Alphabet Squadron (Star Wars)

By: Alexander Freed

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld

Length: 13 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

The first novel in a new trilogy starring veteran New Republic pilots!

On the verge of victory in a brutal war, five New Republic pilots transform from hunted to hunters in this epic Star Wars adventure. Set after Return of the Jedi, Alphabet Squadron follows a unique team, each flying a different class of starfighter as they struggle to end their war once and for all.

The emperor is dead. His final weapon has been destroyed. The Imperial Army is in disarray. In the aftermath, Yrica Quell is just one of thousands of defectors from her former cause living in a deserters' shantytown - until she is selected to join Alphabet Squadron.

Cobbled together from an eclectic assortment of pilots and starfighters, the five members of Alphabet are tasked by New Republic General Hera Syndulla herself. Like Yrica, each is a talented pilot struggling to find their place in a changing galaxy. Their mission: to track down and destroy the mysterious Shadow Wing, a lethal force of TIE fighters exacting bloody, reckless vengeance in the twilight of their reign.

The newly formed unit embodies the heart and soul of the Rebellion: ragtag, resourceful, scrappy, and emboldened by their most audacious victory in decades. But going from underdog rebels to celebrated heroes isn't as easy as it seems, and their inner demons threaten them as much as their enemies among the stars. The wayward warriors of Alphabet Squad will have to learn to fly together if they want to protect the new era of peace they’ve fought so hard to achieve.

Part of a Marvel and Del Rey crossover event, Alphabet Squadron is the counterpart to Marvel’s TIE Fighter miniseries, which follows the exploits of Shadow Wing as they scheme to thwart the New Republic.

©2019 Alexander Freed (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"There’s a lot to love about Alphabet Squadron and you’ll be left wanting more in the best way possible." (Cinelinx)

"Alphabet Squadron is a wondrously constructed, character focused adventure that marries high flying thrills with respect and reverence for its subjects, and I can’t wait until we see the next title announcement soaring across our feeds." (Youtini)

"Every fan who wants a taste of what the future of Star Wars has in store for us should read this novel." (Star Wars News Net)

Good start to future adventure

This is a general impression of Alphabet Squadron.

The premise is simple in nature. What happens when an irregular assortment of fighter pilots and military personnel come together to stop an enemy fighter group that are a danger to the very fragile New Republic that forms after the events of Return of the Jedi.

It’s an interesting, albeit reminiscent, premise that Alphabet Squadron explores as this odd group comes together, connected by individual trauma inflicted by the imperial fighter wing nicknamed Shadow Wing. This could be a modern telling of old movies I watched from my childhood like Force 10 from Navarone mixed with a sprinkle of the cat and mouse action from a movie like The Enemy Below.

What I liked about the story was the investment of time given in meeting the crew of Alphabet Squadron and the opportunity to learn about them and understand their motivation in the hunt for Shadow Wing. The members of Alphabet Squadron do not come together easily, these are damaged people and the journey batters them more. We also meet a lot of characters in the story with a good amount of exposition. If you feel like you’re missing something and need to go back, don’t worry, it’s not you.

One major criticism of the story is the lack of a true villain. To learn more about Shadow Wing, there is a prequel comic series that takes place before Alphabet Squadron and it being promoted as a cross-over event. It’s not a deal breaker, but in the story we hear about Shadow Wing and are left to just accept they are a real danger.

On the actual quality of the audiobook, the story was read by Saskia Maarleveld and she is excellent. Maarleveld brought each character a unique voice, her Hera Syndulla[ is damn good, and she should get a phone call anytime a Star Wars production needs a voice for an imperial torture droid.

Some of the music tracks fell short. Again, not a deal breaker as it didn’t distract from Maarleveld, but you feel for the sound engineer with the job of making it sound Star Wars with generic music tracks.

If you do invest in Alphabet Squadron, be prepared for a couple of follow-up novels, this story is just the set-up for the next adventures.

one of the best from canon

Couldn't stop listening once I started. Was unsure about the premise going in, but I preordered it right away when I found out it was a trilogy. I was not disappointed, Alexander Freed has won me over as Star Wars writer, emphases on wars, cause that's what he's best at writing. Was not a fan of his first SW book, but the Rogue One novelization is great, and Alphebet squadron is even better. I would put i behind only Thrawn amd Lost Stars in new canon books. Can't wait for the next 2

Mediocre at best

I tried to like this book but there’s really just not much to like. None of the characters are very redeeming or interesting. The book takes forever to get going as well. The end is somewhat interesting during the final battle but even that goes on too long it feels like. Can’t say I’ll be sticking around for the rest of the series.

A decent story

A decent story that shows why you wouldn't make a fighter squadorn like this. Falls apart in the 3rd act with the resolution that goes on far too long a la Return of the King.

Amazing!

enthralling to the last minute and full of surprises. highly recommend this book for teens, young adults and older

disappointing

while it had its moments ultimately it fell flat. I wanted so much to enjoy it however I found myself hoping that it would hurry up and end.

Solid Star Wars, but Not Too Groundbreaking

A fun adventure in the galaxy far far away, elevated by a strong performance. The characters are diverse and easy to connect with. The performance is strengthened by dedication to voices for different characters as well as well placed SFX and music.

story didn't click for me.

the narration was great the sound effects were great like all the other Star Wars books. I just couldn't get into the story just didn't click with me or hold my attention took me a long time to get through it.

A fine addition to the new cannon

Brings to mind the Legends X-Wing novels, which I'm sure will excite many fans. 10/10 and 5 stars all around. Narration and story all excellent.

Loved this book.

A perfect 10 in my opinion. The voice acting is top notch. Looking forward to the rest of the series.