#Soran Keize

[starwarspilotstournament]

Star Wars Pilots Tournament - Round 1A

Who's the better pilot?

Propaganda:

Jaina Solo:

She is literally the Sword of the Jedi, she had all of her father’s piloting skills and then some due to her force sensitivity, she was leading the Twin Suns squadrons against the Vong and also managed to trick them into thinking she’s a literal goddess

She starts flying the Falcon at age nine. She rebuilds her own TIE fighter from a wreck and installs a hyperdrive. She's a super competent Rogue Squadron pilot in the New Republic military. She sets records flying through asteroid fields. She's helmed X-wings, TIE fighters, freighters, her aunt's military grade custom shuttle, and just about anything she can get her hands on. She is the top pilot in that timeline.

Daughter of Han Solo, granddaughter of Anakin Skywalker, trained by Mara Jade Skywalker and given command of the Twin Suns Squadron by Luke Skywalker

Soran Keize:

He is the leader of Shadow Wing who helped make them so feared and in the Disney canon is basically the best pilot the Empire has. He is also a very complex and interesting character with a unique perspective on redemption 

[harrypotterhousequotes]

HUFFLEPUFF: "Then you must believe that fairness, justice – whatever they are – represent more than the mere whims of whatever political power dominates." –Alexander Freed (Soran Keize: Star Wars: Victory's Price)

[myspacerebels]

Soran Keize thinking he’s a better pilot than Hera Syndulla

[shinyasahalo]

Anti-Villains

Kylo Ren and the Man in Black from Westworld  do not count as anti-villains.  If you invade someone’s mind and try to socially isolate them (Kylo Ren); you’re a villain.  If you rape someone (Man in Black); you’re a villain.  

Anti-villains are those who do bad things for a sympathetic reason (opposite of anti-hero).  I think the best way to tell if the antagonist is an anti-villain is by whether or not they are liked by their subordinates, which definitely excludes Kylo Ren.

The two anti-villains of the Star Wars universe are Thrawn and Soran Keize.  I’m not familiar with the Marvel Universe, but from what I hear, Killmonger counts as an anti-villain.   

(7/8/20)

[rebelsofshield]

Star Wars: Alphabet Squadron Fan Casting

Elizabeth Debicki as Yrica Quell Darren Barnet as Wyl Lark Jason Mamoa as Nath Tensent Cynthia Erivo as Chass na Chadic Iain Glen as Soran Keize/Devon Karin Konoval as Kairos Also Starring: Saïd Taghmaoui as Caern Adan Chiwetel Ejiofor as IT-O Vanessa Marshall as Hera Syndulla Sigourney Weaver as Shakara Nuress

[roguerebels]

Star Wars Geek Girl 176: Alphabet Squadron Victory's Price with Sal Perales

Star Wars Geek Girl 176: Alphabet Squadron Victory’s Price with Sal Perales

On Episode 176… Zoe talks with Sal Perales from The Rogue Rebels all about Alphabet Squadron: Victory’s Price by Alexander Freed! Spoilers for the book!! https://soundcloud.com/tk5351/zoe-is-joined-by-sal-to-talk-about-victorys-price-spoilers Check out www.starwarsgeekgirl.com Instagram @swgeekgirl Follow The Rogue Rebels Everywhere!

[gffa]

Alphabet Squadron | by Alexander Freed SPOILERS FOR ALPHABET SQUADRON.  One of the things that I find to be sort of fascinating--in a way that I’m not sure how I feel about, because it’s a big, complicated tangle of issues--is the look at the New Republic and how it wasn’t always that great. Bloodline covers how they sank into inefficiency almost immediately.  The Poe Dameron comics touch on how nobody wants to hear about or think about the Empire anymore.  So many of the other ST-based supplementary materials talk about how nobody wants to admit the First Order is a thing that’s happening.  Black Spire is all about the people of Batuu not wanting to pick a side.  Allegiance is all about dealing with how people are scared the New Republic is going to drag them into the same brutal war they faced with the Empire.  Aftermath novels point out that the New Republic is really kind of toothless and is caught between a rock and a hard place, re: overextending themselves to help people vs creating a stable system to build on. Alphabet Squadron is primarily about the hot messes that are joining the New Republic, it’s a street-level look most of the time (and the main higher up who appears is Hera, who is amazing), but there’s this moment towards the end.  Where the New Republic sent a squad after an Imperial Major, where they were shooting to kill when he wouldn’t come with them. This is similar to the way the Aftermath crew comes together to hunt down Imperials who committed atrocities during the Galactic Civil War, only seen from the other side this time.  The wrinkle of the whole thing is this--the Imperial Major tried to get his crew to join the New Republic, those who could make a life there anyway.  And he tried to disappear, to walk away from it all, but the New Republic hunted him down, so he realized there was no place for him.  On the one hand, it’s hard not to feel at least a little sympathetic that someone wanted to walk away from fighting for evil, they wanted to take themselves out of the equation. But on the other hand, he did so after they lost.  Not just after Endor, but after Operation Cinder and the Battle of Jakku.  After he knew he couldn’t win, then he left.  Left behind all the horrible things he would have been a part of in the Empire.  No shit they’re not going to just leave him be, he gave that up when he stuck with the Empire long past the time it was even somewhat understandable. Yet this probably also means shit’s going to hit the fan and people are probably going to die, because he felt driven back to the Empire, because there was no place for him in the new galaxy the New Republic was building.  But that’s also not on the New Republic, they’re not the ones choosing to go be an asshole, they’re not responsible or at fault for  Soran Keize‘s shitty choices. One of the things that the supplementary material works really well for with me is that it doesn’t diminish that Star Wars is a space fairy tale about good vs evil, but there’s room in the comics and novels for a more difficult look and that there are no easy or simple answers.  But seeing the mistakes of the New Republic, yet knowing that they were unequivocally the good guys, that they were trying to find a path out of a horrible situation and didn’t have 20/20 hindsight or an omniscient point of view, really gets me in the feelings place.

[not-the-tie-youre-looking-for]

Alphabet Squadron: Shadow Fall

⚠️ Spoiler warnings for the Star Wars novels Alphabet Squadron and Alphabet Squadron: Shadow Fall. Surprisingly, spoiler warnings for the series finale of Star Wars Rebels as well. ⚠️

Alrighty, to start this off, Saskia Maarleveld is apparently no longer the narrator for the Alphabet Squadron books; Carol Monda has taken that place. I wasn’t a fan of her narration style, and after about two chapters I gave up on the audiobook and got the hardcover at my local bookstore instead. Now that that’s off my chest, lets begin!

As I began to read, I was starting to wonder if maybe I should have re-read the first book before reading the sequel, but the characters do a very good job recalling the events that went down through conversation rather than exposition. I’ll probably reread the prequel afterwards anyways, but it did help my brain catch up to what I was reading. 

Hera Syndulla. Hera freaking Syndulla. She has a pretty big presence in this first half of the book, and it shows through the battles that occur and what other characters say about her. She’s one of my favorite Star Wars characters, so whenever she was given the spotlight I had my full attention on her!

“Yet Syndulla wasn’t finished. She shook her head gently and amended, “I have to decide what [taking down Shadow Wing is] worth. That’ s my responsibility as a general, and I promise you I will do the very best I can.” This takes me way back to Rebels during the Battle of Atollon and the Battle of Lothal; Alexander Freed writes Hera very, very well. 

“Syndulla took a sip of caf. Six cups and two thermoses stood guard around the room.” When I read this I did a double take. “Hera Syndulla is a caf addict” was not a headcanon I thought would be confirmed in this book, but here I am, pleasantly surprised. 

However, I soon experienced some serious emotional whiplash, as in this same meeting, Hera, Quell, and Adan discuss various methods of attack on Troithe when Alexander Freed decides to hit me in the heart with THESE lines:

Finally, the general nodded and drew up. [...] ”We wipe out the shields, bombers decimate the enemy before they can retreat to the bunkers. The timing will be challenging but I don’t see a way to make it easier. Not unless someone’s got a Jedi hidden away.”

No one spoke up.

“I can dream,” Syndulla said, and her smile was sadder than Quell would have expected.

And then, a bit later, these lines:

Quell had met the captain, though she couldn’t recall his name. He’d been younger than she’d expected, aware of the peculiarities of the campaign and insistent that Syndulla understood the cost in lives⁠—but never refusing an objective. Never asking why they were taking the capital in such a manner.

Be back, gonna go cry real quick...

Hera also seems to have created an outdoor work area that I got a real kick out of; it seems very Hera, and for whatever reasons reminds me of the crew of the Ghost hanging out in the cargo hold in Rebels:

General Syndulla spoke with the quiet authority that Yrica Quell had become accustomed to, sitting cross-legged on the hull of the Lodestar half a dozen meters from the nearest maintenance hatch. The general had made a camp of sorts, with a blanket spread on armor plating, a heat rod glowing to one side, and a spread of datapads around her like a fortune-teller’s cards. 

It’s also kind of funny but also kind of sad that the moment Hera leaves, things just kind of... fall apart?

Switching back to Shadow Wing’s POV of Hera, they see her as the face of the destruction on Pandem Nai. It’s quite disconcerting to see a group of Imperials want to target Hera’s battle group as a means of revenge for Pandem Nai. ⁠

When Soran Keize is training with some of the pilots of Shadow Wing, he plays holos of Hera in the Ghost, reminiscent of the simulators Sabine was in at Skystrike Academy. 

Lots of mentions of Vanguard Squadron from the new video game Star Wars: Squadrons. The game takes place in some locations in the Bormea sector, including the Nadiri Dockyards and Sissubo. About 3/4ths of the way through part one of Shadow Fall, Hera leaves the battle group to join them, which also accounts for her cameos in the game. 

I had totally forgotten that Quell had last her X-Wing and astromech droid at the Battle of Pandem Nai, but she keeps one of her droid’s chips as a necklace on her neck. Thought that was pretty cute tbh. 

After almost every mission, Wyl Lark records what went on in said mission and addresses those recordings to Blink, a TIE pilot in Shadow Wing he had a conversation with in the last book. When his finishes his recording, he deletes it. I’m interested to see where it goes...

When some of the pilots are hanging out together, Quell ends up telling stories of Vader, and I gotta say, he’s made to sound like a ghost story, Pretty creepy if I’m being completely honest.

And finally, the mentions of Admiral Rae Sloane. I know her better from A New Dawn, as I read the first Aftermath book and was not really impressed with the writing style. She also shows up in Star Wars: Squadrons trailer. Seems like Hera will meet back up with her after her early rebel days on Gorse. I’m looking forward to possible meetings between the two in either Squadrons or Alphabet Squadron. In any case, I’m going to be adding the Aftermath Trilogy back onto my reading list, along with A New Dawn. Hopefully I’ll actually be able to get through Aftermath....

Well, those are my main thoughts on part one of Alphabet Squadron: Shadow Fall. Look forward to part two soon!

As always, stay safe!

[girlbossk]

when i’m done with shadow fall i’m going to have to type up my Thoughts about major soran keize

[mystarwarslifedebt]

Alphabet Squadron: Victory’s Price Speculation

Alphabet Squadron: Victory’s Price Speculation

In the wake of Yrica Quell’s shocking decision—and one of the fiercest battles of their lives—the remnants of Alphabet Squadron seek answers and closure across a galaxy whose old war scars are threatening to reopen.

Soran Keize has returned to the tip of Shadow Wing’s spear. Operation Cinder, the terrifying protocol of planetary extermination which began in the twilight of the Imperial era,…

[starwarspilotstournament]

Well, the time has come, everybody!

Gather round, gather round! And witness the amazing...*drum roll*

Official Star Wars Pilots Bracket!!

**Here are our matchups!**

Round 1A:

Hera Syndulla vs. Lando Calrissian

Wedge Antilles vs. Plo Koon

Tycho Celchu vs. Leox Gyasi

Corran Horn vs. Ciena Ree

Luke Skywalker vs. Sylvestri Yarrow

Jaina Solo vs. Soran Keize

Anakin Skywalker vs. Chass Na Chadic

Biggs Darklighter vs. Yrica Quell

Round 1B:

Shara Bey vs. Wyl Lark

Carth Onasi vs. R2D2

Poe Dameron vs. Nien Nunb

Chewbacca vs. Sabine Wren

Han Solo vs. Greer Sonnel

Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Atton Rand

Din Djarin vs. Din Grogu

Bodhi Rook vs. Tech

For now, stay tuned for the Star Wars Pilots Polls, coming very soon to a Tumblr near you!!

And, as always, thanks for your support!

[aion-rsa]

Star Wars Victory’s Price Review: Alphabet Squadron 3

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The Alphabet Squadron series has always been about secrets. Since it began in June 2019, the three-book series has essentially filled the role of the old X-Wing novels, following a mismatched group of pilots in the years after Return of the Jedi. Alongside the dogfights were the people hiding histories and motives from one another and from themselves. It’s some of the most complex and interesting work in Star Wars right now. What does a book ostensibly about heroism have to say about people governed by misunderstandings, anxieties, and happenstance? Quite a bit. The third book wraps up the series with a multi-layered, mostly satisfying finale.

Former Imperial pilot Yrica Quell has switched sides several times. Now she’s undercover with her former Imperial squad, and so deep under that her New Republic teammates think she’s betrayed them. Her old mentor Soran Keize has become even more bloodthirsty than the rest of the Imperial remnant in his effort to continue the Emperor’s Operation Cinder — planetary destruction, but make it slower and messier than a Death Star laser. Alphabet Squadron chases Keize’s Shadow Wing across the galaxy to a confrontation that will determine how the New Republic handles ex-Imperials going forward.

Stream your Star Wars favorites right here!

Those stakes — not only Quell’s loyalty, but what to do about anyone who served the Empire — are a brilliant way to make Quell’s story relevant to the whole galaxy. Author Alexander Freed brings video game writing experience to creating the best kind of science fiction adventure ending: one that depends on character growth and themes as much as on laser blasts. It’s a grueling but entertaining look at the complexities of war.

Book three does break some of the perfect immersion of the first two books, with some secrets withheld when the characters know them full well. After the close perspectives in the first two installments, it was jarring and felt artificial to have some key information — for example, about what exactly Quell was trying to do in the finale of Shadow Fall and the beginning of Victory’s Price — left out. But overall the character work remains strong.

Precision and specificity mesh well with broad metaphor. Pilot Wyl Lark’s efforts to reach across enemy lines to form an alliance never really result in a miraculous change of heart, but they do provide entertainment for his own side. Wyl’s arc always felt to me indicative of parasocial relationships, of trying to get to know someone you never really will. And he doesn’t. But along the way, his efforts make real connections between him and the people already on his own side.

While the second book created a strong friendship between the pilots Nath and Wyl, book three focuses on everyone else. Quell, Chaos, Kairos, and Hera all get their due. An adventure to a strange jungle world becomes an odyssey with three women bubbling with possibility for either connection or ruin.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Fans looking for more of Star Wars Rebels‘ Hera Syndulla will find a lot of her here. The multi-talented and soft-hearted general doesn’t exactly have an arc in this book; she’s a supporting character. But she’s deftly drawn in a way that both captures her other appearances and feels like she’s been carrying even more of the weight of the war.

While I found Soran Keize, the Imperial commander, to be a weak point in Shadow Fall, his perspective and motivation are much clearer now. The ideological clashes between him and Quell are effectively load-bearing, as is their affection; Keize doesn’t stop being Quell’s mentor even as they move further and further to opposite sides of the war.

It’s not all delicate character interactions, though. Action scenes feel pleasantly suited to either the Star Wars films or video games. The author creates vivid starfighter scenes in part by drawing directly on famous film shots like the opening of the climactic battle in Return of the Jedi. But it doesn’t feel like pastiche or repetition. Instead, it’s alchemy. Sound, physicality, and banter all come together to create a vivid battle worthy of the movies. (Sound is also used in a fun way with the chapter and section titles, all of which are in-universe song titles.)

Read more

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So, how does Victory’s Price work as the conclusion to a trilogy? The final act is a careful balance between personal and political. Quell and the rest of the Empire have done terrible things: what does a just government do with them? What about a group of people who are trying blindly to make a just government that we know will fall to the First Order in a matter of decades? Victory’s Price even has characters dramatize a common thread in Star Wars discourse, that of whether Luke was right to mourn Darth Vader after all the evil he had committed. Where Luke found Anakin worth saving, this pilot finds the idea of mourning Vader grotesque.

The whole finale is a balancing act: between action and character, between the personal and the political, between epic redemption and damnation, and the more mundane reality in between. In the back half of the book, a rhythm starts on both sides of the war: we have to fight for our people. Be true to one another. An echo: The Rise of Skywalker‘s ideologically empty there are more of us. After Wyl’s arc argued in favor of the morale of the group, Freed doesn’t stop with the simple platitude of we’re right because we’re together. After all, that’s Keize’s argument, too. The conversations between the characters are also conversations about Star Wars‘ morality as a whole, and while sometimes the conclusions feel uncertain, we’ve had three books to explore what exactly is the content of Quell’s uncertainty.

In a book about people searching for unspeakable catharsis, the finale offers mercy that comes in unexpected ways. The book seems sometimes not to deliver on what was promised, to swerve at the last minute like a pilot who seemed to be on a collision course. That perfect tone wavers. But I’ll be fascinated to see what the rest of the fandom thinks. Entertaining, fascinating, at times slow but always thoughtful, Victory’s Price is one of the best Star Wars books to date.

The post Star Wars Victory’s Price Review: Alphabet Squadron 3 appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[shinyasahalo]

Star Wars Thoughts (11/30/20)

How is Soran Keize going to convince Rae Sloane to not execute Yrica Quell?  We know from Squadrons that the Empire knows that she joined the New Republic.  

[rebelsofshield]

Star Wars: Shadow Fall-Review

The second installment of Alexander Freed’s Alphabet Squadron trilogy is a character driven story of survival and personal growth that ranks among the best novels to come out of Star Wars in years.

(Review contains minor spoilers)

For the first time in the Galactic Civil War, both sides are in equal footing. With the death of the Emperor and the cataclysmic events following the Battle of Endor, The Empire has fallen into disarray and chaos. No central leadership exists and the once terrifying fascist force has split into different factions vying for survival. The New Republic fairs no better. Caught between mopping up between Imperial holdouts and trying to establish a government of its own, the former Rebellion is stumbling as well. All sides are scrambling to make sense of a new galactic order. Caught in the middle of this mess are the ragtag starfighters of Alphabet Squadron. Lead by a guilt ridden Yrica Quell, these five war weary pilots make a new desperate ploy to capture the still elusive and dangerous forces of Shadow Wing, a deadly TIE Fighter regiment that remains one of the Empire’s strongest remaining assets. However, Shadow Wing faces its own test of survival, now under control of Quell’s former mentor, Soran Keize.

Alphabet Squadron was one of the biggest and best surprise hits of last year. While Alexander Freed had already cut his teeth on writing Star Wars with the mostly underwhelming Battlefront: Twilight Company and the novelization for Rogue One, the first in his starfighter trilogy kicked off with an emotional and character driven drama that proved compelling from the getgo. Freed’s prose is dense and detailed and arguably more so than any other current prose writer working for Lucasfilm has the ability to make the world of the Galaxy Far, Far Away feel lived in. There’s an attention to on the streets storytelling. Our characters are fleshed out, flawed, and emotional characters, but they are far from the larger than life icons we see in much of Star Wars. They are part of the galactic swell of millions caught in the middle of a conflict that will change the shape of their society for decades to come.

It’s this feeling of upheaval and cultural shift that gives Shadow Fall much of its success. Freed paints the last year of the Galactic Civil War as a transitional period and while Chuck Wendig’s Aftermath trilogy may have been about the end point of this transformation, Shadow Fall concerns itself with the tough growing pains of societal metamorphosis. As Alphabet Squadron and their fellow New Republic allies attempt to liberate a planetary system orbiting a black hole, they have to contend with their own spread thin forces but also with their place as galactic liberators. They are no longer scrappy rebellious underdogs, but representatives of one government ousting another. Similarly, Soran Keize finds his leadership of Shadow Wing borrowing more and more from the Rebellion, with strategy shifting from wartime to success to the physical and mental health of the men in his charge. Freed creates a general feeling throughout of shaky footing and unease. The end point of the war is well in hand, but nobody is quite sure what it might entail and that proves to be something that drives introspection not only morally and politically, but also spiritually.

Freed’s ability to layer the Galaxy Far, Far Away with detail and nuance remains a strength, but the overall success of Alphabet Squadron proved to be its cast of compelling characters. By the end of its page length, we left the first novel of this series with a dynamic central cast, each with their own wants and weaknesses, and even a collection of memorable supporting characters. Shadow Fall continues that trend here, and while some standouts from the last novel such as Kairos and Nath Tensent (the former in particular) don’t get enough time in the spotlight, Freed digs in deeper with many of his cast than ever before. Following the likes of The Empire Strikes Back, Shadow Fall takes the middle chapter route of separating its heroes and putting them through the emotional ringer.

Yrica Quell remains the most complicated and compelling of the bunch. With her New Republic intelligence handler, Caern Adan, now aware of her secret participation in the genocidal Operation Cinder, Quell finds herself at risk with her fellow pilots. Freed fills her chapters with a sense of hesitancy, tension, and guilt ridden trauma as Quell tries to navigate the comfort of her new life with the looming atrocities of her past. Shadow Fall takes Quell on a twisting and harrowing journey and she ends the novel in an unexpected place that is sure to shake things up for the final installment likely coming next year.

In contrast, Soran Keize makes for an interesting new take on the sympathetic Imperial antagonist. It’s rare that we see a member of the Galactic Empire written with this amount of emotional depth and empathy. There’s a rightful hesitancy to paint representatives of sci-fi fascism with humanity and typically once a Stormtrooper or officer starts to show a hint of light, it means they are redemption bound. Keize makes for a fascinating inversion of this. We first met him having already deserted the Empire, trying to eke out life under a new name and purpose. Keize ended Alphabet Squadron with a decision to rejoin the Empire, but his role in Shadow Fall is far from fanatical patriotism. Instead, Keize becomes a steward for Shadow Wing, attempting to protect the men and women under his command from death and despair. It’s a more humanistic approach than we’ve seen from an Imperial before and it gives the battles at the novel’s climax an additional weight.

Other standouts prove to be Wyl Lark and Chass na Chadic. Lark made an impression and quickly became a fan favorite out of Alphabet Squadron due to his unshakeable moral character and optimism. In a series that approaches being dour in its chaos and bloodshed, Freed strongly balances out the ensemble with a character that feels as attuned to the light as Lark. Shadow Fall maneuvers him into a leadership position that he finds himself taking on  maybe a bit too much responsibility and complicated even further by the intense empathy he feels for the empathy at every step. Freed paints Lark as a good man that isn’t made into a bad one by the horrors of war, but finds himself struggling to find the right thing to do at all times. It makes for compelling and hopeful conflict.

Chass na Chadic, the music spewing B-Wing pilot, was a colorful addition to Alphabet Squadron, but she more than any other character feels like she comes into her own here in Shadow Fall. The last surviving member of multiple squadrons who met their end by the hands of the Empire, Chass has never expected to live through to the end of the Galactic Civil War. She doesn’t actively wish for death, but has more so accepted a reality that her survival isn’t a part of. Combined with her own sense of sardonic humor and multi-species discography, Chass constantly feels like she’s hiding layer upon layer of emotion but remains entertaining all the same. In a smart move, Freed puts Chass in a place that challengers her nihilism in startling ways and it makes for some of the most interesting subject matter of the novel.

If anything proves a little shaky with Shadow Fall, it’s that the overall uncertainty of its world and characters bleeds a bit too much into the plot as well. Freed’s characters feel concerned with moment to moment survival and while it makes for a thrilling and at times emotional read, it’s easy to leave the second installment of Alphabet Squadron feeling a tad unmoored. It’s unclear what exactly this trilogy is building to outside of another conflict between our titular starfighter team and their elusive enemy. I will find myself picking up the next installment in order to catch up with these characters that I have become so attached to and not necessarily because I’m waiting with baited breath for the conclusion of this winding story.

As was the case with Alphabet Squadron, Freed’s prose knows how to oscillate in tempo and focus with ease. His descriptions are detailed and dynamic. His character prose is insightful and personal without feeling overbearing. His action scenes feel kinetic and explosive. It’s impressive just how thick and dense Freed’s prose can feel when it needs to, but how quickly it can shift to something quicker and more action oriented without sacrificing the detail that defines the rest of the novel. It represents a clear evolution from the sometimes leaden Twilight Company that builds upon the style but makes it much more emotionally and narratively engaging.

With Shadow Fall, Alexander Freed’s solidifies Alphabet Squadron as the new Star Wars trilogy to watch for. It’s characters are just as haunting and compelling as ever and Freed’s writing feels more lived in and organic than anything else offered by Lucasfilm Publishing at this time. Pick this book up and savor the read. I’m going to miss these lost souls over the next year.

Score: A

[fanthatracks]

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New Excerpt From Star Wars: Victory’s Price Released

Star Wars: Victory’s Price, the final chapter of the Alphabet Squadron trilogy, releases on March 2 from Del Rey.  In this new excerpt from io9, General Hera Syndulla’s New Republic forces—have uncovered Shadow Wing leader Soran Keize’s newest plans aren’t just about hitting the fledgling Republic.

Take The Link To Read The Full Article #starwars #FanthaTracks

[kanerallels]

Never read Bloodlines, and now I DEFINITELY won't. That doesn't sound like Jaina at ALL. It sounds highly enraging.

And my sister was the same way with the Alphabet books-- or at least about the make better choices bit. Alphabet Squadron really does that to you, though.

I was less like that, since I was prepared. Except when Wyl Lark challenged Soran Keize to a duel. Then I lost it.

@kanerallels

The. The what trilogy? Is…. is that the actual name?

The actual name of the trilogy is The Dark Nest Trilogy by Troy Denning. It takes place after the end of the New Jedi Order megaseries and before the beginning of the Legacy of the Force megaseries.

The explanation for the Artoo thing was simple enough. Legends was not allowed to use Padme until after RotS was released and these were the first books to come out then.

As for the A plot being about Jacen, Jaina, Zekk, Raynar and a few other characters who I can’t remember off the top of my head getting dragged into a bug driven mind meld and having orgies… they gave him extensive creative freedom with this trilogy and he sure did make choices.