Star Wars: X-Wing: Mercy Kill

Wraith Squadron is back in "Mercy Kill", with an adventure that takes place after the events in "Fate of the Jedi".

I have met Aaron Allston a couple of times, and once interviewed him for my Star Wars fan club. He's a great guy, and is one of the best writers for SW books out there, because he can combine action, intrigue, humor, and sheer innovation together into a great story. This book is reminiscent of those that have cemented him as one of the most prolific SW authors.

First off, the narration is excellent, and a special treat for Star Wars audiobooks are the music, ambient and special effects that are weaved throughout the story. You don't get that in most books, and it really helps you feel "in" the Star Wars universe.

As far as the storyline goes, the point of view mostly follows Voort "Piggy" saBinring, an old Wraith Squadron vet, who is recruited back into the action by Garik "Face" Loran. This is an interesting character to feature, I thought. The book also gives us some backstory on what the Wraiths have been up to in the intervening years, and also gives closure on the stories of some of its members that had been left hanging. This also gives us a more emotionally impactful story, as well.

We also are introduced to a new generation of Wraiths in this book. Also, this particular storyline is scaled back from the galaxy-spanning conflicts of "Fate of the Jedi" and others - which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It enables us to focus more deeply on the new characters.

A couple of drawbacks - I don't think the new characters mesh quite as well as the old classics. Maybe I'm just nostalgic, though. Also, there isn't much actual starfighter action in the book - its more of Wraith's style of clandestine operations. I think calling the book "X-Wing" in the title generally makes you expect space battles. Finally, the more limited scope of the story didn't quite meet all my expectations - but all these things are subjective and I'll leave it up to you to decide for yourself.

If you liked the other books in the "X-Wing" series, then you should get this one. You'll get more of the characters you love, and you'll get to find out where the story - and the characters - go from here.

The Humor.

Face - because he sounded like Captain Kirk

Marc's vocal inflections really sold the levity in the book. I started reading it an then listened a little and it was a totally different feel. So much of Star Wars is so serious and emotional, that I started the reading with the same approach. It's a good thing that I tried the Whispersync thing for audio! I've never been interested in anything rogue Squadron but I really like Marc Thompson, so I tried it. I glad because I was laughing out loud a lot. Now when I go back someday and read it, I'll know what the mood of the book is lighter.

Laugh definitely

This book is like reading/listening to NCIS LA, The A Team, Sneakers (the movie), Mission impossible and GI Joe. It's very entertaining and of course doesn't take itself too seriously. Let me tell yo just this, the main character is a Gamorrean who speaks English and has been modified by experiments so he has a genius intellect and also can dance like a Chippendale. There, nuff said? I don't think there is a real lightsaber in the whole book. You'd have to know some things about the FOTJ series to totally get the plot though, the Lecersen conspiracy for instance, and the overall EU historical context.

A good story and continuation of the tale in the previous books but still seems to be missing some of that Star Wars charm.

Not bad, by any means - good book, well read... while some of the charters are familiar from previous books in the x-wing series, it just doesn't feel like the other x-wing books...

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys good Star Wars stories and spy stories.

I'm not sure of what books I would compare this to, but I think a good comparison is the TV show Leverage. Wraith Squadron works along similar lines running cons to get revenge against corrupt individuals.

I haven't read the book so I can't say how this audio compares to the print, but I can say that hearing the different "people" really adds to the enjoyment. if you let yourself go, you can really hear the humor when each character interacts with each other.

I was extremely impressed with how well the reader preformed on this book. Hearing each person and each inflection really brought the characters to life.

Oceans 11 in space

This is not a deep book. I read some complaints that the "villan" was not that impressive. I agree. If you want to read/listen-to about a great "villan" then read/listen-to one of Timothy Zahns books. If you want to relax and enjoy some funny character driven Star Wars moments, then this is the book for you.

Old characters like good friends. Expansion of new people and cleaning of loose ends. All around a wonderful entry by Aaron Allston.

Nice to get some solid Piggy action.

As always he captures Star Wars perfectly.

Wanted to, yes, did? No. It was wonderfully complex, I kept going back and catching things I had missed.

A spy caper and a wonderful Star Wars Novel.

The Mission: Impossible/caper movie feel of the book.

It's pretty much the level of quality I came to expect from Allston.

Voort's The reminiscing scene from the Yuuzhan Vong War.

To read more Star Wars!

No.

I read these books as a teen and loved immersing myself in the stories. Reading about Runt, Piggy, Wedge and the rest was a great spark for my desire to do something meaningful. Now, with Mercy Kill, Allston launches the story anew. In a period when so many are rebooting our entertainment sources (often in failure), Allston picked up the story and carries it forward. There is no "rebooting" only a recharging. I love the step taken and look forward to more in the future!

A taste of the old with some new. Plus more info after Fate of the Jedi

The Past and Present wrapped into one

Face Loran

Excitement

Great listen for old and new Star Wars Fans.