Rogue Squadron goes rogueAfter the events of The Krytos Trap, the Rogues were in a sticky position: let Ysanne Isard have control of Thyferra and the galaxy’s supply of bacta (which would cure the deadly Krytos virus) or leave the New Republic and go after her. Being Rogues, Wedge, Tycho, Corran, and the others leave their post and begin to plan a way to release Thyferra from Imperial rule.NOTE: Based on audiobook and novel.I Liked:It’s nice to see the pilots of Rogue Squadron have to fight with their brains instead of overwhelming firepower. The story of this book is unique. Instead of working with the New Republic, the Rogues have to leave in order to defeat the Empire (which is very different than how most authors tend to paint the New Republic, as the rosy-posy, goody-two-shoes, nearly utopian government).Stackpole continues to please me by including continuity nods to Zahn’s trilogy among others. I was particularly pleased to see mentions to Outbound Flight, the Katana fleet, Winter, and even Talon Karrde! And speaking of Winter and Karrde, Stackpole writes them brilliantly, just as I think Zahn would want.Corran Horn gets some growth: relationally and in the Force. I really liked to see how he tried and failed to use the Force (after Luke asked Corran to join his Academy).I Didn’t Like:I wasn’t too fond of how much recapping occurred in this book. The first 15min of the audiobook (which is only 180 min long) was basically a recap of the previous book. I don’t recall so much recap from the previous books (even The Krytos Trap, in which Corran was captured), and I don’t really feel it is necessary.Also, Isard is reduced to the Cackling Villain variety, a variety I loathe. She could be really good, but all she does is talk about how she will destroy the Rebel Alliance and the Empire will rise again. A shame. Our other villain, Vorru, isn’t so bad, but he really doesn’t have as much power as he likes to think. And Kirtan Loor, the villain I really liked, is gone.Lastly, I just had trouble getting involved in the story. It wasn’t boring, it wasn’t terribly written, it’s just after the info-dump and the recap, I found myself unengaged.Dialogue/Sexual Situations/Violence:Star Wars curse words.Mirax and Corran consummate their love off-screen.Dogfights galore. Corran also unintentionally starts a fight while trying to use a Jedi Mind Trick.Overall:The Bacta War wraps up many things in the X-Wing line: the Rogue Squadron’s story, Ysanne Isard’s flee from Coruscant, the Krytos virus arc, and Stackpole’s four book run (though he would return to X-Wing in “Isard’s Revenge”). It was a decent novel, but I just couldn’t seem to get interested in it. I’m rounding to 4 because it might have been A) the audiobook (the narrator uses some annoying voices for the women and an odd Scottish accent for Wedge), B) my mood, or C) being distracted.
The Bacta War finds the Rogues free from the Alliance military and political influence, and free to take on their nemesis Ysanne Isard and her Super Star Destroyer Lusankya, who are now in control of the bacta-producing planet Thyferra. Wedge's team, with help from smugglers Booster Terrik and Talon Karde, wage a guerilla war against Iceheart which results in an epic final confrontation.It's good to have the Rogues back in the cockpit, as most of the action in this book consists of epic space battles. We see just about every variation of Imperial ship here, and the Rogues go through them with little difficulty. Actually, that's part of the series' problem. The Rogues are portrayed as unbelievably good pilots (far better than the Star Wars films would have us believe) and the Imperials are either incompetent, insane, or both. Any one of the capitol ships featured here should have presented a real problem for the Rogues, but Stackpole had them falling like dominoes. Like previous volumes, Stackpole's dialogue is over the top, and every chapter ends with a dramatic phrase. This is by far the series' least endearing trait.It is a fun book though, and it's good to see all of the long-running plotlines get resolved, even if they do stretch credibility. The action was fast-paced and intense, the characters really grow on you, and even though the conclusion was tidy I was still left wanting more.The Bacta War is a satisfying conclusion to the X-Wing Rogue Squadron series
What do You think about The Bacta War (1997)?
As I said about 'The Krytos Trap' this is not my type of novel. Still, as a whole unit, all four of these first novels fit together nicely. The important characters are now well-established so that you empathize with their frustrations over the Republic. Wedge has been central throughout, with asides for Tycho and Corran and lesser subplots for many other characters that have developed each of the major players here. That means you really get into them becoming 'Rogues' from the Republic. I am not certain if Stackpole pitched all four novels at once or the idea came about in the writing, but it works.
—Cian Beirdd
The Bacta War by Michael Stackpole Star Wars: X-Wing, Book 4 In this installment of the X-Wing series, times are tough for the Roque Squadron as they must battle Ysanne Isard, one of the remaining imperial warlords in the galaxy. They fight undermanned and without support of the Alliance, which is fighting in a different war altogether in a different section of the galaxy. Alone they must defeat her large battle group of star destroyers and liberate the planet of Thyferra, an important planet in the production of the valuable Bacta, from her Iron rule. Will this small group of X-wings be able to take down this dreaded remnant of the Empire? Or will they be defeated, and thus allow a new enemy to threaten the still emergent Alliance.Pick up a copy today to discover the fantastic ending.For more information on the author, go to this site:http://www.michaelastackpole.com/Reviewed by Wyatt Rutherford, TAB@DBPL Reader Advisor since 2012
—Delray Beach Public Library Public Library
Now we're getting somewhere.The Bacta War is a huge leap forward, in terms of writing style, pacing, and general Star Wars-ish feel. Previous entries had all the pieces to put it in the Star Wars universe, but now it feels like those pieces have been put in the right place.Characters get an upgrade, especially Corran. He now acts like a human, rather than a perfect shining example of... well, someone that's hard to relate to. This is much better, especially as he struggles with his personal bombshell incident at the end of the previous book. Also, Talon Karrde shows up, and despite me always forgetting how to pronounce his last name (for the record, it's "Card"), the guy is mysteriously awesome. Even Ooryl gets an interesting little arc this time around. It's not perfect... the interactions with Booster and Corran seem forced, and Mirax's general lack of reactions to specific incidents didn't work well either.I love the new feel this book brings to the series. Taking over their own station, Rogue Squadron goes... well, rogue. In a good way. They get a new hideout and run guerrilla tactics on the increasingly insane Isard. I remember reading this as a kid and loving the details like each squadron member painting their X-Wing in whatever way they wanted... so you've got a krayt dragon over here, ultraviolet paint over there, etc. And the whole thing is set up a little like an awesome Star Wars version of Robin Hood.It's easier to follow the space battles now, too. And there are some awesome battles... particularly the last battle in the book. You'll see what I mean. So cool.Some of the humor that's characteristic of the later books in the series has started to glimmer through, especially at the end. This book makes me look forward to the rest of the series, where as the previous books I was just trying to get through because I knew it got better later.Would I recommend it? Yeah! Especially for Star Wars fans. The first three books are decent, but this one ups the ante, and they keep getting better.
—Daniel
