig's style in general. Even as I'm interested in the events happening in the story and the characters, part of me just can't suspend disbelief long enough to get sucked in.
Life Debt is considerably better than Aftermath. I'm invested in these characters and I'm very curious to see how this ties together Return of the Jedi and Force Awakens despite my issues with Wendig's writing. I don't expect to love Empire's End but I'm hoping that like with Life Debt, it at least feels satisfying to see where it goes.
While I didn't quite hate Aftermath, I was by no means sold on Wendig's writing style. And to be honest, I'm still really not. Life Debt is considerably better written than the first in this series but I still can't count it among my favorite Star Wars stories. What I will say for it is that Wendig finally figures out how to nail the pacing. The way that tension and dread are built throughout made it a considerably more interesting story than the second book in most trilogies. Many of the threads that he introduced in Aftermath start to tie together in Life Debt and the story moves quickly, from one nail biting fight to the next.
In addition, Wendig continues to make the characters feel real, interesting and complex. Each of them has their own struggles to deal with and they don't always handle them perfectly. I continue to feel kind of ambivalent about Temmin because dear God he is such a teenager. I mean, that probably means he's written reasonably well but sometimes I just want to shake the idiot. Overall, I'm invested in these characters and I want to see them succeed, no matter what the odds.
What drives me insane about Wendig's style is the same thing that drove me crazy in Aftermath. Everything is still over the top, like I'm watching an action movie. Life Debt is tempered by much better character arcs and fewer ridiculous moments but I really struggle with Wendig's style in general. Even as I'm interested in the events happening in the story and the characters, part of me just can't suspend disbelief long enough to get sucked in.
Life Debt is considerably better than Aftermath. I'm invested in these characters and I'm very curious to see how this ties together Return of the Jedi and Force Awakens despite my issues with Wendig's writing. I don't expect to love Empire's End but I'm hoping that like with Life Debt, it at least feels satisfying to see where it goes.