| Title | : | Starfighters of Adumar (Star Wars: X-Wing, #9) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0553574183 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780553574180 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 304 |
| Publication | : | First published August 1, 1999 |
The X-wing fighter pilots have earned their reputation as the Rebel Alliance's ultimate strike force by overwhelming enemies with their rapid-fire assaults. But now they are about to embark on a diplomatic mission that will prove to be even more hazardous than all-out combat....
The neutral world of Adumar has decided to pick a side in the war to control the galaxy. Delegates from both the New Republic and the Empire have been invited to Adumar, and each camp will be given a chance to plead its government's case. But there is one small catch: since the Adumari prize military skill above all else, they insist that both delegations be composed exclusively of fighter pilots. For pilot Wedge Antilles and his company, it's an unfamiliar exercise in diplomacy--and one that's filled with unexpected peril. For once they arrive, the X-wing pilots are challenged by Adumar's fierce warriors and attacked by Imperial assassins bent on eliminating all competition. But these challenges pale in comparison to the threat posed by a rogue Republic agent...one who is determined to win Adumar's allegiance once and for all--even if it costs the X-wing pilots their lives.
Starfighters of Adumar (Star Wars: X-Wing, #9) Reviews
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Sort of like a reunion for the Rogue Squadron, Starfighters of Adumar is an enjoyable space opera yarn that continues the saga of the other X-Wing novels. Is it the best of the series? No, definitely not; however, those who have read and loved the interstellar dogfighting tales of Wedge, Iella, and Corran will probably like this original finale. After reading this, I'm curious as to how Mercy Kill will be.
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“If we act like the Empire, we become the Empire”
Wedge, Tycho, Hobbie, and Wes have been sent to the world of Adumar, to see if they will join the New Republic. The Adumari, isolated people who have recently been found, adore pilots and welcome the four with open arms. But the negotiations quickly get tricky: the Empire is also there, the planet isn’t united under one government, the natives adore deathly challenges, and Wedge’s long lost love, Iella, is there under cover.
NOTE: I listened to the audiobook.
I Liked:
This novel is different than any of the other X-Wing novels, either Allston or Stackpole’s. Firstly, it deals primarily with Wedge and, to a lesser extent, only four other of the pilots: Tycho, Hobbie, and Wes. Secondly, the tone is completely different. There still is plenty of starfighters and dogfights, but the story is firmly placed on diplomacy and the strange culture of Adumar.
I personally enjoyed a story almost 100% about Wedge. The guy is pretty interesting, and I liked learning more about him. Also, kudos to Allston for cleaning up the romantic subplots! I positively adored how Allston wrote Wedge and Iella, the conflicts surrounding Wedge being with Qui, and the eventual pairing (even a *gasp* hint of sex in a Star Wars book!).
The humor, as always, is superb. Wes Janson pretty much rules the roost in this regard, though the others get a fair portion (though I do have a complaint about how the audiobook handles this, see below).
The story is interesting. I liked the change in pace and scenery, how Allston doesn’t try to create another superweapon or overlord for the Rogues/Wraiths to fight. Instead, he takes the New Republic to the next level: diplomacy, politics, hobnobbing with the big wigs. And he proves that it can be interesting!
Allston also doesn’t resort to making all the Imperials baddies. Sure, Wedge’s Imperial opposites are opponents, but Teren Rogriss is a complete subversion of that. Rogriss is strictly Imperial, but he has honor and doesn’t look forward to the betrayal he knows the Empire wants to perform. Not to fond of what happens to him, but at least he isn’t your bang, bang shoot ‘em up Imperial officer.
I Didn’t Like:
The audiobook totally ruined one of the big jokes of this book. Allston is a master of humor, which makes him stand out from many other authors (who are rather muted). One of the jokes was where Wedge talks about getting women’s clothing to escape undetected. One of his compatriots refuses to comply. After the chapter break, we return to see all of them in women’s dresses, the guys complaining (a classic Gilligan’s Cut). This joke is totally obliterated from the novel. No wonder I didn’t find the earlier audiobooks funny or clear—they probably took out key plot points and the humor!
People who liked the X-Wing series may not be as fond of this book. There is dogfighting, but the whole atmosphere and emphasis has changed (I liked it).
As I touched on above, I wasn’t fond of Rogriss’ ending. I won’t go into it, but I find it stereotypical (I’m sure you can guess).
There were enough new names, characters, and places that I tended to get a bit lost. I couldn’t remember the name of Wedge’s diplomat advisor, who Charisse (sp?) was, who were the Imperial pilots (hence why I didn’t refer to them by name), and who were the Adumari.
Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:
Invented Star Wars vernacular.
Pretty heavily implied that Wedge and Iella get it on.
Adumari consider challenges to the death an honor. Lots of challenges, dogfights, and the like.
Overall:
I think this book was a great way to close up the X-Wing series, this era in the Star Wars Expanded Universe and the Bantam license of Star Wars (this was the final book published under Bantam). It moves from pilots in continuous “modern warfare” with the Empire to a more diplomatic/political arena, ties up the romantic loose end (Wedge and Iella are one of the better couples out there imo), and generally has a fun time without being too serious. As long as you don’t mind the slight departure from the formula and seeing only from Wedge’s point of view, this book is for you. Just do me a favor. Stay away from the audiobook version. Anthony Heald is amazing, but the abridged format isn’t. -
For 2020, I decided to reread (in publication order) all the Bantam-era Star Wars books that were released between 1991 and 1999; that shakes out to 38 adult novels and 5 anthologies of short stories & novellas.
This week’s focus: the fourth of Aaron Allston’s X-Wing books, Starfighters of Adumar.
SOME HISTORY:
During a panel at Jedi-Con in 2004, Aaron Allston revealed that he derived the name of the planet Adumar from Alexandre Dumas, the author of
The Three Musketeers. He also alluded to similarities between the main characters of The Three Musketeers and the four X-wing pilots in Starfighters of Adumar; although there’s no direct correlations, I think that Wes Janson has some very Porthos-like qualities. (But while Wedge is the leader, he’s not a sad alcoholic with an evil ex like Athos.) Starfighters of Adumar made it to number seventeen on the New York Times paperback bestseller list for the week of August 29, 1999.
MY RECOLLECTION OF THE BOOK:
I loved this book. Allston’s humor skews more overtly silly in this one, but I thought it felt appropriate to the swashbuckling adventure that the Rogues were on.
A BRIEF SUMMARY:
Wedge Antilles and three of his fellow Rogues are sent to the neutral world of Adumar as diplomatic envoys. It appears the perfect assignment: the pilots are feted by a general populace that holds fighter pilots in high regard. But Wedge quickly realizes that things are not as they seem, and their exercise in diplomacy becomes filled with peril...
THE CHARACTERS:
If
I, Jedi depicted Wedge Antilles in the midst of a quarter life crisis, by Starfighters of Adumar he's at a crossroads in both his personal and professional life. He's broken up with Qwi Xux, both of them realizing that they don't visualize a future with each other; he has no family left, and practically no friends outside of the Rogues. He's ready to leave for some needed time off when General Cracken manipulates him into becoming the diplomatic envoy to Adumar.
He quickly begins to question whether they would even want the Adumari in the New Republic. They're obsessed with honor, they have no regard for human life (their duels and feuds usually end with one or more party dead), and Wedge rightly worries that those two qualities wouldn't translate well into NR service. He tries to get the Adumari pilots to think about strategy and the effectiveness of simulations vs just outright killing your opponent, but he's fighting an uphill battle against entrenched beliefs. It doesn't help that their diplomatic liaison, Tomer Darpen, would prefer that they adopt the more bloodthirsty tactics of Turr Phennir and the other Imperials.
Wedge is also offered a chance to rekindle his relationship with Iella Wessiri--and indeed, that seems to be a key motivation behind this book.
Solo Command wrapped up the Wraiths' arc;
Isard's Revenge mostly concluded the Rogues'. But after the Thrawn campaign, it takes Wedge four long years and another relationship before things get sorted with Iella. I wouldn't say that romance is one of Allston's strengths, but I liked the understated, mature way that Wedge and Iella figured things out.
On Allston's
now defunct FAQ page, he mentioned that people had questioned why Corran Horn wasn't a member of the diplomatic envoy. Fortunately there are multiple hypothetical answers to that! Corran probably was in command of Rogue Squadron during Tycho's absence; Corran might have been working on Jedi stuff; his son Valin Horn was born the same year as the mission to Adumar (13ABY). So take your pick.
But Wedge isn’t alone on this diplomatic mission: he brings Tycho Celchu, Wes Janson, and Derek “Hobbie” Klivian along with him. Tycho is the perfect second-hand man, steady and responsible. He’s gone through so much in his life--the destruction of Alderaan, his imprisonment on the Lusankya, the distrust he faced from the NR after his escape--yet as Janson so ably pointed out, he’s the only one in their quartet who has a happy, settled personal life.
Meanwhile, Wes and Hobbie are our main comic relief. You can tell that they are long-time friends, because they play off each other so well. The two of them toss zingers back and forth off each other for as long as Wedge will allow. Wes is the class clown, even when he’s challenging someone to a duel to protect Cheriss; Hobbie is more of a sad clown. Hobbie also gets some of my favorite scenes, in particular the bit during the gauntlet where they sneak onto the airbase.
The Cartann court gives them all nicknames, which Janson revels in. Janson is "the darling one," Tycho is "the doleful one," Hobbie is "the dour one," and Wedge is "the diligent one." (This all feels very à la Alexandre Dumas père to me.)
But their diplomatic mission would not be complete without support staff. Cheriss ke Hanadi is their local guide, the absolute best duelist in Cartann. She develops a crush on Wedge (understandable), tries to throw her life away for reasons of “honor,” and has her entire worldview upended when she learns that her fear of heights that held her back from becoming a pilot is just a chemical imbalance in her brain. She grows up a lot over the course of the book. We also meet Hallis Saper, the mission’s documentarian, who is imminently equipped for espionage and disinformation.
Our true villain in the book is actually not the Imperials, but their liaison/NR Intelligence boss, Tomer Darpen. Janson is familiar with him from his days with the Tierfon Yellow Aces, when he was super sleazy. He’s not gotten any better in the intervening years: he is completely opposed to Wedge questioning Adumari values, and repeatedly insists that the Rogues behave like their Imperial counterparts. After Wedge refuses to fly with Cartann’s forces against the other Adumari countries, Darpen essentially tries to have them assassinated.
On the Imperial side, Admiral Rogriss (previously seen in
Solo Command) is having his own personal crisis. He knows that despite giving their word, the Imperials plan to devastate the planet if they side with the New Republic. But instead of interrogating his feelings on the matter, Rogriss just gets drunk. It’s ultimately up to Wedge to sway him away from the Imperial side and help Adumar in some small way.
ISSUES:
Compared to the other X-Wing books, Starfighters of Adumar stands alone. While it helps to be familiar with Wedge, Tycho, and the rest, I don’t think you necessarily need to have read all the Rogue and Wraith books to appreciate this one. But as a consequence of its stand-alone nature, the scale of the story feels much lesser compared to previous X-Wing books. In
The Bacta War, Isard has taken over Thyferra, which has a stranglehold on the entire galaxy’s supply of bacta; in
Solo Command, both the NR and the Imperials team up to take out Warlord Zsinj. But in SoA, we just deal with one small world--sure, it has loads of factories that could produce loads of proton torpedoes for either side, but it’s still just one world.
On the humor scale, SoA is perhaps excessively silly. The Adumari culture is feudalism dialed up to eleven: they’re obsessed with HONOR, they constantly fight duels like it’s 17th century France or 18th century Britain, they have funny accents (“Rayd Flayt” instead of “Red Flight”), and they love capes. This is perhaps too much silliness for some people, but I enjoyed it.
Wedge has great concern over killing the Adumari in flight actions--but during the penultimate battle, he shoots down a lot of them. They were just trying to kill him, and Wedge is acting to remove an unjust ruler, but it did strike me as a little sad that he ended up killing so many of them. (The moral predicaments of war, I guess.)
IN CONCLUSION:
To me, Starfighters of Adumar is a high point of the Bantam era. We really get to dig into Wedge's character, we get some great humor, we get a bonkers new society, and we get resolution to Wedge and Iella's relationship. I also enjoyed Tycho, Janson, and Hobbie getting their moment in the spotlight. (It is also very silly.)
Next up: the fifth Tales collection,
Tales from the New Republic, edited by Peter Schweighofer and Craig Carey.
My YouTube review:
https://youtu.be/RgnRu3JzFsQ -
The book that made me a writer.
You can also read this review on my blog (which is formatted more nicely).
http://www.jonathanfurneaux.com/blog/...
Throughout my lifetime I’ve perhaps read forty or fifty books based in George Lucas’s Star Wars universe. The cannon of literature spanned a few hundred years of fictional history (until the extended canon was jettisoned by Disney executives), with several long-running series planned out by some seminal authors.
Of these, it was the X-Wing series that I most adored. Let me pitch them to you: these books contained exotic planets, hot-headed pilots, exquisitely-detailed dogfights, and plenty of emotional growth and complexity between the characters. There were lightsabers and aliens, sure, but often these books read just like a straightforward military drama with a space opera coating.
I have recommend Starfighters of Adumar by Aaron Allston, to many friends. The exchange will generally go like this:
Me: This is a great series! You should read this one, it’s my favourite.
Friend: Thanks! Is this the first book in the series?
Me: Of course not. It’s the ninth and last book, in a well-beloved series.
Friend: Oh…
Luckily, Starfighters of Adumar is a standalone story. You don’t need any knowledge of the rest of the books to understand it, and there isn’t even any Jedi or lightsabers in the story. So, why do I recommend a book that is perhaps the least Star Wars-y in the entire series?
The reason is, at its heart, despite the name and the cover, Starfighters of Adumar is not truly a book about starfighters. (A majority of the book doesn’t even take place in space). Instead, I would argue that it is a book about relationships. The very opening chapter doesn’t open with a dogfight, but rather with a restaurant date, and the main character needing to end his relationship with his girlfriend.
“She was beautiful and fragile and he could not count the number of times he had told her he loved her. But he had come here knowing that he had to hurt her very badly” (Allston, p.1).
That was a pretty confronting opening to a book that advertises itself with explosions on the front cover. Wedge, the protagonist, expects that he will need to break her heart, but instead she breaks up with him over the meal. It is a mutual agreement. They needed each other for a time, but they have both realised that all they truly feel for each other is affection.
“Wedge, when we came together I was a different woman…Wedge, I feel as though I inherited you. From a friend who passed away. You were her choice. I do not know if you would have been mine. I never had the chance to find out” (Allston, p.4).
I first read this book as a teenager, and while I was still coked up on hormones and dreaming of the perfect romance, a Star Wars book was able to, in a small way, dispel the fairytale notion that people remain the same throughout the course of a relationship. It needs to be said: Allston is a master of dialogue and character. His characters speak effortlessly for pages, their conversations ebbing and flowing from topic, and yet somehow driven towards a poignant conclusion at the end of the chapter. Starfighters of Adumar begins with Wedge losing perhaps one of the more solid people in his life, as he begins to search for someone who he can spend the rest of his life with.
If I were to identify a second major theme in the novel, I would simply say that the novel addresses the dark side of fame. Wedge is tasked with being a political presence on Adumar, a newly discovered planet that produces weapons. It is a planet that idolises star pilots, and Wedge is one of the best star pilots there is.
However, Allston chose this particular premise, I feel, because it allowed him to delve into the issues with fame and fandom. Wedge and his team initially somewhat enjoys the praise lavished on them. It quickly becomes apparent, however, that the cons of fame quickly outweigh the benefits. Wedge and his team are followed by a journalist who documents their movements, they are soon unable to travel freely without being mobbed, Wedge finds himself having to uncomfortably disengage from the romantic advances of a local, and his actions are consistently misinterpreted by everyone who oogles him from afar.
It is a joy to read how Wedge tries to outmaneuver the society trying to constrain him. Everyone has an expectation of how he should behave, and Wedge quickly grows tired of it, and has to strike out a path for himself. I’ve always wanted to be an author, but I think here Allston has cleverly tucked away advice about the perils of being in the public eye. Popularity quickly shifts. Fame can turn sour. There is a simple honour in being unrecognised on the street.
It is difficult to say much more without spoiling some of the best moments of the series. Simply put, in Starfighters of Adumar, Allston has expertly balanced many moving parts. His story, as mentioned before, is set against a backdrop of war and fame, while Wedge is internally determining who he is, when he isn’t fighting.
It would be remiss of me not to mention the humour. The novel uses its characters and their personalities to great effect.
“Oh, stop worrying, Wedge.” Janson’s grin was infectious. “It’s obvious they adore you. You could throw up all over yourself and they’d love it. By nightfall they’d all be doing it. They’d call it the ‘Wedge Purge.’ They’d be eating different-coloured foods just to add variety.” Wedge felt his stomach lurch. He half turned to glare accusingly at Tycho. “I thought maybe you’d be able to do what I never could. Get [Janson] up to an emotional age of fourteen, maybe fifteen” (Allston, p.33).
While Wedge’s desire for love is thoroughly explored throughout the novel, his camaraderie and banter with the other characters is really what ties the whole novel together. Despite whatever circumstances they are in, Wedge and his team inevitably find the time to dish out dry humour at the expense of some other poor character.
For awhile, I wanted to send these thoughts to Aaron Allston, to let him know how much his novel impacted me as a young person. When I finally decided that I should send this to him, I found out that he passed away six years ago, aged 53. I wish I had thought to write this article just a few years earlier, so that he could have read how much I appreciated his craft. He was a man with perhaps one of the greatest influences on my literary tastes. My debut novel (Lessons from the Wreckage) was heavily inspired by his work. And yet his life is summarised on a Wikipedia page that’s 800-words long.
Instead, I will have to be satisfied with this: you can find a copy of the book second hand, and cheap. You can still buy it on Amazon, as an audiobook or for Kindle. You may not particularly like Star Wars, but if you are someone who loves fiction with biting dialogue, action, and well-defined characters, then perhaps you can appreciate Allston alongside me. Even though he won’t be heralded as a powerhouse of fiction by many, I still find myself reminiscing about the half-forgotten teenage lessons I learned on Adumar. -
Possibly the best old EU book I've read so far, and yeah, that includes the Thrawn trilogy. See, the thing is, Aaron Allston plots about as well as Zahn, but he has a firmer grasp on those emotion things that humans have. That fact makes this book a fun, fast read with a surprising depth to its themes of honour and sacrifice. I didn't expect to give a damn about Wedge Antilles, but his mix of humor and Hornblower-esque melancholy is incredibly beguiling.
Also, there is a SHITLOAD of outfit descriptions, and I fucking love outfit descriptions. It's like a bunch of descriptions of Claudia Kishi's wardrobe, and you don't have to read the boring descriptions of how her mom hates that she reads Nancy Drew novels. It's so great.
This book was good, I guess I'm saying, and it's a good introduction to the X-Wing books despite being #9. -
I am a girl who reads Star Wars novels, and I have to say the entire X-wing series of books are some of the best. However, Starfighters of Adumar is one of my personal favorites.
With the inclusion of Wes and Hobbie, we get all the humor that Allston brought to the Wraith Squadron series, but now we also get to see what happens with Iella and Wedge, which my girly romantic side just ate up.
While it's part of the X-wing series, I also liked that this was almost a "one and done" book with no lingering cliff hangers. This was an entertaining chapter in the SW Expanded Universe. -
Hands down, this is the wittiest Star Wars book in existence. This is a great book for making your day better.
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Having been going through the old Star Wars Legends books in chronological order in recent months, I’ve read some good ones and bad ones. But I’m always pleased when I see that the next one in line is by the late Aaron Allston. I wouldn’t call him my favorite Star Wars author; he’s certainly not in the same league as Timothy Zahn, in my estimation. But Allston has a delightful sense of humor and flair for whimsy and idiosyncrasy that distinguishes him from all other authors in this universe, so that even if it’s not the most memorable of Star Wars stories – and Starfighters of Adumar certainly is not – it’s still sure to be at least an enjoyable read.
Starfighters of Adumar isn’t as strong as the three Wraith Squadron X-Wing novels Allston previously penned, which in my view were the three strongest books in the series, thanks in large part to its quirky characters and Allston’s distinctive spin on the traditional Star Wars starfighter squadron storyline. But, as is often the case with Allston, Starfighters of Adumar at least boasts an interesting enough storyline, centered around an unusual diplomatic mission amid a most unusual world and peculiar subculture with a sense of honor far different from the one shared by the novel’s protagonist, Wedge Antilles.
With almost all of the action confined to this world of Adumar, Starfighters of Adumar lacks the feeling that the stakes are particularly high, especially compared to other novels like Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire trilogy and Kevin J. Anderson’s Jedi Academy trilogy where the ramifications of the events have a galaxy-wide impact. Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Leia Organa, and most of the characters from the Star Wars films with the exception of Wedge and a few other minor pilots are absent from Adumar, but that’s case with all the X-Wing novels, and regular Star Wars readers won’t be bothered by this at all.
Despite the smaller scope of this story compared to other Star Wars novels, I found Adumar was an enjoyable setting, and the competition between the New Republic and the Empire to win the allegiances of the planet raised some interesting narrative questions. With their misguided emphasis on honor from combat and blatant disregard for human life, was it worthwhile for the New Republic to win over this planet? Would it be acceptable to do so was to engage in their practice of fatal dueling and resort to tactics similar to those that the Empire would engage? If Wedge were ordered to do so against his will, could he do it, and should he? Or should he resign, or face a possible court martial?
But for my money, Allston’s sense of humor that distinguishes Starfighters of Adumar more than the themes above do. At times, he maybe gets a little too far with the humor – at one point, Wedge and his fellow pilots literally dress in drag – but there are lots of fun touches in this novel that reflect the kind of thinking-outside-the-box eccentricities Allston so excels at. One of my favorites was the documentarian who, when first introduces, wears a 3PO head on her shoulders for use as a recording device during interviews, giving her the impression of a most unusual two-headed creature, because studies suggest her interviewees find 3PO units “nonthreatening.”
Wedge Antilles, the recurring hero of the X-Wing novels and comics in particular, is always a fun protagonist because he is a direct tie-in to the original trilogy films – he appears in all three, and is the only character to survive the battles against both Death Stars – but his role in the movies is so small that there is a very wide canvas for the novelists to expand upon his story. (Geeky side note: The culmination of the romance between Wedge and Iella Wessiri, the New Republic intelligence official who had appeared in a half-dozen novels and several comics before this one, was far more rewarding than the arbitrary romance Wedge got tossed into with Death Star designer Qwi Xux in the Jedi Academy trilogy. That subplot seemed like nothing but an excuse to find something to do with Wedge and Qwi, unlike all the groundwork that had been previously set between Wedge and Qwi, and I’m glad that Allston wasted no time to dumping Qwi in literally the first chapter of this book.)
But it’s really Wes Janson who steals the show in Starfighters of Adumar. An extremely minor character in The Empire Strikes Back who rides with Wedge during the snowspeeder assault on the AT-ATs over Hoth (“Good shot, Janson!”), Wes has evolved into a comic relief character of sorts in the Star Wars Legends universe, with a wise-cracking and mischievous personality that serves as a perfect stand-in for Allston’s own sense of humor. Allston really puts him to good use in this novel, both in multiple comedic moments, and in scenes that demonstrate the military competence that tends to get overlooked due to Janson’s regard as a joker (like a particularly enjoyable scene where Janson challenges an arrogant assailant to a duel).
As with most of the X-Wing novels, the dialogue sometimes falls a bit flat in Starfighters of Adumar, and my attention wavered a bit during a second brief starbattle at the end of this book immediately following a much interesting one in the novel’s climax. But overall, it was a Starfighters of Adumar quick and enjoyable enough read, and as I continue reading through the Legends books, I’m looking forward whenever I reach Aaron Allston’s next one. -
So this one was a little different than the rest of the series. Taking place a couple years later, Wedge is tapped to be a New Republic Ambassador to a planet the NR is trying to woo in order to get access to their missile factories. As the populace of said planet practically worships fighter pilots, so much so that a great deal of the population become pilots and engage in regular duels, Wedge takes three of his top Rogue Squadron mates along in order to impress the people. Of course, there are former Empire representatives there trying the same tactic, as well as intrigue galore. It's not terrible, but it's still not that great a novel. But at least I've finally finished the original X-wing series.
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Continues the trend of completely undemanding Scifi to fall asleep to in an abridged fashion. A departure from the rest of the series, had some serious
Foreigner vibes, and was better for it. I'm to the point of declaring legends my personal Star Wars canon. -
Starfighters of Adumar is one of the most entertaining Star Wars novels. As a standalone adventure in the X-Wing series, you don't need a lot of background on the characters (but it does help if you have read some of the other X-Wing books), and you'll have a lot of fun. Aaron Allston writes with good humor as well as good action and characterization, so you're in for a treat with this one.
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A very fun book. Allston has become one of my favourite Star Wars writers with his combination of light writing style, plenty of action and effective use of humour. The plot is vastly different from the rest of the X-Wing series, but the familiar tone ensures that the story doesn't feel out of place. One of my favourites.
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This is an amazing book. Though it is very funny, it has some very good lessons in it, and makes you think. It also has some romance (clean romance) which helps. Though it is the ninth in a series, it can be read alone.
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Aaron Allston took Wedge and his friends and sent them on an epic and humorous adventure.
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The "final" book in the X-Wing series (I don't count the most recent one...as I really didn't enjoy that one and so will not be rereading!), this one is a fitting conclusion to the X-Wing saga, wrapping everything up nicely. It's really all about Wedge, which is interesting because as much as the previous books have had Wedge in them, this book focuses on him far more than everyone else, almost to the exclusion of all other characters! But Wedge is awesome and so I can't really complain. (He's so awesome, that I'm currently rewatching A New Hope and very much enjoying the starfighter sequences, especially the end sequence with Wedge!) This book is a bit different than the previous books in that all the action takes place pretty much on one planet, with almost no space travel at all! Yes, there's a space battle at the end, but it's pretty perfunctory. All of the action takes place on the planet's (Adumar) surface or atmosphere, so it is slightly more claustrophobic of a Star Wars book. And in more ways than one. Adumar is a world that's been cut off from the rest of civilization for a while and has now been rediscovered by both the Empire and the New Republic....and both are vying for its allegiance (mainly because of proton torpedo factories or something? I found that amusing - only for the military industrial complex is the planet worth fighting over...). Wedge and a small team (Wes Janson and Tycho and Hobbie) are sent as diplomats because Adumar is a world that reveres fighter pilots above all. Because this world has been separated from broader galactic civilization, it has a very unique culture and it's quite fun to see Wedge and the boys try to navigate this world as they also try to fulfill their mission...amidst betrayal, hijinks and general madness. A great read, even if the romance stuff feels a bit eye-roll worthy at times. Still, a fun adventure and I am a bit saddened that my X-Wing re-read is over.
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Kolejna książka z uniwersum SW pokazująca, że żaden jedi nie jest potrzebny, by powstała fajna historia z odległej galaktyki. Adumar nie jest jakiś bardzo realny, ale i na Ziemi mieliśmy etap honorowych pojedynków.
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Review after rereading.
Five stars for sheer entertainment value. :D
This is one of my favorite Star Wars books; it got it all. Action, plot, drama, friendship, romance, intrigues, quotable one-liners, and most importantly: humor and good pacing. Aaron Allston remains one of my favorite authors and despite the years that have passed since the book came out I think it has aged well.
I also love the Rogues and reading about fighter battles and overcoming impossible odds, so those things very much appeals to me. And the fab four are always a delight, in my opinion, not to mention that the supporting characters are great; I love the way Iella, Hallis, and Cheriss each make their mark on the story and the main characters, and that good and evil is not cut and dried; there's always a matter of perspective involved and people can change.
I've wanted to reread this for a while, but it has been pushed back a few times due to other books demanding my attention. Glad I finally got around to the reread. I'll definitely be rereading this book for the unknownth time again in the future and highly recommend it to Star Wars and fighter pilot fans. -
This is not the first Star Wars or even X-Wing story that has the Republic compete against the Empire to curry favour with a third party. However, this time round there is far more going on besides the straight up 'competition'. The 'big reveal' is kind of spoiled in the blurb at the back of the book, which is a shame. Being the ninth X-Wing book, the blurb really didn't need too much 'intrigue' to get fans of the series to read it.
This had a nice progression of Wedge's character, particularly as he works things out in his personal life (specifically by having a personal life and being more than just a pilot).
I also enjoyed the focus of the story which dealt with vastly differing cultures clashing leaving the New Republic representatives having to make a choice between adhering to their own sensibilities or revoking them to gain more favour than the Empire's representatives.
I was greatly impressed that the nine books in and the series hasn't gotten stale. The action is exciting, the characters are well-developed and the story isn't always that predictable. -
This was a fair-enough diversion from everything else in my life. For that reason alone, reading it was time valuably spent.
To recount the plot here would be pointless and boring. Nor is the book is written particularly well. It seems to be driven (and was for me) by the author's relative command of the Star Wars schtick, which he plays on the reader's imagination well-enough.
The book is notable for its extensive and passing description of starfighter battles. It is also notable for the flatness and one-dimensionality of its characters. It is also notable for "love scenes" that wrinkle the nose and roll the eye.
Nevertheless I gobbled it up, diverted from more meaningful and stressful activities that called for my attention. So despite its flaws, I valued this book and would recommend it perhaps as much as most other Star Wars novels. They're almost all the same, after all, but for content. You get the rare one that's written quite well, but this wasn't it. -
The authors of this series are still prone to speechifying when writing dialogue, which makes it sounds more like a Heinlein novel than they probably want (for me, at least, that's a Bad Thing™), but I actually liked the premise of this novel. It veers away from the bigger issues, and focuses in on one planet and its people trying to decide whether to join with the New Republic or the remnants of the Empire. Allston creates an interesting honor system for the planet, and there are some intriguing things there to consider.
Most interesting to me was the first chapter, when Wedge and Qui break up. It happens so suddenly, without buildup, that it makes me wonder if Allston had different plans for Wedge when he was writing his books in the X-Wing series, and had to write a quick re-con to fix the changes Kevin J. Anderson brought to the character. I'd love to know if I'm right or wrong on that point. -
Definitely written post Gulf War. Reads as if the author knew people involved in air-to-air and air-to-ground fighting.
This book works by reducing the action. No longet a whole squadron, we focus on four fantastic flyers and their efforts to improve the local populace.
I certainly got "Marine Flight Squadron teaches Local Former Soviets" to fly appropriatly vibes. Let's bring up the elite to show off and in the process, let's try to reform a flawed society.
Alston writes his characters as human. Maybe why there are so few non humans but it feels lived in it feels real. We have the expected tropes of the young star crossed lover infatuated with the hero, two adults realizing they've been acting like kids, challenges, romances, fights.
The fighting is good as well. This time the fights feel matched even though occasionally its 30 to 4.
I hate conniving backstabbing overtly grand meddlers. -
I loved this book. It was pretty much Three musketeers meets Star Wars. It was one of those book s that tells a neat little encapsulated story that sometimes gets over looked in a franchise known for its trilogies and ongoing series. I'd heard grumbling about this book in the past because it is so different from a lot of the Star Wars stuff, and especially the X-Wing stuff. Its one of the things I like about a franchise with such a vast universe. It allows a wide variety of interesting and unique stories to occur and this is one
Also I could have sworn I wrote up something for this when I finished it but was going over my years books and it wasn't there. So if this is a repeat, I apologize -
Words cannot describe how much I enjoyed Starfighters of Adumar. I liked Wedge Antilles quite a lot in the previous eight X-Wing outings, but it wasn't until this book that he became one of my favorite Star Wars characters. The other characters in here are great too: The whimsical Janson, the subdued Tycho, the gloomy Hobbie, and not to mention the Adumari people and their hilarious cultural customs. This has got to be the funniest Star Wars work I've ever read, just in general. What a great way to end off the Bantam era of Star Wars publishing. Certainly in my top 3 of Star Wars novels, if not at the very top. Kudos to you, Mr. Allston.
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This was so bizarre but I loved it. Nice to finally spend so much time with Wedge. The playful half-anthropologist half-diplomat narrative didn't rub off as colonial fantasy, and the courtly honour-culture was also fruitful. The fighter battles were very cool. I laughed out loud so much through this book. Allston seems to have really found a sweet spot for utilizing this universe while telling interesting stories that don't merely involve the force / laser swords (though that's not to say I don't love all that too). Very happy with this entry.
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Another fun space opera in the X-Wing series. New Republic Intelligence have discovered Adumar, a long lost colony of exiles from the Old Republic. Adumar's industry would be of great use to the New Republic's war effort, but Adumar will only deal diplomatically with heroic star fighters, such as Wedge Antilles. Wedge should not have been surprised to find that a team of Imperial star fighters are in Adumar on the same mission. But how should he react when the decision on which side Adumar will ally turns out to depend on how many young Adumari pilots he and his team can kill...
