Star Wars X Wing: Mercy Kill book discussion

[DrMckay]

So, Just got Mercy Kill by Aaron Allston, and it's shaping up to be a pretty interesting read. lots of follow-up to the Wraith characters, and so far, I don't feel lost even though I never read the "Jacen goes Eeevil" story arc in detail. The story is interesting and self contained, I just thought I'd start a thread here and see if anyone else is reading. Please hide spoilers for the first 2 weeks or so. Thanks!

[PainRack]

Would you recommend it? I gone off Star Wars novels since the atrocious Coruscant nights and Legacy series came out......

[Crazedwraith]

You though Coruscant Nights was atrocious? How come?

Nice to hear its ok McKay. I was excited for new X-wing books but hearing it was a legacy tie-in was rather killed my interest.

[PainRack]

You though Coruscant Nights was atrocious? How come?

Nice to hear its ok McKay. I was excited for new X-wing books but hearing it was a legacy tie-in was rather killed my interest.

The writing was simplistic and read more like a Young Jedi Knights or other book pitched at young adults or children.

There's also lots of canon continuity issues, such as how everyone knew Palpatine was a Force user/sith and Vader presence in the series is nauseating.

Still, each to their own tastes. I found the Han Solo trilogy by Crispin annoyingly bad, sufficient only in a sense that it tied in all the seperate portions of Han life into a coherent whole......... but most of the fans here as well as TFN loved it.

[DrMckay]

Mercy Kill is meant to stand on its own. I never read past the end of the Vong War in the EU, and I didn't feel like I missed anything in this book. Honestly it felt pretty old-school in a good way. Plus, lots of humor and great character moments, Also, descendants of Wraith members feature!

[Pelranius]

Thaal didn't really seem to command my attention as a villain, compared to Zsinj or Isard.

[Ralin]

Thaal didn't really seem to command my attention as a villain, compared to Zsinj or Isard.

I don't think he was intended to. He's there as a foil to give Allston a chance to show us what the Wraiths have been up to and what became of them. And maybe lay the groundwork for more books about them, which is a more than adequate reason in my book.

[Arawn Fenn]

There's also lots of canon continuity issues, such as how everyone knew Palpatine was a Force user/sith and Vader presence in the series is nauseating.

I'm certainly not here to defend the author(s), and the thing about everyone knowing Palpatine is a Sith definitely smacks of the increasingly common lazy-brained authorial slip-up of assuming that characters should know everything the audience knows. But this could have been a case of the author(s) following the lead of the ROTS novel, in which an audio recording of Palpatine more or less admitting his Sithhood is played in the Senate. Of course there are many more continuity issues in CN.

[Terralthra]

Thaal didn't really seem to command my attention as a villain, compared to Zsinj or Isard.

I don't think he was intended to. He's there as a foil to give Allston a chance to show us what the Wraiths have been up to and what became of them. And maybe lay the groundwork for more books about them, which is a more than adequate reason in my book.

He's certainly no less threatening than Admiral Trigit. It also filled in the gaps on what happened to the Wraiths that went unmentioned during NJO/Swarm War/LotF/FotJ, and confirm things that were implied. It was a fun read, introduced a new cast of Wraiths, and hopefully more will come.

Edit: It was also kind of nice to not have a novel about a galaxy-spanning war, epic struggles between Sith and Jedi, etc. There's a threat, a team of resourceful individuals steps up.

[Alyeska]

The Wraith Books have been a favorite for quite some time. Two of the most emotional scenes in any Star Wars book I've ever read. Ton Phannan and Runt's deaths. Not just their death, but how it impacts their friends.

My Kindle says I am 50% of the way through the book. But I've noticed that in past SW novels all that EU crap at the end of the book counts towards the total. So I am probably 2/3 through the book.

Allston knows how to write a good story with the lesser EU characters. He doesn't get caught up with the Star characters.

[Boeing 757]

I've pretty much shunned SW Expanded Universe stuff from the my reading list in favor of Warhammer 40K, but it looks like I may just have to pick this one up. Always loved the X-wing books from the earlier EU. There was and still is much room for exploring the Galactic Civil War from the viewpoints of other characters living during that time period, IMHO. I never could quite grasp why they felt that they needed to skip beyond that period and bring extragalactic aliens into the fray.

[Alyeska]

And I just finished it. Some nice touches for old fans.

Kirney Slane flying a rescue shuttle to evac the new Wraiths. Ton Phannan was mentioned prominently as a ruse. Exerpts from old missions so we could still see some of the old crew in action.

Piggy is the sole original Wraith and is now Leader. Myn and Lara/Gara/Kirney are happily married and Kirney has adamantly told Piggy he is not to recruit any of their children. Myri Antilles is a new member as is Jessmin Tainer, a nice node to Jessmin Ackbar. Another new operative is a child of a cousin to the original crew.

Some of the Vong War era Wraiths are on the team.

Bhindi dies, and that scene was well done. As was Runts death. Face and Dia are married. Face is now the head of Galactic Alliance Security. The Wraiths are going to be his off the books investigative team. This book was setup so Allston could write new Wraith novels.

Oh yes. Wedge and Tyco make a cameo in Stealth Xs in the same scene Kirney flew the rescue shuttle.

[Luke Skywalker]

Not to sound petty, but any technical information?

[Alyeska]

Not to sound petty, but any technical information?

Not that kind of book. Only a single dogfight in the entire story.

[Ralin]

Face and Dia are married.

That actually surprised me since I'm pretty sure Allston has said on his website that his head canon had Face and Dia breaking up (on friendly terms) eventually. I guess he either changed his mind or they later got back together?

Myri Antilles is a new member as is Jessmin Tainer, a nice node to Jessmin Ackbar.

I went "Aww" at that. Probably my favorite little detail.

[Terralthra]

Face and Dia are married.

That actually surprised me since I'm pretty sure Allston has said on his website that his head canon had Face and Dia breaking up (on friendly terms) eventually. I guess he either changed his mind or they later got back together?

Seems implied that they split and got back together. Dia's daughter Adra is referred to as Face's adopted daughter.

[Alyeska]

Well, Twilekk and Humans can't produce children. So any children are going to be adoptions to one of the parents no matter what.