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3.24 AVERAGE
3.24 AVERAGE
fast-paced
Every time a story in the Star Wars universe is inclusive of people that aren't white and heterosexual, it is a small victory. This story was full of wonderful, diverse characters that were actually interesting. So many times the inclusivity is just plopped into a story with no real meaning (looking at you random wives that kiss in Rise of Skywalker), and are touted are inclusive simply because those characters exist within the story. That alone does not make for inclusivity, and it certainly doesn't make for good storytelling.
Wendig tells a tremendously riveting story about a motley crew of characters that all get thrown together in the unlikeliest of circumstances. Sinjir, a former Imperial officer, is hilarious and self-deprecating. He makes ruthless decisions and is a sneaky Slytherin. I LOVED this character and I wish I could have 10 novels about his character alone. He also happens to be gay and has several very funny interactions where he has to assert that he is not interested in women. Norra and her son Temmin, have an interesting dynamic that plays out throughout this story. You see them both make mistakes and see how their relationship is irreversibly damaged by the war and Norra's decisions throughout the war as a rebel. Jas is a Zabrak bounty hunter who is just truly fun to read about. Rae Sloane is such a great character on the side of the Empire. She's intriguing and you get to see the struggles of a flailing Empire through her eyes.
There are a lot of familiar faces that make appearances and help tie in the importance of these characters to the overall story of Star Wars. This is one of the few books telling a story within the Star Wars universe that doesn't focus on main characters we already know and love. It's a difficult task to draw readers in and care about characters they've never met, but Wendig succeeds where others have fallen flat. This book and Lost Stars are two great additions to the Star Wars universe.
Wendig tells a tremendously riveting story about a motley crew of characters that all get thrown together in the unlikeliest of circumstances. Sinjir, a former Imperial officer, is hilarious and self-deprecating. He makes ruthless decisions and is a sneaky Slytherin. I LOVED this character and I wish I could have 10 novels about his character alone. He also happens to be gay and has several very funny interactions where he has to assert that he is not interested in women. Norra and her son Temmin, have an interesting dynamic that plays out throughout this story. You see them both make mistakes and see how their relationship is irreversibly damaged by the war and Norra's decisions throughout the war as a rebel. Jas is a Zabrak bounty hunter who is just truly fun to read about. Rae Sloane is such a great character on the side of the Empire. She's intriguing and you get to see the struggles of a flailing Empire through her eyes.
There are a lot of familiar faces that make appearances and help tie in the importance of these characters to the overall story of Star Wars. This is one of the few books telling a story within the Star Wars universe that doesn't focus on main characters we already know and love. It's a difficult task to draw readers in and care about characters they've never met, but Wendig succeeds where others have fallen flat. This book and Lost Stars are two great additions to the Star Wars universe.
It's pretty terrible.
I won't go on too much since it's not worth it, but the following should tell you everything you need to know:
Dengar (yes) has more story time than Han Solo and Chewbacca.
I won't go on too much since it's not worth it, but the following should tell you everything you need to know:
Dengar (yes) has more story time than Han Solo and Chewbacca.
There was elements of a good book in here, but also like three other separate and unrelated stories. I recognize its part one of a trilogy, but felt rather sloppy in execution.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Star Wars Aftermath is a perfectly acceptable book that has the weight of a galaxy riding upon it. As the first book in the new Star Wars canon, many are going to harshly write it off as destroying the EU. Does it deserve that fate? Not entirely.
In full disclosure, I listened to the audio book as read by Marc Thompson. He gives the performance a lot of character and enthusiasm that ultimately elevates a mediocre book into something much more fun. If I was reading this on my own, I would have likely been put off by the substandard writing and awkwardly-used Earth terminology. (Who knew there were hamsters in a galaxy far, far away?)
However, there are things done very right in Aftermath. I especially took a liking to Imperial Loyalty Officer -turned- Rebel Freedom Fighter Sinjir. Every time he came back to the story, I immediately had fun again. His character and arc were extremely well done and believable. I also enjoyed Admiral Rae Sloane, whom I just learned has been around for a while! (Admittedly, I am not very well-verses in the Star Wars EU...) Her character was cunning, intelligent, and a great villain. I look forward to seeing her develop in the future. Finally, I'd be remiss to not at least mention Mister Bones. The battle droids were among my favorite additions from the Prequels, and I'm glad they are still kicking around in the galaxy.
I enjoyed the story enough in Aftermath. It had enough going on that it carried me through to the end; however, given how high the stakes are in a Star Wars, it felt extremely claustrophobic containing it to one city for the entire time. Jarringly, the book has interludes to other parts of the galaxy at the time. This gives us a glimpse at how the rest of the galaxy is responding to the fall of the Empire. Unfortunately for Aftermath, most of these interludes are so much more interesting than the intrigue of Akiva. Most notably, a story about how Han and Chewie try and recapture Kashyyyk. (I almost wonder if these weren't teasers for future new canon titles. "Hey, I know you lost the EU, but look at what we're cooking up!")
Ultimately, I struggle to tell you to buy Aftermath. Borrow it from a friend or the library. Bust through it in a few days. Try to listen to it if you can. This book isn't the crime it was made out to be, but it's not the highlight of the Star Wars canon either.
In full disclosure, I listened to the audio book as read by Marc Thompson. He gives the performance a lot of character and enthusiasm that ultimately elevates a mediocre book into something much more fun. If I was reading this on my own, I would have likely been put off by the substandard writing and awkwardly-used Earth terminology. (Who knew there were hamsters in a galaxy far, far away?)
However, there are things done very right in Aftermath. I especially took a liking to Imperial Loyalty Officer -turned- Rebel Freedom Fighter Sinjir. Every time he came back to the story, I immediately had fun again. His character and arc were extremely well done and believable. I also enjoyed Admiral Rae Sloane, whom I just learned has been around for a while! (Admittedly, I am not very well-verses in the Star Wars EU...) Her character was cunning, intelligent, and a great villain. I look forward to seeing her develop in the future. Finally, I'd be remiss to not at least mention Mister Bones. The battle droids were among my favorite additions from the Prequels, and I'm glad they are still kicking around in the galaxy.
I enjoyed the story enough in Aftermath. It had enough going on that it carried me through to the end; however, given how high the stakes are in a Star Wars, it felt extremely claustrophobic containing it to one city for the entire time. Jarringly, the book has interludes to other parts of the galaxy at the time. This gives us a glimpse at how the rest of the galaxy is responding to the fall of the Empire. Unfortunately for Aftermath, most of these interludes are so much more interesting than the intrigue of Akiva. Most notably, a story about how Han and Chewie try and recapture Kashyyyk. (I almost wonder if these weren't teasers for future new canon titles. "Hey, I know you lost the EU, but look at what we're cooking up!")
Ultimately, I struggle to tell you to buy Aftermath. Borrow it from a friend or the library. Bust through it in a few days. Try to listen to it if you can. This book isn't the crime it was made out to be, but it's not the highlight of the Star Wars canon either.
I enjoyed the central story, but was frustrated by the too-numerous fake-outs and thought the excessive asides detracted rather than deepened the overall adventure.
Read because I wanted to know what happened. Writing, plot, characters are okay. The audio has a huge production behind it, but it's not good.
I had a lot of fun with this book. The vocal performance of the audiobook was professional and well-done. The added sound effects in the audio were a distraction from my enjoyment of the book, but not an unforgivable sin, given the subject matter. The greater distraction to my mind was the constant use of present tense. While I have read some Wendig books that made good use of this particular conceit, adding a sense of immediacy to a story, I don't feel that it was a net positive here. Even so, all told, the book was an enjoyable experience.
Though the present tense threw me off at first, it’s not a writing choice I’ve ever been a big fan of, this ended up being a lot of fun, and yet also somehow I cried twice?
Side note, but Mister Bones is joining my list of droids I love with my whole heart.
Side note, but Mister Bones is joining my list of droids I love with my whole heart.