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bosquedemel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.5
Exceeded my expectations. A solid, plot-driven book with engaging and interesting characters and settings.
It's slightly overlong and the 3-plots structure doesn't give all of them the same weight and development, but it's a good story and similar in tone and scope to Andor and Rogue One, which is a good thing. Not only does it focus simply on rebel and imperial characters on the ground, fighting and dying for their causes, but it shows restraint when it comes to including famous characters and well-known references (though there is a Vader appearance here which, because it's only one and brief, stands out without stealing the spotlight).
Alexander Freed is a very good writer - especially when it comes to plotting and writing this kind of military sci-fi, avoiding its usual pitfalls - so I'm looking forward to reading his Alphabet Squadron trilogy.
It's slightly overlong and the 3-plots structure doesn't give all of them the same weight and development, but it's a good story and similar in tone and scope to Andor and Rogue One, which is a good thing. Not only does it focus simply on rebel and imperial characters on the ground, fighting and dying for their causes, but it shows restraint when it comes to including famous characters and well-known references (though there is a Vader appearance here which, because it's only one and brief, stands out without stealing the spotlight).
Alexander Freed is a very good writer - especially when it comes to plotting and writing this kind of military sci-fi, avoiding its usual pitfalls - so I'm looking forward to reading his Alphabet Squadron trilogy.
jenny_librarian's review against another edition
I really tried, but this book is just way too boring for me. I coulebt bring myself to care about any of the characters when they author gave us nothing but a series of battles with very little description of anything else.
Namir felt like some sort of macho soldier caricature, and nobody else gave me much hope. It doesn’t feel like Star Wars. It feels like an 80s war book set in the GFFA.
Namir felt like some sort of macho soldier caricature, and nobody else gave me much hope. It doesn’t feel like Star Wars. It feels like an 80s war book set in the GFFA.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, War, and Murder
sofiabsilva's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
disneyfreak627's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
thepaige_turner's review against another edition
2.0
While I surprisingly liked the VERY military-esque way this was written, I just wish they had focused on one battle or one set of characters because so many people were being introduced then killed off that it made it hard to care about everything, especially when your main character/narrator is so cynical it made it hard to focus. I had such high hopes for this but was just disappointed.
cyris_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
teachinsci's review against another edition
4.0
This is not a Star Wars book per se... It is a book about war set in the Star Wars universe. This book seemed to have three major themes: War has a cost. There are two sides to every war. Everyone is the hero of their own story.
The cost of war is inarguably the principle theme of this book. Twilight Company is a group of soldiers who are always sent into the worst environments to fight the hardest battles and, often, to die doing so. The members of the company are constantly being replaced and the method of sending off comrades is an important part of the culture of the group because of that. The soldiers themselves are seen through the eyes of a soldier named Namir whose life story we see in flashbacks throughout the book. He is not a rebel as much as a warrior and the life of fighting an dying is what he knows.
The other side of war is exemplified by a storm trooper. She lives on the planet Sullust and through a story that is told in snippets throughout the novel, we find that she originally joined for the money but soon realized that the Empire offered a structure that she came to appreciate. It is in this attitude that we see the thought processes of those who will zealously defend the status quo to contrast with the views of those who want overthrow the same structure. The author does a good job of making you question the idea (as much as possible) of all the a Empire being bad and all the Rebellion being good.
Lastly, there is the Imperial turned pseudo-rebel who worries that she is being chased by all the forces of the Empire. Whether she is or not, she seems to see herself as the fulcrum on which the fate of the Empure and Rebellion will hinge. It honestly doesn't matter if she is right though. Through her, we see how everyone wants to believe that what they do and what they gave to offer is what everyone is looking for.
Maybe I read more into this book than others, but I certainly think it is higher than a 3-star book (maybe 3.5). I settled on a 4 because of the layers of thought that were provoked in me by reading it.
The cost of war is inarguably the principle theme of this book. Twilight Company is a group of soldiers who are always sent into the worst environments to fight the hardest battles and, often, to die doing so. The members of the company are constantly being replaced and the method of sending off comrades is an important part of the culture of the group because of that. The soldiers themselves are seen through the eyes of a soldier named Namir whose life story we see in flashbacks throughout the book. He is not a rebel as much as a warrior and the life of fighting an dying is what he knows.
The other side of war is exemplified by a storm trooper. She lives on the planet Sullust and through a story that is told in snippets throughout the novel, we find that she originally joined for the money but soon realized that the Empire offered a structure that she came to appreciate. It is in this attitude that we see the thought processes of those who will zealously defend the status quo to contrast with the views of those who want overthrow the same structure. The author does a good job of making you question the idea (as much as possible) of all the a Empire being bad and all the Rebellion being good.
Lastly, there is the Imperial turned pseudo-rebel who worries that she is being chased by all the forces of the Empire. Whether she is or not, she seems to see herself as the fulcrum on which the fate of the Empure and Rebellion will hinge. It honestly doesn't matter if she is right though. Through her, we see how everyone wants to believe that what they do and what they gave to offer is what everyone is looking for.
Maybe I read more into this book than others, but I certainly think it is higher than a 3-star book (maybe 3.5). I settled on a 4 because of the layers of thought that were provoked in me by reading it.