Rogue Squadron is the first book in the X-Wing series, a series created to focus on Wedge Antilles and those under his command. This is a book that had its ups and downs, but then again, it seems I could say that about pretty much any first book of a series, now that I think about it.
Rogue Squadron takes place about two years after the end of Return of the Jedi, and begins with Wedge trying to revive Rogue Squadron, a squadron that has flown under many different lineups and has suffered many casualties over the years. The men and women chosen to join this lineup have a lot to live up to, as Wedge lets them know seconds after they find out they have made the grade. After a brief training period, they enter active duty, and their skill and courage is tested as they draw ever nearer to their ultimate goal: retaking Coruscant.
This book is Stackpole's first novel-length foray into the Star Wars universe, and he definitely had his work cut out for him. Unlike the other Star Wars books that had been written up to this time, Rogue Squadron does not focus on the major characters of the original trilogy, but instead chooses to follow a minor character from the movies, pilot Wedge Antilles. The bulk of the rest of the characters, both Rebel and Imperial, are his own creations. Plus, the book takes place about three years before Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy, meaning he has to make sure that the events he chronicles in this and his subsequent books do not conflict with the already existing material.
Stackpole is more than up to the task. The fact that the majority of the characters are his own creation is actually a plus, as he has a lot of room to develop these characters without having to worry about having them conform to preexisting templates. He has the freedom to kill some of them off, bringing in the suspense factor that is missing from many other Star Wars novels. For the first time, Wedge Antilles is allowed to be portrayed as more than just a pilot who happens to have a name. We see Wedge as human, with his own joys and sorrows, desires and regrets. Stackpole, drawing upon his own background in history, has done extensive research in both the Star Wars universe and our own, and this shows in his depiction of squadron life and dogfighting scenes.
This book is chock full of action, bringing to mind the action sequences of the original trilogy, especially the Battle of Yavin and the Battle of Endor. If you ever wondered what it was like to fly an X-Wing into combat, Rogue Squadron is a must read. Another benefit is the portrayal of New Republic and Imperial politics post-Endor, which is well-crafted and shows the reader exactly what the status is of both governments is at this point in time. We are introduced to the woman who has risen to replace the Emperor, Head of Imperial Intelligence Ysanne Isard. Shrewd and intelligent, she is a formidable villainess and is more than capable of keeping the New Republic guessing as to what she plans next.
Corran Horn makes his novel debut here, and for many, myself included, Rogue Squadron serves as an introduction to his character. Corran is quickly established as a hotshot pilot who needs to learn to open himself up to working as part of a team, not as the loner he has been for the past few years. Adjusting to squadron life is not Corran's only challenge, however. A former officer of the Corellian Security Force, Corran now finds himself fighting alongside smugglers and other individuals that he would previously have arrested. Corran is also still trying to come to terms with his father's death, and connected with that, he is unsure whether or not his father would have approved of his decision to join the New Republic.
Corran is not the only interesting character we encounter, though. Tycho, Gavin, Ooryl, Nawara, Bror, Mirax, and Erisi also get some book time, making them all characters that will be remembered for various reasons. Lujayne Forge also bears some mentioning here. She is the one Rogue in Stackpole's X-Wing books that died well. By this I mean that she seemed to be an important character from the get-go, getting as much book time as a lot of the others mentioned above. Then she is killed about a quarter of the way into the book, which surprised me on my first read. Her death serves the purpose it was supposed to. We get to know her about as well as we did the other Rogues, which means we care when she dies. It seems that everyone else who died in his Rogue books either was not developed to the extent where we really got to know them, or else we found out later that they weren't really dead.
The ultimate fate of Bror Jace also works. Yes, I know we find out later that he is not dead, but the reason this doesn't seem as bad as notable others is because this is the first time this device was used. We were led to believe that Bror had died, yet we didn't see it happen, and there was no body, hinting that he might not truly be dead. Even if the reader concluded he had not died, s/he most likely would never figure out what had truly happened to him.
One other thing that is done well here, although only recognized after reading the other three books in the X-Wing series, is the foreshadowing here. I have seen many people ask in various places online if Stackpole had planned for Corran to become a Jedi all along. If one rereads this book knowing Corran is Force-sensitive, the hints are numerous. He finds it extremely easy to fly normally through a cavern that any other Rogue would be flying through sideways, saying that there is plenty of room to fit through. Reminds me of various Skywalkers flying through Beggars Canyon. When their base on Talasea was being attacked, he was unknowingly using the Force almost constantly, sensing where hidden stormtroopers were lurking and even knowing the second that Lujayne was killed. He always had a hunch when things were going to go very badly. It's all there. Another interesting thing to watch for is hints on who the traitor in Rogue Squadron is. One thing that really stands out to me with her is how she kept going on about wanting to know the name of the planet where they were going to at the end, how she wanted to know the name of the planet where they might die so she might put up a memorial for them. She was very persistent about it, but yet on a first read it's something that would go completely unnoticed, or would be taken as her being really concerned for Corran.
There is one thing that really, really annoyed me with this book, though. It seems like everytime Corran flies into combat, he is being beaten up by his own flight stick. Okay, I realize that the stick comes up high enough and is long enough to theoretically hit the pilot in the chest as described in the book, but it seems like a design defect if nothing else. I specifically remember one fight scene, where Corran's stick first brutally slams him in the breastbone, and then, a paragraph or so later, if even that, it slams his right hand into the side of the cockpit. Again, if one watches A New Hope, one can see where this could be possible, but if I were a pilot, I'd be demanding a redesign of the flight stick, since it seems like it'd be extremely difficult to fly if one is being battered with one's own stick at critical moments.
The only other problem I really had with this book is more of a subjective thing. I am not a big fan of action scenes. I especially am not a big fan of action scenes where entire chapters are devoted to paragraphs of, "He juked right, striving to get the TIE into his sights. The TIE, seeing the X-Wing about ready to fire, broke left, but could not shake the Rebel craft. Four bursts of lasers shot forth from the S-Foils, and the TIE burst in a stunning display of fireworks." Okay, so I am not that great at writing action scenes either. But the point is there. I had to struggle through those chapters. Again, this is a subjective criticism, because I know many other people loved this book for the exact same reasons I mention above.
I guess I have to admit that, after many rereads, I do get a little irritated with Corran going on about his dead father. But only a little. It doesn't bother me as much as it seems to bother others online. For one thing, I watched Babylon 5, and therefore had to endure a season of Susan Ivanova telling everyone at every opportunity about how Psi Corps ruined her mother's life. Corran is nowhere near as bad as her. Also, another thing to keep in mind is that a lot of the time when we hear about Hal, it is through Corran's thoughts, not because he is talking about it constantly to everybody he encounters.
Overall, Rogue Squadron is an excellent action novel, interspersed with many well-realized characters, quite a bit of political intrigue and maneuvering, and an ending guaranteed to make the reader want to read the next book to see what happens next. Action fans will be delighted with this book, but non-action fans are encouraged to read it as well. It is a prerequisite to reading the others of the series, and those books are much better.
Reviewed May 9, 2001 by Kelly M. Grosskreutz.
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