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3.24 AVERAGE
3.24 AVERAGE
This book was resoundingly mediocre. From the odd choice of writing it in the present tense, to the use of out of place colloquialisms (c'mon. "ticked off?") the book made misstep after misstep. Admiral Sloane bore too much a resemblance to the universally loathed Admiral Daala of the previous continuity. The only time the book felt like Star Wars was during the too short interludes? why couldn't we get full novels about THOSE stories instead of about the group of dishwater dull lead characters we were presented with?
I will say, Wendig knows how to write an action scene. The ones in this book would have been riveting had I cared about the characters. At all.
I will say, Wendig knows how to write an action scene. The ones in this book would have been riveting had I cared about the characters. At all.
Frankly, pretty boring. I have no interest in continuing this series.
This was a very solid, but very different Star Wars book. The new Empire (Disney) has eradicated the rebels (Expanded Universe) because the victor gets to rewrite history. As such, Chuck Wendig was one of the writers tapped to start the build up to the new movie.
Wendig writes well. The main characters are all interesting and enjoyable. There's a teenage kid, Temmin who is smart and capable. The Temmin's pet killer robot, Mr. Bones is a hoot. Temmin's mom, Norrah has been away fighting the rebellion. Jas is a bounty hunter and very bad-ass lady. My favorite character is Sinjir, a former Imperial Loyalty Officer who is now a drunk who hates the Empire.
The plot was good and had plenty of Star Wars style action. I loved that the focus was on new characters and it gave us a view of the "Aftermath" of the destruction of the second Death Star. The Imperials as they try to hold onto what is left is well done.
The downside? The story is interspersed with snapshots of what is happening around the galaxy. That works great in a visual medium, like a movie, but with this book it just continued to interrupt the story and for me didn't serve any purpose. I can't help but wonder if maybe Wendig was introducing some characters we might see later on the big screen, but I can't say for sure.
Overall a 3.5.
Wendig writes well. The main characters are all interesting and enjoyable. There's a teenage kid, Temmin who is smart and capable. The Temmin's pet killer robot, Mr. Bones is a hoot. Temmin's mom, Norrah has been away fighting the rebellion. Jas is a bounty hunter and very bad-ass lady. My favorite character is Sinjir, a former Imperial Loyalty Officer who is now a drunk who hates the Empire.
The plot was good and had plenty of Star Wars style action. I loved that the focus was on new characters and it gave us a view of the "Aftermath" of the destruction of the second Death Star. The Imperials as they try to hold onto what is left is well done.
The downside? The story is interspersed with snapshots of what is happening around the galaxy. That works great in a visual medium, like a movie, but with this book it just continued to interrupt the story and for me didn't serve any purpose. I can't help but wonder if maybe Wendig was introducing some characters we might see later on the big screen, but I can't say for sure.
Overall a 3.5.
Not really a great job by the writer. But had to read to figure out new Canon for SW.
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Well, I LIKED it. Have to say that first.
It's written in a present tense, staccato style, and it jumps around a lot - not only from perspective to perspective, but also from planet to planet. There is a central plot line, but there are also bits and pieces that don't connect anywhere (at least in this book). I can see why some people may not like it.
But I really enjoyed it. I think the style worked, especially considering the content and ideas the book was dealing with. It certainly made it interesting to read. I loved the characters, with Sinjir Rath Velus coming in as possibly my all time favorite Star Wars character.
I highly recommend it.
It's written in a present tense, staccato style, and it jumps around a lot - not only from perspective to perspective, but also from planet to planet. There is a central plot line, but there are also bits and pieces that don't connect anywhere (at least in this book). I can see why some people may not like it.
But I really enjoyed it. I think the style worked, especially considering the content and ideas the book was dealing with. It certainly made it interesting to read. I loved the characters, with Sinjir Rath Velus coming in as possibly my all time favorite Star Wars character.
I highly recommend it.
First: I mostly listened to this on audiobook & would recommend others do the same for production quality which adds to the story. 2.5 Stars - I rounded up.
That caveat can be seen as a negative in that I feel the story suffers if you just read it rather than hear it. I read parts of it in between listening and it’s just so much better on audio. The story truly spans the galaxy, for better or worse, and has many POVs - proceed with caution if this isn’t your thing. I think this one was mediocre at best, but I hear things are a lot better in books 2 & 3, and I enjoyed this one enough to push through to those.
The book name drops a variety of characters and places that are more familiar to us as fans. But — I have to say I was only moderately invested at best with the actual main characters of this book. We’ll see if anything changes as I go through the other two, I’m hoping to join the crowd that feels like they get better.
That caveat can be seen as a negative in that I feel the story suffers if you just read it rather than hear it. I read parts of it in between listening and it’s just so much better on audio. The story truly spans the galaxy, for better or worse, and has many POVs - proceed with caution if this isn’t your thing. I think this one was mediocre at best, but I hear things are a lot better in books 2 & 3, and I enjoyed this one enough to push through to those.
The book name drops a variety of characters and places that are more familiar to us as fans. But — I have to say I was only moderately invested at best with the actual main characters of this book. We’ll see if anything changes as I go through the other two, I’m hoping to join the crowd that feels like they get better.
I enjoyed this book a lot more than I expected to, given the surfeit of negative reviews on Amazon. Overall, it's a fun adventure with likable new characters, interesting details of the new normal of a post-RotJ galaxy, and just enough hints about the future to whet the reader's appetite for The Force Awakens.
Many reviewers seemed to hate the third person present narrative, but I found that it contributed to the cinematic feel of the book. I thought I'd grown out of "Star Wars" novels long ago, but I'll be waiting patiently for the sequel to this one!
Many reviewers seemed to hate the third person present narrative, but I found that it contributed to the cinematic feel of the book. I thought I'd grown out of "Star Wars" novels long ago, but I'll be waiting patiently for the sequel to this one!
This review is specific to the audiobook version of this title.
No. No, thank you. You are awful.
No. No, thank you. You are awful.
Although this book is the first of the new Star Wars canon to explore the post-ROTJ galaxy, do not expect to read about the adventures of Han Solo, Princess Leia, or Luke Skywalker. Wedge Antilles is a featured character, but for most of the novel he disappears. To make matters worse, it took me hundreds of pages before I began to sympathize with the new characters. Ultimately, this is a disappointing book.