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May 15, 2016

Aftermath book, A journey to Starwars the Force awakens, review

Aftermath, written by Chuck Wendig

The book in conical and the cover announces a “journey to” Ep VII and this clearly why I was interested in reading it.
It is the first book of the Aftermath Trilogy : Aftermath, Aftermath: Life’s Debt, Aftermath: Empire’s End (July/2017)
Scenario takes place just after the battle of ENDOR in a galaxy in chaos between the reminiscence of the fallen Empire and the birth of the NEW REPUBLIC and crime syndicates trying to exploit the situation.

*** warning : Spoiler inside ***

My expectation of this Trilogy is to bring clues of the raise of the First Order and Snoke, the choice of Leia to turn back to rebellion instead of being a politicians of the new senate and last but not least the story of Luke trying to start a new Jedi order. I am even opening to here about Jakku battle and characters!
Well, nothing about this ! Or better said, not yet.
The story is introducing new characters that are interesting due to the fact that most of them are connected by battle of Endor:
  • Norra: A rebel pilot that flew inside the Death star 2 during the destruction
  • Jas: A bounty hunter present on the Endor moon
  • Sinjir: An Empire Officier present during the battle on the Endor moon
  • + a kid, a crazy droid and a rebel special force fighter.
  • Old characters like Wedge Antilles and Admiral Ackbar have secondary roles.

Interesting to notice that No force Sensitive’s are present.
Then we also discover new Imperial high ranking officers (Moff, Admiral, Emperor adviser…) that are making a meeting in order to try to decide the way the remaining forces of the Empire have to be reorganized and what should be strategy.

Last key character is kept in shadow: The Operator. This book nearly just refers to him with very few details at that point. At this point no link between the Operator and Snoke can be established.

The whole story is linked to this meeting and the main action takes place only in one location.

In order to widen the story the author has created “interludes” chapters that are describing facts of the fall of the Empire and the start of the New Senate of the republic. Mon Mothma is nominated supreme chancellor and the politics has a clear way of stopping the war by dramatically reduce the army forces and seek for peace by use of the democracy. This is a good link to the EPVII that introduces Leia as the only one taking serious the First Order menace in a Republic that is unable to counteract to the threat.  An other link is provided by a description of some smugglers sealing Darth Vader light Saber to some unidentified characters (Knights of Ren?). This is putting some bases of the story of the famous saber (I am talking of this saber : here)

The story line is extremely full of action and fights… and to my mind there are not enough pauses to reflect on the characters and story è this is a key missing fact that is a major aspect needed in star wars. Moreover every story needs the conspiracy dimension, but it is not in the center of the story. Indeed, only the last lines are opening the whole story and we discover what is really behind the famous Imperial meeting (I will not make spoiler).

An other aspect of the action scenes is that there are many KILLS that are not really necessary. It shocked me a bit that some storm-troopers (by the way quite inefficient) are just exterminated by the rebels with no real need. This is not really the “light side” way of the war.
The overall model is very similar to StarWars Rebels (TV show): New characters with special abilities are forming a crew that helps fighting the Empire.

So overall I did not like the book very much but as a fan I will for sure read the continuing in order to get more information on the story, the characters and the larger plot.


Give me your comments. See you after the next book.

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