maismatu's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
david_agranoff's review against another edition
4.0
Like many Star Wars nerds I was stoked by the job JJ Abrams did on Episode 7. When the mouse house bought star wars I was not worried becausee they seemed to making some good calls. JJ, Lawrence Kasdan, Kathleen Kennedy. All good calls. While I was bummed that all the time I spent reading EU novels got ejected, I understood. You have to relaunch the stories.
I had questions after finishing Force Awakens. Mostly they were in relation to the dynamic between the New republic/ First Order/ resistance. So I intended first to read Alan Dean Foster's novelization. I listened to that one on Audio book and was disappointed that it brought very little to table that was not on the surface of the film.
The book I needed to read was Wendig's Aftermath. The answers were there in this extremely well written an smart re-boot of the SW universe and how it connects between Jedi and Awakens. It answers my questions on what happened in between. As a plotting and narrative structure geek there is alot to get excited about.
Wendig has one through story that follows a set of characters he invented and peppered through out are interludes that take place around the galaxy and give the novel an epic scope. It felt to me that the interludes were setting up novels that will make up the entire re-booted EU. Some like Han and Chewie's interlude just have to be novels. Has to be!
The actual prose was fantastic and will cause me to read more Wendig for sure. His invented characters from rebel fighter Norra Wexley and her son, to imperials like Admiral Slone and the bounty hunters in between are all solid. A fun read that weaves together with perfect pacing. an Excellent Star Wars that bodes well for the EU.
I had questions after finishing Force Awakens. Mostly they were in relation to the dynamic between the New republic/ First Order/ resistance. So I intended first to read Alan Dean Foster's novelization. I listened to that one on Audio book and was disappointed that it brought very little to table that was not on the surface of the film.
The book I needed to read was Wendig's Aftermath. The answers were there in this extremely well written an smart re-boot of the SW universe and how it connects between Jedi and Awakens. It answers my questions on what happened in between. As a plotting and narrative structure geek there is alot to get excited about.
Wendig has one through story that follows a set of characters he invented and peppered through out are interludes that take place around the galaxy and give the novel an epic scope. It felt to me that the interludes were setting up novels that will make up the entire re-booted EU. Some like Han and Chewie's interlude just have to be novels. Has to be!
The actual prose was fantastic and will cause me to read more Wendig for sure. His invented characters from rebel fighter Norra Wexley and her son, to imperials like Admiral Slone and the bounty hunters in between are all solid. A fun read that weaves together with perfect pacing. an Excellent Star Wars that bodes well for the EU.
jan_santanius's review against another edition
2.0
1.5 / 5
The The German translation is TERRIBLE and the reason why I've been stopping it again and again since 2017. It reads much easier in English. Chuck Wendig's humour is really cringe-worthy in many places and the main story bores me a lot. I think Sinjir is the only character I actually like - besides Mr. Bones and Sloane. But what I liked is the Imperial story arc. Sloane is an interesting character and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with her. Unfortunately I'm not a fan of many of Wendig's ideas, be it the scrapping of the New Republics Fleet etc. but that's just the situation in canon, I accept this and it can still be implemented well. In Aftermath Book 1, however, it is not.
I had fun with most of the Interlude chapters. Of course, it's a shame that Aftermath is contradicted several times in The Mandalorian...
Here's a bit of positives and negatives listed:
+ Mr Bones
+ Sloane
+ Sinjir
+ Wedge Antilles
+ How the empire deals with its fall
+ The Interlude Chapters
+ The large scope, we see many perspectives of the galaxy
+ References to the old EU
+ Explanation of what a Loyalty Officer is
- The writing style
- Wendig's humour
- The entire story on Akiva except for Sloane's imperial perspective.
- Norra's 4 fake deaths
- The German translation
- The New Republic Logo
- Cobb Vanth introduction was very very lame
- Even though I like the interludes, some of them were just unnecessary.
- Of course a Zabrak bounty hunter has to be related to the other Zabrak bounty hunter we know
- Not Enough Coruscant!!!
The The German translation is TERRIBLE and the reason why I've been stopping it again and again since 2017. It reads much easier in English. Chuck Wendig's humour is really cringe-worthy in many places and the main story bores me a lot. I think Sinjir is the only character I actually like - besides Mr. Bones and Sloane. But what I liked is the Imperial story arc. Sloane is an interesting character and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with her. Unfortunately I'm not a fan of many of Wendig's ideas, be it the scrapping of the New Republics Fleet etc. but that's just the situation in canon, I accept this and it can still be implemented well. In Aftermath Book 1, however, it is not.
I had fun with most of the Interlude chapters. Of course, it's a shame that Aftermath is contradicted several times in The Mandalorian...
Here's a bit of positives and negatives listed:
+ Mr Bones
+ Sloane
+ Sinjir
+ Wedge Antilles
+ How the empire deals with its fall
+ The Interlude Chapters
+ The large scope, we see many perspectives of the galaxy
+ References to the old EU
+ Explanation of what a Loyalty Officer is
- The writing style
- Wendig's humour
- The entire story on Akiva except for Sloane's imperial perspective.
- Norra's 4 fake deaths
- The German translation
- The New Republic Logo
- Cobb Vanth introduction was very very lame
- Even though I like the interludes, some of them were just unnecessary.
- Of course a Zabrak bounty hunter has to be related to the other Zabrak bounty hunter we know
- Not Enough Coruscant!!!
tomtas_anneli's review against another edition
3.0
I'd heard some horrible things about this book, and granted, if I'd read it on paper I would certainly have been more annoyed at some writing style choices than I was listening to it, but what I have no complaints about is the story. Wendig introduces new types of characters to the Star Wars universe, puts them together with some tried and true types, and throws them straight into adventure after adventure. As an audio-book, this was fun and diverting, while telling me things about the political developments after A New Hope that will likely be crucial not just to this trilogy, but to my understanding of the coming Saga films.
me511kev's review against another edition
1.0
Let me start out by saying I'm a huge Star Wars fan....
I started this book as an audiobook and 10 minutes in I was not impressed. There were sound affects, enhanced voices, constant background music and the narrator got hyper intense when there was action. Needless to say I didn't like it. Don't get me wrong, some effects can enhance a book, but this was a movie being narrated. I prefer to use my imagination when reading. If I want a movie, I'll go see one... but that's Disney for you.
Now on to the story...I ultimately gave up on this book about a third of the way through for multiple reasons. First, the story was too fragmented and very slow to start. With all the interludes, it was difficult to follow what was going on, especially when scenes cut away partway through the action. That can be useful plot device, but it became annoying pretty quick. Second, the writing itself was atrocious and immature.... the use of similes was over the top (it reminded me of City Of Bones)...I mean, learn to use a metaphor, AND you don't need to paint a picture of every little thing. The reader is intelligent and can use their imagination. This was apparent in his other book Zer0s, but the story made up for it. Next, other reviewers persuaded me to stop since it was obvious the story wasn't going to get better. I have made it habit not to waste my time forcing myself through books, I'd rather spend time on something I'm interested in. Lastly, I didn't like how this was rewriting the established post RTOJ canon that is already out there. I get this is a lead into The Force Awakens, but it invalidates great books like the Admiral Thron series. I would have been more OK with that, if the story was better.
Overall, audio book was too much, the story was disappointing and the writing wasn't great. Read at your own peril.
I started this book as an audiobook and 10 minutes in I was not impressed. There were sound affects, enhanced voices, constant background music and the narrator got hyper intense when there was action. Needless to say I didn't like it. Don't get me wrong, some effects can enhance a book, but this was a movie being narrated. I prefer to use my imagination when reading. If I want a movie, I'll go see one... but that's Disney for you.
Now on to the story...I ultimately gave up on this book about a third of the way through for multiple reasons. First, the story was too fragmented and very slow to start. With all the interludes, it was difficult to follow what was going on, especially when scenes cut away partway through the action. That can be useful plot device, but it became annoying pretty quick. Second, the writing itself was atrocious and immature.... the use of similes was over the top (it reminded me of City Of Bones)...I mean, learn to use a metaphor, AND you don't need to paint a picture of every little thing. The reader is intelligent and can use their imagination. This was apparent in his other book Zer0s, but the story made up for it. Next, other reviewers persuaded me to stop since it was obvious the story wasn't going to get better. I have made it habit not to waste my time forcing myself through books, I'd rather spend time on something I'm interested in. Lastly, I didn't like how this was rewriting the established post RTOJ canon that is already out there. I get this is a lead into The Force Awakens, but it invalidates great books like the Admiral Thron series. I would have been more OK with that, if the story was better.
Overall, audio book was too much, the story was disappointing and the writing wasn't great. Read at your own peril.
incognitiously's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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
4.5
jaffo's review against another edition
2.0
This was a decent story, but the sound effects are too much. Not a fan of constant background noise, starfighters, blasters, swelling John Williams music...
Okay, the music is a nice to have at times, but it's all way overdone in this audiobook.
The author wrote a good story, but his ham fisted platitudes kind of ruin the suspension of disbelief.
The narrator is decent, although he tries to hard with a few of the voices. I mean, I don't recall seeing James Stewart in a Star Wars film but he shows up near the end of this audiobook...
If you are a fan of the Star Wars universe and want a decent fix, this is just what you are looking for. It's not the next great American novel for certain, but it'll scratch the itch for a Galaxy Far, Far Away.
Okay, the music is a nice to have at times, but it's all way overdone in this audiobook.
The author wrote a good story, but his ham fisted platitudes kind of ruin the suspension of disbelief.
The narrator is decent, although he tries to hard with a few of the voices. I mean, I don't recall seeing James Stewart in a Star Wars film but he shows up near the end of this audiobook...
If you are a fan of the Star Wars universe and want a decent fix, this is just what you are looking for. It's not the next great American novel for certain, but it'll scratch the itch for a Galaxy Far, Far Away.
erichart's review against another edition
3.0
An enjoyable introduction to the new Star Wars universe. I'd read a lot of complaints about the writing style, but I had no trouble with it, apart from the irritating similes. The plot and characters are gripping enough to overcome minor quibbles. The interludes showing how different places are coping with the fall of the Empire serve to broaden the scope and paint a larger picture.
alwaysagem's review against another edition
3.0
Quite a boring and confusing read at first. it’s written very weirdly and i don’t like it. however, the ending was okay and picked up a little bit but overall the book fell flat.
darthkitty23's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5