thesmudge's review against another edition
4.0
And so concludes this series concerning Rogue Squadron. This one wraps up the events from the previous books and details the end of the bacta war which came about because of the infection of Coruscant when the empire left it. Overall pretty good. This is the first time that I read the series although i tried starting it a couple of times since it came out in 1996. I have all the paperbacks that I bought when they first came out and I am glad I finally got around to reading them.
thomasawaugh's review against another edition
adventurous
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? It's complicated
5.0
tobiaswuerfel's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
cbdrummer3's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
redstickredsox's review against another edition
4.0
Rereading this book two decades after buying it took just a little of the shine off. The cast of characters is great, and I love the plot. But I recognize that the dialogue is a little heavy handed, and the internal monologues are far more verbose than the ones in my head.
helena_g_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.75
⭐️: 4.75/5
“ ‘I hadn’t realized how much you had become part of my life until you were gone…’ “
➡️ linear timeline
👥POV: multiple first person
🐎 Pace: medium
💭: Wedge Antilles, Coran Horn, and Verru are some of the many characters we follow in the 4th installment of the X-wing series.
What I loved:
- TATOOINE! 🏜️
- They’re basically pirates now 🏴☠️
- Cantina scene
- Booster, Mirax’s dad
- The black-claws!! FUCK YEAHHH
- Iella, becoming a MF boss while moving through her grief
- Spaceship lore (actually sounds cool)
- Ooryl, his storyline in this book made me so happy 🥹
- Coran and Mirax 🥰
- Epic ending!
What I wasn’t a fan of
- Slow to start
- Not sure where the series goes from here?
Overall, I absolutely enjoyed this book! With how things ended I’m not sure where everything will move forward from here but still looking forward to the next installment in the series since there’s a few unanswered questions lingering
⚠️ grief
luckypluto's review against another edition
3.0
The Bacta War will always hold a special place in my heart, if only for the memory of my best friend-turned-enemy stealing it from me in fifth grade. It’s one of the most exciting in the Rogue Squadron series. Fresh off their conquest of Coruscant, and the return of protagonist Corran Horn from the dead in The Krytos Trap, the entire squadron resigns their commissions and essentially becomes a mercentary/pirate force fighting to liberate Thyferra from the clutches of would-be Emperor Ysanne Isard. The Bacta War has a different feel from the other novels, as our heroes no longer find themselves subject to the military hierarchy and bureaucracy they are used to.
Historically, The Bacta War has been one of my favorite novels in the series, tied for #2 with Wedge’s Gamble. However, with nearly fifteen years between now and when I first read it, I found the book hasn’t hung onto its charm. The plot is outlandish, constantly making the reader wonder, “Could the Rogues really accomplish this?” The novel also relies heavily on deus ex machina, and the whole thing just feels thrown together. And despite the fact that the pilots are now a ragtag group of mercenaries (perhaps truer to the squadron’s name than at any other time in the series), the book lacks much of the excitement and tension of Wedge’s Gamble or even Rogue Squadron. Perhaps the issue is that, by The Bacta War, the force appears unstoppable, even invincible, so the reader never really feels like they’re in danger—but Stackpole certainly doesn’t go out of his way to counter that feeling. Perhaps, too, it’s because Stackpole introduces far too many main characters; the book is told at times from the perspective of Horn, Wedge Antilles, Fliry Vorru, Iella Wessiri, and several Imperal naval officers, which makes the plot choppy and also reveals too much of the mystery too early. Certainly I knew the ending, since I’ve already read the book, but I still felt like there were no surprises. And unlike the other books in the series, the handful of deaths of Rogue pilots killed in combat feel more like a token nod to the danger faced by the squadron, and fail to evoke the surprise or sadness conjured up by deaths elsewhere in the series. I hate to say it, but The Bacta War is a shoddy end to an otherwise great series.
Historically, The Bacta War has been one of my favorite novels in the series, tied for #2 with Wedge’s Gamble. However, with nearly fifteen years between now and when I first read it, I found the book hasn’t hung onto its charm. The plot is outlandish, constantly making the reader wonder, “Could the Rogues really accomplish this?” The novel also relies heavily on deus ex machina, and the whole thing just feels thrown together. And despite the fact that the pilots are now a ragtag group of mercenaries (perhaps truer to the squadron’s name than at any other time in the series), the book lacks much of the excitement and tension of Wedge’s Gamble or even Rogue Squadron. Perhaps the issue is that, by The Bacta War, the force appears unstoppable, even invincible, so the reader never really feels like they’re in danger—but Stackpole certainly doesn’t go out of his way to counter that feeling. Perhaps, too, it’s because Stackpole introduces far too many main characters; the book is told at times from the perspective of Horn, Wedge Antilles, Fliry Vorru, Iella Wessiri, and several Imperal naval officers, which makes the plot choppy and also reveals too much of the mystery too early. Certainly I knew the ending, since I’ve already read the book, but I still felt like there were no surprises. And unlike the other books in the series, the handful of deaths of Rogue pilots killed in combat feel more like a token nod to the danger faced by the squadron, and fail to evoke the surprise or sadness conjured up by deaths elsewhere in the series. I hate to say it, but The Bacta War is a shoddy end to an otherwise great series.
pointlessape's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
carter1315's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual content