Wedge's Gamble

This sequel to [book:Rogue Squadron|513176] is less dogfight-heavy and even more adventurous than the first. Our heroes hang up their flight suits in order to infiltrate Coruscant, the central planet of the Empire and bring down its defenses. This was almost a sticking point for me -- really, fighter pilots? Don't you guys have Bothans for this sort of thing? -- but since it was such fun, I decided not to quibble. There's another plot point, involving Kessel, that I thought was wrongheaded, but everything after that was jolly good fun.

The depiction of Coruscant -- its highs and lows -- was great, and the eventual fights and adventures there were 3000% more interesting than anything that happened on Coruscant during the prequels. Maybe show more more than 3000%. Seriously, people. Dodging skyscrapers and pedestrian bridges while atmosphere-fighting TIEs! Taking tea in a heavily secured Imperial building large enough for a Star Destroyer to park in the atrium! Escaping one group of criminals to fall directly into Imperial crossfire!

The Imperial plot against the Rebellion here is fiendish and Machiavellian, and promises to pay off amply over the next few books. The Rogues' devices to bring down Coruscant's shields are inventive and awesome. Despite a lot of coincidences (it's the Foooooorce!) and a not entirely Leia-ish conversation with Leia, this is a really involving, exciting little adventure story, packed with stuff that feels entirely at home in the Star Wars we know and love. This was the way to expand the universe. Good stuff. show less

It was inevitable that my recent immersion in the Star Wars Extended Universe/Legends media would lead me to Michael Stackpole's "X-Wing" series. Given the interconnected nature of the works, the references to events from it in Timothy Zahn's Hand of Thrawn duology left me wanting to read the characters and events mentioned. And the first book, [b:Rogue Squadron|513176|Rogue Squadron (Star Wars X-Wing, #1)|Michael A. Stackpole|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327860341l/513176._SY75_.jpg|987443], was enjoyable enough as an inaugural volume that introduced some appealing characters while laying the groundwork for future volumes.

By contrast, Wedge's Gamble is something of a ominous letdown. With the show more New Republic preparing to take the strategically important planet of Coruscant, the pilots of Rogue Squadron are infiltrated onto it as part of an intelligence-gathering mission. This was the first warning sign for me, for while I get the need to keep the story focused on the main characters, the need for pilots to serve as covert operatives seemed more than a stretch. Yet this was a minor complain when set against the plan hatched by Ysanne Isard, the former head of Imperial Intelligence and the main antagonist of the series. Her scheme to spread a virus designed to sicken and kill missions of non-humans was far too mustache-twirling for my taste. For a series known for its complex and nuanced villains, having one engaged in such an overly-complicated effort to commit genocide while sowing political discord over medical supplies is something of a letdown. Though I'm hoping that the later volumes move past this, the fact that the fourth one is entitled [b:The Bacta War|513201|The Bacta War (Star Wars X-Wing, #4)|Michael A. Stackpole|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327941683l/513201._SY75_.jpg|501178] suggests that the rest of Stackpole's series are going to be grounded in it, which is why I'm having trouble finding the motivation to pick up the next book. show less

Marginally better than the first Rogue Squadron book, as the dogfights take a back seat to the drama. Still, Stackpole is juggling with too many Rebel characters who frankly all talk the same way.

This was pretty good. When reading this series it is clear in the second book that the series was designed from the start to be one big story. This is opposed to many series in which the first book did well and the publisher wants more so the author finds a loose thread to pull on and branch out another book or two.
Given the age of the book I will not worry about spoilers. This one ends with the fall of Coruscant and the leading up to it. While the actual fall of Coruscant might seem somewhat anti-climatic to some it is the work and machinations leading up to it that makes it all work. Good stuff.

Michael A. Stackpole's X-Wing: Wedge's Gamble follows Rogue Squadron as it infiltrates Coruscant prior to the Rebel invasion to capture the city-world. Set six-and-a-half years after Return of the Jedi, this novel helps to bridge the events of Kathy Tyers' The Truce at Bakura and Dave Wolverton's The Courtship of Princess Leia. The Rogues themselves - Wedge Antilles, Tycho Celchu, Corran Horn, and Pash Cracken - are well-fleshed out as characters and the political intrigue within the Rebellion, made clear through the actions of Mon Mothma, Admiral Ackbar, and Borsk Fey'lya, adds to the overall story. Stackpole's alternating perspectives during the infiltration of Coruscant can be a bit confusing, but this disorientation echoes that felt show more by his characters who only know their own mission parameters in order to maintain operational security. Though Timothy Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy predated this novel by five years, Stackpole's story helps to explain how the Rebellion reached those later events. While Disney's purchase of Lucasfilm and decision to excise the previous Expanded Universe removes the canonical nature of this novel, it will still entertain Star Wars fans who read it. show less

Welcome to book 2 of the x wing saga. Let’s give some background, this is a series that was inspired by the popular x wing game series in which the player flies x wings. This game was made to simulate the popular movie scenes where characters fly x wings. What do they not do in this book? Fly X wings.

Overall a pretty mediocre thriller with the members of rogue squadron going undercover to bring down the shields of the imperial Homeworld. Really just does not play to its strengths with the characters being out of their cockpits. Also this is unspeakably corny. Not that Star Wars is the most nuanced, high brow franchise but this really ranks high on the cheese-o-meter, especially with the mustache twirling level diabolical villain and show more our ultra handsome, ultra liked, and ultra talented hero. This was present in the first book as well but it was more tolerable because of the fast moving plot. show less

Sep10:

Quite the good sequel. It ups the ante some with higher stakes.

Characters: All the same. And still good. A couple more introduced, but nobody rounded out.
Plot: Much more solid this time. Of course, tossing fighter pilots in as secret agents is absurd, but I liked the plot otherwise.
Style: Still very good. Worth reading.