Review - Wedge's Gamble

Review - Wedge's Gamble - by Michael Stackpole, Book Two of the X-Wing Series (1996)

The second book of the X-Wing is again a book I enjoy. It has all the things typical of a Stackpole Star Wars novel that I like, the excitement and pacing and things like that, so I am going to point out a few things that either stand out for good or for ill in this book.

The EU - Character Creation One of the problems or difficulties of doing a unit based story where there are fatalities is that you have to replace characters who die off. This book does a good job in doing that. While still focusing mainly on Corran Horn and Wedge Antilles, you get new characters introduced who will take up spots in the Squadron. This is difficult to do, yet it is done well.

The EU - Groundwork It is really nice to see how the groundwork is done - all the stuff on the surface. It works like a fairly good almost spy thriller - those scenes are well written. In fact, they would be utterly fantastic if not for one thing. . .

The Bad - Iceheart's Pith and plans Ysanne Isard is generally a good villain. She's a good one in the Epilogue. However, very early on you learn that she plans to abandon Coruscant -- so the Rogues, while in danger, well, they sort of need to win. It lessens the danger (although giving a certain amount of dramatic irony and the senselessness of the causalities). And so, for most of the book, instead of having Isard being the master Villain, plotting destruction and chaos against our heroes. . . she's more of Loor's mean boss, making snide comments here and there. Just not as intimidating in this book.

The Ugly - The Bigotry Trial This is one of the few Uglies I will give Stackpole, but it needs to be said. Okay, we all get it - bigotry is bad. But having a bunch of aliens round up Gavin because he feels a sense of relief when a Bothan stops asking him to dance is just... dumb. Especially when Gavin is hanging out with a bunch of aliens, including his Shistaven partner. Especially when we find out that the Bothan in question is a highly trained military specialist.

I mean, you could have done the same thing, have Asyr's people drag all those Rogues off for thinking they were conspirators with the Stormtroopers, have Nawara show off his legal chops that way - have her just distrust Gavin and be shocked when he saves her life. But the bigotry trial is hockey -- especially given the fact that Nawara loses it and they would have killed Gavin anyway. That chapter or two may be the worst stuff Stackpole writes. There are just other ways you can hook this group of Rogues up with the underground and other ways you can highlight the idea of "Bigotry is BAD" that wouldn't be so. . . klunky.

Still, an enjoyable read. Tycho is a fun character who I enjoy more and more upon rereads.

The Grade - B+ There was just too much dramatic irony that undercut the book to have it be great, but still, a good, fun read.