I'm not a big Stover fan. I remember reading this one and finding it a bit weird and depressing until the end. Still it was an interesting read at the time.
GO MEG!!!!! MY HEROINE!!!!! Earth's one and only Jaina Solo reincarnated!!! (or whatever your favourite character is rofl) Jaina Solo Deserved Better!!!
I liked this book a lot. It has some nice early development for a post-ROTJ but pre-Thrawn Trilogy Luke, all the other major characters get some standout moments, and the villain has a unique enough ideology to not feel entirely repetitive. I didn't mind the framing device as while it's left ambiguous as to whether this is the "true" event or not, Luke does make Geptun re-edit his script to a more "accurate" version at the end so that seems to be why a lot of the more ridiculous parts Luke complains about at the end aren't included. An issue I had was that early on Luke brings up that Han resigned his rank as General, but unless I'm forgetting something that didn't happen until Courtship which takes place after this.
I agree alot with the framing device issue; reading it for the first time, I expected a more nuance story telling, with a morally gray view of the events that took place to place Luke in his situation at the beginning. As you said, this is not the case, it's a pretty straightforward story.
The "Hobbie has prosthetics" retcon comes from the Darklighter arc of Empire comics. Which I have a LOT of problems with, in addition to the Hobbie retcon.
@@DIEGhostfish Those parts were good. The retcons with Hobbie and especially the stupidity of making TIEs always on autopilot were what dragged it down a LOT for me.
@@DIEGhostfish Yeah, the TIEs in the Academy are talked about as having an autopilot that made it hard to shoot and fly. Which is not something that ANY other source talked about, and felt really stupid. The retcon I'm talking about is the prosthetics, not the Death Star thing. Obviously he couldn't be at the Death Star cause only Luke, Wedge, and Keyan survived.
Cronal dissolving as his dark essencce is defeated and his ship melts in hyperspace because the living rock rebels seems like it was the Holodrama edit putting a neat little bow on it, We know Cronal lives because he's around for Dark Empire and to lobotomize Ismarek.
One of my big issues with this is his... Weird retcons about the TIE and TIE Defender. I'm sorry, but I've played TIE Fighter and XWA, it takes MANY missiles to bring down a Defender they ABSOLUTELY have particle shields. And TIEs all have Repulsors. Every single one of them.
Now, the framing device might actually work for that. Saying the TIE Defender doesn't have particle shields comes off like American propaganda about how a certain infamous german machinegun the MG42 "Wasn't that bad." Blatantly lying to their own recruits because they decided the panic was a bigger strategic problem than the deaths. So if the NR doesn't want pilots to lock up when they see a Defender, let them think their missiles will kill it. Because they certainly CAN, it'll just take a lot of them. TIEs not having repulsors though is just silly.
I also just do not enjoy how badly Luke fails. Yes, ultimately, he wins, but it's so Pyrrhic. And I get that it explains why he never reactivates his commission, but it's just unpleasant to read.
I gotta say, I've never been a big Stover fan (from Traitor onwards), but his comments about "pre-Zahn" Star Wars felt like a very unprofessional dig against one of my favorite Star Wars authors, and so I definitely went into this one with a chip on my shoulder. And honestly, I don't think Stover delivered. James Luceno (IRL friends with Daley) delivered the best homage to the Han Solo Adventures in Millenium Falcon that I've read - and an awesome novel on its own. Stover just wrote more Stover, with too many twists, purple prose, and self important bon mots. I will give him this, though - the "Unlike the Jedi of old, you are not afraid of the dark" is a good line.
One of my big issues with this is his... Weird retcons about the TIE and TIE Defender. I'm sorry, but I've played TIE Fighter and XWA, it takes MANY missiles to bring down a Defender they ABSOLUTELY have particle shields. And TIEs all have Repulsors. Every single one of them. Now, the framing device might actually work for that. Saying the TIE Defender doesn't have particle shields comes off like American propaganda about how a certain infamous german machinegun the MG42 "Wasn't that bad." Blatantly lying to their own recruits because they decided the panic was a bigger strategic problem than the deaths. So if the NR doesn't want pilots to lock up when they see a Defender, let them think their missiles will kill it. Because they certainly CAN, it'll just take a lot of them. TIEs not having repulsors though is just silly.
@@DIEGhostfish Including the Defender long before the Rogues encounter it in Isard's Revenge really annoyed me. And the technical details felt lazy and sloppy. But, again. I just don't like Stover's work in general very much.
@@millernumber1 Stackpole acted like they'd never seen a Defender until AFTER the Thrawn Campaign? I don't remember them being new for the Rogues. But if they were new for them then it actually was dumb and made no sense.
@@DIEGhostfish I think it makes reasonable sense that the Rogues wouldn't find them until the Empire had started having more victories and stability again. Palpatine's Empire wouldn't use them because of the association with Zaarin, and most early warlords would be too enamored either with building their own (like Zsinj's TIE Raptors) or would love the "endless disposable troops" philosophy of Palpatine. Only after Thrawn gave the Empire a shot in the arm economically and also a philosophical change in valuing individual performance more than mass wave tactics would the warlords follow suit. You could argue that in Isard's Revenge, it's only CORRAN who hasn't seen the Defenders before, which still fits with Mindor. But I think for the reasons above, it makes more sense that Defenders just weren't in wider use until after Thrawn's campaign.
I'm not a big Stover fan. I remember reading this one and finding it a bit weird and depressing until the end. Still it was an interesting read at the time.
I am a big fan of Matthew Stover. Thank you so much for the review!
GO MEG!!!!!
MY HEROINE!!!!!
Earth's one and only Jaina Solo reincarnated!!! (or whatever your favourite character is rofl)
Jaina Solo Deserved Better!!!
Love your get-up! Thanks for the review
"I'll start with the Little guys"
Starts with *WEDGE ANTILLES: THE ACE OF ACES.*
But I am reliably informed that "no one cares about Wedge Antilles"
I liked this book a lot. It has some nice early development for a post-ROTJ but pre-Thrawn Trilogy Luke, all the other major characters get some standout moments, and the villain has a unique enough ideology to not feel entirely repetitive.
I didn't mind the framing device as while it's left ambiguous as to whether this is the "true" event or not, Luke does make Geptun re-edit his script to a more "accurate" version at the end so that seems to be why a lot of the more ridiculous parts Luke complains about at the end aren't included.
An issue I had was that early on Luke brings up that Han resigned his rank as General, but unless I'm forgetting something that didn't happen until Courtship which takes place after this.
I agree alot with the framing device issue; reading it for the first time, I expected a more nuance story telling, with a morally gray view of the events that took place to place Luke in his situation at the beginning. As you said, this is not the case, it's a pretty straightforward story.
The "Hobbie has prosthetics" retcon comes from the Darklighter arc of Empire comics. Which I have a LOT of problems with, in addition to the Hobbie retcon.
I mean I really liked the Darklighter Arc. The mutiny, the raid to get the X-Wings, and especially the ending.
@@DIEGhostfish Those parts were good. The retcons with Hobbie and especially the stupidity of making TIEs always on autopilot were what dragged it down a LOT for me.
@@millernumber1 Always on Autopilot? Also wasn't it already established he missed the DS battle?
@@DIEGhostfish Yeah, the TIEs in the Academy are talked about as having an autopilot that made it hard to shoot and fly. Which is not something that ANY other source talked about, and felt really stupid.
The retcon I'm talking about is the prosthetics, not the Death Star thing. Obviously he couldn't be at the Death Star cause only Luke, Wedge, and Keyan survived.
@@millernumber1 I assume that was just an override at the academy to make it harder but also safer.
At first I thought it was Shadows of Mordor. Would be awesome crossover
Cronal dissolving as his dark essencce is defeated and his ship melts in hyperspace because the living rock rebels seems like it was the Holodrama edit putting a neat little bow on it, We know Cronal lives because he's around for Dark Empire and to lobotomize Ismarek.
One of my big issues with this is his... Weird retcons about the TIE and TIE Defender. I'm sorry, but I've played TIE Fighter and XWA, it takes MANY missiles to bring down a Defender they ABSOLUTELY have particle shields. And TIEs all have Repulsors. Every single one of them.
Now, the framing device might actually work for that. Saying the TIE Defender doesn't have particle shields comes off like American propaganda about how a certain infamous german machinegun the MG42 "Wasn't that bad." Blatantly lying to their own recruits because they decided the panic was a bigger strategic problem than the deaths. So if the NR doesn't want pilots to lock up when they see a Defender, let them think their missiles will kill it. Because they certainly CAN, it'll just take a lot of them.
TIEs not having repulsors though is just silly.
I also just do not enjoy how badly Luke fails. Yes, ultimately, he wins, but it's so Pyrrhic. And I get that it explains why he never reactivates his commission, but it's just unpleasant to read.
I gotta say, I've never been a big Stover fan (from Traitor onwards), but his comments about "pre-Zahn" Star Wars felt like a very unprofessional dig against one of my favorite Star Wars authors, and so I definitely went into this one with a chip on my shoulder. And honestly, I don't think Stover delivered. James Luceno (IRL friends with Daley) delivered the best homage to the Han Solo Adventures in Millenium Falcon that I've read - and an awesome novel on its own. Stover just wrote more Stover, with too many twists, purple prose, and self important bon mots. I will give him this, though - the "Unlike the Jedi of old, you are not afraid of the dark" is a good line.
One of my big issues with this is his... Weird retcons about the TIE and TIE Defender. I'm sorry, but I've played TIE Fighter and XWA, it takes MANY missiles to bring down a Defender they ABSOLUTELY have particle shields. And TIEs all have Repulsors. Every single one of them. Now, the framing device might actually work for that. Saying the TIE Defender doesn't have particle shields comes off like American propaganda about how a certain infamous german machinegun the MG42 "Wasn't that bad." Blatantly lying to their own recruits because they decided the panic was a bigger strategic problem than the deaths. So if the NR doesn't want pilots to lock up when they see a Defender, let them think their missiles will kill it. Because they certainly CAN, it'll just take a lot of them.
TIEs not having repulsors though is just silly.
@@DIEGhostfish Including the Defender long before the Rogues encounter it in Isard's Revenge really annoyed me. And the technical details felt lazy and sloppy. But, again. I just don't like Stover's work in general very much.
@@millernumber1 Stackpole acted like they'd never seen a Defender until AFTER the Thrawn Campaign? I don't remember them being new for the Rogues. But if they were new for them then it actually was dumb and made no sense.
@@DIEGhostfish I think it makes reasonable sense that the Rogues wouldn't find them until the Empire had started having more victories and stability again. Palpatine's Empire wouldn't use them because of the association with Zaarin, and most early warlords would be too enamored either with building their own (like Zsinj's TIE Raptors) or would love the "endless disposable troops" philosophy of Palpatine. Only after Thrawn gave the Empire a shot in the arm economically and also a philosophical change in valuing individual performance more than mass wave tactics would the warlords follow suit.
You could argue that in Isard's Revenge, it's only CORRAN who hasn't seen the Defenders before, which still fits with Mindor. But I think for the reasons above, it makes more sense that Defenders just weren't in wider use until after Thrawn's campaign.
I don't think Stover saying "I wanna bring back some of that 80's pulp fun" is a dig on anyone.