The first in a line of books attempting to bridge the gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Aftermath answers the question: what happened after the second Death Star was destroyed at the Battle of Endor? With a tag line like that, this book could have been something great. But alas it falls short in several ways.

I'm going to preface the actual review with a bit of a rant, so consider yourselves warned. Here goes:

I have a love-hate relationship with Star Wars literature. Having grown up reading all the novels of the Expanded Universe (now rebranded as Star Wars Legends), beginning with the excellent Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn, I always had a clear picture in my mind of what should come after Return of the Jedi. That's what Zahn's books were, after all, the story of the next movie trilogy that never was. More novels came after that, chronicling 30+ years of history, letting us see the New Republic mature, Han and Leia start a family, their children grow up, new enemies rise & fall... I lapped those stories up like mana from Heaven.

But toward the end, the writing quality noticeably deteriorated. Instead of grand, atmospheric epics in the style of Zahn and the authors that immediately followed him, Star Wars novels became watered down, bite-sized serials. They adopted a cookie-cutter formula that made them almost a book-of-the-month-club affair. I could barely bring myself to read the Fate of the Jedi series.

And then it was all "rebooted".

I always knew in the back of my mind that the eventual third set of Star Wars movies would never follow the storyline of Timothy Zahn's novels. As awesome as it would have been to see Grand Admiral Thrawn on the big screen, it was obvious the original actors were too old for the time period depicted in the books (which required a young Luke, Han, Leia, etc). Of course we were in for something new.

When Star Wars: The Force Awakens came out, I enjoyed it immensely. It took me back to my days of watching and re-watching the original trilogy; a glorious nostalgia trip that had me almost in tears when the fate of Han Solo was revealed. But at the same time, I was dismayed to learn the whole future history told in the Expanded Universe was being thrown out to be replaced with something that fits in better with the new movies.

The timeline of the old Expanded Universe novels. Just look at how rich it is, spanning dozens of books written over many years! Shame to see all of this tossed on the rubbish heap...

Logically, it makes sense. Emotionally, I'm still saddened and torn up by it. It's hard to say goodbye to familiar characters that have been with me since I was a kid, faithful companions on summer camping trips and school vacations. Admiral Daala, Supreme Commander Pellaeon, Jaina Solo, Tenel Ka, Ben Skywalker, Jagged Fel: I'm looking at you. You deserved better.

Okay, we get it. You miss the old discarded Star Wars world. What about the new one?

Sorry about that. Rant over. So, knowing the future of Star Wars would be re-written, I had high hopes for Star Wars: Aftermath. I wanted to like it. I really did. But the book's main antagonist, Admiral Rae Sloane, is no Grand Admiral Thrawn (she's pretty likable for an Imperial, definitely not super-villain material). And Chuck Wendig is no Timothy Zahn.

My first issue with the book is its narrative style. It's written entirely in the present tense. You know, sentences like this:

The weather is gorgeous today. Jane Doe hums a cheery tune as she bounces down the sidewalk. Some birds chirp, catching her attention as they fly overhead. All is right with the world. Jane stops to admire some pretty flowers, wondering idly what to do with herself on this fine day.

Contrast that with a more typical style:

The weather was gorgeous that day. Jane Doe hummed a cheery tune as she bounced down the sidewalk. Some birds chirped, catching her attention as they flew overhead. All was right with the world. Jane stopped to admire some pretty flowers, wondering idly what to do with herself on such a fine day.

Which version do you like better? Maybe it's just me, but present tense writing in novels drives me crazy. It's a natural fit for journals, blog posts, and movie scripts, but for the love of all that is holy, please, please keep it out of fictional novels. I found it a real effort just to get past Wendig's prose and focus on the story.

Now, if that was the only problem with this book, I could shrug it off and at least hope for a compelling story. But even that is lacking. Instead of the menacing, dangerous Empire we've come to expect, we get a frightened weakling on the verge of collapse, running scared from the New Republic. It's a jarring role reversal, and combined with the inconsequential plot (the entire thing is about nothing more than a clandestine meeting to decide the future leadership of the Empire), leaves the story mostly lacking in narrative tension. I almost felt sorry for the supposed bad guys, who constantly jump at shadows in every scene they're in.

It also doesn't help that one of the main protagonists, a boy named Temmin, is utterly annoying. He resists his mother's help at every turn, drags his heels on fighting the Empire, actually betrays his mother and companions at one point, and just acts like a petulant brat throughout the whole book. I kept wanting to reach out and slap him silly.

Admiral Sloane, on the other hand, is a character I actually cared about even though she was supposed to be the villain. I started rooting for her and against the rebels halfway through the book. She's well fleshed out and you can sympathize with her struggle: a moderate voice within the Empire, she wants to tone down the violent excesses that led the rest of the galaxy to rebel in the first place, bring order to the upper ranks left in a panic by Emperor Palpatine's death, and ultimately set the Empire back on a path to regaining its former glory. But she's stymied at every turn. Those pesky New Republic rebel scum just won't let her get the job done.

Admiral Rae Sloane carries the weight of the galaxy on her shoulders.

In Conclusion

Star Wars: Aftermath tries hard but ultimately fails to live up to the standards of the illustrious forebears it's meant to replace.

If you're only moderately into Star Wars, or you've never read the Expanded Universe (ahem, Star Wars Legends) books, then I recommend skipping this one. Just go pick up a copy of Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire. That will make for a much more positive impression and enjoyable reading experience.

However, if you're a diehard fan like me, then nothing I can say will dissuade you from slogging through this miserable excuse of a book anyway. Just go read it and see if you agree with me.

I know I'll keep reading the other books in the series, if only to see more of Admiral Sloane and her schemes. She's maybe the only redeeming point of Star Wars: Aftermath. Oh, and the climactic fight is pretty cool too, I'll admit.

So I'm going to keep my fingers crossed and take comfort from the thought that the next book in this new trilogy can't possibly be any worse than the first.

May the Force be with you!

Cool links for more reading

My previous book review:
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson

Amazon sales page:
https://www.amazon.com/Aftermath-Star-Wars-Trilogy/dp/1101885920

History of the Expanded Universe novels (Star Wars Legends):
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Wars_Legends

Star Wars: Aftermath plot summary (don't read this unless you like spoilers):
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Aftermath

If you've read Star Wars: Aftermath, feel free to add your own reviews & impressions in the comments below. Recommendations for other Star Wars books are also welcome.

---

Disclaimer: I am not reviewing this book in any official capacity. I am simply sharing my opinion for the benefit of any fellow Star Wars fans who may be looking for something new to read.

Image credits: the Expanded Universe timeline is taken from this post on the blog site A Green Mushroom. The other images of the book cover and Admiral Sloane come from Wookieepedia: the Star Wars Wiki.

Achievement badges courtesy of @elyaque . Want your own? Check out his blog.