A review by emsemce123
Shadow Fall by Alexander Freed

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

No. Again, another Alphabet Squadron book I was disappointed in. Damn my completionist curse! I don't know what it is but I can't get into Freed's writing style. It's not bad, tons of characters with their own stories and motivations and yet I can't get excited for it. The squadron battles are good and well-written but because I'm not interested in the story or even find the characters very likeable I can't get too invested in anything, feels like there's no stakes. Also I wish certain things were elaborated on better (mild-spoiler) the majority if this book takes place on the planet Troithe and it's planetoid Catadras (I think that's what it was called) and they both circle a black hole? Or just the planetoid does? I don't even know but I remember thinking, alright,now there's stakes for everyone involved but it never gets brought back up again ultimately climaxing in...yeah, more starfighter battles, which yeah its cool, but I was kind of excited for the black hole that was mentioned once and never brought back up again making me wonder if I'd imagined it and spacing out thinking about how much cooler being stranded on a planet about to be sucked into a black hole and having to find a way off while a war rages on in which neither side really knows about it. That's interesting. 

Why did Keize switch sides? Why did Yrica switch back sides? Why did she choose to join the empire to learn how to fly to defect at the first chance to join the rebellion only to become too emotionally attached to her unit to leave them, to be given an out by Keize (in which he also defected back to the Empire because...?) To try to prove herself to the New Republic, but after her secret is found out she jumps ship right back to the Empire. Did you learn nothing?!? Pick a side or at least have a compelling reason to switch, just feels like lazy writing. Not saying a story like this couldn't work, but it doesn't for me with how it's written.