Fanclub X-wing Series Fan Club: Home of the Dancing Gamorrean

Ooooh, ooh *struggles to keep mouth shut*, keep reading so we can discuss!

 

MK update: !!!! pg 326 (before Ch. 34)

Edited for inclusion to page 335.

Spoiler

No way! There is no way! You cannot be possibly serious! I didn't see this coming.

to pg 335
Okay, I think I freaked out a little early. I thought for some reason that Trey was General Thaal, but a little thinking made me realize how silly that thought was.

Even money odds that "Ton Phanan" is Face?

Edited to add spoiler tags.

 

The end of the book is chaotic (and you are at that part). So many characters, most of them still new and they are all split up doing different tasks. Trying to keep it all strait is half the fun.

 

I agree, the first time I read Mercy Kill I read it so fast I didn't take the time to stop and speculate. It's fun to hear different experiences.

 

Okay, I'm finished and I've slept on it because I really had to figure out what I thought of the book.

Mercy Kill read update: ending and conclusions

Spoiler

So I guess I was completely off base about thinking there was a mole in the group. Except for the part where the top brass turned heel. I guess I was both right and wrong?

I feel so conflicted about the phrase: "classic Incom T-65 X-wings". Haha, in my head those are still the only X-wings that exist. I really need to go back and read NJO and so on.

I've been waiting for a reconcilation scene between Voort and Scut, and I think that part was written beautifully. Both Bhindi and Runt's deaths were calculated for maximum effect and I feel a little used, but they were vital for Piggy's story arc, so I understand why they were killed.

The ending is very chaotic. So, as I understand it, the Wraiths came up with a plan to get the General out of hiding because of his incredible sense of greed and need to get revenge on Ton and they got the other baddy using the Mission Impossible face-swap trick.

I'm having a very hard time making up my mind. I think the story was good but the pacing was really strange and there were too many people and plotlines to keep track of in a single book. I think the ideas in this story could have easily been made into two books: one about the redemption/return of Piggy and the other could have been about the antics of Face. I really feel like, until the very end, those two story lines didn't really have much to do with each other. As much as I enjoyed reading about Face's antics, I think I would have enjoyed it more if Face weren't in the spotlight as much. I would have liked to have developed an emotional connection to the new Wraiths beyond what I feel about their parents. I didn't think this was as good as the previous X-wing books but it was a fun read. I give Mercy Kill an ambiguously specific score of 7 out of 10.

 

Yes, I agree there is so much missing back story to these characters. I think that's what makes Mercy Kill hard to read and understand. You miss the training and get to know the pilot sessions that were in the first X-Wing books. I wonder if Allston squeezed into one book what he would have liked to spread out into more books because he wasn't sure he'd get the permission/backing (whatever) to write another. Still this book got me back into Star Wars. It gave me a reason to pick up and read my old X-Wing books, my old Bantom books and even the newer SW fiction. That's why I give it a higher rating, I had forgotten how much fun this universe was.

 

I thought there was a mole, too, glad I'm not the only one, haha. I do hope things go back to more 'classic' x-wing style but it was a good book. I have more to say but I can't cut for spoilers right now so I'll get to it later

 

Oh yes, I've been getting back into reading the Star Wars books I've missed, and it's been because of the excitment of discovering that a new X-wing book had come out. I like all of the characters, but you're right, without having gone through their training together, they all seem to be already "there" and it's really hard to get to know them.

I love everything involving the lobster suit and its disgusting wonderfulness. I love all of the new characters, and I would be very happy to read another book revolving around them. I'm sad this wasn't the beginning of a new X-wing series (fingers crossed).

 

The X-Wing books are the best SW books. But you have to admit it would be hard to market a book that takes place 44 years ABY, doesn't include a single descendant of a main character, no Jedi, no Sith and is mostly narrated by a Gammorean. I'm actually surprised this book made it to publishing. Of course I want more.

 

Blowing up the second Death Star doesn't cement Wedge as a "main character"? I kid, of course.

I love that Piggy was the main character in MK. He's definitely been left in an excellent set-up for future stories.

I didn't think MK was aimed at anyone that wasn't already a fan of the original X-wing books. Then again, I don't know if there are that many people who read post-ROTJ books that disliked them.

Runjedi, The stuff you listed were all true of the original X-wing books as well (minus the Gammorrean bit) and I think that's part of why those novels are so good. Stackpole and Allston got to make their own set of characters and explore the SW universe with them. It made character conflicts more believable when they didn't have to go up against the ultimate evil of the galaxy all the time. The plots were more solid because a gang of Force-wielders couldn't swoop in and save the day. Also, fighter pilots are just sexy. I think my mind started wandering towards the end there, but yes, X-wing books are the best SW books. I finally got my husband to start reading the series after a few days (read: a week) of my excited pestering while I was agonizing whether or not I wanted to start MK before I finished NJO. I've read RS to SoA something like a dozen times since I was 13 and they're still among my favorite books, period.

Rebecca_Daniels: I'm interested to see what you thought was going on when you read MK.

 

I read it a week or so back, but was to busy to post some thoughts.

Spoiler: MK Spoilers

I think it's my thing with the NJO era, but I really had trouble with Scut. Vong = bad in my head no matter what I do and it's funny because I really understood Piggy. I'm not exactly a Vong war veteran but I was so into that era as compared to others that I ended up getting attached to that way of thinking.

Too much happened, imo. Too many characters and too much action for one book. Admittedly, they've had this level of action before, but that's usually after all the character introductions - this was more like a 'learn about the characters on the go and you better keep up!' kind of method, which isn't necessarily bad, just different. And while changes are hard to take, it has been I don't even know how many years since the last X-wing book so Allston's writing has changed and the SW universe has changed and the state of the publishing has changed - just hoping this disney thing doesn't effect any coming books, especially any more x-wing books.

I was oddly not bothered by Runt and Bhindi's deaths. I think I was expecting it for Runt, since he hadn't shown up yet (also from Piggy's flashbacks, I expected Shalla to have died too), and I never got that attached to Bhindi. I probably just read it too fast, as I often do.

Another note, didn't Allston say that Face and Dia's relationship wouldn't last? I was so confused about them being married.

And that was all over the place. Sorry, I'm both sick and tired from uni.

 

Spoiler

Allston says on his website that he assumes that Face and Dia had a brief romance but then went their separate ways. I don't think he's bothered to update it since he's written MK.

I didn't know who Bhindi was outside of the context of MK, but a lot of the dialogue setting up the new Wraiths was spelling out to not expect her to stay in the story. Runt's death bothered me more in the method than the fact that he had actually died. It did catch me completely by surprise.

Rebecca, I know exactly what you mean about being caught in an era. Hope you feel better.

 

I thought heard about Face and Dia's releationship somewhere so I looked it up and found this

Spoiler: SPOILER!

http://storify.com/Tosche_Station/dragon-con-recap-aaron-allston-s-mercy-kill-q-and.html][/url] here
Which includes this line: "While none of this is official, Allston said that he envisioned Dia and Face going their separate ways after Solo Command. Dia had a child during the Vong war, but the father was military and likely killed in combat. Dia and Face would have reconnected some years after that."

It includes a whole lot of really interesting Mercy Kill tid-bits, including how many kids Kirney and Myn have and even a little bit about Trey who is in my opinion the casts most intriguing character. I could read a whole book on his back story, I mean what's not to like about a guy who loves to exercise...must have a great body!

 

That was the line I was thinking of, MiraxTerrik I guess he changed his mind.

On another note, I'm living in Sweden for 6 months starting in Jan and that means I can't bring my library of books with me. Currently I have two 'comfort books' that I'm definitely bringing. One of them is Starfighters of Adumer, of course.

 

I'm trying to reduce my luggage, since I'm probably going to be buying lots of things while I'm there. Honestly, I'd bring the entire x-wing series if I could, but it's a bit too much to be taking halfway around the world My mum has an e-reader but they're not really my favourite things - I like being able to turn pages heh

 

I know, I know, just not the same thing though. And I'd have to buy the books again when I already have them right here!

 

That's what I find difficult now that I have my own I-pad. It's hard to justify buying books you already have. I am sitting on some Amazon gift cards right now though, waiting until a few weeks after Christmas or something. I don't know this time of year doesn't feel right to buy stuff for myself either.

 

Rebecca_Daniels Starfighters of Adumar and Iron Fist are my two go-to books to bring on vacations.

I have an e-reader but I find that I prefer books in paper. I like to look back and what I've read the most by how beat up they look and what page they open to when you set it on the spine to see where favorite passages are. Also, books just smell better.

 

I finally finished my rereading of The Last Command and started on Isard's Revenge.

 

I've been meaning to reread the Thrawn Trilogy. Currently at the end of The Bacta War and the middle of reading Vector Prime a second time. I don't want to reread the end of Vector Prime yet.

 

I have been rereading my Bantam favorites, the X-wing series, the Thrawn Trilogy, I, Jedi, the Black Fleet Crisis Trilogy, and the Hand of Thrawn Duology, in IU chronology order, but it took me a long time to get through the Thrawn Trilogy because of school and recently video games (I got Halo 4 and Skyrim for my birthday last week). I originally read most Star Wars novels through the library several years ago, namely Bantam, the NJO, and several other Del Rey novels, but I finally got around to getting many of my favorites this year.