A Quickie Review

The start of one of the best-loved series within the Star Wars Expanded Universe, Rogue Squadron is a fun and enjoyable read with plenty of new characters. Fans of the EU who have yet to try these books definitely should.

Score: 4/5

EDIT: After suffering through the shark jump that was The Last Jedi, I needed a reminder of why I became a fan of Star Wars...and this did the trick. Forget the new movies; the Expanded Universe is the true successor to the original trilogy. Maybe, someday, the franchise will get a reboot, and we'll see the Thrawn trilogy on the big screen; one can only hope.a-to-z-challenge-201764 s Jonathan63 8

As IÂ’ve chronicled elsewhere, the end of my once-indiscriminate love of everything Star Wars roughly coincided with my graduation from high school and the deepening of my appreciation for more complex, philosophical literature. I did, however, carry a handful of my favorite Expanded Universe books along with me to college, and Michael StackpoleÂ’s (and later Aaron AllstonÂ’s) X-wing series was among them. Over the years theyÂ’d gotten a few rereads, but lately it had been awhile since IÂ’d spent any significant time in the galaxy far, far away. This changed recently when my brother decided he wanted to run a play-by-email Star Wars RPG, and though that never really got off the ground, it did inspire me to start another project of my own set in that universe. At one point in said project I needed to check a reference, and rather than cruise over to Wookieepedia, for some reason I pulled this book off the shelf. Flipping through the pages brought back old memories, so, both to indulge these and to capture the ambience for my own work, I decided to read it. As I did, I was reminded of everything that a Star Wars story could be, if only its creators were more concerned with their characters and the richly fertile world they inhabit than with the potential marketing implications.

One of my greatest delights in reading the Expanded Universe material, and I’m sure I’m not alone in this regard, was the care the authors took to respect the creations of those who had gone before. Taking the three films as gospel, they proceeded to dutifully enmesh their own stories in the ever-widening web of characters, planets, and plotlines so that the whole universe maintained an indelible, cohesive feel. You could pick up almost any Star Wars book and be instantly transported to the place you well knew from the screen. Since the advent of the “prequels,” this is no longer the case, but that’s a diatribe for another review. Let me give an example of how Stackpole succeeds: Early on in the book, as Wedge Antilles (the only man with two Death Stars painted on his fighter) sets about reorganizing the famed Rogue Squadron, his new recruits are undergoing simulated exercises, including the Redemption scenario. Stackpole uses this scene as an opportunity to introduce us to several of the main characters, but also to interject some exciting space combat into the novel’s opening stages. Old-school fans will, however, recognize the mission Corran and his squadron mates are flying from the original X-Wing computer game, right down to the formations of the enemy fighters (that one gave me fits as a kid; I never could beat it without cheating). It’s little inclusions this, when authors geek out about the same things that we do, that make us geek out even more. More than anything else, it’s this loss of cohesion, of the sense of some shared private connection, that so puts me off today’s Star Wars offerings.

Fortunately there are books this one, where that original thrill can still be found. It is by no means complex, but it neither purports nor needs to be. The characters, though not founts of deep personal wisdom, are fully realized and more than sufficient to secure our active investment. Not that Stackpole is wholly mum on deeper issues; Wedge and especially Corran struggle, through deftly inserted internal monologue, to reconcile their personal convictions with the actions their military service requires them to take. Even the bad guys are believable; their evil actions spring from inherently human vices pride or insecurity, not completely spurious devices dreams of the death of a loved one. And on the whole the story succeeds because of its characters. The high-flying action of space combat is fun, certainly, but of its own it does not a good story make. The plot, serving as it does to introduce an entire series, is serviceable and engaging but not particularly compelling of itself. We care because of the characters. We’re drawn to Corran and Wedge and Gavin the same way that all those years ago we were drawn to that towheaded kid who d to bullseye womp rats in his T-16 in Beggar’s Canyon, and the brash but lovable smuggler with the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs and the walking carpet for a sidekick. And this is Stackpole’s triumph: more than simply taking us back to that place among the stars that we know so well, he has added his own enduring piece to the legacy – one that, no matter where else my interests may lead, will always hold a place in my memory.starwars33 s Lyn1,909 16.8k

Good Star Wars fun.

Michael StackpoleÂ’s 1996 Star Wars expansion novel provides a great deal of meaningful backstory and detail for fans of the Star Wars films and universe.

Set a few years after the battle of Endor, when the Rebel Alliance has defeated both Death Stars and whatÂ’s left of the Empire is on the ropes, Stackpole continues the story and from the perspective of some of the minor players from the films, but fun characters to explore. Wedge Antilles and Admiral Ackbar are provided front stage treatment and the author introduces new characters to the ongoing SW storyline.

Stackpole is something of a humanist, but we still get a lot of technical information about X –Wings and Y-wings and the science behind much of the Lucas magic. Enjoyable for fans, and I am one, but I might have d this more when I was in HS and he could easily and graciously have chopped 100 pages off to make this a tighter and better story. Still, good conversation topic fodder for the next Comic Con.

29 s Robert1,775 151

I recently ned the experience of returning to these '90s X-Wing novels as akin to eating cotton candy- perhaps lacking in substance but able to be wolfed down precipitously and with great delight all the same.


Hot-shot Horn(dog) himself.

In brief, we meet legendary Legends "Gary Stu" character Corran Horn during tryouts for joining Rogue Squadron. We know he must be super awesome because he brought his own X-Wing and astromech droid with him- I mean, not even Tom Cruise in Top Gun shows up on the aircraft carrier in his personal F-14!

He joins the team because obviously he's The Best, and a range of colourful supporting wingmen and sultry or sassy wingwomen are introduced, all under the watchful tutelage of the grizzled veteran Rebel Ace Wedge Antilles of (checks notes) 27 years.

Apart from how generally insufferable the protagonist can be these books are gems of Legends content, lots of interesting development of how the Empire, and particularly the Imperial Navy and Intelligence Services, worked before and after the Battle of Endor as well as time for beloved supporting characters from the Rebellion such as the aforementioned Antilles or Admiral Ackbar to shine. Lastly, for those of us of a Certain Vintage, the very close correlation between how Stackpole writes these starfighter dogfights sequences and the gameplay of the LucasArts X-Wing computer game series is disturbingly gratifying.


Ooooohhhhh yeah. That's the good stuff.audio-reads guerre-stellari x-wing-series17 s Herdis Marie445 33

So ... Michael Stackpole is not a particularly good writer. Michael Stackpole makes video games. It is abundantly clear when reading this book that its author is more interested in cool space battles and flying craft than he is in creating believable characters or building a coherent plot.

I want to absolutely all SW related stuff, but there were many reasons this book fell short in that category. Let's break it down a bit.

Characters

Nawara Ven has brain tails. That is his physical attribute, and the only one Stackpole every pays any form of attention to.

Lujayne is conventionally good-looking, slender, and has long, shapely legs.
Erisi is conventionally good-looking, slender, and has long, shapely legs.
Mirax is conventionally good-looking, slender, and has long, shapely legs.
Ysanne Isard is older, yet somehow still conventionally good-looking. Oh, and also, she is slender and has long, shapely legs.

I don't think Stackpole recognises that other female body types exist.

Emtrey behaves similarly to Threepio. Kirtan Loor looks Tarkin.

When it comes to characterisation, Stackpole is sorely lacking in imagination, and it makes his narrative one-sided and, quite frankly, boring.

Writing/narration

As previously mentioned, Stackpole is fond of space battles. His knowledge of technical terms seems inexhaustible, but he clearly has a tendency of getting too excited about whatever scene he sees in his head, and the writing often ends up a confusing mess where you have to read a paragraph three times to understand something as simple as in which direction Corran turned his X-wing.

Stackpole is also a fan of stuffing all his exposition into conversations, which makes said conversations extremely awkward. In fact, Stackpole seems to be very poorly versed in how living things communicate. If tension arises between the characters, it is often talked out in just a couple of sentences. Three different girls seem interested in Corran during the course of the book, and with all three, the interaction between them seems incredibly contrived. It reads a little bit the author forgets that despite the fact that he knows what all his characters are thinking, they cannot know each others' thoughts at all times. It seems he's desirous of having certain scenarios, certain tensions, arise, but he doesn't wish for these situations to actually affect the development of the characters. Again, this makes for very boring reading.

Story

Stackpole, as mentioned, s his space battles. He constantly rushes towards these battles, sacrificing important elements in story build-up, , for instance, getting to see Rogue Squadron training and developing their relationships with each other. Yes, we get to see a little bit of this, but mostly we just hear that "this happened" or "that happened", usually while Corran or Wedge is in his X-wing flying off to some new presumably violent encounter.

Conclusion?

I know what people mean now, when they say that a some parts of Legends just aren't particularly interesting or well-written.

And the really frustrating thing is that I have this insatiable need to read everything available (perhaps stemming from my dissatisfaction with TFA), so I'm just going to have to suffer my way through three more Stackpole books before, thankfully, Aaron Allston takes over. Hopefully, his writing is better.american fantasy science-fiction ...more17 s1 comment Rachel (TheShadesofOrange)2,380 3,593

3.5 Stars
I've never loved the "star wars" part of Star Wars so I knew the X Wing series wouldn't be favourites. However I wanted to read them because I loved Coren in I, Jedi. This novel was quick and entertaining although the characters and the plot were pretty simple. I'd be open to reading more X Wing books.science-fiction12 s Crystal Starr Light1,390 868

Gonna take you right into the Danger Zone - Top Gun for Star Wars fanatics
It's two years after the events in Return of the Jedi and Wedge Antilles is recreating the infamous Rogue Squadron. He gathers together the best of the best: Corran Horn, Corellian ex-Cor Sec, Nawarra Ven, Twi'Lek attorney, Ooryl Qorg, a Gand pilot, Bror Jace, an arrogant Thyferran ace and more. And then there is Tycho Celchu, a Rebel pilot who was once a prisoner of the Empire...and may be a spy...
NOTE: Based on audiobook and novel.

I d:
Stackpole has created an array of interesting new characters--characters who could die at any moment (and only reading later books lets me know if they still live). He brings to life Wedge Antilles, who basically only had cameos in the movies. He creates a fascinating new character, Tycho Celchu, someone who might be either psychotic or a spy (he's one of my favorites). He walks us through the life of Corran, former CorSec with a history (his good luck charm is a Jedi medallion). Through Corran, we get a taste of the culture of Corellia: the ale, the food, how the Jedi were...it's huge fun!
Since the Empire is still pretty strong, we need to have new Imperial villains, so Stackpole provides us with Ysanne "Iceheart" Ishard and Kirtan Loor. This early on, Ishard is mostly in the background, but Loor is an interesting villain, from Imperial Intelligence, bearing remarkable resemblance to Grand Moff Tarkin. Loor strikes a good balance between being cunning, evil, and human (he makes a mistake that Ishard points out to him).
Being the first of a series, this book has a lot of set up: characters, mood, plot. It's all done very well, much better than some series I've read. We are introduced to the characters, their behaviors (Corran initially is quite the arrogant loner), and the villains. The mood is light, with some heavy duty piloting. The plot is far-reaching (I've read some of the later books, so I have an idea what happens) and realistically studies what happens to the Rebellion after, how the Rebellion becomes established on Coruscant and was the Empire really defeated at Endor.
And this is minor, but I still love it: continuity! Stackpole includes references to Zsinj, Bakura, and more! I love an author who does research!

I Didn't :
Space battles and dog fights can be very confusing, determining who is going what way doing what when.
Gavin Darklighter is yet another native of that supposedly "far away, backwards" planet, Tatooine.
There are a lot of pilots and some of them are harder to remember or identify than others.

Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
"Sithspawn".
Sexual tension arises between Corran and Mirax and Corran and the Erisi (Thyferran female pilot).

Overall:
An enjoyable start to a good series, Rogue Squadron keeps things exciting with new characters and a different niche (dogfighting a la Top Gun). This is one of the better Bantam novels out there, perfect for some nice, light reading. star-wars10 s Amelia250 24

I've read this book quite a few times. The most recent reading (2018), I have to say the thing that impresses me the most about this book is the fact that it get so much done. Twists, turns, laughs, tears. It's all here.

I have a hard time getting into some of the other Star Wars books because I always compare them to the X-Wing Series. I'm going to be getting the comics next.2018 owned scifi ...more7 s Jess Saxton57 1 follower

The pilots of the elite Rogue Squadron get their own series in these novels by Michael Stackpole. These books were a great part of my adolescence, and as such, I have a lot of praise for them.

In 'Rogue Squadron,' Wedge Antilles, Rebel hero and founding member is tasked with building a brand-new Rogue Squadron to act not only as an elite fighting force, but also as a symbol of the New Republic and their continuing fight against the remnants of the Empire led by Director of Imperial Intelligence, Ysanne Isard.

The story is told from the perspective of hotshot pilot and former member of Corellian Security (CorSec), Corran Horn and his nemesis, Kirtan Loor, who has an unhealthy fixation on Corran.

Loor's above mentioned fixation on Corran soon extends to the rest of the Squadron when Isard tasks him with their destruction as Rogue Squadron begins to make a push for Coruscant, the former seat of the Empire, which will validate them as the legitimate galactic government and encourage worlds that have not already to throw off the yoke of Imperial oppression and join the New Republic.

Wedge is the canon character draw for this series, with Admiral Ackbar and Princess Leia also making appearances, but Wedge takes a back seat to the new pilots, which I think is as it should be.

The story is well-written, fast-paced, and a general quick read with the same kinds of space battles that Star Wars is known for.

Because Corran is the focus of this book, you don't really get to really know the other members of Rogue Squadron very well in this book, which is a bit of a shame. I understand it's hard to focus on twelve characters, and some of them do get their own moments to shine later on.

Anyone familiar with the X-Wing comic book series, also written by Stackpole will recognize Mirax Terrik and enjoy her inclusion in the books.

'Rogue Squadron' serves as a great first book and springboard into the rest of the series, and I certainly recommend it to any Star Wars fan, especially the ones who loved the space battles in the movies.star-wars7 s Michael TowersAuthor 1 book4

Seinfeld was the show about nothing.. And this is the book about nothing. 400 pages of talking, exposition, training simulations, 1 dimensional characters and NO STORY.

Getting to the end of this was brutal. Every word of it I forced myself through. Every single page I was counting forward to where the chapter finished just so I could stop. At 300 pages, I gave up and read another book then figured I should come back and finish it. But it was hard work.

Every character is 1 dimensional with no depth, no personality and really nothing to differentiate them from anyone else. The chemistry between characters is just ridiculous with two different women throwing themselves sexually at Corran for no real reason whatsoever except that that seems to be their only purpose in the story.

The action is non existent. The opening action sequence is a virtual training run. Oh the excitement... Every fifty pages or so they fight some tie fighters. Who knows why. In between is just a whole bunch of talking from bland characters.

The action to exposition ratio is 1/8. Honestly, one thing happens for half a page and they spend the next 3 pages explaining step by step how and what they had done.

And honestly, nothing happens. Nothing at all. From start to finish they go on a few different flights and shoot some tie fighters. I'll be skipping the next 3 and giving the Aaron Alston Wraith Squadron books a go because Stackpole has no idea how to write story, characters or action.7 s1 comment Malum2,401 144

I am going with 2 stars here, but it might not actually be the book's fault.

I got the audiobook version of this and, as I am listening to it, I just kept thinking "This book is a total clustertruck. What is going on here?". I then found out that the audiobook version of this novel is HEAVILY abridged, and it really, really shows. Whoever abridged this must have just slammed their head into the button that cuts parts out over and over until they finally lapsed into unconsciousness.

It had some cool pew pewing, and I might check out the full novel at some point, but for now I am going to remain unimpressed with this. star-wars6 s b.andherbooks2,187 1,153

I credit X-Wing Rogue Squadron (Book 1) for "blooding me" to the "we only have tonight" trope. Corran Horn and Mirax Terrik actually joke about this before boning (off page alas) and heading to battle the next day. Young Beth LOVED IT.7 s Joshua Bishop83 1 follower

4/5 Stars

This was a very fine read and an excellent kickoff to the X-Wing series. It was refreshing having a non-force focused book (though I have read I, Jedi already and know whatÂ’s coming..). It was nice to see the galactic war through the eyes of the rank and file soldiers.

When I read I, Jedi after the Jedi Academy trilogy, I wasnÂ’t a huge fan of Corran Horn however after book one of this series he is growing on me.

I particularly d the parallels between CorranÂ’s storyline and that of Top Gun. Corran comes to Rogue Squadron as one of the best pilots (Maverick going to Top Gun). He forms a rivalry with the other hot hand (Iceman). Corran continuously disobeys command but always has favorable results (Maverick 24/7). Corrans wing mate has to eject from his fighter and experiences grave injury (Goose). Corran has a budding romance with the civilian working with his squadron (Kelly McGillis character). By the end, Corran and his Iceman make amends and seem to respect each other. This book is literally Star Wars Top Gun.

It was really interesting reading about the forming/reforming of the famed Rogue Squadron and their earliest missions. There was just enough old and new characters to keep any level of Legends reader engaged with the story. IÂ’m very excited to see what comes next. star-wars-books-read6 s Caleb s Books123 14

I hate to say it because of how highly regarded this one is in the Star Wars book community, but I found Rogue Squadron a bit disappointing. Not bad by any means but it didnÂ’t quite live up to the hype for me.

Overall I do think this book is just kind of “okay.” None of the characters particularly stood out to me, nor did the events of the plot. It was interesting to get a story from the perspective of a pilot squadron but that’s all that really stood out to me. Corran Horn is a solid main protagonist and I also enjoyed Wedge and a couple of other squadmates, but none of the characters really stood out in such a way that I absolutely loved them. The plot involves a couple of missions that were fun to read due to Stackpole’s writing of space combat, but otherwise I could take it or leave it.

I think part of why this one didnÂ’t quite work for me is because IÂ’ve generally not been super interested in the space combat or piloting sections of other Star Wars novels. I had a feeling going in that I wouldnÂ’t love this one, but I tried to keep an open mind considering how beloved this series is. Unfortunately, it still fell a little flat.

I know it probably sounds I’ve been pretty negative on this one, but really I wouldn’t say I didn’t enjoy it at all; more so that it was just a “meh” read. I d some of the writing of the combat and some of the character interactions, but otherwise it was just “okay.” I do intend to continue this series though, and I do hope I enjoy the following entries a bit more.

Rating: 6.5/105 s Sara J. (kefuwa)531 51

Okay. I can't remember the plot *at all*. But I do remember that I really enjoyed reading this series despite being a bit sceptical on the outset (ventured into it based on gushing from a friend). I wouldn't know how it holds up right now though. Tempted to do a re-read... but TBR pile so win. LOL. 5 s Megan94 22

Oh, wow. That's a very good way to start a review off, isn't it? I had forgotten just how excellent these books are. In spite of the fact that I love I, Jedi and have read it repeatedly, I just haven't gotten around to re-reading Corran's original series since the first time in '99.

The X-Wing series is one of the best ideas for a series anyone has ever had. It came out in 1996, with well over a dozen predecessors -- which meant that its early place in the timeline (the next step in the timeline after The Truce at Bakura) was well-bolstered by Stackpole's knowledge of surrounding events. Various warlords and villains receive their "first mentions" here, making for comfortable after-the-fact foreshadowing. The only disadvantage was Stackpole's getting influenced toward "a racist empire," but that's somewhat immaterial.

Two and a half years after Return of the Jedi, to be precise (year 01144), Wedge Antilles, hero of the rebellion, decides to re-form the famous squadron that brought down the second Death Star. The best pilots the Alliance has to offer (or the best and most politically expedient pilots) are brought together under Wedge's direction to take Rogue Squadron from legendary status to imp-vaping terrors.

Corran Horn is one such pilot, a former officer with CorSec with a complex past and unusual clear-headedness. But if you read I, Jedi first, be aware that this is a young and brash Corran just starting off with the Alliance without friends or allies yet.

Other pilots include Gavin Darklighter, a cousin of the famous Biggs; Jace and Erisi, a couple of Thyferran pilots from opposing factions in the bacta trade; and Orryl Qyrgg, a Gand and one of my favorite people ever. They're being trained to be the best of the best of the best by Wedge, who is facing plenty of politically-charged obstacles -- the ongoing persecution of his XO Tycho Celchu, another hero of Endor who is under suspicion due to his harrowing time as an Imperial POW.

All of these elements -- lone-wolf pilots being forged into a single deadly unit without all the homoerotic volleyball of Top Gun plus political interference from top brass, potential traitors and spies in the unit, and one quirky protocol droid -- are stirred together in a cauldron of the early New Republic environment: aka, the alliance wants to claim Imperial Center (Coruscant) away from the Empire.

It's a thrilling premise with strong, dynamic characters written in Stackpole's typical forthright style. I don't have a lot of interest in combat, but his dogfights and descriptions of air force life are compelling and exciting. There can be a blurred line between exposition and padding, but with this particular series -- nine books in all, and possibly originally planned for more -- the exposition is a vital part of the structure's development. Stackpole sketches out his characters until you know them and care about them, and intersperses hints and pieces from other books until the web between realcanon is a solid, binding thing. It's just good novels.

There's no doubt whatever about the X-Wing series' place in realcanon, and this book is a firecracker to start the series off with. I'm actually glad I only read the first four back in '99, because I haven't had a fresh realcanon book to look forward to in a long time, and now I have half a series!fiction owned scifi ...more4 s Steve Holm57 4

I originally had no intention of reading the any of the X-Wing books, just didn't interest me that much at first. But after reading the Thrawn and Jedi Academy trilogies, I decided to go back and give it a shot, before moving further forward in the Legends timeline.

And honestly I enjoyed it alot more than I expected. It was an easy and quick read, even with its more technical descriptions of x-wing stuff and a. I enjoyed both the rebel alliance main povs, but the empire pov was kinda uninteresting.

I think this was a great introduction to the series and I'm excited to continue it.4 s Trike1,631 172

Since Disney is going to make a film around this concept but not specifically this book, I figured I might as well read it. Its reputation as one of the best-loved Star Wars Expanded Universe (now Legends) stories precedes it, of course, and itÂ’s actually pretty solid space opera.

Stackpole did a lot of work explaining away goofy inconsistencies in Star Wars, such as the dumb “did the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs” comment by Han Solo, an explanation they used in the not-good-at-all prequel Solo. Namely, you have to weave around gravity wells in hyperspace to travel safely, so shortcuts are much sought after. It kinda doesn’t make sense since everything is constantly moving relative to everything else, but hey, it’s Star Wars. Of course, JJ Abrams, who is a crap storyteller, did away with this issue entirely, rendering all of it moot and apparently kicking the original Star Wars out of canon. (Abrams really is a shitty writer, isn’t he?) The foundational movie of the franchise is now a Legends tale. Irony, I know it when I see it.

Anyway, this book has a lot of cool elements as Stackpole uses every part of the buffalo to create fun starfighter scenarios. The fact X-Wings can levitate as they’re taxiing toward take-off is utilized to great effect in one scene — this is a writer who is doing a deep dive into what he’s seen in the movies and turning it into fodder for good storytelling. Again, un Abrams, whose movies are the equivalent of a child making vroom noises with his mouth. Did you *see* what he did to Star Trek? Jesus, that fucken guy.

After seeing the mess Patty Jenkins made of Wonder Woman 1984, I donÂ’t have high hopes for her version of this, despite the fact her dad was a fighter pilot. So this is probably the best version of this story that will exist, and itÂ’s certainly an enjoyable adventure. The main plot is wrapped up but a large number of character threads and plot complications are left unresolved for the sequel.2021-laser read-in-2021 science-fiction ...more4 s Jenny T860 41

I enjoyed the original Star Wars trilogy but had never considered myself a fan until now. The Force Awakens triggered it, and Michael Stackpole has really cemented it. Rogue Squadron is a treat, and it's a crime that it's no longer considered canon. Wedge Antilles (a Commander now) has reformed the squadron with some fantastic pilots. There's plenty of space action, but what I particularly enjoyed were the characters.

I think what initially turned me off to Star Wars was the mysticism and aloofness of the Jedi. The Rogues are refreshingly down to earth, and I can't wait to spend some more time with them.read-in-2016 science-fiction star-wars4 s F. William Davis798 38

This was a very enjoyable book. A rogue squadron team is being assembled and trained while constantly being pestered by (and pestering) the Imps.... so not much is new, but the story is told really well and includes heaps of detail for star wars lore noobs myself.

I thought the characters were surprisingly well done and I was fairly invested in their activities by the time the book signed out. For a bunch of pilots apparently obsessed with who's fastest and who's the betterest they actually came across quite able and interesting.

The agents of the Empire were also very interesting and I loved their epilogue.4 s Andreas251

Well this certainly exceeded my expectations. I expected this book (and the entire series, but that's still to early to tell) to be a bit niche, but it had much more to offer than just fast ships and shooty shooting. It's late now and my brain won't let me do words anymore. In conclusion, I really d the book and I will be continuing the series straight away.

4.25/5 stars4 s Wayne Fielding142 1 follower

This is a re read, first read in 1996… I think. This is better than I remember, it was well narrated and the sound effects were amazing.3 s Eric AllenAuthor 2 books773

So, there I was, browsing shelves of Manga at Barnes and Noble. American comics have turned into something of a thoroughly unenjoyable dumpster fire over the last decade or so, and Japanese comics are hitting the spot for me that they no longer can, and a lot better than they ever did, to be honest. As I was taking my selections up front to pay for them, I swung past the Star Wars shelf of the Sci-fi section out of long habit, to see if there was anything new and worth giving a shot.

There was not.

But I just can't give up hope that something worth reading will come along and blow me away. I don't want to hate Star Wars. I love Star Wars.

However, there was this beautiful trade paperback of the first Rogue Squadron book. A book that I LOVED 25 or so years ago when it came out. I'd read my old paperback of it to pieces years ago, and figured, it's been a handful of decades, lets see if this old favorite still holds up.

There's something that's been going through my mind lately. Am I just looking back at some of the Star Wars books from back in the 90s with nostalgia goggles? Were they always as bad as they are now? Were any of them actually good?

Well, this book answers that question for me.

Yes. Some of them were VERY good. This book does everything right. It introduces a new and colorful cast of characters. It does a very good job of introducing them all and making their motivations clear. They each have separate and distinct personalities, goals and skills. There is a lot of personality on display in every conversation. The aliens actually feel alien in the way they act and look at the world. And they all have to learn to work together to fight against a diminished, but no less dangerous Imperial Fleet. It's a great beginning to a great series, written by someone who clearly has a passion for Star Wars, and for telling a good story about good characters. The difference between this book and more modern Star Wars books is night and day. There really isn't any comparison. Modern Star Wars books are all so flat and soulless. This one is full of life and passion.

This leads me to the question: What happened? Why don't we get Star Wars books this anymore? Why does every Star Wars book these days have to be complete garbage? Why can't we get more books this one?3 s MasterSal2,055 20

So the last time that I started the year with a Star War novel it was 2020 and we all know how that year went (see: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...). Therefore, I refuse to recognise the date change that GR noted. This was my last book of the year - period!!

(It did end up being better than Phantom Menace, so maybe that is a sign of better things to come).

This book, which sets up a new Rogue Squadron, is basically a mashup of Top Gun in space with some fairly tech heavy x-wing manuals. It was less fun than Top Gun as I still don't have a feel for the characters, except Corran Horn. And there was too much fake space talk and not enough character moments for this to blow me out of the water.

Still - I had fun with the book even if I am not sure I followed all the battles and still not sure what is happening with the villains. The series needs to set up its antagonists better otherwise there is not much tension in the book. I am hopeful about this given that this is a series which will ly have an arc. IÂ’m probably not going to get a Thrawn but keeping my fingers crossed. IÂ’ve never read this series so I am hoping to be surprised.

However, Mr. Stackpole needs to invest in a thesaurus. Every woman who appears on page is slender, or shapely or sometimes even both. Even the series’ main villain and power broker is described as “tall and slender”. It seems as if Mr. Stackpole's Word subscription conked out on him. I guess it’s better than the aliens who don't even rate a description, except for the twi'lek whose brain stems are always noted when he talks. Yes, we get it - he has two tails on his head
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