::END TRANSMISSION::
Book Review: STAR WARS Aftermath Book 2: Life Debt
April 22, 2020
Book Reviews Aftermath Trilogy, Chuck Wendig, Life Debt, Star Wars Leave a comment
Chuck Wendig
Del Ray
2016
“If there’s one mystical energy that powers the galaxy, it’s not the Force. It’s pure, unadulterated irony.”
- The Emperor is dead, and the remnants of his former Empire are in retreat. as the New Republic fights to restore a lasting peace to the galaxy, some dare to imagine new beginnings and new destinies. For Han Solo, that means settling his last outstanding debt, by helping Chewbacca liberate the Wookiee’s homeworld of Kashyyyk. Meanwhile, Norra Wexley and her band of Imperial hunters pursue Grand Admiral Rae Sloane and the Empire’s remaining leadership across the galaxy. Even as more and ore officers are brought to justice, Sloane continues to elude the New Republic, ad Norra receives an urgent request from Princess Leia Organa. The attempt to liberate Kashyyyk has carried Han Solo, Chewbacca, and a band of smugglers into an ambush resulting in Chewie’s capture and Han’s disappearance. Breaking away from their official mission and racing toward the Millennium Falcon’s last known location, Norra and her crew prepare for any challenge that stands between then and their missing comrades. But they can’t anticipate the true depth of the danger that awaits them or the ruthlessness of the enemy drawing them into his crosshairs.
Here we are in the second book in the Aftermath trilogy of Star Wars new cannon. Obviously, I began reading it the moment the first book was done. I have to admit, it was less out of excitement to see what would happen next, and more out of obligation to see this trilogy through. Much like how I approached the Prequel Trilogy releases. So, let’s see what Life Debt has to offer this continuing adventure.
So, our motley crew formed at the end of the last novel is now employed by the New Republic to hunt down and bring in Imperial war criminals for trial. We open on one of those missions, where things don’t go exactly as planned, let’s just say. Regardless, after escaping capture and taking on some Hroth-beasts, they manage to capture their target and head back to the New Republic headquarters. Meanwhile, Grand Admiral Rae Sloane is busy working propaganda for what’s left of the Empire, while Fleet Admiral Rax is working behind the scenes to get a Shadow Council set up to guide the Empire’s resurgence incognito. Back on the New Republic side, Princess Leia relays the news that, while trying to help liberate Kashyyyk from the Imperials, Chewbacca was captured and Han has been trying to locate him by himself since, because the whole promise of “help” from his fellow smugglers turned out to be A TRAP! Imagine that. Leia asks Norra to go find them, but they can’t be officially sanctioned by the New Republic to do so. After a reprimand, Norra resigns her Republic commission and goes off looking for Han herself, which leads to finding Han, then heading to Kashyyyk where the slaves and prisoners are being used as living batteries for power*. One of those prisoners happens to be Norra’s long-lost husband, and the father of their teenage son. After a rather interesting battle and scuffle, the prisoners are freed, and Nora flies off with her son, his comic relief killbot, and approximately 100 prisoners, back to the Republic. Flash forward a month later, and Norra is now working as a shuttle pilot for the Galactic Senate, and things haven’t exactly gone back to normal with her family, as things have changed between her and her husband (which may have something to do with that arbitrary blooming romance between her and Wedge Antillies). Things are looking up for the New Republic, however, as they’re about to parade the freed prisoners in a celebration, and have agreed to meet with Grand Admiral Sloane for potential peace talks. Norra’s son discovers that his formerly estranged dad is acting, really strange, especially after he’s locked in a storage pod and left for dead. Later, at the celebration, the prisoners being presented suddenly all start firing on the Republic officials, as they were set up as sleeper agents apparently. Nope, didn’t see that coming**. Anyway, chaos ensues, and the book ends by finally introducing the Obligatory Tie-In to The Force Awakens. To be continued.
Overall, this second book in the Aftermath trilogy is the same as the first, in that this works best when it gets to the action. The bit at the beginning where they’re trying to abduct the Imperial was particularly amusing, as was the battle to free the people being used as flesh batteries on the base on Kashyyyk. Like the last novel, there are several interludes where their a bit more interesting than the ones in Book 1, but not by much. And the parts where the story itself stops completely to focus on arbitrary drama between characters, like last time, shows the areas where Wendig’s writing is the weakest.
Like I said at the beginning of this post, I read Life Debt more out of the need to finish up the trilogy, rather than out of overpowering interest in the overarching plot and stories. As I move on to the final book in the Aftermath trilogy, I do so with more of the same. Take that as you will.
[*Pedantic Fun Fact: the human body is notoriously insufficient to be used as a power source, despite what The Matrix tells us]
[**Sarcasm…I totally saw that coming]
Confessions Of A Christian Freak 