Book Review: Star Wars: X-Wing: Iron Fist SPOILERS!

In July 1998, Aaron Allston published his second X-Wing novel (X-Wing 6). It promised to be great, and yet fell into his stereo-typical writing of juvenile kids acting as adults. Synopsis:  Against all odds, the controversial Wraith Squadron has survived its first covert mission. But now they are called upon to cheat death twice. This time Wedge Antilles sends them in to stop the warlord Zsinj and his Super Star Destroyer, Iron Fist. If Zsinj joins the Empire, it could turn the tide of war against the Rebels. The Wraith Squadron's mission: infiltrate the warlord's fleet and uncover his carefully guarded plans. To do so, they must pose as ruthless pirates seeking to join Zsinj's forces. And that means first becoming pirates in space lanes teeming with Imperial Navy patrols. If that isn't enough to get them killed, they'll have to pass one last test—a suicide mission for Zsinj. Can they survive the test and turn the tables on Zsinj? Or is this the end for Wraith Squadron?

The novel opens with the Wraiths in a bar fight on Coruscant, but the New Republic Military Police arrive, and arrest them. Garik "Face" Loran takes them down when he notices their so-called Corellian walks aren't genuine. Colonel Atton Repness and Admiral Ackbar debrief them, then Ackbar give the Wraiths new orders. Ton Phanan and Kell Tainer recall that Repness was the one who wrecked Tyria Sarkin's career because she wouldn't steal a ship for him. Ton decides to bring Face in and then use Implacable survivor Lara Nostil against Repness and flush his illegal thefts out into the open. They convince Wedge to go along with it and then they get Lara to agree. Meanwhile, Piggy and Runt note that Zsinj is conversing with pirates, either to enlist them or get intel from them. Three new crew members join: Dia Passik, a Twi'lek ex-slave; Castin Donn, hacker; and Shalla Nelprin, whose sister is in the Katarn Commandos. Zsinj gets a communique from Gara--now Lara--and she offers to help bring Wraith Squadron down. Lara goes to expose Repness, but he subdues her. However, General Airen Cracken shows up and arrests Repness. Lara breezes through the remedial training and joins up with Wraith Squadron. Meanwhile, the Wraiths meet up with General Han Solo on Mon Remonda along with Rogue Squadron. Zsinj finds out where Lara is and is pleased that he can use her to end Solo's hunt for him. It's on Mon Remonda that Face suggests Wraith Squadron splits up and have only certain members infiltrate Zsinj's people. Under the name of Hawk-bats, Face leads Ton, Lara, Shalla, Wes, and a stuffed toy Ewok against Zsinj's fleet, but Ton dies. Ton leaves everything he owns to Face. The Hawk-bat's now include Face, Dia, Kell, and the Ewok toy. They attempt to join Zsinj, but Castin has stowed away and is found by Zsinj's men. Face pretends to not know him and Zsinj has him executed. Meanwhile, Myn Donos and Lara head to Aldivy so Lara can reunite with her "brother" and update Zsinj on Wraith Squadron, but a frantic call to Myn cuts that short as he strafes the place. Castin, meanwhile, stowed away with Face and gang who are now "working for" Zsinj. It's then revealed that ex-Imperial and former Rogue Squadron member Baron Soontir Fel is indeed working for Zsinj inhis old unit, 181st Imperial Fighter Wing/Group. Castin's caught, then brought before Zsinj, Melvar, Face and company. Dia, staying in character, kills Castin, though she notes to Face that Castin was already dead when two stormtroopers presented him to them. She goes insane and attempts to kill herself, but Kell and Face restrain her. Piecing together the data Zsinj gave Face and from what little Castin was able to obtain before his death, the Wraiths discover that Kuat Drive Yards, in orbit above Kuat, is Zsinj's next target, and the warlord is after a Super Star Destroyer. The Hawk-bats and Zsinj, with numerous others, attack KDY. The battle rages on and Shalla Nelprin is presumed dead, but is actually hiding and awaiting pick up after the battle. In the midst of the battle, Wedge, as Kettch, teams up with his brother in law (Fel) and the two of them fight alongside each other, and Wedge learns that Syal (his sister) is still alive, but Fel insists that the only other great human pilot is Luke and that Wedge can't hold a candle to either of them. After the fight, Face meets again with General Melvar, the Vibroaxe squadron leader, and others to receive payment. Zsinj, however, notices Mon Remonda and orders Iron Fist and Razor's Kiss to destroy the ship and Han Solo. But Rogue Squadron--led by Captain Tycho Celchu--and Wraith Squadron, with additional units, help defend the ship. Maneuvers by Solo's entire task force send Zsinj fleeing from the battle. Shalla--who was sabotaging Razor's Kiss--and Piggy are recovered, and Razor's Kiss is destroyed. As a result, Shalla is allowed to paint a half-SSD on her X-Wing in recognition that half of Razor's Kiss was her kill. Face reveals that after his surgery,he had his scars removed and looks younger than he used to.

All in all, a fast read that gets most of Allston's terrible writing done and over with. Though, yes, he did pass away recently, his writing was indeed found fondly by large members of the EU fans; though this still baffles me, as I can't see why anyone loves his writing. But he will be missed in the former triumvirate that was the Zahn-Stackpole-Allston saga. And now it's just Zahn left writing for Star Wars out of that lot. We will miss you and your terrible jokes, Allston. Yub Yub, Aaron.

Book Review: Star Wars: Maul: Lockdown SPOILERS!

A special treat for you patient viewers. Two books came int he mail last week and I spent my time reading them to review. This is the other.

On January 28 2014, horror author Joe Schreiber published Maul: Lockdown. In this, Maul must overcome gangs of prisoners to track down one arms dealer before Jabba the Hutt or Komari Vosa of the Bando Gora get their hands on him. The events of this book take place after Cloak of Deception by James Luceno and before Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter by Michael Reaves. Synopsis: It's kill or be killed in the space penitentiary that houses the galaxy's worst criminals, where convicts face off in gladiatorial combat while an underworld gambling empire reaps the profits of the illicit blood sport. But the newest contender in this savage arena, as demonic to behold as he is deadly to challenge, is fighting for more than just survival. His do-or-die mission, for the dark masters he serves, is to capture the ultimate weapon: an object capable of obliterating the Jedi and conquering the galaxy. Sith Lords Darth Plagueis and Darth Sidious are determined to possess the prize. And one of the power-hungry duo has his own treacherous plans for it. But first, their fearsome apprentice must take on a bloodthirsty prison warden, a cannibal gang, cutthroat crime lord Jabba the Hutt, and an unspeakable alien horror. No one else could brave such a gauntlet of death and live. But no one else is the dreaded dark-side disciple known as Darth Maul.

The novel opens with Maul surviving a fight against an unknown alien with a living staff. He recalls how he arrived; then he goes about his business of tracking down Iram Radique, a local hidden arms dealer found inside Cog Hive Seven--the prison. As he does so (without use of the Force), a number of things happen: the first is that a mysterious Twi'lek calling himself Zero offers loose advice to Maul; Maul takes down the top two gangs; and an old man and his son offer help.

Maul does fight his way through opponent after opponent, even killing some of Radique's people, much to the ire of the Galactic Gaming Commission. The warden, Sadiki Blirr, brushes off many threats to her by insinuating that Maul--otherwise known as Jaganath--must be killed because he's become a problem. Meanwhile, Hego Damask has sent in a field analyst named Vesto Slipher, who also starts working with Radique in odd ways.

During all this, Darth Sidious oversees Maul's work via hologram communication, but Darth Plagueis informs Sidious through a couple of face-to-face meetings that he's aware of what Maul's doing because of Slipher. But Sidious doubts that Plagueis really knows why Maul was sent there: to acquire a bomb for the Outer Rim for their upcoming war to rip the Republic apart. Sadiki's brother, Dakarai, is often absent mostly when she needs his moral support.

She also learns that Jabba Desilijic Tiure has taken an interest and she kills his hired mercenaries which angers Jabba. Maul eventually learns that Zero is Radique--who is also Dakarai in disguise. Maul receives orders to kill Radique and leave no witnesses--which he does under cover of Jabba and his thugs coming to take over Cog Hive Seven. Jabba's takeover is harassed by Komari Vosa of the Bando Gora who wants Radique's head.

Maul wants to hand over the weapon or Komair, but Komari goes into a blind fury believing it to be a trap, and attempts to kill Maul, but Maul bests her. She accepts the weapon and helps him escape from the prison. Hego Damask informs Palpatine that Cog Hive Seven is no more than a debris field somewhere in the Outer Rim, and all went well according to their plans. Komari, Eogan--the boy--and Maul have stolen one of Jabba's ships and fled before the destruction (so did Jabba, but we know that already).

All in all, a well-thought-out book that still keeps the suspense Schreiber is known for, as wells acknowledging the EU continuity and Darth Plagueis. This serves to show that any author can use continuity well and still tell a damn good story, and that continuity doesn't have to be tossed out because some people can't handle a unified series.

Book Review: Halo: Kilo Five 3: Mortal Dictata SPOILERS!

A special treat for you patient viewers. Two books came int he mail last week and I spent my time reading them to review. This is one of them.

On 21 January 2014, Karen Traviss, 343 Industries, and Tor Book published the final installment of the acclaimed, gripping, and well-written Kilo Five trilogy. This time, the gloves come off as Staffan Sentzke attempts to recover a Sangheili shpi to glass Earth, but will Kilo Five stop him, or will Naomi-010 be unable to prevent her father from seeking vengeance? Synopsis: Wars end. But hatred, guilt, and devotion can endure beyond the grave. With the Covenant War over, the Office of Naval Intelligence faces old grievances rising again to threaten Earth. The angry, bitter colonies, still with scores to settle from the insurrection put on hold for thirty years, now want justice--and so does a man whose life was torn apart by ONI when his daughter was abducted for the SPARTAN-II program. Black ops squad Kilo-Five find their loyalties tested beyond breaking point when the father of their Spartan comrade, still searching for the truth about her disappearance, prepares to glass Earth's cities to get an answer. How far will Kilo-Five go to stop him? And will he be able to live with the truth when he finds it? The painful answer lies with a man long dead, and a conscience that still survives in the most unlikely, undiscovered place.

The novel opens with Staffan Sentzke ruminating on his life thus far. Then, it shifts to the past to explore what it felt like to have a child kidnapped, then Staffan's reaction to it, the clone-Naomi that died, and how he was convinced that the UNSC did this. Presently: Naomi-010 and Vasily Beloi attempt to situate themselves into Venezia's captial--New Tyne--when Naomi is recalled for fear that someone will link her and Staffan as family, so Malcolm "Mal" Geffen takes her place. Together, Mal and Vaz manage to gain an entry into the local militia. Meanwhile, Avu Med 'Telcam hires Kig-Yar shipmistress Chol Von to track down Sav Fel--the renegade Kig-Yar who stole Pious Inquisitor from the Sangheili rebels during the civil war on Sangheilios months ago--but she has plans to return the Kig-Yar navy and kick some pride back into her people. Sav Fel, however, sold Pious Inquisitor to Staffan and they tested the ventral beam on a collection of Forerunner ruins; this greatly upsets the aging Huragok Sometimes Lists, and Staffan finds other places to test it out on before parking PI in darkness above Venezia. Staffan invites Mal and Vaz aboard because of their expertise as renegade UNSC marines who've flown Covenant vessels. Black Box (BB) and Admiral Serin Osman keep ONI queen--Admiral Margaret O. Parangosky--up to date. However, Mal and Vaz get picked up by Staffan and a couple of his people--plus Staffan's son Edvin--and BB alerts Port Stanely. Mal and Vaz are interrogated, but Vaz loosely tells Staffan that Naomi is alive and fine. Because of this, Staffan wants to keep them alive so he can learn the truth or meet Naomi.

Naomi and Devereaux rescue the two marines and capture Staffan. Meanwhile Chol Von tracks Sav Fel to Venezia and kidnaps him. They attempt to board PI--now called Naomi--but Sometimes Lists engages Slipspace and flees. Port Stanley gives chase and catches up to them. Staffan, having learned everything from Naomi, BB, and the marines about the kidnapping and being brainwashed and indoctrinated by Halsey into the SPARTAN-II program (though Halsey's name is left unsaid), agrees to help his daughter retake the ship. Naomi, Mal, Vaz, and a portion of BB split from Staffan, Sometimes Lists, and rig PI to self destruct. BB lets Staffan and Sometimes Lists go so long as they vanish completely; Staffan agrees to fade and sends Vaz a holographic imagery display that shows the night time sky of Naomi's glassed homeworld. Chol Von and her crew--plus her plans for the Kig-Yar--are destroyed with the ship. In the end, Serin works up the courage to view her files and learns that her mother was a prostitute and that the only person who cared for her was a teacher--one Mrs. Alkmini Leandro--who's still alive on Cascade. Serin decides the crew needs some down time and goes to meet her former teacher, who's overjoyed that Serin survived and made something of herself. During this, Vaz attempts to help Naomi get over reuniting with and losing her father while Evan Phillips and Lian Devereaux go on a date. The novel ends with a letter to Admiral Margaret O. Parangosky detailing how he can't stand to go on and commits suicide because of the SPARTAN-II Project; the letter belongs to Dr. Graham J. Alban who's brain was preserved for Black Box (BBX-8995-1) a.k.a. BB.

All in all, a wonderful ending to a great trilogy that captures the very real feeling of post-war turmoils and skeletons-coming-out-of-the-closet scenarios. Props to Karen Traviss for braving the Halo universe. A must read for every fan.