Books Aftermath: Life Debt (Book 2 of 3) by Chuck Wendig on July 12, 2016

Chapters 28 and 29:

Spoiler

Damn, Han and Chewie, you've got your work cut out for you. Dismantling inhibitor chips?

Geez, poor Wedge, that interaction with Norra is awkward.

But...Mister Bones. Guess who's back, back again, Bones is back, tell a friend...

"I am glad I have no astromech parts. Astromechs are meddling, weak things that remind me of trash receptacles or repositories for human waste fluids. They are nearly as useless as protocol droids, who serve no function at all except to talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk..."

Hmmm, maybe Bones has met 3PO. And maybe we need a Bones/R2 scene. I'd like to see R2's reaction to being compared to a toilet.

Poor Brentin, but some PTSD is to be expected.

I've always been neutral towards Mon Mothma, did not care one way or another, but this chapter...damn I hate that woman.

I love Leia's interaction with her, on calling the entire political process for the bull**** that it is.

"You want to negotiate something that is non-negotiable. Over here is the right thing, the good thing. On the other side is the wrong path. The evil path. We have long fought to be good. To be heroes! But now? You want to negotiate in this middle space. You want to dither about in the grey."

Well said, Leia.

I can't blame Temmin for thinking this "Liberation Day" is a dog-and-pony show and a farce either.

 

Chapters 30 and 31 and Hosnian Prime interlude:

Spoiler

Holy hell Tolruck is an evil *******. Between this book and what Thane witnessed in Lost Stars, the NEU is doing a great job showing just how sickening some of the Empire's practices really were.

I was hoping that smelly ***hole would get his arms ripped off, but getting choked by a recently freed abused Wookiee was even better.

LOL, therapy Ewoks? So...NOT the ones who are cooking humans as the main course in honor of golden protocol gods?

I see Ben Solo does not even wait to leave the womb before giving his mother hell. Those are some pretty vivid dreams.

And Brentin...what the actual ****.

Yeah, I guess the answer to that is forthcoming.

 

Chapters 32 and 33 and the Ryloth interlude:

Spoiler

Poor Jas. Leave it to Han to be the eternal optimist.

And ha, Evaan saying that Leia is a lot more scoundrel than people think. I love the plan to blow off Mon Mothma's dog and pony show and go to Kashyyk.

Glad Cham Syndulla and the Twi'lek resistance got some credit for freeing Ryloth.

 

Chapters 34 and 35:

Spoiler

Pretty cool to get that back story on Sloane. Now I understand why she supports the Empire. It makes sense that someone would support at least the notion of totalitarian dictatorship if they have had a traumatic experience and have reason to believe such a dictatorship will keep them safe.

I think I could read an entire book of Han and Sinjir going back and forth.

Really, Chuck Wendig, you could write that. With interludes of Mister Bones, R2 and 3PO.

Sweet baby Jesus in a manger, I hate spiders.

But I laughed until I cried at the way they were used.

And then we get this gloriousness:

"There are spiders out there. Not little spiders. Spiders as big as my grandmother. And while my grandmother was a fairly small woman, she was still considerably larger than any other spider ever."

"They're occupied."

"Occupied?"

"Eating stormtroopers."

"Did I mention I hate you?"

"Maybe once or twice."



Looks like our heroes are in trouble anyway.

But I have a new standard wish for my least favorite characters and politicians:

May you encounter a hungry Kashyyk spider.

 

Chapters 36 and 37:

Spoiler

In another franchise I would have expected Sloane's comments on the parade spectacle to be followed with "You damn kids get off my lawn." But in this franchise it works, and I sympathize, especially given Mon Mothma's attitude.

Rax, you creepy ****. Get eaten by a Kashyyk spider already.

Chandrila got attacked by a bioweapon in the old EU. I guess Chandrila is the main windshield for all the Empire's bugs.

I love the way Han and Leia understand each other. Han was kicking himself because he had failed at this mission that he felt he had to do, but musing on how Leia would understand why he had to do it--and she had said as much back in her office a couple of chapters ago.

I think the new canon needs a book on Huttese insults. "Yo' mama ****ed a Tusken Raider" is funny but we need more.

I enjoyed the discussion on the Star Destroyer. 'These guys are coming.' 'We can take them.' 'No really, THESE guys are coming.' 'We can take them.' 'BUT...' Until Chewie finally decides, alright, enough bull****, I'm breaking out of here.

Leia going behind Mon Mothma's back to get Wedge AND Ackbar was priceless.

I never thought I would see Leia in more trouble with Mon Mothma than when Mon Mothma tried to arrange her marriage to Fabio.

 

And the rest of the book:

Spoiler

So Sloane fell off the bridge but DIDN'T die. And Rax has a Kilgrave thing going on with the prisoners.

That did not surprise me but the way it was carried out, did.

Sloane and Norra beating the hell out of each other is something I could see playing out in an entertaining way on screen.

And geez, poor Sloane. The only one left in the Empire with any sense.

Leia may have lost her "political capital" but I'd call it well spent.

I suspect we will see a lot more later about the importance of Jakku. Some ancient Sith temple buried there, reminds me of the scene in Wild Space when Obi-Wan and Bail went to the edge of the galaxy looking for it (although without all the crying that happened in that book). I assume we'll also find out why Lor San Tekka was there and the significance of Rey being dropped off. I just hope there is nothing about anybody being reincarnated.

I ALMOST felt sorry for Rax at the end. Almost.

Great book, I enjoyed it more than the first one (and I enjoyed the first one).

 

I can't help but observe that

Spoiler

There's a hero named RAE on Jakku....

 

Here, here.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk