AUTHOR: ALEXANDER FREED | PUBLISHER: CENTURY | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
The Star Wars galaxy continues to expand, delving into the saga and developing it further. This new release by Alexander Freed, best known for his 2017 release Battlefront: Twilight Company, heads from the trenches to the stars as the fighter squadrons of the GFFA are featured, in this case a unit brought together by Hera Syndulla, now a general and in charge of bringing a crack squadron together to fight tyranny across the galaxy.
Any Star Wars book with ‘squadron’ in the title is inevitably going to be compared to the much-loved X-Wing series of the ‘90s, that nine-book series by Mike Stackpole and the late Aaron Allston that occupied the now empty period after Return of the Jedi when the post-Endor galaxy was a broiling pot of conflict and uncertainty. Step forward to 2019 and Freed’s novel is also set post-Endor as the New Republic brings together Alphabet Squadron, tasking them to track down and destroy the 204th Imperial Fighter Wing, a mysterious TIE fighters squadron, also known as Shadow Wing.
Alphabet Squadron comprises of former TIE pilot Yrica Quell who has defected from the Empire to the New Republic, finding herself surrounded by understandable mistrust. She’s joined by pilots Chassna Chadic, Nath Tencent, and Wyl Lark, all with grudges against Shadow Wing, and the mysterious New Republic agent Kairos. The opening of the story is frenetic, jumping from new character to new character so fast we don’t get a chance to get a hold of them or emotionally connect. It’s necessary – the squadron are being brought together for a specific purpose – but the lack of familiar characters sometimes makes for a tough read. By the midway point the pace eases, and as Quell works to bring the unit together, we finally get to know the crew and what drives them. Freed is in his element here, fleshing out their backstories and rounding them out into unique and memorable characters. In addition, the presence of Hera, a character we know well from Star Wars Rebels, is a bonus. Further into her career than when we saw her in the animated show, she’s the centrepiece of the book and let’s hope the rest of the trilogy continues to use her.
The final third of the novel returns to the fast pace of the first, and while jarring after a more measured centre section we now know the characters, so the pace and peril aren’t a problem. That said, to know the enemy better would be welcome (Marvel Comics’ current series TIE Fighter crosses over with this novel to focus on the 204th), but at the very least this sets the scene for what should be a fascinating sequel with more in the balance. With his central players set, Freed should have more latitude to develop character as well as plot.
